Cave Dragon [1st Edition] #LOD-040

Cave Dragon [1st Edition] #LOD-040 collector guide

About Cave Dragon

Cave Dragon is an Effect Monster, printed as LOD-040 in Legacy of Darkness (2003) as a Short Print. It is a Level 4 WIND Dragon monster with 2,000 ATK and 100 DEF. Its ATK is the 8th highest of the 56 monsters in the set. Legacy of Darkness was a smaller 2003 set with a wave of Spirit monsters, including Yata-Garasu, alongside Injection Fairy Lily and Airknight Parshath. Ungraded, this printing ranks 76th of the 206 Legacy of Darkness cards we track. The top card is Yata-Garasu at €78.25.

Character and collecting appeal

Dragons are the most collected monster Type in Yu-Gi-Oh!, largely thanks to Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes. Its effect centres on stopping attacks. It cannot be Normal Summoned, so it has to be brought out by its own conditions. Fiend Skull Dragon mentions Cave Dragon 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 LOD-040. The code LOD-040, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOD-E040, and are priced separately. It is the Short Print version. Short Prints look like Commons but were printed in smaller numbers. Legacy of Darkness has one other printing of Cave Dragon: LOD-040 (€0.88). 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 €1.11, a PSA 9 for €8.02 and a PSA 10 for €87.09. Our monthly prices for it go back to November 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 69%, and down 14% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €3.62 in October 2025, 69% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 52% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 1.3× the Unlimited printing (€1.11 against €0.88).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 78.5× the ungraded price and 10.9× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. 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 October 2025 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (26 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 69% in a year. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €1.11 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €8.02. Ask the seller to show the code LOD-040, the "1st Edition" text and the Short Print 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.