The Temporal Forces card list holds 218 cards from Pokémon Temporal Forces, the Scarlet & Violet expansion released in English on 22 March 2024, which brought ACE SPEC cards back to the Pokémon TCG and added a new wave of Ancient and Future Pokémon. It’s a set that players and collectors both still talk about, thanks to its Paradox Pokémon ex and its run of Special Illustration Rares.
This guide explains how the Temporal Forces card list is put together, from the main set to the secret rares, and picks out the cards worth knowing, with numbers checked against the main card databases. We also cover the two Temporal Forces ETB designs, the booster box formats and what we stock. Temporal Forces is now over two years old, so we’ve been honest about availability too.
Pokémon Temporal Forces Key Facts
Here are the basics that shape the whole Temporal Forces card list.
- Full name: Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces, listed under the set code TEF on Limitless TCG.
- English release date: 22 March 2024.
- Set size: 218 cards, made up of 162 main set cards and 56 secret rares.
- ACE SPEC cards: seven, made up of six Trainer cards and one Special Energy.
- Pokémon ex: 13, plus two Tera Pokémon ex, Wugtrio ex and Farigiraf ex.
- Secret rares: 22 Illustration Rares, 18 Ultra Rares, 10 Special Illustration Rares and six gold Hyper Rares.
- Japanese source sets: Wild Force and Cyber Judge, released in Japan on 26 January 2024.
- Booster pack: 10 cards per pack.
The official launch announcement from The Pokémon Company International confirmed the release date, the return of ACE SPEC cards and the new Ancient and Future cards. The card counts come from the set reveal and the set list on Bulbapedia’s Temporal Forces page.
How the Temporal Forces Card List Is Structured
Every card in the set is numbered out of 162, so anything with a higher number is a secret rare. Knowing the ranges makes it much easier to sort a pile of Pokémon Temporal Forces cards, check what you’ve pulled and plan a binder.
The Main Set: 001 to 162
The first 162 cards are the Commons, Uncommons, Rares, ACE SPEC Rares and Double Rares you’ll see most often. Codedyellow’s set breakdown lists 71 Commons, 55 Uncommons, 14 Rares, seven ACE SPEC Rares and 15 Double Rares. The Double Rares are all Pokémon ex, including Walking Wake ex at 050/162 and Raging Bolt ex at 123/162.
Bulbapedia notes that the English set has reverse holo versions of every card from Rare down. If you’re building a master set of the Temporal Forces card list, that roughly doubles the number of main set cards you’ll need.
The Secret Rares: 163 to 218
Above the main set, the 56 secret rares fall into four clear blocks:
- 163–184, Illustration Rares: 22 full-art cards of non-ex Pokémon, including Grotle, Litten, Snom, Gastly, Metagross, Meltan and Drampa.
- 185–202, Ultra Rares: full-art versions of 12 Pokémon ex, plus six Supporters: Bianca’s Devotion, Ciphermaniac’s Codebreaking, Eri, Explorer’s Guidance, Morty’s Conviction and Salvatore.
- 203–212, Special Illustration Rares: the six Paradox Pokémon ex and four Supporters, Bianca’s Devotion, Eri, Morty’s Conviction and Salvatore.
- 213–218, Hyper Rares: gold versions of the same six Paradox Pokémon ex.
That shape puts the six Paradox Pokémon at the centre of the Temporal Forces card list. Each one appears as a Double Rare, an Ultra Rare, a Special Illustration Rare and a gold Hyper Rare, so a collector chasing one favourite has four versions to look for.
Where the Temporal Forces Card List Came From
Pokémon Temporal Forces was built mainly from two Japanese expansions, Wild Force and Cyber Judge, which were released together in Japan on 26 January 2024. Bulbapedia notes that some cards also came from the Japanese Starter Deck & Build Sets, and Limitless shows that this is where the Temporal Forces versions of Koraidon ex and Miraidon ex come from.
Limitless TCG’s printing records show the split clearly: Walking Wake ex, Gouging Fire ex and Raging Bolt ex come from Wild Force, while Iron Leaves ex, Iron Crown ex and Iron Boulder ex come from Cyber Judge.
Combining the two into one English release is why the Temporal Forces card list is so much longer than either Japanese set. It also means the numbers don’t match. The gold Walking Wake ex is 215/162 in English but number 99 in Wild Force, so always check which language a listing refers to before buying a single card.
ACE SPEC Cards in Pokémon Temporal Forces
ACE SPEC cards first appeared in Boundaries Crossed during the Black & White Series, and Temporal Forces brought them back with a new magenta design. They have powerful effects, but there’s a strict rule: a deck can contain only one ACE SPEC card of any kind. In English they use their own rarity, ACE SPEC Rare.
These are the seven ACE SPEC cards on the Temporal Forces card list, with numbers from Bulbapedia’s ACE SPEC page and Limitless TCG:
- Awakening Drum (141/162): an Item that lets you draw a card for each of your Ancient Pokémon in play.
- Hero’s Cape (152/162): a Pokémon Tool.
- Master Ball (153/162): an Item that searches your deck for any Pokémon.
- Maximum Belt (154/162): a Pokémon Tool.
- Prime Catcher (157/162): an Item.
- Reboot Pod (158/162): an Item that attaches a Basic Energy from your discard pile to each of your Future Pokémon.
- Neo Upper Energy (162/162): the set’s ACE SPEC Special Energy, and the last card in the main set.
Because you can only play one, choosing your ACE SPEC is one of the key deck-building decisions in any format where these cards are legal.
Ancient and Future Pokémon
Ancient and Future are labels printed in the top right corner of the card art. They were introduced in the English Paradox Rift expansion, and Temporal Forces continued the theme. Ancient cards have a stony label and a layered rock background, while Future cards have a technological label and a pixelated background.
The set’s central Pokémon are two Paradox trios inspired by the Legendary beasts and the Swords of Justice. The Ancient trio is Walking Wake ex, Gouging Fire ex and Raging Bolt ex. The Future trio is Iron Leaves ex, Iron Boulder ex and Iron Crown ex. Koraidon ex and Miraidon ex appear in the main set as well.
The labels matter in play because some cards only help one side. Awakening Drum rewards Ancient Pokémon, Reboot Pod powers up Future Pokémon, and Iron Crown ex’s Cobalt Command Ability boosts the damage your other Future Pokémon do to your opponent’s Active Pokémon. That’s why decks built around this set often lean firmly towards either Ancient or Future, and why the labels are worth noticing as you sort the Temporal Forces card list.
The 10 Best Temporal Forces Chase Cards
There’s no official ranking, so treat this as our list of the cards on the Temporal Forces card list that collectors most associate with the set. They’re the 10 Special Illustration Rares, with numbers, rarities and illustrators checked against Limitless TCG, PkmnCards and Codedyellow. We’ve left out prices on purpose.
| Card | Number | Rarity | Illustrator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking Wake ex | 205/162 | Special Illustration Rare | Teeziro |
| Raging Bolt ex | 208/162 | Special Illustration Rare | Teeziro |
| Gouging Fire ex | 204/162 | Special Illustration Rare | Teeziro |
| Iron Leaves ex | 203/162 | Special Illustration Rare | nagimiso |
| Iron Crown ex | 206/162 | Special Illustration Rare | nagimiso |
| Iron Boulder ex | 207/162 | Special Illustration Rare | nagimiso |
| Morty’s Conviction | 211/162 | Special Illustration Rare | Megumi Mizutani |
| Eri | 210/162 | Special Illustration Rare | DOM |
| Bianca’s Devotion | 209/162 | Special Illustration Rare | Cona Nitanda |
| Salvatore | 212/162 | Special Illustration Rare | Tetsu Kayama |
You’ll notice a pattern: Teeziro illustrated all three Ancient Special Illustration Rares, and nagimiso illustrated all three Future ones. That makes them a satisfying pair of trios to display side by side in a binder.
Walking Wake ex and Raging Bolt ex
Walking Wake ex is one of the faces of the set and one of the two Temporal Forces ETB designs. It’s a Basic Water Pokémon with 220 HP, and its Azure Seas Ability means its attacks aren’t affected by any effects on your opponent’s Active Pokémon. Its versions are 050 (Double Rare), 189 (Ultra Rare), 205 (Special Illustration Rare) and 215 (gold Hyper Rare).
Raging Bolt ex is a Basic Dragon Pokémon with 240 HP. Its Bellowing Thunder attack lets you discard any amount of Basic Energy from your Pokémon to do 70 damage for each card discarded. Its versions are 123, 196, 208 and 218, so it closes the Temporal Forces card list with its gold Hyper Rare.
Iron Leaves ex and Iron Crown ex
Iron Leaves ex is the other ETB Pokémon, a Basic Grass Pokémon with 220 HP. Its Rapid Vernier Ability lets you switch it into the Active Spot when you play it from your hand to your Bench, and move Energy onto it from your other Pokémon. Its versions are 025, 186, 203 and 213.
Iron Crown ex is a Basic Psychic Pokémon with 220 HP. Alongside its Cobalt Command Ability, its Twin Shotels attack does 50 damage to two of your opponent’s Pokémon. Its versions are 081, 191, 206 and 216.
The Six Gold Hyper Rares
The gold Hyper Rares are the final six cards in the set: Iron Leaves ex (213), Gouging Fire ex (214), Walking Wake ex (215), Iron Crown ex (216), Iron Boulder ex (217) and Raging Bolt ex (218). The official reveal described them as gold etched cards, and they complete the four-version run for each Paradox Pokémon.
Temporal Forces ETB: Walking Wake and Iron Leaves
There are two versions of the Elite Trainer Box, one with Walking Wake artwork and one with Iron Leaves artwork. Each Temporal Forces ETB contains:
- nine Temporal Forces booster packs
- one full-art foil promo card
- 65 card sleeves featuring the box’s Pokémon
- 45 Energy cards
- a player’s guide to the expansion
- six damage-counter dice and a competition-legal coin-flip die
- two plastic condition markers
- a collector’s box with four dividers
- a code card for Pokémon TCG Live
The promo depends on the version. The Walking Wake box has Flutter Mane (SVP 097), an Ancient Pokémon, and the Iron Leaves box has Iron Thorns (SVP 098), a Future Pokémon. Bulbapedia confirms Iron Thorns as the Iron Leaves box promo, and retailer listings and Codedyellow match both promos to their boxes.
There was also a Pokémon Center version of each design, sold through the Pokémon Center. It holds 11 booster packs instead of nine and two copies of the promo, one with a Pokémon Center stamp. Our own Temporal Forces listing is the half booster box rather than a Temporal Forces ETB. If you want an ETB specifically, it’s worth knowing which version you’re looking at before you buy, because the Pokémon Center box uses the same artwork as the standard box, with a Pokémon Center logo added.
Booster Boxes and Other Temporal Forces Products
The rest of the English range followed the usual Scarlet & Violet pattern. Here’s what each product held, based on PokeGuardian’s product line-up, Dittobase’s release-day guide and retailer listings.
- Booster display: 36 Temporal Forces booster packs, the most direct way to work through the Temporal Forces card list.
- Half booster box: 18 booster packs, a format retailers describe as a European release.
- Booster bundle: six booster packs.
- Build & Battle Box: a 40-card ready-to-play deck, a foil promo and four booster packs.
- Blisters: single-pack and three-pack blisters, each with a promo card.
We stock the English half booster box as Temporal Forces – Half Booster – English. It holds half the packs of a full display, so it’s a sensible size for opening a good chunk of the Pokémon Temporal Forces card list without committing to 36 packs.
Temporal Forces was released in March 2024, and newer expansions have taken over most shop shelves since then. Sealed product from older sets naturally becomes less common over time, so our stock of the half booster box can change. The product page always shows what’s currently available, and our English booster boxes category is where to find the other displays we stock.
Are Temporal Forces Cards Still Legal in Standard?
Mostly, yes. The 2026–27 Standard format started on 26 March 2026 in Pokémon TCG Live and on 10 April 2026 at in-person Play! Pokémon events. Cards with the H, I and J regulation marks are legal, while cards with the G mark rotated out.
Most cards on the Temporal Forces card list carry the H mark, including all six Paradox Pokémon ex, the Supporters and all seven ACE SPEC cards. At least one card, Scovillain ex (022/162), carries the older G mark and is no longer legal in Standard, though it can still be used in Expanded. If you play, check the regulation mark letter in the bottom left of each card before an event.
Limitless TCG also lists later printings of Walking Wake ex, Iron Leaves ex, Iron Crown ex and Raging Bolt ex in Prismatic Evolutions, which we cover in our Prismatic Evolutions guide. Those printings share the same game text as the Temporal Forces versions.
Other Sets to Open Alongside Temporal Forces
If you’re finishing a Temporal Forces binder, you may also be looking at other English sets. These are a few we stock from the Sword & Shield era and the current Mega Evolution series.
Darkness Ablaze Half Booster Box
Sword & Shield—Darkness Ablaze was released on 14 August 2020 and has 201 cards. Our Darkness Ablaze Half Booster Box is a half-size box from an earlier series, if you enjoy the format.
Evolving Skies Booster Packs
Sword & Shield—Evolving Skies was released on 27 August 2021 with 237 cards. If you’d just like to open a pack from that set, the English – Evolving Skies – Loose Booster Pack is a single pack. You’ll find more single packs in our English booster packs category.
Mega Evolution Three-Pack Blister
For something current, the English – Mega Evolution – 3-Pack Blister has three packs from the first set of the Mega Evolution series, which followed Scarlet & Violet. Our Mega Evolution booster box guide explains that set’s displays and chase cards.
Tips for Collecting the Temporal Forces Card List
- Decide on your goal first. A main set of 162, a full 218 or a master set with reverse holos are very different projects.
- Sort by number. With every card numbered out of 162, putting cards in order is the fastest way to see what’s missing.
- Group the Paradox Pokémon. Keeping all four versions of each Paradox Pokémon ex together makes a striking binder page.
- Sleeve the big hits straight away. Anything numbered above 162 should go into a sleeve and then a toploader or binder.
- Check regulation marks if you play. Most cards carry the H mark, but not every card does.
- Fill gaps with singles. For an older set like Pokémon Temporal Forces, finishing a list with single cards is usually easier than opening more and more packs.
Temporal Forces Card List FAQs
How many cards are on the Temporal Forces card list?
The English set has 218 cards: 162 in the main set and 56 secret rares, from Illustration Rares up to six gold Hyper Rares.
How many ACE SPEC cards are in Temporal Forces?
Seven: Awakening Drum, Hero’s Cape, Master Ball, Maximum Belt, Prime Catcher, Reboot Pod and Neo Upper Energy. A deck can only include one ACE SPEC card.
What are the two Temporal Forces ETB versions?
One features Walking Wake and includes a Flutter Mane promo, and the other features Iron Leaves and includes an Iron Thorns promo. Both have nine booster packs.
When was Pokémon Temporal Forces released?
In English on 22 March 2024. Its Japanese source sets, Wild Force and Cyber Judge, were released on 26 January 2024.
Are Temporal Forces cards legal in Standard?
Most are. Cards with the H regulation mark are legal in the 2026–27 Standard format, but Scovillain ex (022/162) has a G mark and has rotated out of Standard.
What’s inside a Temporal Forces half booster box?
Eighteen booster packs, half the 36 packs of a full booster display. There are no promos or accessories, just packs from the Pokémon Temporal Forces card list.
Where to Buy Temporal Forces in the UK
Our English Temporal Forces – Half Booster – English is the way to open the set with us, while it’s in stock, and it’s a good-sized start on the Temporal Forces card list. For other English products, browse our English Pokémon range, our collection boxes and our English booster packs.
If you enjoy chase-card guides, our Surging Sparks chase cards guide covers another popular Scarlet & Violet set. You’ll find more on the Obsidia TCG blog, and if you have a question about any product, email us at sales@obsidiatcg.co.uk.
