Sun and Moon vs Guardians Rising Booster Box: Which to Buy (2026)
By Dexhaul Team · October 31, 2026 · 6 min read
Two booster boxes. Same era, same format, three months apart.
The Sun and Moon vs Guardians Rising booster box question comes down to a single trade-off: buy Sun & Moon (SM1) if you want the historic first Pokémon-GX release at a lower per-pack cost, or buy Guardians Rising (SM2) if Tapu Lele-GX and the competitive weight of the second SM set justify its 74% price premium over SM1, based on listings observed October 31, 2026.
Sun and Moon vs Guardians Rising Booster Box: At a Glance
Both Sun & Moon (SM1, released February 3, 2017) and Guardians Rising (SM2, released May 5, 2017) are sealed vintage booster boxes from the first year of the Sun & Moon Series. They share identical pack and card counts. The differences are in set composition, notable pull, and current price.
| Sun & Moon (SM1) | Guardians Rising (SM2) | |
|---|---|---|
| EN Release | February 3, 2017 | May 5, 2017 |
| Set Code | SM1 | SM2 |
| Total Cards | 163 (149 + 14 secret rares) | 169 (145 + 24 secret rares) |
| Notable GX Cards | Solgaleo-GX, Lunala-GX, Umbreon-GX, Espeon-GX | Tapu Lele-GX, Lycanroc-GX, Sylveon-GX, Tapu Koko-GX |
| Packs per Box | 36 | 36 |
| Cards per Pack | 10 | 10 |
| MSRP at Release | ~$143.64 (36 × $3.99) | ~$143.64 (36 × $3.99) |
| Observed Price | $949.99 (Oct 31, 2026) | $1,649.99 (Oct 31, 2026) |
| Per-Pack (Observed) | $26.39 | $45.83 |
Price per pack is calculated by dividing the observed box price by 36. The $19.44-per-pack difference between the two sets, based on current listings, reflects the premium collectors place on Guardians Rising's specific GX pull pool.
For the Japanese equivalents of both sets, see DexHaul's Collection Sun and Collection Moon guide and the Guardians Rising SM2 English equivalent page.
On this page 8 sections
Where Sun & Moon Wins
Lower price per pack
At $949.99, Sun & Moon works out to $26.39 per pack. That is $19.44 less per pack than Guardians Rising at the same date. For a collector who wants a sealed SM-era box and is not chasing a specific GX single, SM1 offers the more accessible per-pack entry point into the first year of the Sun & Moon Series.
The first Pokémon-GX set
Sun & Moon is where the GX mechanic arrived in the English TCG. Solgaleo-GX and Lunala-GX are the mascot cards, supported by Umbreon-GX and Espeon-GX as the Eeveelution pair of the set. Collectors building a first-appearance archive treat this box differently from later SM expansions.
The 163-card total includes 14 secret rares: full-art Trainer cards and alternate-art GX cards. Alolan forms also make their TCG debut here, with Alolan Exeggutor and Alolan Vulpix among the new arrivals from Generation VII.
Where Guardians Rising Wins
Tapu Lele-GX
Guardians Rising commands a 74% price premium over Sun & Moon largely because of one card. Tapu Lele-GX (card 60/145) carries the Wonder Tag ability, which let players search their deck for any Supporter card during setup. That made it a four-copy staple across competitive SM-era decks from 2017 through the end of the series.
No equivalent utility card appears in SM1. For collectors whose focus is the competitive history of the Sun & Moon Series, Guardians Rising is the more significant sealed artifact.
More secret rares per box
Guardians Rising packs 24 secret rares into its 169-card set, versus 14 in SM1's 163-card set. That means a higher density of full-art Trainer cards, rainbow-rare GX cards, and alternate-art versions per box. Additional notable GX cards include Lycanroc-GX, Sylveon-GX, Kommo-o-GX, and Vikavolt-GX, alongside the Tapu island guardians Tapu Koko-GX and Tapu Lele-GX.
The Deciding Question
Three buyer types, three clear answers.
Opening for the experience: SM1 gives you 360 cards from the first wave of Alola's TCG chapter at $26.39 per pack. If the unboxing matters more than specific pulls, Sun & Moon is the stronger value.
Building a sealed SM-era collection: both sets come from the same series year, so the choice depends on which GX lineup you prioritize. SM1 is the historical opener. SM2 holds Tapu Lele-GX and the deepest secret-rare pool of the two.
As a gift for a collector: Sun & Moon's lower observed price is the easier decision. If they want packs with accessories like sleeves and dice rather than a bare sealed box, the Sun and Moon vs Guardians Rising ETB comparison covers that format directly.
Neither box is current Standard-legal. Both are sealed vintage from 2017, meaning every buyer is treating the box as a collector artifact rather than a tournament prep tool.
See the full Pokémon booster boxes guide for how each SM-era set fits into a broader sealed collection.
These as Holiday Gifts in 2026
Sealed vintage booster boxes make a statement gift for serious Pokémon TCG collectors. Sun & Moon at $949.99 is the more approachable option. Guardians Rising at $1,649.99 suits collectors who specifically track SM-era competitive history.
For a wider range of gift options across every format and budget, DexHaul's Pokémon holiday gift guide covers picks from under $20 through sealed vintage. Use the price per pack tool to compare booster box value across all currently available SM sets.
FAQ
Are Sun & Moon and Guardians Rising from the same TCG series?
Yes. Both are from the Sun & Moon Series of the Pokémon TCG, released in 2017.
Sun & Moon (SM1) launched February 3, 2017; Guardians Rising (SM2) followed May 5, 2017. Both use the same 36-pack, 10-cards-per-pack box format and the Pokémon-GX mechanic.
How many cards are in each booster box?
Each box yields 360 cards total (36 packs × 10 cards). The Sun & Moon set draws from a pool of 163 cards; Guardians Rising draws from 169. Neither figure guarantees how many rare or GX cards you pull, as distribution is random.
Why does Guardians Rising cost so much more than Sun & Moon?
The observed gap as of October 31, 2026 is approximately $700 per box. The premium reflects Tapu Lele-GX, one of the most widely played competitive cards of the SM era. Its Wonder Tag ability was a four-copy staple in top SM-era decks, making sealed Guardians Rising stock historically significant to competitive collectors.
Can these cards be used in official Pokémon TCG tournaments?
Not in Standard format. Both SM1 and SM2 are outside the current Standard rotation.
They are legal in Expanded format, which allows older sets. Check the rotation rules on Pokémon.com for the current Expanded card pool.
What is the MSRP for each booster box?
Both sets launched at the same MSRP of approximately $143.64, calculated as 36 packs at $3.99 per pack. Current secondary-market prices are significantly higher because both are sealed vintage products. The observed prices above reflect listings on October 31, 2026, not the original retail price.
Browse every Sun & Moon series booster box currently in stock at DexHaul's booster boxes collection, with listings from independent merchants across the full SM era.