What to target in Fusion Strike

The top 10 cards are 90% of the set’s $2,276.00 estimated singles cost — plan these first and the rest follows on a normal budget.

Value in Fusion Strike is concentrated to an almost comical degree — the vast majority of the set's total singles cost lives in a small cluster of secret rares, with Gengar VMAX standing head and shoulders above the rest. That's the card people actually love: the artwork is a genuine standout, it's the most recognizable Pokémon in the set, and demand has never really cooled. It's the one Fusion Strike card that transcends "expensive because it's rare" into "expensive because everybody wants it."

Below Gengar, the picture is more about pragmatism than passion. The Mew VMAX and Mew V cards carried real price weight largely because Mew VMAX was a top-tier competitive deck, so players needed multiples — that's demand you can see in the numbers but it's driven by function, not adoration. Espeon VMAX is the collector's second-favorite behind Gengar on pure aesthetics. Everything outside that top tier drops off fast, which is exactly why the set is so front-loaded: once you're past the marquee rainbows and the key V cards, the rest of the secret rares are relatively attainable.

#	Card	Number	Rarity	Market	PSA 10
1	Gengar VMAX	#271	Rare Rainbow	$1,030.04	$2,262.50
2	Espeon VMAX	#270	Rare Rainbow	$342.30	$661.69
3	Mew VMAX	#269	Rare Rainbow	$248.32	$457.59
4	Mew V	#251	Rare Ultra	$103.29	$420.50
5	Mew VMAX	#268	Rare Rainbow	$100.29	$300.54
6	Celebi V	#245	Rare Ultra	$89.67	$359.99
7	Gengar VMAX	#157	Rare Holo VMAX	$44.82	$209.75
8	Mew V	#250	Rare Ultra	$33.82	$219.99
9	Inteleon VMAX	#266	Rare Rainbow	$27.76	$86.00
10	Genesect V	#255	Rare Ultra	$26.89	$176.17

How Fusion Strike is built

The smart way to complete Fusion Strike

Treat Fusion Strike as two separate projects: the enormous but affordable base set, and the small-but-costly top tier. The smart approach is to knock out the commons, uncommons, and standard holos cheaply as singles or through a few boxes, then buy the marquee rainbows and key V cards individually rather than praying for them out of packs. Because the value is so concentrated, you can get 90-plus percent of the way to a full "seen it all" collection for very little and save your real budget for a handful of named cards.

Singles or sealed?

For a set this front-loaded, singles are almost always the rational path — the page math beside this text shows just how much of the total cost sits in a few cards, and packs won't hand you those reliably. Sealed product makes sense if you value the experience of opening the largest Sword & Shield set, or if you're chasing the thrill of hitting a Gengar yourself. But if your goal is a complete set or specific chase cards, buying them outright avoids the variance entirely. Packs are entertainment; singles are efficiency.

Sealed product comparison

Fusion Strike pull-rate estimates

Community-estimated era averages from large pack-opening aggregates — not official Pokémon data. “Specific card” is the expected packs for ONE particular card of that rarity.

Fusion Strike promo cards

Black Star promos tied to Fusion Strike — from its ETBs, collection boxes and prerelease events. They live in the SWSH Black Star Promos set, so a true master-set run includes them separately.

Pikachu V#SWSH198 · Collection box promo$3.06

Which Fusion Strike cards are worth grading?

Grading in Fusion Strike is worth the fee mainly on the top tier — the Gengar VMAX rainbow is the standout candidate, where gem-mint copies command a real premium over raw, and Espeon VMAX and the Mew cards follow behind. The live EV figures on this page show where the numbers actually land, but the logic is simple: a card has to carry enough raw value and enough of a gem-mint spread to justify the cost and turnaround, and only the marquee cards clear that bar comfortably.

For the vast middle of the set, grading is a losing proposition — the base holos and lesser secret rares simply don't have the ceiling to pay back submission fees. The one wrinkle worth noting is condition sensitivity: these are large-format modern holos prone to edge wear and surface scratching, so if you're grading, source the cleanest possible copies and inspect surfaces carefully before you submit.

Tier 1 — grade theseWorth grading

Positive expected value after ~$25 fees at live PSA prices and this set's real gem rates.

Gengar VMAX #271raw $1,030.04 → PSA 10 $2,262.50 2.2×EV +$569.23Espeon VMAX #270raw $342.30 → PSA 10 $661.69 1.9×EV +$155.51Mew VMAX #269raw $248.32 → PSA 10 $457.59 1.8×EV +$90.36Mew V #251raw $103.29 → PSA 10 $420.50 4.1×EV +$115.33Mew VMAX #268raw $100.29 → PSA 10 $300.54 3×EV +$96.25Celebi V #245raw $89.67 → PSA 10 $359.99 4×EV +$79.69

Tier 2 — grade clean copiesClean copies only

Strong PSA 10 premium — the math works only on gem-worthy copies.

Inteleon VMAX #266raw $27.76 → PSA 10 $86.00 3.1×EV +$18.30

Tier 3 — personal collectionCollection only

Fees eat most of the margin. Grade to preserve a pristine pull, not for profit.

Greedent V #257raw $15.23 → PSA 10 $80.09 5.3×EV +$12.85

Premiums and EV use tonight’s PSA prices and this set’s real gem rates — not projections.

What collectors say about Fusion Strike

Creators on Fusion Strike

▶Fusion Strike Just Hit $1,0000...PokeRev▶I Risked a Fusion Strike Booster Box to See if it's Worth itMystic Rips▶Opening 100 Fusion Strike Packs To See If It's ACTUALLY Worth $1,300PokeRev▶DO I HAVE A 100% COMPLETE FUSION STRIKE POKEMON CARD BINDER? [opening]RealBreakingNate

Synthesized from widely-reported collector consensus — see a take that’s off? Use the report link on any card page.

Protect your Fusion Strike cards

This set has 5 cards worth $100+ — sleeve-and-toploader territory at minimum, and the chase cards deserve double-sleeving.

Affiliate links — purchases support CardPrice at no extra cost. Full guide: how to build & store a master set.

Where Fusion Strike goes from here

Fusion Strike's long-term story is a tale of one card and a supporting cast. Gengar VMAX has the ingredients that sustain interest — a beloved Pokémon, standout art, and broad recognition beyond hardcore collectors — which gives it the best case for durable demand. The Mew cards are trickier: their prices were propped up by competitive play, and as the format rotates and the deck fades, that functional demand softens even as collector interest holds a floor. The rest of the set is effectively bulk and likely to stay that way.

On the supply side, this was a massively printed set — one of the largest of its era by volume — so scarcity is not a driver here. That caps upside on everything except the genuinely wanted cards and makes Fusion Strike a set where you buy what you love and don't expect the base or mid-tier to appreciate. The honest read: Gengar VMAX is the piece with staying power, sealed product carries the usual "modern nostalgia someday" question mark, and everything else is priced for enjoyment rather than return.

Not financial advice — live prices and trends are above, collect what you love.

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Fusion Strike — frequently asked questions