Home /
Guides/ Cards and sets/ What do ex, GX, V and VMAX mean?

What do ex, GX, V and VMAX mean on Pokémon cards?

They are names for powerful card types from different periods in the game's history. Most of them share the same basic principle: the card is stronger than a regular Pokémon, but when it is knocked out your opponent takes two prizes instead of one, and sometimes three. There are two exceptions in the table below, Prime and BREAK, which give only one prize even though the cards are powerful. So you usually risk more to get more. Which label is used also tells you roughly when the card was released.

Quick table: ex, GX, V and VMAX through the years

ex, older	The older generation, before GX. Gives two prizes.
Lv.X	Placed on top of a Pokémon in play and gave it new attacks and higher stats.
Prime	A separate style during the HeartGold and SoulSilver era, with higher stats than the basic form. Gives only one prize, like a regular Pokémon.
LEGEND	Consisted of two cards placed together to form one Pokémon. Gives two prizes.
EX, newer	Returned later with a new design. Two prizes.
BREAK	Placed sideways on top of a Pokémon, so the text of the card underneath was visible. Gives only one prize, unlike the other types in this table.
GX	Could use a particularly powerful GX attack, but only once per game. Gives two prizes.
V	The basic form in its generation, playable directly from the hand. Gives two prizes.
VMAX	Evolution of a V card. Lots of HP, and gives three prizes.
VSTAR	Evolution of a V card with a VSTAR ability that can be used once per game. Gives two prizes, like V.
ex, lowercase	Returned with Scarlet & Violet. Played like a regular Pokémon but is stronger and gives two prizes, Mega ex three.

Prizes decide the game

You win by taking all six of your prizes.
A regular Pokémon that is knocked out gives your opponent one prize.
An ex or V card gives two, VMAX and Mega ex give three.
A deck built only on ex and V cards only needs to lose two or three Pokémon for the game to be over.
That is why most decks mix in regular Pokémon that give only one prize.

How to tell which kind you have

The label comes after the name, for example Charizard ex or Pikachu VMAX.
Uppercase and lowercase separate the eras. EX in uppercase belongs to Black & White and XY, ex in lowercase to the EX era, Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution.
The set code at the bottom reveals the exact release. See the set guide.
The frame differs between generations, which is often visible right away when two cards are placed side by side.

Why it matters for collectors

These cards are almost always the rare cards in a release and the ones that drive the price of both single cards and sealed boxes. They also often come in several versions of the same card.

Base version	Regular frame, the card most people get
Full Art	The illustration covers the whole card
Illustration Rare	Pokémon in a setting, the artwork extends beyond the frame
Special Illustration Rare	More elaborate illustration, usually the most expensive card in the set
Hyper Rare	Gold cards, placed last in the numbering

Other words you see on the cards

Reverse holo. Regular card where the background has foil treatment instead of the picture.
Secret Rare. Cards numbered higher than the set's stated size, for example 201 of 197.
Tera. Crystal-treated Pokémon in the Scarlet & Violet era.
Radiant. Shiny single Pokémon, only one per deck.
Prism Star. Cards that go to a special pile instead of the discard pile.

What is playable in Standard

At tournaments in the Standard format, a card's legality is decided by the regulation mark in the lower left corner of the card, not by its card type, and the legal marks are phased out about once a year. Older types such as GX and VMAX in practice belong to marks that have already rotated out, so they are no longer playable in Standard, but they work in other formats and remain collectible. Read more about how the game is played.

Frequently asked questions

Is ex stronger than GX? Not in general. They come from different eras with different balance.
Can I play with old EX cards? Not in Standard. In other formats and at home it is fine.
Why does my card say the opponent takes more prizes? It is an ex, V or GX card. The rule box below the attacks states how many prize cards the opponent takes when the card is knocked out.
Which is the most expensive? Almost always a special illustration of a popular ex or V card in top condition.
How do I know which card I have? The set symbol and the card number at the bottom identify it, but a reverse holo has the same number as the base card.

What they mean when you buy

Check which era the card comes from. The same character often appears in several generations, as EX, GX and ex.
Read the card number. A number higher than the set's size means secret rare.
Determine whether it is playable in Standard. Older types such as GX and VMAX are collector's cards, not cards for Standard.
Compare the right version. The base version and the special illustration are two different prices.
Assess the condition. They are almost always foil-treated and scratch easily.

Common misconceptions

That ex in lowercase and EX in uppercase are the same thing. They belong to different eras.
That an ex or V card is always expensive. Most base versions are easy to get hold of.
That they are always better in the game. They also give the opponent more prizes.
That V and VMAX are still tournament legal in Standard.