Lightning Blade #LON-022

Lightning Blade #LON-022 collector guide

About Lightning Blade

Lightning Blade is an Equip Spell Card, printed as LON-022 in Labyrinth of Nightmare (2003) as a Common. Labyrinth of Nightmare arrived in early 2003 and is best remembered for Torrential Tribute, Magic Cylinder, Gemini Elf and Dark Necrofear. Ungraded, this printing ranks 297th of the 331 Labyrinth of Nightmare cards we track. The top card is Torrential Tribute at €92.89.

Character and collecting appeal

In play, it is a card for changing ATK and DEF.

Version and identification

This guide covers the Unlimited printing, without the "1st Edition" text below the artwork. 1st Edition copies of the same card have their own, usually higher, prices. Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read LON-022. The code LON-022, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LON-E022, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Labyrinth of Nightmare has 4 other printings of Lightning Blade: LON-022 1st Edition (€0.66), LON-E022 (€1.56), LON-E022 1st Edition and LON-EN022 (€1.25). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €0.27, a PSA 9 for €25.69 and a PSA 10 for €44.61. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 82%, and down 13% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €1.78 in February 2022, 85% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 51% over the same 12 months. Of the 4 printings of Lightning Blade we track, this one ranks 4th by ungraded value. The most valuable is Labyrinth of Nightmare LON-E022 at €1.56. 1st Edition copies sell for about 2.4× the Unlimited printing (€0.66 against €0.27).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 165.2× the ungraded price and 1.7× a PSA 9. That gap is small, so grading fees may outweigh the gain unless the card is for your own collection. On cards from the early 2000s, the dark brown backs show every scuff and white edge, so top grades are scarce.

Investment potential

In its favour: a price well below its February 2022 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the first years of the English game, which are no longer printed; an active market (27 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 82% in a year. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.27 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €25.69. Ask the seller to show the code LON-022, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Common finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. Cards from 2003 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.