# When did Battle Styles come out?

> Battle Styles was released on 19 March 2021, in the Sword & Shield series.
>
> Source: https://www.nomekop.app/faqs/when-did-battle-styles-come-out — NOMEKOP, an independent Pokémon TCG binder tool
> (not affiliated with Nintendo / The Pokémon Company). Figures as of June 2026.

**Battle Styles was released on 19 March 2021, in the Sword & Shield series.**

## Battle Styles release date

Battle Styles launched on 19 March 2021 as a Sword & Shield-series expansion. It carries 163 main-set cards, or 183 counting its 20 secret rares — the #21 largest set Nomekop tracks by printed count, with 0 Illustration and Special Illustration Rares in the pool and marquee Pokémon like Tyranitar, Rapid Strike Urshifu, Empoleon, Mimikyu and Single Strike Urshifu.

## What the 2021 set brought

The standout cards that arrived with Battle Styles:

- [Tyranitar V (#155)](/card/swsh5-155) — Rare Ultra (~$268.08)
- [Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX (#170)](/card/swsh5-170) — Rare Rainbow (~$73.56)
- [Empoleon V (#146)](/card/swsh5-146) — Rare Ultra (~$66.74)
- [Mimikyu V (#148)](/card/swsh5-148) — Rare Ultra (~$46.73)
- [Single Strike Urshifu VMAX (#168)](/card/swsh5-168) — Rare Rainbow (~$32.99)

Its top card on the secondary market is Tyranitar V (#155), around $268.08.

## Star Pokémon from the Battle Styles release

The marquee Pokémon that debuted (or returned) in Battle Styles, with their prints:

- **Tyranitar** — Tyranitar V (#154), Tyranitar V (#155)
- **Rapid Strike Urshifu** — Rapid Strike Urshifu V (#152), Rapid Strike Urshifu V (#153), Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX (#169), Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX (#170)
- **Empoleon** — Empoleon V (#145), Empoleon V (#146)
- **Mimikyu** — Mimikyu V (#148)
- **Single Strike Urshifu** — Single Strike Urshifu V (#150), Single Strike Urshifu V (#151), Single Strike Urshifu VMAX (#167), Single Strike Urshifu VMAX (#168)

## Where Battle Styles sits in the lineup

Among the sets Nomekop tracks, Battle Styles is the #21 largest set Nomekop tracks. A full master set of it runs to 306 cards including 123 reverse holos, so the 19 March 2021 release still gives collectors plenty to chase well after launch day — whether you're after the 163-card base set or every print.

Figures from the pokemontcg.io dataset, as of June 2026.