Since different types of Pokemon media run alongside titles from the game series, eras of expansions in the TCG tend to be themed around recent releases. Sun & Moon, for example, got 16 total expansions during its reign of prominence, giving the TCG community large helpings of newly revealed Pokemon.
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But with any collection of expansions, the question of which is the best will always follow– most people don’t have the money to buy from every expansion that comes out, so there’s inherent value in deciding what’s worth picking up and what should stay on the shelf. If you’re looking to buy Sun & Moon boosters, you’re in luck: plenty are worth checking out.
9Core Set
The first set of an era is saddled with the backbreaking responsibility of establishing the tone. If an introductory expansion fails to bring a good first impression, its entire lineage can lose momentum and fail to grab players; thankfully, Sun & Moon’s core set is pretty fantastic.
Though this set doesn’t reach the same great heights as the pinnacle of its era, it still manages to bring a lot of great stuff to the table when it comes to deckbuilding. With strong Trainers like Professor Kukui and a not-insignificant amount of powerful Pokemon abilities, Sun & Moon remains a worthwhile pick.
8Unbroken Bonds
Unbroken Bonds is the 13th expansion of the Sun & Moon era, following up on the theme of Tag Team cards established in the Team Up expansion. As any good sequel should, Unbroken Bonds improves upon the ideas of its forebear while offering a more consistent experience overall.
A Trainer like Welder alone makes this set worth it, giving you the ability to attach energy and draw cards without burning your attach step. Thankfully, this set doesn’t skimp out on its Pokemon either– attacks like Crabominable’s Fight Alone birth new and interesting strategies that are actually viable to build around.
7Lost Thunder
Despite the unfortunate name (perhaps one of the most nonsensical set names in all of the Pokemon TCG), Lost Thunder manages to have a really compelling mix of Pokemon with intense attacks and dizzying defense– what puts the set above is its counters to some of the most powerful archetypes available at its time of release.
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This expansion’s Alolan Ninetales GX is one of the best examples of Lost Thunder’s counter-power, able to straight up knock out an Ultra Beast with its GX attack. Some cards can even play well in Expanded, dealing high damage while being disconnected enough from their era’s mechanics to still be relevant across the board.
Skiploom and Jumpluff in particular havehigh synergy with the Lost Zone Box strategy, especially when coupled with cards like Sword & Shield’s Comfey.
6Forbidden Light
Forbidden Light is consideredone of the best Pokemon sets ever conceivedby some, so it’s not really unbelievable that it would get a spot among the best in its own era. The Ultra Beasts are definitely the highlight of this set, but don’t think that’s all it has going on for it– the selection of cards here is solid from top to bottom.
Many cards encourage all sorts of interesting strategies, such as Goodra’s high-damage Hydration + Soaking Horn combo, or Magnezone’s ludicrous set-up ability that removes the limit on attaching electric energy. Ultra Beasts such as Ultra Necrozma are as good as their name implies, being perfect centerpieces for decks in Expanded.
5Crimson Invasion
Considering that not much within the set is actually crimson, there’s a sort of grim implication about the effect of Crimson Invasion on opponents that isn’t worth lingering on. Regardless, this set does have quite a list of high-quality Ultra Beasts and viable GX abilities that are sure to give you the edge in your format of choice.
Guzzlord GX is a standout Ultra Beast, offering a GX move that lets you pilfer two additional Prizes when you knock a Pokemon out with it– that’s half the prizes a player starts with, which makes Guzzlord GX a great option for stealing the advantage and an even better one for making a comeback. All the Ultra Beasts in this set have effects of similar intensity, making them fantastic picks in any deck.
4Shining Legends
Though Shining Legends is on the smaller side, it’s much preferred to have a small set of quality cards over a bloated expansion with no card of use. The four GX Pokemon that the set comes with exemplify this philosophy, being chock-full of power despite having a smaller presence in the card list.
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Zoroark GX is a star player thanks to its ability, which gives you a way to draw all the cards you need and get a step closer to your win condition. Non-GX cards like Hoopa and Latios are perfect supporters for the set’s GX Pokemon, especially since Zoroark’s GX attack lets it take one of your Pokemon’s moves for itself.
3Burning Shadows
Burning Shadows is an incredibly consistent set, putting out many of the best cards the Sun & Moon era has to offer. One of the strongest parts of this expansion is its Non-GX options, some of which are made specifically to counter the GX Pokemon common to all the Sun & Moon sets.
Weavile is an obvious top choicewhen deckbuilding for Expanded, punishing any and all abilities on either side of the field– this not only targets GX Pokemon, but EX, V, and VMAX Pokemon as well. Burning Shadows does offer some quality GX Pokemon, though, with picks like Alolan Muk GX and Golisopod GX offering huge damage for only a bit of energy.
2Ultra Prism
Ultra Prism is a great expansion in both its aesthetic and competitive viability, letting you win round after round with style. The set also originally introduced the concept of Prism Stars, powerful cards that you can only have one of in your deck that goes straight to the lost zone when destroyed.
Prism Star Lunala shows the power of the new card type, doing 20 damage times the amount of energy attached to every Pokemon on your side of the field. Though the introduced Prism Star cards require a bit of set-up to be effective, they can outclass even a GX Pokemon once they get into their element.
Of course, even the Non-Ultra Prism cards like Rotom do good work– the introduction of Prism Stars is just the expansion’s best quality.
1Guardians Rising
Guardians Rising is likely the very best of the Sun & Moon era, even challenging Forbidden Light in terms of sheer quality. Given that it was the first expansion to come out after the core set introduced GX Pokemon, it took advantage of the concept’s freshness to put out genuinely incredible GX cards likely to remain relevant even in Unlimited.
Tapu Lele GX is a prime example, letting you search your deck for a Supporter when it comes onto the field, use an attack that scales with the total damage both you and your opponent have taken, and fully heal two of your benched Pokemon. Cards like Kommo-o GX, Lycanroc GX, and Sylveon GX all have traits that can dominate in both Expanded and Unlimited, solidifying Guardians Rising as a top-tier set.
