I finally sat down with a stack of 10 Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Boxes.
With Perfect Order on the horizon and the April 10th Purge threatening the meta, I wanted to see if ripping 90 packs of the largest set in history was a viable way to hunt for the “Big Three”—Mega Gengar ex, Mega Charizard Y ex, and the elusive Mega Dragonite.
Here is the raw, unedited breakdown of my $500 opening session.
1. The “Mid-Tier” Flood: EXs and IRs
If you are opening Ascended Heroes just to build a deck, the “G-Regulation” hit rates are incredibly generous. Out of 90 packs, I pulled 19 Double Rare (ex) cards. That is a nearly perfect 1-in-5 hit rate, exactly as the early r/CardChill Reddit data suggested.
Personal Experience Gain: I hit four copies of Mega Meganium ex and three Mega Feraligatr ex. While these aren’t the $100+ chases, they are the “Engine” of the current Mega-meta. If you’re looking for top pokemon cards to actually play with, the ETBs are providing a consistent floor.
2. The Debut: Hunting the “Mega Attack Rare” (MAR)
The biggest question mark for this opening was the brand-new Mega Attack Rare rarity—those pop-art style, full-card illustrations that showcase a Pokémon’s signature move.
The Results:
- ETB 1-4: Zero MARs. (I was starting to sweat.)
- ETB 5: Mega Pidgeot ex MAR (#288). The “Hurricane Wind” art is vibrant, but the card feels significantly different from a standard Full Art. The texture is deeper, almost like a 2021 VMAX Alt Art.
- ETB 8: Mega Ho-Oh ex MAR (#289).
Final tally: 2 MARs in 90 packs. This puts the hit rate at roughly 1-in-45 packs. If you’re investing in pokemon, these are the cards to watch. They aren’t as rare as SIRs, but they are far more striking than standard Ultra Rares.
3. The “SIR” Desert: A Reality Check
This is where the dream met the 2026 reality. Ascended Heroes is a massive 295-card set. The “specific” pull rates for a Special Illustration Rare (SIR) are brutal.
Across 10 ETBs, I pulled exactly one SIR.
The Hit: Lillie’s Clefairy ex SIR (#280).
It appeared in the very last pack of the 10th box. At a current market value of $250 raw, this single card saved the entire opening from being a financial disaster. However, I didn’t see the Mega Gengar (the $900 “King of the Set”) or any of the Gold Hyper Rares.
[Image: My ‘Top Hits’ spread from the 10 ETBs, featuring the Lillie’s Clefairy SIR, the two MARs, and a stack of 12 Illustration Rares (IRs) including the fan-favorite ‘Surfer’ card.]
4. The “Promo Premium” Math
When you rip 10 ETBs, you end up with 10 copies of the N’s Zekrom Full Art Promo. In the current 2026 market:
- Standard Promo: $12 – $15
- PC Stamped Promo: $85+
Because I opened the standard retail version, I have $150 worth of Zekrom promos sitting on my desk. If I had opened 10 Pokémon Center Exclusives, those promos alone would be worth **$850**, effectively paying for the entire 10-box opening before I even cracked a single pack. This reinforces my previous article on why PC ETBs are the only smart investment in 2026.
5. Final Verdict: To Rip or To Hold?
Total Spend: $500 (approx. $50 per ETB) Estimated Value Pulled: $440 (including the Lillie SIR, MARs, and Promos) Net ROI: -12%
Mike’s Advice: Opening 10 ETBs was an absolute blast, but unless you hit the Mega Gengar SIR or the Gold Charizard, you are likely to “break even” at best.
- If you are a Collector: Buy the singles. The top chase pokemon cards are too hard to target in a 290+ card set.
- If you are an Investor: Keep the ETBs sealed. With the 30th Anniversary hype building, these boxes will likely hit $100+ by December.
Did you have better luck than me, or were your 10 boxes a ‘Mega Bust’? Show me your hits on the r/CardChill Reddit!