Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike was released back in November 2021. We’ve only just managed to get our hands on an Elite Trainer box at the normal RRP. 

(As with the majority of major Pokémon sets, they’re tough to locate, and seem to go out of stock everywhere quickly.)

Read on to find out our thoughts about Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike, and whether it’s worth the outlay for the very best Pokémon cards from the collection. 

Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike: Key Stats 

Release date: November 12, 2021

Cards in set: English: 284

Average Booster Display Box Price: $140/£120

• A Pokémon TCG booster box comes with 36 packs
• You can also find Elite Trainer Boxes as seen above
• The collection focuses on various versions of Mew 

Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike: Best Cards  

We’re looking at the cards as pure collectibles, that can be graded and taken care of rather than being used in the TCG. 

To begin, we’ve listed five of the biggest hits contained in Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike, along with their current resale price and any relevant additional info about the Pokémon card.

5. 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Mew V #251 (eBay)

If you don’t like Mew cards, it might be a good idea to skip the 2021 Fusion Strike set entirely! 

The psychic Pokemon is featured prominently throughout the collection, such as in this glorious unique art-style card by artist Naoki Saito. The Mew V alternative full-art card sees the Pokemon with the likes of Toxel, Toxtricity, Drakloak, and Hoopa Unbound.

If you’re looking at singles, expect to pay roughly $40 to add an ungraded copy to your collection. 

Check prices of 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Mew V #251 cards on eBay

4. 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Mew VMAX #268 (eBay)

Sticking with Mew, the rare Rainbow VMAX version of the Pokemon is another major hit. As always, it has a clean design. It’s the same image used for the basic Mew VMAX card from the set.

Rainbow rares are always popular, and they’re some of the most valuable cards you’ll be able to find in packs. Even now, they retail for roughly $70 ungraded, and far more if it happens to be wrapped in a PSA 10 sleeve.  

Check prices of 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Mew VMAX #268 cards on eBay

3. 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Mew VMAX #269 (eBay)

Can you see a theme developing here? The final Mew VMAX card to make the list has a different pose to the rainbow rare, and is the most valuable overall.

The alternative-art Mew VMAX Secret Rare is packed full of extra details, with a UK theme as taxis and postboxes are thrown around in the background. 

As of April 2022, roughly $90 is what you will be expected to pay for an ungraded copy. 

Check prices of 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Mew VMAX #269 cards on eBay

2. 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Gengar VMAX #271 (eBay)

This Gengar VMAX card sells for three figures ungraded, while a number of slabbed versions are slowly making their way onto the market. 

As with all full-art cards, pay attention to centering and corners before making a purchase. 

Prices are down ever so slightly from the highs seen when the set was first released, but the Gen I Pokemon is still one of the most popular cards contained in packs. 

Check prices of 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Gengar VMAX #271 cards on eBay

1. 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Espeon VMAX #270 (eBay)

Espeon VMAX is undoubtedly the best hit you can find in the collection, currently retailing for over $100 at auction. (If you’re really lucky, you might be able to grab an ungraded copy for slightly less.)

Featuring a great illustration of the giant Eevee evolution as it rests along a rooftop, the Espeon VMAX ultra-rare card was originally cut from the Evolving Skies set. 

Its inclusion in Fusion Strike was a smart idea, offering an English version of the popular Japanese Eevee Heroes’ card.

Check prices of 2021 Pokemon Fusion Strike Espeon VMAX #270 cards on eBay

Box Prices 

A Pokémon TCG booster box comes with 36 packs, and should be available online around the $150 mark, give or take a few dollars either way.

There’s still an abundance of products on shelves, and they can also be found online via sites such as eBay. 

Shop for Sword and Shield – Fusion Strike Boxes on eBay

It’s worth mentioning that most boxes and packs should be seen as a good investment, as long as you have enough self-control and won’t go ripping them anytime soon. 

However, there’s still an abundance of Fusion Strike packs and boxes on the market, as it’s not the most popular collection overall. 

What We Got  

As you can see from the image above, we packed nothing of value from the box, taking a massive L overall. the set wasn’t great for us.

We’ll probably recoup just under half of the money spent after selling off the cards. It was an unlucky box, and it’s always down to chance when opening packs. 

It would have been nice to see a Mew VMAX or two, but we can’t complain having been pretty lucky in recent weeks when opening the odd booster pack. 

These things have a tendency to even out over time, and we recently snagged a duo of Charizard cards. 

Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike: Summary  

Fusion Strike is packed full of hits. It’s still readily available despite being released during the latter stages of 2021. Sure, there’s no Charizard to chase, but Mew is still one of the more popular Gen I Pokemon on the planet. 

Then there’s Gengar and Espeon, as well as a few smaller hits which didn’t make the list. It doesn’t quite live up to sets like 2021 Celebrations, but it’s still highly collectible in its own right. 

We think that PSA 10 copies of the Mew, Gengar, and Espeon cards make for a viable long-term investment option. 

Overall: 3/5