Have you ever heard of the term Master set in Pokemon TCG? If you don’t know what it means, this article contains all the information you need to know about the term, so you won’t get confused again if someone talks about it or when you’re trying to collect Pokemon cards.
Spanning over 100 sets, Pokemon TCG is more than just an expensive hobby to some; it’s already a part of their lifestyle, and along with it is the understanding of different types of sets concerning Pokemon cards.
As you might’ve known already, Pokemon cards are released in sets, and each set belongs to a group of sets that represents a particular era or generation.
Each generation in the Pokemon TCG aligns with the release of a new pair of mainline video games in the franchise. For example, a few months after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launched on the Nintendo Switch, The Pokemon Company released the Scarlet and Violet base set.
All subsequent sets released after that are considered part of the Scarlet and Violet era until a new mainline game is introduced.
When collecting a particular Pokemon TCG set, experienced collectors are aiming to have a Master set. If you got a Master set, people will likely perceive you as a hardcore Pokemon card maniac just because of the term’s sheer definition.
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What Is a Master set in Pokemon TCG?
A Master set in Pokemon TCG pertains to all the cards under a specific set, and that includes literally everything — all Commons, Uncommons, Rares, Secret Rares, and even their Reverse Holo versions.
If you don’t have any ideas about what Reverse Holo cards are, check out our article about the topic, and after reading that one, you better learn more by knowing about Parallel sets.
Some collectors may consider promotional cards under a set a part of the Master set, but this is a topic of debate among the community.
Nevertheless, owning a Master set in Pokemon TCG can take thousands of dollars, as certain cards can be quite difficult to pull, and if other collectors are after them as well, sellers of those cards might ask for an expensive price.
With the current state of the Pokemon TCG market, completing a Master Set is becoming increasingly difficult.
Scalping often drives up the prices of certain Secret Rare cards, making them harder to obtain. On top of that, some set products are difficult to find, as they tend to sell out quickly due to high demand and anticipation.
Read more: What Pokemon Cards Are Worth Money?
Other Terms Related to the Master Set
Apart from the Master set, you might also encounter other terms, such as the following:
Main Set
This set includes all the cards in a set minus the Secret Rares. You can easily check if a card is part of the main set by seeing their card number. For instance, in the Journey Together set, the main set only contains 159 cards.
Journey Together’s Main set starts from the Common card Caterpie, with the card number 001/159, until the Spiky Energy card, bearing the card number 159/159.
The next cards for that set will be considered outside of Journey Together’s Main set.
Complete or Full Set
A Complete or Full set contains a set’s Main set, plus the Secret Rares. Using the Journey Together set again as an example, its Full set encompasses the Secret Rares starting with the 160/159 Illustration Rare Maractus, all the way to the 190/159 Hyper Rare Spiky Energy.
True Master Set
A less popular term, the True Master set is a variant of the Master set where it also includes a set’s exclusive event cards that can only be obtained by participating in or winning Pokemon TCG competitions, which is kind of a stretch for Pokemon card collecting, if you’ll ask us.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that terms like ‘Master set’ and others mentioned in this article are community-created, which means their definitions can vary depending on who you ask.
However, what we explained is the most common consensus that you can hold on to so you can better relate in conversations with other Pokemon card collectors.
If you’re aiming to collect a Master set, be ready to spend a significant amount of money. You may need to buy multiple booster boxes just to pull every card variation from your chosen set. Even then, you might not get every Reverse Holo, which could lead you to hunt for singles online or at local card shops.
We hope this article sheds some light on what a Master set is in the context of Pokemon TCG. For more helpful articles about this amazing hobby, feel free to browse our other posts here at PokeCardHQ.
