With over 10,000 cards to choose from, Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the most popular trading card games ever created. The game has been available for over 20 years, making many of the early cards rare, and thus pricey. However, have you ever wondered which Yu-Gi-Oh! card is the most expensive in the world?
Certainly, like other trading card games, the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game gained a lot of popularity from its cartoon TV show. Moreover, the company was able to put on tournaments all over the world where coveted prizes and money could be won. In this article, we’ll discuss the prize from the first-ever official Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament held in 1999. This prize later became the most expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! card in the world.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise
The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise began in 1998 with the Japanese release of the first animated series. There are currently seven chapters of the animated television program, each in a different timeline and with different characters. These include:
- The original Yu-Gi-Oh! series
- Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
- Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s
- Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL
- Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
- Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
- Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS (presently only airing in Asia)
In the series, the characters play a card game called Duel Monsters. In this high-stakes strategic card game, characters compete against one another to protect their friends and loved ones — and even save the world. The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is based on the Duel Monsters card game from the series.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game
As mentioned above, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is based on duels that take place in the Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series. Players collect decks of 40-60 trading cards that they can use to compete against their opponents. The card game is turn-based, with specific rules for both in-person and remote duels. The goal of the game is to use Monster, Spell, and Trap Cards to defeat an opponent’s monsters and drop their Life Points to zero.
Monster Cards
Monster cards are some of the most common cards you will confront during a duel. The monster cards are the primary tools you will use to defeat your opponent, either by dealing damage against their cards or by directly attacking your opponent’s Life Points. Monster cards have some or all of these specific characteristics: attack points to show how much damage they can deal, a description of special abilities, an attribute like Earth or Fire, damage points to show how much damage they can take, and a level showing how powerful they are.
To use your monster cards, you will need to summon them. Some monsters can be summoned simply by playing the card face-up, but others may take several cards and a step-by-step process to complete.
Spell Cards
Spell cards can only be triggered when it is your turn. These cards activate offense-increasing effects that are listed on the card. For example, triggering an Equip type of Spell card can give one of your monsters additional abilities.
Trap Cards
Trap cards can be used to disrupt your opponent’s attacks or hamper their progress. Once you set the trap on the battlefield, you can’t activate it immediately, but you can activate it during an opponent’s turn.
How to Play: The Basics
Each player begins with 8,000 life points. A player must have a Main Deck, an Extra Deck, and a Side Deck to play. The Extra Deck holds 0-15 cards of certain monster types that can be used in the game if you meet specific requirements. The Side Deck is also 0-15 cards you can customize according to the opponent and the circumstances. You can swap a card from the Side to Main Deck after each duel, as long as the card count remains the same.
Zones
It is important to know where a card can and cannot be played on the battlefield. Up to five monsters can be placed in the Monster Card Zone. You can also place up to five cards in the Spells and Traps Zone. Players have a Graveyard Zone where defeated monsters and used Spells and Traps go. Your Deck Zone is where your Main Deck is placed. You place your Extra Deck in the Extra Deck Zone. Any special Spell cards will go in your Field Card Zone.
Gameplay
To play, the decks of cards are shuffled and placed face-down in the appropriate Deck Zone of the battlefield. Each player draws five cards from the Main Deck to begin the duel. Here are the phases of a typical Yu-Gi-Oh! duel:
- Draw Phase: You draw a card and you have the opportunity to activate Trap Cards or Spells.
- Standby Phase: Anything you or your opponent activated completes during this phase.
- Main Phase 1: You can summon or set a monster, change your monsters’ battle positions, activate a specific card or effect, and activate or set Spells and Traps.
- Battle Phase: A monster in attack position gets to attack once. When you attack, you compare your monster’s attack points value to the attack points or defensive points value of your opponent’s monster, whichever is applicable.
- Main Phase 2: The same as Main Phase 1.
- End Phase: Some card effects activate in this phase (as shown on the card face) and discard until you have no more than six cards in your hand.
- Comes with 6 new Ultra rare variant art cards
- 5 Ultra rare cards per pack
- Features 6 Duel power booster packs
- New art versions of monsters from each Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series
- Includes one gameboard
5 Facts About the Most Expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! Card in the World
- The most expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! card in the world is the Tournament Black Luster Soldier. This card is a coveted, rare prize card that was awarded at the first Yu-Gi-Oh! held in 1999.
- The Tournament Black Luster Soldier reportedly sold for $2,000,000 USD in 2013.
- Tournament Black Luster Soldier is the only Yu-Gi-Oh! card to ever be printed on stainless steel.
- The Tournament Black Luster Soldier is a Monster card type with an Earth attribute. The overall type of the card is a Warrior/Ritual with a level 8. The attack and defense of the card are 3,000 / 2,500.
- You can ritual summon Black Luster Soldier with the card Black Luster Ritual.
The Most Expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! Card in the World: Where Can I Buy It?
It is important to note that it is extremely hard to find, let alone buy, the Tournament Black Luster Soldier card. It is possible to buy replica Black Luster Soldier cards online, but unfortunately, not the Tournament stainless steel card.
In order to be able to find the Tournament Black Luster Soldier card, you would have to be heavily involved in the Yu-Gi-Oh! rare card-flipping community. Since it is not a card that a player would want to bring to a normal game, it becomes difficult to know who to network with to find the card. If you want to find this card, you should be prepared to do your research in the Yu-Gi-Oh! community, as well as search auction houses that specialize in these types of collectibles.
However, you do not need the most expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! card in the world to enjoy the game. There are plenty of collectible starter decks available through gaming stores and other retailers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Tournament Black Luster Solider is the most expensive and coveted Yu-Gi-Oh! card in the world. Tournament Black Luster Solider is worth over $2,000,000 USD, and it is incredibly rare. But more importantly, thanks to the dedicated, committed Yu-Gi-Oh! the fan base, this trading card will continue to hold its value and even continue to grow as more and more new players join the game.
In fact, Konami recently announced they are resuming the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship for 2023. The brand currently plans to hold the World Championship in Japan this August. There will be three different tournaments in the following categories: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel. Keep an eye out for more information about qualifying rounds for the World Championship 2023. In the meantime, dust off those trading cards and start dueling!
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Cards TCG: Duel Power Box- 6 Rare Cards & Booster Pack, Multicolor
- Comes with 6 new Ultra rare variant art cards
- 5 Ultra rare cards per pack
- Features 6 Duel power booster packs
- New art versions of monsters from each Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series
- Includes one gameboard
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