Lugia V (Silver Tempest) – The Last Great Alt-Art of Sword & Shield?
Released in November 2022, Lugia V (Alt-Art) from Silver Tempest marked the final marquee chase card of the Sword & Shield era. It had all the ingredients: fan-favorite legendary, dreamlike art, competitive relevance, and a late-era scarcity feel.
But as we edge deeper into the Scarlet & Violet era, the big question remains: Has Lugia held up — or faded into modern bulk history?
🔍 Card Snapshot
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| 📦 Set | Silver Tempest |
| 🗓️ Release Date | November 2022 |
| 🃏 Card Number | 186/195 |
| 🎨 Artist | Mitsuhiro Arita |
| 🌊 Art Style | Lugia soaring over stormy seas, accompanied by a tiny sailor — dramatic & cinematic |
| 🏷️ Rarity | Special Illustration Rare (Alt Art) |
📉 Price Performance Timeline
| Date | Raw Price | PSA 10 Price |
|---|---|---|
| Launch (Nov ’22) | ~$250–300 | – |
| Jan ’23 | ~$190 | ~$350–400 |
| Aug ’23 | ~$140 | ~$300 |
| Apr ’25 (Now) | ~$110–120 | ~$260–280 |
- 🔻 ~55% decline from peak raw value
- 📉 Graded value has slowly compressed, but PSA 10 still holds 2–2.5x multiplier
📈 Why It Took Off
- 🐉 Lugia is top-tier nostalgia bait — legendary power, Johto era icon
- 🖼️ One of the most atmospheric alt-arts ever printed
- 🧪 Deck meta relevance at launch helped drive demand
- 🧊 Late-era Sword & Shield sets were printed more conservatively due to allocation cycles
🧠 Why It’s Holding Value Better Than Most
- ✨ Art matters: Arita’s composition is among his strongest modern works
- 🧳 No easy reprint path: Alt-arts are rarely reissued
- 📊 PSA 10 population is still lower than similar-tier alt arts (e.g., Garchomp V, Aerodactyl V)
🧮 How It Compares
| Card | Set | Current Raw | PSA 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lugia V (Alt) | Silver Tempest | ~$115 | ~$270 |
| Charizard V (Alt) | Brilliant Stars | ~$80 | ~$200 |
| Aerodactyl V (Alt) | Lost Origin | ~$70 | ~$180 |
| Umbreon VMAX (Alt) | Evolving Skies | ~$550 | ~$800–900 |
- Lugia still sits in the top 5 modern alt arts by price
- Umbreon remains in a class of its own, but Lugia has much lower supply
📊 Investment Take
| Horizon | View | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short-Term | 🟡 Cautiously Neutral | Holding steady, but not rebounding |
| Mid-Term | 🟢 Quiet Buy Zone | Could benefit from Evolving Skies-style sealed scarcity effect |
| Long-Term | 🟢 Solid Hold | Legendary + top-tier art = reliable collector demand |
🧵 Final Thoughts
Lugia V from Silver Tempest is likely the last great alt-art card of Sword & Shield. It launched with fire, settled with grace, and continues to hover around the $100 mark — no small feat in today’s flood-heavy TCG landscape.
It may never hit Umbreon prices, but it doesn’t need to. For many collectors, it’s the perfect storm: legacy character, moody art, mid-supply, and grading upside.
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