Bastiodon
Quick take
- Full-art Illustration Rare in Pitch Black's secret block, numbered 093/084
- Illustrated by Yoriyuki Ikegami; the standard print at 62/84 is by Kinu Nishimura
- Ancient Bulwark gives it genuine deck demand on top of collector demand
- Ranks just inside the top twenty cards in the set by market value right now
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Pitch Black
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 93/84 · $1.64 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe fossil wall that players and collectors both want
Bastiodon 093/084 is the Illustration Rare version of one of Pitch Black's more talked-about non-ex cards. The regular print sits at 62/84. This full-art variant lives past the set number in the secret block, illustrated by Yoriyuki Ikegami rather than Kinu Nishimura, who handled the standard art. Two artists, one Pokemon, one set.
“Full-art Illustration Rare in Pitch Black's secret block, numbered 093/084”
The playable side matters here. Ancient Bulwark prevents all damage to your Pokemon from attacks by opposing Pokemon with two or fewer Energy attached, as long as Bastiodon sits on your bench. Early Pitch Black deck coverage already slots it into Lunatone and Solrock builds. When a full-art card has a real deck home, its floor holds better than art-only IRs in the same block.
For master set builders, this is a required card either way. Pitch Black runs 84 numbered cards plus the secret block, and the Illustration Rares are where completion costs start to bite. Bastiodon is currently one of the pricier IRs in the set, so plan for it early rather than leaving it as your last hole.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Sits in the upper tier of Pitch Black's Illustration Rares, well below the set's Special Illustration Rares and Mega ex chase cards but clearly above the bulk IRs. For a non-ex full art, that is a strong position.
Two weeks after the July 17, 2026 release, the set's IR tier has done its usual early drift. The play demand from Ancient Bulwark could slow the rest of the slide, but expect movement in both directions until the market fully settles through the autumn.
Modest. Non-ex Illustration Rares from heavily printed modern sets rarely appreciate; most settle lower than launch prices. The exception is sustained competitive play, and it is too early to know if Bastiodon decks stick. Buy it because you want it in the binder, not as a hold.
Thin at this tier. Grading fees eat most of the spread between raw and slabbed copies of a mid-tier IR, so only a gem mint grade makes financial sense, and even then the premium is small on a set this new. Grade for personal collection reasons, not profit.
TCGPlayer's count of just over 4,000 Pitch Black packs puts Illustration Rares at 1 in 9 packs — a measured ME05 number now. The catch is the word any: with eleven IRs in the secret block, hitting this specific Bastiodon works out to roughly 1 in 100 packs. If you want this exact card, buying the single will beat ripping packs by a wide margin.
Within Pitch Black, this is one of the stronger IRs by price, sitting just inside the top twenty of the whole set. It costs a fraction of the set's Special Illustration Rares but noticeably more than the throwaway IRs at the bottom of the block. Think of it as the top of the affordable tier.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Serebii credits this Illustration Rare to Yoriyuki Ikegami. The standard 62/84 print is by Kinu Nishimura, so Pitch Black gives Bastiodon two separate artistic takes in one release. That kind of split is common in the Illustration Rare era, where the full-art slot often goes to a different illustrator than the base card.
This is the full-art Illustration Rare treatment, so the artwork runs edge to edge with the borderless framing the IR tier is known for. It is Ikegami's own composition, not a reworked version of Nishimura's standard art. The card image on this page shows the actual scene.
Standard modern Illustration Rare production: holofoil finish across the full card face with the textured surface pattern used throughout the Mega Evolution era sets. Japanese collectors know this card from Abyss Eye, released in May 2026, where it appears as an AR at 091/081.
Fossil Pokemon almost never get the full-art spotlight. Bastiodon has been in the TCG since the Diamond and Pearl days, and this is one of the very few premium treatments it has ever received. That is exactly the kind of card species collectors quietly fight over.
BackgroundAbout Bastiodon
Bastiodon is the Shield Pokemon from Generation IV, a Rock and Steel fossil revived from the Armor Fossil as Shieldon in Diamond and Pearl. Its face is a literal castle wall, and the games have always leaned into that: it is the ace of Byron, the Canalave City Gym Leader in Sinnoh. The Pokedex has long described Bastiodon herds forming defensive lines with their hard faces, and the card's Ancient Bulwark ability is that flavor turned directly into a game mechanic.
- ›One of the most defense-coded designs in the whole franchise, with a devoted niche fanbase
- ›Fossil Pokemon collectors form a distinct sub-community and premium fossil cards are scarce
- ›Byron's ace in the Sinnoh games gives it recognition with the Diamond and Pearl generation of players
- ›The wall gimmick translates into an ability people actually build decks around
- ›Ace Pokemon of Byron, the Canalave City Gym Leader in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum
- ›Revived from the Armor Fossil via Shieldon since Generation IV
- ›The regular Bastiodon print was one of four Pitch Black prerelease promos, alongside Dhelmise, Slowbro, and Miraidon
Ancient Bulwark prevents all damage to your Pokemon from attacks by opposing Pokemon with two or fewer Energy attached while Bastiodon is on your bench. It also swings for 160 with Hammer In. Early coverage pairs it with Lunatone and Solrock, backed by the new Fossil Quarry Stadium, which puts Antique Item cards straight onto your bench to speed up the fossil line. Reviewers call the pairing strong, but the deck needs setup and nobody has proven it in a major event yet. Players who just want the ability can run the cheap 62/84 print, which caps how much play demand lifts this IR.
Own it wellCollector guide
Full-art textured cards show edge and corner wear faster than standard prints, and the dark backgrounds common in this set make whitening on the borders and back corners easy to spot. Check the holofoil surface under angled light for print lines, which show up regularly in fresh modern product.
Skip grading unless the copy is flawless and you want it slabbed for your own shelf. On a mid-tier IR from a new set, only a gem mint grade returns the fee, and raw near mint copies trade perfectly well. If you do grade, wait until you can inspect centering front and back first. Read the grading guide →
Penny sleeve into a snug perfect-fit, then a standard sleeve or toploader if it lives outside the binder. For master set binders, use side-loading pages and keep the binder stored upright away from sunlight. Textured IRs can imprint against tight pages over years, so avoid overstuffed binders. See the storage guide →
Patience pays here. The set is brand new, supply is still ramping, and IR prices from modern sets usually soften over the first quarter after release. If you are completing the Pitch Black master set, watch the price for a month or two before buying unless a deal appears. Buy from photos of the actual card, not stock images, and check corners on the dark back border. See the singles buying guide →
Counterfeit risk is low for a card at this price point and age. Standard checks still apply: real modern cards have the textured foil pattern you can feel, crisp text printing, and the correct card stock stiffness. If a listing price looks too good against the market, assume something is wrong.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Early and positive. Pitch Black landed on July 17, 2026, and Bastiodon drew attention on two fronts: deck builders theorycrafting around Ancient Bulwark in prerelease coverage, and collectors flagging the IR as one of the set's better non-ex pulls. A premium card for a fossil Pokemon is uncommon enough that it stands out in the IR lineup.
Set-release chatter is dominated by the Mega ex chase cards, as always, but Bastiodon keeps coming up in deck discussion threads and set reviews as the defensive sleeper of the set. That is a healthier kind of buzz than pure art hype, since it renews every time someone posts a Bastiodon deck that performs.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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