With its incredible selection of Shiny Pokemon, Paldean Fates is pretty exciting; especially considering its status as a ‘mini set’.
The set also contains some amazing full art cards, which are highly sought after by players and collectors.
Despite the number of cards in the Base Set, which you can see in our Pokemon Paldean Fates Card List, you’ll also note that the number of cards is much more than 91; that’s because there’s so many Secret Rare cards, taking the total to 245 cards overall!
Baby Shiny cards prominently feature too; we’ve also got a handy Baby Shiny Pokemon guide that’ll explain what these highly sought after cards are.
Which cards from this Pokemon mini-set are the ones that are currently worth the most though?
Let’s find out, as we check out the most valuable Paldean Fates cards!
1. Charizard ex, 234/091 ($162)
One of the stars of 2023 set Obsidian Flames, this Charizard ex has proven extremely popular in many different Pokemon decks since its release.
It’s easy to see why; not only does it have a massive 330 HP which makes it very difficult to get rid of before it deals serious damage, but it has several other stand out abilities that’ll make you dread seeing this Charizard ex being deployed to your opponent’s play area!
Firstly, you’ll note that, in contrast to Charizard’s usual type, this Charizard ex is a Dark type Pokemon.
That’s because it’s a Tera Pokemon, which not only changes its type but also prevents any damage being dealt to it while on the Bench.
Next, there’s a jaw dropping ability named Infernal ‘Reign’, which allows players to search their deck for up to three basic Fire Energy cards and attach them to their Pokemon in any way they choose, as soon as Charizard ex hits the table.
Of course, this means that Charizard ex itself can be fully powered up and ready to use immediately, even if the Pokemon it evolved from had no energy attached to it!
Lastly, the ‘Burning Darkness’ attack deals 180 HP of damage, plus an extra 30 HP for each Prize Card your opponent has taken, making Charizard ex deadlier as a game goes on.
Even more impressive is the fact that Burning Darkness only costs two Fire Energy to use!
So just from a gameplay perspective, it’s very easy to see why Charizard ex remains such a popular card.
This particular variant of the card has a stunning, crystalline image that showcases the Tera Charizard in all of its glory, to further add to its appeal.
So it’s no wonder that this is the most highly sought after and valuable card in the Paldean Fates set, with a current average value of $162 according to TCG Player!
2. Mew ex, 232/091 ($95)
Another hugely popular card from prior sets, this version of Mew ex is another Pokemon that’s very difficult to deal with, once it’s in play!
Though not quite as formidable as the Charizard ex at first glance, Mew ex definitely has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that are worth taking advantage of.
Its ability, ‘Restart’, allows players to draw cards until they have 3 in their hand.
Though players can only do this once per turn, it’s incredibly useful in allowing you to refresh the selection of cards you have available on any given turn, if you’re running low.
Then there’s Mew ex’s ‘Genome Hacking’ attack, which allows it to use any of your opponent’s Active Pokemon’s attacks against them.
So if they’ve got a particularly strong Pokemon with a high damage attack, it’s incredibly satisfying to turn the tables with Mew ex!
Adding to the allure of this particular variant of Mew ex, is the fact that it’s a full art card depicting the Shiny version of Mew.
That’s why it’s a light blue colour and not the traditional pink Mew.
All things considered, it’s easy to see why this card is currently selling for an average value of $95!
3. Gardevoir ex, 233/091 ($67)
This Gardevoir ex card is a beautiful example of a full art, Special Illustration Rare.
At a current average value of $67, it’s also much more reasonable in terms of its cost than the previous cards on this list!
So, aside from the stunning art on this card, what does it offer in terms of gameplay?
Being a Stage 2 Pokemon, it’s a little more difficult to get Gardevoir ex into play, unlike Mew ex.
However, Charizard ex also has the same issue and of course, it’s nothing that a Rare Candy card can’t assist with!
With 310 HP, Psychic type Pokemon Gardevoir ex should be difficult to deal with for most opponents, but its in the Ability and attack that this Pokemon really shines.
Ability-wise, Gardevoir ex has ‘Psychic Embrace’; this allows you to attach a Basic Psychic Energy card from your discard pile to any of your Psychic type Pokemon.
Though doing this results in adding 2 damage counters on the Pokemon you attach an Energy card to (so that’s 20 HP of damage per Energy card), if you’ve got numerous Psychic Pokemon who can take the hit on that, it’s well worth doing in order to power up your Pokemon team as quickly as possible.
Gardevoir ex’s attack is ‘Miracle Force’; it costs two Psychic and one Colorless Energy to use, but deals out an impressive 190 HP of damage and allows Gardevoir ex to recover from any and all Special Conditions!
4. Iono, 237/091 ($67)
A very popular Supporter card, Iono is even getting her own sleeves and accessories later in 2024, with the release of the Iono Premium Tournament Collection.
So it’s not going to be a shock to see another full art variant of Iono appearing on this list, with a current average asking price of $67.
Players can only play one Supporter card per turn, because their abilities are usually pretty effective; Iono is no different in that regard.
When Iono is played, each player shuffles their hand, then places it on the bottom of their deck before drawing one card per Prize card they have left.
Used properly, this can prove to be utterly devastating to an opponent’s plans; they’re likely to be holding onto at least one card that’s crucial for whatever they’re looking to do next.
Iono also ensures that the cards she forces to be reshuffled are on the bottom of a deck, so they’re not going to be coming back any time soon either!
Also, as the number of cards being drawn is tied into the number of Prize Cards a player has remaining, if one player has the upper hand and only 1 or 2 Prize Cards left, they’re only getting a small number of cards back, severely limiting what they can then do.
Given that, along with the appealing artwork, it’s very easy to see why Iono has become so popular!
5. Pikachu, 131/091 ($32)
Fun fact: in the very first Game Boy Pokemon games, Pikachu appears early on in the game, in Viridian Forest; however, only has a 5% encounter rate there.
In fact, the original, chubby Pikachu feels unremarkable; it’s just treated like any other Pokemon except your choice of Starter, the Legendaries and Mewtwo.
So it was quite a surprise for fans of the original games when the Pokemon anime first arrived, seeing Pikachu thrust front and centre!
Now of course, we take it as a given that Pikachu is pretty much the one Pokemon that anyone, even non-fans, can recognise and name.
So of all the Baby Shiny cards available in Paldean Fates, it makes sense that the card featuring Pikachu is the one that features highest on the list of the most valuable cards in the set.
In gameplay terms, it’s nothing special.
Pikachu has 70 HP, which is fairly standard for a Basic, non ex Pokemon.
It has two attacks; the first, ‘Growl’, costs just one Colorless Energy and doesn’t do any damage, but instead reduces the damage of your opponent’s next attack by 20 HP.
The second, ‘Pika Bolt’, deals 30 HP of damage for the cost of one Lightning and one Colorless Energy.
It’s clear, then, that this card’s value isn’t anything to do with its practicality in game; instead, the fact that it features a Shiny Pikachu, in the classic card frame, has definitely caused its average value to raise to $32!
6. Nemona, 238/091 ($24)
Another full art, Special Illustration Rare Supporter card, Nemona is just about as straightforward as a Supporter can be, in terms of her card effects.
That’s because she allows you to draw three cards when you play her; it really is as simple as that.
In fact, the card itself is refreshingly free of text; it simply states ‘Draw 3 cards.’
This allows the spectacular, dynamic art of Nemona throwing a Pokeball directly at the ‘camera’ to really pop, in a way that isn’t always possible given the wordy, sometimes more complex nature of Pokemon Supporter card effects.
Currently selling for an average of $24, this Nemona card is definitely one of our favourites from Paldean Fates!
7. Clive, 236/091 ($23)
It’s not really a surprise that we have another Special Illustration Rare Supporter card on this list, especially as this Clive variant features a unique look that makes it stand out from the other full art cards in the set.
Featuring Clive in the centre of a lovely stylised scene that has a large number of human Trainers and Pokemon making cameo appearances, this card is another with a fairly straightforward in-game ability.
In the case of Clive, when played your opponent must show you their hand; you can then draw two cards for each Supporter card they have.
What’s interesting about this card is not necessarily the fact that you may be able to draw a number of cards after looking at your opponent’s hand; rather, it’s the fact that it gives you direct insight into exactly what cards your opponent has, allowing you to strategise around what they have available.
At a current average sale price of $23, it’s not hugely expensive for collectors to get their hands on either.
Though I’m a big fan of the Iono and Nemona cards, I have to admit that this Clive card’s adorable illustration, and numerous cameos it contains, makes it my favourite Trainer card in Paldean Fates!
8. Penny, 239/091 ($23)
Yet another Special Illustration Rare Supporter makes it onto the list, with Penny currently selling, like Clive, for an average of $23.
Umbreon is featured quite prominently on this card’s art, alongside Penny of course.
The Penny card allows you to return a Basic Pokemon, and all cards attached to it, to your hand.
If you have a Poisoned Pokemon or one that’s nearly Knocked Out from its damage, this is a great way to ‘reset’ it and then get it back into play unscathed.
Timed right, this can be a clever way to disrupt your opponent’s plans; especially if you’ve got a Pokemon with particularly high HP that they’ve been slowly whittling down, at perhaps great cost to their own Pokemon!
9. Charmander – 109/091 ($20)
Now of course, Pikachu isn’t the only Baby Shiny Pokemon card on this list.
The honour of the second Baby Shiny to feature goes to Charmander, one of the original starters in the very first Pokemon video games, Pokemon Red and Blue.
Charizard evolves from Charmeleon, which itself evolves from Charmander.
Given the perennial popularity of Charizard in the Pokemon TCG as a Pokemon to build a deck’s entire strategy around, it’s no great surprise to see its Basic form making an appearance here.
Despite its nature as a Basic Pokemon, Charmander’s Blazing Destruction attack is pretty useful.
Though it deals no HP damage, ‘Blazing Destruction’ can rid the game of a Stadium card in play, for the cost of a single Fire Energy; this is incredibly useful when an opponent is using a Stadium to give them an edge.
It also has ‘Steady Firebreathing’, which deals 30 HP damage for the cost of two Fire Energy.
Though this doesn’t seem that impressive at first glance, bear in mind that, armed with a Rare Candy, you can evolve this Charmander into a Charizard ex on the turn after it’s played, then power it up immediately using the Charizard ex’s Infernal Reign.
When you consider that, it’s very clear why this Baby Shiny variant of Charmander is one that’ll probably pop up a lot in new Pokemon decks, especially as its cost sits at a relatively reasonable $20 on average.
10. Charmeleon, 110/091 ($16)
Now of course, with Charizard ex and Charmander being so popular, it stands to reason that we’d see Charmeleon here too!
Though you can skip the Charmeleon evolution stage using a Rare Candy card, of course it doesn’t hurt to have this Stage 1 Pokemon in your deck as a backup plan.
Given that it has the ability ‘Flare Veil’, which prevents the effects of all Attacks to Charmeleon (except damage), along with the two Fire Energy attack ‘Combustion’ (which deals 50 HP damage), it’s a pretty useful step to have from Charmander to Charizard ex.
It allows players another turn to build up the Energy for attacks, so when Charizard ex does emerge, you can use Infernal Reign to power up a different Fire type Pokemon entirely!
Perhaps because it can feel a little inessential if you have Rare Candy cards, Charmeleon’s price isn’t too prohibitive, with this Baby Shiny variant selling for an average of $16.
If you intend to get these or any other rare Paldean Fates cards, it’s well worth getting them protected; check out our recommendations for the best trading card sleeves and best trading card binders to make sure you’re keeping your Pokemon card collection safely stored!
