Which cards are actually worth restarting for
Updated 2026-08-21 · 4 min read
There are two different things people mean by "good pull": a card that makes your deck stronger, and a card that is rare. They overlap less than you would think.
Play strength beats rarity
A strong ex card that anchors a deck will do more for your first month than a rarer card that does not fit anything you own. Rarity is about what the card is worth to a collector; play strength is about whether you win on Tuesday.
If you are restarting to enjoy the game rather than to own a trophy, target the cards that carry a whole archetype. They are usually less rare, which also means far fewer attempts.
Two ex cards beat one great one
A single standout card leaves you with one deck and no fallback. Two solid ones give you options, and options survive a balance patch. When you set a target, "any two strong ex cards" is usually a better goal than one specific name — and it is dramatically faster to hit.
The collector exception
If what you actually want is the art — the full-art and immersive treatments — then rarity is the point and none of the above applies. Just go in knowing that you are chasing a much longer tail, and price your own time honestly before you commit an evening to it.
Work out your own odds
The game’s real pull rates, turned into packs, days and money — so you can see what chasing this yourself actually costs before you start.
Pack odds calculatorSee the cards themselves
Every card in the game, with the real chance of pulling that exact one — not the odds for its rarity, which is the number everybody else prints.