Mega Forces vs Ascended Heroes Tins: Four Days In, Which One Should You Buy?
By Dexhaul Team · September 1, 2026
If you're trying to choose between Mega Forces and Ascended Heroes, here's the short version: Mega Forces is the better value per dollar, Ascended Heroes is the pick for Gen 2 starter fans, and Dragonite is the wild card in either set.
Both tin lines dropped August 28 as part of the ongoing Mega Evolution product arc. They share the same basic format: one large collectible tin, one Mega Evolution ex promotional card, and four booster packs. What they don't share is price, and understanding why tells you exactly which one to buy.
This isn't a preview. These are live listings across independent shops, with real current prices. Dexhaul is independent and unofficial; this review reflects what's actually available right now.
Mega Forces: The Budget-Friendly Set
The Mega Forces line features three tins: Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Zeraora ex, and Mega Dragonite ex. Two of them are the most affordable Mega Evolution tins currently listed anywhere.
Mega Darkrai ex and Mega Zeraora ex
Both tins are listed at $29.95 USD at Booster Boyz, making them the cheapest standalone Mega Evolution tins in any current lineup. Darkrai has been a collector favorite since its debut in the Diamond and Pearl era, and its Mega form pushes that aesthetic into full theatrical darkness. Zeraora, the Mythical Electric-type introduced in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, has a smaller but devoted following.
At $29.95 each, these are fair prices. Other sellers list the same tins in the $33–$40 range; if you're comfortable ordering from Booster Boyz, that's the current price floor. Neither tin is significantly rarer than the other at retail.
Mega Dragonite ex
Dragonite is the exception. The same tin format, the same four packs, but listings run $46.95 at Lazarus Games and up to $49.95 at Shopverse and Boxed Vinyl. That's a $17–$20 premium over the Darkrai and Zeraora tins for a product with identical contents.
The premium is pure collector demand. Dragonite is among the most consistently popular Dragon-type Pokémon across every generation of the franchise, and it doesn't appear in a standalone tin often.
If Dragonite is your Pokémon, it's worth the markup. If it isn't, Darkrai or Zeraora gives you the same pack contents for $17 less.
Ascended Heroes: The Gen 2 Starter Set
The Ascended Heroes line features Mega Emboar ex, Mega Feraligatr ex, and Mega Meganium ex. All three are Mega Evolutions of the Johto starter final forms, and all three are priced meaningfully higher than the Mega Forces tins.
Mega Feraligatr ex is the lowest-priced entry in the set at $49.99 (Phantomich) and $58.00 (Hobbiesville). Mega Emboar ex runs $60.00 at Boxed Vinyl. Mega Meganium ex comes in at $62.95 at Lazarus Games.
None of these are priced at $29.95.
That pricing gap compared to Mega Forces is the most important thing to understand before buying. Both product lines offer the same core format: one promo card, four packs.
The content difference is the Pokémon on the tin. Ascended Heroes costs more because Johto starters carry deeper nostalgia for a specific generation of Pokémon fans, not because the product is fundamentally more premium.
If Feraligatr, Emboar, or Meganium is your Pokémon, Ascended Heroes is the right call. The promo card alone makes it worth collecting in that case. If you're buying for the packs and treating the promo as a bonus, the value math points you back to Mega Forces.
The Verdict by Buyer Type
The sets serve different collectors. Neither one is objectively better.
Buy Mega Forces if you want the best pack value
Mega Darkrai ex and Mega Zeraora ex at $29.95 each are the lowest-priced individual Mega Evolution tins you'll find right now. If you're buying primarily for the booster packs and the promo is secondary, these are the clear choice. The Dragonite tin closes the price gap significantly, so evaluate your Pokémon preference before paying the premium.
Buy Ascended Heroes if the Johto starters matter to you
These are the first standalone tins featuring Mega Feraligatr, Mega Emboar, and Mega Meganium as the headline promo. Collectors who grew up with Gold and Silver, or who specifically collect Johto cards, won't find this trio in many other recent products. The price reflects demand, not a content upgrade.
Buy both sets if you want the full Mega Evolution slate
The two lines don't overlap. Between them, you get six distinct Mega Evolution ex promos: Darkrai, Zeraora, Dragonite, Emboar, Feraligatr, and Meganium.
Set bundles help on price: the Mega Forces Set of 3 is available at $79.43 (Precision TCG) or $134.99 (Flipside Gaming) depending on seller, and the Ascended Heroes Set of 3 runs $149.95 (MHDEALSPLUS) to $189.95 (Flipside Gaming). Buying per-tin from individual sellers often undercuts the bundled set price, so compare before committing.
The Budget Entry: Mini Tins
Mini Tins exist for both lines and serve a genuinely different use case. Each Mini Tin includes two booster packs and a smaller-format collector tin. Individual Mini Tins are listed at $29.99–$39.00 from sellers including Double Infinity Gaming and PackFlipps.
At $39 for two packs, a Mini Tin is pricier per pack than a standard tin. The appeal is the tin itself as a desk or storage piece, and the lower commitment cost. Multiple art variants are available across the Ascended Heroes Mini Tin line, including Clefairy and Chikorita, Zorua and Cramorant, and Pikachu and Tepig pairings.
Mini Tins aren't the smartest pack-per-dollar buy, but they're the easiest gift option in the entire lineup. At $29.99 to $39 they sit well under the big-tin price point, and the art variety means there's almost always a combination that fits a specific person.
Where to Buy
Prices vary more than you'd expect across sellers. The same Mega Darkrai ex tin ranges from $29.95 to $40+ depending on where you look; the same pattern holds for every tin in both sets. Comparing a few listings before buying is worth the two minutes it takes.
Search both Mega Forces and Ascended Heroes tins across independent shops at DexHaul's Mega Forces search and the Ascended Heroes search to see current listings sorted by price. DexHaul aggregates listings from independent shops and shows you prices in your local currency.