The Air 2S is one hell of an upgrade from a Mini 1 
Check out this thread: DJI (Mavic) Air 2S mega thread
No, absolutely not. The Mini 2 comes with the prop guard holder as standard and as you say, also comes with the very roomy case that the Air 2(S) ships with.
If your budget allows the upgrade from a Mini 1 to an Air 2S, it’s a no brainer