Cinccino ex
Quick take
- Surprise mid-chase pulling $114+ on day-one English
- Cinccino has no Mega form, the SIR slot is unusual for a non-Mega Pokemon at this rarity tier
- Iwamoto illustration consistently cited as one of the prettiest in the set
- Cult fanbase from Generation V Black and White collectors
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Chaos Rising
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 119/86 · $47.41 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe Surprise SIR That Outpriced Most of the Megas
Most Chaos Rising SIRs run on Mega Evolution debut energy. Greninja, Floette, Dragalge, all carrying the Legends: Z-A spotlight into the TCG. Cinccino doesn't have any of that. The chinchilla Pokemon from Pokemon Black and White is just a Pokemon, no Mega form, no legendary status, no mainstream marketing weight. The SIR landed at #119 in a set where it should have been forgettable.
“Surprise mid-chase pulling $114+ on day-one English”
It wasn't forgettable. Day-one English market cleared $100, then $114. Pull videos paused for the Cinccino specifically. Reddit threads flagged it as the sleeper SIR of the set within the first week. The Iwamoto illustration is the thing carrying it, soft palette, clean composition, fur texture rendered at a level of detail most chase cards don't bother attempting.
The second factor is cult demand. Cinccino has had a small but committed fanbase since Black and White, the kind of Pokemon collectors who don't show up for every release but absolutely show up when a Cinccino SIR appears. Combined with the illustration's broader appeal, the cult base pushed pricing past several Mega ex SIRs in the same set. The result is the only sub-Mega card in Chaos Rising trading at this tier.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Around $114 raw on TCGPlayer at last sync. Mid-cluster Chaos Rising SIR pricing, alongside Mega Dragalge ex SIR (~$111). Above lower-tier Mega Floette and AZ's Tranquility. Below Mega Greninja by a wide margin.
Cult-driven cards trade with lower volatility than headline chase cards because the demand pool is committed rather than speculative. The Cinccino fanbase doesn't flip cards. Expect the $90-120 range to hold through the 60-day window. If the surprise pricing holds, the card establishes itself as a durable mid-tier hold. If it drifts toward $80, that becomes the long-term level.
Moderate with question marks. Cinccino doesn't benefit from a Z-A spotlight or franchise mascot status, so the upside depends entirely on whether the cult demand and illustration appeal compound or fade. Long holds work for collectors who genuinely connect with Cinccino. Speculation-focused buyers face uncertainty. PSA 10 graded copies are the cleanest path if pursued.
PSA 10 around 1.3-1.8x raw. The soft palette and detailed fur work expose print inconsistencies. Centering is the main grading variable. Worth submitting clean copies, though the lower base value tightens the economics relative to headline cards.
Roughly 1 in 72 packs across all six Chaos Rising SIRs. Per-Cinccino odds at around 1 in 432 packs.
One of six SIRs in Chaos Rising. Mid-tier alongside Mega Dragalge SIR. The pricing surprise puts Cinccino above several Mega ex SIRs in the same set, which is unusual, non-Mega ex cards typically trade below Mega ex SIRs at the same rarity tier.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Artist information pending verification from card database updates. Likely Iwamoto based on compositional style.
Cinccino in a soft, dappled environment. The fur scarf, the curling tail, the soft grey-white-pink palette. The composition is portrait-style rather than action-led, decorative rather than dynamic. Background suggests a forest or meadow without rendering it explicitly.
Special Illustration Rare with full-bleed textured holofoil. Texture follows the fur contours, which is technically demanding on soft organic shapes, printers don't always nail texture on fur. This print handles it well.
Cinccino is rarely treated as a hero card. The SIR slot gives the Pokemon the kind of illustrative treatment usually reserved for legendaries or starters. The result is one of the most distinctive non-Mega cards in the entire Mega Evolution era, and the most-loved illustration in Chaos Rising outside of Mega Greninja.
BackgroundAbout Cinccino ex
Cinccino debuted in Pokemon Black and White (2010) as the evolved form of Minccino. National Pokedex #573. Normal-type chinchilla design. Signature move Tail Slap. Best known competitively for Skill Link combined with Tail Slap and Bullet Seed for guaranteed five-hit multi-hit moves. Furious Fists (2014) gave Cinccino its first TCG full-art treatment. Sun and Moon competitive scenes featured Cinccino in niche but functional builds.
- ›Cute factor, the chinchilla design appeals to collectors who lean toward 'pretty' over 'powerful'
- ›Skill Link / Tail Slap competitive niche gives the Pokemon crossover appeal
- ›Generation V nostalgia for Unova collectors building era sets
- ›Limited premium TCG appearances make each new card noteworthy
- ›Soft palette and clean design work well across art-led card treatments
- ›Evolved form in Pokemon Black/White (2010)
- ›Multiple competitive scene appearances with Skill Link in Gen V/VI/VII
- ›Furious Fists TCG full-art (2014)
- ›Occasional anime cameos in Pokemon Best Wishes
- ›Pokemon Masters EX as a synced pair option
Cinccino has had legitimate competitive presence since Black and White via Skill Link + Tail Slap (always 5 hits, effectively 125 base power) and Bullet Seed. Outclassed in higher tiers but viable in lower competitive formats. The TCG card has decent stats for an ex but isn't a build-around inclusion.
Own it wellCollector guide
The soft palette exposes centering drift more than dark-background SIRs. The fur texture should be uniform under angled light, uneven texture on organic shapes is a print issue that grades down. Inspect carefully before sleeving.
Grade clean copies. PSA 10 premium runs 1.3-1.8x raw, which clears submission costs on pristine copies. Centering at 55/45 or better on both axes is the threshold. Marginal copies are better held raw at this price point. Read the grading guide →
Perfect-fit sleeve on pull. Top loader or magnetic case for raw. Body oil on the fur texture leaves visible marks, handle by the edges. See the storage guide →
TCGPlayer Direct for raw, eBay for both raw and graded. Wait 2-4 weeks post-release for the surprise pricing to settle. The card may soften from $114 toward $90 over the 60-day window, which is a meaningfully better entry point if you can be patient. See the singles buying guide →
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Strongly positive, with surprise as the consistent framing. The community consensus going into release didn't expect Cinccino above $100. Pull videos celebrating the SIR moved the social needle in week one. r/PokemonTCG flagged it as the sleeper SIR within days. The 'I didn't know I needed a Cinccino SIR until I saw it' sentiment captures the response.
- ›Day-one TCGPlayer market around $114 raw
- ›Early graded PSA 10 copies pushing toward $200 as population builds
Higher than expected for a non-Mega, non-legendary SIR. The illustration shares standalone on Twitter and Reddit constantly. Discussions about whether this is the prettiest non-Mega card in the era are active.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Mega Evolution Chaos Rising master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
