Barno
Pokémon collector since the 90s
The 30th Anniversary Pokémon set's pull rates are some of the best we've seen in years.
Every single pack guarantees a holo Pikachu, and on top of that you're looking at roughly 1 in 5 packs for a standard ex, 1 in 6 for an Illustration Rare, and a genuinely trustworthy ~5.5% shot at a Special Illustration Rare.
I pulled four of the Mew Futuristic Rares and 5 SIRs on release day alone. I know how that sounds ~like I'm bragging~ but genuinely, go and open a box yourself and tell me this set isn't hitting different 😅
| Card Tier | Pull Rate | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Holo Pikachu (guaranteed) | 100% | Every pack |
| Standard ex | 22% | 1 in 5 packs |
| Illustration Rare (IR) | 18–20% | 1 in 6 packs |
| Classic reprint (gold border) | 10% | 1 in 10 packs |
| Special Illustration Rare (SIR) | 5–5.5% | 1 in 18 packs |
| Futuristic Rare (Mewtwo ex / Mew ex) | 0.7–1.2% | 1 in 82–140 packs |
A couple of things jump out immediately:
Just under 6 in 10 packs deliver something beyond the guaranteed Pikachu
The Futuristic Rare tier (the two Mewtwo ex and Mew ex cards) is thin on paper, sitting around 1% depending on which sample you look at
Holos have a 100% pull rate because there are no basic/bulk cards in the 30th Anniversary set
Pikachu pull rates (1 in every pack)
Every 30th Anniversary pack includes 1 of 30 different Pikachu cards, each illustrated by a different artist. You're chasing 30 distinct cards, which means every pack feels like a hit.
Every 30th Anniversary pack has one of 30 Pikachus.
Standard ex pull rate: ~1 in 5 packs
Sitting at roughly 22%, the standard (non-full-art) ex is comfortably the most common secondary hit in the set.
Think Umbreon ex, Jirachi ex, non-SIR Mewtwo ex, and dozens more turning up across every large sample opened so far. If you're ripping packs expecting a hit beyond the Pikachu, this is the one you'll get most often.
Illustration Rare (IR) pull rate: ~1 in 6 packs
IRs land around 18–20%, which works out to roughly one every 5 or 6 packs.
Meowth, Maushold, Lapras, Gholdengo, and Moltres lead the pack in terms of frequency. Solid mid-tier hit rate, consistent with what you'd expect from a full-art illustration tier.
Classic reprint pull rate: ~1 in 10 packs
The gold-border reprints — thirty vintage cards including Charizard, Shining Celebi, Crystal Lugia, Metagross, and even Magikarp — are pullable from standard packs at around 10%.
👋 Worth knowing: The 30th Anniversary UPC has one Classic Collection Pack which guarantees three reprints. It's the only way to get reprints without relying on the ~10% pack odds. Check the Pokémon UK release calendar to see when they’re coming.
Pull rates for classic reprints are ~1 in 10 packs.
Special Illustration Rare (SIR) pull rate: ~1 in 18 packs
SIRs have settled around 5–5.5% across larger samples. Pikachu, Fuecoco ex, Gengar ex, and Salamence lead the named pulls.
The catch: the set has a dozen-plus different SIRs, so while the overall tier rate is solid, your odds of a specific named SIR are far longer than 1 in 18.
Futuristic Rare pull rate: ~1 in 82 to 140 packs
The rarest tier in the set by a wide margin, sitting between 0.7% and 1.2% depending on the sample. This is the YOSHIROTTEN-illustrated Mewtwo ex and Mew ex — the set's marquee digital fine-art pieces and genuinely the top of the pile.
Pulling four of these on release day is exactly as lucky as it sounds; most samples put this at roughly 1 in 100 packs or rarer.
Should you open or buy singles?
Open if you want the Pikachu experience and don't mind that under half your packs will be Pikachu-only. Open if the gold-border reprints and the base set itself are the appeal.
Buy singles if you have one specific card in mind: a named SIR, a particular reprint, the Maushold IR. The set has a dozen-plus SIRs alone, so even a solid overall SIR rate spreads painfully thin once you're chasing one exact card.
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30th Anniversary Pokémon pull rates: FAQ
Does every 30th Anniversary pack guarantee a Pikachu?
Yes. Every pack includes 1 of 30 different holo Pikachu cards, each with unique artwork from a different illustrator.
What are the odds of pulling a Futuristic Rare?
Roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 140 packs, depending on the sample. It's the rarest tier in the set by a wide margin — the two Mewtwo ex and Mew ex FUR cards sit right at the top.
Are the gold-border classic reprints only in the Ultra Premium Collection?
No — they're confirmed pullable from standard packs and binder collections at around 10%, though the UPC's Classic Collection Pack does guarantee three of them.
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