Best Legendary Pokemon Cards To Buy In 2023

As the Pokémon TCG meta has evolved, legendary Pokémon cards and, in particular, VMAX Pokémon have become staples of most decks. Either you include these powerful WMDs in your own deck or build a counter to try and OHKO them.

VMAX, VSTAR, V, and more! Let’s look at the best legendary Pokémon cards in the Standard 2023 TCG meta. These legendary Pokémon cards have very high usage rates. Additionally, they are core cards in their respective decks.

Let’s get started!

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10. Zacian V

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Zacian V Specifications:

Zacian V’s ability to collect cards paired with Oranguru’s ability to switch a card from your hand with the top card on your deck make for an incredibly powerful combo.

Zacian V has always been a great attacker and when used in conjunction with Oranguru (and, to a lesser extent, Zamazenta V), you have one of the most powerful legendary Pokémon cards in the current meta. These two dog Pokémon are very good boys!

9. Eternatus VMAX

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Eternatus VMAX Specifications:

Eternatus VMAX is one of the most powerful legendary Pokémon cards in the entire Standard meta because it allows you to expand you bench!

However, this comes with the caveat that you can only use Darkness Pokémon. Luckily, the entire deck is built around this detriment, so it should never be a problem!

When used alongside other Darkness Pokémon like Crobat V, Eternatus VMAX’s condition 240 damage attack plus poison is capable of OHKOing almost anything!

8. Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX

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Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX Specifications:

Ice Rider Calyrex utilizes the Inteleon Engine’s chip damage to whittle down opponents and OHKO enemy VMAX Pokémon. This Pokémon’s energy acceleration makes it possible to reach the late game much earlier than expected.

Thanks to Ice Rider Calyrex’s typing, it works great with not only water Pokémon like Inteleon, but also Pokémon like Suicune! Suicune helps Ice Rider Calyrex reach the late game by providing draw support and a decent opening damage threat!

7. Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX

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Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX Specifications:

The Shadow Rider Calyrex deck has one mission in life. That mission is to get as many Shadow Rider Calyrex’s into play as possible!

The energy acceleration that comes with Shadow Rider Calyrex is incredibly valuable and, when paired with stalling Pokémon like Whimsicott VMAX, Shadow Rider Calyrex has the time needed to get its army going!

Shadow Rider Calyrex and Ice Rider Calyrex both have similar usage stats at high-level tournament play, so whichever deck you prefer should offer similar results to the other!

6. Genesect V

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Genesect V Specifications:

Genesect V is a staple card in one of the best, if not the best, meta decks currently in Standard play.

Techno Blast is a monstrous attack that, with a little help from Trainer Cards or other Pokémon abilities, can easily OHKO a VMAX. However, using this ability puts Gensect V out of commission for the following turn.

However, when used alongside Mew VMAX, Genesect V’s Techno Blast bypasses its cooldown, making it an incredibly powerful and consistent attack! Genesect places slightly lower as, while Mew VMAX has a few decks that see play, Genesect V doesn’t really do much without the help of Mew VMAX.

5. Galarian Moltres

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Galarian Moltres Specifications:

Moltres is one of the most versatile legendary Pokémon cards and fits into a plethora of meta decks. The most potent of these is the standard Dark Inteleon build in which Galarian Moltres uses its Fiery Wrath to take late-game knockouts. Additionally, this is also the Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX build strategy.

Galarian Moltres plays a similar role in conjunction with Galarian Wheezing. However, the added ability sealing that comes with Galarian Wheezing allows Galarian Moltres more freedom of movement.

Because of this, Galarian Moltres doesn’t need to worry about being taken out by Arceus VSTAR or Mew VMAX.

4. Suicune V

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Suicune V Specifications:

Suicune V is a very versatile card that can fit into a lot of decks thanks to its Fleet Footed ability enabling so much card draw. However, when used in conjunction with the Inteleon engine and Ludicolo, Suicune becomes one of the best legendary Pokémon cards in the entire metagame!

Ludicolo’s Enthusiastic Dance ability (adding 100 extra damage to your attacks) and the Inteleon engine’s chip damage make Suicune V capable of dishing out 200 plus damage in a single turn!

This easily allows you to OHKO VMAX Pokémon! Who would have thought a cat Pokémon could pack this much of a punch!

3. Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX

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Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX Specifications:

Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX has been one of the most popular legendary Pokémon cards for a while now. While powerful in its own right, it is best used in conjunction with the Inteleon engine.

This makes it easier to do chip damage to your opponent. Additionally, it helps to avoid awkward damage calculations.

Additionally, Rapid Strike Urshifu has seen some pairings with Galarian Moltes V. Here, the two combine as dual attackers taking on whichever matchup is better suited for their respective abilities.

2. Arceus VSTAR

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Arceus VSTAR Specifications:

Arceus VSTAR is one of the most powerful legendary Pokémon cards in the entire game! Firstly, let’s look at that overpowered VSTAR Power.

This VSTAR Power’s only being accessible once per game. However, the ability to add any two cards to your hand is ridiculously strong. Furthermore, Arceus’s colorless type makes it very versatile for a deck with any other elemental typing.

Arceus VSTAR alone is incredibly powerful. However, things get even better when placed into the Inteleon Engine! Inteleon’s Quick Shooting ability allows you to place two damage counters on any of your opponent’s Pokémon.

This is here to clean up awkward damage calculations. You can OHKO opponents and collect up to three prize cards using this ability!

1. Mew VMAX

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Mew VMAX Specifications:

Mew VMAX is one of the best, if not the best legendary Pokémon cards in the current meta of the Pokémon TCG. While Mew is the star of this deck, Genesect is an integral piece necessary to help Mew VMAX reach its full potential.

Genesect’s ability allows the player to draw a handful of cards. Because of this, you’ll never run out of steam playing this deck. Additionally, Mew’s Cross Fusion Strike allows users to bypass the one-turn cooldown of Genesect’s monstrous 210 damage Techno Blast!

When used in conjunction with a card such as Power Tablet, which increases a Fusion Strike Pokémon’s damage by 30 for one turn, Mew VMAX and OHKO an opponent’s VMAX!

This allows you to collect three prize cards! As the meta evolves and more cards are introduced, Mew VMAX looks only to be getting stronger!

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