Celestial Storm vs Lost Thunder ETB: Which to Buy (2026)

Buy Celestial Storm if you want Rayquaza-GX and a tighter set where every pack has a better shot at the headline pull. Buy Lost Thunder if you want maximum variety from the largest Sun and Moon main-series set, with three landmark GX cards across Johto and Alola.

Both released in the second half of 2018 and share the standard Sun and Moon ETB format: eight booster packs, themed card sleeves, energy cards, dice, and a collector's box. The choice comes down to which set's Pokémon you want to chase and how much of the secondary market price difference matters to you.

At a glance

Where Celestial Storm wins

Rayquaza-GX is the headline chase

Rayquaza-GX is the defining card of Celestial Storm. Its secret rare Rainbow version and the full-art variant are among the most visually striking cards from the Sun and Moon era, and Rayquaza remains one of the most collected Dragon-type Pokémon in any format.

If Rayquaza is the reason you're looking at this set at all, Celestial Storm is the only ETB that gives you that card. Lost Thunder has no Rayquaza.

A tighter set improves your hit rate

Celestial Storm has 183 cards against Lost Thunder's 236. With the same eight packs per ETB, you are pulling from a noticeably smaller pool. That means your eight packs cover a higher proportion of the set and give you a better statistical chance of hitting the rarer GX cards, including the secret rares.

For collectors who open sealed product to complete a set or hit specific pulls, the smaller card pool is a genuine advantage.

Sinnoh and Ultra Beast appeal

Celestial Storm draws heavily on Pokémon from the Sinnoh region and the Ultra Beasts introduced in Sun and Moon, including Stakataka-GX. Articuno-GX and Blaziken-GX round out a lineup that appeals to collectors who grew up with Diamond and Pearl.

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Where Lost Thunder wins

The largest Sun and Moon main-series set

Lost Thunder is the biggest main-series set in the Sun and Moon block at 236 cards, which gives it the most complete snapshot of Pokémon from the Alola games and the Johto region. Collectors who want to represent as much of the SM era as possible in a single sealed product get far more card diversity from Lost Thunder.

The 22 secret rares are also more than Celestial Storm's 15, so there are more chase targets at the top of the set.

Three landmark GX headliners

Zeraora-GX, Lugia-GX, and Suicune-GX make Lost Thunder one of the most GX-dense sets of the era. Lugia and Suicune are among the most recognized Johto legendaries, and their GX cards remain popular with collectors who came to Pokémon TCG through the Gold and Silver games.

Lower observed secondary market price

At the time of writing, Lost Thunder ETBs are listed at CA$1,299.99 on the secondary market while Celestial Storm ETBs start closer to USD$1,800. Both are discontinued sealed products with no official reprint planned, so prices reflect collector demand rather than any original retail MSRP. Lost Thunder is currently the more accessible entry point of the two if budget is a factor.

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The deciding question

The simplest split: if Rayquaza is the reason you want an SM-era ETB, there is no substitute for Celestial Storm. If Johto legendaries and a wide pull variety matter more, Lost Thunder is the right call.

For players who came to these sets through competitive use, Zeraora-GX from Lost Thunder saw more tournament play during the Sun and Moon era, which may matter to players building a nostalgic tournament-legal collection. Neither set is currently tournament-legal in the Standard format; both are expanded or casual play only.

Collectors who want to own one sealed SM ETB from 2018 and plan to display it rather than open it face the cleaner version of this decision: Celestial Storm is the more iconic box art (the Rayquaza sky design), while Lost Thunder's Zeraora design is equally distinctive. It comes down to which cover speaks to you.

Pokémon TCG Sun & Moon Celestial Storm Elite Trainer Box

$1,800.00 USD (observed October 26, 2026)

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Pokemon Lost Thunder Elite Trainer Box

CA$1,299.99 CAD (observed October 26, 2026)

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Frequently asked questions

What comes inside a Celestial Storm Elite Trainer Box?

Eight Sun and Moon Celestial Storm booster packs (10 cards each plus one basic Energy), 65 Rayquaza card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a player's guide, 6 damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, 2 acrylic condition markers, and a collector's storage box.

What comes inside a Lost Thunder Elite Trainer Box?

Eight Sun and Moon Lost Thunder booster packs (10 cards each plus one basic Energy), 65 Zeraora card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a player's guide, 6 damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, 2 acrylic condition markers, and a collector's storage box.

Which set has more secret rare cards?

Lost Thunder has 22 secret rares against Celestial Storm's 15, so it offers more chase targets at the top of the set list. Celestial Storm's smaller secret rare count is offset by a tighter total set size that gives each card a slightly better hit rate per pack.

Are these ETBs still worth opening?

Both are discontinued sealed products sold at significant secondary market premiums above any original retail price. Opening a box destroys the sealed value.

Most buyers at today's prices are display collectors or dedicated set completionists rather than casual openers. If you want the cards for a completed set binder, buying singles is almost always more cost-effective.

Can I use these cards in Standard format tournaments?

No. Both sets are from 2018 and have rotated out of the Standard format. They are legal in the Expanded format (HeartGold and SoulSilver onwards) and are widely used in casual and nostalgic play, but not in current Standard tournament events.