Dark Balter the Terrible [1st Edition] #LOD-002

Dark Balter the Terrible [1st Edition] #LOD-002 collector guide

About Dark Balter the Terrible

Dark Balter the Terrible is a Fusion Monster, made from its Fusion Materials with a card such as Polymerization, printed as LOD-002 in Legacy of Darkness (2003) as a Super Rare. It is a Level 5 DARK Fiend monster with 2,000 ATK and 1,200 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 22nd of the 206 Legacy of Darkness cards we track. The top card is Yata-Garasu at €78.25.

Character and collecting appeal

Fiends are one of the largest Types in the game, home to many of its darker and more unusual designs. Its text is about negating cards and effects and destroying cards. Its Fusion Materials include Frontier Wiseman and Possessed Dark Soul.

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-002. The code LOD-002, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOD-E002, and are priced separately. It is the Super Rare version. Super Rares have holographic artwork and a plain name. Legacy of Darkness has one other printing of Dark Balter the Terrible: LOD-002 (€7.57). 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 €10.67, a PSA 9 for €23.63 and a PSA 10 for €270.84. Our monthly prices for it go back to November 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 33%, and up 17% in the last month. It is trading at or near its highest recorded value. PSA 10 copies have moved up 76% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 1.4× the Unlimited printing (€10.67 against €7.57).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 25.4× the ungraded price and 11.5× 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: steady demand, with ungraded prices up 33% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (65 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €10.67 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €23.63. Ask the seller to show the code LOD-002, the "1st Edition" text and the Super Rare 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.