Sandstorm
Set Details
Out of the Desert, into the Sandstorm!
The EX Sandstorm expansion features dozens of new Pokémon, including exciting Pokémon-ex evolution cards like Raichu ex! Combine the power of two Pokémon with new link attacks! Harness the power of the Sandstorm and blow away the competition!
The brand new Pokémon-e TCG: EX Sandstorm unleashes a flurry of exciting new cards for Pokémon trainers to master! New Pokémon-ex evolution cards allow your already powerful Pokémon to evolve into even more powerful Pokémon-ex! New attacks allow you to harness the Poké-Powers of two Pokémon into one powerful blast! Unleash the power of EX Sandstorm on your opponents, before they turn the power of the storm on you!
The EX Sandstorm Pokémon Set blew into stores on September 18, 2003, bringing a desert-themed blast of Hoenn flavor to the brand-new EX Series. Its Japanese counterpart, Miracle of the Desert, had arrived earlier that year on April 18, 2003. Featuring 100 cards and a fossil-duo set symbol (Root and Claw Fossils), this expansion continued the sleek silver-border look of its predecessor while keeping the bottom Dot-Code strip for e-Reader scans. With Pokémon like Ludicolo, Cacturne, and the entire Eeveelution family rendered in sandy, windswept artwork, the EX Sandstorm Pokémon Set instantly distinguished itself as the most atmospheric release of 2003.
Where gameplay was concerned, EX Sandstorm pushed the power ceiling higher than ever. It was the first set to introduce evolutionary Pokémon-ex, adding Stage 1 and Stage 2 titans such as Gardevoir ex, Typhlosion ex, Kabutops ex, and Wailord ex to the format. (At a then-unheard-of 200 HP, Wailord ex held the record for the bulkiest card in the game.) Deck builders also flocked to staples like Rare Candy for lightning-quick evolutions and the now-legendary Dunsparce (#60/100), whose “Strike and Run” attack became the engine of competitive play through the 2004 World Championships.
Several behind-the-scenes facts cement the EX Sandstorm Pokémon Set as a collector favorite:
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It debuted the modern Prerelease program under Pokémon USA, with a stamped Holo Armaldo promo that remains a premium item in gem-mint condition.
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Every booster guaranteed a reverse-holo slot, letting collectors chase two versions of each card—including the elusive reverse-pattern Pokémon-ex.
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Scanning the Dot-Code on Lanette’s Net Search unlocks an e-Reader mini-game that secretly uses sprites from the then-unreleased Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen.
From its fossil-inspired icon to its meta-shifting ex evolutions, the EX Sandstorm Pokémon Set remains a windswept time capsule of early-2000s innovation, competitive impact, and pure desert-flavored nostalgia.
Sandstorm Set Cards
