One of the last Pokemon sets of 2024, Stellar Crown, has arrived, and it heralds the arrival of Stellar Pokemon, as well as numerous new (and excitingly powerful!) Ace Spec cards. Naturally, it also contains numerous cards at higher rarity levels that fans are desperate to get their hands on, with some absolutely spectacular Illustration Rare cards, Special Illustration Rares and beautiful gold, textured Hyper Rare cards that have soared in value since the set was released.
As is customary for Card Gamer, we’ve taken a look at the prices tracked by TCG Player to find out which cards in the Stellar Crown set are worth the most, and have used their current average prices to rank the top 10 most valuable cards.
Will your favourite Pokemon or Supporter from Stellar Crown make an appearance here? Have you already pulled one of the most valuable cards from a Stellar Crown booster pack? Let’s find out, as we check out the most valuable cards in the Stellar Crown set!
1. Terapagos ex – Special Illustration Rare, 170/142
The Stellar Crown card that everyone seemingly wants to get their hands on is this Special Illustration Rare variant of Terapagos ex. It’s not hard to see why; along with the striking, multicoloured border (which is the most immediate identifier of this Terapagos ex being a Stellar Pokemon), it has a premium, textured foil finish and the illustration on the card is beautiful too, depicting the bejewelled Terapagos wearing the set’s titular Stellar Crown itself.
So, what exactly is a Stellar Pokemon, in game terms? Well, each Stellar Pokemon released so far has also been a Tera Pokemon ex (you can check out our list of Tera Pokemon ex cards right here), which have the special, passive ability of being protected from all damage done to them if they’re on the Bench, rather than the Active Spot.
Additionally, the Stellar classification means that the Pokemon will have at least one attack that’ll use multiple Energy types; you can see that this is the case on the Terapagos ex, which uses Grass, Water and Lightning Energy for its Crown Opal attack. Despite being quite difficult to pull off, thanks to the different Energy types it uses, it’s worth using; not only does it deal 180 HP of damage to the opponent’s Active Pokemon, but it also protects Terapagos ex from all attack damage from Basic, non-Colorless Pokemon during the opponent’s next turn too.
Given how many players use basic, powerful Pokemon ex cards in the current meta, this should protect Terapagos ex from plenty of attacks. Unless you’re up against another Terapagos ex of course, as it’s Colorless!
Still, all of these factors combine to ensure that the Terapagos ex is a particularly highly sought after card, and with its current average value sitting at an impressive $123, it might be one you try and pull from boosters, rather than splashing out on the card on the secondary market!
2. Lacey – Special Illustration Rare, 172/142
You’ll often find full art variants of Supporter cards right near the top of the most valuable cards lists, for any given Pokemon set. It does seem as if The Pokemon Company go all out in terms of the artwork for these cards, which are always beautiful!
Lacey is no different, showing the Pokemon Trainer alongside other members of the Elite Four from the Blueberry Academy. These characters, Lacey included, all appear in the Indigo Disk DLC expansion from the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet video game; it’s this very expansion that the Stellar Crown set is based on.
So, gorgeous artwork aside, what can Lacey do in terms of gameplay? Lacey allows you to shuffle your hand into your deck and then draw 4 cards; however, if your opponent has 3 or fewer Prize Cards remaining, you can instead draw a massive 8 cards.
It’s like a more powerful and far less upsetting Professor’s Research, which has been a Pokemon Trading Card Game (or TCG) staple for years. With Professor’s Research, you lose access to the cards in your hand, as they’re simply discarded; with Lacey, you at least get the chance for them to be drawn once more, as your hand is shuffled into your deck. Play it right, and you’ll also get 8 cards too. It’s a fantastic new Supporter card, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a staple from now on.
So it’s no wonder to see it valued so highly, with a current average selling price of around $52. Once players start to see Lacey popping up in the meta and realise how useful the card is, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that value rise; however, if you are getting hold of multiple Lacey cards for you deck, you might want to opt for the standard, Uncommon version of the card, which sells for an average of just $0.08!
3. Squirtle – Illustration Rare, 148/142
As one of the original 151 Pokemon, from the very first Pokedex (which appeared in the Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue video games, back in the mid-90s), as well as being one of the original three Starter Pokemon, Squirtle will always be a popular choice when it comes to Pokemon cards. In fact, Squirtle was my choice of Pokemon Starter in the original Game Boy Pokemon Blue game, so I may very well be biased when it comes to this cute little Water type Pokemon!
Seriously though, who couldn’t adore this lovable little Squirtle, who appears to be playfully spitting water at Pidgeys from a paddling pool? Certainly not me, in any case!
Nor does it appear that Pokemon TCG fans can get enough of this Squirtle, seeing as this Illustration Rare is selling for a current average price of $41. It’s definitely not a powerhouse in terms of its in-game usefulness, like the previous two cards on this list; with just 60 HP, and two attacks (one of which prevents damage to Squirtle if you get Heads on a coin flip, and the other which deals just 20 HP of damage), it’s not exactly spectacular.
However, it does pave the way for Wartortle and then Blastoise; that said, there are Squirtle cards you can buy that do that for pennies. None of them look as adorable as this one, however!
4. Hydrapple ex – Special Illustration Rare, 167/142
Though Applin and Dipplin (Basic and Stage 1 Pokemon respectively) have been pretty well represented in the last few sets of the Pokemon TCG, their Stage 2 form, Hydrapple, has been conspicuous by its absence.
Until now, of course, and they do say that all good things come to those who wait; that’s particularly true for players who’ve been holding out for Hydrapple, as this Hydrapple ex card was well worth waiting for! Not only does it have a massive 330 HP, but it also has an ability that allows you to attach a Grass Energy from your hand to a Pokemon, then heal that Pokemon for 30 HP.
Its attack, Syrup Storm, even capitalises on this ability beautifully, as it deals 30 HP of damage plus an extra 30 for each Grass Energy you have attached to all of your Pokemon. Get enough Pokemon and Energy in play, and that’s an absolutely devastating attack right there.
So it’s no surprise that Hydrapple ex is one of Stellar Crown’s most sought after cards, and this Special Illustration Rare, which plays on the Pokemon’s Greek mythology referencing name (its name being a portmanteau of Hydra, a many headed beast in Greek myths, and Apple) by having artwork that looks as if it’s painted on ancient mosaic tiles. That special art has seen this card’s value soar to $37 on average, though either the Ultra Rare or Double Rare versions will cost you no more than a few dollars each, if you’re looking to stock up on Hydrapple ex cards for your deck!
5. Galvantula ex – Special Illustration Rare, 168/142
Though arachnophobes should probably scroll past this card as quickly as possible, even they might have to admit that this card is pretty cute, considering it basically features a spider in its spectacular, full art illustration.
Galvantula ex is another Stellar Pokemon, with a multicoloured border to immediately make that apparent. It has two attacks, and both are excellent; the first, Charged Web, costs just one Lightning and one Colorless Energy. It deals 110 HP damage, but a further 110 HP damage if the opponent’s Active Pokmeon is a Pokemon ex or V.
220 HP damage for just two Energy is awesome, but that’s not the only trick it has up its many legs. Fulgurite deals 180 HP of damage, but costs one Grass, one Lightning and one Fighting Energy; you also need to discard all Energy from Galvantula ex when using this attack. As well as dealing 180 HP of damage, it stops your opponent from playing any Item cards on their next turn. Not bad, right?
It’s no surprise to see this card at a current average value of $36, given both its vibrantly coloured illustration and its usefulness as a Pokemon in-game.
6. Bulbasaur – Illustration Rare, 143/142
As Squirtle is often depicted as being playful, fellow original Pokemon 151 Starter, Bulbasaur, is frequently shown as sleepy. That’s the case on this Illustration Rare from Stellar Crown, with Bulbasaur napping in the sunlight near a window, unaware that its slumber will soon be disturbed by a cheeky Pidgey.
One thing we’ve yet to cover here are the card numbers for each of the cards featured so far on this list of the most valuable Stellar Crown cards. All show that the set has 142 cards, yet each of these cards has a number that’s above 142. Why is that? Well, that’s because they’re all Secret Rare cards; these are generally alternate art cards of other cards in the set, though a few are alternate art cards featuring Pokemon from other sets. They’re numbered above the number of cards in the set as they’re technically secret, and that definitely makes them more desirable!
There’s nothing fancy about this Bulbasaur in terms of what it can do in-game; with just 70 HP and a single attack that deals 20 HP of damage (as well as healing itself for 20 HP), there’s really nothing special here.
The cosy illustration alone, however, makes this a sought after card, and that’s what has pushed its current average selling price to $31!
7. Briar – Special Illustration Rare, 171/142
Another gorgeous Special Illustration Rare Trainer card, Briar has a fairly narrow, but very powerful, use in-game. Briar can only be played if your opponent has exactly 2 Prize Cards remaining; if they do, you can play Briar and, if your opponent’s Active Pokemon is Knocked Out on the same turn by an attack using your Tera Pokemon, you can take an extra Prize Card.
Though, as you can see, Briar requires a very specific set of cards and circumstances to use, it can mean a quick and unexpected victory if you only have 2 Prize Cards left yourself, or at the very least it can mean catching up to an opponent who thought they would easily claim victory over you.
That, coupled with the lovely card art, has seen Briar’s Special Illustration Rare variant reach a current average selling price of $27!
8. Dachsbun ex – Special Illustration Rare, 169/142
Is it me, or do you also get suddenly hungry for bread and pastry-based products when checking out this very tasty looking Dachsbun ex card? In any case, this scrumptious looking artwork, coupled with the Dachsbun ex’s very useful in-game abilities, has seen it reach a value of $24 on average; much more expensive than a pack of croissants!
Dachsbun ex is a Stage 1 Pokemon that evolves from Fidough, and its ability allows you to heal all damage from each of your Evolution Pokemon, each time you evolve a Dachsbun ex from a Fidough. Doing so has an extra cost, in that the Pokemon you heal must also discard all of their attached Energy cards, but it’s a pretty potent ability nonetheless.
Attack wise, Dachsbun ex is no slouch either; it can deal 130 HP of damage and make the opponent’s Active Pokemon Confused, at the cost of just two Colorless Energy.
With three different Dachsbun ex cards in Stellar Crown, this is far from your only option if you do want to get a few of these for your deck; with the others costing no more than a few dollars each, you can certainly save yourself some cash if you’re not fussed about which particular card you use.
Neither of the others look at tantalisingly tasty as this Special Illustration Rare version of Dachsbun ex, however!
9 Terapagos ex – Hyper Rare, 173/142
So, what is the difference between a Hyper Rare and a Special Illustration Rare, I hear you ask? Well, you can check out our Pokemon card rarities guide for more information, but in its simplest terms, a Hyper Rare card has three gold stars next to the card number (which you’ll find at the bottom left of any card), and will be have a golden, textured foil treatment.
If you compare the Hyper Rare Terapagos ex with the Special Illustration Rare that’s at the top of this list, you’ll immediately see the difference. Other than that, these cards are exactly the same in what they can do in-game.
We looked at the Terapagos ex’s Stellar attack, Crown Opal in the earlier entry, but didn’t check out Unified Beatdown, which is a much simpler attack to use, and can still prove very powerful. Unified Beatdown requires two Energy of any type (Colorless meaning that any Energy type can be used), and deals 30 HP of damage for each Benched Pokemon you have. If you have the standard maximum of 5 Benched Pokemon, that’s a not-inconsiderable 150 HP of damage for the cost of just two Colorless Energy!
Though this Hyper Rare variant of Terapagos is much less valuable than the Special Illustration Rare version of the card, $23 is still a pretty high price to pay for a single card; in any case, it’s definitely interesting to see the same card, albeit in two different variants, make it onto the list of the most valuable Stellar Crown cards!
10. Area Zero Underdepths – Hyper Rare, 174/142
Considering that Area Zero Underdepths can be purchased for around $0.40 in its standard, Uncommon form, it just goes to show how desirable the higher rarity cards can be. This Hyper Rare variant of Area Zero Underdepths is currently selling for around $20 on average, and is another great example of just how good these golden foil cards can look!
What’s great about this card is that it allows both players to have up to 8 Pokemon on their Bench instead of 5, as long as they have at least one Tera Pokemon of their own in play. Suddenly, the Unified Beatdown of the Terapagos ex, or the Syrup Storm of the Hydrapple ex can become even more powerful and damaging!
Of course, there’s always the risk that another player can get rid of this Stadium, or replace it with another; however, it’s often the case that many players don’t have a plan to deal with Stadium cards in their deck, at least in my experience (though I always have Great Tusk ex in my deck to ensure that I can get rid of a Stadium and deal damage at the same time!).
So there we have it: the ten most valuable cards from the Stellar Crown set. If you’re getting hold of Stellar Crown boosters, will you be looking for any of these cards? Or have other cards in Stellar Crown caught your eye? With the set now released and in the hands of players worldwide, the next few months are going to be very interesting indeed, as the new combos and strategies from Stellar Crown’s cards are capitalised on!
