It’s now 2025 and the new year begins with its first Yu-Gi-Oh Championship Series (Y.C.S.) in Orlando, Florida. With over two thousand players, the tournament concludes with almost fifty percent of the top sixty-four players representing the Ryzeal archetype.
In response to the overall performance of Ryzeal and its variants like Fiendsmith and Mitisurugi, not to mention the impending release of the Blue-Eyes White Destiny Structure Deck, there have been noticeable changes in the market trends of certain cards.
First on the list is Metaltronus. A quick-play spell used to shut down staple monster cards such as Ryzeal Detonator, this card commanded a modest price average of $2-3 per copy last month. Now the price has gone up to $6-7. This is not as wallet-breaking as other coveted collector targets at the moment, but with its 2024 release coming in the Legacy of Destruction booster pack, the current trend may continue to soar higher until it is reprinted in any upcoming sets.
Next goes to rogue deck lovers, Crystron Citree. While the Cryston archetype had no representation in the top 64, it has received new support in the recently released Supreme Darkness set and keeps a certain amount of popularity among players. Starting with a modest cost of $7 back in early January, its price began rising as Supreme Darkness neared its release date and practically skyrocketed to a $30 average just this week after the Y.C.S.
Released back in 2016 in the Invasion: Vengeance Set, this card is considered a necessary component in the deck’s toolkit. This may see its price rise even further if a reprint is not made soon.
Next up is Infernal Flame Banshee. Used as a combo extender or a tool to play through disruptions, this card sees an average $3-5 market trend for its Secret Rare (SR) variant, while its Quarter Century Secret Rare (QCR) is already making sales at upwards of $60.
While it's not a necessary tool for archetypes like Ryzeal in the Trading Card Game (TCG), this card has seen some play in the Official Card Game (OCG) format which has a different ban and limited list altogether. Intrepid players may want to purchase a copy or two in preparation for the next upcoming TCG ban list.
Rounding off our list for today, we have Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon and Sage with Eyes of Blue. Both of these cards are starting to see gains in value with the Blue-Eyes White Destiny structure deck drawing closer to its release.
The former was averaging out a price point of about $15 last month but is now being sold at double its average price at $30. The latter is currently exchanging hands at about $5-10 with its Ultra Rare (UR) copy, while its SR version is being sold at an average of $15-25. With Sage of Eyes of Blue being a core component in the archetype, a player would normally run this at three copies. This would mean a complete set of this card might cost anywhere between $45-75.
We’re only two months into the year and the metagame is already evolving to reflect current popular trends. Considering the next Y.C.S. is slated for March, who knows how the market will react until then?