Battle Ox [1st Edition] #SDK-005

Battle Ox [1st Edition] #SDK-005 collector guide

About Battle Ox

Battle Ox is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as SDK-005 in Starter Deck: Kaiba (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 4 EARTH Beast-Warrior monster with 1,700 ATK and 1,000 DEF. Its ATK is the 7th highest of the 31 monsters in the set. Starter Deck: Kaiba was one of the two pre-built decks that launched the English game in 2002, built around Seto Kaiba and his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Ungraded, this printing ranks 7th of the 110 Starter Deck: Kaiba cards we track, one of the chase cards of the set. The top card is Blue-Eyes White Dragon at €300.65.

Character and collecting appeal

Beast-Warriors mix animal and warrior designs and have been part of the game since the first sets. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Starter Deck: Kaiba. Rabid Horseman mentions Battle Ox 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 SDK-005. The code SDK-005, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDK-E005, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Starter Deck: Kaiba has one other printing of Battle Ox: SDK-005 (€0.67). 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 €11.79, a PSA 9 for €41.01 and a PSA 10 for €89.18. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 23%, and up 2% in the last month. It is trading at or near its highest recorded value. PSA 10 copies have moved sideways over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 17.6× the Unlimited printing (€11.79 against €0.67).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 7.6× the ungraded price and 2.2× 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 23% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (33 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Past prices do not guarantee future ones. This is not financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €11.79 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €41.01. Ask the seller to show the code SDK-005, the "1st Edition" text and the Common 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.