Is Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates worth it?

The Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates expansion set, the second special expansion in the Scarlet and Violet series, is set to hit store shelves in English on January 26, 2024.

With over 240 cards, Paldean Fates offers several reprints but also brings the first Scarlet and Violet era shiny Pokemon cards. But is the expansion worth pursuing and spending money on? The answer depends on the individual.

Similar to other special expansions, the Pokemon TCG's Paldean Fates expansion won't offer booster packs for purchase. Instead, fans will have to drop their money on set-related products, and many are wondering if these are worth the cash based on the contents of the set itself. Some may be willing to splurge for rare or shiny cards, but others are likely better off skipping the set.

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Examining the contents of the Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates expansion

Shiny Pikachu is one of many shiny cards featured in the Pokemon TCG's Paldean Fates expansion (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Pokemon TCG's Paldean Fates expansion is composed of many cards seen from the Japanese Shiny Treasure ex subset.

Fans can expect to find the following cards within Paldean Fates:

• 11 Shiny Pokemon ex
• Seven Pokemon ex
• Three Tera Pokemon ex
• Three illustration rare shiny Pokemon cards
• Eight special illustration rares featuring Shiny Pokemon ex and Supporters
• Six hyper rare Pokemon ex with "raised gold foil" designs

The breakdown of the confirmed set list and Pokemon card rarities can be seen below:

Number	Card Name	Type	Rarity
017/91	Frigibax	Water	Common
025/91	Natu	Psychic	Common
	Great Tusk ex	Fighting	Double Rare
	Iron Treads ex	Metal	Double Rare
081/91	Moonlit Hill	Stadium	Uncommon
090/91	Technical Machine: Crisis Punch	Tool	Uncommon
095/091	Scyther	Grass	Shiny Rare
114/091	Charcadet	Fire	Shiny Rare
	Dondozo	Water	Shiny Rare
	Tatsugiri	Water	Shiny Rare
130/091	Baxcalibur	Water	Shiny Rare
131/091	Pikachu	Electric	Shiny Rare
132/091	Raichu	Electric	Shiny Rare
160/091	Mimikyu	Psychic	Shiny Rare
	Ceruledge	Psychic	Shiny Rare
	Tinkaton	Psychic	Shiny Rare
	Forretress ex	Grass	Shiny Double Rare
	Espathra ex	Grass	Shiny Double Rare
216/091	Mew ex	Psychic	Shiny Double Rare
217/091	Gardevoir ex	Psychic	Shiny Double Rare
219/091	Paldean Clodsire ex	Darkness	Shiny Double Rare
221/091	Pidgeot ex	Colorless	Shiny Double Rare
223/091	Squawkabilly ex	Colorless	Shiny Double Rare
225/091	Palafin	Water	Illustration Rare
226/091	Pawmi	Electric	Illustration Rare
232/091	Mew ex	Psychic	Special Illustration Rare
234/091	Charizard ex	Darkness	Special Illustration Rare

Two of the biggest draws in this Pokemon TCG expansion will be the special illustration rares (SIR) of Mew and Charizard ex, and they may end up costing quite a bit upon Paldean Fates' release. The shinies may also be worth pursuing if fans are devoted collectors, and the overall meta effectiveness (the cards will be for Standard Format) has yet to be determined.

So is the Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates expansion worth it? For collectors, certain cards are worth picking up, but considering Paldean Fates isn't sold in packs as a special expansion, it may be best to wait to pick up singles of the cards that are desired instead.

This is particularly true for the shinies and the SIR Charizard and Mew, especially Charizard as it tends to end up with inflated release prices.

All things considered, collectors likely won't be too interested in many of the reprints like Scyther, Charcadet, Natu, and Raichu. The real draw from this expansion on the collection side are the shinies, the rarest Pokemon cards in the setlist, and the outlying ex creatures like Great Tusk and Iron Treads might also be worth a look. For the most part, fans are likely better off purchasing singles at first.

Otherwise, the Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates expansion might be a skip for some collectors, or at least worth waiting until the initial price drops down to a more acceptable level. The singles for the likes of Mew and Charizard ex SIR should also lower over time if fans are patient.

However, fans who play the TCG may have a different experience with this set, but that will likely be determined in the future.