Mega Forces vs Ascended Heroes Tins: One Week In, Here's What the Community Decided
By Dexhaul Team · September 4, 2026
Both tin sets launched August 28. Seven days later, prices have settled and the community verdict is in.
Mega Forces (Mega Darkrai ex, Mega Zeraora ex, Mega Dragonite ex) and Ascended Heroes (Mega Feraligatr ex, Mega Emboar ex, Mega Meganium ex) followed the same format: each tin contains three booster packs and a foil promo card featuring a Mega Evolution ex not available elsewhere. The launch week pattern for both sets was predictable, the pricing less so.
Here is where things stand heading into week two.
Mega Forces: Which Tin Won the Week
Mega Darkrai ex and Mega Zeraora ex launched at $29.95 each from Booster Boyz, making them the cheapest individual Mega Evolution tins currently available in the Chaos Rising format lineup.
Darkrai is a perennial fan favorite from the Diamond and Pearl era and draws steady collector demand regardless of product line. The Mega Darkrai ex promo pulls that appeal directly onto the tin: expect this one to hold its $29.95 price longer than the others.
Mega Dragonite ex is the set's premium individual tin, listed at $46.95 at Lazarus Games: a significant step up from the Darkrai and Zeraora tins. The price reflects demand. Dragonite does not appear in standalone tins often, and its Mega evolution art drove collector attention toward this one from announcement day.
The bundled Set of 3 runs $134.99 at Flipside Gaming. Buying all three tins individually from the cheapest sellers currently costs around $107 total. The bundle price reflects convenience, not a discount.
If you want one Mega Forces tin, Darkrai at $29.95 is the clearest value. If you want all three, buy individually.
Ascended Heroes: The Johto Starter Proposition
Ascended Heroes is the more unusual set, and that is precisely what makes it interesting to a specific buyer.
None of the three Ascended Heroes Pokémon have Mega Evolution in any main-series game. Feraligatr, Emboar, and Meganium never received Mega forms in X and Y or Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. These are card-only Mega evolutions, specific to the Chaos Rising era's ME format.
That distinction matters to buyers. Mega Forces (Darkrai, Zeraora, Dragonite) follows the same card-only Mega format, but each of those three Pokémon has a broader fan base that extends past the Johto era. Ascended Heroes is aimed squarely at collectors who grew up with Gold and Silver: the appeal is nostalgia, not competitive play.
Individual tins are priced higher than Mega Forces: Mega Feraligatr ex runs around $49.99 (Phantomich), Mega Emboar ex at $60.00 (Boxed Vinyl), and Mega Meganium ex at $62.95 (Lazarus Games). The Set of 3 from MHDEALSPLUS is $149.95.
Feraligatr is the standout within the set. As the Johto Water starter, it carries the broadest cross-generational appeal of the three. If you are buying only one Ascended Heroes tin, Feraligatr is the clearest starting point on price and collector demand.
The Mini Tin Option
Both launches came with matching mini tins: smaller format, one booster pack, lower promo expectations, lower price.
The mini tins are the entry point for buyers who want a Chaos Rising pack format without committing to a full tin's promo. They work for gifting, sampling, or completing a themed display without spending $50 or more per unit.
They are not a substitute for the main tins if the promo card is part of your purchase decision. The full tins carry significantly better foil promos.
The Week-One Verdict
Seven days in, the two sets have separated into distinct buyer profiles.
Mega Forces appeals to collectors who want the widest-recognized Pokémon in the Mega ex format at the lowest available price. Darkrai at $29.95 is the best individual tin value in the entire Chaos Rising lineup right now. Dragonite at $46.95 is a premium, but it's the right premium for a Pokémon that holds collector interest across every generation.
Ascended Heroes appeals to Johto collectors who want their starter represented in a current card format. The higher individual prices reflect a narrower, more targeted buyer base: Feraligatr, Meganium, and Emboar fans who specifically want this trio.
That is not a criticism. It is why this set exists.
The week-one community lean is toward Mega Forces: more accessible price points, higher-recognition Pokémon, and broader secondary appeal. Ascended Heroes holds its own for the Johto collector specifically, where it has no competition.
Neither set is a speculative buy. These are collector tins at fair launch prices, built for people who want the promo cards in hand.
Search Dexhaul for Mega Forces tins and Ascended Heroes tins to compare current listings from independent shops across both sets.