Top Cards in the Mega Evolution Expansion

To keep itself fresh after 20 years, Pokemon introduces new gimmicks with each generation. Some are better than others; gigantimaxing is great, while Z-moves are… also there… but if there’s one that sticks out as being a smash hit, it’s the sixth generation’s Mega Pokemon.

Megas are the central focus of the TCG’s newest sets. Starting with the aptly named Mega Evolution, we’re being reminded at just how peak megas are, and getting the chance to run them in our decks for the first time in forever. Here’s all you need to know about this new era of the TCG.

Why Mega Evolution Is Making A Comeback

Mega evolutions first appeared way back in the sixth generation games, Pokemon X and Pokemon Y. It's been over a decade and four generations since then, so why are we suddenly getting the Mega Evolutions sets in the TCG?

You’ve got the newest game, Legends: Z-A, to thank for that. The game heads back to Kalos’ Lumiose City, five years after X and Y, and introduces a whole load of new Mega Pokemon to discover. Much like the Hisuian Pokemon introduced in Sword & Shield: Astral Radiance after Legends: Arceus’ launch in 2022, the TCG has followed suit and is bringing Megas back to the TCG with Mega Evolution.

What this means for you is simple: Mega Evolutions features tons of chase cards for Pokemon we’ve either never seen in the TCG before, or have been away for a very, very long time.

Mega Gardevoir Takes Centre Stage

Mega Evolution combines the two Japanese sets Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia, and it’s from the latter that we got easily the biggest card in the entire expansion, Mega Gardevoir ex.

Every single version of this card is beautiful. Even the most basic regular version has a stunning pop of vivid colour on it, but the real chases are the Special Illustration Rare, with its delicate pastel colours, and the golden Mega Hyper Rare. Combined, the two make two of the top three most valuable cards in the set, making Gardevoir the chasiest of chase rares.

Fan-Favourites Get A Mega Upgrade

Unfortunately, Gardevoir is pipped to the post for the top spot as the most valuable card in Mega Evolution. That honour goes to another classic Pokemon’s mega variant: Mega Lucario ex. The illustration rare version looks absolutely incredible, with a high-flying fight between it and a Mega Venusaur. And, of course, it also has a golden Mega Hyper Rare variant, which is the biggest pull in the whole set.

Other favourites get Megas in this set, too, like Mega Mawile, Mega Latias, and the aforementioned Mega Venusaur ex. There are a few curious inclusions too - they wouldn’t have been my first pick for the debut of Megas, but it’s nice to see Mega Kangaskhan get a gorgeous illustration rare that places the baby front and centre.

Mega Khangaskhan ex also enjoys a place in the current meta, with a deck that runs both it and Mega Absol ex performing admirably in events, and even its own solo outing working its way up the meta. As beautiful as Gardevoir or Lucario are, they’ve not reached those heights just yet!

Powerful Trainers And Item Cards

Mega Evolution is chock full of fantastic Trainer cards, too. If you’re a collector, the full-art versions of Lillie’s Determination and Acerola’s Mischief are stunning. But my favourite is, weirdly, Lt. Surge’s Bargain.

This is one of the most out-there art treatments we’ve seen Pokemon do in a good long while. It’s almost evocative of those early days of the game, when the art style hadn’t been quite as locked down. It helps that the card itself is good, too, potentially putting your opponent in a tough position of losing the game or letting you draw four cards.

For the meta, it's Lillie's Determination that is having the most impact. Discarding your hand and drawing six cards is always good - and even better if you’ve got ways to bring things back from the Discard pile.

The item card to watch in this set has to be Premium Power Pro. It doesn’t look like much, but buffing a Fighting-type attack by 30 damage is a great way to make your Mega Lucario ex hit even harder.

Best Cards For Competitive Decks

Looking through the top-performing decks in the meta, a few Mega Evolutions cards have already snuck their way into viability. As already mentioned, Lillie’s Determination has been pulling its weight in a lot of decks, and Mega Khangaskhan has lifted up two different decks all on its own.

But it’s not all big, splashy cards that have made an appearance in the meta. Even some basic cards have been doing the work, like Lunatone and its ability to draw you three cards, or Fighting Gong to get that all-important Fighting energy.

Collector Picks And Artwork Highlights

I’ve already gone over the chase cards of the set - your Gardevoirs and Lucarios - so let’s take a look at some underrated other cards you could find in Mega Evolution instead.

Mega Camerupt ex’s expression is just incredible. Look at how absolutely furious it is - I’ve never once looked at it and been intimidated before, but now I’m starting to reconsider just how powerful a burning camel could be.

There’s also Abra, whose art is a neat callback to some of its earliest cards. Just compare it to the iconic base set art that has it sleeping against a tree, or Sabrina’s Abra snoozing in a glade; sometimes a card doesn’t need to be a showy full-art affair to be worth collecting.

And finally, I’d be remiss not to mention some of the illustration rares in the set. Houndstone is one of my favourite pokemon of the ninth generation, and it gets an intimidating dead-on depiction here that looks creepy as all heck. Shuckle lazily snoozing in a very flat tree is a delight as well, but my favourite has to be the colours of Clawitzer as it unleashes a foamy pink blast from its claw.

Build Your Mega Evolution Deck With Magic Madhouse

As with all Pokemon releases, Mega Evolutions is selling out fast, so your best bet to build your deck is to pick up the singles through Magic Madhouse.

Whether it’s a collector’s holy grail like Mega Gardevoir ex, or a meta powerhouse like Mega Khangaskhan ex, or maybe just a neat grab like Lunatone, Madhouse has everything you need. Just make sure to pounce on booster packs if you spot them, because they go fast!