Two Pokemon with nothing obviously in common — a Ghost-type and a Water-type starter evolution — got the exact same treatment on the exact same Friday in May 2021: a ready-to-play 60-card deck, a set code of its own, and a rare printing hidden above the deck’s own numbering.
The Sword & Shield High Class Deck line is a different product format from the randomized booster packs most of this site covers — there’s no pack-opening involved, just a pre-built deck with one guaranteed shot at a special-art chase card. If you want the broader distinction between this format and Japan’s randomized High Class Pack releases, our booster box vs high class pack guide covers it directly. For where these two decks sit inside the wider Sword & Shield print run, see our Sword & Shield era guide.
This guide covers what’s actually in each deck, how the rare SA insert mechanic works, and what a graded copy of each chase card is worth today.
Two decks released together on May 28, 2021: Gengar VMAX (SGG, 21 cards catalogued) and Inteleon VMAX (SGI, 24 cards catalogued), each ¥2,700 at retail. Some decks include a low-odds SA version of the headline VMAX card, numbered beyond the deck’s own printed count. A PSA 10 Gengar VMAX [SGG 002/019] (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is currently listed at ¥22,433 (~$138), and a PSA 10 Inteleon VMAX SA [SGI 023/022] is currently listed at ¥16,343 (~$100).
Prices below reflect current listings on our site as of August 2026, converted at ¥163/USD where noted. Original 2021 retail prices are quoted in yen only, since they predate this conversion rate.
What Is the Sword & Shield High Class Deck?
The Sword & Shield High Class Deck line launched as two simultaneous releases — a Gengar VMAX deck (set code SGG) and an Inteleon VMAX deck (set code SGI) — both on May 28, 2021. Structurally, they’re identical products with different Pokemon on the box: each is a 60-card, ready-to-play deck in which every card is a “kira” (foil) card, packaged with a sheet of damage counters and markers, one Pokemon coin, and a player’s guide. Both carried the same suggested retail price of ¥2,700, tax included.
That’s a different format from the randomized High Class Pack booster releases this site covers most often — there’s no pack-opening variance on what base cards you get, since the deck contents are fixed. The only randomized element sits in a single insert slot, covered below. If you’re trying to place this product type against Japan’s booster and high-class-pack releases more broadly, our booster box vs high class pack guide walks through the format differences.
The two decks were also sold as a bundled double pack the same day — more on that further down — and both slot into the broader Sword & Shield print run that ran from December 2019 through late 2022, which our Sword & Shield era guide maps out set by set.
Gengar VMAX High Class Deck (SGG)
The Gengar VMAX deck carries set code SGG. Its own printed numbering caps at 019, but limitlesstcg’s database catalogues 21 total cards under the SGG code — two more than the deck’s own denominator suggests: the SA insert (020/019) covered in the next section, plus the deck’s basic Energy card, which limitlesstcg catalogues separately at #0.
The card most buyers end up holding is the regular Gengar VMAX, numbered 002/019, a standard kira VMAX in the deck’s own frame. A PSA 10 copy is currently listed at ¥22,433 (~$138) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) in our inventory — this is a graded single, one-of-one stock, so once this specific listing sells it’s gone until we source or grade another copy.
The far rarer version is the Gengar VMAX SA, numbered 020/019 — a number that exceeds the deck’s own printed denominator, which is exactly what marks it as the insert card rather than a standard deck slot. We cover how that swap works in the next section. For Gengar’s full print history across every Japanese set, see our Gengar cards guide.
Inteleon VMAX High Class Deck (SGI)
The Inteleon VMAX deck carries set code SGI, released the same day as its Gengar counterpart. Its own printed numbering caps at 022, while limitlesstcg’s database catalogues 24 total cards under the SGI code — again, two beyond the deck’s own denominator: the SA insert (023/022), plus the deck’s basic Energy card catalogued separately at #0, the same pattern as SGG.
The insert card here is the Inteleon VMAX SA, numbered 023/022 — same mechanic as Gengar’s deck, a low-odds swap of the deck’s second VMAX slot into a special-art version. A PSA 10 copy is currently listed at ¥16,343 (~$100) in our inventory. Like the Gengar SA, this is a graded single in limited stock, and it’s not a standing catalog item, so the listing comes down once current stock sells through.
The SA Insert: How the Rare Swap Works
Both decks share the same structural quirk. Each deck contains two copies of its headline VMAX card in the standard kira printing. Some decks also include a Special Art (SA) version of that same VMAX — a low-odds insert on top of the fixed 60-card contents, rather than a numbered part of it. Whether the SA copy replaces one of the two standard prints or arrives as an extra card hasn’t been confirmed by an official source.
That’s why both SA cards carry numbers higher than their own deck’s printed denominator: Gengar VMAX SA is 020/019 and Inteleon VMAX SA is 023/022. Neither number fits inside the deck’s own count, which is effectively how the product treats them as secret-tier pulls layered on top of a fixed deck rather than a numbered part of it.
Secondary-market sources put the SA swap at roughly one in four decks, but The Pokemon Company has never published an official rate for either deck. Treat any specific ratio you see online as community-reported and unofficial, not a confirmed number.
Gengar VMAX vs Inteleon VMAX: Which Deck to Buy
Both decks share a release date and a retail price, so the deciding factor for most buyers is which VMAX Pokemon they’d rather build around, plus what the graded chase card runs today.
| Gengar VMAX Deck (SGG) | Inteleon VMAX Deck (SGI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | May 28, 2021 | May 28, 2021 |
| Retail price | ¥2,700 (tax incl.) | ¥2,700 (tax incl.) |
| Deck contents | 60 cards (all kira) + counter/marker sheet + coin + guide | 60 cards (all kira) + counter/marker sheet + coin + guide |
| Printed numbering cap | 019 | 022 |
| Total cards catalogued | 21 | 24 |
| SA insert card | Gengar VMAX SA 020/019 | Inteleon VMAX SA 023/022 |
| PSA 10 regular VMAX, currently listed | ¥22,433 (~$138) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) | — |
| PSA 10 SA insert, currently listed | — | ¥16,343 (~$100) |
The two graded singles we currently carry aren’t directly comparable slots — the Gengar listing is a PSA 10 of the regular 002/019 printing, while the Inteleon listing is a PSA 10 of the rarer SA insert itself. That’s simply what’s in stock right now rather than a statement about which card runs higher across the wider graded market. If you’re specifically after a graded Gengar VMAX SA or a graded regular Inteleon VMAX, our Quick Order page is the way to ask us to source one.
The Double Deck Pack
Alongside the two standalone decks, a bundled double pack containing both the Gengar VMAX deck and the Inteleon VMAX deck released on the same day, May 28, 2021, at a suggested retail price of ¥6,600 (tax incl.). The bundle added one promo card from each of two other Pokemon — a Tyranitar V and an Empoleon V — on top of the two full decks.
Buying both decks separately at ¥2,700 each comes to ¥5,400; the double pack’s ¥6,600 works out to roughly ¥1,200 more, or about ¥600 per bonus promo, for the two exclusive Tyranitar V and Empoleon V cards. We don’t currently carry graded or sealed copies of the double pack itself or its promos in inventory, so no live listing to link here — but the math above is worth knowing if you come across one on the secondary market and want to judge whether the asking price reflects the bundle premium or overshoots it.
Where to Buy These Decks from Japan
We ship graded Japanese singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Right now our stock from this product line covers the regular PSA 10 Gengar VMAX [SGG 002/019] (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) at ¥22,433 and the PSA 10 Inteleon VMAX SA [SGI 023/022] at ¥16,343 — both graded singles in limited stock. Neither listing is a standing catalog entry, so when stock runs out it comes down until we source or grade a replacement.
For the broader graded singles market across every Japanese set — not just these two decks — browse our PSA 10 collection. And if you’re after a specific printing we don’t currently have listed, including the SA insert we’re out of for Gengar or the double pack promos, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to ask us to track one down.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Sword & Shield High Class Decks release?
Both the Gengar VMAX deck (SGG) and the Inteleon VMAX deck (SGI) released together on May 28, 2021, alongside a bundled double pack of the two.
What comes in each High Class Deck?
Each deck contains 60 cards, all printed as kira (foil) cards, plus a sheet of damage counters and markers, one Pokemon coin, and a player’s guide. Retail price was ¥2,700, tax included, for either deck.
What is the SA insert card in these decks?
Some decks include a Special Art (SA) version of the headline VMAX card as a low-odds insert. Gengar VMAX SA is numbered 020/019 in SGG; Inteleon VMAX SA is numbered 023/022 in SGI — both numbers exceed their deck’s own printed count.
How many total cards are in each deck’s set code?
Limitlesstcg’s database catalogues 21 total cards under SGG (Gengar VMAX) and 24 total cards under SGI (Inteleon VMAX), even though each deck’s own printed numbering caps lower, at 019 and 022 respectively.
What was in the double deck pack?
The double pack, also released May 28, 2021, bundled both full decks together with one promo Tyranitar V and one promo Empoleon V, at a retail price of ¥6,600 tax included.
Is the SA insert’s pull rate officially confirmed?
No. Secondary-market sources put it at roughly one in four decks, but The Pokemon Company has not published an official rate for either deck. Treat any specific ratio as community-reported and unofficial.
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