Ns Zoroark ex
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare numbered 286/217, one of the set's chase pulls
- Backed by heavy competitive play, not only collector appeal
- Raita Kazama full art with its own following
- Upper-tier value within Ascended Heroes SIRs, though not the top card
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Ascended Heroes
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 286/217 · $140.48 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyA meta staple that doubles as a real SIR chase
N's Zoroark ex is one of the cards that shapes how people build in the Ascended Heroes era. The regular version sees heavy competitive play, and that demand spills straight into the Special Illustration Rare. When a card is both a tournament four-of and a good-looking full art, the SIR usually carries a premium. That is the situation here.
“Special Illustration Rare numbered 286/217, one of the set's chase pulls”
The card sits at number 286/217 in the set, past the numbered base set, which marks it as a chase pull rather than a common. Raita Kazama handled the illustration. For master-set builders the math is simple. You need this card to finish the set, and you are bidding against players who want a copy for their deck and against collectors who like the art. Three buyer pools, one card.
It is not the single most expensive card in Ascended Heroes, but it sits in the upper tier of the set's SIR lineup, and it tends to hold value better than cards that lack competitive backing.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Sits in the upper tier of Ascended Heroes Special Illustration Rares. Not the top card in the set, but a strong three-figure SIR with demand from both players and collectors.
Competitive play tends to put a floor under the price. As long as the N's Zoroark archetype stays relevant in Standard, the SIR has a buyer pool that pure collectibles do not. Watch rotation and meta shifts. A card that drops out of the meta usually softens.
Cards with real competitive use plus strong art tend to age better than chase cards that only have looks. The risk here is the meta. If N's Zoroark falls out of favor or rotates, the player-driven part of the demand fades. Graded gem copies are the safer long hold.
Modern SIRs grade well in volume, so raw NM copies are common and PSA 9s carry only a modest bump. A PSA 10 or BGS Black Label is where the meaningful premium lives. For a card this freshly printed, only the top grade really separates from raw.
Ascended Heroes is part of the Scarlet and Violet-era print run, so the SIR class pulls at roughly 1 in 90 packs across all of the set's Special Illustration Rares combined. The odds for this one specific card run far longer than that, since each pack-pulled SIR is spread across the set's full SIR list. In practice you are looking at well into the hundreds of packs to hit this exact card from sealed product. Most collectors buy the single rather than chase it from boxes.
Rarer in the pull order than Double Rares, which come around 1 in 5 packs, and Illustration Rares at about 1 in 12. It is more common than the Hyper Rare gold cards that sit at roughly 1 in 300 to 700. Among Ascended Heroes SIRs, it is one of the more desirable pulls thanks to the competitive tie-in.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Raita Kazama is a long-running Pokemon TCG illustrator known for dynamic, painterly full-art cards. Collectors recognize the name, and a Kazama SIR usually gets attention on its own merits.
The Special Illustration Rare is a full-art treatment of N's Zoroark, the Darkness-type Stage 1 that evolves from N's Zorua. It ties into the N's trainer-Pokemon theme running through Ascended Heroes. I am keeping the scene description general here, because I could not confirm the specific composition from a source I trust, and I would rather say less than guess.
Special Illustration Rare, full-art layout with the extended illustration filling the frame and the holo pattern used for SIRs in this era. Card number 286/217, placing it in the secret-rare range above the numbered base set.
It pairs a recognized illustrator with a Pokemon that is both fan-favorite and tournament-relevant. That combination is what turns a nice card into a card people chase.
BackgroundAbout Ns Zoroark ex
Zoroark is the Illusion Fox Pokemon, introduced in the Black and White generation and closely tied to the character N, the antagonist-turned-ally of those games. The N's trainer-Pokemon naming reinforces that lore connection, which is a big part of why this line resonates with players who grew up on Gen 5.
- ›Strong nostalgia for N and the Black and White storyline
- ›Zoroark's Illusion gimmick has always been popular in both games and TCG
- ›The card backs up the fan appeal with genuine competitive power
- ›Anchors the N's Zoroark ex archetype in the Ascended Heroes-era Standard format
- ›Often built alongside other N's Pokemon to round out matchups
The regular N's Zoroark ex is a heavily played card. It is a Darkness-type Stage 1 with 280 HP that evolves from N's Zorua. Its Trade ability, which lets you discard a card and draw two once per turn, makes it a strong draw engine. Night Joker copies a benched N's Pokemon's attack, which gives the deck flexibility. In Standard it has run as a Tier 2 archetype with favorable lines into some decks and rough ones into others. The SIR is the deluxe version of a card people actually sleeve up and play.
Own it wellCollector guide
SIRs are full-art and show edge wear and holo scratches easily. Check the borders and the surface under angled light. Fresh pulls can have print lines or off-center cuts, so inspect before paying a top-tier price.
Worth grading only if the card is clean enough to realistically hit a 10. With modern SIRs printed in volume, a 9 carries little premium over a sharp raw copy. Grade your best copies, play or hold the rest raw. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve immediately, then toploader or a graded-style holder. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity. If you run a copy in a deck and keep a copy in the binder, separate them clearly so the played one never ends up in your set. See the storage guide →
Because this card has competitive demand, prices can move with the meta. If you only want it for the master set, buying during a quiet meta stretch or right after a big print wave usually gets you a better number. Buy raw NM for the binder slot. Only pay graded prices if you specifically want a slabbed 10. See the singles buying guide →
Modern card, so counterfeit risk is lower than vintage, but fakes of popular SIRs do exist. Check the holo pattern against a known-good SIR from the same set, confirm the texture on the full-art surface, and verify the 286/217 number and rarity stamp. Buy from reputable sellers or graded for larger spends.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Well received. The card comes up as one of the cards that shapes Ascended Heroes deckbuilding, and the SIR gets attention as both a chase and a play-piece. The mix of competitive use and a recognized artist keeps interest steady.
Discussion centers on the N's Zoroark archetype and its place in the format, with the SIR coming up as the version players want if they are going to run the card anyway. Set ranking and deck-guide coverage has flagged the card as one of the stronger options in the set.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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