Base Set

BS · Base · Released January 9, 1999 · 102 official cards · 102 total

Base Set is a Pokémon TCG set in the Base series, released January 9, 1999. The checklist runs 102 numbered cards. A complete set is 102 cards. Counting every booster-pack printing — including reverse holos and pack foil patterns — a master set is 102 variants. Adding catalogued non-pack printings and attached promos gives a grand master checklist of 415 variants. Promo and printing coverage is still being reviewed.

This is where every checklist begins: the 102 cards of the 1999 Base Set, sixteen of them holos, headed by Mitsuhiro Arita’s Charizard 4/102 — the most famous trading card of the modern era — alongside Ken Sugimori’s Blastoise and the rest of the original lineup.

Base Set is also the purest test of what “master set” means, because the checklist barely changes while the printings multiply: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited, and the late 1999–2000 copyright run all count. The same Charizard exists across each of them, which is why a grand master chase here is measured in printings, not new artwork.

Complete set

102cards

Master set

102variants

Grand master set

415variants

Printed in both 1st Edition and Unlimited. Complete and master counts are per edition — the printings mirror each other. A grand master set spans both editions.

Binder visualizer

See the set, pocket by pocket.

Pick a finish line and binder format. Each printing gets its own pocket in master and grand master sets.

102 pockets · 12 pages

1. Alakazam, 1, Holo Unlimited — Base Set · Master1–9

2. Blastoise, 2, Holo Unlimited — Base Set · Master1–9

Page 1 of 12

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Ninth Pocket for iOS

Building Base Set?

Track every card and printing, and see exactly what is still missing with Ninth Pocket.

Card checklist

102 cards

each card lists its printings · + marks grand-master-only versions

1/102Ken Sugimori

Alakazam

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

2/102Ken Sugimori

Blastoise

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

3/102Ken Sugimori

Chansey

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

4/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Charizard

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

5/102Ken Sugimori

Clefairy

Rare

Holo Unlimited · +Holo Shadowless · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

6/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Gyarados

Rare

Holo Unlimited · +Holo Shadowless · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

7/102Ken Sugimori

Hitmonchan

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

8/102Ken Sugimori

Machamp

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

9/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Magneton

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

10/102Ken Sugimori

Mewtwo

Rare

Holo Unlimited · +Holo Shadowless · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

11/102Ken Sugimori

Nidoking

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

12/102Ken Sugimori

Ninetales

Rare

Holo Unlimited · +Holo Shadowless · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

13/102Ken Sugimori

Poliwrath

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

14/102Ken Sugimori

Raichu

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

15/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Venusaur

Rare

Holo Shadowless · Holo Unlimited · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

16/102Ken Sugimori

Zapdos

Rare

Holo Unlimited · +Holo Shadowless · +Holo 1999–2000 Copyright

17/102Ken Sugimori

Beedrill

Rare

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

18/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Dragonair

Rare

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

19/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Dugtrio

Rare

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

20/102Ken Sugimori

Electabuzz

Rare

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

21/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Electrode

Rare

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

22/102Ken Sugimori

Pidgeotto

Rare

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

23/102Ken Sugimori

Arcanine

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

24/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Charmeleon

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

25/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Dewgong

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

26/102Ken Sugimori

Dratini

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

27/102Ken Sugimori

Farfetch'd

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

28/102Ken Sugimori

Growlithe

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

29/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Haunter

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

30/102Ken Sugimori

Ivysaur

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

31/102Ken Sugimori

Jynx

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

32/102Ken Sugimori

Kadabra

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

33/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Kakuna

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

34/102Ken Sugimori

Machoke

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

35/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Magikarp

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

36/102Ken Sugimori

Magmar

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

37/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Nidorino

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

38/102Ken Sugimori

Poliwhirl

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

39/102Illustrated by Tomoaki Imakuni

Porygon

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

40/102Ken Sugimori

Raticate

Uncommon

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

41/102Ken Sugimori

Seel

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

42/102Ken Sugimori

Wartortle

Uncommon

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

43/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Abra

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

44/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Bulbasaur

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright · +Jumbo Pikachu

45/102Ken Sugimori

Caterpie

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

46/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Charmander

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright · +Jumbo Pikachu

47/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Diglett

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

48/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Doduo

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

49/102Ken Sugimori

Drowzee

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

50/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Gastly

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

51/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Koffing

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

52/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Machop

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

53/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Magnemite

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

54/102Ken Sugimori

Metapod

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

55/102Ken Sugimori

Nidoran♂

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

56/102Ken Sugimori

Onix

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

57/102Ken Sugimori

Pidgey

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

58/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Pikachu

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright · +Jumbo · +Poketour 99 Unlimited · +Shadowless Red Cheek

59/102Ken Sugimori

Poliwag

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

60/102Ken Sugimori

Ponyta

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

61/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Rattata

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

62/102Ken Sugimori

Sandshrew

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

63/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Squirtle

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright · +Jumbo Pikachu

64/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Starmie

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

65/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Staryu

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

66/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Tangela

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

67/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Voltorb

Common

Unlimited · +Shadowless · +1999–2000 Copyright

68/102Ken Sugimori

Vulpix

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

69/102Mitsuhiro Arita

Weedle

Common

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

70/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Clefairy Doll

Rare

Shadowless · Unlimited · +1999–2000 Copyright

71/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Computer Search

Psychic Energy

Common

102/102Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

Water Energy

Common

Frequently asked questions

How many cards are in Base Set?

Base Set has 102 cards in its numbered checklist.

How many cards are in a Base Set master set?

A Base Set master set is 102 variants — every printing pullable from the set's booster packs, including reverse holos and alternate pack foils. A complete set (one of each card) is 102 cards, and our grand master checklist — catalogued pack and non-pack printings across all editions, plus attached promos — currently lists 415 variants. Promo and printing coverage is still being reviewed.

Does Base Set have 1st Edition cards?

Yes. Base Set was printed in both 1st Edition and Unlimited, and the printings mirror each other card for card. Complete and master counts here are per edition; a grand master set spans both.

What are Shadowless Base Set cards?

Shadowless cards come from an early 1999 print run that lacks the drop shadow to the right of the art frame. They were printed after 1st Edition and before the corrected Unlimited run. Our checklist counts Shadowless, Unlimited, and 1999–2000 copyright printings toward the grand master set.

Who illustrated the Base Set Charizard?

Mitsuhiro Arita illustrated Charizard 4/102, along with Base Set Pikachu, Venusaur, and Gyarados. Ken Sugimori illustrated Blastoise, Mewtwo, Alakazam, and the classic trainer cards like Professor Oak.