Ever since its announcement, Mega Evolution's Phantasmal Flames expansion has ignited immediate interest across both competitive circles and the secondary market in the Pokémon TCG, and it’s stronger than ever with the launch of the full English set on November 14.
With Mega Evolutions roaring back into prominence thanks to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and several cards offering unusually high ceiling damage or strong search power, the set has already produced an early hierarchy of valuable heavy-hitters.
According to marketplaces like TCGPlayer, certain cards have already skyrocketed further in price, and, following up from our Mega Evolution round-up, we’ve ranked the ten most expensive cards so far in Phantasmal Flames.
From aggressive Mega attackers to powerful evolution support, Phantasmal Flames brings a fiery mix of competitive threats and high-demand pulls.
For instance, Mega Lopunny ex offers top-tier tempo, Sharpedo ex delivers huge burst damage, and Dawn provides unmatched consistency for evolution decks.
Still, the set’s true centrepieces are the three Mega Charizard X ex prints: with all of them sporting the powerful Inferno X attack, and commanding serious prices.
10. Mega Lopunny ex – 115/094 (Ultra Rare)
Though Piplup is a non-ex Basic, it enters the list because Call for Support is one of the strongest turn-one stabilisers the set provides. Being able to search any Supporter directly from the deck without drawback improves the early consistency of almost any list that can afford to include it.
This kind of tutoring power is frequently undervalued in pre-release environments but becomes highly prized once decks tighten up. Most importantly, though, its winter-themed art by Hideki Ishikawa — showing a slightly sad and lonely Piplup under a cliff, is simply adorable.
Between its splashable typing and immediate effect on turn sequencing, Piplup’s competitive utility easily justifies its early demand.
8. Meowth – 106/094 (Illustration Rare)
Meowth’s Fury Swipes attack is simple but mathematically solid for a Colourless Basic. At 20 damage per heads across three flips, Meowth can occasionally push early pressure without requiring specific Energy types. In today’s meta, where some decks prefer low-investment starters that can chip for tempo, this puts Meowth on the radar as a flexible opener.
Whilst not format-defining, cards that slot seamlessly into evolving or toolbox-style lists often find stable market interest, and the Illustration Rare for this Meowth with its mischievous-looking aesthetic is no exception.
7. Rotom ex – 126/094 (Special Illustration Rare)
From a competitive standpoint, Dawn is one of the best evolution-focused Supporters printed in recent sets, and her Special Illustration Rare is the best-looking way to add her to your deck. Fetching a Basic, a Stage 1, and a Stage 2 Pokémon all at once massively accelerates setup. Decks relying on multi-stage combos or heavy evolutions, particularly Megas, benefit enormously.
Simply put, Dawn cuts down the number of turns required to assemble full lines, dramatically improving consistency. Supporters with this level of deck-building impact rarely stay cheap for long.
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