Pack EV calculator

Obsidian Flames — pack EV

On average, a Obsidian Flames pack returns €2.36 (typical pack price ~€4.49).

EV per pack
€2.36
Pack price (MSRP)
€4.49
Return on MSRP
53%
EV per box (36 packs)
€84.86

Per-rarity breakdown

Per-pack probability × average price (Cardmarket EUR) = EV share. Rows sum exactly to the headline.

Rarity Per pack Cards
Illustration Rare ≈ 1 in 13 packs 12 €11.02 €0.85 36%
Uncommon ×3.8 74 €0.14 €0.52 22%
Rare ≈ 1 in 1 packs 10 €0.28 €0.24 10%
Common ×5 92 €0.05 €0.23 10%
Special Illustration Rare ≈ 1 in 32 packs 6 €6.84 €0.21 9%
Double Rare ≈ 1 in 7 packs 21 €1.14 €0.16 7%
Ultra Rare ≈ 1 in 15 packs 12 €1.57 €0.10 4%
Hyper Rare ≈ 1 in 54 packs 3 €1.96 €0.04 2%
Total per pack €2.36

Top hits of the set

  1. Charizard ex

    Charizard ex

    #223 · Special Illustration Rare

    €119.99

  2. Ninetales

    Ninetales

    #199 · Illustration Rare

    €30.86

  3. Charizard ex

    Charizard ex

    #228 · Hyper Rare

    €29.10

  4. Cleffa

    Cleffa

    #202 · Illustration Rare

    €23.17

  5. Pidgeot ex

    Pidgeot ex

    #225 · Special Illustration Rare

    €20.95

  6. Gloom

    Gloom

    #198 · Illustration Rare

    €19.16

  7. Charizard ex

    Charizard ex

    #215 · Ultra Rare

    €15.39

  8. Pidgey

    Pidgey

    #207 · Illustration Rare

    €13.72

Methodology and sources

Formula: EV_pack = Σ (per-pack probability of each rarity × average EUR price of that rarity's cards in the set). The breakdown above lists exactly those terms.

Prices: latest Cardmarket EUR quote per card (230 of 230 cards priced). Within each rarity we use the plain mean of every card — chase cards included. A price is only dropped when it looks like a data error: more than 10× the rarity's median AND more than 3× the next-highest price. Bulk cards are NOT excluded — they are part of the real expectation.

Pull rates: community estimates (documented mass pack openings), never official — The Pokémon Company does not publish pull rates. Within a tier (e.g. Galarian Gallery) we assume uniform probability per card. Reverse holos are valued at the regular card's price. Rows marked * use the era baseline rate because nobody has measured that set.

EV is a long-run average: any single pack will usually return much less (the norm) or occasionally much more (the hit). This is not investment advice.

Community estimates, not official — The Pokémon Company never publishes pull rates. Baseline measured on SV base (8,000+ packs); per-set drift exists (2024 sets Twilight Masquerade→Surging Sparks had Special Illustration Rare closer to 1 in 85-90 packs). ACE SPEC slot applies only from Temporal Forces (sv5) onward; the resolver drops it automatically for sets without ACE SPEC cards. Reverse-holo cards are valued at the regular card's price (reverse variants are not priced separately in our data).

Pull-rate sources

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth opening Obsidian Flames packs?
On average a pack returns €2.36, 53% of its MSRP (€4.49). As with almost every set, opening packs loses value versus buying singles — you pay for the thrill of the rip.
How is the expected value (EV) of a pack calculated?
We multiply each rarity's per-pack probability by the average EUR price (Cardmarket) of that rarity's cards in the set, then sum: EV = Σ P(rarity) × avg price(rarity). A price is only excluded when it looks like a data error (over 10× the rarity's median and 3× the next-highest price); legitimate chase cards count.
Are these pull rates official?
No. The Pokémon Company never publishes pull rates. We use community estimates from documented mass openings (TCGplayer Authentication Center, pull-rate aggregators) and cite every source with its date.
What is a Obsidian Flames box worth on average?
With 36 packs, the expected contents are worth €84.86. Compare against the real sealed price before ripping.

Data from pokemontcg.io · Prices from Cardmarket.