The last major Pokemon TCG expansion of 2021, Sword & Shield: Fustion 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 list uses TCGPlayer's market prices as of June 28, 2022. This far out from launch, prices tend to stabilise more. However, any big changes we could see to the Standard format in future sets could make certain cards wax and wane in value.
Updated June 28, 2022 by Joe Parlock: It has been a few months since Fusion Strike launched, so how much are the cards you opened last year worth now? While the prices have dropped a lot, there are still some impressively big pulls to be had from it.
10 Mew V (Full Art) – $14.73
Since the last time this list was updated, Elesa's Sparkle has completely plummeted in value, falling off the list and giving Mew its fourth card in the top ten.
Mew V has been a key part of the current Standard format, thanks to its role in the competitive Mew VMAX deck. That being said, the bog-standard Mew V is still incredibly cheap, sitting at $5.50. If you want to bling out your deck, this full art version will cost you slightly more.
9 Mew VMAX – $20.04
The only card in the top ten to not be an alternate art or secret rare is also the face of the entire expansion. Mew VMAX's art is pretty simple, with just psychedelic swirls in the background not giving any sense of scale to its VMAX form, but its Cross Fusion Strike ability lets it use any attack from any Fusion Strike Pokemon on your bench, which can be devastating.
8 Genesect V (Alternate Full Art) – $17.33
Of course, a breakdancing 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).
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.
7 Inteleon VMAX (Alternate Secret Full Art) – $15.00
With Rapid Strike Inteleon VMAX, you can use its Double Gunner ability to discard a 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) – $16.99
It's like Chilling Reign never left, because we're back to the Crown Tundra in this alternate full-art for Celebi V by Teeziro. 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) – $35.99
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.
Why is a chaotic force of reality-warping tyrant chilling with a Toxel? Who knows, but Mew V looks very happy about it.
4 Mew VMAX (Rainbow Secret) – $34.97
The third Mew VMAX on the list is the rainbow 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 mutlicolour 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 Secret Full Art) – $64.91
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 terrorising Galar by lifting up double-decker busses and taxi cabs.
The goal of a Mew VMAX deck is to get Mew VMAX into play while Genesect V is on your bench. Use the Cross Fustion Strike to use Genesect's Techno Blast, and then use Mew's zero retreat cost to swap out with Genesect and attack again the next turn. Rinse and repeat, and you have an immensely powerful deck on your hands.
2 Gengar VMAX (Alternate Secret Full Art) – $90
Gengar VMAX. Sowsow's spooky crayon-esque art is fantastic, having also done Evolving Skies' 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.
1 Espeon VMAX (Alternate Secret Full Art) – $95.01
Finally beating out Gengar for the top spot of Fusion Strike, Espeon VMAX is here and looking incredible. 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.