Mask of Darkness [1st Edition] #MRD-014

Mask of Darkness [1st Edition] #MRD-014 collector guide

About Mask of Darkness

Mask of Darkness is a Flip Effect Monster, whose effect happens when it is flipped face-up, printed as MRD-014 in Metal Raiders (2002) as a Rare. It is a Level 2 DARK Fiend monster with 900 ATK and 400 DEF. Metal Raiders was the second English booster set. It added Summoned Skull, Gate Guardian, Mirror Force and Change of Heart, and many of its cards shaped how the early game was played. Ungraded, this printing ranks 107th of the 508 Metal Raiders cards we track. The top card is Gate Guardian at €301.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Fiends are one of the largest Types in the game, home to many of its darker and more unusual designs.

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 MRD-014. The code MRD-014, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as MRD-E014, and are priced separately. It is the Rare version. Rares have a silver-foil name and plain artwork. Metal Raiders has 3 other printings of Mask of Darkness: MRD-014 (€0.66), MRD-E014 (€2.27) and MRD-E014 1st Edition. 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 €4.45, a PSA 9 for €40.23 and a PSA 10 for €74.45. Our monthly prices for it go back to September 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 40%, and down 28% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €13.42 in December 2022, 67% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 67% over the same 12 months. Of the 3 printings of Mask of Darkness we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Metal Raiders MRD-014 at €0.66. 1st Edition copies sell for about 6.7× the Unlimited printing (€4.45 against €0.66).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 16.7× the ungraded price and 1.9× 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 40% in a year; a price well below its December 2022 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 (41 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 €4.45 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €40.23. Ask the seller to show the code MRD-014, the "1st Edition" text and the Rare finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. Cards from 2002 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.