Quick Answer
The cheapest TCG to start casually in Australia in 2026 is Pokemon, with Battle Decks at AU$20 to AU$30 giving you a complete playable experience. The cheapest competitive entry is a Yu-Gi-Oh Structure Deck at AU$25 to AU$35. Riftbound and Star Wars Unlimited are the cheapest newer games to build competitive collections in due to smaller card pools. Use the TCG Budget quiz at /quizzes/tcg-budget to find the match for your specific budget.
Entry Cost: What Each Game Costs on Day One
Entry cost is what you spend to be able to sit down and play your first game. Here are the confirmed Australian prices for each game's best beginner product.
Pokemon: AU$20 to AU$30 for a Battle Deck or two-player Starter Set. These are fully playable immediately and designed specifically for beginners. Two people can start playing together for AU$40 to AU$60 total.
Yu-Gi-Oh: AU$25 to AU$35 for a Structure Deck. One deck gives you a functional 40-card deck ready to play, and the game has published Structure Deck vs Structure Deck formats making identical budget starts fair.
Lorcana: AU$20 to AU$25 for a Starter Set containing two 60-card decks. One of the best value entry products of any current TCG in Australia.
Riftbound: Around AU$40 for a Champion Deck. Includes a complete 50-card deck built around a specific Champion character and immediately playable.
Star Wars Unlimited: AU$25 to AU$35 for a Starter Kit. Covers both players.
One Piece: AU$25 to AU$40 for a Starter Deck depending on character.
Dragon Ball Super Fusion World: AU$25 to AU$40 for a Starter Deck.
MTG: AU$60 to AU$90 for a Commander preconstructed deck. Most expensive entry but the deck is a complete 100-card Commander-legal build you can play immediately at any Commander table in Australia.
Competitive Deck Costs
Once you want to play at a Local Game Store event or Tournament, costs increase significantly. These ranges reflect current Australian singles prices for a competitive-ready deck.
Pokemon Standard format: AU$100 to AU$300 depending on archetype. Budget decks using single-Prize attackers can be built for AU$100 to AU$150. Top-tier decks with multiple Special Illustration Rare cards can reach AU$300.
Yu-Gi-Oh: AU$200 to AU$500 for a full competitive deck. The high end reflects meta strategies using multiple Secret Rare cards. Budget competitive options exist in the AU$150 to AU$200 range using Structure Deck bases with targeted singles upgrades.
MTG Commander: AU$150 to AU$800 depending on power level. A casual competitive Commander deck with strong cards runs AU$150 to AU$300. An optimised high-power build with Reserved List or premium cards can reach AU$800 or beyond.
Lorcana: AU$150 to AU$300 for a tournament-competitive deck. The card pool is smaller than MTG or Pokemon, keeping costs more accessible.
Riftbound: AU$100 to AU$200 for a competitive deck. The smaller card pool and manageable singles prices make Riftbound one of the most affordable competitive formats in Australia right now.
Star Wars Unlimited: AU$120 to AU$250. Showcase variant cards carry premium prices but competitive decks do not require them.
One Piece: AU$150 to AU$350. Leader card prices vary significantly based on tournament performance.
Dragon Ball Super Fusion World: AU$100 to AU$250. A relatively young format with accessible pricing compared to older games.
Full Set Completion Costs
Completing every card in a set is significantly more expensive than building a single competitive deck. These estimates cover standard set completion excluding Collector Booster exclusive treatments.
Pokemon 151 (one of the most collected recent sets): AU$500 to AU$1,500 to complete all 165 standard cards plus Secret Rares, depending on condition requirements.
Pokemon standard SV-era set: AU$200 to AU$600 for standard set completion. Special Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares are where most of the cost concentrates.
MTG standard set completion (standard cards only): AU$300 to AU$1,200 depending on how many high-value rares and mythics the set contains. Adding Collector Booster exclusives can push this to AU$2,000 to AU$5,000.
Lorcana set completion: AU$300 to AU$800 for a standard set including Enchanted variants. The Enchanted cards are the cost concentration point.
Riftbound set completion: AU$150 to AU$400, making it one of the most achievable full-set completion targets for a new collector.
Hidden Costs to Budget For
Every TCG player eventually needs accessories. Budget for these from the start rather than discovering them after committing to a game.
Sleeves: AU$15 to AU$40 per deck depending on quality. Double-sleeving for high-value cards doubles the cost. For a 60-card Pokemon deck, budget AU$15 to AU$20 for inner sleeves and another AU$20 to AU$35 for outer sleeves if double-sleeving.
Deck boxes: AU$20 to AU$60. Commander players need 100-card capacity boxes at the higher end of this range.
Playmats: AU$30 to AU$100. Official game playmats sit in the AU$50 to AU$80 range. Generic options start at AU$30.
Binders: AU$30 to AU$80 for a quality 9-pocket binder with adequate capacity.
Total accessory budget for a new player: AU$80 to AU$200 depending on quality preferences.
The C3 Take
The cheapest TCG to collect is whichever one your community actually plays. A AU$20 Pokemon deck has no value if nobody in your area runs Pokemon events. A AU$500 Yu-Gi-Oh competitive deck is better value than a AU$150 Pokemon deck if Yu-Gi-Oh is the active scene at your local store. Check your local game stores first, then compare costs. The TCG Budget quiz at /quizzes/tcg-budget factors in both cost and play style. Use current card prices at /cards/mtg and across other game hubs to verify current AU singles costs before committing.
What to Read Next
- Find your TCG budget match at /quizzes/tcg-budget
- Compare TCG options at /quizzes/which-tcg
- Calculate booster box value at /tools