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July 2, 2026KoryKory@sundae

STARS ALIGN IN JULY!

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July 17 Is Going to Be Chaos: How to Prep for the Lorcana + Pokémon Double-Drop

Mark the calendar and maybe warn your wallet: July 17 is a double-drop. Two of the biggest sets of the summer land the same Friday! Disney Lorcana's Attack of the Vine hits local game store shelves, and Pokémon's Pitch Black releases wide the same day. If you play or collect both like a lot of us in the WV scene do, this is the busiest hobby weekend of the season, and a little planning now saves you money (and heartbreak) later.

Here's what's coming, and our honest read on what to grab early, what to hold, and what to let cool off.

Lorcana: Attack of the Vine (Set 13)

Attack of the Vine is Set 13, and it's a big one: 207 cards, the first main set to break past the usual 204 (TrackaLacker collectors guide). The story leans into a wild surge of enchanted plant life overtaking the Great Illuminary, and it pulls in fresh franchises: Turning Red, Monsters, Inc., and Up, alongside refreshed Disney favorites like a Hundred Acre Wood-themed Pooh and Mei Lee (Bleeding Cool).

Two new mechanics are worth knowing before you sit down at a table:

  • Overgrowth: spread vine counters across locations and characters to gradually restrict actions or exert opposing glimmers.

  • Rooted: grant defensive bonuses while limiting a character's movement or readiness.

Both of those read as control-leaning tools, and we expect the first couple weeks of the meta to be a scramble while people figure out whether Overgrowth decks are grindy-good or just slow. We'll be watching how it shakes out.

Dates: Prerelease and LGS launch July 17, wide retail July 24, 2026 (Bleeding Cool).

Pokémon: Pitch Black (Mega Darkrai ex)

Pitch Black is the fifth English set of the Mega Evolution era, essentially the localized version of Japan's Abyss Eye (which dropped May 22). It's carried almost entirely by one card: Mega Darkrai ex, printed in two premium versions, a gold Hyper Rare and a Special Illustration Rare illustrated by AKIRA EGAWA. The set also brings Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Chandelure ex, and Mega Excadrill ex (PokeBeach).

Dates: Wide release July 17, with prereleases running July 4–12 (PokeBeach). So Pokémon players actually get hands on packs first. The prerelease window is your early read on how the set feels.

Hold, Sell, or Skip (our take)

This is the part people actually want, so we'll say it plainly. Prices below are what we're seeing right now and will move fast, so treat them as a snapshot, not gospel.

Lorcana sealed: Attack of the Vine booster boxes carry an MSRP around $143.76 (24 packs), but resale is already trading above that (~$165 on the secondary market) on preorder hype (TrackaLacker). Our read: if you're going to play/open, wait for retailers to open at MSRP closer to launch rather than paying the preorder premium. If you're buying to sit on sealed long-term, a 207-card set with three new franchises has broad appeal, but don't chase inflated preorder pricing.

The Lorcana Illumineer's Trove (~$49.99) is the better casual entry point: storage box, dividers, 8 packs, dice, and a lore counter. Good value for a returning or newer player, and it holds up as a gift-able item.

Pokémon Pitch Black: Mega Darkrai ex is the whole story. Single-card sets like this tend to see the chase card spike at launch and then settle. Historically, patience on the big chase rares pays off more often than launch-day panic buying. If you're pulling for Darkrai, the prerelease (July 4–12) is a cheaper way to get in early than paying opened-box prices on day one.

What we'd skip: paying scalper premiums on either set in the first 72 hours. Both are mass-printed. Supply catches up.

One quick One Piece note

For our One Piece crowd: OP-16 "The Time of Battle" dropped June 12 and is still shaking out. The last ban/restriction update was April 1 (official ban/restriction list), and Bandai usually revisits every few months. So if an OP-16 leader posts dominant numbers, don't be shocked by a summer list update. Worth keeping powder dry before over-investing in a single leader build.

And there's a hometown show the same weekend

Here's the kicker for the WV crowd: the Morgantown Mega Card Fest runs July 17–18 at the Hazel & J.W. Ruby Community Center at Mylan Park, the exact same weekend both sets drop (WV Card Hub Upcoming Shows). That's a rare alignment. You can pick up new product, hunt singles from vendors, and get a first read on the local meta all in one trip.

We can't be everywhere, so the way we help is the directory: WV Card Hub keeps the running list of upcoming shows, local shops, and vendors so you don't miss the events near you. Check the full WV Card Hub Upcoming Shows list and plan your weekend.

Bottom line: July 17 is stacked. Preorder smart, don't pay panic prices, and let the meta breathe for a week before you commit a deck build. We'll be right here sorting the signal from the hype.

Prices and dates cited are accurate as of July 1, 2026 and will shift, so check current listings before buying.

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