Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning [1st Edition] #IOC-025

Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning [1st Edition] #IOC-025 collector guide

About Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning

Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning is an Effect Monster, printed as IOC-025 in Invasion of Chaos (2004) as an Ultra Rare. It is a Level 8 LIGHT Warrior monster with 3,000 ATK and 2,500 DEF. No monster in Invasion of Chaos has more ATK. Invasion of Chaos, released in 2004, brought Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End and Dark Magician of Chaos. The Envoys went on to dominate competitive play, which makes it one of the most important sets of the early game. This printing is the most valuable ungraded card of the 224 Invasion of Chaos cards we track.

Character and collecting appeal

Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning defined competitive play in 2004 and 2005 together with Chaos Emperor Dragon, and it spent years on the Forbidden list. Its text is about banishing cards, Special Summoning and destroying cards. It cannot be Normal Summoned, so it has to be brought out by its own conditions. Primal Seed mentions Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning in its text, which keeps it relevant.

Version and identification

This guide covers the 1st Edition printing. The words "1st Edition" are printed below the artwork on the left; copies without them are the Unlimited printing and usually sell for less. Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read IOC-025. The code IOC-025, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as IOC-E025, and are priced separately. It is the Ultra Rare version. Ultra Rares have a gold-foil name and holographic artwork. Invasion of Chaos has one other printing of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning: IOC-025 (€31.71). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in Quarter Century Bonanza, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €143.78, a PSA 9 for €642.00 and a PSA 10 for €5,799. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 61%, and down 21% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €217.72 in December 2021, 34% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 252% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Quarter Century Bonanza RA03-EN132 Platinum Secret Rare at €12.96. 1st Edition copies sell for about 4.5× the Unlimited printing (€143.78 against €31.71).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 40.3× the ungraded price and 9× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. Early English Yu-Gi-Oh! cards often have off-centre cuts and wear on the dark brown back borders, which is why high grades are hard to reach.

Investment potential

In its favour: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 61% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; lasting fame from the anime or the competitive game; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (127 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Card prices can fall as well as rise, so this is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €143.78 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €642.00. Ask the seller to show the code IOC-025, the "1st Edition" text and the Ultra Rare finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. At this price fakes are worth checking for: genuine cards have a small holographic seal (the Eye of Anubis) in the bottom-right corner, and the font, colours and card back should match a copy you know is genuine. Look up the certificate number of any graded copy on the grading company's website. Cards from 2004 often show white wear on the back edges and corners, so ask for photos of the back before you buy.

Card details and image from YGOPRODeck. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a trademark of Konami; Search Cards is not affiliated with Konami.