The Most Valuable Fusion Strike Pokemon TCG Cards

The last major Pokemon TCG
expansion of 2021, Sword & Shield: Fusion Strike, gave us a brand-new battle style to join the two before it, with Fusion Strike joining Single Strike and Rapid Strike. As you would expect from any Pokemon expansion, there are also a lot of gorgeous full-art, highly collectible cards to pull.

Here are the top ten most valuable cards from Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike. This far out from launch, prices tend to stabilize more. However, any big changes we might see to the Standard format in future sets could make certain cards wax and wane in value.

This list is ordered according to TCGPlayer’s market prices.

Updated December 11, 2024, by Andrew Scariati: The Fusion Strike chase cards have experienced more massive movement at the end of 2024, with the Gengar VMAX Alternate Art Secret pulling away from the rest of Fusion Strike’s best cards. While the order of Fusion Strike’s chase cards remains relatively intact, the values at the top have increased to new highs.

12

Chandelure VMAX (Secret Rare) – $7.08

A Charming Chandelier

Chandelure may not be the most popular Pokemon or boast a collection of extremely expensive cards, but this Pokemon finds its way into the top Fusion Strike chase cards nonetheless. However, it’s hard to argue that his card makes good use of the Rainbow Secret Rare recolor, considering how many panels and lines there are to distract from a busy color palette.

Chandelure’s 2024 saw plenty of peaks and valleys – a trend we’ll see for many of the best Fusion Strike chase cards. However, while it fell below six dollars in late July, it rallied to its current market price above the seven-dollar mark around the start of December.

11

Grass Energy (Secret Rare) – $7.11

Sneaking Into The Pokemon Party

Energy cards struggle to muscle their way into the top spots among many modern sets, as Pokemon and valuable Trainer cards often dominate the popularity contest. However, this bright, verdant Grass Energy card leapfrogs Fusion Strike’s mascot, Gengar with a solid price tag.

This card has followed Fusion Strike’s collective rise in price, as it began 2024 just above the four-dollar mark, nearly doubling in value by the end of the year. While it remains steady around the current price, this energy is likely to see more peaks and valleys over time.

10

Mew V (Full Art) – $7.16

A Very Mew Debut

The Mew V full art claims a narrow edge over its immediate competition, sitting less than 25 cents above two other cards in hot pursuit of the top ten chase cards in Fusion Strike. This card’s bright background gives it incredible eye appeal, contributing to its solid price point.

However, this card is likely to keep bouncing around the seven-dollar mark, and it might fall behind Grass Energy and Chandelure at a moment’s notice. However, this card might have the best long-term future ahead of it out of those three options.

9

Genesect V (Alternate Full Art) – $14.32

Nothing Says Fun Like A Breakdancing Bug

Of course, a dancing Genesect was going to be a smash hit of a card, and then artist Akira Komayama had to make it even better by showing it hanging out with an adorable-looking Smeargle (who pops up in the background of a few cards for some weird reason).

Fusion Strike is a set focused on appreciating Pokemon in unexpected ways, and this Genesect is a prime example of a unique art that you won’t see anywhere else.

Its Fusion Strike System ability can give you massive card draw if you’re running a lot of Fusion Strike Pokemon, but let’s be honest: this card’s mostly great for the vibes.

8

Gengar VMAX – $15.56

The First Famished Full Art

This Gengar VMAX features a simple but eye-catching design that focuses on the pink-and-purple theme that has become synonymous with Fusion Strike.

While there’s an even better Gengar design still to come, this one gives a small taste of what you can expect from Fusion Strike’s best cards.

If you love Gengar, but can’t afford the alternate art (secret) version, this should be a welcome placeholder for your collection. The design isn’t quite as detailed or colorful, but the pose is very similar, so it’s a great card if you enjoy watching Gengar prepare to devour its prey.

7

Inteleon VMAX (Alternate Secret Full Art) – $20.17

Shooting For The Stars

This Inteleon features one of the best art designs in Fusion Strike and gives us an unusual view of this Water-type starter. Inteleon VMAX features gorgeous art with an equally impressive card to use in your deck if you choose to build around it.

With Rapid Strike Inteleon VMAX, you can use its Double Gunner ability to discard one Water energy and put two damage counters on two of your opponent’s benched Pokemon.

If someone’s got an evasive Pokemon you can’t quite finish off, Inteleon VMAX can snipe them from a distance. The art’s a little basic for a secret alternate full-art card, but it does show how equally cool and goofy Inteleon VMAX is.

6

Celebi V (Alternate Full Art) – $36.17

A Beautiful Return For Our Favorite Onion

It’s like the most valuable cards in Chilling Reign all over, because we’re back to the Crown Tundra in this alternate full-art for Celebi V by Teeziro. The beautiful scene here shows Celebi floating through a purple-hued forest, smiling at us as it drifts away.

This isn’t the same Celebi V we saw back in Sword & Shield Base Set, either; its Leaflet Dance attack can completely flood the board with Grass energy, while Slash Back can keep it out of harm’s way while also doing damage.

5

Mew V (Alternate Full Art) – $40.13

A Frenzy Of Colorful Pokemon

Smeargle’s back to join an expansion staple that everyone always loves: the card that shows a whole group of Pokemon hanging out. Joining the party with Smeargle and, of course, Mew V, are Toxel, Toxtricity, Drakloak, and, weirdly, Hoopa Unbound.

The more Pokemon that feature in a card’s art, the more likely it is to become valuable due to the sheer variety.

Why is a chaotic force of reality-warping tyrant chilling with a Toxel? Who knows, but Mew V looks very happy about it. Few designs can top this Mew in sheer variety and color, giving it an incredible chance to continue climbing the top ten.

4

Mew VMAX (Rainbow Secret) – $40.80

A Rainbow View

The next Mew card on this list is the Mew VMAX Rainbow Secret Rare form, which is one of the rarest alt-art styles in the entire expansion.

It’s the same Mew as found in the basic Mew VMAX but rendered in a multicolor rainbow form on a clean background.

An expansion’s face Pokemon does tend to see its rainbow rare in the top ten somewhere (Evolving Skies had rainbow Rayquaza VMAX, while Chilling Reign had Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX), but even then Mew VMAX is worth a lot more than expected thanks to its dominant role in the game’s current Standard format.

3

Mew VMAX (Alternate Art Secret) – $90.67

Mew’s Whimsy Personified

The alt-art Mew VMAX is worth almost double its normal variant, and for good reason. This art by Akira Egawa is incredible, showing Mew casually terrorizing Galar by lifting double-decker buses and taxi cabs. Though, Mew is usually harmless, so if there’s one Pokemon who can be a forgivable menace, it’s Mew.

The goal of a Mew VMAX deck is to get Mew VMAX into play while Genesect V is on your bench.

Use the Cross Fusion Strike to use Genesect’s Techno Blast, and then use Mew’s zero retreat cost to swap out with Genesect and attack the next turn again. Rinse and repeat, and you have a potent deck in your hands.

2

Espeon VMAX (Alternate Art Secret) – $224.40

The Lone Sleepy Eeveelution

While you may have assumed that Espeon VMAX would be in Evolving Skies with some of the other most valuable Eeveelutions, it’s here as one of the most valuable Fusion Strike cards. The running theme of having the VMAX Eeveelutions just existing and being massive is so much fun, and seeing Espeon lounging on a Galar roof is delightful.

While this card once stood atop the list of Fusion Strike chase cards as the most valuable, it’s now fallen to second place, losing out to the cover star of Fusion Strike, and arguably one of the most popular Pokemon of all time (and the most popular choice in the US).

1

Gengar VMAX (Alternate Art Secret) – $445.57

An Alternate Art Buffet

Sowsow’s spooky art is fantastic, having also drawn valuable Evolving Skies cards like the adorable Espeon V alt-art card. Gengar has always been a super popular Pokemon, and the sass of this one’s facial expression alone is enough to pump up its value.

The Gengar VMAX has seen an incredible run among the most valuable Gengar cards, following many of Sword and Shield’s other valuable sets that have recently skyrocketed in value.

From its early days playing second fiddle to the Espeon VMAX, to its now clear position as the most valuable card in Fusion Strike, the Gengar VMAX alternate art will define the Sword and Shield generation for years to come. Even its dip from about $400 to $300 was reversed over time as it soared past its former highs.