Crimson Invasion: the Pokémon set explained
Crimson Invasion, the Pokémon set from November 2017: its 124 cards block by block, its eight Pokémon-GX and the three high numbers with no twin.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 6 min read
Crimson Invasion is a Sun & Moon series expansion from Pokémon, released November 3, 2017. It was framed around Ultra Beasts arriving in the Alola region and has eight Pokémon-GX, four of them Ultra Beasts. The set numbers 124 cards: 111 up to the printed total and 13 above it.
When did Crimson Invasion come out?
On November 3, 2017. Pokémon’s US press site issued a launch notice that day saying the expansion was in stores. Its UK press site had announced the set on September 11, 2017, for a UK launch on November 3.
Burning Shadows came out August 4, 2017 and Shining Legends October 6, 2017, both before Crimson Invasion. Ultra Prism, dated February 2, 2018, followed it. Rip.fan’s price pages file Crimson Invasion under Sun & Moon with the code CIN. For the wider picture, see our guide to Pokémon card eras; the Sun & Moon base set has a guide of its own.
How many cards are in Crimson Invasion?
124 numbered cards, in these blocks:
| Numbers | Cards | What they are |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 90 | 90 | Pokémon, including the 8 Pokémon-GX |
| 91 to 99 | 9 | Trainer cards: 3 Tools, 2 Items, 2 Stadiums and 2 Supporters |
| 100 | 1 | A Special Energy card |
| 101 to 108 | 8 | Second versions of the eight Pokémon-GX, labeled Rare Ultra on Rip.fan’s page |
| 109 to 111 | 3 | Supporters, also labeled Rare Ultra: Gladion, Lusamine and Olivia |
| 112 to 119 | 8 | Third versions of the eight Pokémon-GX, labeled Rare Rainbow |
| 120 to 124 | 5 | Labeled Rare Secret: an Item, a Tool and three Energy cards |
The set also has one lettered entry, 63a, a Guzzlord-GX. No count here includes it. Every card from 112 up is a secret rare in the sense that its number is higher than the set number.
How many cards of each rarity?
The 124 numbered cards break down by tier like this:
| Tier | Cards | Where they sit |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 34 | Within 1 to 87 |
| Uncommon | 26 | Within 2 to 100, including all ten cards at 91 to 100 |
| Rare | 32 | Within 3 to 89 |
| Ultra Rare | 19 | The 8 Pokémon-GX in the main run, plus 101 to 111 |
| Secret Rare | 13 | 112 to 124 |
On the card itself, CGC explains, a small black symbol next to the number gives the tier: a circle for common, a diamond for uncommon, a star for rare. CGC also traces Pokémon-GX cards to the Sun & Moon expansion.
What did Crimson Invasion add?
| What the set added | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| Cards in the set | 111 inside the printed total, 124 in all |
| Pokémon-GX | 8, from Gyarados-GX at 18 to Silvally-GX at 90 |
| 3 full-art Supporter cards | 3 Supporters labeled Rare Ultra, at 109 to 111 |
| Six Pokémon on cards for the first time | Nihilego-GX at 49, Buzzwole-GX at 57, Guzzlord-GX at 63, Kartana-GX at 70, Type: Null at 89 and Silvally-GX at 90 |
| Supporters Gladion and Lusamine | At 95 and 96, with second versions at 109 and 110 |
| Alolan Exeggutor and Alolan Marowak | Alolan Marowak at 12 and Alolan Exeggutor-GX at 74 |
Gladion, Lusamine and Olivia at 109 to 111 are the three full-art Supporters, and the only Supporters rated ultra rare. Pokémon’s UK announcement also put 10 cards from the expansion and one basic Energy card in each booster pack.
Where does each Pokémon-GX sit?
All eight follow one pattern: a card in the main run, a second in the Rare Ultra block and a third in the Rare Rainbow block, in the same order each time.
| Pokémon-GX | Main run | Rare Ultra, 101 to 108 | Rare Rainbow, 112 to 119 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyarados-GX | 18 | 101 | 112 |
| Alolan Golem-GX | 34 | 102 | 113 |
| Nihilego-GX | 49 | 103 | 114 |
| Buzzwole-GX | 57 | 104 | 115 |
| Guzzlord-GX | 63 | 105 | 116 |
| Kartana-GX | 70 | 106 | 117 |
| Alolan Exeggutor-GX | 74 | 107 | 118 |
| Silvally-GX | 90 | 108 | 119 |
Three details stand out:
- One illustrator for all 24. Every Pokémon-GX card in the set is credited to 5ban Graphics.
- Four Ultra Beasts, GX only. Buzzwole-GX, Guzzlord-GX, Kartana-GX and Nihilego-GX are Ultra Beasts. None of the four has a card without GX in this set.
- Neighbors in the list. Magikarp sits at 17, just before Gyarados-GX, and Type: Null sits at 89, just before Silvally-GX.
The Supporters follow a looser pattern. Gladion and Lusamine each have an Uncommon card in the Trainer run and a Rare Ultra card at 109 and 110, and each Rare Ultra card is credited to a different illustrator from its Uncommon twin. Olivia has no Uncommon card: her only card in the set is the Rare Ultra one at 111.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
Which cards above 111 have no lower-numbered twin?
Most secret rares have a lower-rarity card of the same name somewhere in their set. Here that holds for 10 of the 13 cards above 111: the eight Pokémon-GX at 112 to 119, an Item at 120 that repeats the Item at 91, and a Special Energy at 122 that repeats the one at 100. Three do not:
- Wishful Baton at 121, a Tool. Burning Shadows has a Wishful Baton at 128.
- Warp Energy at 123, a Special Energy. Shining Legends has one at 70.
- Water Energy at 124, a basic Energy card. The main run holds no basic Energy at all.
So a card at 121, 123 or 124 has no lower-numbered copy in Crimson Invasion to compare it with. Check the card number and the set name together.
How do you check Crimson Invasion card prices?
Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages give Crimson Invasion a page of its own, showing for each priced card the number, the rarity label and the NM market price. The Rare Ultra filter brings up the 11 cards at 101 to 111, Rare Rainbow the 8 at 112 to 119 and Rare Secret the 5 at 120 to 124. Sorting by card number lines up Gyarados-GX at 18, 101 and 112.
To check one card, type its name, set or number into the card price lookup, which shows the price beside the printing it applies to. The price changes page collects the biggest moves between Rip.fan’s weekly checks. Both describe raw-card prices already recorded, and neither predicts anything. Thinking of grading a card from the set? The costs are set out in our guide to whether a card is worth grading.
What should you check before buying a Crimson Invasion card?
- The set name as well as the total. Neo Genesis, Rising Rivals and Furious Fists also have a printed total of 111, so a number such as 57/111 needs the set name beside it.
- Which of three versions. Every Pokémon-GX here comes three ways, so 18, 101 and 112 are three different Gyarados-GX cards.
- 63 or 63a. Guzzlord-GX has both a 63 and a lettered 63a, so match the full number in a listing.
- The finish and the symbol. Holofoil, reverse holo and full art are explained in our guide to Pokémon card finishes, and the rarity symbols guide shows where the mark is printed.
- Genuine cards and packs. Our guides to spotting fake Pokémon cards and spotting resealed packs walk through the checks.
More Pokémon coverage is on the Pokémon hub. Later in the same series come Forbidden Light, Celestial Storm and Unbroken Bonds, each with its own guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable card in Crimson Invasion?
On October 21, 2026, Gyarados-GX (112/111) had the highest Near Mint market price in Crimson Invasion, at $81.54. Next came Lusamine (110/111), at $45.86.
What is the top-priced Rare Ultra card in Crimson Invasion?
On October 21, 2026, Gyarados-GX (101/111) led the Rare Ultra cards of Crimson Invasion, with a Near Mint market price of $27.58.
Which Crimson Invasion Rare Holo costs the most?
It was Gengar (38/111), at a Near Mint market price of $23.17 on October 21, 2026.
What do the Gyarados-GX cards in Crimson Invasion cost?
Crimson Invasion has 3 Gyarados-GX cards, and on October 21, 2026, their Near Mint market prices were $19.27 for 18/111 (Rare Holo GX), $27.58 for 101/111 (Rare Ultra) and $81.54 for 112/111 (Rare Rainbow).