What Is Freedom Ascension?
Freedom Ascension is the fifth booster set for the Gundam Card Game, coded GD05 and released in 2026. It is the game's first-anniversary set — the milestone release that marks one full year of the Gundam TCG being in print. Openers repeatedly compared its significance to One Piece's OP05: the “make it or break it” set that signals a game has real staying power.
The cover mobile suit is Strike Freedom Gundam from Gundam SEED, and the set leans heavily into a fan-service roster. Because it is the anniversary set, GD05 pulls from an unusually broad range of series: Gundam SEED / SEED Destiny (Strike Freedom, Destiny, Gaia, Force Impulse, Kira Yamato), Mobile Suit Gundam Wing / Endless Waltz (Wing Gundam Zero, Heavy Arms Custom, Sandrock Custom, Deathscythe), Mobile Fighter G Gundam (Master Gundam, Master Asia, Shining/God Gundam, Dragon Gundam), Iron-Blooded Orphans (Barbatos Lupus Rex), Gundam 00 (Exia, Exia Repair, Kyrios), Victory Gundam (V2), Char's Counterattack (Sazabi), and The Witch from Mercury (Calibarn).
GD05 does two things no earlier main set did. First, it introduces a brand-new rarity, the Link Rare (LK) — a card that depicts a mobile suit together with its pilot, with a digital/holographic finish. Second, it packs in five different LR++ (double-plus) chase cards, where a normal Gundam set has just one. That gives the anniversary set an exceptionally deep — but exceptionally punishing — top end, headlined by the Wing Gundam Zero (Endless Waltz) LR++, described by multiple openers as a four-figure grail.
Box Contents & Pack Structure
Freedom Ascension is sold in the standard Gundam main-set configuration:
- Booster Box — 24 packs per box (confirmed on-camera in the openings)
- Single packs — 13 cards per pack (12 + 1 bonus card), following the GD04 structure
- Rarity ladder — C / U → R → LR → plus alt arts (C++/U+/R+/LR+) → Link Rare (LK) → SP → LR++
The Gundam pack structure differs from Pokémon and most other TCGs: each pack has a guaranteed hit slot (a Rare or better), and roughly 1 in every 3 packs contains a Legendary Rare (LR). That high LR frequency is the defining feature of the game — every box feels rewarding — but it also means the true chases (Link Rares in bulk, LR+ alt arts, SPs, and the LR++ grails) stand well apart from the base LR tier.
What makes GD05 feel especially loaded is that its new Link Rare tier stacks on top of the usual ~8 LRs per box. Openers routinely pulled a Link Rare and an LR from the same box in quick succession, and several described the anniversary box as one of the most hit-dense Gundam products yet. The variance, as always, comes from which LRs you pull and whether you land any of the rarer LR+, SP, or LR++ tiers.
Pull Rate Data: 160+ Packs
The figures below are aggregated from multiple community box openings totalling roughly 160+ packs — about six English GD05 booster boxes plus one Japanese GD05 box. Counts vary box-to-box, so these are averages with observed ranges, not official rates. Per-pack percentages are derived from the per-box counts across 24 packs. Because this is release-window data, the rarest tiers (SP and LR++) rest on a small sample; treat them as directional.
Aggregated pull rates — roughly 160+ packs across multiple GD05 box openings
| Rarity | Pulls per Box | % per Pack | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LR (Legendary Rare) | ~8 (range 6–10) | ~33% | Core hit, ~1 in 3 packs; highly consistent across openings |
| Link Rare (LK) — NEW | ~4 | ~17% | Brand-new GD05 rarity; suit + pilot with digital texture. Assigned to non-LR cards |
| LR+ (Alt Art LR) | ~2 | ~8% | Openers cited “about two per box”; premium foil alt art of an LR |
| R+ / U+ / C++ (Plus Alt Arts) | ~2 | ~8% | Alt art / holo rares, uncommons, and resource cards combined |
| R (Rare) | ~3–4 | — | Standard rare filling the guaranteed hit slot when it is not an LR or alt art |
| SP (Special) | ~0.2–0.25 (1 per 4–6 boxes) | ~1%* | *Small sample: only one SP (a Char pilot) pulled across 160+ packs; up to ~8 SPs in set |
| LR++ (Double-Plus grail) | 0 observed | case-level* | *Zero pulled across 160+ packs; five different LR++ split the odds — treat as ~1 per case or rarer |
Opening highlights across documented openings
- Opening A (1 English box, 24 packs): LR-heavy box — Sazabi LR, Gundam Calibarn LR, Barbatos LR, Exia Repair LR, plus a Sazabi LR+ alt art and two Link Rares (an Iron-Blooded Orphans link and a Mode Gundam link). Notably pulled a Char pilot SP — the only SP across all documented openings.
- Opening B (English, ~2 boxes): Extremely hit-dense. Strike Freedom LR in the very first pack, then Gaia Gundam LR, V2 Gundam LR, Wing Gundam Zero LR, and a Gundam Exia Repair LR+ alt art. Counted roughly 4 Link Rares in the box (Demi Barding, Sandrock Custom EW, Barbatos Lupus, Heavy Arms Custom), confirming the ~4-per-box Link rate. No SP or LR++.
- Opening C (3 English boxes, 72 packs): Opened chasing the Wing Zero LR++ and did not pull it across all three boxes. Best hits were LR+ alt arts (V2 Gundam) and a steady stream of regular LRs (Master Gundam, Shining Gundam, New Gundam, Exia, Calibarn). Confirmed the grail is a multi-box-plus chase.
- Opening D (1 Japanese GD05 box): Four LRs, one LR+ (Wing Gundam), and multiple C++ alt arts — the Japanese print mirrored the English hit structure closely, with the pilot-plus-suit collectibles landing in the same slots.
Key findings
- LR consistency: ~8 LRs per 24-pack box, in line with GD04 — every opening confirmed a steady LR stream, often back-to-back across packs
- Link Rare is the headline: the new LK rarity lands at roughly 4 per box, making it the most common premium tier and the reason GD05 boxes feel especially loaded
- Alt arts: ~2 LR+ per box plus a couple of R+/U+/C++ plus cards; the LR+ alt arts are the reliable mid-tier chase
- SP scarcity: only one SP (a Char pilot) across 160+ packs — expect roughly 1 per 4–6 boxes, with the specific SP you want much rarer given up to ~8 in the set
- LR++ is a case-level grail: zero LR++ pulled across 160+ packs, and five different LR++ split the top-tier odds — the Wing Zero LR++ specifically was not hit even across a dedicated three-box chase
The New Link Rare Rarity
The Link Rare (LK) is the marquee addition in GD05 and the single biggest reason to open the anniversary set. Each Link Rare depicts a mobile suit together with its pilot on one card, finished with a distinctive digital/holographic texture that openers described as looking “completely different from normal.” The name refers to the game's Link mechanic (pairing a pilot with a unit), and the art literally shows that pairing.
A few things the openings established about how Link Rares behave:
- Frequency: roughly 4 per 24-pack box — one opener explicitly kept a running count and landed on “maybe four per box.” That makes LK the most common of the premium rarities.
- Which cards get it: Bandai appears to have given the Link treatment to non-LR cards — selected rares and hand-picked commons/uncommons — rather than to the LR chase cards. Openers noticed the LRs did not receive Link versions.
- A finite pool: repeats started appearing within a couple of boxes, suggesting the Link Rare pool is relatively small, so a playset of the ones you want comes together fairly quickly.
Named Link Rares seen across the openings include Demi Barding, Gundam Sandrock Custom (EW), Gundam Barbatos Lupus, Gundam Heavy Arms Custom, Force Impulse Gundam (links with Lunamaria), Gaia Gundam (MA mode) with Stellar, and a Master Gundam link with Master Asia. Because the pilot-plus-suit concept is such a natural fit for collectors, the Link Rares of marquee suits are an early candidate to hold value.
Rarity Breakdown
| Rarity Tier | Description | Expected Per Box |
|---|---|---|
| Common (C) | Base commons; the bulk of every pack. Some have C++ holo/alt art versions | Many |
| Uncommon (U) | Standard uncommons; some (U+) have alt art holos | Several |
| Rare (R) | Standard rare hit; some (R+) have alt art holos | ~3–4 |
| Legendary Rare (LR) | The core hit card; approximately 1 per 3 packs | ~8 |
| Link Rare (LK) | New GD05 rarity; mobile suit + pilot on one card, digital texture | ~4 |
| LR+ / R+ / U+ (Alt Art) | Alternate illustrated versions with premium foil; a “plus” on the top-right corner | ~2–4 combined |
| SP (Special) | Highly stylised premium art; pilot SPs and resource SPs (up to ~8 in the set) | ~1 per 4–6 boxes* |
| LR++ (Double-Plus) | The rarest tier; two “plus” marks. Five different cards in GD05 | ~1 per case or rarer* |
*SP and LR++ per-box figures rest on a small release-window sample (only one SP and zero LR++ across 160+ packs). Use them as directional, not confirmed rates. Unlike Pokémon, the Gundam TCG has no Secret Rare that extends the numbering beyond the base set — the SP and LR++ cards sit within the numbered set.
Chase Cards & Market Notes
Freedom Ascension's chase hierarchy is led by five LR++ grails, then the SP pilot cards, then the LR+ alt arts and marquee Link Rares. The prices below are anecdotal launch-week figures quoted by openers — this is a brand-new anniversary set and the secondary market had not settled at the time of these openings. Do not treat them as firm valuations; check the live market before buying or selling.
| Card | Rarity | Series | Market Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wing Gundam Zero (EW) | LR++ | Endless Waltz | ~$4,000 (anecdotal)* | The set's grail; openers called it a four-figure “billion dollar” card. Not pulled in the sample |
| Master Gundam | LR++ | G Gundam | ~$900 (anecdotal)* | Second-biggest LR++; the base LR is a fan-favourite and appeared regularly |
| Sazabi | LR++ / LR | Char's Counterattack | Launch week* | Can be pulled as an LR++; the regular LR and LR+ alt art showed up across openings |
| Gundam Calibarn | LR++ / LR | The Witch from Mercury | Launch week* | New top-end “academy” boss; the base LR was one of the more frequent pulls |
| Strike Freedom Gundam | LR++ / LR | Gundam SEED Destiny | Launch week* | Cover mobile suit; the regular LR was frequently the first-pack hit |
| Char (pilot) | SP | Mobile Suit Gundam | Launch week* | The one SP pulled in the sample; pilot SPs are the mid-grail chase |
| Gundam Exia Repair | LR+ | Gundam 00 | Launch week* | Popular LR+ alt art; the base card is a widely played low-cost purple unit |
| V2 Gundam | LR+ | Victory Gundam | Launch week* | New League Military top-end; the LR+ alt art appeared in multiple boxes |
| Gundam Barbatos Lupus (Link) | LK | Iron-Blooded Orphans | Launch week* | One of the most-pulled Link Rares; strong collector appeal for the suit+pilot art |
| Wing Gundam Zero (Link) | LK | Endless Waltz | Launch week* | Marquee Link Rare; a far cheaper way to own a Wing Zero than chasing the LR++ |
*Prices are anecdotal launch-week figures from the source openings — the set was too new for a settled market. Populate with current PriceCharting / market data before relying on this table.
The Wing Zero LR++ chase
The Wing Gundam Zero (Endless Waltz) LR++ is the grail of the anniversary set — the card every opener said they were chasing and nobody pulled. Anecdotal launch-week quotes ran into the thousands of dollars, and one opener recounted seeing an LR++ from the set change hands for over a grand at a regional tournament. Its status is driven by nostalgia (Endless Waltz is a fan-favourite) and by the LR++ tier's extreme scarcity.
Two cheaper routes exist for Wing Zero fans: the regular LR (the functional play version, pulled regularly) and the new Wing Zero Link Rare, which delivers premium suit-plus-pilot art without the four-figure price. The LR++ is purely a collector tier.
Why five LR++ changes the math
Most Gundam sets have a single LR++, so an LR++ hit is the grail. GD05 splits that top-tier probability across five different cards (Wing Zero, Master Gundam, Sazabi, Calibarn, and Strike Freedom). Even in the rare event you pull an LR++, there is only roughly a 1-in-5 chance it is the specific one you want. That makes targeted opening for a named LR++ dramatically worse value than in a one-grail set — a key reason the singles market is the sane route to any specific double-plus.
Should You Open or Buy Singles?
Open if:
- You enjoy the opening experience — GD05 delivers ~8 LRs per box plus ~4 Link Rares, making it one of the most hit-dense Gundam products yet
- You want the new Link Rares — at ~4 per box from a small pool, opening is a reasonable way to build toward the suit+pilot cards you like
- You are building competitive decks and need multiple copies of LRs like Strike Freedom, Exia Repair, V2 Gundam, or Barbatos Lupus Rex
- You want a broad anniversary cross-section — GD05 spans more series (Wing, SEED, G Gundam, IBO, 00, Victory) than any prior set
Buy singles if:
- You specifically want a named LR++ — Wing Zero (~$4,000 anecdotal), Master Gundam (~$900), Sazabi, Calibarn, or Strike Freedom — the five-way split makes targeted opening completely uneconomical
- You want a specific SP pilot — at ~1 SP per 4–6 boxes across up to eight SPs, chasing any single one through packs is prohibitively expensive
- You want the competitive play version of a card — the regular LR (or base R) is functionally identical to its LR+/Link alt art and far cheaper
- You are treating it as an investment — launch-week prices are unsettled, and an anniversary set with five grails is a speculative hold, not a safe one
The numbers on chasing the Wing Zero LR++
- LR++ observed rate: 0 pulled across 160+ documented packs — a case-level (or rarer) hit
- Five different LR++ split the top tier, so a given LR++ pull is only ~1-in-5 likely to be Wing Zero specifically
- Even a dedicated three-box (72-pack) chase in the sample failed to produce any LR++ at all
- Anecdotal Wing Zero LR++ price: around $4,000 at launch; a full box runs a fraction of that with no LR++ guaranteed
- Expected spend to open into a specific Wing Zero LR++ runs to many multiples of the single price — the single is the only rational route
The honest bottom line: Freedom Ascension is one of the most rewarding opening products in the TCG market right now — ~8 LRs and ~4 brand-new Link Rares per box make every box feel loaded, and the anniversary roster is the broadest yet. But the five LR++ grails, headlined by the four-figure Wing Zero, sit in a tier where the math makes targeted opening pointless — none were pulled across 160+ packs. Open GD05 for the experience, the Link Rares, and the deck-building LRs; buy singles for any specific LR++ grail or SP pilot.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many LRs do you get per Freedom Ascension booster box?
Roughly 8 Legendary Rares per 24-pack box — about 1 LR every 3 packs, consistent with GD04 Phantom Aria. As the first-anniversary set with a broad roster, boxes felt especially hit-heavy, with openers pulling LRs back-to-back across consecutive packs.
What is a Link Rare, and how many do you get per box?
Link Rare (LK) is a brand-new rarity in GD05. Each one shows a mobile suit together with its pilot on a single card, with a digital/holographic texture. Openers counted roughly 4 Link Rares per 24-pack box, making it the most common of the premium rarities. Bandai gave the Link treatment to non-LR cards (selected rares and commons), not to the LR chase cards.
How many LR++ cards are in Freedom Ascension?
Five — highly unusual, as most Gundam sets have just one. Named across the openings are Wing Gundam Zero (Endless Waltz), Master Gundam, Sazabi, and Gundam Calibarn, alongside the cover suit Strike Freedom. LR++ is the rarest tier: zero were pulled across 160+ documented packs, so treat any LR++ as a case-level hit, and remember the five-way split makes landing a specific one far rarer still.
Is the Wing Zero LR++ worth chasing through box openings?
No. It is a four-figure card (anecdotally quoted around $4,000 at launch), and no LR++ of any kind was pulled across 160+ documented packs — including a dedicated three-box chase. With five LR++ splitting the odds, the expected spend to open into the specific Wing Zero LR++ is many times its single price. Buy the single, or grab the far cheaper regular LR or new Link Rare version for the art.
How rare are SP cards in Freedom Ascension?
Rare enough that only one SP — a Char pilot — was pulled across all 160+ documented packs, putting the rate at roughly 1 per 4 to 6 boxes. The set reportedly has up to eight SPs across pilot cards and resource cards, so targeting any single SP through opening is even less likely than that base rate suggests.
How does Freedom Ascension (GD05) compare to Phantom Aria (GD04)?
The base experience is similar — about 8 LRs per 24-pack box in both. GD05 adds the new Link Rare rarity (~4 per box) and carries five LR++ chase cards versus GD04's two (Destiny Gundam and Zeong). That gives GD05 a deeper top end, but the five-way LR++ split makes chasing a specific grail even harder. As the anniversary set, GD05 also spans the widest range of Gundam series to date.
Disclaimer: Pull rates are community estimates aggregated from documented box openings totalling roughly 160+ packs at release — treat all figures as approximate averages, not official rates, and note the SP/LR++ tiers rest on a small sample. Market prices are anecdotal launch-week figures that had not settled at the time of these openings; verify current prices before buying or selling. This is not financial advice.