Cards with alternate art in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG don’t come around very often. In fact, most of the time cards simply get a rarity bump that they might not have had in prior sets. Quarter Century Stampede, on the other hand, includes some alternate art printings that make their debut. It also contains reprintings of older alt arts.
There are some classic printings of Duel Monster legends throughout the years, and there are also some cards that give some of the most popular monsters a completely different appearance. Most importantly, these changes are sometimes lore-relevant. So what are the best alternate arts you can find in Quarter Century Stampede?
13 Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon
Stars And Glitter
Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon is by no means a bad monster. However, as far as alternative arts go, it isn’t the most impressive. It just looks too similar to what already exists.
This monster is depicted facing to the right instead of facing to the left. You also get a few more stars and galaxies in the card’s background. It’s a neat effect, but it only makes you wish the dragon had a new pose.
12 Black Rose Dragon And Tour Guide Of The Underworld
Some Throwbacks To The 5Ds Era
While Black Rose Dragon doesn’t get any new alternate arts in the set, it does get a reprint of the alternate art that originally released in Maximum Gold: El Dorado.
This is only one of the inclusions of 5Ds era alt arts. Another card from the era to get a fantastic printing is Tour Guide of the Underworld with a much more detailed and fun card art to go with it.
11 Accesscode Talker
It’s The End Game Now
Accesscode Talker is a great way for combo decks to finish off games. The alternate art found in this set shows the monster from a new angle.
This version of the card has darker color schemes with a blue and red background instead of the usual golden and blue. It gives off the appearance that it’s coming right at your opponent, ready to win you the game.
10 Dark Magician And Dark Magician Girl
The Most Iconic Yu-Gi-Oh! Duo
Both iconic magicians from the Duel Monsters era return in Quarter Century Stampede. While Dark Magician Girl gets two of her alternative arts reprinted, the Dark Magician gets six. This includes an additional version of Yugi’s monster that pairs well with the Blue-Eyes from this set.
This Dark Magician appears locked in combat with another monster just beyond what the card border shows you. It could only be one monster…
9 Blue-Eyes White Dragon And Blue-Eyes Chaos Max Dragon
Kaiba’s Past And Future
It isn’t just the Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s design that made it cool. Some would say it is Seto Kaiba’s absolute adoration of the monster that hyped it up. This set includes the other half of the Dark Magician’s battle with an alt art depicting the Blue-Eyes firing its Blue Stream of Destruction.
Aside from having two other alt arts from the past, there is even an alt art for Blue-Eyes Chaos Max Dragon. This is an evolution of the Blue-Eyes featured in the Dark Side of Dimensions movie.
8 Sky Striker Ace — Raye And Sky Striker Ace — Hayate
Action-Packed Card Arts
The Sky Striker archetype has plenty of alternate art cards. This set includes alternate arts for Sky Striker Ace — Raye and Sky Striker Ace — Hayate. Both cards look particularly good since they show each character in a more dynamic pose.
Both are fending off attacks on the battlefield with each card depicting an action sequence. These alternate arts make the deck feel like it’s replaying scenes from an anime.
7 Effect Veiler, Nibiru The Primal Being, And Board Breakers
Two Excellent Staples
Two hand traps to get some very exciting alternate arts are Effect Veiler and Nibiru The Primal Being. For once, Effect Veiler’s design gives it the appearance that their wings are clouding the field and preventing monsters from using their effects.
Meanwhile, Nibiru not only crash lands on your opponent’s side of the field. It is fully released from the meteor it resided in. If you haven’t been able to break a board yet, Lightning Storm has a fresh card art to do the trick.
6 Divine Arsenal AA-Zeus — Sky Thunder
One Final Stand
If you play decks with XYZ Monsters, there is a good chance that you’ve ended up sending out Zeus when you’ve run out of gas. This is essentially your last stand as you wipe the board over and over again to prevent your opponent from finishing you off.
The alt art for Divine Arsenal AA-Zeus — Sky Thunder shows the mech floating through space, battle damaged but still fighting. This card perfectly encapsulates the spirit of a player giving it their all to make a comeback.
5 Called By The Grave
Just Draw The Out
Called By The Grave is a common staple used by almost every single deck as a way to out your opponent’s hand traps. This alternate art, on the other hand, is the perfect fit for a Live Twin deck.
This playful printing features Li-La and Ki-Sikil playing an RPG during one of their streams. They laugh at a player who has fallen into a hole. This is the same reaction you’ll make when you successfully stop your opponent’s hand traps.
4 The Albaz Alt Arts
A Collection Of Branded Cards
Quarter Century Stampede has plenty of Albaz and Ecclesia-related cards getting alternate arts. This includes Fallen of Albaz, Aluber the Jester of Despia, Incredible Ecclesia the Virtuous, and Blazing Cartesia the Virtuous.
Some are given brighter backgrounds and set pieces, while Aluber gets a brooding look. Cartesia looks like she wants to give you head pats after your Branded Fusion gets ashed. It’s a solid collection.
3 Lady Labrynth Of The Silver Castle
Lady Labrynth’s Secret Lore
This is a great addition to the Labrynth archetype. It’s also lore relevant. It depicts Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle looking a bit sad as her servants lay on the ground as statues.
Is it a fateful end or an origin story for the smug lady? This is also a card where the art depicts a monster from the archetype that has yet to be revealed at the time of its release, as it depicts the mysterious scissor-wielding servant from Big Welcome.
2 Pot Of Extravagance
A Collaboration With The Eldlich Archetype
When your extra deck doesn’t matter, you can just throw down a Pot of Extravagance for a chance at drawing two cards. One archetype that loves this card as well as its golden design is Eldlitch.
So, naturally, this alternate art depicts the monsters from the Eldlitch archetype emerging from within the pot itself. Perhaps they are the cards you ended up drawing from the effect.
1 Diabellstar The Black Witch
The Best Redesign In The Set
Diabellstar The Black Witch is by far the best alternative art card in Quarter Century Stampede. She doesn’t just change a pose or get shown in a different part of her story.
Instead, she gets an entirely different costume, trading in her usual look for a gothic witch attire. She also has a neat city backdrop to make the presentation more dynamic. Sometimes, the setting helps the art just as much as the character’s depiction.
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