Dark Forretress · Neo Destiny, what to know.
About the Dark Forretress card
Dark Forretress is card 35 of 113 in Neo Destiny, released in February 2002, an Uncommon. It is a Stage 1 Grass-type with 60 HP.
As a Stage 1, it evolves from Pineco, which places Dark Forretress deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Team Rocket darkened Forretress 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 Pokédex entry printed on Dark Forretress reads: "It stays motionless in trees, driving away with flying armored shards from its hard shell any who come close."
What is Dark Forretress worth?
Dark Forretress is an Uncommon, so raw copies are inexpensive and easy to find. The value is in condition: a genuine PSA 10, especially 1st Edition, can still reach a surprising figure for an otherwise common card. The live price above breaks it down by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Neo Destiny produced 1st Edition, Unlimited, Shining prints. For Dark Forretress, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Dark Forretress grades forgivingly, but the same centering and edge standards apply. Pack-fresh raw copies are easy to find, which makes a clean PSA 10 submission a low-cost way to learn how the cardstock behaves under grading.
If you are collecting Dark Forretress
Raw copies of Dark Forretress are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Dark Forretress is the practical move.
