I can’t pretend; I’m a sucker for a good chase. Buying multiple packs, hoping—nay, praying for that one Pokémon card you’ve been dreaming of is half the fun, and half the frustration. However, Pokémon 30th Celebration’s pull rates across the board, based on reports and community shares, seem like they make SIRs rain on you. And that can only be a good thing.
It’s no secret that the last few years have been difficult for us Pokémon TCG collectors. Stock shortages are just the start of the concern. Even if you do manage to get some packs, when you have so few, getting those chase cards becomes even harder. In all honesty, I thought that would be the case with the Pokémon 30th Celebration chase cards, too.
Callum Self
So, when yesterday came around and my Pokémon 30th Celebration pre-orders were delayed to mid-late November, I felt like that Charmander meme, watching and waiting for everyone’s pulls. Dread caused my stomach to drop as I saw all of the good cards being pulled, believing that each was less chance I’d get that beautiful Jirachi SIR. The blue Mew ex RGB card selling for $20,000 only heightened my fears.
Until I saw that, well, getting good pulls seemed almost inevitable.
Let’s get the comparison done with. According to community reports, the chances of getting any SIR in Pokémon 30th Celebration is one in 19. That means, if you’re fortunate enough to buy 19 packs, you’d hopefully get at least one SIR. Compared to Phantasmal Flames’ one in 80, one in 70 for Ascended Heroes, and Prismatic Evolutions’ one in 45, the 30th anniversary expansion is celebratory bliss.
Even in the case of Prismatic, getting a specific SIR is reportedly one in 1440 packs. That Umbreon ex you so desperately want? Well, prepare to open a lot of packs. A specific SIR in 30th Celebration will only take you 190 packs to find. That difference is staggering.
Of course, this is all based on community reports and data or, in the case of the older expansions, TCGPlayer. Humour me for a second, if you will, and take it as truth. Doesn’t that just sound so much nicer? Getting good pulls when stock is already hard to buy makes the experience ten times nicer.
It could have a huge effect on both single prices as the market settles and, if the thrill of the chase isn’t exactly there, hopefully sealed products won’t be as expensive. This is something I predicted with my Wargamer feature, and if I’m right, I’ll be a happy trainer.
I’ve spoken to those who invest in Pokémon cards, those who go for the expensive ones with Power Packs, and I’ve also chatted to those who use services like WhatNot. Pokémon cards are extremely valuable, but as a collector, I don’t care if they’re 10p or £1,000,000 each. I just want gorgeous cards for my binder, and in cases like this, it’s only a good thing for myself and the community.
Recently, value has been interwoven with the identity of the TCG. It’s something that has even affected other card games like the Palworld Official Card Game, and I’m not innocent in this—I’ve covered expensive Pokémon cards for the best part of two years. But, if I could simply enjoy being a collector, and writing about it, without having value as a determining factor of whether a set is good or not, I’d be happy. Hell, I’m one of the people who loved Perfect Order. Zygarde is cool as f*ck.
If pull rates are as good as the claims make them, well, count me in.
