Best Pokemon card sets & expansions to collect in 2024
The Pokemon TCG is still going strong, and if you're looking for the best Pokemon card sets to collect in 2024, you can't go wrong with some of the expansions on this list.
It's important to bear in mind that, aside from smaller sets like Pokemon GO, many modern sets have a lot of cards which makes them very difficult to complete just by opening packs. Unless you're a dedicated collector, it's best to look at an expansion's set list and decide which sets have cards that appeal to you.
With that said, these sets all have a huge amount of cool cards to collect, making them worthwhile for fans of Pokemon both new and old.
#7 - Temporal Forces
Click to enlarge- Series: Scarlet & Violet
- Release Date: March 22, 2024
- Cards: 218
The newest set, Temporal Forces, manages to crack into the list. This set is a little smaller than other new sets, making it a bit more manageable if you want to collect everything. It's still stacked with awesome artwork though.
The main draws are the special illustration rares for Raging Bolt, Walking Wake, and Gouging Fire, which are the Ancient forms of the Legendary beasts Raikou, Suicune and Entei. Then there's the futuristic Iron Leaves, Iron Crown and Iron Boulder, which have really striking artworks.
Aside from those big hitters, Gengar gets some love and Torterra makes its return as an ex card. Bianca is one of the prettiest trainer cards we've seen yet, and the regular illustration rares are top-tier as always. And for players, powerful ACE SPEC trainers make a return to the game for the first time for Black & White.
#6 - Silver Tempest
Click to enlarge- Series: Sword & Shield
- Release Date: November 11, 2022
- Cards: 215 + 30 Trainer Gallery cards
Silver Tempest has one big card - the Lugia V alternate artwork. This is easily one of the most stunning cards in recent years, and it's one of the best chase cards in modern Pokemon.
Aside from that though, Silver Tempest is still an excellent set with a variety of popular Pokemon like Alolan Vulpix, Unown, and Mawile, as well as the Legendary Pokemon Regidrago and Regieleki.
Not to mention it has a Trainer Gallery - an extra set of cards to collect alongside the main set with unique artwork featuring trainers interacting with their Pokemon. This also allows you to get two big hits in a single pack, which always makes for a more exciting opening.
#5 - Paldean Fates
Click to enlarge- Series: Scarlet & Violet
- Release Date: January 26, 2024
- Cards: 245
Paldean Fates is the newest Shiny set, featuring a whopping 120 Shiny Pokemon (not counting the full art and special illustration versions!). These Shiny Pokemon are super fun to collect, and are pretty unique compared to the standard cards found in regular sets.
This won't be easy to complete though - in fact, it's basically impossible without buying singles or trading, as the sheer number of Shiny Pokemon in the set makes it a gargantuan task to finish on your own. I'd recommend buying a smaller number of packs since it's more expensive.
That said, you'll be guaranteed to get some good Shiny Pokemon eventually, as Paldean Fates is pretty generous with the pulls. You might be waiting a while before you find the special illustration rare you're after though - cards like Mew ex, Charizard ex, and Gardevoir ex have rarer versions that continue to elude me.
#4 - Paldea Evolved
Click to enlarge- Series: Scarlet & Violet
- Release Date: June 9, 2023
- Cards: 279
Another huge set, but another set full of fantastic cards to collect. If you're a fan of the ninth and newest generation of Pokemon, as seen in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet on Switch, this set is probably the one for you.
The new starters all get illustrations featuring their whole evolution line, and Legendary Pokemon like Chien-Pao get to shine with gorgeous special illustration rares. I'm a particular fan of Fuecoco and its evolutions.
Not just that, but fan-favourites like Magikarp, Raichu and Tyranitar have gorgeous cards that any collector is sure to love. Then there's the ever-popular Iono trainer card, which is sought-after by collectors and TCG players alike.
#3 - Lost Origin
Click to enlarge- Series: Sword & Shield
- Release Date: September 9, 2022
- Cards: 217 + 30 Trainer Gallery cards
One of the best Sword & Shield sets, Lost Origin is a must for any fans of Giratina or the Pokemon Legends: Arceus game.
This set has some incredible alternate arts to chase if you enjoy hunting rare cards, such as Giratina V and Aerodactyl V. It's also got a Trainer Gallery just like Silver Tempest, so you can potentially get two hits in one pack.
Unlike some of the older Sword & Shield sets like Evolving Skies, Lost Origin is still pretty affordable and you should be able to find it in most card stores. Even after entering a whole new generation, Sword & Shield still holds up as one of the best eras for Pokemon card collectors.
#2 - Scarlet & Violet 151
Click to enlarge- Series: Scarlet & Violet
- Release Date: September 22, 2023
- Cards: 207
If you're a fan of the original 151 Pokemon from the Red & Blue games, this is the set to collect. The regular part of the set features all 151 Kanto 'mon in Pokedex order, while the secret rares feature amazing artworks of Gen 1 staples like Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise.
All three starters have full-art sets for you to complete, and the art gets more elaborate as they progress through their evolutions. But aside from those, Pokemon like Pikachu, Nidoking, Poliwhirl, Machoke, Dragonair and Caterpie get awesome illustration rares to make the set feel like a true celebration of the entire first generation.
#1 - Crown Zenith
Click to enlarge- Series: Sword & Shield
- Release Date: January 20, 2023
- Cards: 160 + 70 Galarian Gallery cards
Finally, we arrive at the best set to collect right now - Crown Zenith.
This set doesn't miss. It has a very high pull rate, meaning you'll get great cards more consistently than other sets. More importantly, the exclusive Galarian Gallery is absolutely stacked with incredible artwork for tons of fan-favourite Pokemon.
Entei, Suicune, Raikou, Mewtwo, Leafeon, Glaceon, Deoxys and more get special alternate artworks, and the golden Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus are some of the most gorgeous cards ever printed. But even the regular Galarian Gallery cards are amazing, like Pikachu and its eight friends that make up a single piece of artwork when displayed together.
You can't go wrong with Crown Zenith, which is why it's our best set to collect.
For more Pokemon TCG, check out our homepage. Take a look at the set list for Temporal Forces to see what's coming next, or see which cards are the most expensive in the Paldean Fates expansion.
