15 Best Pokémon Cards for Players, Collectors, And More

It’s tough to pin down exactly what the best Pokémon cards are. Everyone’s got their opinion on who the best of the best are in the Pokémon TCG, and now it’s my turn at the bat. In this list, we’ll be going through what I believe are the best Pokémon cards you can get your hands on today. 

Whether you’re here to look for a powerful capstone for your deck, a card with great collector’s value, want some ideas for getting an engine up and running, or just want to look for some all-around great cards, there’s a bit of something for everyone!

Our Top Picks for The Best Pokémon Cards

There’s a bit of something for everyone on this list in terms of gameplay and collector’s value. However, some of these cards especially stood out. These stars are:

1. Charizard (Base Set) – a very storied card and the prize possession of many a kid (not me, sadly).
2. Umbreon V (Brilliant Stars) – hits pretty hard with an easy-to-fulfill condition; collectors will also want this piece of the Trainer Gallery.
3. M Mewtwo EX 63 (BREAKthrough) – a powerful surprise hitter with its Resistance-piercing, easily buffable attack.
4. Gardevoir ex (Scarlet & Violet) – this chase card from the Scarlet & Violet series has a bulky body with a decent attack and a frankly crazy Energy acceleration ability.
5. Dusknoir (Shrouded Fable) – it’s just standing there…menacingly. Biding its time. Waiting for when it will do the most damage.

Now, just because these are my best doesn’t mean that they’re the only cards worth considering on this list. There’s plenty more great cards just waiting down below!

15 Best Pokémon Cards for Players, Hobbyists, and Collectors

Before you sink your teeth into this list, I’d like to start with two short notes:

First, this list assumes that you’re familiar with the Pokémon TCG. Rule box Pokémon will also be indicated as such in the “Special Notes” section of a card – Tera, Pokémon EX and ex, GX, etc. will be marked there and will receive no explanation.

Second, barring one entry, this list focuses on cards from more recent sets. Moreover, I’ve cast a wide net, so no favoring one set over another (which would make for a pretty monotonous list).

Without further ado, let’s get to the list.

1. Charizard [Base Set]

Evolves From	Charmeleon
HP	120
Type	Fire
Weakness	Water (2x)
Resistance	Fighting (-30)
Retreat Cost	3
Ability	Energy Burn: As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may turn all energy attached to Charizard into Fire energy for the rest of the turn. This power can’t be used if Charizard is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
Attacks	1. Fire Spin (4x Fire, 100 damage): Discard 2 Energy cards attached to Charizard in order to use this attack.

If you were around during the TCG’s Base Set, you’d likely remember how much every kid on the block wanted to get their hands on this Charizard. It makes sense, as this card just oozes unga bunga energy: 100 damage was enough to one-shot virtually everything, with only Chansey (if memory serves) capable of facetanking more than a single Fire Spin.

Now that we’re all older and have a more realistic approach to card games, Base Set Charizard is…pretty mediocre, all things considered. Yes, few things can stand against 100 damage, but the fact stands that unless you’re continuously throwing Double Colorless Energy (DCE) at Charizard, it’ll only be able to attack once per two turns. And no, because of the card text, you can’t discard the DCE for the entire cost. I honestly preferred more economical options like many of the cards with a 50 damage Flamethrower or Arcanine, if push came to shove. Oh, and Special Conditions shut down Energy Burn completely, potentially rendering your DCE useless. Fun.

On top of that, Charizard’s survivability isn’t great. Yes, 120 HP was the cap back then, but there are ways to one-shot Charizard. Retreat isn’t a viable option, either, with a hefty Retreat Cost of 3. Why retreat for 3 when you can attack for 4, am I right?

That said, it’s still a very nifty collector’s item, especially if you can get your hands on a perfectly preserved copy!

2. Umbreon V [Brilliant Stars]

Evolves From	N/A (Basic)
HP	200
Type	Darkness
Weakness	Grass (2x)
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	2
Attacks	1. Mean Look (1x Darkness, 30 damage): During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t retreat. 2. Moonlight Blade (1x Darkness, 2x Colorless, 80+ damage): If this Pokémon has any damage counters on it, this attack does 80 more damage.
Special Notes	Pokémon V

While Umbreon V is mostly prized for its card art (Moonbreon especially), the Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery is also worth considering.

As a game piece, Umbreon V is decent. 200 HP on a Pokémon V is acceptable, and Mean Look is a low-cost attack that offers some disruption. Moonlight Blade, on the other hand, comes online for the low price of a single DCE and does 80 damage, but easily jumps up to 160 with an easy-to-fulfill condition. Together, Umbreon V’s attacks can rack up some early kills. Lastly, the DCE will also come in handy to pay Umbreon V’s retreat cost – remember that since it’s a V, it’s worth double the prizes. Overall, a good opening play especially if your opponent doesn’t have any Grass ‘mons to effectively fight back.

Collector-wise, this card is part of Brilliant Stars’ Trainer Gallery. It’s not too pricey, but it’s not cheap either – and those looking to complete their Trainer Gallery collection will definitely want this card!

3. M Mewtwo EX 63 [BREAKthrough]

Evolves From	Mewtwo EX (Mega Evolution)
HP	230
Type	Psychic
Weakness	Psychic (2x)
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	3
Attacks	1. Vanishing Strike (1x Psychic, 2x Fighting, 1x Colorless, 150+ damage): If there is any Stadium card in play, this attack does 50 more damage, and this attack’s damage isn’t affected by Resistance or any effects on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Special Notes	Mega Evolution, Pokémon EX

Before we begin, yes, this is the swole Mewtwo, the Fighting/Psychic hybrid from the mainstream games, and card number 63 from BREAKthrough – very important as this set has two Mewtwo EXs and two M Mewtwo EX cards.

Let’s start with what this card has going for it. Vanishing Strike is Mega Mewtwo EX’s sole attack which hits for a hefty 150 damage, but, more often than not, will hit for 200 due to its easy-to-fulfill condition. By simply having a Stadium card in play, Vanishing Strike not only hits for 50 extra damage, but also pierces Resistances, letting this card check more threats. Note that it doesn’t specify whose Stadium card – so you can bring this card out to punish your opponent. Lastly, M Mewtwo EX is very chunky at 230 HP, which kind of offsets its high retreat cost and turn-ending evolution.

Now, let’s talk about the main downside of M Mewtwo EX  – its awkward Energy Cost. Hybrid Energy Costs in Pokémon TCG are rarely seen outside of Dragon cards, for good reason. Thankfully, the BREAKthrough set also sells you the solution via Smeargle, whose Second Coat ability lets you swap out an attached Basic Energy for a different one in your Discard Pile. You’ll also need to find a way to turbo out the energy needed for this, as the forced skip from Mega Evolution hurts.

4. Gardevoir ex [Scarlet & Violet]

Sets	Scarlet & Violet
Evolves From	Kirlia
HP	310
Type	Psychic
Weakness	Darkness (2x)
Resistance	Fighting (-30)
Retreat Cost	2
Ability	Psychic Embrace: As often as you like during your turn, you may attach a Basic Psychic Energy card from your discard pile to 1 of your Psychic Pokémon. If you attached Energy to a Pokémon in this way, put 2 damage counters on that Pokémon. You can’t use this Ability on a Pokémon that would be Knocked Out.
Attacks	1. Miracle Force (2x Psychic, 1x Colorless, 190 damage): This Pokémon recovers from all Special Conditions.
Special Notes	Pokémon ex

Gardevoir EX is one of the best Scarlet & Violet cards, not just because it’s a fan favorite, but also because it’s just a really dang good card.

While it does take a while to get to this card (sans Rare Candy), the payoff is well worth it. 310 HP is pretty out there, even for an EX, and a reasonable Retreat Cost of 2 helps mitigate the risk of playing a Pokémon EX. Miracle Force is an awesome move that hits for 190 damage while only costing 3 Energy. That by itself would be enough, but it also removes all conditions from Gardevoir – honestly just icing on the cake, but situationally handy. 

Psychic Embrace, on the other hand, is a superb ability that not only accelerates, but turbocharges your Pokémon to make them combat-ready in an instant and is probably the main reason you want to play this card in the first place. Be careful not to be too trigger happy with this ability, though. The damage it deals might be minor, but using it too much will put your other cards in the danger zone.

5. Dusknoir [Shrouded Fable]

Evolves From	Dusclops
HP	160
Type	Psychic
Weakness	Darkness (2x)
Resistance	Fighting (-30)
Retreat Cost	3
Ability	Cursed Blast: Once during your turn, you may put 13 damage counters on 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon. If you use this Ability, this Pokémon is Knocked Out.
Attacks	1. Shadow Bind (2x Psychic, 1x Colorless, 150 damage): During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t retreat.

Most entries on this list are EX, ex, V, or GX Pokémon, so a regular Stage 2 Dusknoir being here should really say something. 

At first glance, Dusknoir is nothing to write home about. Okay-ish HP at 160, a 150 damage 3 Energy attack that prevents retreating, and a bulky Retreat Cost of 3. Nothing to really write home about.

Now, let’s get to the crazy stuff. Shrouded Fable Dusknoir isn’t prized for its attack, no. What really sets this card apart is its Cursed Blast ability, which deals 130 damage to any of your opponent’s Pokémon, at the cost of knocking out Dusknoir. Keep in mind that this is a “place damage counters” effect, so not even Tera Pokémon are safe.  

While giving up one prize to your opponent may seem like a raw deal, further examination reveals otherwise. This damage costs nothing but Dusknoir itself, meaning that just evolving your Dusclops – you don’t even have to toss Energy its way – brings this ability online. Second, the precarious position presented by Dusknoir allows you to play mind games with your opponent. This can make them hesitate to commit cards to the playing field since you can activate Cursed Blast at a critical moment!

Second and most importantly, giving your opponent a prize card isn’t always a bad thing. I mean, it’s not like there’s a big red dragon out there (among others, might I add) whose attacks get stronger if your opponent has more prizes…right?

6. M Ampharos EX [Ancient Origins]

Evolves From	Ampharos EX (Mega Evolution)
HP	220
Type	Lightning
Weakness	Fighting (2x)
Resistance	Metal (-20)
Retreat Cost	3
Attacks	1. Exavolt (2x Lightning, 2x Colorless, 120+ damage): You may do 50 more damage and leave your opponent’s Active Pokémon Paralyzed. If you do, this Pokémon does 30 damage to itself.
Special Notes	Mega Evolution, Pokémon EX

Poor M Ampharos EX had a meh initial showing due to being included in a battle box with a deck that countered it. Luckily, people looked beyond that and found an actually good card.

Exavolt is M Ampharos EX’s only attack, and hoo boy. At first glance, it’s very unimpressive: a 4 cost for 120 is underwhelming. But this attack has an extra edge to it: when using Exavolt, you can choose to supercharge it for 50 extra damage AND a guaranteed Paralyze, at the cost of 30 self-damage. That guarantee Paralyze is huge, as it’s a guaranteed one-turn stun that has no coin flips associated with it and forces your opponent to either use trainer cards to retreat or just sit and watch their active ‘mon take volt after volt. Best of all, you’ll rarely have to use charged Exavolt twice, as 290 damage (charged 170 + 120 on the next turn) is more than enough to threaten even Mega EXs.

Bear in mind: M Ampharos EX is not a foolproof solution to everything. For starters, there are lots of trainer cards that have a retreat effect, so you’ll be banking on your opponent having none of those in hand. The counterplan against M Ampharos EX is also simple: sacrifice the active, bring out something that can one-shot. Lastly, this one’s a mega evolution, so it’s very high-investment. 

However, all this doesn’t detract from the fact that M Ampharos EX is a great surprise card that can force your opponent to prematurely commit resources to the board!

7. Dragapult ex [Twilight Masquerade]

Evolves From	Drakloak
HP	320
Type	Dragon
Weakness	N/A
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	1
Attacks	1. Jet Headbutt (1x Colorless, 70 damage) 2. Phantom Dive (1x Fire, 1x Psychic, 200 damage): Put 6 damage counters on your opponent’s Benched Pokémon in any way you like.
Special Notes	Tera, Pokémon EX

Thanks to Pokémon Trading Card Game live, there’s a lot of debate about which one is better – Dragapult EX or Charizard EX. You’ll find lots of arguments on either side. Strategies often cross over between the physical game and its digital counterparts. Players looking to dominate on mobile screens should explore the best Pokémon TCG Pocket decks to see how meta trends evolve in a faster format. Understanding these distinct playstyles allows for better deck building in any version of the game.

Twilight Masquerade’s Dragapult EX is a card that has a lot going for it. 320 HP with NO weaknesses and a cheap retreat cost means that this phantom flyer can swoop in safely (barring the most extreme circumstances) and easily go for a kill. Its attacks are nothing short of amazing: Jet Headbutt is a great 1 Energy for 70, but the real star of the show is Phantom Dive, which hits for a total of 260 damage for just 2 Energy. Granted, it’s different kinds of Energy so you’ll need to come up with a solution to put those in your hand. What’s more, 60 damage from Phantom Dive can be distributed as you please among your opponent’s Bench – and since this is a “place damage counters” effect, Teras aren’t safe. Not many cards can boast this much power for just 2 Energy!

Now, for all its might, a Dragapult EX deck is not a “ME SMASH” pile and absolutely requires a good pilot. The most common game plan for this deck involves beating up your opponent’s backline with Pokémon that can hit the bench (like Dusknoir two entries up), but building a deck that goes both wide (with Dragapult EX) and tall (with Charizard EX) is an emerging, successful strategy.

8. Lugia VSTAR [Silver Tempest]

Evolves From	Lugia V
HP	280
Type	Colorless
Weakness	Lightning (2x)
Resistance	Fighting (-30)
Retreat Cost	2
VSTAR Power	Summoning Star: During your turn, you may put up to 2 Colorless Pokémon that don’t have a Rule Box from your discard pile onto your Bench.
Attacks	1. Tempest Dive (4x Colorless, 220 damage): You may discard a Stadium in play.
Special Notes	VSTAR.

The much-anticipated Lugia VSTAR came in with a bang at the tail end of the Sword and Shield era. 

At first glance, this card doesn’t look too great. You might point out – and rightly so – that Lugia VSTAR’s combat ability is rather lackluster. Where Lugia VSTAR pulls its weight is via its VSTAR ability, Summoning Star, which makes it an invaluable engine that can be slotted into virtually every deck. 

See, if you examine Summoning Star’s text closely, nowhere does it say that the targets must be basic Pokémon. There’s a caveat that it can’t cheat out Pokémon with rule boxes, which includes EX, V, and VSTAR, but other than that, anything is fair game. 

Upon its reveal, competitive players immediately started looking for great Lugia VSTAR targets, which we now commonly know is Archeops, also from the Silver Tempest set. Archeops is nothing to write home about sans its Primal Turbo ability, which lets you attach up to 2 Special Energy from your deck to one of your Pokémon. If you manage to get all the pieces in the right place, this is a strategy that can come online as early as turn 2!

9. Seismitoad EX [Furious Fists]

Evolves From	N/A Basic
HP	180
Type	Water
Weakness	Grass (2x)
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	3
Attacks	1. Quaking Punch (2x Colorless, 30 damage): Your opponent can’t play any Item cards from his or her hand during his or her next turn. 2. Grenade Hammer (2x Water, 1x Colorless, 130 damage): This attack does 30 damage to 2 of your Benched Pokémon. (No Weakness/Resistance)
Special Notes	Pokémon EX

Seismitoad EX is one of the most oppressive, era-defining cards of the Pokémon TCG, printed in the XY era. When this frog hits the field, you either deal with it early with an EX of your own or let it drag you into a slugfest.

What makes Seismitoad EX so potent is its ability to item lock. As the Pokémon TCG evolved, players have gone from less bloated decks full of monsters to smaller, sleeker, and more compact lists that use items to boost what few Pokémon they have. By depriving your opponent of these key resources as early as turn 2, you potentially force your opponent into a crawl until they deal with this very beefy amphibian.

As if the item lock wasn’t bad enough, Quaking Punch can be fully powered by a single DCE and does 30 damage which lets Seismitoad Ex hold the field against anything that isn’t another EX. Oh, and being an EX, Seismitoad can be fielded immediately, which can warp your opponent’s early game plan!

10. Charizard ex Tera [Obsidian Flames]

Evolves From	Charmeleon
HP	330
Type	Darkness
Weakness	Grass (2x)
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	2
Ability	Infernal Reign: When you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you may search your deck for up to 3 Basic Fire Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck.
Attacks	1. Burning Darkness (2x Fire, 180+ damage): This attack does 30 more damage for each Prize card your opponent has taken.
Special Notes	Tera, Pokémon ex

Charizard ex Tera has seen ubiquitous use not just due to Charizard being a fan favorite and franchise staple, but also because it’s an easily accessible deck in Pokémon TCG Live – and a great all-around card.

Charizard ex Tera serves as a powerful endgame piece for its deck. Its one attack, Burning Darkness, hits for an adequate 180 at a low cost; this one can be souped up by allowing your opponent to take prizes (up to 330 damage if your opponent’s taken 5 prizes) – which is easy to fulfill when combined with cards that knock themselves out, like Dusknoir. Note that Burning Darkness only checks for how many prizes your opponent took, not the difference between both players. Finally, 330 HP is a very respectable HP score, but watch out for that shift in weakness.

Apart from this, however, Charizard ex Tera also provides hefty energy acceleration via its Infernal Reign ability, which sets you forward by 3 Fire Energy. Any ability which lets you rig the Pokémon TCG’s Energy economy is always worth considering!

11. Venusaur ex [151]

Evolves From	Ivysaur
HP	340
Type	Grass
Weakness	Fire (2x)
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	4
Ability	Tranquil Flower: Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you may heal 60 damage from 1 of your Pokémon.
Attacks	1. Dangerous Toxwhip (2x Grass, 1x Colorless, 150 damage): Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Confused and Poisoned.
Special Notes	Pokémon ex

As with the video games, Venusaur ex is a big fat thing that stubbornly refuses to die.

At a staggering 340 HP and the ability to heal itself (or another Pokémon) for 60 damage so long as it’s in the active slot, Venusaur ex excels at bullying opponents into battles of attrition. Said battles are more often than not in Venusaur ex’s favor, as its Dangerous Toxwhip comes online quickly (especially if you’re using accelerators like Forretress ex) and inflicts a guaranteed poison and confusion. 

While there are counterplays to Venusaur ex, such as one-shotting it with cards Charizard ex Tera, forcing a retreat or getting lucky with the coin flip, Venusaur ex generally does not have to worry too much about being able to stay on the field. That 60 HP heal might not look like much, but in practice, it will draw out battles. Just watch out for that heavy retreat cost!

Lastly, Venusaur ex is a very flexible pick. While it must occupy your active slot to get its healing online, I can’t think of many Grass decks in the TCG that wouldn’t be better without a lumbering shield that not heals itself every turn, but also packs a punch!

12. Alolan Exeggutor ex Tera [Surging Sparks]

Evolves From	Exeggcute
HP	300
Type	Dragon
Weakness	N/A
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	3
Attacks	1. Tropical Frenzy (1x Grass, 1x Water, 150 damage): You may attach any number of Basic Energy cards from your hand to your Pokémon in any way you like. 2. Swinging Sphene (1x Grass, 1x Water, 1x Fighting): Flip a coin. If heads, Knock Out your opponent’s Active Basic Pokémon. If tails, Knock Out 1 of your opponent’s Benched Basic Pokémon.
Special Notes	Tera, Pokémon ex

The Sword & Shield and future eras might have had their share of funny Pokémon, but none will ever beat Alolan Exeggutor. I’m glad the TCG’s artists and card designers managed to capture just how goofy this thing is.

“Goofy” is the right word to describe its attacks as well. Like most dragons, Alolan Exeggutor ex Tera has a wide spread of required Energy – Grass, Water, and Fighting. Its first move, Tropical Frenzy, lands a respectable 150 damage, but more importantly lets you attach as much energy to your Pokémon as you like, which is amazing for Energy-hungry cards or those with buffs. 

Swinging Sphene, on the other hand, is kinda eh. For the hassle of including and attaching a Fighting Energy, you get a guaranteed KO on a Basic Pokémon. In most cases, this won’t be too relevant, but if you’re competing in Expanded or Unlimited formats, it can hit EX Pokémon. I should also add that Regidrago says “hi”.

One other thing I should mention about this card is that it has perfect synergy with Exeggcute from the same set. Precocious Evolution is an attack that costs 1 Colorless, can be used even when going first, and instantly evolves into Alolan Exeggutor ex Tera!

13. Tapu Lele-GX [Guardians Rising]

Evolves From	N/A
HP	170
Type	Psychic
Weakness	N/A
Resistance	N/A
Retreat Cost	1
Ability	Wonder Tag: When you play this Pokémon from your hand onto your Bench during your turn, you may search your deck for a Supporter card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.
Attacks	1. Energy Drive (2x Colorless, 20x damage): This attack does 20 damage times the amount of Energy attached to both Active Pokémon. This damage isn’t affected by Weakness or Resistance. 2. Tapu Cure-GX (1x Psychic): Heal all damage from 2 of your Benched Pokémon.
Special Notes	Pokémon GX

Raise your hand if you’ve ever lost any trading card game and thought to yourself afterwards, “If I’d only had X card in my hand, things would be different.” That’s Tapu Lele-GX’s entire shtick.

What Tapu Lele-GX brings to the table is simple – raw, powerful consistency via its Wonder Tag ability. This ability allows you to add any single Supporter card from your deck to your hand. Yes, there are lots of cards that let you draw cards to dig to your deck, but they’re still not as potent as target searching for a Supporter. Want to discard and draw with the newest version of Professor Oak? Done. Need to beat a quick retreat via a Scoop Up effect? No problemo. Whether you roll with casual or competitive play, the value that Tapu Lele-GX gives just by existing can’t be understated.

The whole reason you want to use Tapu Lele-GX is Wonder Tag, but it’s also a decent combatant in its own right. One DCE nets you a 20 damage attack that hits for a number of times equal to the number of Energy attached to both active Pokémon (so at least 40), while Tapu Cure-GX is a good panic button. Honestly, they could have printed this card with no attacks and everyone would still be scrambling to use it.

14. Malamar EX [Phantom Forces]

Evolves From	N/A
HP	170
Type	Darkness
Weakness	Fighting (2x)
Resistance	Psychic (-20)
Retreat Cost	2
Ability	Hyper Hypnosis: When you attach an Energy from your hand to this Pokémon, you may use this Ability. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
Attacks	1. MAXamar (1x Darkness, 1x Colorless, 60x damage): Flip a coin for each Energy attached to this Pokémon. This attack does 60 damage times the number of heads.
Special Notes	Pokémon EX

The main draw of Malamar EX is its Hyper Hypnosis ability, which allows you to inflict Sleep whenever you attach Energy to it from your hand. It’s not as consistent as say, M Ampharos EX’s Exavolt, but the trade-off is that Malamar EX doesn’t even need to be in your active slot. 

On the other hand, it does mean that you’ll need to funnel Energy from your hand to Malamar EX. Sleep is also not as reliable of a disable as Paralyze, giving your opponent a 50-50 chance of shrugging it off, so it’s probably safe to use it as a secondary defensive layer. You’ll also need to be prudent in investing Energy as it’s very easy to make the mistake of overspending on it.

Meanwhile, Malamar EX’s sole attack, MAXamar, incentivizes you to attach as much Energy to it as you can. Do keep in mind that with 50-50 odds per coin, MAXamar does 30 damage per turn on average, so if you plan to fight with Malamar EX, it’s probably best to use tools that let you reflip coins. 50% of the time, it works every time!

15. Espeon ex Tera [Prismatic Evolutions]

Evolves From	Eevee
HP	270
Type	Psychic
Weakness	Darkness (2x)
Resistance	Fighting (-30)
Retreat Cost	1
Attacks	1. Psych Out (1x Psychic, 2x Colorless, 160 damage): Discard a random card from your opponent’s hand. 2. Amazez (1x Grass, 1x Psychic, 1x Darkness): Devolve each of your opponent’s evolved Pokémon by shuffling the highest Stage Evolution card on it into your opponent’s deck.
Special Notes	Tera, Pokémon ex

Let’s finish up with a bit of a spicy entry – Espeon ex Tera from Prismatic Evolutions.

As you’ll see if you search up Espeon ex Tera, this one’s a bit trickier to use than other exs. If you decide to run this card, you’ll have to build around it as a finisher as its powerful Amazez attack is a single stroke that can seal the game’s outcome. If you’re looking for ideas, a good place to start is a Lost Box deck – looking at some of the best cards from the Lost Origin set should get your gears turning.

Espeon ex Tera has two attacks. The first of these is Psych Out, which, for 1 Psychic and a DCE, hits for a goodly 160 damage. More importantly, it forces your opponent to discard a card from their hand, which is not only a good disruptive strategy but lets you mitigate some cards that affect both players, like Iono.

The real reason to use Espeon ex is Amazez, a very scary attack…if you can manage to pay the awkward cost of Grass, Psychic, and Darkness. If you manage to do so, Espeon will devolve all of your opponent’s Pokémon by one level, potentially knocking them out in the process if they have more damage counters than their new HP cap. This will hurt, especially if your opponent has a bench full of ex Pokémon, and even more so if they’ve already burned through most of their search tools. Prismatic Evolutions for me but not for thee, I guess.

Now, I need to point out a few of Espeon ex Tera’s shortcomings. First, obviously, is the assortment of Energy it needs for Amazez. This can be solved by using searchers or other accelerants, though this can easily lead to deck bloat. Second is that Espeon EX will not do anything against EX ‘mons or decks that don’t care about evolution. Yes, such decks exist in the TCG!

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Why Collect The Best Pokémon Cards?

If you’re on the fence about collecting Pokémon cards, let me give you three good reasons to do so.

First is nostalgia. Pokémon cards are an important part of a lot of people’s childhoods. Some of us never really got a chance to buy booster packs like crazy as kids, so what few cards we do have are loaded with sentimental value. If you didn’t join the craze when you were younger and if you’re interested, now is a great time to learn how to play the game, too!

Second, some people just like to collect things. Stamps, coins, and now cards. Holofoil and alternate art cards are especially prized for their rarity, and are fine additions to any collection. If you’re in it for collector’s value, I’d recommend the Crown Zenith set, one of the best Pokémon TCG sets in terms of pull rates and value for money.

The sheer scale of the hobby is staggering when you consider how many Pokémon cards are there in total, ensuring that you will never run out of unique artwork to admire or specific rarities to hunt down.

Lastly, you can also collect Pokémon cards to turn a profit. This one’s a bit iffier than most, but if you manage to pull chase cards or alt art holos from booster packs, they can go for a pretty penny. If you’re looking for ideas on which cards will turn a profit, pretty much anything from best Pokémon booster boxes and special sets (especially from older sets like the Sword & Shield era) will likely yield more valuable cards.

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FAQs

What is the best Pokémon card?

As with all card games, there’s no single best card in a vacuum in the Pokémon TCG. While there are some especially powerful Pokémon cards, ultimately, all cards in a deck must work together to achieve victory!

What is the most expensive Pokémon card?

The most expensive card to date is a PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator sold privately by Marwan Dubsy to Logan Paul in 2021, and cost $5,275,000.

What is the rarest Pokémon card?

You’ve probably guessed it already, but the rarest card is the Pikachu Illustrator card – the same one that went for 5 million dollars. Pikachu Illustrators were prizes from drawing contests held by Corocoro Comics. Officially, there are only 39 copies of this card in the world.

What is the most valuable Pokémon card?

In terms of collector value, the most valuable single card would be the Pikachu Illustrator; if you can get one, you’re probably set for life. Gameplay-wise, that depends on the ever-shifting meta!

How many total Pokémon cards are there?

According to a count by TCGPlayer in 2024, there are over 18,000 unique Pokémon cards – though this number will vary based on what your definition of a unique card is.