Unbroken Bonds vs Cosmic Eclipse ETB: Which to Buy (2026)
By Dexhaul Team · October 13, 2026 · 8 min read
Buy the Unbroken Bonds ETB if you want Reshiram & Charizard-GX from the set's box art or you are building a TAG TEAM era collection that includes Dedenne-GX, the consistency Pokémon that defined competitive play for over two years. Buy the Cosmic Eclipse ETB if Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX is your target, or you want the farewell ETB to the entire Sun and Moon generation.
At a glance
| Unbroken Bonds (SM10) | Cosmic Eclipse (SM12) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | May 3, 2019 | November 1, 2019 |
| Total cards | 234 (214 + 20 secret rares) | 256 (236 + 20 secret rares) |
| Packs per ETB | 8 | 8 |
| Cards per pack | 10 | 10 |
| Signature mechanic | TAG TEAM GX (pairs) | TAG TEAM GX (pairs and trios) |
| Headline TAG TEAM GX | Reshiram & Charizard-GX | Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX |
| Notable support card | Dedenne-GX | Weavile-GX |
| Generation significance | Penultimate main SM expansion | Final main Sun & Moon expansion |
| Original ETB MSRP | $39.99 USD | $39.99 USD |
| Observed ETB prices (Oct 2026) | ~$1,950–$2,000 USD | ~$2,000 USD |
Release dates sourced from Bulbapedia's Unbroken Bonds entry. Card counts are confirmed from the set lists published at Serebii's Unbroken Bonds page. Both ETBs share the same physical format: 8 booster packs, 65 card sleeves, 45 basic energy cards, 6 damage-counter dice, competition-legal coin-flip die, player's guide, and an online code card.
On this page 8 sections
Where Unbroken Bonds wins
Reshiram & Charizard-GX on the box art
Reshiram & Charizard-GX is the headline pull of Unbroken Bonds and the card on the ETB sleeve art. It is a Fire-type TAG TEAM GX that was both visually striking and competitively relevant at launch. For anyone drawn to the Charizard side of the Pokémon hobby, this is the most direct way to pull from a sealed SM-era ETB that leads with a Charizard card on the box.
Cosmic Eclipse's headline is ADP, which features three Legendary Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. ADP is a stronger collector target in 2026 terms, but it does not carry the Charizard recognition factor.
Dedenne-GX: the defining consistency card of its era
Unbroken Bonds contains Dedenne-GX, a Fairy-type GX that lets you draw six new cards by discarding your hand, all at the cost of using your Bench placement for the turn. From May 2019 through the end of the Sword and Shield rotation in 2021, Dedenne-GX appeared in more competitive decklists than virtually any other Pokémon across the format. It was the consistency engine that made high-draw decks viable throughout the TAG TEAM and early VMAX era.
No comparable single-card competitive anchor exists in Cosmic Eclipse at the same level of adoption. Dedenne-GX makes Unbroken Bonds the more historically significant competitive set of the two, not just a collector target.
The deeper TAG TEAM GX roster for pair collectors
Unbroken Bonds has nine TAG TEAM GX pairs in the set. All nine are two-Pokémon combinations: Reshiram & Charizard-GX, Greninja & Zoroark-GX, Lucario & Melmetal-GX, Garchomp & Giratina-GX, and five more. If your collection targets the two-Pokémon TAG TEAM GX structure specifically, Unbroken Bonds offers the densest single-set selection in the entire Sun and Moon era.
Where Cosmic Eclipse wins
ADP: the dominant competitive TAG TEAM GX
Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX, known universally as ADP, is the chase card of Cosmic Eclipse and one of the most impactful TAG TEAM GX cards ever printed. Its Altered Creation GX attack grants an additional Prize card on every knockout AND adds 30 extra damage to all of your attacks for the rest of the game. The deck it anchored was the best Standard deck for most of the 2019 to 2020 competitive season.
ADP alternate art versions from Cosmic Eclipse command significant secondary market values in 2026. For collectors targeting high-value individual Sun and Moon GX cards, ADP is the single clearest chase target between the two ETBs.
The only SM set with three-Pokémon TAG TEAM GX
Cosmic Eclipse is the only main expansion in the entire Sun and Moon series to include TAG TEAM GX cards with three Pokémon in a single team. ADP is the headline example, and Solgaleo & Lunala-GX is another trio combination in the same set. Every TAG TEAM GX in Unbroken Bonds and every other SM expansion uses two-Pokémon pairings only.
The trio format is exclusive to Cosmic Eclipse in the English Sun and Moon series. That structural distinction gives it a collector narrative no other SM ETB can match.
The final main Sun and Moon expansion
Cosmic Eclipse (SM12) is the last standard expansion in the Sun and Moon series before Sword and Shield launched in February 2020. No main expansion came after it in the SM era. Collectors who track sealed products by generation often seek the closing set of each major era: Cosmic Eclipse fills that role for the entire seven-generation Sun and Moon period.
Unbroken Bonds is SM10, the second-to-last main expansion. It is historically significant, but Cosmic Eclipse holds the "farewell set" position.
Larger card pool in a single set
Cosmic Eclipse has 256 cards in its full set (236 base plus 20 secret rares). Unbroken Bonds has 234 cards (214 base plus 20 secret rares). That 22-card difference means 22 additional pull targets across the same eight packs per ETB.
For collectors who weigh variety per box, Cosmic Eclipse has the deeper pool.
The price gap: almost none
Both ETBs launched at the same $39.99 USD retail price in 2019. In October 2026 they sit in near-identical secondary market territory: Unbroken Bonds ETBs are observed at $1,950 to $2,000 USD and Cosmic Eclipse ETBs at around $2,000 USD from independent shops.
That price parity is unusual for a Sun and Moon comparison. Most SM set pairs have clear price leaders. Here, the decision is almost entirely about card targets and collector intent, not budget.
Paying roughly $250 per pack for either ETB means you are buying for the pull experience and the sealed product. Pack-to-singles cost efficiency does not apply at this price bracket.
The deciding question
For TAG TEAM competitive history collectors
Buy both, but if you are picking one: Unbroken Bonds. Dedenne-GX and the competitive TAG TEAM core are more concentrated here. This is the set that shaped the meta for the longest stretch.
For Sun and Moon era completionists
Cosmic Eclipse is the higher-priority pick. The final main SM expansion with the largest card count and the only three-Pokémon TAG TEAM GX in the series. For a complete Sun and Moon sealed ETB run, this is the one you cannot skip.
For single-card chasers
Unbroken Bonds if your target is Reshiram & Charizard-GX. Cosmic Eclipse if your target is ADP. ADP alternate arts command a larger secondary market premium in 2026, but both are legitimate chase targets worth more than the pack cost at random pull rates.
For gift buyers
Neither ETB at $2,000 is a casual gift, but if you need to choose one for an SM-era collector, Cosmic Eclipse is the more defensible choice: it is the farewell set to the generation and ADP is the most recognizable competitive card of its era. That narrative lands with collectors who track set history, which is the audience for a $2,000 ETB gift.
Buy Unbroken Bonds ETB
Pokemon: Unbroken Bonds Elite Trainer Box
$1,949.99 USD · observed Oct 13, 2026
Buy Cosmic Eclipse ETB
FAQ
Which is more expensive: Unbroken Bonds or Cosmic Eclipse ETB?
They are almost equal in October 2026. Unbroken Bonds ETBs are observed at $1,950 to $2,000 USD and Cosmic Eclipse ETBs at around $2,000 USD from independent shops. Both launched at $39.99 USD at retail in 2019, so the secondary market appreciation is comparable across both sets.
What is the rarest card in Unbroken Bonds?
The highest-value pull targets in Unbroken Bonds are the full-art and alternate art versions of Reshiram & Charizard-GX and Greninja & Zoroark-GX. Dedenne-GX is not rare by collector standards but is the most historically significant card for competitive play history in the set.
What is ADP and why is it famous?
ADP stands for Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX, the TAG TEAM GX trio from Cosmic Eclipse. Its GX attack, Altered Creation GX, permanently raised your damage output and let you take extra Prize cards for the rest of the game. The deck it anchored was the dominant Standard deck for most of 2019 to 2020, making ADP one of the most recognized competitive TAG TEAM GX cards ever printed.
Is Cosmic Eclipse the last Sun and Moon set?
Cosmic Eclipse (SM12) is the last standard expansion in the Sun and Moon series. A handful of special products and promo sets followed, but no standard booster set was released after Cosmic Eclipse before Sword and Shield launched in February 2020. It is the farewell main expansion for the Sun and Moon generation.
How many packs are in Unbroken Bonds and Cosmic Eclipse ETBs?
Both ETBs contain 8 booster packs with 10 cards per pack, for 80 cards total per ETB. The pack count and cards per pack are identical. The difference is in the card pool each set draws from: 234 cards for Unbroken Bonds and 256 for Cosmic Eclipse.
Is three-Pokémon TAG TEAM GX exclusive to Cosmic Eclipse?
Yes. Cosmic Eclipse is the only standard Sun and Moon expansion to include TAG TEAM GX cards with three Pokémon on a single card. ADP and Solgaleo & Lunala-GX are the notable examples. Every TAG TEAM GX in all other SM expansions, including Unbroken Bonds, uses two-Pokémon pairings.
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