Dark Machamp · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Machamp card
Dark Machamp is card 10 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 2 Fighting-type with 70 HP.
As a Stage 2, it evolves from Dark Machoke, which places Dark Machamp deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Team Rocket darkened Machamp under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
The card's flavor text gives Machamp a line of lore: "It is almost impossible to defend against a Machamp's four powerful arms."
About Machamp in the Pokémon world
The Fighting-type final form of the Machop line. Four arms. Base Set holo Machamp is the only holo card guaranteed to appear in 1st Edition Base Set starter decks (the Bulbasaur preconstructed deck). Its 1st Edition print is dramatically more common than other Base holos in 1st Edition because of this. The Unlimited print population mostly came from booster packs and is much smaller.
What is Dark Machamp worth?
Dark Machamp is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Team Rocket's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Team Rocket holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Dark Charizard at the top; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Team Rocket shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The 1st Edition Dark Machamp carries the Edition 1 stamp under the artwork and trades above the Unlimited copy in matching grade. The set is also home to Dark Raichu, the first Secret Rare ever printed.
Grading and condition
Expect the holo window to set the grade on Dark Machamp. Print misregistration and fine scratches in the fighting foil are the usual reasons a copy lands at a 9, and edge whitening against the frame is the next thing a grader notes.
If you are collecting Dark Machamp
Buying Dark Machamp well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Dark Machamp trades above the Unlimited copy, so confirm the stamp before you agree a number. Always see the holo surface in good light first.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
