Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Understanding How Condition Shapes Pricing for Plated Slagwurm

In the treasure-filled world of MTG collecting, condition is king. Even a towering green Wurm like Plated Slagwurm, a rare from the Duel Decks Anthology: Garruk vs. Liliana (GVL), rides the waves of supply, demand, and wear. This 8/8 hexproof behemoth, demanding {4}{G}{G}{G} and a staggering amount of mana to slam down, has a place in the history books as a reprint from 2014. While it’s not the flashy foil champion of big tournaments, its condition can still move the price needle—especially for grinders who value a sturdy, unscuffed specimen on the surface of a trade or sale. 🧙‍♂️🔥

The card’s fundamentals are straightforward: it’s green, rare, and legal in formats like Modern and Vintage, with a high-impact ability that protects it from targeted removal. Yet in the real market, the tiny price tag you’ll often see—roughly a few tenths of a dollar for the current nonfoil print—suddenly becomes a lot more interesting when you consider condition. A mint, near-mint, or excellent copy can easily outpace heavily played or damaged stock, even if the difference might feel small at first glance. The truth is that condition serves as a quick visual proxy for fault-free performance in real-world play. If you’re hoping to slot this behemoth into a casual EDH list or tuck it into a vintage-style deck, a pristine example helps keep the theme intact and the game feeling as fresh as a new booster draft. 🧵💎

Let’s pocket the card data for a moment: Plated Slagwurm is a nonfoil rarity, printed as part of a reprint in the GVL set. It’s a hexproof creature, meaning it can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. That resilience—tactically valuable in multiplayer formats—often nudges collectors toward care in handling and grading. Yet because it sits in a reprint with a relatively modest price curve (current market values in the few-dollars-and-cents range for nonfoil copies in many markets), the percentage premium for mint over near-mint or played copies tends to be subtler than for ultra-hot chase rares or coveted gold-bordered promos. The result? Condition matters, but the delta isn’t always dramatic in dollar terms—which makes sense given the card’s broader supply and evergreen appeal. 🔥💎

“A card with hexproof may weather the sands of price shifts, but a mint edge and clean surface are worth their weight in dust-specked sleeves.”

From a deck-building perspective, Plated Slagwurm’s mana cost is a true commitment: seven mana in a world where tempo pushes for efficiency. In practice, the card’s value isn’t primarily about winning games in a single swing—it’s about the late-game pressure and the deterrent of hexproof standing in the way of quick removal. Condition, then, becomes a signal to buyers that this particular print has endured the test of time without the blemishes that can distract from its majestic silhouette on the battlefield. If you’re pricing copies for a store display or a private collection, you’ll find that mint copies tend to command the premium, but the spread can be more modest than you’d expect for a card with such iconic hexproof presence. ⚔️🧙‍♂️

A quick look at the card’s profile

• Name: Plated Slagwurm
• Set: Duel Decks Anthology: Garruk vs. Liliana (GVL)
• Rarity: Rare
• Mana cost: {4}{G}{G}{G} (CMC 7)
• Type: Creature — Wurm
• Power/Toughness: 8/8
• Keywords: Hexproof
• Oracle text: Hexproof (This creature can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
• Flavor: “Beneath the Tangle, the wurm tunnels stretch . . . wide as a stone's throw, long as forever, deep as you dare.”
• Printing: Reprint; nonfoil only in this release
• Current values: Nonfoil copies tend to hover in the low-dollar range, with EUR values slightly lower; foil options are scarce in this print line

Market buyers should watch for centering, edge wear, and surface gloss. A miscut or heavy corner ding can clip a few dollars from a NM card’s value, while a pristine example can hold its own even when market prices wobble. For a collector who wants to showcase the card in a display binder, or a player who wants a reliable brand-new-looking piece to sleeve up for casual games, condition is a practical lever to pull when negotiating a trade. 🎲

Why the condition-to-price relationship matters in practice

In MTG, price is a blend of playability, rarity, print run, and supply-draw dynamics. Plated Slagwurm’s reprint status limits the upside for extreme price spikes—compared with a first-run foil of a modern staple, for example. That said, hexproof is a desirable trait that contributes to a card’s staying power in EDH and slower formats, and a clean NM copy often carries a modest premium over a heavily played version. For buyers, this means prioritizing mint copies for investment or display while recognizing that the overall delta might be smaller than you’d expect for a high-demand chase card. For sellers, highlighting a flawless surface and crisp corners can yield a smoother transaction, even when the card’s raw price isn’t sky-high. 🔎💬

As collectors and players, we also balance sentiment with strategy. The art by Justin Sweet and the Tangle-inspired flavor text elevate the card’s lore alongside its battleground utility. This adds a little extra shine to a NM or near-mint copy that you may want to show off in a binder or trade binder at the next local meet-up. And if you’re shopping for a gift or a display piece, a well-preserved Plated Slagwurm can feel like a relic from a different era of color and card design, reminding us of the thrill of discovering a rare gem beneath a sea of greens. 🎨💎

More from our network

• https://wiki.digital-vault.xyz/wiki/post/pokemon-tcg-stats-pokemon-fan-club-card-id-sm5-133/
• https://wiki.digital-vault.xyz/wiki/post/pokemon-tcg-stats-cloyster-card-id-xy1-32/
• https://blog.crypto-articles.xyz/blog/post/nft-data-lightios-405-from-lightios-collection-on-magiceden/
• https://wiki.digital-vault.xyz/wiki/post/pokemon-tcg-stats-marowak-card-id-xy10-37/
• https://crypto-acolytes.xyz/blog/post/nft-stats-degen-skull-831-from-degen-skulls-collection/