Mega Dream ex (M2a) MA vs SAR vs AR: How to Tell the Rarities Apart

Mega Dream ex (ハイクラスパック「MEGAドリームex」, set code M2a, Japanese edition) introduced a new rarity, MA (メガアタックレア, Mega Attack Rare). The official page also lists AR (アートレア) and SAR (スペシャルアートレア) among the rarities featured. This guide explains what each of these rarities is, how to tell them apart by card number, and how to pick between them.

Updated November 5, 2026

This page covers rarities only. It doesn’t explain the sealed box, rank cards or compare prices. For the box, see the Mega Dream ex Booster Box Buying Guide. For the whole set, see the M2a set overview and the M2a card reference.

What are the MA, SAR and AR rarities in Mega Dream ex (M2a)?

The official Mega Dream ex product page names MA as the new rarity introduced in this product and lists AR and SAR among the featured rarities. The product facts below come from the official MEGA Dream ex product page and the official 「ポケモンカードゲーム MEGA」 series page.

The quickest way to see the three rarities side by side is through graded singles, because each listing states the rarity and number. Our M2a PSA 10 listings include an MA, PSA 10 MEGA Lucario ex MA [M2a 228/193], a SAR, PSA 10 MEGA Dragonite ex SAR [M2a 246/193], and an AR, PSA 10 N’s Zekrom AR [M2a 210/193]. The full list is further down.

What is MA (Mega Attack Rare) and which MA cards does the official page feature?

MA stands for メガアタックレア (Mega Attack Rare), a rarity the official page says was introduced in Mega Dream ex. The page features three MA cards: メガリザードンXex (Mega Charizard X ex), メガルカリオex (Mega Lucario ex) and メガサーナイトex (Mega Gardevoir ex).

Because MA is new in this product, it is the rarity label most specific to M2a. AR and SAR are named on the page too, but the page singles out MA as the new one. If you want a card whose rarity label began with this product, MA is that label.

The official summary we use doesn’t describe what the MA cards look like or how often they appear. We don’t repeat community estimates, so this page gives no pull rates or odds. What we can show is how MA cards are identified: by the MA label, the Pokémon name and the card number.

Our listings also include a third MA print that the official page doesn’t feature as an MA: Mega Dragonite ex MA, M2a 232/193. The official page names メガカイリューex as a new Mega Evolution ex card, and our listing gives the MA print and its number.

What do AR and SAR mean on Mega Dream ex cards?

AR is アートレア (Art Rare) and SAR is スペシャルアートレア (Special Art Rare), and the official page lists both among the rarities featured in Mega Dream ex. Unlike MA, the summary we use doesn’t name example cards for either one.

So the examples in this section come from our own listings, where the rarity is printed in the listing title. In M2a, our AR listings are Dustox AR 195/193 and N’s Zekrom AR 210/193. Our SAR listings are Mega Gengar ex SAR 240/193 and Mega Dragonite ex SAR 246/193.

Two of these cards link back to the official page. N’s Zekrom (Nのゼクロム) is in the page’s reprinted or featured group, and Mega Dragonite ex (メガカイリューex) is one of its new Mega Evolution ex cards. Mega Gengar ex and Dustox are not named in the official summary we use, so for those two the listing is how the card is identified.

The official page also names mirror-style cards with energy-symbol and Poké Ball patterns, with スボミー (Budew) and ロケット団のヤミカラス (Team Rocket’s Murkrow) as examples. The summary doesn’t call these MA, AR or SAR, so this guide treats them as a separate card type.

How do you tell MA, SAR and AR apart by card number?

Read the rarity label and the full card number together: the official card list runs 001 to 193, and every MA, AR and SAR print we list carries a number above 193. The number tells you which print you have. The label tells you its rarity.

A number such as 228/193 has two parts, and the number before the slash is higher than 193, the last number in the official 001 to 193 card list. Here are our M2a listings in number order:

In this sample, the AR prints have the lowest numbers, the MA prints sit in the middle, and the SAR prints have the highest. That pattern describes only the seven cards we list. The sources we use don’t give the full number range for each rarity, so don’t use the number alone to work out a rarity. Check the label on the card or listing.

Mega Dragonite ex: one Pokémon, three card numbers

Mega Dragonite ex shows why the name alone isn’t enough. The official card database entry for メガカイリューex lists it as M2a 126 / 193 in ハイクラスパック「MEGAドリームex」. Our PSA 10 listings carry two more Mega Dragonite ex cards from the same product: the MA print at 232/193 and the SAR print at 246/193.

All three are Mega Dragonite ex from M2a, but each number is a different card. 126 falls within the 001 to 193 range of the official card list, while 232 (MA) and 246 (SAR) are higher. When you compare listings, sold prices or graded populations elsewhere, match the number and the rarity, not just the name.

How do you choose between an MA, a SAR and an AR from Mega Dream ex?

Start with what you want the card to be: a print of the rarity new to this product (MA), a specific Pokémon, or a card from a named group on the official page. Then match the rarity and number. This guide doesn’t rank rarities by value or forecast prices.

Here is how the three rarities differ on the points the sources actually cover:

If the Pokémon matters most. Mega Dragonite ex is the clearest case where you pick the rarity as well as the Pokémon, because it exists as both an MA and a SAR. The two are separate cards, and picking one doesn’t get you the other.

If the rarity label matters most. MA is the only one of the three that the official page calls new in this product. AR and SAR are listed as featured rarities without that note.

If the link to the official page matters. Mega Lucario ex and Mega Gardevoir ex are named as MA cards on the official page, and N’s Zekrom is named in the reprinted or featured group. Mega Gengar ex and Dustox are not named in the summary we use, though their listings give the rarity and number.

For a different angle, such as which cards collectors chase, see Mega Dream ex chase cards and the Japanese M2a prints and our top 10 M2a cards page. Single-card pages exist for Surfer SAR 249/193 and Entei 020/193.

Can you pick a rarity by opening Mega Dream ex packs?

No. The official page says the cards are randomly inserted (※カードはランダムに封入されています。), so a pack or box doesn’t promise any MA, AR or SAR. Opening packs gives you a random 10-card draw, and a graded single gives you the one card you chose.

The official page gives two numbers for the pack: 10 cards and a 550 yen suggested retail price, tax included. It doesn’t say how often each rarity appears, and it doesn’t give a box configuration. Nothing in the official summary assigns an MA, AR or SAR to a pack or a box.

Neither option is a forecast of value, and this page doesn’t make one. For the sealed box itself, the box buying guide and the release date page cover it.

Do MA, SAR and AR cards from M2a have an official English version?

No official page in our sources links Mega Dream ex to an English set. The official English page for Mega Evolution-Ascended Heroes features Mega Dragonite ex but doesn’t mention Mega Dream ex or any Japanese set.

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The official MEGA series page lists ハイクラスパック「MEGAドリームex」 among the series expansion packs. On the English side, the official Pokémon page for Mega Evolution-Ascended Heroes gives a release date of January 30, 2026, and features Mega Dragonite ex.

So a Japanese MA, AR or SAR from M2a should be identified by its Japanese set code and number, not by an English set name. Side-by-side comparisons: Ascended Heroes ex boxes vs the Japanese MEGA Dream ex box and Psyduck Ascended Heroes vs the Japanese Mega Dream ex AR.

Which MA, SAR and AR cards from Mega Dream ex do we list as PSA 10 singles?

We list PSA 10 graded M2a singles in all three rarities: MA (Mega Dragonite ex, Mega Lucario ex, Mega Gardevoir ex), SAR (Mega Dragonite ex, Mega Gengar ex) and AR (Dustox, N’s Zekrom).

Some cards have more than one listing, and each is a separate graded copy. More Mega Dragonite ex MA 232/193 copies are at psabo-41952 and psabo-41951. A second Mega Gengar ex SAR 240/193 is at psabo-41946, and a second N’s Zekrom AR 210/193 is at psabo-39838.

What should you check on a graded M2a listing before you buy?

Check five things: the product name, the set code M2a, the full card number, the rarity label and the Japanese card name. If any of them doesn’t match what you want, it is a different card.

1. Product name. The official name is ハイクラスパック「MEGAドリームex」. The English name appears both as “MEGA Dream ex” and “Mega Dream ex”; both mean the same Japanese product.
2. Set code. M2a appears in the official product page URL (/ex/m2a/), in the official card database (for example M2a 126 / 193 for メガカイリューex) and in our listing titles.
3. Card number. The official card list runs 001 to 193. The MA, AR and SAR prints we list are numbered above 193, such as 226/193 and 246/193.
4. Rarity label. MA, AR or SAR. Mega Dragonite ex MA 232/193 and SAR 246/193 are two different cards.
5. Japanese name. From the official page: メガカイリューex is Mega Dragonite ex, メガルカリオex is Mega Lucario ex, メガサーナイトex is Mega Gardevoir ex, and Nのゼクロム is N’s Zekrom.

About PSA 10. Our listings describe PSA 10 (Gem Mint) as the highest grade certifiable by Professional Sports Authenticator, awarded only to cards in flawless, gem mint condition. They also note that the PSA case may have minor scratches or marks on its surface. That refers to the case, not the grade.

Graded card availability. Our shipping policy explains that PSA graded cards may also be offered through our other sales channels. Orders from different channels can arrive almost at the same time, so a graded card shown online may already be sold before our team locks it to your order. Once your payment clears, we secure a PSA graded card matching your order, even if additional sourcing is required. Dispatch can take longer in that case, and we provide status updates whenever the schedule changes.

To tell M2a apart from another Japanese High Class Pack, see MEGA x MEGA Parade vs MEGA Dream ex.

How are Mega Dream ex orders shipped and paid for from Tokyo?

We ship by FedEx with tracking and charge in Japanese yen. Shipping cost is calculated at checkout from your address, and most orders ship within 5 business days after PayPal or Wise payment clears.

Delivery estimates. Our shipping policy says delivery dates shown on the website, at checkout or in carrier tools are estimates. They don’t include our handling time, supplier allocation delays, quality inspection holds, weekends, Japanese national holidays, customs processing, carrier congestion, weather or destination-country conditions.

Dispatch delays. Stock levels for sealed Japanese trading card products change often, and dispatch can sometimes take longer than the standard handling time. If dispatch is delayed, we contact you by email as soon as practical with the revised estimate. For significant delays before handoff to FedEx, we may offer the option to wait or to cancel the order with a full refund.

After dispatch. Once FedEx has the parcel, delivery timing is controlled by the carrier and destination-country authorities. Customs inspections, import procedures, remote-area handling, peak-season congestion and weather can delay delivery. The policy says those delays are outside our control and don’t by themselves create a right to cancel or refund after dispatch. You can check order status, the tracking number and the carrier’s latest estimate from your customer account or shipping confirmation email.

Address changes. While an order is paid and its shipment hasn’t been scheduled, you can update the shipping address yourself from My Account > Orders. The destination country can’t be changed. If the new address costs more to ship to, we ask you to pay the difference before dispatch. If it costs less, the shipping charge isn’t recalculated. Once the shipment is scheduled, self-service changes close, and only a minor correction that leaves the shipping conditions unchanged may be considered through our Contact Form.

Paying by SWIFT. Our payment methods page says SWIFT payments incur a JPY 611 receiving fee, so add JPY 611 to your order total if you pay that way. Select the OUR charge option so correspondent bank fees are covered on your side. If the amount received is short, processing pauses until the shortfall is paid.

PayPal Pay Later. PayPal decides whether Pay Later is shown at checkout, and the instalment agreement is between you and PayPal. The options we see include PayPal Pay in 4 in the United States, Canada and Australia, and Pay in 3 in the United Kingdom. Pay Later isn’t available to buyers in Japan.

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