Solemn Judgment #MRD-127

Solemn Judgment #MRD-127 collector guide

About Solemn Judgment

Solemn Judgment is a Counter Trap Card, printed as MRD-127 in Metal Raiders (2002) as an Ultra Rare. 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 49th of the 508 Metal Raiders cards we track. The top card is Gate Guardian at €301.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Solemn Judgment can stop almost any summon, Spell or Trap at the cost of half your Life Points, and it has been a competitive staple since 2002. Its text is about negating cards and effects and destroying cards.

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 MRD-127. The code MRD-127, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as MRD-E127, and are priced separately. It is the Ultra Rare version. Ultra Rares have a gold-foil name and holographic artwork. Metal Raiders has 3 other printings of Solemn Judgment: MRD-127 1st Edition (€67.27), MRD-E127 (€10.68) and MRD-E127 1st Edition (€80.05). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly. It was also printed in 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II, which we track separately.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €15.72, a PSA 9 for €62.42 and a PSA 10 for €200.96. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 83%, and down 9% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €19.33 in January 2023, 19% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved up 30% over the same 12 months. Of the 11 printings of Solemn Judgment we track, this one ranks 3rd by ungraded value. The most valuable is Metal Raiders MRD-E127 1st Edition at €80.05. 1st Edition copies sell for about 4.3× the Unlimited printing (€67.27 against €15.72).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 12.8× the ungraded price and 3.2× 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 83% in a year; it comes from the first years of the English game, which are no longer printed; lasting fame from the anime or the competitive game; it is the original printing, which reprints rarely replace for collectors; an active market (75 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 €15.72 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €62.42. Ask the seller to show the code MRD-127, the missing "1st Edition" text and the Ultra 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.