Pokémon Base Set Card List: All 102 Cards (1999)

Base Set is the first English Pokémon expansion: 102 cards, released by Wizards of the Coast on January 9, 1999, three years after the Japanese original came out on October 20, 1996. It's the set with Charizard 4/102, the set that invented the words 1st Edition and shadowless, and the set most people mean when they say “the original Pokémon cards.” Here is the full card list, the rarities, the four printings, the theme decks, the error cards, and how Base Set differs from Base Set 2.

For the wider story of where the game came from, start with when Pokémon cards came out.

Base Set at a glance

Cards: 102. Sixteen Rare Holos, six Rares, twenty Uncommons, twenty-seven Commons, twenty-six Trainers, and seven Energy.
English release: January 9, 1999, Wizards of the Coast.
Japanese release: October 20, 1996, Media Factory, sold as a Starter Pack and separate Expansion Pack boosters.
Numbering: English cards are ordered by card type (Pokémon, then Trainer, then Energy), then by rarity, then alphabetically. That's why Alakazam is 1/102 and Charizard is 4/102.
Theme decks: Overgrowth (Water and Grass), Zap! (Lightning and Psychic), Brushfire (Fire and Grass), and Blackout (Water and Fighting), plus a 2-Player Starter Set.
Set symbol: none. Base Set is the only English expansion with no symbol in the artwork box, which is one of the fastest ways to identify it.

Base Set card list: all 102 cards

Numbered in the English order. Type is the Energy type for Pokémon cards.

#	Card	Type	Rarity
1/102	Alakazam	Psychic	Rare Holo
2/102	Blastoise	Water	Rare Holo
3/102	Chansey	Colorless	Rare Holo
4/102	Charizard	Fire	Rare Holo
5/102	Clefairy	Colorless	Rare Holo
6/102	Gyarados	Water	Rare Holo
7/102	Hitmonchan	Fighting	Rare Holo
8/102	Machamp	Fighting	Rare Holo
9/102	Magneton	Lightning	Rare Holo
10/102	Mewtwo	Psychic	Rare Holo
11/102	Nidoking	Grass	Rare Holo
12/102	Ninetales	Fire	Rare Holo
13/102	Poliwrath	Water	Rare Holo
14/102	Raichu	Lightning	Rare Holo
15/102	Venusaur	Grass	Rare Holo
16/102	Zapdos	Lightning	Rare Holo
17/102	Beedrill	Grass	Rare
18/102	Dragonair	Colorless	Rare
19/102	Dugtrio	Fighting	Rare
20/102	Electabuzz	Lightning	Rare
21/102	Electrode	Lightning	Rare
22/102	Pidgeotto	Colorless	Rare
23/102	Arcanine	Fire	Uncommon
24/102	Charmeleon	Fire	Uncommon
25/102	Dewgong	Water	Uncommon
26/102	Dratini	Colorless	Uncommon
27/102	Farfetch'd	Colorless	Uncommon
28/102	Growlithe	Fire	Uncommon
29/102	Haunter	Psychic	Uncommon
30/102	Ivysaur	Grass	Uncommon
31/102	Jynx	Psychic	Uncommon
32/102	Kadabra	Psychic	Uncommon
33/102	Kakuna	Grass	Uncommon
34/102	Machoke	Fighting	Uncommon
35/102	Magikarp	Water	Uncommon
36/102	Magmar	Fire	Uncommon
37/102	Nidorino	Grass	Uncommon
38/102	Poliwhirl	Water	Uncommon
39/102	Porygon	Colorless	Uncommon
40/102	Raticate	Colorless	Uncommon
41/102	Seel	Water	Uncommon
42/102	Wartortle	Water	Uncommon
43/102	Abra	Psychic	Common
44/102	Bulbasaur	Grass	Common
45/102	Caterpie	Grass	Common
46/102	Charmander	Fire	Common
47/102	Diglett	Fighting	Common
48/102	Doduo	Colorless	Common
49/102	Drowzee	Psychic	Common
50/102	Gastly	Psychic	Common
51/102	Koffing	Grass	Common
52/102	Machop	Fighting	Common
53/102	Magnemite	Lightning	Common
54/102	Metapod	Grass	Common
55/102	Nidoran (male)	Grass	Common
56/102	Onix	Fighting	Common
57/102	Pidgey	Colorless	Common
58/102	Pikachu	Lightning	Common
59/102	Poliwag	Water	Common
60/102	Ponyta	Fire	Common
61/102	Rattata	Colorless	Common
62/102	Sandshrew	Fighting	Common
63/102	Squirtle	Water	Common
64/102	Starmie	Water	Common
65/102	Staryu	Water	Common
66/102	Tangela	Grass	Common
67/102	Voltorb	Lightning	Common
68/102	Vulpix	Fire	Common
69/102	Weedle	Grass	Common
70/102	Clefairy Doll	Trainer	Rare
71/102	Computer Search	Trainer	Rare
72/102	Devolution Spray	Trainer	Rare
73/102	Imposter Professor Oak	Trainer	Rare
74/102	Item Finder	Trainer	Rare
75/102	Lass	Trainer	Rare
76/102	Pokémon Breeder	Trainer	Rare
77/102	Pokémon Trader	Trainer	Rare
78/102	Scoop Up	Trainer	Rare
79/102	Super Energy Removal	Trainer	Rare
80/102	Defender	Trainer	Uncommon
81/102	Energy Retrieval	Trainer	Uncommon
82/102	Full Heal	Trainer	Uncommon
83/102	Maintenance	Trainer	Uncommon
84/102	PlusPower	Trainer	Uncommon
85/102	Pokémon Center	Trainer	Uncommon
86/102	Pokémon Flute	Trainer	Uncommon
87/102	Pokédex	Trainer	Uncommon
88/102	Professor Oak	Trainer	Uncommon
89/102	Revive	Trainer	Uncommon
90/102	Super Potion	Trainer	Uncommon
91/102	Bill	Trainer	Common
92/102	Energy Removal	Trainer	Common
93/102	Gust of Wind	Trainer	Common
94/102	Potion	Trainer	Common
95/102	Switch	Trainer	Common
96/102	Double Colorless Energy	Energy	Uncommon
97/102	Fighting Energy	Energy	Basic Energy
98/102	Fire Energy	Energy	Basic Energy
99/102	Grass Energy	Energy	Basic Energy
100/102	Lightning Energy	Energy	Basic Energy
101/102	Psychic Energy	Energy	Basic Energy
102/102	Water Energy	Energy	Basic Energy

The sixteen holos

Cards 1 through 16 are the holographic rares, and they carry most of the set's value: Alakazam, Blastoise, Chansey, Charizard, Clefairy, Gyarados, Hitmonchan, Machamp, Magneton, Mewtwo, Nidoking, Ninetales, Poliwrath, Raichu, Venusaur, and Zapdos. Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur are the three starters and the three most sought-after cards. Machamp 8/102 is the odd one out: it was the holo packed into the 2-Player Starter Set, so it's far more common than the other fifteen. How to read the foil on a vintage holo.

Pokémon Base Set Venusaur 15/102 holo card

Pokémon Base Set Charizard 4/102 holo card

Pokémon Base Set Blastoise 2/102 holo card

The three starters and the three most valuable cards in the set: Venusaur 15/102, Charizard 4/102, and Blastoise 2/102.

The four printings

Every card above exists in more than one print, and the print matters more than the card number for value.

1st Edition. The first print run. Small black “Edition 1” stamp on the left below the artwork, no drop shadow on the right edge of the art box. Every 1st Edition Base Set card is also shadowless. How to spot the stamp.
Shadowless. The second run. No stamp, still no drop shadow, thinner HP text. This is what collectors mean by “shadowless” on its own. How to tell it from Unlimited.
Unlimited. The long print that followed, with the drop shadow added and bolder HP text. This is the version most people own. Copyright line reads “1995, 96, 98 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK. 1999 Wizards.”
The 1999-2000 print. A late Unlimited reprint with a “1999-2000” copyright line, distributed for a short period in the UK, Australia, and the US. Same look as Unlimited otherwise.

Shadowless printing exists only for Base Set. Jungle and every set after it shipped with the shadow from the first run onward.

Error cards and variants worth knowing

Pikachu 58/102, Red Cheeks. The earliest print gave Pikachu red cheeks instead of yellow. Later prints corrected it. Red Cheeks is the one collectors chase.
Blastoise 2/102 was printed without the word “Stage” in the evolution box on some copies.
Ninetales 12/102 (shadowless) exists with the attack damage missing.
Beedrill 17/102 has a “D.efending” typo on early copies.
Wartortle 42/102 shows Wartortle instead of Squirtle in its own evolution box on early copies.
Diglett 47/102 exists with the attack Energy symbols rotated 90 degrees.
Machamp 8/102 has a Cosmos Holo variant exclusive to the 2-Player CD-ROM Starter Set.
Water Energy 102/102 exists with no space between the margin and the Water symbol.

Corrected error cards generally carry a premium over the standard version. Confirm any of these against a reference image before paying for one.

Base Set vs Base Set 2

Base Set 2 is a different set. Released February 24, 2000, in English only, it reprinted 130 cards drawn from Base Set and Jungle, printed only as Unlimited, with a set symbol (a Pokéball with a 2) in the bottom right of the artwork. If your Charizard says 4/130 or has that symbol, it's the Base Set 2 reprint. Same artwork, far lower value. If it says 4/102 with no symbol, it's Base Set, and the next question is which printing.

1st Edition Pokémon Base Set Mewtwo 10/102 card, no drop shadow, no set symbol

Pokémon Base Set 2 Mewtwo 10/130 card with drop shadow and set symbol

Left, Base Set Mewtwo 10/102 (1st Edition, no shadow, no symbol). Right, the Base Set 2 reprint, 10/130, with the shadow and the 2 symbol at the bottom right of the artwork.

Which Base Set cards are worth money

We don't quote prices here because they move weekly. The pattern is stable:

The three starters (Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur) lead by a wide margin, in every printing.
Mewtwo, Alakazam, Raichu, Zapdos, Chansey, and Magneton form the next tier of holos.
1st Edition and shadowless copies of any holo sell for multiples of the Unlimited version.
Red Cheeks Pikachu is the one common that carries real value.
Trainer rares like Computer Search, Item Finder, and Professor Oak have a following among players who remember using them, but they're a fraction of holo prices.
Everything else is worth little raw and only becomes interesting in high grades.

Condition and grade multiply all of it. Browse our graded vintage cards to see what slabbed WOTC-era cards actually list for.

Frequently asked questions

How many cards are in the Pokémon Base Set?

102 in English: 69 Pokémon, 26 Trainers, and 7 Energy. The Japanese set is also 102 cards but is unnumbered and ordered differently.

What is the rarest Base Set card?

By printing, a 1st Edition Charizard in a high grade. By error, the Red Cheeks Pikachu and the shadowless Ninetales with missing damage are the ones collectors hunt. Among normal cards, all sixteen holos share the same pull rate; demand, not print run, is what separates Charizard from Poliwrath.

How do I know if my Base Set card is 1st Edition or shadowless?

Look left below the artwork for the “Edition 1” stamp. Then look at the right edge of the artwork box: no shadow means 1st Edition (with stamp) or shadowless (without); a dark shadow means Unlimited. Full walkthroughs in our 1st Edition and shadowless guides.

What is the difference between Base Set and Base Set 2?

Base Set is the original 102-card 1999 set with no symbol. Base Set 2 is a 130-card 2000 reprint of Base Set and Jungle with a “2” symbol, printed only in Unlimited.

When did the Japanese Base Set come out?

October 20, 1996. Five days earlier, CoroCoro magazine readers could peel a Pikachu and Jigglypuff promo from the magazine, the first TCG cards to reach the public.

Keep reading

Sources

Bulbapedia, Base Set (TCG): card list, rarities, release dates, theme decks, error cards, CoroCoro promos.
Bulbapedia, Base Set 2: 130 cards, February 24, 2000, reprint composition.
Poké Master Center, The Ultimate Pokémon 1999 WotC Base Set Guide: shadowless template change.

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