Sword & Shield was released on 7 February 2020, in the Sword & Shield series.
Sword & Shield release date
Sword & Shield launched on 7 February 2020 as a Sword & Shield-series expansion. It carries 202 main-set cards, or 216 counting its 14 secret rares — the #4 largest set Nomekop tracks by printed count, with 0 Illustration and Special Illustration Rares in the pool and marquee Pokémon like Snorlax, Morpeko, Zacian, Lapras and Sableye.
What the 2020 set brought
The standout cards that arrived with Sword & Shield:
- Snorlax VMAX (#206) — Rare Rainbow (~$96.57)
- Snorlax VMAX (#142) — Rare Holo VMAX (~$63.86)
- Marnie (#200) — Rare Ultra (~$38.23)
- Snorlax V (#197) — Rare Ultra (~$31.13)
- Morpeko VMAX (#204) — Rare Rainbow (~$24.78)
Its top card on the secondary market is Snorlax VMAX (#206), around $96.57.
Star Pokémon from the Sword & Shield release
The marquee Pokémon that debuted (or returned) in Sword & Shield, with their prints:
- Snorlax — Snorlax V (#197), Snorlax VMAX (#206)
- Morpeko — Morpeko V (#190), Morpeko VMAX (#204)
- Zacian — Zacian V (#195), Zacian V (#211)
- Lapras — Lapras V (#189), Lapras VMAX (#203)
- Sableye — Sableye V (#194)
Where Sword & Shield sits in the lineup
Among the sets Nomekop tracks, Sword & Shield is the #4 largest set Nomekop tracks. A full master set of it runs to 390 cards including 165 reverse holos, so the 7 February 2020 release still gives collectors plenty to chase well after launch day — whether you're after the 202-card base set or every print.
Figures from the pokemontcg.io dataset, as of June 2026.