Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Grading and Authenticity Insights: Sarevok's Tome for MTG Collectors
When you’re chasing the thrill of MTG collecting, a rare artifact like Sarevok's Tome invites more than just a casual eye test. This piece, published in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, sits at the intersection of dungeon lore, powerful play, and the nuanced world of card grading. For many collectors, authenticity isn’t just about avoiding fakes; it’s about preserving the tactile magic of a card that carries both a story and a potential strategic engine. 🧙🔥💎
Before you ever drop a binder into your travel bag, let’s anchor our discussion in the card’s facts. Sarevok's Tome is an artifact from the CLB set with a mana cost of 4. It’s a rare print, illustrated by Titus Lunter, and released in 2022-06-10. The card bears a black border and a 2015 frame, with an oval security stamp—design choices that established MTG’s safe-keeping conventions for that era. The card is nonfoil, meaning you won’t find a foil version in this print run, which has implications for both grading and market value. The oracle text defines a multi-step, dungeon-forward strategy that rewards initiative and careful timing, a perfect mirror to the atmosphere of Baldur’s Gate. ⚔️
Card details at a glance
- Name: Sarevok's Tome
- Type: Artifact
- Mana cost: {4}
- Rarity: Rare
- Set: Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
- Artist: Titus Lunter
- Release date: 2022-06-10
- Frame: 2015
- Border: Black
- Security: Oval
- Finish: Nonfoil
- Language: English
- Legalities: Commander, Duel; not standard-legal
- Oracle text: When this artifact enters, you take the initiative.
{T}: Add {C}. If you have the initiative, add {C}{C} instead.
{3}, {T}: Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost. Activate only if you've completed a dungeon.
“When this artifact enters, you take the initiative.” A line that encapsulates Sarevok’s Tome’s personality—bold, a little bit sneaky, and built for long, epic games.
From a grading perspective, Sarevok's Tome offers a straightforward but telling test for authenticity. The combination of a black border, a 2015 frame, an oval security stamp, and the specific artist attribution helps graders verify genuine prints. For collectors, the rarity and set placement also serve as quick heuristics: a CLB rare artifact from a "dungeon" themed batch. The card’s nonfoil status, while narrowing some collectors’ thrill indicators, keeps expectations aligned with a stable, accessible market. The listed price data shows modest value in the current print run, with the USD figure around $1.37 when cross-referenced to common marketplaces; this is less a measure of power and more a reflection of supply and demand for CLB artifacts in a modern casual environment. 🧭
Authenticity and quality: a practical checklist
- Print verification: Confirm the multiverse ID (567250) and oracle ID (6ec54d84-7026-45a3-a7d7-37cd5c9a8463) match the card’s official record. Cross-check the ScryFall page for binding consistency with the set’s artwork and text.
- Frame and borders: Look for a black border and the 2015 frame style; these are common indicators of this era’s reprint window and help distinguish from earlier or later reprint templates.
- Security features: The oval security stamp is a familiar safeguard for this period; ensure it is in the expected position and size for the print.
- Finish and condition: Sarevok's Tome is nonfoil—inspect for surface sheen, edge wear, and corner integrity that would skew centering and edge evaluation. A pristine copy should have clean borders and minimal scratches on the holo-like surface, if any exists at all in the scan.
- Print run integrity: Nonfoil status means less risk of foil-swap fakes, but always confirm with multiple sources—Scryfall’s high-res images are a reliable baseline for color and ink distribution.
Grading strategy for collectors
When you send Sarevok's Tome to a professional grader, a few targeted checks matter most. First, centering: artifacts in CLB prints vary, but a balanced presentation will help retain resale value across grading tiers. Second, surface fidelity: the Tome’s artwork holds a rich, tactile texture that you want preserved without micro-scratches. Third, autograph and misprint detection: while Sarevok's Tome is not commonly autographed, the rare chance of a misprint or misalignment is still a risk worth ruling out with a magnifier and proper lighting. Finally, packaging: protective sleeves, top loaders, and a rigid inner sleeve help preserve the card through transit and storage, especially if you’re gallivanting to a local store or a convention with a stack of dungeon-themed decks. 🧩
From a design perspective, Sarevok’s Tome embodies the flavor of Baldur’s Gate crossovers—a robust, dungeon-curing engine tucked into a single artifact. The aura of initiative, plus the ability to tutor into a playable nonland card when conditions are met, amplifies both deck-building and gameplay storytelling. For players, the card reads like a limiter on your early-game tempo that rewards long-game planning — a perfect anchor for a siege-style build that leans into dungeon convergence. And yes, the power of “cast that card without paying its mana cost” can be a game-changer when you top-deck the right nonland with a dungeon completion under your belt. 🎲
Lore, art, and the collector’s journey
Titus Lunter’s artwork captures a scholar’s obsession—the Tome itself seems to hum with spellbound dust and latent potential. In the broader story arc of the Baldur’s Gate crossover, the Tome sits as a conduit for initiative and risk, a thematic fit for players who like to push the envelope while tracking dungeon progress. For collectors, this is more than a card; it’s a portal to a specific moment in MTG’s ongoing love affair with Dungeons & Dragons within Commander formats. The CLB set’s reputation for rich, story-driven artifacts is alive in Sarevok’s Tome, and it speaks to why AR or nonfoil prints still command a quiet, dedicated audience. 🎨
Market activity around Sarevok’s Tome is steady rather than explosive, which makes it an attractive entry point for new dungeon enthusiasts who want excitement without splurging on ultra-rare editions. The card’s condition-sensitive nature also makes it an excellent candidate for a graded collection—especially if you’re assembling a dungeon-centered deck that doubles as a conversation piece in your local shop or online community. 💎
For collectors seeking a practical, on-the-go solution to protect their investment, practical storage and transportation options matter. If you’re carrying decks to tournaments, weekend play, or informal gatherings, a rugged, shielded case can be a game-changer—not just for Sarevok’s Tome, but your entire collection. The product linked below is a reminder that MTG care extends beyond the table and into everyday life, making your journey through Baldur’s Gate a little less stressful and a lot more stylish. ✨