Top Wartortle Cards Illustrated by This Artist in Pokémon TCG

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Wartortle card art from Southern Islands by Naoyo Kimura, holo variant

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Wartortle Spotlight: Water-blessed artwork by Naoyo Kimura

For fans of the Pokémon TCG, some creatures are not just battle partners but celebrated canvases where art and gameplay mingle. Naoyo Kimura is one such artist—her lines bring a calm, ocean-swept mood to the cards she adorns. In the Southern Islands set, Kimura’s touch graces a young Water-type that sits at a crossroads of nostalgia and strategy: Wartortle. This Stage 1 evolution, evolving from Squirtle, wears its Water-type identity with a gentle strength that invites players to experiment with timing, energy management, and the storytelling of a summer splash in a deck.

Wartortle’s artwork, captured in the Neo era’s Southern Islands, casts a serene, almost contemplative vibe. The holo and reverse variants highlight the subtle gleam across the shell and the water-rich aura that surrounds the pose. It’s a reminder that Pokémon cards can be as lyrical as they are tactical, blending memories of early Pokémon adventures with the tactile joy of modern play. The artist’s signature style—delicate shading, careful attention to shell texture, and a hint of movement in the water—helps this card age like a cherished print rather than a mere game piece. ⚡🎨

Card data at a glance

  • Name: Wartortle
  • Set: Southern Islands (si1)
  • Type: Water
  • Stage: Stage 1 (evolves from Squirtle)
  • HP: 60
  • Rarity: Common
  • Illustrator: Naoyo Kimura
  • Variants: normal, holo, reverse (not Promo)
  • Weakness: Lightning ×2
  • Attack: Water Gun — Cost: Water, Water. Effect: Does 20 damage plus 10 more for each Water Energy attached to Wartortle but not used to pay for this attack's Energy cost. You can't add more than 20 damage in this way. Base damage: 20.
  • Dex ID: 8
  • Legal in formats: Not standard or expanded (vintage card from the Neo era).

Value, rarity, and the sense of history all converge when you examine the numbers around this card. Market data from the contemporary scene shows a nuanced spectrum: CardMarket data indicates an average around €21.74 with a low around €16.06 and a trend near €21.58, while TCgPlayer’s recent figures place non-holo Wartortle in a mid-range that players sometimes overlook in favor of flashier holo prints. Even as a Common, the charm and collectability of Kimura’s Southern Islands art provide a lasting pull for both players and collectors. 💎

Gameplay flavor and practical strategy

In practical terms, Wartortle leverages the classic Water-type toolkit: steady aggression backed by reliable HP for a backline or midline role. With 60 HP, it isn’t designed to soak a lot of punishment; rather, it shines when used to set up stronger Water-type attackers in the next turn or two. The Water Gun attack has a distinctive twist: 20 base damage, plus up to 20 more if you carefully manage Water Energy attachments that aren’t needed to pay the attack’s own cost. This invites a small-but-meaningful energy-timing dance: you may attach additional Water Energy to fuel higher damage while keeping two energies committed to pay for Water Gun’s cost. The cap of 20 extra ensures you’re balancing energy lines and opponent’s responses rather than blasting out 80-damage turns in a single spark. It’s a reminder that even a humble Common can teach patient resource management. 🔥🎮

For deckbuilders, Wartortle acts as a bridge—between Squirtle’s early-game tempo and a broader Water deck’s bigger payoff with later evolutions or support Pokémon. Its Water weakness to Lightning is a reminder to pair with anti-lightning counters or trainer cards that help stabilize early exchanges. In an era where single-stat power often dominates discussions, Wartortle’s design rewards careful sequencing, energy acceleration, and the joy of seeing a plan unfold at the table, one thoughtful attach at a time. 🎴🎨

Art, lore, and the artist’s fingerprint

Naoyo Kimura’s work on the Southern Islands Wartortle blends a tranquil palette with a sense of motion—the swell of water, the curve of the shell, the character’s patient gaze. The South Seas setting offers a distinct backdrop compared to core set staples, turning a common stage into a postcard moment. This is not merely a card for collection—it’s a window into an artistic moment where the sea, a young Water-type, and a designer’s signature converge. For fans who track illustrators by name, Kimura’s pieces carry a trust that the art will carry not just the card’s function but its story as well. 🎨💎

Collector insights and market snapshot

Though this Wartortle is common, its place in a curated Southern Islands display can be surprisingly strategic. Vintage print runs carry a nostalgia that modern cards only aim to capture, and Kimura’s signature adds a layer of desirability for display-worthy collections. If you’re thinking about value growth, the general guidance for vintage commons with strong art is to secure high-contrast holo or reverse variants when available, while keeping a clean, well-protected card in near-mint condition for the long haul. The provided pricing scans suggest a steady interest in Neo-era water cards, with values that reflect both rarity and the enduring charm of the Southern Islands aesthetic. 💎⚡

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