Audino Rarity Distribution Analytics in the Pokémon TCG Market

In TCG ·

Audino SV03-173 card art from Obsidian Flames, illustrated by Tika Matsuno

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Audino and the Rarity Distribution in the Obsidian Flames Era

Pokémon TCG fans love chasing not just victory but the stories told by every card's print run. When you zoom in on a little Colorless Basic like Audino (SV03-173), a common card in the Obsidian Flames set, you’re peeking at a microcosm of how rarity distribution shapes both gameplay and the collector landscape. This particular Audino doesn’t boast a holo foil or a first-edition stamp, but its presence in the market offers valuable lessons about supply, playability, and price movement across standard and expanded formats ⚡💎.

Card profile: Audino SV03-173

  • Category: Pokémon
  • Set: Obsidian Flames (sv03)
  • Card number: 173 (localId 173), Dex ID 531
  • Rarity: Common
  • HP: 100
  • Type: Colorless
  • Stage: Basic
  • Attacks:
    • Find a Friend — Colorless
    • Effect: Search your deck for a Pokémon, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
    • Slap — Colorless, Colorless, Colorless
    • Damage: 80
  • Retreat: 1
  • Regulation: G
  • Illustrator: Tika Matsuno
  • Legal: Standard and Expanded
  • Variants: Normal and Reverse holo none; no first edition or holo variant for this exact print
Audino’s kit is a study in pragmatic, utility-first design. The first attack, Find a Friend, is quintessentially supportive: it helps you smooth out deck composition by fetching a Pokémon of your choice, which can be a crucial tempo play in mid- to late-game scenarios. The second attack, Slap, is a reliable 80 damage especially useful when you need a straightforward closer or to pressure a benched threat. The combination of HP 100 and a modest retreat cost keeps Audino accessible as a budget-friendly option in many decks, while its Colorless typing means it can slot into any deck that can spare a colorless energy for its attacks. The lack of a holo print for this particular card often translates to a broader distribution in the wild—lots of copies circulating, which in turn affects both gameplay presence and price stability.

Rarity distribution analytics: what common Audino tells us

In the Obsidian Flames era, the sv03 set includes a total of 230 cards across 197 unique cards. Audino sits in the common tier, which typically means higher print runs and more widespread availability. This broad distribution helps explain why non-holo Audino SV03-173 sits at modest price points in the secondary market. Current market data shows average prices hovering around €0.03 on CardMarket for non-holo, with a low around €0.02 and a gentle trend around €0.04 in recent windows. By contrast, holo variants—when present in other cards—often command a much higher premium (for holo variants in this data set, averages around €0.12 with notable upside for scarce print runs). The takeaway is clear: common, everyday cards in a large, modern set tend to be the most stable, least volatile segment of the market, even as individual waves of demand roll in from new deck archetypes and nostalgia-driven collectors. This pattern is reinforced by Audino’s role in gameplay. While it isn’t a centerpiece staple in high-competition meta decks, its Find a Friend search ability can become a reliable engine in constructing consistent midrange strategies. The ability to fetch a Pokémon from your deck helps players accelerate setup and mitigate “dead-draw” turns, a small but meaningful edge in Borderline Control or Budget Beatdown builds. In markets, that practical play value translates to steady demand for copies—enough to keep prices from plummeting, but not so much that spikes appear from single tournament wins or gradient hype. The “Common” tag, plus the absence of rare foil variants in this specific print, makes Audino a familiar, approachable entry point for new collectors and players alike 🔎🎴.

Strategic and collector perspectives: reading the numbers in context

- Supply-side dynamics: The sv03 print run’s size means Audino stock is plentiful. For collectors, this translates to frequent availability at affordable prices, but it also means fewer opportunities for price appreciation without a special print (like a holo or alternate art). For players, this is great news: you can rely on a consistent supply to fill bench roles in casual leagues or budget-friendly decks. - Playability signal: Audino’s Find a Friend helps you locate a Pokémon that suits your evolving plan, which is especially handy in decks that lean on quick setup or specific matchup responses. The 80-damage Slap provides a dependable finisher option when paired with supportive energy acceleration or draw support to keep the board pressure on. - Art and lore value: Audino’s creaturely design—paired with Tika Matsuno’s art—still resonates with fans who appreciate the character’s helpful, caretaker vibe. Even though this print isn’t holo, the flat, friendly artwork remains a collectible draw for those who curate “every Audino” across different sets and art styles. - Market signal: The data snapshot from CardMarket indicates a subdued but stable price floor for non-holo commons in the current market cycle, with holo variants showing more volatility and higher ceilings. In a long-term sense, common cards tend to be steady liquidity assets in a diversified collection, while holo or error variants often become targets for speculative buyers and set collectors.
“In the ballet of rarity, commons like Audino are the steady drumbeat—always there, rarely flashy, and precisely what you need to keep a deck weaving smoothly through the game’s turns.”

Putting Audino into a broader analytics lens

If you’re mapping rarity distribution across Obsidian Flames, Audino is a helpful data point for understanding how mass prints interact with deck-building utility. Its basic status, combined with colorless flexibility and a deck-searching first attack, exemplifies how a card can maintain relevance even without chase-worthy rarity or dramatic artwork. For analysts and collectors, the lesson is twofold: first, that print frequency heavily influences market pricing for a given rarity; second, that gameplay value—in this case, a reliable search function—can sustain a card’s demand beyond mere aesthetics or rarity alone. The broader market narrative continues to unfold as new sets rotate in, with viewer interest shifting between “value-first” dumps of commons and the nostalgic pull of coveted holo foils. For Audino, that means staying alert to circulating stock, price tickers, and the occasional price bump when collectors reallocate funds toward a complete sv03 collection or toward a specific pursuit such as “Audino in non-foil, reverse-foil, and holo finishes across all sets.” In short, Audino remains a friendly, dependable staple in both the game and the collection—an emblem of accessibility in a world of chase cards ⚡🎨. Phone Case with Card Holder Slim Impact Resistant

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