Pidgeot card art from Expedition Base Set illustrated by Tomokazu Komiya

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Soaring with Colorless Power: Pidgeot and the Colorless Type

In the expansive world of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pidgeot stands as a proud emblem of speed, sky-high ambition, and the flexible nature of its era. This particular specimen comes from the Expedition Base Set, a period when “Colorless” was a badge for versatility rather than a single element. The card’s posture—bold, mid‑flight, and ready to pivot—mirrors the colorless type’s philosophy: you don’t box flying into one rigid energy recipe. You let the creature ride the wind with a flexible energy cost, a trait that resonates with modern players and long-time collectors alike. ⚡🔥

What makes this Pidgeot especially instructive is how its mechanics translate type into play. The colorless energy symbol means any basic energy can power its offensive streak, but the card demands a three‑colorless energy investment for its primary attack, Sharp Beak. That cost is a deliberate trade-off: it signals big, decisive damage, but it requires careful bench management and energy pacing. In this sense, Pidgeot embodies the flying archetype’s balance between swift momentum and patient setup—a true reflection of how the Colorless type operated in early sets: nimble, adaptable, and a little bit unpredictable. 🎴

Beating Wings captures the era’s tempo: a strategic retreat that can reshuffle your battlefield by returning a benched Pokémon and its attachments to your deck, maintaining momentum while disrupting your opponent’s expectations.

Colorless versatility in a classic flying Pokémon

Beating Wings is a Poke-Power that you can trigger once per turn while Pidgeot remains your Active Pokémon. The effect is as cheeky as it is practical: you may shuffle one of your benched Pokémon and all cards attached to it back into your deck. It’s not a simple retreat; it’s a bench-sculpting move that can outpace an opponent’s attempts to marshal specific energies, aims, or disruptive effects. This is a quintessential manifestation of the Colorless type’s identity: the deck and the battlefield are flexible, not fixed, and Pidgeot rewards players who can read the flow of turns and seasons. Meanwhile, Sharp Beak—Pidgeot’s big attack—comes with a straightforward but potent premise: three Colorless energies to deal 20 damage plus an extra 30 if the coin flip is favorable. In practice, that “20+” can swing a clutch knockout in the late game when you’ve lined up your ratios just right. The move’s pay-off is simple: offense scales with your ability to sustain tempo and maintain bench presence, a core principle for any colorless strategy. The symbolism of the attack name itself—sharp, precise, and clean—echoes Pidgeot’s iconic swoop through the skies. 🪶

Card data snapshot

Name: Pidgeot
Set: Expedition Base Set
Rarity: Rare
Stage: Stage 2 (evolves from Pidgeotto)
HP: 80
Type: Colorless
Illustrator: Tomokazu Komiya
Attack 1: Sharp Beak — Cost: Colorless ×3; Damage: 20+, Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 30 more damage.
Poke-Power: Beating Wings — Once during your turn (before your attack), if Pidgeot is your Active Pokémon, you may shuffle 1 of your Benched Pokémon and all cards attached to it in your deck. This power can't be used if Pidgeot is affected by a Special Condition.
Weakness: Lightning ×2
Resistance: Fighting -30
Legal in formats: Standard/Expanded: False (this is an older Base Set card not aligned with modern rotation)

The artwork by Tomokazu Komiya captures the elegance of a bird meant for the open skies—precise lines, a sense of motion, and a palette that feels both retro and timeless. For collectors, this combination of holo styling and reverse holo variants (as reflected in the Expedition Base Set’s broader print run) often signals a premium for pristine copies. The card’s holo and reverse holo variants are a particular delight for people who enjoy the tactile thrill of rarity—glints of light turning a routine battle into a small, collectible moment. 🎨

Market insights from Cardmarket and TCGPlayer reveal how the Pidgeot holo and non-holo prints perform in today’s market. The standard non-holo rarity tends to hover around the mid-teens to mid-30s in euros depending on condition, with holo versions commanding higher figures. For holo copies, price floors around the high single digits to low hundreds exist depending on condition and edition, with mid-range holo values often landing in the 100 USD range. The reverse holo variant typically sits a tier below holo in price, but still remains a sought-after piece for complete-base-set collections. These numbers highlight not only nostalgia but the practical realities of collecting—condition, edition, and the emotional attachment to a classic aerial Pokémon. 🪙

From a gameplay perspective, Pidgeot’s strength lies in the synergy between a flexible energy cost and a bench-management toolkit. Beating Wings can reset the board state to your advantage, especially when you anticipate a stall or need to redraw a consistent energy engine. The combination of HP 80 and a three‑colorless cost for Sharp Beak places Pidgeot in a strategic middle ground: not the bulkiest fighter, but capable of making decisive plays with the right timing and a bit of coin-flip luck. In the hands of a patient trainer, this Pidgeot becomes a living argument for how the Colorless type can reflect not just elemental diversity, but strategic diversity as well. ⚡🔥

Pidgeot

Set: Expedition Base Set | Card ID: ecard1-23

Card Overview

Category: Pokemon
HP: 80
Type: Colorless
Stage: Stage2
Evolves From: Pidgeotto
Dex ID: 18
Rarity: Rare
Regulation Mark: —
Retreat Cost:
Legal (Standard): No
Legal (Expanded): No

Description

Abilities

Beating Wings — Poke-POWER
Once during your turn (before your attack), If Pidgeot is your Active Pokémon, you may shuffle 1 of your Benched Pokémon and all cards attached to it in your deck. This power can't be used if Pidgeot is affected by a Special Condition.

Attacks

Name	Cost	Damage
Sharp Beak	Colorless, Colorless, Colorless	20+

Pricing (Cardmarket)

Average: €36.25
Low: €5.99
Trend: €30.28
7-Day Avg: €35.68
30-Day Avg: €37.38

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Pidgeot and the Colorless Type: Reflecting Flying in the TCG