Scarlet & Violet Pokémon Sets Ranked: Which Ones Are Actually Worth It?

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With the recent demand for Pokémon cards being so high that even The Pokémon Company had to release an update on product availability, we thought it would be a good time to look back at all the Scarlet & Violet expansions and rank them. We’ll be going over the top chase cards from each set and ranking the expansions based on two things: the value you get from ripping these sets and how cool we think the cards are. For value, we’ll be using each expansion’s current Elite Trainer Box market value as a reference. So without further ado, let’s start ranking these sets!

#13: Scarlet & Violet Base Set

When the best hit you can pull (Gardevoir ex SIR) is worth less than the cost of the ETB, it’s not going to rank very high on this list. Plus, when the only other cool cards are the Greavard SIR and the Riolu SIR, that doesn’t help either. Of course, ripping any kind of Pokémon packs these days is going to be fun, but in my opinion, you’re going to have the least fun ripping Scarlet & Violet Base Set.

ETB Price: $66.76
Value: 3/10
Chase Cards: 5/10

#12: Obsidian Flames

Other than the Charizard ex SIR, this set feels like it doesn’t have much to offer. I feel like a lot of people like this set just because it has so many Charizards, but for me, just having Charizard chase cards isn’t enough. The Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot ex SIRs are awesome nostalgic-looking cards, but they aren’t expensive. I’d recommend just buying singles from this set because it doesn’t pay off well when ripping.

ETB Price: $90.51
Value: 3.4/10
Chase Cards: 5.3/10

#11: Stellar Crown

Stellar Crown is a better value for the rip. The top chase card — the Squirtle SIR — is basically equal to the cost of the ETB, which means we’re getting into better value sets, but we’re not quite there yet. That said, this set has a lot of really nice-looking cards, in my opinion. The Terapagos, Bulbasaur, Zeraora, Milcery, and Gulpin SIRs are sweet-looking cards. While it might still not be the best value rip, at least you’ll pull some cool cards that give you that hit of dopamine.

ETB Price: $64.57
Value: 4.2/10
Chase Cards: 5.7/10

#10: Prismatic Evolutions

This is the set that had Target employees around the country dreading showing up to work. Prismatic Evolutions is a very expensive set with a tough pull rate. The top Eeveelution cards are hard to hit, but when you hit, you hit big. The Eeveelutions carry this set, with a few other SIRs — like Roaring Moon and Ceruledge — that have hefty price tags as well. It’s just so tough to hit anything in this set, which is why it’s ranked where it is.

ETB Price: $130.11
Value: 4.5/10
Chase Cards: 9.5/10

#9: Shrouded Fable

Ok, hear me out. I know there aren’t any crazy Charizards or Pikachus in this set, but the cards you can pull are AWESOME. For the price of this set, there are so many cool cards you can hit. The chase Persian SIR basically gets you your money back, and there are a bunch of other $50 cards besides the Persian, making it an amazing value rip. Some other notable cards include the Houndoom SIR, Duskull SIR, Dusclops SIR, and Bewear SIR.

ETB Price: $54.81
Value: 5/10
Chase Cards: 7/10

#8: Paldea Evolved

Paldea Evolved has tons of awesome cards, and a lot of them have held their value. The Magikarp SIR chase card is beautiful, but there are tons of other awesome SIRs too. Some of my favorites include the Raichu, Tyranitar, Fuecoco, and my personal favorite from the set, Heracross. This set offers a lot for a relatively fair price point.

ETB Price: $83.01
Value: 6.5/10
Chase Cards: 8/10

#7: Paradox Rift

Paradox Rift is chock-full of awesome SIRs that a lot of collectors can enjoy. Some of my favorites include the Groudon (which is the main chase in this set), the Garchomp, and the Steelix. The Groudon in this set is only around $81, which isn’t amazing for a main chase card, but I think the wide variety of other hits definitely makes up for it. For the price an ETB comes in at, I think this set is definitely slept on.

ETB Price: $64.59
Value: 6.7/10
Chase Cards: 8.2/10

#6: Temporal Forces

Another bang-for-your-buck set, Temporal Forces is great for collectors who want to focus on hitting cool-looking cards. With the low cost of entry and a lot of awesome-looking cards, this set is a no-brainer. Some of my favorite cards in this set include Morty’s Conviction, the Gastly SIR, and the Lickitung SIR. Temporal Forces also has a lot of really awesome designs, along with plenty of Gengar cards if you like to collect Gengar. The chase card you’re looking for in this set is the Raging Bolt ex SIR which sells for about $93. The low price point and wide variety of hits are why this set ranks so high on the list for me.

ETB Price: $61.46
Value: 7/10
Chase Cards: 8.3/10

#5: 151

The set everyone was probably wondering where I’d rank. 151 is an awesome set — don’t get me wrong — but I do think it’s slightly overrated and obviously leans heavily into nostalgia, which is part of why it’s so expensive. Again, this blog factors in both pack price and how cool the cards are. There’s no doubt 151 is a great set, and my opinion is just that — my own — but for how much these packs cost, and how flat some of the top cards feel, this set doesn’t rank as high for me.

For example, I think the main chase, Charizard ex SIR, has pretty bland art — but I totally get that others may feel differently! The cards in this set that stand out to me are actually some of the more underrated ones, like the Alakazam SIR, the Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur SIRs, and the Dragonair SIR. Honestly, there are too many cool cards in this set to name, but the high cost to rip is the main reason it doesn’t rank higher. Still, it’s an awesome set overall.

ETB Price: $203.73
Value: 3/10
Chase Cards: 9/10

#4: Surging Sparks

Surging Sparks is definitely one of the more expensive sets to rip, but for the cards it offers, I think it’s worth it. Unlike 151 — where if you rip an ETB and pull the main chase card, you’re still in the negative — this set has a chase card (Pikachu SIR) that’s worth around $331, while the ETB costs about $99. Surging Sparks has multiple high-value cards, along with cards that look amazing. Some of my top picks include the Latias ex SIR, Latios SIR, Skarmory SIR, and Mesprit SIR. If you want to rip a higher-end set with some great-looking cards, look no further than Surging Sparks.

ETB Price: $99.78
Value: 9/10
Chase Cards: 8/10

#3: Journey Together

The value proposition that Journey Together brings is really interesting to me. It’s the most recent set to come out from this list, yet the resale prices for the ETBs aren’t as crazy as you’d think. With an ETB coming in at around $75, I think this set has a lot to offer. First off, the main chase card (Lillie’s Clefairy ex SIR) being worth around $193 helps a lot. Plus, the fact that the top five cards in this set all get you your money back from ripping an ETB is awesome for the value side of things.

And it’s not just the value — the cards themselves are amazing. Some of my favorites are the Salamence ex SIR, Articuno SIR, and N’s Zoroark ex SIR. I also love that trainers are heavily featured with their respective Pokémon in this set. Overall, Journey Together is an incredible set, and the low entry point is what makes it rank so highly on this list.

ETB Price: $75.13
Value: 9.2/10
Chase Cards: 9/10

#2 Paldean Fates

Hear me out — the shinies you can pull in this set are AMAZING! The fact that they’re not hard to hit, and that they actually sell well, makes this set incredible. The ETB prices are a little expensive, but you get a lot of hits in this set. The chase card (Mew ex SIR) is beautiful and goes for around $319. The Charizard ex SIR is awesome too, along with the Gardevoir ex SIR.

When it comes to the shinies in this set, my favorites are the Snorlax, Ditto, and Charmander. Shinies were a massive reason why Hidden Fates was such a huge set back in the day, and I’m glad they brought them back in Scarlet & Violet with Paldean Fates.

ETB Price: $127.69
Value: 9.4/10
Chase Cards: 10/10

#1: Twilight Masquerade

Probably not the set you were expecting at number one, but hear me out. First off, an ETB costs around $72, and the top hit (Greninja ex SIR) goes for about $337! That kind of ratio is almost unheard of in Pokémon nowadays. There are a total of four cards in this set that can get your money back.

Not to mention, the cards themselves are beautiful. The Perrin SIR and Growlithe SIR actually form a combo — it’s Perrin taking a picture of her Growlithe. Some of my other favorite cards in this set include the Eevee SIR, Infernape SIR, and Pinsir IR. What’s not to love about this set?

ETB Price: $72.51
Value: 10/10
Chase Cards: 10/10

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