SWSH8 — 284 cards, the largest Pokémon set ever at launch. Psychic is the most loaded slot in any SWSH break: Mew VMAX alt art ($150–400+), Gengar VMAX alt art ($50–120), Espeon VMAX ($30–70).
View Live Breaks →Fusion Strike (SWSH8) was released November 2021 and introduced the Fusion Strike battle style alongside Rapid Strike and Single Strike. It was the largest Pokémon TCG expansion at the time with 284 cards, and it introduced Mew VMAX as a centerpiece of the Fusion Strike mechanic — a card that would go on to define competitive play for two years.
Mew VMAX Alternate Art Rare (AAR) #269 is the chase card at $150–400+. Its pastel illustrated artwork showing Mew in a field of flowers has made it one of the most beloved alt arts in the entire SWSH era. Psychic type in the TCG — it goes to the Psychic slot.
| Type | Tier | Key Pull | Est. Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔮 Psychic | S+ | Mew VMAX Alt Art #269 + Gengar VMAX Alt Art #265 + Espeon VMAX | $250–600+ combined potential |
| ⚡ Lightning | A | Raichu V Alt Art + Boltund VMAX | $15–40 |
| 🌊 Water | A | Inteleon VMAX Alt Art | $15–35 |
| 🌿 Grass | B | Leafeon VMAX + Celebi V Alt | $10–25 |
| 🔥 Fire | B | Cinderace VMAX + Coalossal | $10–20 |
| 💪 Fighting | B | Medicham V Alt Art | $10–20 |
| 🌑 Dark | C | Hoopa V | $5–15 |
| 🔩 Metal | C | Genesect V | $5–12 |
Fusion Strike is one of the most unbalanced sets for breaking — Psychic is extraordinarily dominant. Three separate chase cards all go to Psychic: Mew VMAX AAR, Gengar VMAX AAR, and Espeon VMAX. The Psychic slot could easily be worth 10–20x any other slot in the set.
This makes Fusion Strike "all-or-nothing" from a breaking perspective — the Psychic slot wins big, and everyone else gets moderate pulls. This is why some breakers prefer random team breaks (where types are randomly assigned) to protect against consistently undervalued slots.
Fusion Strike is one of three battle styles introduced in SWSH (alongside Single Strike and Rapid Strike). Fusion Strike cards can use abilities or attacks from other Fusion Strike Pokémon on your bench — Mew VMAX's Max Miracle being the most famous example.
Mew VMAX has maintained strong collector value. Fusion Strike booster boxes have appreciated since initial release because of Mew VMAX and Gengar VMAX AAR. It's considered one of the better SWSH investments alongside Evolving Skies and Lost Origin.
Cards 265–284 are secret rares, including Gold versions and the Alternate Art Rares. Mew VMAX AAR (#269), Gengar VMAX AAR (#265), and Espeon VMAX AAR (#270) are the most valuable.
Evolving Skies · Lost Origin · Crown Zenith · Silver Tempest