Unleash the true power of Galarian Pokemon by pulling the most expensive cards in Sword and Shield era!
As the first Pokemon TCG series to introduce the Gen VIII Pokemon and the Pokemon V/VMAX mechanics, many card collectors are still on the lookout to get the best chase cards in every Sword & Shield expansion.
The series also featured some of the sets with the highest pull rates, so if you’re planning to spend your money on some booster packs and trainer boxes, Sword & Shield expansion sets are your best choices.
For this article, we’re going to give you a definitive top 10 list of Pokemon cards in the Sword & Shield era with the highest price tags this 2023 – starting from the Base Set to the series’ final expansion, Crown Zenith.
Table of Contents
10 Most Expensive Cards in Sword and Shield (Updated List for 2023)
After thorough research and comparing the prices of all chase cards in the entire Sword & Shield series, here are the ones with the highest market prices as of the time of writing this article according to TCGPlayer:
10. Lugia V
Set: Silver Tempest
Card Number: 186/195
Rarity: Ultra Rare
Silver Tempest did add a bunch of gorgeous cards in the franchise, but not as gorgeous as this alternate full-art version of Lugia V.
This silver-themed card features a unique artwork of Lugia encountering a human in what appears to be a stormy night at sea.
Like the other printings of Lugia cards, the alternate full-art version of Lugia tends to have higher price tags considering that you can make this Pokemon even more powerful in battle through evolution.
9. Glaceon VMAX
Set: Evolving Skies
Card Number: 209/203
Rarity: Secret Rare
Apart from being a relatively old set, Evolving Skies is also home to some of the most expensive cards in Sword & Shield era, such as this vibrant alternate art of Glaceon VMAX.
In fact, the latest data shows that four of the VMAX Eevolution Pokemon made the list of valuable cards in Evolving Skies.
One reason that drives Glaceon VMAX’s price is its high HP and Max Icicle attack that can potentially knockout one Active and Benched Pokemon in a single turn.
See Glaceon VMAX’s Current Prices
8. Leafeon VMAX
Set: Evolving Skies
Card Number: 205/203
Rarity: Secret Rare
Leafeon VMAX is a Dynamaxed form of Leafeon V that can deal heavy damage to the opposing Active Pokemon while healing itself through the move Max Leaf.
While it can be dangerous to play this alternate art card against a Fire-type Pokemon deck, its incredibly low pull rate (around 1/283) makes it a must-have among many collectors.
See Leafeon VMAX’s Current Prices
7. Charizard VMAX
Set: Champion’s Path
Card Number: 74/73
Rarity: Secret Rare
It’s difficult not to mention a single Charizard card when we’re talking about the most expensive cards of a particular Pokemon TCG series.
Regardless of the current number of generations, fans still can’t get over the charisma of this Fire/Flying lizard.
Charizard’s Gigantamax form is easily one of the coolest Charizards ever designed, and you can expect that fans are willing to spend a premium price just to have this Charizard VMAX rainbow card.
See Charizard VMAX’s Current Prices
6. Charizard V
Set: Champion’s Path
Card Number: 79/73
Rarity: Secret Rare
This another expensive card from the Champion’s Path set might be the weaker version of Charizard VMAX, but what sets it apart from most Charizard cards is that it showcases a Shiny one.
Most Shiny Pokemon cards like this are quite rare similar to how elusive Shinies can be in video games.
Additionally, a V Pokemon (especially the popular ones) will likely catch a higher price tag since they are literally Basic Pokemon on steroids, giving you an advantage in the early game.
See Charizard V’s Current Prices
5. Blaziken VMAX
Set: Chilling Reign
Card Number: 201/198
Rarity: Secret Rare
Despite the set’s “Frozen” theme, the one that gets the most attention in Chilling Reign is ironically a Fire/Fighting Pokemon.
Blaziken, a beloved Pokemon from Gen 3 receives its Dynamax form with this alternate art Blaziken VMAX card that can dish out decent damage and reuse up to two Energy cards from the discard pile.
As a VMAX card and a heavy-favorite Pokemon from an old generation, there’s no doubt that Blaziken VMAX became a very valuable card not only in Chilling Reign but also in the entire Sword & Shield series.
See Blaziken VMAX’s Current Prices
4. Gengar VMAX
Set: Fusion Strike
Card Number: 271/264
Rarity: Secret Rare
In April 2023, a story surfaced on the internet that caused an uproar among many Pokemon TCG fans.
According to this Reddit post, a worker in a printing company that makes the Pokemon cards from the Fusion Strike set allegedly stole hits, which may include a very rare copy of this Gengar VMAX.
Since then, many people believe that the stolen cards gave Fusion Strike an incredibly low pull rate, hence giving the Gigantamax Gengar card a hefty market price.
See Gengar VMAX’s Current Prices
3. Rayquaza VMAX
Set: Evolving Skies
Card Number: 218/203
Rarity: Secret Rare
Rayquaza spends most of its time high above the clouds, where it eats water and particles scattered around the earth’s ozone layer.
But for this, card, you can witness a sight of the legendary Dragon/Flying Pokemon flying closer to the land, in a majestic Dynamax form.
This alternate art card of Rayquaza VMAX, being the focal Pokemon of the Evolving Skies set, currently costs more than a couple of hundred dollars and its unique artwork definitely plays a vital role in its value.
See Rayquaza VMAX’s Current Prices
2. Giratina V
Set: Lost Origin
Card Number: 186/196
Rarity: Ultra Rare
Speaking more about unique artwork, there is a card from the Lost Origin set that screams Pollock or Van Gogh, and it’s no other than this alternate art card of Giratina V.
This card showcases the legendary Renegade Pokemon living its life in a weird place known as the Distortion World.
Aside from having an awfully low pull rate, Giratina V is also a sought-after card by competitive players running a Giratina VSTAR + Comfey deck.
You can check out the strategy behind the Giratina VSTAR + Comfey deck by reading our article about the 5 Best Pokemon TCG Decks for the Standard Meta.
See Giratina V’s Current Prices
1. Umbreon VMAX
Set: Evolving Skies
Card Number: 215/203
Rarity: Secret Rare
With a price reaching as much as half a grand, this Umbreon VMAX from Evolving Skies is currently the most expensive card in all the official expansions of Sword & Shield era.
This card features a Dynamax Umbreon big enough to grab an entire structure using its tail. It appears to love the moon, which fits well with the theme considering that Umbreon is a Dark-type Pokemon.
“Moonbreon’s” popularity paired with its high demand and low pull rate are the main reasons why it has gained a steady value over the years and is expected to further appreciate as newer sets are released.
See Umbreon VMAX’s Current Prices
Special Mentions: The Sword and Shield Promotional Cards and Prize Pack Series Cards
To prevent discrediting the most valuable cards from the official expansions of Sword & Shield, we decided to exclude two particular Pokemon TCG sets from the same era due to having so many expensive cards.
In fact, some of the powerful cards from these sets are so valuable that they can easily dominate the list above. These sets are the Sword & Shield Promotional cards and the Prize Pack Series Cards.
Nevertheless, they still deserve a special mention for their low supply and value:
5 Most Expensive Cards in Sword and Shield Promotional Cards:
| Card Name | Market Price |
|---|---|
| Charizard – SWSH066 | $629 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Champion’s Festival – SWSH296 | $475 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Pikachu – 227/S-P | $347 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Special Delivery Bidoof – SWSH177 | $299 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Lugia – SWSH069 | $167 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
5 Most Expensive Cards in Prize Pack Series Cards
| Card Name | Market Price |
|---|---|
| Charizard VMAX | $550 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Charizard VSTAR | $217 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Radiant Charizard | $156 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Pikachu VMAX | $132 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
| Umbreon VMAX | $116 (View Real-Time Market Price Here) |
Final Thoughts
The Pokemon Sword & Shield era is not only a great milestone for the video gaming franchise but also for the Pokemon TCG community.
The new Pokemon V/VMAX mechanics added a new flavor of excitement and challenge to all Pokemon TCG formats, and it even gave us access to a plethora of beautiful cards that are still very valuable up to this day.
Consider using this list as your complete guide if you want to collect the best and most memorable cards of the Pokemon Sword & Shield series.
Pokemoncoders is your one-stop source of everything related to Pokemon, be it the video games, the latest ROM hacks, as well as Pokemon TCG trends.
Check more of our articles here:
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