Baron of the Fiend Sword [1st Edition] #SDY-036

Baron of the Fiend Sword [1st Edition] #SDY-036 collector guide

About Baron of the Fiend Sword

Baron of the Fiend Sword is a Normal Monster, with flavour text instead of an effect, printed as SDY-036 in Starter Deck: Yugi (2002) as a Common. It is a Level 4 DARK Fiend monster with 1,550 ATK and 800 DEF. Starter Deck: Yugi was one of the two pre-built decks that launched the English game in 2002, built around the cards Yugi Muto plays in the anime, with Dark Magician at its centre. Ungraded, this printing ranks 34th of the 162 Starter Deck: Yugi cards we track. The top card is Castle Walls at €356.09.

Character and collecting appeal

Fiends are one of the largest Types in the game, home to many of its darker and more unusual designs. With no effect, its appeal is its artwork, its stats and its place in Starter Deck: Yugi.

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 SDY-036. The code SDY-036, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as SDY-E036, and are priced separately. It is the Common version. Commons have a plain name and no foil. Starter Deck: Yugi has 3 other printings of Baron of the Fiend Sword: SDY-036 (€0.38), SDY-E033 (€2.22) and SDY-E033 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 €4.04, a PSA 9 for €15.16 and a PSA 10 for €73.17. Our monthly prices for it go back to June 2022. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are up 75%, and up 9% in the last month. The current price is its high point on our records. PSA 10 copies have moved down 9% over the same 12 months. Of the 3 printings of Baron of the Fiend Sword we track, this is the most valuable ungraded. The cheapest is Starter Deck: Yugi SDY-036 at €0.38. 1st Edition copies sell for about 10.6× the Unlimited printing (€4.04 against €0.38).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 18.1× the ungraded price and 4.8× 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 75% in a year; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (27 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 €4.04 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €15.16. Ask the seller to show the code SDY-036, 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.