Chaos Rising: 10 Cards Worth Knowing About, Plus the Best Budget Illustration Rares

Chaos Rising has landed, and after a few days of watching prices whip around on Cardmarket and sorting through early pulls, the market is starting to settle. This set has a bit of everything a clear chase card, some genuinely beautiful Illustration Rares, and a few surprises that are punching above their weight.

If you're hunting value, the Illustration Rares are where the smart money is right now. They look premium, they're easier to pull than the top chase, and the prices haven't gone insane yet.

Here are the ten cards driving the conversation.

1) Mega Greninja ex Special Illustration Rare

Let's not pretend this is a debate. Mega Greninja ex Special Illustration Rare is the card. It's the reason people are buying booster boxes instead of singles. The artwork is clean, the character has a massive fanbase, and supply is tight because everyone's chasing the same copy.

If you pull this, you've paid for your box and then some. If you're buying singles, don't wait this one isn't dropping anytime soon.

2) Mega Greninja ex Mega Hyper Rare

The gold version. Flashier, rarer, and exactly the kind of card that ends up in display cases rather than decks. It's premium in every sense premium price, premium pull rate, premium headache if you're trying to complete the set.

Not for everyone, but if you want the absolute top end of Chaos Rising, this is it.

3) Mega Greninja ex Ultra Rare

The "budget" Greninja, if you can call it that. It's still Mega Greninja, still an ex, still the most playable version for anyone actually building a deck. Collectors will want the fancy versions, but this is the one competitive players are picking up.

Good demand, solid art, and a price that doesn't require a second mortgage.

4) Mega Dragalge ex

Mega Dragalge ex is doing better than I expected. It's not Greninja, but it's a strong ex in its own right and the artwork has grown on people fast. It's sitting in that sweet spot where it's desirable enough to hold value, but not so hyped that the price has already peaked.

Worth keeping an eye on if the competitive meta picks it up, this could move.

5) Ampharos Illustration Rare

This is what I mean when I say Illustration Rares are the smart buy. Ampharos looks fantastic the art is detailed, the colours pop, and it's got that nostalgic pull for anyone who played Gold and Silver.

The price is reasonable. The art is top-tier. And unlike the Special Illustration Rares, you've actually got a decent shot at pulling one. If you're collecting on a budget, start here.

6) Special Red Card

Trainer cards don't always get love, but Special Red Card is proving the art team put serious effort into the supporters this set. It's practical, it's got great artwork, and collectors are picking it up faster than most trainers usually move.

Don't sleep on it just because there's no Pokémon in the frame.

7) Frogadier Illustration Rare

Frogadier is the mid-tier card that's overdelivering. It's part of the Greninja evolution line, which helps, but the art stands on its own. It's affordable, it's got charm, and it's exactly the kind of card that looks better in person than it does in a scan.

Good for set builders, good for art collectors, and still cheap enough to not stress about condition.

8) Beedrill ex

Beedrill ex is a nostalgia play, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's a recognisable Pokémon, the ex treatment suits it, and it's accessible. You're not going to retire on this card, but it's a solid pull and it's moving stock.

Sometimes the simple cards are the ones that sell.

9) Cincinno ex Special Illustration Rare

Cincinno ex is weird in a good way. It's not the obvious chase, which means the people buying it actually want it, not just the hype. That kind of organic demand tends to hold up better long-term than the flavour-of-the-month cards.

The art is unusual. The card is rare. And it's got a small but dedicated following already.

10) Roxie's Performance Special Illustration Rare

Trainer Special Illustration Rares are having a moment, and Roxie's Performance is one of the best examples in the set. It rounds out the top ten because it's different not a Pokémon, not a generic supporter, but a genuine art piece that happens to be playable.

If you're bored of chasing the same three cards everyone else is, this is a good place to pivot.

Where the value actually is

If you're opening packs, Special Illustration Rares are the dream pulls. But if you're buying singles which, let's be honest, most of us are the regular Illustration Rares are where the value sits.

Ampharos and Frogadier are the standouts so far, but the whole Illustration Rare line in Chaos Rising is strong. They look expensive, they play well in binders, and they don't cost what the top chases do.

• Special Illustration Rares: The lottery tickets.
• Illustration Rares: The sensible buys.
• Standard ex cards: The backbone of the set.

Prices are still shaking out as more stock hits the market, so if you see something you like at a price that feels fair, don't overthink it. The cards that look underpriced today won't stay that way once the first wave of box openings dries up.

What do you think? Drop me a message if you're chasing a specific card I'll let you know the moment stock lands.