Let’s check out Kayou’s My Little Pony Trading Card Game – Friendships Begin (Rainbow Dash) Starter Deck and Booster Pack!
A big thank you to Kayou for sending me the My Little Pony Trading Card Game Starter Deck and My Little Pony Fantasy Wonderland Booster Pack 01 for review!
Unboxing the Rainbow Dash Starter Deck: Contents & Gameplay
The Starter Deck contains a 50-card Main Deck, a 15-card Scene Deck, 1 Main Character Card, and 4 Story Cards. Since this is a Rainbow Dash box, Rainbow Dash is the included main character card.
One Game Sheet and three Friendships Begin packs are also included.
An explainer featuring the card information, Game Flow, Rules, and Phrases (Starting Phrase, Main Phrase, Contact Phase) are written on one side, while the other side of the Game Sheet holds space for the Main Character Card, Scene Deck Area, Story Area, Scene Area, Retirement Area, and Main Deck Area.
The four phases are numbered in order at the bottom of the Game Sheet, with: 1 as Starting Phase, 2 Main Phase, 3 Contact Phase, and 4 End Phase.
While learning the mechanics of the Friendships Begin set felt like a fresh start, these localized releases are part of a massive coordinated effort by the brand to capture the Western market. For a deeper look at the business strategy behind these packs, our The Next Big Player? An Interview with Kayou on their US Trading Card Market Expansion provides exclusive insights into their North American roadmap.
As I mentioned in my tokidoki Wonder Voyage Series 1 Roaming Edition Collectible Cards review, I haven’t really collected nor played any TCGs since maybe high school. So it was actually quite exciting to set up the Game Sheet and shuffle through the deck of cards.
The 70-Card Main Deck & Scene Deck Structure
The My Little Pony Trading Card Game – Friendships Begin (Rainbow Dash) Starter Deck comes with a total of 70 cards, with the types in a single pack production ratio as 2:3 for 2C+1U/SPR+1ER/ER*+1SR, and 1:3 for 2C+1U/SPR+1ER/ER*+1SR/GR/CR/RR*.
While the Friendships Begin Pack has a total of 68 types of cards divided into 9 rarities.
In my Starter Deck, I received:
Main Character Card: Rainbow Dash, with RR (Ruby Rare)
Character Cards:
- Name: Rainbow Dash, Keyword: Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 6 “Inspiration”, Rarity: C (Common)
- Rainbow Dash, Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 5 Inspiration, SR (Silver Rare)
- Rainbow Dash, Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 1 Inspiration, C (Common)
- Scootaloo, Pegasus Scootaloo, 4 Inspiration, U (Uncommon)
- Rainbow Dash, Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 4 Inspiration, C (Common)
- Scootaloo, Pegasus Scootaloo, 5 Inspiration, C (Common)
- Rainbow Dash, Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 5 Inspiration, U (Uncommon)
- Rainbow Dash, Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 3 Inspiration, U (Uncommon)
- Tank, Turtle Tank Pet, 4 Inspiration, U (Uncommon)
- Tank, Turtle Tank Pet, 3 Inspiration, SR (Silver Rare)
- Tank, Turtle Tank Pet, 2 Inspiration, C (Common)
Scene Card:
- Cloudominium, ER (Emerald Rare)
Item Card:
- Prank Sneeze Powder, SPR (Sapphire Rare)
Event Card:
- Hoofshake Buzzer!, SPR (Sapphire Rare)
- Rushing Rescue, SPR (Sapphire Rare)
- Training Accident, SPR (Sapphire Rare)
Story Card:
- I The Best Young Flyer, Anxious Rainbow Dash, C (Common)
- II The Best Young Flyer, The Competition, C (Common)
- III The Best Young Flyer, Sonic RainBoom, C (Common)
- IV The Best Young Flyer, Grand Prize, C (Common)
The three included packs of My Little Pony Trading Card Game – Friendships Begin have 5 cards per pack, with a production ratio of 2:3 for 2C+1U/SPR+1ER/ER*+1SR and 1:3 at 2C+1U/SPR+1ER/ER*+1SR/GR/CR/RR*.
Pack One
Character Cards:
- Pinkie Pie, Earth Pony Pinkie Pie, 1 Inspiration, SR (Silver Rare)
- Twilight Sparkle, Unicorn Twilight Sparkle, 2 Inspiration, C (Common)
- Applejack, Earth Pony Applejack, 5 Inspiration, C (Common)
Event Card:
- Friendly Rabbits, SPR (Sapphire Rare)
Scene Card:
- Cloudominium, ER (Emerald Rare)
2C+1SR+1SPR+1ER
Pack Two
Character Cards:
- Rarity, Unicorn Rarity, 4 Inspiration, CR (Colorful Rare)
- Applejack, Earth Pony Applejack, 5 Inspiration, C (Common)
- Scootaloo, Pegasus Scootaloo, 3 Inspiration, C (Common)
Event Card:
- Meteor Shower, SPR (Sapphire Rare)
Scene Card:
- Carousel Boutique, ER (Emerald Rare)
2C+1CR+1SPR+1ER
Pack Three
Character Cards:
- Twilight Sparkle, Unicorn Twilight Sparkle, 4 Inspiration, SR (Silver Rare)
- Pinkie Pie, Earth Pony Pinkie Pie, 5 Inspiration, C (Common)
- Rainbow Dash, Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 2 Inspiration, C (Common)
- Rainbow Dash, Pegasus Rainbow Dash, 4 Inspiration, U (Uncommon)
Scene Card:
- Cloudominium, ER (Emerald Rare)
2C+1U/1SR+1ER
Fantasy Wonderland Booster Pack 01: Rarity Tiers & Pull Rates
The booster pack, My Little Pony Card Game, Fantasy Wonderland *Booster Pack 01*, has 5 cards in each pack.
Pack One
Character Card:
- Applejack, Earth Pony Applejack, 5 Inspiration, GR (Gold Rare)
Story Card:
- II Curing Philomena, Intensive Care, C (Common)
- III Curing Philomena, Turning to Ash, C (Common)
Event Card:
- Dig for Gems, SPR (Sapphire Rare)
Scene Card:
- Road at Sweet Apple Acres, ER (Emerald Rare)
Tactical Texture: Analyzing the “CR” Rarity and Holographic Design
What initially struck me during the pack openings was the attention to detail and quality of the MLP cards. I remember last fall at New York Comic Con 2025, the Kayou convention booth hosted a live demonstration with comic illustrator Andy Price creating a new MLP work of art that would later appear as a card.
I thought it would look nice as a card, but I couldn’t imagine just how unique each card could be – even while including various depictions of the same character.
I am a collector at heart and to be completely honest, my favorite cards so far are all sparkling and purple – and I’m not sure if the bias of purple being one of my favorite colors, or that I love the mythical creatures called Pegasus, is what factored into this emotional response.
Of the three My Little Pony Friendships Begin packs, I adore:
- The Meteor Shower Event Card, the Carousel Boutique Scene Card, the CR Rarity unicorn card, the SR Twilight Sparkle card, and the Pinkie Pie SR Character Card
What is unique about all of these cards (even beyond the ones I’ve listed) is the integration of the holographic elements and textural designs that essentially elevate the story being told through the card.
Let’s take the CR Rarity unicorn card, for instance.
When put under the light, more of the colorful scene elements stand out, and the texture is enhanced. You can see the deep and fine lines in Rarity’s deep purple hair now highlighted, the aura around certain objects changes color, and you can even run your fingers over the card’s surface and feel the elevated textures of the jeweled necklace, the cat’s jeweled collar, the gemstones and lamp in the foreground, and even ridges along the gold-embroidered border.
When tilting the Carousel Boutique card in the light, different elements of the carousel are illuminated as if it were actually in motion under the glint of natural sunlight.
Both the Pinkie Pie SR card and Twilight Sparkle SR cards’ holographic elements and textures are accentuated with outlined colors of gold and pink, respectively, when tilted under a light source.
The attention to textural detail here is reminiscent of the high-production quality I noted in other recent releases. If you appreciate this level of ‘tactical texture,’ you’ll want to see how it compares to the finishes in our Nostalgia in Every Pack: Kayou’s tokidoki Wonder Voyage Card Unboxing & Review.
As for the MLP Card Game Fantasy Wonderland Booster Pack, I believe the Applejack Character Card, Road at Sweet Apple Acres Scene Card, and the Dig for Gems Event Card are particularly beautiful due to their use of a soft red, silver, and gold color palette that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and complements the cute, stylistic artwork depicting various story scenes on the card.
The Applejack card has an elevated texture that further makes the cute Earth Pony stand out, and the Dig for Gems and Road at Sweet Apple Acres Cards have textural and holographic designs that, like the Carousel Boutique design, give the illusion of motion being present within the scenic card when presented under a light.
Final Thoughts: Does Kayou Capture the “Magic”?
Overall, these My Little Pony cards are absolutely exquisite, and I believe fans of the franchise and card collectors alike will really enjoy this trading card game. There is a popular animated series for this franchise called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and I fully believe Kayou captured the “magic” of the series with this card game.
Shopping Guide: Where to Find Kayou MLP Cards
Are you interested in purchasing a My Little Pony Trading Card Game – Friendships Begin Starter Deck for yourself?
The Kayou cards are available at major retailers including: Amazon, Target, TikTok, GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble, as well as the livestream commerce company Crossing.
But, tell me your thoughts: Out of Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, which character box would you choose?
🏮 Read More in Asian Spaces
- NYCC 2025 Retrospective: Press Experience & Media Outlet Life – Relive the convention floor magic, including the live MLP art demonstration and card signings at the Kayou booth.
- Kayou x My Little Pony: Design Your Own Character Sweepstakes – Learn how to enter the “Chase the Magic” contest before the May 31st, 2026 deadline.
- Kayou Naruto Heaven Scroll Series 1 Review: SSR Card Pulls & NYCC Rare Signings – Compare the pull rates of the Rainbow Dash set against my experience hunting for rare SSR cards and reliving the Naruto nostalgia.
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☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
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