Before Quarter Century secret rare cards took the spotlight in theYu-Gi-Oh! TCG, Starlight Rare cards were the best rarities you could find in a main set. These cards have the same prismatic text as secret rares and special holographic foiling that covers the whole card. Tilt these special cards side to side and watch the rainbow squares pop up.
Starlight rare cards are simply gorgeous to look at, with a design that stands out even if you were to sleeve the card. Just one look, and you’ll instantly be able to recognize them for what they are. Some of their most valuable members include hand traps, nostalgic dieties, and flexible extra deck monsters.
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10Eria The Water Charmer, Gentle
A Charming Spellcaster
Any deck focused on the Water Attribute can make instant use of this card. It can steal Water monsters from your opponent’s graveyard, but also lets you search out your own cards when destroyed. Your other monsters can also use this as a way to get themselves into the graveyard.
A starlight rare version of Eia the Water Charmer, Gentle, can be found in the Eternity Code set. Considering this card isn’t tied down to any specific archetype, its usefulness allows it to remain relevant whenever Water decks rise to the surface.
9Exodia The Forbidden One
The Ultimate And Unstoppable Monster
All five pieces of Exodiahave starlight rare variants in the Battles of Legend: Crystal Revenge set. The most expensive piece of the puzzle is the head. This is the card that has Exodia the Forbidden One’s name printed on it.
Seeing as this is the card Yugi flashes at Kaiba moments before he defeats him during their first duel, Exodia is possibly the most nostalgic card of all time. As a starlight rare, completing the set can make any collection feel bigger.
8Mirrorjade The Iceblade Dragon
A Majestic Fusion Dragon
Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon is one of the more annoying cards that the Branded archetype can dish out. Once on the field, it feels like a landmine. you’re able to’t strike at your opponent without getting rid of it, but most of the options will result in your monsters being wiped out during the End Phase.
The starlight rare printing of this card can be found in the Photon Hypernova set. With such a powerful endboard piece for a fairly easy deck to use, Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon is another fine addition with plenty of use.
7Live Twin Ki-Silil Frost
An Early Christmas Present
The Lightning Overdrive set introduced a seasonal variant of Live Twin Ki-sikil known as Live Twin Ki-sikil Frost. Sporting wintery attire complete with mistletoe, candy canes, and snowman motifs, Frost isa silly little card to look at.
It is also incredibly useful in the Live Twin deck, since it helps the player draw more cards during their turn by banishing itself from the grave. With Live Twins having multiple cards at high rarities, there are plenty of opportunities to rarity bump your entire collection.
6Triple Tactics Talent
Three Different Punishments For Your Opponent
Triple Tactics Talent is a useful card in any deck. Even if only one copy is allowed in your deck, having it in your hand gives you immediate value if your opponent uses a monster effect while you’re trying to set your board up.
Draw two cards, steal a monster, or rip a card right out of your opponent’s hand. Each effect is deadly in different scenarios, making it a flexible piece of interaction. This starlight rare can be found in Rise of the Duelist, and is the hardest version of the card to find.
5Effect Veiler
One Of The Oldest Hand Traps
Effect Veiler has been around long before it got a Starlight Rare printing. This hand trap comes straight fromthe 5Ds era of the game. While Duelist Revolution gave the card the premium treatment as an ultimate rare, Eternity Code brought it back as a starlight rare.
Effect Veiler is one of the most useful hand traps. Being a level one Light Tuner makes it excellent as part of a Blue-Eyes deck. It can also be used in any deck as a form of interruption. Naturally, its usefulness means the Starlight Rare printing has a place on the table.
4Wynn The Wind Charmer, Verdant
When The Wind Blows
The elemental charmers are a neat archetype to collect. With so many variants and familiars available, you can bring every version together to fill up a page in your binder. Wynn the Wind Charmer, Verdant is the most valuable card associated with the Wind Charmers.
This starlight rare can be found in the Rising Rampage set and has similar abilities to its other elemental counterparts. It can steal Wind monsters from your opponent’s graveyard and give you a search if destroyed by your opponent.
3Stardust Dragon
Yusei Fudo’s Best Card
The Dawn of Majesty set introduced Shooting Majestic Star Dragon as its featured card. Because the card was an evolution of the Stardust Dragon and had interactions with it, it is only natural that the older card gets reprinted with a premium rarity bump.
Even though the ghost rare variant manages to top it, the starlight rare version is the highest rarity printing that retains all of its original visuals and colors. Being one of the best generic Synchro monsters of the era also helps fuel its value as a collector’s item.
2I:P Masquerena
A Link Summon On Your Opponent’s Turn
I:P Masquerena first appeared in Chaos Impact and continues to be run asa generic card for the Extra Deck. All you need is two non-Link monsters, and this card allows you to Link Summon during your opponent’s turn.
This can be useful for turning effects that activate on Summon into powerful forms of interruption. Giving them protection from destruction through card effects is a sweet bonus. The starlight rare is the highest rarity you can find this card in, though some would say they prefer the alternate art.
1Apollousa, Bow Of The Goddess
Multiple Monster Negates In One Turn
Even though Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess got hit in the banlist, the card continues to demand respect on the market due to its rarity. With four Starlight Rares available in the Rising Rampage set, being able to pull this one can be a challenge. Especially when the set is out of print.
Apollousa also has a legacy status for being part of the first wave of Starlight Rares. So it’s a historical turning point for rarities and collections. Being first at anything is bound to cause waves, and Apollousa had that privilege.
