The Pokémon Trading Card Game marches on with lucrative success deeper into 2024, with the latest Twilight Masquerade expansion set from the current Scarlet & Violet series expanding the game for competitors and collectors. This follows the Temporal Forces TCG expansion set released less than a month ago at the time of writing. Still, there's enough in Twilight Masquerade to justify this quick turnaround for The Pokémon Company's blockbuster tabletop game, putting the focus on Gen IX's Legendary Ogerpon in the process.

Compared to how Temporal Forces followed up on Paradox Rift, this set doesn't feel like a direct successor to any previous set but instead reinforces some recent and returning concepts. Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade using Ogerpon as its focal point won't excite those uninvested in the video game's DLC, but it complements new mechanics and offers enough interesting card designs to be a respectable expansion.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade Makes the Legendary Ogerpon Its Star

Clocking in as the ongoing Scarlet & Violet series' eighth expansion set for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Twilight Masquerade will be immediately recognizable to fans as a "tie-in" for the Nintendo Switch games' latest DLC. Based on the second and final expansion of the Switch's Scarlet and Violet games The Teal Mask, this set gives the new Grass-Type Legendary species Ogerpon its debut. In the most recent pair of video games, this Pokémon is known to change forms and typings according to the mask it wears, and that function translates into the TCG. This can be seen in the form of individual Pokémon cards for each of its four forms -- including its base form -- in "basic" and "ex" variations, and the Ogre's Mask "Trainer Card" to let players swap a version of Ogerpon from their discard to their in-play lineup.

This is an interesting way to give the Pokémon a fitting niche in its transition from the Scarlet and Violet video games, and there's certainly potential to fill exciting roles in competitive decks. However, this new addition alone likely won't be a strong selling point for longtime and nostalgic Pokémon fans, especially since Ogerpon is the core theme for Twilight Masquerade. It's also not as topical of a feature as it appears on paper. Even though The Teal Mask DLC this card set is based on is only a few months old, the TCG goes through its expansions much faster, in greater numbers, and with new themes.

At least on the gameplay side of things, Ogerpon's Legendary counterparts from The Teal Mask also debut with their respective intriguing angles. Fezandipiti appears as a Psychic card, Oikidogi as a Fighting card, and Hunkidori as a Psychic card. Their assets in matches combine high-power damage with potentially devastating secondary effects and even more potent Abilities. Beyond that, the Bloodmoon form of Ursulana, which debuted in the Switch's Scarlet and Violet, debuts as a powerful "ex" card in four different and well-illustrated prints. Fans will have to wait for Twilight Masquerade to formally launch and have time to settle into the competitive meta before any definitive roles can be filled. That said, there's undoubtedly room for deck builds to grow with these new cards.

The Latest Expansion Doubles Down on Recent Gameplay Mechanics and Returns

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is known for introducing exciting new mechanics to refresh gameplay. While the Legendary Ogerpon is the most advertised new addition to the competitive format -- and possibly its Teal Mask contemporaries -- Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade mainly doubles down on recent and returning features. It makes it feel like this expansion doesn't necessarily offer anything groundbreaking on its own, but that still works in the set's favor since there are enough existing mechanics worth expanding upon. These include new Tera Pokémon ex cards of existing species, new variations of Paradox Pokémon, and even more ACE SPEC Trainer/Special Energy cards.

Tera Pokémon is a feature introduced in Generation IX's video games that lets creatures temporarily change their Type or reinforce an existing typing. This mechanic's versatility has translated well into the TCG and the latest expansion is no exception. For Twilight Masquerade, existing species like Dragapult and Greninja benefit from Tera Types, with the latter switching to Fighting-Type. Meanwhile, Paradox monsters receive decent representation in this expansion. It's a welcome surprise to see soon after the Scarlet & Violet - Temporal Forces expansion from March 2024. Iron Leaves, Walking Wake, and Iron Thorns are the highlights in this department, with the latter getting a terrific new "ex" variant that packs considerable power between its attack and Ability.

ACE SPEC cards are the most exciting of these features. This card type was introduced in 2012's Black & White - Boundaries Crossed expansion and was reintroduced this March in Scarlet & Violet - Temporal Forces. These cards are powerful to the point of being limited to one per deck, and Twilight Masquerade introduces new ACE SPEC cards to liven the competitive scene further. Noteworthy additions include the Secret Box card, which lets the user pull an Item, Tool, Trainer, Supporter, and Stadium card from their deck and put it directly into their hand.

That's not to say this expansion doesn't appeal to collectors. On top of a fresh catalog of full-art Special Illustration cards, the stunning Elite Trainer Box, the Build & Battle Box, and the massive Booster Bundle ensure dedicated competitors and avid collectors are well catered to. The one drawback, however, is its overall card count. Like Temporal Forces, Twilight Masquerade has a relatively lean main set card count before including Secret Rare cards (167). It's only slightly more than its predecessor (162), meaning fans should prepare for some duplicates.

How Does Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade Build Upon Its Predecessors?

Compared to what Scarlet & Violet - Temporal Forces did for 2023's Paradox Rift expansion set, Twilight Masquerade feels more like a complement rather than an outright successor to what came before. This would make it seem to lack too much identity if not for the Ogerpon trappings, but it remains a well-rounded set thanks to the other areas it focuses on. Between the possible gameplay shakeups from Ogerpon, new "ex" cards, doubling down on the return of ACE SPEC cards, and collector's cards via new Special Illustrations, there's enough here to offer fans. Twilight Masquerade is a new set that justifies its place in the wider Scarlet & Violet TCG series, and it will keep players invested in its mechanics until a future expansion takes a bolder direction.

The Legendary Ogerpon and its three alternate forms may not be convincing enough of a theme for Pokémon fans who aren't invested in the Gen IX video games' competitive meta. Even less so this long after The Teal Mask DLC's release on Nintendo Switch. Even so, Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade is an expansion set that excels in the sum of its parts. Expanding on established features shows a commitment to keeping the competitive scene fresh, making Twilight Masquerade a respectable, if modest improvement over its predecessor.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet - Twilight Masquerade expansion set releases on May 24, 2024 and is available for pre-order now.