This guide will elaborate on the different types of rarities in Pokémon TCG Pocket, their pull rates in booster packs, and the type of artworks associated with each of them.
Rarity Overview
On the bottom left corner of the cards, you can notice symbols that define the rarity of the cards
(Diamond) and (Star) rarities are on a different scale, with ☆ rarities being rarer. In the binder, these cards are sorted separately. Each ☆ card also exists in ♢.
Here is a breakdown of what type of cards you can expect according to their rarity:
- cards (Common) = Weaker Basic Pokémon + weaker Stage 1 + Basic Trainers
- cards (Uncommon) = ◊ cards + stronger Basic Pokémon + Stage 1 + Supporters
- cards (Rare) = ◊◊ cards + strongest Basic Pokémon + stronger Stage 1 + Stage 2
- cards (Double Rare) = Pokémon EX cards
- cards (Art Rare) = full art of a basic Pokémon
- cards (Super Rare & Special Art Rare) = full art of a Pokémon ex + Supporters
- cards (Immersive Rare) = immersive art
- cards (Crown Rare) = gold art
Booster: versions and pull rates
A booster pack contains cards selected at random from a predetermined set, with the final card being the rarest. The type of booster pack you open significantly influences the cards you can obtain. For example, in the Genetic Apex set, Pikachu ex ☆☆☆ can only be found in Pikachu-themed booster packs.
Each set has a different number of booster pack versions and a varying number of cards in each pack.
The pull rates also vary depending on the number of cards in the booster pack.
In a 5-card booster pack:
- the third three cards range are picked from card in the ◊ rarity pool
- the fourth card has a 2,57% chance to be ☆, a 0.5% chance to be ☆☆, a 0.222% chance to be ☆☆☆ and a 0.04% chance to be ♕
- the fifth card has a 10% chance to be ☆, a 2% chance to be ☆☆, a 0.88% chance to be ☆☆☆ and a 0.16% chance to be ♕
This results in the following probabilities for opening each type of card:
- ☆ card: ~12.31% (1 in ~8 packs)
- ☆☆ card: ~2.49% (1 in ~40 packs)
- ☆☆☆ card: ~1.10% (1 in ~91 packs)
- ♕ card: ~0.20% (1 in ~500 packs)
Rarities and art types
Double Rare (♢♢♢♢) - Ex cards
Pokémon ex are special, stronger versions of regular Pokémon, unique to the TCG. Their artwork extends beyond the borders of the regular frame to make them more recognizable and majestic, but unlike full-art cards, they still retain the main card frames. This feature first appeared with Pokémon Star in the TCG.
In TCG Pocket, the four-diamond rarity is reserved for Pokémon ex. These cards can be tilted to reveal additional effects like flames or electricity.
Art Rare (☆)
Illustration rare cards feature illustrations that cover the entire card, removing the usual box that separates the artwork from other elements to highlight the depicted character or Pokémon. These cards are fan favorites, with some being highly sought after by collectors (think “Moon Umbreon”). In TCG Pocket, full-art cards will be exclusive to star-rarity cards.
At ☆ rarity, you’ll find alternative artworks of Pokémon from ◊ to ◊◊◊ rarity, depicted in unique and beautifully illustrated scenery.
Super Rare (☆☆) - CGI Full-Art Pokémon ex
Each Pokémon ex has a ☆☆ counterpart, with its artwork exclusively rendered using CGI effects by the team at Planeta CG.
Super Rare (☆☆) - Illustrated Full-Art Supporter
The Supporter card in each set has a ☆☆ counterpart featuring illustrated art that extends beyond the text box
Special Art Rare (☆☆) - Rainbow-bordered illustrated Full-art Pokémon ex
Some Pokémon ex have the privilege of featuring two artworks in the ☆☆ rarity, with the second being a fully illustrated piece on a rainbow-bordered card.
Immersive Rare (☆☆☆) - Immersive Art
Immersive arts are a subset of full-art cards that include an exclusive animation, adding a narrative and bringing the scene to life. So far, we know of two: Pikachu ex, which plays and sleeps around in a forest with other cute Pokémon, and the more intense Mewtwo ex, caught in a terrifying trance as it breaks out of a building, shattering the glass of a shadowy DNA lab.
Crown Rare (♕) - Gold art
Crown arts depict a ☆☆ CGI full-art version of one of the set’s cover Pokémon, such as Charizard ex in Genetic Apex, featuring a spiraling gold background
