How many packs to complete a Pokémon set?
We opened simulated packs until every card in the set was pulled, hundreds of times per set. Completing a set from packs costs 14–25× more than buying the same cards as singles.
| Set | Cards | Packs needed | Lucky / unlucky 10% | Cost in packs | Singles | Packs vs singles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prismatic Evolutions | 180 | 5,603 | 3,952 / 8,521+ | $78.4k | $4,494 | 17× |
| Ascended Heroes | 295 | 5,303 | 3,578 / 8,240+ | $63.5k | $4,460 | 14× |
| Mega Evolution | 188 | 3,969 | 2,074 / 8,067+ | $34.9k | $1,419 | 25× |
| Surging Sparks | 252 | 3,121 | 1,941 / 5,101+ | $27.2k | $1,157 | 24× |
| Destined Rivals | 244 | 3,117 | 2,074 / 4,900+ | $26.7k | $1,469 | 18× |
| Twilight Masquerade | 226 | 2,968 | 1,931 / 4,796+ | $27.3k | $1,221 | 22× |
| Temporal Forces | 218 | 2,581 | 1,675 / 4,100+ | $25.1k | $1,173 | 21× |
| Paradox Rift | 266 | 2,519 | 1,824 / 3,740+ | $21.5k | $1,156 | 19× |
| Paldean Fates | 245 | 2,432 | 1,933 / 3,210+ | $58.5k | $2,512 | 23× |
| Paldea Evolved | 279 | 2,199 | 1,601 / 3,085+ | $35.5k | $1,833 | 19× |
| Perfect Order | 124 | 1,661 | 836 / 3,888+ | $9,833 | $472 | 21× |
| Pitch Black | 120 | 1,448 | 777 / 3,019+ | $8,630 | $577 | 15× |
| Scarlet & Violet | 258 | 1,393 | 1,013 / 1,980+ | $12.4k | $708 | 18× |
| Chaos Rising | 122 | 1,360 | 834 / 2,464+ | $8,174 | $478 | 17× |
| Stellar Crown | 175 | 1,313 | 771 / 2,219+ | $14.2k | $560 | 25× |
| Phantasmal Flames | 130 | 1,260 | 751 / 2,814+ | $15.1k | $1,034 | 15× |
| Journey Together | 190 | 1,253 | 740 / 2,160+ | $7,906 | $393 | 20× |
| 151 | 207 | 909 | 666 / 1,261+ | $26.0k | $1,672 | 16× |
| Obsidian Flames | 230 | 735 | 529 / 1,046+ | $9,254 | $421 | 22× |
Master set: one copy of every card number, secret rares included, any version. Packs needed is the median of 400 simulated runs. Pack and card prices are today’s market prices (ungraded), updated October 12, 2026.
Main set only (no secret rares)
| Set | Cards | Packs needed | Cost in packs | Singles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascended Heroes | 217 | 798 | $9,552 | $80.42 |
| Prismatic Evolutions | 131 | 550 | $7,700 | $74.09 |
| Obsidian Flames | 197 | 525 | $6,610 | $59.62 |
| Surging Sparks | 191 | 474 | $4,138 | $52.79 |
| Paradox Rift | 182 | 437 | $3,732 | $42.85 |
| Paldea Evolved | 193 | 404 | $6,529 | $44.91 |
| Temporal Forces | 162 | 373 | $3,629 | $95.32 |
| Twilight Masquerade | 167 | 331 | $3,042 | $60.88 |
| Destined Rivals | 182 | 275 | $2,354 | $42.17 |
| 151 | 165 | 270 | $7,733 | $72.52 |
| Journey Together | 159 | 253 | $1,596 | $37.46 |
| Scarlet & Violet | 198 | 252 | $2,245 | $36.60 |
| Stellar Crown | 142 | 251 | $2,708 | $41.73 |
| Paldean Fates | 91 | 175 | $4,212 | $20.07 |
| Pitch Black | 84 | 140 | $834 | $15.35 |
| Phantasmal Flames | 94 | 136 | $1,631 | $24.35 |
| Mega Evolution | 132 | 135 | $1,188 | $26.42 |
| Chaos Rising | 86 | 134 | $805 | $16.10 |
| Perfect Order | 88 | 116 | $687 | $16.90 |
| White Flare | 86 | 69 | $989 | $15.89 |
Why the last cards take so long
The first hundred or so packs fill most of the set quickly. After that, almost every pack is duplicates, and you are waiting on a handful of secret rares that each turn up once in hundreds or thousands of packs. That tail is where most of the packs, and most of the money, go. Rip for fun, then buy the last secret rares as singles.
Want to see the odds for yourself? Open packs in the simulator, track what you own in the collection tracker, or check which sets give the most value per pack on the booster box EV page.
Questions
Which Pokémon set is the hardest to complete?
Of the sets with measured pull rates, Prismatic Evolutions takes the most packs: about 5,603 to pull all 180 cards (median of simulated runs).
Which Pokémon set is the easiest to complete?
Obsidian Flames needs the fewest packs for a full master set: about 735 for all 230 cards.
Is it cheaper to buy packs or singles to complete a set?
Singles, by far. At today's pack and card prices, ripping packs until the set is complete costs 14 to 25 times more than buying the same cards as singles. Even the main set alone (no secret rares) is lopsided: 151 takes about 270 packs ($7,733) versus $72.52 in singles.
How is this calculated?
For each set we open simulated packs until every card has been pulled at least once (one copy of each card number, any version), and repeat that 400 times for the master set and 1,000 times for the main set. The odds come from measured pack-opening samples and assume every card of a rarity is equally likely. The packs-needed number is the median run, so half of the runs needed more.