The Pokemon Mega Gengar ex card game starter set is the Japanese product ポケモンカードゲーム MEGA「スターターセットMEGA メガゲンガーex」, a ready-to-play 60-card deck released on Friday, September 5, 2025 at an official price of ¥1,800 (tax included). This guide covers what the official notice says is inside, how it sits next to the other ¥1,800 starters, and the secret-numbered ゴースト (Haunter) card that we list as PSA10 Haunter [MBG 022/021].
Everything about the product comes from the official Pokemon Card Game notice (pokemon-card.com/info/005175) and the official beginner pages, checked on October 29, 2026. Everything about the Haunter comes from our own listing name, because the official card database entry for this card is not among our sources, so its illustrator, HP, attacks and rarity are not stated. Where a detail is missing we say so instead of filling the gap.
- Starter Set MEGA Mega Gengar ex is a fixed 60-card deck: 18 Pokemon, 27 Trainers and 15 Energy, with two メガゲンガーex, a full-illustration ゴースト and the ACE SPEC プライムキャッチャー, per the official notice.
- The Haunter [MBG 022/021] is numbered above the 021 in its number, which marks it as a secret-numbered print; its PSA 10 copy is currently listed at ¥10,841 (~$70).
- The official notice does not name a code card or a rarity for the secret card; those points are marked “not in our sources” below.
Yen figures for our products are the prices on our site on October 29, 2026; dollar figures convert at ¥154/USD and are approximate. Official manufacturer prices are labelled “official price” and are not store prices.
What Starter Set MEGA Mega Gengar ex Is
The Pokemon Card Game MEGA line opened its starter range with two decks announced on Friday, August 8, 2025 and released on Friday, September 5, 2025: スターターセットMEGA メガゲンガーex and スターターセットMEGA メガディアンシーex. Each is a single pre-built deck. The official notice describes them as fixed products, so every box of the Gengar set holds the same 60 cards.
| Item | Official notice (pokemon-card.com/info/005175) |
|---|---|
| Product name | ポケモンカードゲーム MEGA「スターターセットMEGA メガゲンガーex」 |
| Announced | Friday, August 8, 2025 |
| Release | Friday, September 5, 2025 |
| Official price | ¥1,800 (tax included), same for the Diancie deck |
| Deck | 1 deck of 60 cards: 18 Pokemon, 27 Trainers, 15 Energy |
| Accessories listed | Damage counter and marker sheet, Pokemon coin, playmat, Players Guide, instruction leaflet |
| Fixed or random | Fixed (the same deck in every box) |
| Code card | Not listed on the official page |
A game needs two decks, so a reader who wants to play straight away needs two of them; the official notice does not say how the two starters are meant to be paired. What the official beginner page does say is that pre-built decks are for people who want to start battling quickly, and that the pre-built deck contains 60 cards (see the beginner guide to how to play for the basic turn structure).
What the Official Notice Lists Inside
The notice gives a count by card type and a list of featured cards for each deck. The two decks share three four-of Trainers and differ in everything that carries a Mega Pokemon.
| Detail | メガゲンガーex deck | メガディアンシーex deck |
|---|---|---|
| Pokemon / Trainers / Energy | 18 / 27 / 15 | 16 / 29 / 15 |
| Mega Pokemon ex | メガゲンガーex ×2 | メガディアンシーex ×2 |
| Named attacks on the Mega ex | かげかくし, ヴォイドゲイル | ガーランドレイ, ダイヤコート |
| Full-illustration card | ゴースト | メロエッタ |
| ACE SPEC | プライムキャッチャー | ヒーローマント |
| Four-of Trainers shared by both | ハイパーボール ×4, アイリスの闘志 ×4, リーリエの決心 ×4 | |
Two reading notes. First, the sums check out: 18 + 27 + 15 and 16 + 29 + 15 both equal 60. Second, the energy count is the same 15 in both decks, which matches the ratio the official beginner page suggests (15 Energy), while its other suggested split of 15 Pokemon and 30 Trainers is only approximated here: the Gengar deck has three more Pokemon and three fewer Trainers than that guide figure. The beginner page presents its numbers as a starting point, not a rule.
The notice names the attacks but our sources do not render their effects, so this guide does not describe how メガゲンガーex plays. For a reading of the card text you would need the card pages on the official database.
The Haunter 022/021 We List as a PSA 10
The card named in the title is listed on our site as PSA10 Haunter [MBG 022/021], filed under Starter Set MEGA “MEGA Gengar ex”. MBG is the code that appears in that listing name for the Gengar deck. The Japanese name for Haunter is ゴースト, the same name the official notice gives to the full-illustration card in the Gengar deck.
What we can state about this card is limited to what the listing prints:
- The card is Haunter, number 022 of a set count printed as 021.
- It belongs to the Starter Set MEGA Gengar deck’s product line, code MBG.
- It is a PSA 10 slab; the product page shows the slab photo and the current terms.
What we cannot state: its illustrator, HP, attacks, rarity letter and whether it is the same print as the full-illustration ゴースト on the official notice. Our listing name prints no rarity letter, so none is given here. The matching name and the secret-style number point the same way, but the official page does not print card numbers, so the link between the two stays an inference rather than a confirmed fact.
Reading Numbers Above the Set Count
A Japanese card number has two parts: the position and the printed set count. In 022/021 the position (22) is higher than the count (21). Cards numbered that way sit outside the numbered set list, and collectors call them secret-numbered. The official database does not print rarity letters, so the number is the only reliable signal on the card itself.
The Starter Set MEGA line gives a handy comparison, because our listing for the Diancie deck’s Meloetta also prints 022/021 (whether it is the notice’s full-illustration メロエッタ is not established in our sources). The table below puts the three MBG and MBD cards we currently list side by side, with our prices linked and the PSA 10 back-order wording used where the card is not a visible listing.
| Card (as our listing names it) | Number | Deck | Our price |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA10 Haunter | MBG 022/021 | MEGA Gengar ex | Currently listed at ¥10,841 (~$70) |
| PSA10 Haunter (back-order listing) | MBG 022/021 | MEGA Gengar ex | PSA 10 back order at ¥10,841 (~$70) |
| PSA10 MEGA Gengar ex | MBG 003/021 | MEGA Gengar ex | PSA 10 back order at ¥7,289 (~$47) |
| PSA10 Meloetta | MBD 022/021 | MEGA Diancie ex | PSA 10 back order at ¥6,383 (~$41) |
Each back order is sourced to order, and the product page shows the current terms. Reading the table: the secret-numbered Haunter and the regular-numbered MEGA Gengar ex 003/021 are different cards at different listed prices. The 003/021 is the card that gives the deck its name, with number 003 inside the 021 count. Listed prices are our own and do not rank the cards for play.
Where It Sits Among the ¥1,800 Starters
The ¥1,800 price is a recurring one. The official pages show the Pokemon Card Game moving from one boxed beginner deck to the next at the same official price while the card pool changes, and Starter Set MEGA continues that pattern.
| Product (official name) | Release | Official price | Decks |
|---|---|---|---|
| スターターセットex ニャオハ＆ルカリオex / ホゲータ＆デンリュウex / クワッス＆ミミッキュex | Friday, January 20, 2023 | ¥1,800 each | 1 × 60 per product |
| スターターセット テラスタイプ：ステラ ニンフィアex / ソウブレイズex | Friday, August 30, 2024 | ¥1,800 each | 1 × 60 per product |
| スターターセットMEGA メガゲンガーex / メガディアンシーex | Friday, September 5, 2025 | ¥1,800 each | 1 × 60 per product |
| MEGA スターターセットex イーブイex / ゾロア＆ゾロアークex / ニャオハ＆マスカーニャex | Friday, July 31, 2026 | ¥1,800 each | 1 × 60 per product |
Between the third and fourth rows the line also produced the random-pick MEGA スタートデッキ100 バトルコレクション on Friday, December 19, 2025 at an official price of ¥891. That product is a different kind of purchase: one of 100 decks chosen at random, with at least two Pokemon ex included in every deck. Our guides to the Start Deck 100 Battle Collection and to the regular versus white-box MEGA Start Deck 100 cover that random product in detail.
The official pages for the 2025 Battle Collection and the 2026 MEGA スターターセットex carry the sentence that a battle needs two or more decks. The Starter Set MEGA notice is not recorded as carrying that line in our sources, so we do not attribute it to this product; a reader planning a two-player game should simply plan for two decks.
For a comparison of the older Starter Set ex line, see the Starter Set ex comparison guide. The Starter Set ex decks that we currently list as sealed products are Starter Set ex Zorua & Zoroark ex at ¥1,584 (~$10) and Starter Set ex Sprigatito & Meowscarada ex at ¥1,796 (~$12).
The 60-Card Rules the Deck Follows
The official beginner page states the construction rules in plain Japanese. The table lists the ones that apply directly to a starter deck and what they mean for the Gengar set.
| Official rule (pokemon-card.com/howtoplay) | What it means for the Gengar starter |
|---|---|
| Each player uses one deck of 60 cards. | The deck as sold is already a legal size: 18 + 27 + 15 = 60. |
| Up to 4 cards with the same name; basic Energy is exempt. | The shared Trainers sit at the four-card ceiling (ハイパーボール, アイリスの闘志, リーリエの決心 at 4 each). |
| At least one Basic Pokemon is required. | Evolution lines need their Basic Pokemon in the deck; the deck is built as sold to satisfy this. |
| Take 6 Prize cards to win; draw 7 to start; the Bench holds up to 5. | Unchanged by the starter; all play rules are the standard ones. |
| Suggested beginner split: about 15 Pokemon, 30 Trainers, 15 Energy. | The Gengar deck is 18 / 27 / 15, close to the suggestion with more Pokemon. |
The official page also says that when you modify a deck you keep the 60-card total and the four-copy ceiling. A starter is a template: swapping a few Trainers for cards from other products is the first step many players take, and the official starter pages for the Starter Set ex line describe the promotional pack in that product as a first customisation step. For the broader rules the official page lists regulation marks, the card legality system; whether the Starter Set MEGA cards carry a mark that is currently legal in the Standard format is not stated in our sources, so check the mark on the card against the official regulation page before entering a tournament.
Starter Deck or Graded Single: Who Each Suits
These are two different purchases, and the facts point to a simple split.
| You want to… | Product type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Learn and play a first game | A sealed starter deck | A fixed 60-card deck is playable as sold; the official page frames pre-built decks as the quick way into a first battle. |
| Own the secret Haunter as a collectible | The PSA 10 single | The 022/021 number sits outside the numbered list; a graded copy is the form we list. |
| Pick a random deck from many | MEGA Start Deck 100 | One of 100 decks, chosen at random; not a fixed purchase. |
The graded Haunter is a collector’s item and not a part of the sealed deck you would play: a slabbed card cannot be shuffled into a deck. If you want the Gengar deck to play and the Haunter to display, those are two separate items on two separate pages.
For a wider choice of beginner-friendly sets, our best Japanese Pokemon sets for beginners guide covers booster-box options as well as decks.
What We Can and Cannot Say
This table separates what the official sources print from what they leave out, so the line between a fact and a guess stays visible.
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Release date and price of the Gengar starter | Friday, September 5, 2025; official price ¥1,800 | Official notice |
| Deck composition | 18 Pokemon, 27 Trainers, 15 Energy | Official notice |
| Featured cards | メガゲンガーex ×2, ゴースト (full illustration), プライムキャッチャー (ACE SPEC) | Official notice |
| Is it fixed or random? | Fixed | Official notice |
| Code card | Not listed on the official page | Official notice |
| Illustrator, HP and rarity of the Haunter 022/021 | Not in our sources | — |
| Is the 022/021 the same print as the full-illustration ゴースト? | Not established in our sources | — |
| Effects of the Mega Gengar ex attacks | Not in our sources | — |
| Regulation mark of the cards | Not in our sources | — |
| Price of the sealed Starter Set MEGA Gengar deck on our site | No price is shown in this guide; sourcing requests go through Quick Order | Our listing data |
Where a cell reads “not in our sources” the product pages or the official card database are the place to look, and nothing here substitutes for them.
The Battle Start Deck Trademark Report
On October 29, 2026 fan sites reported a Japanese trademark filing for 「バトルスタートデッキ」 (working English translation: Battle Start Deck; no official English name exists), which collectors read as a possible beginner-deck product; nothing is announced. Our Battle Start Deck trademark guide explains what is confirmed and what is not, and our round-up of the 2027 trademark reports puts it next to the other three names reported the same day.
Where to Buy Starter Set MEGA Cards from Japan
The Haunter we list as a visible PSA 10 is PSA10 Haunter [MBG 022/021] at ¥10,841 (~$70). The same card is also offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥10,841 (~$70) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms. For the deck’s namesake card, the MEGA Gengar ex MBG 003/021 is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥7,289 (~$47), and the Diancie deck’s Meloetta MBD 022/021 as a PSA 10 back order at ¥6,383 (~$41).
For a sealed starter deck to play, see the Starter Set ex products linked above, or browse the full card list for other singles in the MEGA era. Sourcing requests for the Starter Set MEGA decks or for a card we do not list go through Quick Order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in the Starter Set MEGA Mega Gengar ex deck?
The official notice lists one fixed 60-card deck with 18 Pokemon, 27 Trainers and 15 Energy, including two メガゲンガーex, a full-illustration ゴースト and the ACE SPEC プライムキャッチャー. Accessories are a damage counter sheet, a coin, a playmat and guides.
When was Starter Set MEGA released and for how much?
Friday, September 5, 2025 in Japan, at an official price of ¥1,800 (tax included) for each of the two decks, after an announcement on Friday, August 8, 2025.
What does the number 022/021 on the Haunter mean?
The position (22) is higher than the printed set count (21), which marks a secret-numbered print outside the numbered list. The official database does not print rarities, and our listing name prints no rarity letter for this card.
How much is the PSA 10 Haunter MBG 022/021?
Our visible PSA 10 listing is currently priced at ¥10,841 (~$70). A PSA 10 back order of the same card is offered at ¥10,841 (~$70), sourced to order.
Does the starter set come with a code card?
The official page for Starter Set MEGA does not list one. Absence from the page is not an official statement that none exists, so check the product itself.
Is Battle Start Deck an announced product?
No. On October 29, 2026 fan sites reported a trademark filing for 「バトルスタートデッキ」, and nothing about a product has been announced. Our Battle Start Deck guide explains what is and is not confirmed.
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