It’s time to check out the most valuable Paradox Rift cards!
With numerous exciting sets – and the introduction of spectacular new card types such as Tera Pokemon – it’s been a fantastic year for Pokemon Trading Card Game fans.
It’s not over yet, however – and the Paradox Rift set is here, complete with Paradox Pokemon, the return of Technical Machines (after a decade away!) and some very powerful new Trainer cards to widen the scope of the game.
With excitement high for the final major set release of the year, which are the most sought after cards?
Disclaimer: This is a fairly new Pokemon Set, so prices may vary, and we will update this article as often as possible to give you up to date pricing guidance based off eBay sold listings.
1. Roaring Moon ex – PAR 251 ($113+)
One of the undoubted superstars of the Paradox Rift set (perhaps even the superstar of the set), Dark type Pokemon Roaring Moon ex swoops into our top spot – with a card that’s currently selling at an average price of $113!
It’s easy to see why this card is so popular – with a choice of two Attacks that both cost three Energy (two Dark and one Colorless to be specific), but each with very different and powerful outcomes.
First up is Frenzied Gouging, which allows Roaring Moon ex to immediately knock out an opponent’s Pokemon.
There’s a major downside: Roaring Moon ex then does 200 damage to itself.
With 230 HP, there’s a possibility that you can rid yourself of two opposing Pokemon – if that 30 HP is enough to hang one with – but really this feels like a last resort to take out a single, particularly difficult Pokemon.
However, the second Attack, Calamity Storm – which has the exact same cost as Frenzied Gouging in terms of energy – is a great backup plan if you don’t need to risk your HP.
That’s because it deals 100 damage – or 220 if you discard a Stadium in play when you use it!
So given all of that, it’s very easy to see why Roaring Moon ex is such a highly sought after card – and it’s also clear why this beautiful, full art variant of the card is commanding such high prices!
2. Iron Valiant ex – PAR 249 ($71+)
Given that Roaring Moon ex and Iron Valiant ex are the two showcase cards from Paradox Rift, it’s not a surprise to see variants of both of them occupying the top spots on this list!
So, gorgeous artwork aside, what does Iron Valiant ex have to offer?
A Psychic type Pokemon, Iron Valiant ex doesn’t have quite the devastating moveset that Roaring Moon ex has access to, but it does have an Ability that allows you to add two damage counters (that’s 20 HP) to any of your opponent’s Pokemon.
You’ll have to move Iron Valiant ex from your Bench to the Active Spot, however – and it only works once per turn, sadly.
Iron Valiant ex’s single Attack is the 200 damage Laser Blade, which costs two Psychic and one Colorless energy – this also has a downside, in that Iron Valiant ex can’t attack on the following turn.
However, Ability and Attack together make a pretty good combination – and Iron Valiant ex’s full art card here is, in our humble opinion, one of the most gorgeous Pokemon cards we’ve ever seen.
So perhaps it’s no wonder that it’s currently commanding prices of $71 on average!
3. Gholdengo ex – PAR 252 ($40)
Metal type Pokemon, Gholdengo ex, has quickly proven itself to be an incredibly popular card in the Paradox Rift set.
That reason for that popularity is clear when you take a look at the card’s Ability and attack.
First up, the Ability Coin Bonus allows you to draw another card, once per turn – and a further card if Gholdengo ex is in the Active Spot.
That works well in conjunction with Gholdengo ex’s attack, Make it Rain – which only costs one Metal Energy to use.
That’s because it allows you to deal 50 points of damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon – for every Basic Energy card you discard when you attack.
Note that this doesn’t restrict you to discarding just Metal Energy cards – it’s any type of Basic Energy!
So this can be as devastating (or not) as you need it to be, as long as you have Energy cards to discard – which is where Coin Bonus, with its extra card draws every turn, becomes even more useful.
So you can see why this alternate art variant of Gholdengo ex is so sought after – and why it’s valued at an average value of around $40!
4. Iron Hands ex – PAR 248 ($35+)
Roaring Moon ex is marked as ‘Ancient’, but both Iron Valiant ex and Iron Hands ex are denoted as ‘Future’ Pokemon.
These are new Pokemon subtypes, introduced in Paradox Rift – which each have their own Supporter cards.
So for example, Professor Sada’s Vitality is a Trainer card that only works with Ancient Pokemon – we’ll got more in depth on this card as we head down the list – and Techno Radar is an Item Card specifically for use with Future Pokemon.
So, with that explained – what makes Iron Hands ex so special?
Lightning type Iron Hands ex has 230 HP and two Attacks – Arm Press (costing two Lightning energy and one Colorless) and the hilariously named Amp You Very Much (which costs one Lightning energy and three Colorless).
Arm Press does 160 damage, with no extra effects – not bad at all.
Though Amp You Very Much only deals 120 damage, the kicker is its extra effect: if you Knock Out a Pokemon using Amp You Very Much, you’ll get an extra Prize card – which could mean a swift or at least significantly accelerated victory!
So it’s no surprise to see this card at average prices of $35, specifically in its full art variant form!
5. Parasol Lady – PAR 255 ($31)
So, here’s our first non-Pokemon on the most valuable Paradox Rift cards list!
Parasol Lady is a Supporter card with a pretty straightforward function – she allows you to discard your hand and draw four cards from your deck.
Wait – there’s more!
If it’s your first turn but you went second (remember, you can’t play a Supporter card on the first turn of the game, if you go first – check out our how to play Pokemon TCG article for more details), then instead of 4 cards, Parasol Lady allows you to draw 8 cards!
Unsurprisingly, this variant is another full art card (a Double Rare – take a look at our Pokemon Card Rarities article for a primer on that and all other rarity types in Pokemon) – which always tend to command the highest prices in any given set.
This variant of Parasol Lady is currently selling for around $31 – so what else has made it to the most valuable Paradox Rift cards list?
6. Garchomp ex – PAR 245 ($30)
This Garchomp ex card is a Tera Pokemon; these were introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Base Set and have become a staple of the sets that have followed.
Tera Pokemon can’t be hurt while on the Bench, which means you can build them up without fear of them being damaged – though of course, this doesn’t protect them from being moved to the Active Spot by cards such as Boss’s Orders.
Sometimes, Tera Pokemon even have a Type that goes against their normal classification.
Garchomp ex’s Tera form does this, with a Water Type classification, despite using Fighting and Colorless Energy for its attacks.
This is less odd for Garchomp than for, say, Charizard – who appeared as a Dark Type Pokemon in Obsidian Flames, rather than its usual Fire Type.
That’s because Garchomp has flip flopped between different types over its years of appearing in the Pokemon TCG – it’s been Colorless, Fighting and Dragon Type, for example.
It’s got a great pair of Attacks – including the excellent Hydro Lander, which costs just one Fighting Energy to use, yet does 160 HP of Damage and allows you to grab up to three Fighting Energy cards from your discard pile, then add them to your Benched Pokemon in any way you like.
For the cost of two Colorless Energy, you can use the Attack named Sonic Dive – which allows you to deal 120 HP Damage to any one of your opponent’s Pokemon, not necessarily the one in the Active Spot.
Though you’ll also need to discard two Energy Cards from Garchomp ex to use this, it can be a game changer if timed correctly.
So the average $30 value for this particular card – especially given the spectacular foil treatment – is unsurprising!
7. Professor Sada’s Vitality – PAR 256 ($27)
Here we have a really interesting Supporter card: Professor Sada’s Vitality.
What makes it so interesting?
Well, at present it has absolutely no utility outside of the Paradox Rift set – due to its very specific ability.
When you play Professor Sada’s Vitality, you can attach a Basic Energy card from your discard pile to up to 2 of your Ancient Pokemon; if you do, you can then draw three cards.
As you can see, as this card only allows you to use it for Ancient Pokemon – which only exist in Paradox Rift at present – it’s not likely to pop up in any decks that aren’t based specifically around that type of Pokemon.
It’s worth noting, however, that its ability is extremely powerful – even for a Supporter card.
So it’s no surprise to see this lovely, full art variant of Professor Sada’s Vitality here, with an average price of around $27!
8. Groudon – PAR 199 ($27)
A Legendary Pokemon who’s been around since the third generation of Pokemon games – being the cover star of GBA title Pokemon Ruby – Groudon has been a mainstay in the Pokedex for two decades now.
This full art card is spectacular, casting the Pokemon as a Godzilla-esque Kaiju; lit with the glow of active volcanos and running lava all around the scene.
In gameplay terms, Groudon has two Attacks.
Its first, Swelling Power, doesn’t deal damage – instead, for the cost of one Colorless Energy, it allows you to attach 1 Basic Fighting Energy card to any of your Pokemon.
The second – Magma Purge – is costlier, requiring two Fighting Energy and one Colorless to use.
However, it packs a serious punch – dealing 60 damage for each Energy card you discard from your Pokemon.
Though this does have a limit – you can only use the Attack to discard up to 4 Energy cards in this way – that’s still a massive 240 HP of damage that can be dealt.
So again – given both its art and in-game usefulness, it’s no wonder that Groudon is so highly valued, currently sitting at around $27 on average.
9. Altaria ex – PAR 253 ($26)
So here we have a ‘classic’ Pokemon – none of this Ancient or Future business with Altaria ex!
That said, Altaria ex – which evolves from Swablu – is a Dragon type Pokemon, making it a little more complicated to use in comparison to standard, single-Energy type Pokemon.
You can check out more information in our Pokemon Energy Types guide!
Dragon type Pokemon are difficult to use because their Attacks typically use more than one Energy type – and Altaria ex is no different, with its Light Pulse Attack costing one Water and one Metal Energy to use.
Not only does Light Pulse deal 140 points of damage, but it also prevents all effects aside from damage done in the following turn, by Attacks from the opponent’s Pokemon.
Oh – and that’s not all, as Altaria ex also has a pretty nifty Ability – which allows you to heal 20 damage from each of your Pokemon, once per turn, every turn.
So as well as being a lovely card from an artwork perspective, this card – currently $26 on average, price-wise – is also pretty useful in gameplay terms too!
10. Tapu Koko ex – PAR 247 ($20)
I know art is subjective, but it’s difficult to shake the feeling that this Tapu Koko ex variant has one of the most beautifully thought out designs of any Pokemon card I’ve ever seen – and believe me, I’ve seen a lot of them!
There’s just something about the colour scheme; that almost synthwave or vaporwave style sunset, coupled with the unfussy minimalism of the rest of the picture, that really appeals to me.
Clearly, with a value that’s currently at $20 on average, I’m not alone in that!
That said, Tapu Koko ex is far from just a pretty face!
For the cost of one Lightning and one Colorless Energy, Tapu Koko ex can use Vengeful Shock, which deals only 30 HP of damage – unless your opponent knocked out any of your Pokémon during their last turn.
In which case, this attack does 90 more damage – and it Paralyzes your opponent’s Active Pokémon too!
Careful timing is, of course, paramount with Vengeful Shock.
Its second Attack is Extreme Current, which deals 180 HP of damage for just two Lightning and one Colorless Energy. However, it does have an added cost, as you’ll need to discard a single Energy card from Tapu Koko ex in order to use this Attack.
