It’s been half a month since the release of The Glory of Team Rocket expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) in the Japanese market.
With the English versions of the cards heading to the western shores in the upcoming Destined Rivals set this May 30th, we thought it a good time to see which of these ne'er-do-well-focused cards are the most valuable of the lot.
5. Team Rocket's Giovanni
Starting off our list is (the Special Art Rare) Team Rocket’s Giovanni. This stylized illustration easily gives an arresting quality to each member of Team Rocket.
From the grunts off to the side, to Giovanni himself in center frame, there is a sense of suspicion that you know something is happening.
In terms of card design, Team Rocket’s Giovanni is on par with Boss’s Orders.
Both cards can switch the opponent’s active Pokémon with a benched one. There is a catch to this card, however, as the controlling player needs to switch their own Team Rocket Pokémon first before they can enact the opponent’s exchange.
It’s a small difference, but it’s a difference nonetheless, and one that may influence decision-making when deck-building.
Currently, this card is going for $60 to $70 on second-hand markets like TCGplayer.
Now we can’t say for sure how prices will translate once copies of this card reach the West, but special art rarity cards tend to command a high price amongst players and collectors.
4. Team Rocket's Nidoking ex
Next up is another Special Art Rare (SAR). This time it’s Team Rocket’s Nidoking ex.
With an art style that's more reminiscent of a comic book, Nidoking ex is drawn with its immense prowess in full display as it wrecks the earth.
So far, this card’s market value has quite a leap from the previous card, with most copies exchanging hands at $100.
As for the card itself, we’ve gone over its mechanical design back when the card list for The Glory of Team Rocket was officially finalized. But, long story short, it’s a robust Pokémon that can easily take out all but the toughest rivals.
3. Team Rocket's Crobat ex
Another SAR comes in as we’re now looking at Team Rocket’s Crobat ex. While similar to Team Rocket’s Giovanni in terms of depicting an entire line-up, this illustrator seeks to embody this evolution line’s main game mechanic in the card art.
The Team Rocket Crobat line is focused on dealing damage counters to the opponent’s roster by evolving the Pokémon. This emphasis on a wide swarm can be seen in this card’s art. A multitude of Zubats, Golbats, and Crobats are all heading straight at the player, fangs at the ready.
The market value for the Crobat SAR starts at about $110 at the lowest, while some sellers were able to squeeze $150 for a copy of this card.
2. Team Rocket's Moltres ex
Nearing the top of the mountain, we have Team Rocket’s Moltres ex. Illustrator Akira Egawa is back at it again as their use of evocative use of color makes their art style almost reminiscent of an oil painting.
This card currently blows all the previously listed cards out of the water when it comes to market value. Its current asking price over at the second-hand market is $165 at the lowest, while some copies have already been sold at about $250.
As for mechanical viability, its basic attack is respectable, but Moltres’ true threat lies in its capability of discarding the enemy's active Pokémon wholesale. If someone can make this Pokémon competitively viable, it would only mean an upward market trend for the card’s western counterpart.
1. Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex
This probably comes as no surprise, but we have yet another SAR taking the top spot. This time it’s the proverbial face of the set, Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex.
While its Ultra Rare variant sits at a more modest $80 to $100 price range, the SAR lords its value over all others at a whopping $400 to $500 market price.
We’re not sure where the value of this card is coming from. By virtue of it being an SAR, it will naturally have a higher market price, but this card can be considered one of the biggest nostalgia draws from the set.
It’s been over two decades since audiences have been introduced to Mewtwo in either the video games or the animated movie. This particular Pokémon had touched the lives of many fans at that time.
Looking ahead, it's probably a safe bet that when Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex comes to the West, a lot of older players would be more than happy to get this card in their collection. As you might expect, this likely means that Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex will also be very expensive over here, once it's available.
If they feel intrepid enough to use this card for actual play, then it doesn’t hurt that Mewtwo has a strong 280 body for a basic Pokémon. That, and it can deal anywhere from 160 to 280 damage, depending on how the match progresses.