Pokémon TCG Phantasmal Flames Review – Top Favorites Crash Into Deck Builds

The Pokémon TCG has returned to its Mega era, and the second expansion celebrating the return to the Kalos region’s iconic gimmick has crashed onto the scene with plenty of heat. Featuring Mega Gengar ex and Mega Charizard X ex, players will have new options for building a strong, Mega-centered strategy with Phantasmal Flames.

With a smaller-than-average card list and a focus on Dark and Psychic-types, Phantasmal Flames has a unique collection of familiar Pokémon to offer players. However, those hunting for a Special Illustration Rare Mega Charizard X ex will have their work cut out for them, as this expansion offers some brutal rare pull rates.

Key Details

• Release Date: November 14, 2025
• Card List #: 130
• Special Set: No
• Booster Boxes: Yes
• Review Samples Provided: 1 Booster Box, 1 Elite Trainer Box, 1 Build & Battle, and 1 Booster Bundle

Powerful Mega ex Cards But Less Intense Standard Pulls

The Phantasmal Flames card list includes a slew of powerful new Mega ex cards. However, unlike the Mega Evolution expansion, we didn’t have as much luck pulling these new powerhouses. Mega Gengar ex seems to be particularly hard to pull, as we were able to get duplicates of Mega Diancie ex and Mega Sharpedo ex.

Despite this, players who manage to pull any of these cards will have the opportunity to work some strong options into their current decks. Mega Charizard X ex is particularly terrifying with the move “X Inferno”, which does 90 damage for every Fire-type Energy card that is discarded. Mega Sharpedo ex will also tear through opponents with Hungry Jaws, which does a base 120 damage plus an additional 150 if the Pokémon has taken any damage.

While Mega ex cards have a substantial advantage in this expansion, standard cards aren’t quite as versatile as Mega Evolution. The small card list limits how many options can be included, and the true standouts are Toxtricity sporting a Dark-type, Zacian, and Archaludon. Each has attacks that, when used correctly, could take an opponent by surprise while posing minimal risk to players if they were to be knocked out.

Beautiful Illustration Rare Cards But Horrible Pull Rates

The Pokémon TCG Phantasmal Flames expansion is loaded down with beautiful Illustration and Special Illustration cards of several fan-favorite Pokémon. While the Illustration Rare gallery was fairly easy to pull, Special Illustration Rares seem to follow the pattern of more recent sets. We only pulled two Ultra Rare cards, and just one Special Illustration Rare. This was the same pattern seen in Mega Evolution, indicating that the rarity of these cards has gone up.

The set also boasts only one Mega Hyper Rare of a Golden Mega Charizard X ex, and it seems it will be just as difficult to pull as the options from the previous set. This is bad news for collectors looking to grab gold while opening packs. It is also likely that this factor and the Charizard effect will drive prices for this set quite high, with the rare cards challenging some of the current records from the Gen 9 era.

Final Score: 8/10

The Pokémon TCG Phantasmal Flames set is a beautiful expansion with a handful of notable cards. Those who pull the best of the set will have some seriously playable or collectible cards to show off to friends.

However, the small card list, presence of Charizard, and difficult pull rates are likely to be a problem for fans looking to get in on the set. Charizard sets tend to have some grueling odds when it comes to the best of the set, and Phantasmal Flames is no exception. Anyone who is lucky enough to score a pack or ETB will have to hope they get decent pulls; otherwise, the less-than-stellar standard array will feel like a gut punch. However, with a Golden Mega Charizard X ex lurking in certain packs, the temptation to grab packs when they are available will be hard to resist.

**Bonus Action was provided with samples of the Pokémon TCG Phantasmal Flames expansion for the purpose of this review**

About the Author

Laura Gray

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Laura Gray, known as Ezra when not putting pen to paper, is a D&D enthusiast with a love of all things written. They are a collector of fantasy and sci-fi novels, a lover of cooking weird food, and a player of farming sims and Pokémon games. When not engrossed in a re-read of Anne McCaffrey or a deep dive into the Adventure Zone: Balance, they can be found sniffing the cats and napping in half-finished crochet projects.

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