Awakened Heroes and Ultradimensional Beasts (SM4/SM4+): English Equivalent Crimson Invasion (2026)
By Dexhaul Team · October 15, 2026 · 6 min read
Two Japanese sets feed one English expansion. Awakened Heroes (SM4) and Ultradimensional Beasts (SM4+), both released October 20, 2017, are the source sets for English Crimson Invasion (November 3, 2017). The gap between Japanese and English release was just 14 days, the tightest of any Sun and Moon base set.
SM4+ carries the Ultra Beasts. Buzzwole GX, Kartana GX, Guzzlord GX, and Nihilego GX all debuted in Ultradimensional Beasts, making it the must-open box for collectors targeting those GX cards in Japanese. SM4 (Awakened Heroes) contributes the rest of the set, including Silvally GX and Kommo-o GX.
Collectors who imported SM4+ had a 14-day window before the English version shipped to stores. That near-simultaneous release was deliberate: Pokémon Company's announcement timed Crimson Invasion to land in TCG shops two weeks before Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon launched on November 17, 2017.
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JP to EN at a glance
| Japanese set | Code | JP release | English set | EN release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awakened Heroes | SM4 | Oct 20, 2017 | Crimson Invasion | Nov 3, 2017 |
| Ultradimensional Beasts | SM4+ | Oct 20, 2017 | Crimson Invasion | Nov 3, 2017 |
Both Japanese sets arrived the same day and were combined into a single 111-card English set. The 14-day release gap stands out in the Sun and Moon era, where most sets had a six-to-eight week window between Japanese and English street dates. Limitless TCG lists each card in SM4 and SM4+ with its confirmed EN Crimson Invasion number, and Serebii documents the full EN set with set-code references.
The unique insight for importers: because both SM4 and SM4+ released the same day, there was no split-import window. A collector who wanted Buzzwole GX in Japanese could not have opened SM4+ weeks ahead of SM4: both arrived simultaneously. The compressed 14-day JP-to-EN gap meant the import advantage was minimal compared with almost every other Sun and Moon set in the era.
On this page 5 sections
What's different in the box
| Feature | Japanese (SM4 or SM4+) | English Crimson Invasion |
|---|---|---|
| Cards per pack | 5 | 10 |
| Packs per booster box | 30 | 36 |
| Observed price, booster box | $1,800 USD (sealed vintage, Oct 2026) | $180–$750 USD (Oct 2026) |
| Set code | SM4 / SM4+ | CIN |
| Language | Japanese | English |
The sealed Japanese booster box for Awakened Heroes now trades at vintage premium. A new, sealed SM4S box from a seller like Rizo Sports reflects collector-grade scarcity, not the 2017 retail price. English Crimson Invasion booster boxes span a wider price band because more sealed English stock survived into 2026.
JP packs contain 5 cards in a smaller slip. English packs deliver 10. Neither format included a digital code card.
Crimson Invasion predated the app era where code cards became standard. Both formats feature the same hit rates for GX pulls per pack slot.
Key GX cards and their set homes
Knowing which JP set holds a specific GX tells you which box to target. Limitless TCG's SM4 list maps every card to its EN Crimson Invasion number.
| Card | JP source | EN number | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzwole GX | SM4+ (Ultradimensional Beasts) | 57/111 | Ultra Beast |
| Kartana GX | SM4+ (Ultradimensional Beasts) | 70/111 | Ultra Beast |
| Guzzlord GX | SM4+ (Ultradimensional Beasts) | 63/111 | Ultra Beast |
| Nihilego GX | SM4+ (Ultradimensional Beasts) | 101/111 | Ultra Beast |
| Silvally GX | SM4 (Awakened Heroes) | 90/111 | Normal |
| Kommo-o GX | SM4 (Awakened Heroes) | 100/111 | Dragon |
SM4+ is the Ultra Beast set. All four debut Ultra Beast GX cards in Crimson Invasion, including Buzzwole, Kartana, Guzzlord, and Nihilego, originate in Ultradimensional Beasts.
A collector chasing any Ultra Beast in Japanese opens SM4+, not SM4. SM4 covers the rest of the set, including Silvally GX with its versatile Any-type attack.
The EN set also carries secret rares numbered above 111. Buzzwole GX 115/111 is the gold hyper rare treatment, one of the more coveted singles from the set.
Secret rare treatments exist for multiple Ultra Beasts in the English set; check Limitless for the full list. Most single collectors find singles more cost-efficient than cracking sealed boxes, given the vintage premium now attached to Crimson Invasion.
Japanese or English: four things to weigh
Price and vintage scarcity
English Crimson Invasion booster boxes span $180–$750 USD from independent sellers at current observed prices. Sealed Japanese SM4S boxes command a collector-grade premium: the $1,800 USD asking price on one current listing reflects seven-year-old sealed vintage stock, not a comparable opened-box price.
For singles, the pricing gap largely disappears. A Buzzwole GX 57/111 EN single runs $4–$8 USD from multiple shops. Its JP SM4+ equivalent is similarly priced, sometimes lower, though availability is thinner.
Tournament play
Official English-language Play! Pokémon events require English cards. JP SM4 and SM4+ singles cannot be used in sanctioned North American, European, or Oceanian tournaments. JP prints are legal only in Japanese-language official events.
Crimson Invasion rotated out of the Standard format years ago, so tournament legality is most relevant for Legacy or retro-format events that use expanded card pools.
Language and readability
Every card in SM4 and SM4+ is printed in Japanese. Artwork, card dimensions, and attack layout are identical to English, but text requires Japanese reading ability to use in gameplay. Collectors who know the set by artwork alone, and the Ultra Beasts are visually distinctive, can identify pulls without reading the text.
Grading
PSA, CGC, and BGS accept Japanese cards at standard submission tiers with no separate grading scale for language. Sun and Moon era Japanese print quality is generally noted for consistent centering. Collectors who grade JP GX singles for display often target the hyper rare treatments, which were not produced in as high volumes as the EN equivalent given the smaller Japanese print run.
The Clanging Thunder theme deck, built around Kommo-o GX, was the entry point for new players joining the set. It remains one of the more affordable sealed Crimson Invasion products for collectors who want a complete set experience without opening booster boxes at vintage-level prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the English equivalent of Japanese Awakened Heroes (SM4)?
English Crimson Invasion (released November 3, 2017) is the direct English equivalent of both Awakened Heroes (SM4) and Ultradimensional Beasts (SM4+). Both Japanese sets released the same day, October 20, 2017, and were combined into a single 111-card English set just 14 days later.
Which Japanese set has Buzzwole GX?
Buzzwole GX originates in SM4+ (Ultradimensional Beasts). All four Ultra Beast GX cards in the English Crimson Invasion set, including Buzzwole, Kartana, Guzzlord, and Nihilego, come from SM4+. SM4 (Awakened Heroes) is the source for Silvally GX and Kommo-o GX.
Why was the gap between Japanese and English Crimson Invasion so short?
The 14-day gap was the tightest of any Sun and Moon base set release. The Pokémon Company timed Crimson Invasion to land in TCG stores on November 3, 2017, exactly two weeks before Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon released globally on November 17, 2017. Getting Ultra Beasts into the card game immediately before the games that feature them was a deliberate launch coordination.
Can I use SM4 Japanese cards in tournaments?
Not in English-language events. Official Play! Pokémon tournament rules require English-language cards for sanctioned play in North America, Europe, and Oceania.
SM4 and SM4+ prints are legal only in Japanese-language official events. Crimson Invasion is also out of Standard rotation, so this is most relevant for expanded or legacy formats.
How many cards are in English Crimson Invasion versus the Japanese sets?
English Crimson Invasion has 111 numbered cards plus a set of secret rares numbered above 111. The two source Japanese sets together cover the same core card pool, though the EN set adds Hyper Rare (gold) treatments and other secret rare variants not in the original JP prints. Limitless TCG lists the exact card-by-card crosswalk at limitlesstcg.com/cards/jp/SM4.
Browse Crimson Invasion booster boxes, singles, and sealed product from independent shops at the DexHaul Japanese cards collection. Prices observed October 2026 from verified seller listings across the DexHaul search catalogue.
Catch 'em all
More Crimson Invasion listings from independent shops.