Card Review: Road Warrior

Alright, it is time for another card review! The card I will review today happens to be a cover card, but not just any cover card. This card was the first Synchro Monster I obtained when I returned to dueling, and aside from another special card that I've held in my possession for so many years, this card was also the most powerful card that I had when I started on my "Duelist Genesis". Simply because it is a cover card does not inherently mean that it is one of the best, but it is also not one of the worst. Personally, I find Road Warrior to be an interesting card, however, it is apparent that he is not so recognized as other Synchro Monsters out there.

So let's examine this golden Synchron Warrior. Road Warrior is a, LIGHT Attributed, Level 8 Warrior/Synchro/Effect Monster, fighting with 3000 ATK Points and 1500 DEF Points. (In a normal battle, this card could match the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.) First off, the main thing about Road Warrior that I should address is that it is what I would like to call a "Synchron Synchro", or in this case more specifically, a "Synchron Warrior". Synchron Warriors are Monsters that require a specific Tuner Monster to be summoned. These Tuner Monsters have "Synchron" in their name, implying that they Synchronize with other Monsters to become an even more powerful Monster; the Synchrons are used by Yusei Fudo in the anime. Although the Synchrons are not part of an actual archetype, their similarities do pair them up for some interesting trivia.

Now, about Road Warrior. Road Warrior might not be considered to many as one of the greatest Synchro Monsters available. At the time of its release, Road Warrior might have even been the most difficult Synchro Monster to summon. It requires Road Synchron (Level 4) and at least 2 Monsters to add up to a Level 8 Synchro Summon. In terms of the game, that either means waiting 3 turns to Normal Summon 3 weak monsters or exploiting resources in a single turn to Special Summon the necessary monsters to summon Road Warrior. Road Warrior's Effect is very simple. Because of his Effect, however, Road Warrior is simply not made for just any kind of deck. Road Warrior was made to lead decks that use weaker Warrior-Type or Machine-Type Monster Cards. Unfortunately, many people do not see his Effect as being very useful when they could use the Monster he can Special Summon as potential for further Summoning. Despite boasting 3000 ATK Points, Road Warrior probably would not be the optimal choice for many duelists and would be picked after another Synchron Warrior. (I don't often see many of these being used. I am probably the only person I know that has Summoned this guy.)

Since Road Warrior requires Road Synchron as its Tuner, I might as well make a short review of that card as well. Road Synchron is a, LIGHT Attributed, Level 4 Machine/Tuner-Type Monster with 1600 ATK and 800 DEF. For a Level 4 Monster, 1600 ATK is an adequate amount of strength, but still closer towards the lower end of the stronger monsters. Road Synchron's Effect raises its Level by 1 if it battles until the end phase; this effect is so that it might open more possibilities for Road Warrior's Summoning. Road Synchron is not limited to only being used to Synchro Summon for Road Warrior. Since it is a Tuner without restricting itself to being used only for a specific Monster, Road Warrior can be used for other monsters however, it is essentially treated as a Level 2 Tuner for the Synchro Summon of any Monster other than Road Warrior.

Road Warrior strikes me as a card that looks really impressive. Although Road Warrior probably would not be summoned for many duels, it is still one of the cards I find having fun with. I have Synchro Summoned this card before and used it to my advantage, however I may need to utilize more Level 2 or Lower Warrior-Type or Machine-Type as part of my deck. The little Monster that he was able to summon did provide useful for further Summoning or defenses.

"...And now I Synchro Summon ____________!"

This is a misprinted Road Warrior that I received in a Duelist Pack: Yusei Fudo 2 Booster Pack. Everything about it is fine, except it lacks its name. It would have been a Rare** Road Warrior, but because it lacks the foiling from its name and is not "shiny" at all, I call it the "Common* Road Warrior". Road Warrior is only available in Rare and Ultra Rare*** Rarities.

*Common Rarity is identified by having no foiled qualities about the card. Simply because a card happens to be of Common Rarity does not mean that it is not very valuable.
**Rare Rarity is identified by having only the name foiled and nothing else.
***Ultra Rare Rarity is identified by having golden foiling of the card's name and a holographic picture.

The Ace Monster Cards of a Decade

So Yu-Gi-Oh! has been around for just over a decade now, and it is amazing how popular the franchise has become. Most of the success is because of the TV shows that have kept people of many ages excited to buy new cards, trade, and duel with their friends. Because the game changed with the introduction of new card types and archetypes that utilized different mechanics of gameplay, the creators of Yu-Gi-Oh! produced different TV shows to introduce new cards and new styles of dueling. To date there are four Yu-Gi-Oh! TV shows: Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters (or the First Generation Yu-Gi-Oh! That many people are familiar with), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal.  Because each show has its own story, each show also has its own protagonist with their own card that they consider their best Monster Card. Since each protagonist is meant to be a spiritual successor to the original hero, Yugi, their best cards all share two similarities: They each have 2500 ATK Points and they each need (at least) 2 monsters to be summoned by their intended method of summoning.

So let’s take a look at the four monster cards that have aided our heroes in their duels!

Generation 1

The Dark Magician, held by Yugi in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. I already reviewed this card before, but what I would like to note about it is that its DEF is 2100. For some reason, the other Monster Cards that follow all have 2000 DEF. Yugi's main reason for using this card is simply that it is his favorite. Later in the series, it is implied that this Monster Card is an incarnation of one of the Pharaoh's loyal servants from his past life.

Generation 2

Elemental Hero Neos, held by Jaden Yuki from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. Although Jaden did not receive or duel with this card until around the second season it is still considered his best Monster Card. This is a Monster designed by Jaden when he was a child; it was entered in a contest to create a deck of Duel Monsters cards and for some reason the cards were launched into "Neo Space". By being launched into space, the cards were infused with the power of Duel Spirits that Jaden can see. Neos' main ability is to be able to "Contact Fuse" with other Neo Spacians, as the card's flavor text would suggest. (This is an actual mechanic to the Neo Spacian Archetype.) Like Dark Magician, it is a Level 7 Normal Monster. Unlike Dark Magician, it is a, Light Attributed, Warrior-Type Monster Card.

Generation 3

Stardust Dragon, held by Yusei Fudo from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

Here is a card that might have single hand-idly changed the way of dueling forever. For the first time ever, not only was a Dragon-Type Monster Card the best Card of the Protagonits, but it was also an Effect Monster and it also came from the Extra Deck! (Prior to 5D's, The Extra Deck was called the Fusion Deck. The era of 5D's also introduced the Synchro Monster, which changed how people dueled. Most of the show focuses on the importance of Synchro Monsters in society.) At the beginning of the the show Yusei does not use this card because it was stolen from him by his former friend and rival Jack Atlas. Stardust Dragon is said to serve a powerful creature known as The Crimson Dragon. The Crimson Dragon chose 5 signers and entrusted them with a portion of their powers to those signers destined to restore balance to the world. Stardust Dragon, along with the other "Signer Dragons" played a huge role in the 5D's anime. Throughout the series, Stardust Dragon obtained more power evolved forms.

Generation 4

Number 39: Utopia, held by Yuma Tsukumo. Currently, this card is the whole reason anyone is buying the Starter Deck for 2011. (This, and maybe the other two Xyz Monsters that are included.) The Number Cards are said to come from another dimension or another word in Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal; and according to Konami's official Yu-Gi-Oh! website, Xyz Monsters travel from across the galaxy! Number 39: Utopia (In Japan he is known as Aspiring Emperor Hope) is the first Xyz Monster that came into Yuma's possession, granted by Astral's Power. (Astral is an Duelist Spirit from another world. He is a parallel of the Pharaoh from the original series.) Like Ash, Yuma's goal is to "Catch 'em all!". The Number Cards are powerful cards that amplify the emotions (and darkness) within people's hearts. Yuma must duel and defeat those with Number Cards in order to obtain them. Number Cards are also the pieces of Astral's memories. Why does a powerful spirit with amnesia sound like such a familiar premise for a story?... What is interesting about Number 39: Utopia is that his effect is very defensive, just like Stardust Dragon's effect, which is also defensive but in a different manner.

These cards may receive a review on their own sometime in the future for a more in depth analysis. For now, this is just a preview and overview of all of these cards.

Another Day; Another Compromise

Well... I feel very disappointed, again. I will have to postpone my topic related posts once more. Don't get me wrong. I am really working on this stuff, but at the moment I must delay my work once more.

In other news, it seems like Konami will be producing some new Yu-Gi-Oh! products that look very enticing. I wonder how well this year will fare for duelists.

Please enjoy and feel free to comment on my past posts.

Card Review: Summoned Skull

I mentioned before that there are other cards as strong as Dark Magician that require less effort to use. One of Yugi's other iconic monsters is a great example of such a card. Summoned Skull.

So let's examine this other creature of darkness lead by Yugi's command. Summoned Skull is a, DARK Attributed, Level 6 Fiend-Type Normal monster with 2500ATK and 1200DEF. Because this Monster is Level 6, it only requires just one Tribute to Normal Summon it. Because it has 2500ATK it can match the strength of Dark Magician. Summoned Skull is an interesting card, mostly for Trivia. Apparently its original design, which is what the Anniversary Edition Artwork attempted to capture, is obviously much different than the design that most people have seen. Summoned Skull is supposedly related to another set of cards, or an archetype of cards known as Archfiends.

Summoned Skull can be used in various forms of Normal Monster Card-based decks, which rely on Monster Cards that have high ATK.

Pokemon Gen I - The game where you train your starter into the legend!

A while back I noticed something about the box art for each Pokemon game... They actually looked pretty cool! Well, it wasn't just that, but there was a message that was up front about the cover that told you something about the game. The cover of the game told you what awesome Pokemon you could have! From the Generation II games, Gold, Silver, and Crystal Version, onward, the box art depicted a "Legendary Pokemon" that you would eventually be able to catch with the help of a Master Ball, guaranteed to catch any Pokemon it was thrown at. With this idea that, depending on which version of a Pokemon game someone bought that person will be able to use the advertised Legendary Pokemon in battle, I figured out what separated the Gen I covers from the later games. The original games do not depict a Legendary Pokemon.

Like the cover mascot joke that I made about Pokemon Black and White, I also made a sort of joke to myself about the covers for the original games. Since Red, Blue, and Yellow Version depicted no Legendary Pokemon (There were five for the first game: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, and Mew) I told myself "Maybe they did not place a legendary Pokemon on the cover because they wanted you to train your starter Pokemon into a legendary Pokemon!"

So Blue and Red versions depicted 2 out of the 3 starter Pokemon. (There was a Green version in Japan. The two original versions were Red and Green version.) What was nice about any version is that you still have the option to choose whichever starter was made for the generation. Despite the fact that you could pick a Bulbasuar in either Red or Blue version still does invalidate my point. The starter Pokemon were featured for the covers of the first games; the starter Pokemon will probably be the most powerful Pokemon you will have in the first games by the time you complete it. Yellow Version had a huge advantage over the other generations in terms of my "the starters = YOUR LEGENDARY POKEMON". Not only were you given Pikachu as your starter, and not being forced to pick out of the three starters, but in that version you could obtain a Bulbasuar, a Charmander, and a Squirtle! (without needing to trade with anyone, I might add.) However, by the end of the game, Pikachu will most likely be the most powerful Pokemon on your team. He also follows you around, which is very nice.

Slow Drafting

The week along with the rest of time is just flying by isn't it? Unfortunate to say that I am still drafting my other posts because I do not want to rush any of them. I want to leave my work as fleshed out as I could possibly make it. In the meantime for my readers, goodnight.

I regret my late starts... Delays, there are.

Apologies to anyone that has been following my commentaries on Yu-gi-oh!. My dilemma tonight is not that I have no material for which to discuss, but that I am short on time and I cannot elaborate as much as I'd wish to before the clock strikes midnight. In the meantime I will collect my thoughts on the next few topics of what I address. I will also like to add that Yu-gi-oh! will not be the only subject that I will discuss, but for the moment, I am using it as my starting point.

I will appreciate feedback, so feel free to comment or ask questions.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Generation V

Okay, so today I will take a break from talking about the old Yu-gi-oh! cards. (And I actually do mean "old". So far all of the cards I have talked about are relatively old; but it's all good.)

Almost a year ago the newest Pokemon games, Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version, the Fifth Generation, were released in North America. For a whole decade I was reluctant to actually buy or even play a Pokemon game, but that is another story. It wasn't until Gold Version and Silver Version were remade into Heart Gold and Soul Silver Version for the Nintendo DS that I began to consider trying to play a Pokemon game after the many years I first tried it, especially with the new Pokewalker device that made the game seem even more enticing. But it was not until I began to look into Pokemon Black and White that I really got serious about beginning to play these games. After I realized that at one point I did like Pokemon and began to develop an interest in the new games especially for its enhanced graphical capabilities, and I am not actually what some gamers might call a "graphics whore", I began to ask myself 'what version should I even buy?'

At this point I was not researching too heavily on what Pokemon were exclusive to which version and like most people I tried to base my decision off of judging the book by its cover, or in this case, judging the game version off of its cover monster. I spent a while looking at the two monsters and I tried listening to opinions regarding both cover Legendaries. One even described Reshiram (the white dragon) as a creature designed by Dr. Suess. As weighed the choice I was presented with in my mind to predict how my decision might affect my appeal to aesthetics, I began to joke around about the design of the two dragons. Finally, as I payed closer attention to the obvious contrasts in the proposed game's color scheme I noticed something funny.

"One is a white Dragon-Type Monster with blue eyes and the other is a black Dragon-Type Monster with red eyes!" It was a joke that I told to my friend, who is an avid Pokemon Trainer. This was just a funny little parallel that I drew between Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon. Eventually I came across this very same joke on the internet, with an image that paired Reshiram (white dragon) with Zekrom (black dragon) in a double battle against Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Card Review: Compulsory Evacuation Device

Here is another simple yet effective card. (well, on the surface it is simple, yet for some reason certain duelists tend to over complicate this piece of text. More on that later.) Compulsory Evacuation Device is 1 card with 1 effect. It is very useful and often it isn't very hard to come across one in a trade folder or in a duel.

So let's examine this trap card. As it's text would suggest it returns 1 Monster on the field to it's owner's hand. This means that you can choose either your own or your Opponent's Monster to "bounce" back into their hand, since the card does not specify. But why is this so good? Wouldn't you rather want to destroy your Opponent's Monster instead? Well, in most cases that you would use this card, Destroying one of your Opponent's monsters may not be one of your available options. Even in some cases it may benefit you more to "return your opponent's monster back into their hand". Certain Monsters may require more effort and resources to summon than to revive. Imagine that your opponent Tributes 2 of their Monsters to Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon or uses certain Spell Cards or Card Effects to summon the beast. If you DESTROY (and send to the Graveyard) that Blue-Eyes your Opponent can easily use Monster Reborn to revive it; however, if you use Compulsory Evacuation Device on that dragon, the monster is back in their hand, which means that they will have to expend more of their resources just to summon that Blue-Eyes White Dragon... AGAIN! This card is highly effective against Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, and Xyz monsters, since those kinds of monsters require either a Spell Card and/or certain Monsters to Special Summon them. [Monsters that Originate from the Extra Deck like Fusions, Synchros, and Xyz's will return to the Extra Deck instead of the Hand.] Compulsory Evacuation Device can even be used to "waste" your Opponent's Normal Summon or Set for the turn. (just like that Blue-Eyes White Dragon Example.) So, your Opponent Normal Summons a Level 4 Monster that can defeat your Monster in Battle. If you'd like to keep your monster safe, you can "bounce" back that freshly summoned monster back into their hand, and they will not be able to Normal Summon until the next turn. (Unless they activate Double Summon, which permits 1 Extra Normal Summon or Set for the turn.)

Now, how does this card become over complicated? Well, it mostly happens when a Monster activates its Effect upon its Summon. (Monster Summoned, Effect should activate, but this card is activated.) I am still looking into this ruling, but I have encountered duelists with different opinions on this cards ruling. Some debate that this card can even nullify (Not Negate, but Nullify... as in, the effect just simply disappears and is unable to resolve) a Monster's Effect.

Overall, this is a simple but awesome card. You can be a real jerk using this card, as it is easy to throw off an opponent with this card. Be aware though, you may never know when this card is set, just waiting to throw you away. Like the previous card, this card is also considered a "Staple", although many decks are not built to include this card.

Card Review: Mirror Force

Oh boy! It's another STAPLE....CARD! This card's like a legend. I mean, seriously. I don't even feel the need to sing it's praises but whatever. It's got a defensive effect, a destructive effect, and it's on the Limited List; before Late 2010, upon the release of Structure Deck: Marik, this card was so powerful and so scarce in quantity that only few people had it. Nonetheless, it was always an awesome card. Sure it may not be as powerful or even as versatile as it is in the anime (it is OP, overpowered, in the anime. Not to mention, exploited like a Deus Ex Machina.) but this card is also a grand staple. It is forceful. It is famous. It is Mirror Force.

So let's examine this seemingly omnipotent trap card. Mirror force is a Normal Trap card... Very Simple. All it really boils down it is just when to use it. First line of text just informs you when you must use it. (When your opponent declares an attack.) The second sentence informs you, and your opponent, on what it does. It destroys all Attack Position Monsters that your opponent controls. So imagine this scenario. You are completely defenseless and your opponent has 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons in Face-up Attack Position and 1 other monster in Defense Position. One dragon launches an attack; you activate this card. It doesn't matter which Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacked, all three of them would be destroyed. (This is one of those cards that can kill them, I mean, "destroy" them.) But what about that Defense Position monster? Well, since that Monster is NOT in Attack Position it is unaffected by this cards effect. Even despite this minor setback, this card is incredibly powerful and can be a real game changer. (Besides, the next card you drew is your Monster Reborn, so have fun with a revived Reshiram.) Now that I have pointed out the card's only minor set back, besides being vulnerable to cards like Dust Tornado, which destroy Spell and Trap cards on the field, your opponent still has the option of teasing with you and switching a monster they would like to keep safe from Mirror Force into Defense Position, if they manage to correctly guess that your suspicious Face-down card happens to be Mirror Force. Besides, in most cases, this card will probably save your Life Points and/or your Monsters from getting beat down by a larger, scarier army.

Previously I mentioned Structure Deck: Marik. Ever since that deck came around the supply of Mirror Force Cards have risen over the past year. This is because, Structure Deck: Marik re-introduced Mirror Force to many duelists as a common card. Originally, Mirror Force was once an Ultra Rare Card, but now it is easier to obtain one because of Structure Deck: Marik and Starter Deck 2011: Dawn of the Xyz.

Card Review: Monster Reborn

Today I decided to review a Mon-Monster Card, a Spell Card*. Monster Reborn is one of the best known cards around. It is used by every Yu-Gi-Oh! Protagonist around, save for Yusei Fudo. Monster Reborn is a card used often by the main characters of the first season and it was included in the first booster pack and in almost every Starter Deck. Because of it's potency, this card was actually forbidden from tournament use for a few years; but now, it has finally been added to the Limited List to be used in any deck for competition.

So let's examine this famous Spell Card. It is a simple card with a very potent effect: It revives 1 monster from ANY card Graveyard. Although the original text is a bit wordy that is really all that it boils down to. This card Special Summons, which means that it Summons a Monster through it's own effect and does not count for your Normal Summon or Set for the turn. Since you can also use Monsters from your Opponent's Graveyard, this card can really turn things around in tight situations especially if you have not been able to summon any remotely powerful creatures that happened to meet their doom early enough.

This card is great. There is no doubt about it. Now that it has returned, it is almost hard to imagine a deck without using one. A card like this is dubbed as a "staple", an unofficial term referring to a card that is nearly universal, compatible with almost any kind of deck and can hold all of those decks together and strengthen them even during tough duels. Since it is an old card, however, and it has not been reprinted often, Monster Reborn is quite a scarce card, and even "Common" prints like the one displayed here are still quite rare (Unofficially). 

*NOTE: Although the card is clearly labeled as a "Magic Card", Magic Cards and Spell Cards are actually the same type of card. Magic Card is what Spell Cards were originally referred to as.

Card Review: Destiny Hero - Defender

Most of the cards that I have reviewed had dealt with being strong in offense, but offense alone is not the only way to win. Sometimes you just need to rely on a defensive tactic especially to play it safe. Other times, it is just really amusing to watch your opponent rush into an attack only to find that they crashed into a huge wall of defense. Right at the start of the game, a great card to start out with as a defensive tactic is to Set, or to play a Monster Card from your hand into face-down Defense Position. Destiny Hero - Defender is a an effective guard for your life points.

So let's examine this grand guardian. Destiny Hero - Defender is a Level 4, DARK Attributed, Warrior/Effect-Type Monster intercepting enemies with only 100ATK and a whopping 2700DEF! That is a really high Defensive Stat. Sometimes I cannot believe that I had not used this card when I had gotten it sooner. It wasn't until my friend's younger brother picked up this card from my collection to inspect it and noticed its stats. "Holy Cow! That is a lot of defense!" And indeed it was. Now, since this monster is a Warrior/Effect-Type monster, it is a Monster Card that has an ability of its own. (It's primary type is Warrior, its Sub-Type is Effect. Unlike Relinquished however, this monster has no Second Sub-Type.) Since it is an Effect Monster, that means that its ability will benefit the player using it, right? Well, not exactly. Some cards are so potent in a certain aspect of the game that their effects solely exist to burden the user in order to balance the game more. Destiny Hero - Defender is one of those cards. In this case, Destiny Hero - Defender can supply the opponent with more resources by allowing them to draw. If it wasn't for this effect, Defender would be added to most decks just like anything else. 

What makes Defender so great to use though is that it has a DEF stat high enough to stop high Level Monsters, yet it is a low Level Monster itself. Being only Level 4 it requires no Tributes to be Normal Summoned or Set. To take advantage of Destiny Hero - Defender, the user must Set the card. (Only Summoning Monsters in Face-Up Defense Position exists in the shows, Duel Monsters, GX, and 5D's) Since Defender will be Set, the opponent will not be expecting such a strong shield to be in place. Typically, the strongest most Level 4 Monsters will be is 1900ATK or 1800ATK Points strong. Often, I have been able to make my opponent take on average of 800 Points in Battle Damage due to a failed attack to defeat this guard.

As a line of Defense, and I literally mean defense, Destiny - Hero is an ideal card. Typically only one is needed in a deck, but unless the build absolutely needs it then more can obviously be used. It is a fun trick to play against your opponents. (Easiest way to intimidate your opponent with a Monster Card with only 100ATK.) Despite its draw back effect, this card can still be used in quite a few clever combos; even the effect can be abused to benefit the controller of the card more than the enemy. As a card on its own, it protects your Life Points, but it can be put to great use in different combos. One day, I will share more information on this card.

Card Trivia: This card is used in the anime Yu-Gi-Oh! GX by Aster Phoenix.

Card Review: Relinquished

Oh man, it is another card review for a cover card! Yes, although, this will be the last cover card review I will do for a while anyways. So here it is, today's interesting card is Relinquished. Relinquished is Pegasus' ace monster card used against Yugi at the end of season 1. I remember watching that entire battle. It was what my brothers and I waited weeks to see, and what a show it turned out to be. When Relinquished was first summoned it really looked like a force to be reckoned with. It was this monstrous creature that absorbed other monsters and turned them against the foe, and at the same time used the ensnared monsters as a shield. Yes, the TV show was quite animated about what Relinquished did. It even evolved into another even more horrific monster, but for now, I am just reviewing the monster Relinquished. It also amazed me in person when my older brother showed me this card in person. He had bought the new Starter Deck Pegasus years ago, and I am glad that I still possess that same card and spell. It was also one of the few cards I used to get me back into Dueling.

So let's examine this eldritch abomination. So, right off the deck there are lots of interesting details about this monster card. Relinquished is a, DARK Attributed, Level 1 Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect-Type Monster. This means, that not only is Relinquished a Spellcaste-Type Monster, but it also holds two different Sub-Types. It is also a Ritual Monster and an Effect Monster. (How odd of me to review a monster with two Sub-Types instead of just one. I will slow down next time.) Ritual Monsters are bordered as a Blue Card and Effect Monsters are bordered as Orange Cards; However, a Ritual monster can still be an Effect Monster because being a Ritual Monster does not restrict it from having an effect of its own. The same can be said for Fusions, Synchros, and Xyz's, but I will cover those cards at a later time to clear up any details they may need clarifying on. First off, what separates this card from so many other cards including the previous monster cards that I have reviewed is that Relinquished cannot be Normal Summoned; it must Properly be Special Summoned through its Ritual Spell. Ritual Monsters are Special Monster cards that require to be special summoned through a specific Ritual Spell. Until that requirement is met, they cannot be Summoned by other means.

Relinquished is arguably the first Ritual Monster card released. It is the cover card for Starter Deck Pegasus, although it has been reprinted for other booster pack sets. Now, it looks weak on the surface, being only Level 1 and bearing 0ATK and 0DEF! However, what makes this card so terrifying is its effect. Relinquished can absorb an opponent's monster by Equipping the monster to itself, but it can only hold one monster at a time, and it gains that monster's ATK and DEF stats. If Relinquished battles and loses, the monster equipped monster will be destroyed instead. Battle Damage is also inflicted to the opponent, or the owner of the monster.

The card's only drawbacks are that: 1. It is a Ritual Monster. (you need at least the Monster and its designated Ritual Spell to Summon the Monster.) 2. If it survives the first battle, the next battle it will revert back into a 0ATK/0DEF Monster. 3. It is still vulnerable to many kinds of Effects. Other than that, it is a pretty awesome card to have. Since it is only a Level 1 Ritual Monster, you only require at least 1 other monster as a Tribute for the Ritual Spell.

Card Review: Red-Eyes B. Dragon

It's another card review. The Red-Eyes B. Dragon..... "The Red-Eyes Black Dragon." It is quite possibly the worst card, or weakest so to say, cover card released... and it probably still holds that reputation, at least for the first four Starter Decks released at the beginning of the game. Red-Eyes B. Dragon is a favorite to many fans of Yu-gi-oh!, especially for people whose favorite character is Joey, the guy that uses this card. I what I like about the Red-Eyes B. Dragon is that its theme is all about potential, whereas the theme for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is all about power. I remember the first episode that the Red-Eyes B. Dragon first appeared, used by the character Rex Raptor. (What is a "Dino Duelist" doing using a Dragon-Type monster?) Immediately I was amazed when they pointed out that the Red-Eyes was meant to rival the Blue-Eyes, but even before they said that I immediately caught on with their contrasting color scheme. It surely was clever. What carries on this them both in the show and the actual card game is that Joey's and Kaiba's personality conflict as they reflect the nature of their cards. Joey has the potential to become a great duelist, and Kaiba already a great duelist. Interestingly enough, the Red-Eyes B. Dragon is much weaker than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon so it really parallels to the themes of these two dragons.

So let's examine this card of an underdog. Red-Eyes B. Dragon is a, DARK Attributed, Level 7 Dragon-Type Normal Monster with 2400ATK and 2000DEF. Initially, this card already possesses the same draw back as the Dark Magician; it is a Normal Monster used mainly as a favorite, requiring 2 Tributes to be Normal Summoned. In comparison with most cards this card can easily be beat out in terms of attack strength. There are even Normal Monsters that can defeat this card that only require 1 Tribute, and some of the cards that can match this dragon's strength may also require just 1 Tribute! When comparing the cover cards for Starter Deck Kaiba, Starter Deck Yugi, and Starter Deck Joey, the Red-Eyes B. Dragon is beat out by it's main rival by 600ATK Points and by the Dark Magician by 100ATK Points. Like Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician, this monster also has alternative artworks. To build upon the theme of being a manifestation of great potential, there are other "Red-Eyes" dragon cards available.

Even with these different forms of  "Red-Eyes", the only "Red-Eyes" dragons that are actually being used in highly competitive decks are Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and Red-Eyes Wyvern. Those two cards alone completely overshadow the original Red-Eyes B. Dragon because of their capacity to Special Summon stronger dragon cards; not to mention, these two forms are already strong on their own in terms of attack strength.
(Side note: Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon is NOT to be confused with Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon nor Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon.)

Card Review: Dark Magician

Alright, another card review. Just as a heads up, I might continue with a trend of reviewing the iconic ace cards first just to get them out of the way.

Last time I reviewed Seto Kaiba's ace card, Blue-Eyes White Dragon. This time I will review Yugi's favorite card, the Dark Magician. For most people, the Dark Magician is mostly a card used as a favorite. Sure the story is the same for Blue-Eyes White Dragon, that both of these cards look cool and are used by the main characters of the TV show, however, Dark Magician requires more dedication to be actually be used for its offensive power than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

So lets examine this famous master of dark magic. Dark Magician is a, Dark Attributed, Level 7 Spellcaster-Type Normal Monster with 2500ATK and 2100DEF. Already the card is very inferior to Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Because Dark Magician is a Level 7 monster, he still requires 2 Tributes to be Tribute Summoned and his is 500ATK points weaker than the Blue-Eyes; on a side note, there are other monsters that require less effort to summon that can inherently match Dark Magician's attack strength or even surpass it. Like Blue-Eyes White Dragon, however, Dark Magician has received alternative artwork and a number of support cards that specifically make using the Dark Magician more effective or even easier. The problem still remains: Dark Magician requires sure dedication to be completely utilized. (well, more so than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon that can easily be abused simply by being a dragon.) Cards like Dark Magic Curtain have high costs, paying half of your Life Points and restricting yourself from summoning any other monsters, to special summon 1 Dark Magician straight from the deck. Other cards like Dark Magic Attack, based off of the Dark Magician's signature move, has it's advantages, but still requires for Dark Magician to be present. Aside from this complication, Spellcaster-Type monsters alone are often difficult to use, and building a good Spellcaster based deck must be carefully crafted. (Using a Spellcaster Archetype is simpler than choosing Spellcasters that don't belong in an official archetype.) Even if a duelist manages to summon the Dark Magician, he or she must still brave the many challenges that varying opponents present.

As much as I'd hate to admit it, Dark Magician alone isn't such a great card... However, it can still be useful in some decks, but as I have mentioned, those decks must be carefully crafted. (1 Magician alone may not be enough.) Still, despite its shortcomings, Dark Magician is still a pretty cool card, especially as a collectible. When I first dueled I have never owned my own Dark Magician, but I eventually obtained one about a year ago from a friend. Even if I did not have the proper cards to build a deck based around the Dark Magician, it still felt pretty awesome to actually have one of the original editions; and to be able to show it to my older brother again who no longer has his felt pretty good too.

Card Review: Blue-Eyes White Dragon

The first card I will review is the first card that came into my possession, and for many people and myself, it is also one of my very favorite cards; the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I obtained this card when I decided to buy Starter Deck Kaiba many years ago, as my older brother chose Starter Deck Yugi. (This is just like deciding which version of Pokemon to buy, simply because of its cover monster.) I sided with Starter Deck Kaiba for the obvious reason being that the Blue-Eyes is stronger than the Dark Magician, but also for quite a few reasons justified only by novelty. It was mentioned in the show that only four Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards existed: three are used by Seto Kaiba, the fourth is a plot device for the first episode. Because the creators made the Blue-Eyes White Dragon an extremely rare card in the show, there was still a special feeling to actually owning one, despite how different the actual trading card game is from the TV show. Sadly, I no longer own the original card I owned many years ago.

Let's examine this handsome dragon. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a, Light Attributed, Level 8 Dragon-Type Normal Monster boasting 3000ATK and 2500DEF. Being that it is a "Normal Monster" it holds no special abilities of its own, unlike many monster cards that are used today; however, it still holds the honor of inherently being the most powerful Normal Monster printed. Few cards have come close to matching its strength, they too, being Normal Monsters cards. Because it is a Level 8 monster, Blue-Eyes requires 2 tributes to be Normal Summoned, or in this case, Tribute Summoned. Because it has no effect however, Blue-Eyes White Dragon does not restrict itself from freely being Special Summoned, which allows it to easily be utilized as a powerful offense. Cards such as Monster Reborn and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon make the summoning of Blue-Eyes White Dragon Easier. Because Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a card not often used in most competitive decks, other cards have been made to support the use of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and has even undergone alternate card forms, which present alternative artworks of the dragon.

Overall, this card is a powerful card, but as I have mentioned my reasons to use them is mostly for novelty. Sure it is possible to build an army of dragons and utilize three copies of the dragon to destroy your opponent, but popular and effective means of using this monster are mostly for deck thinning and draw power combos with cards like White Stone of Legend (and Cards of Consonance) and Trade-In; in other words abuse. This monster can come in different forms, meaning that the card is an entirely different monster, although the card will depict a white dragon with blue eyes with the same stats. [Level 8 Dragon-Type Monster with 3000ATK/2500DEF]. Those other forms deserve their own posts sometime in the future. As for cards that could easily defeat this legendary creature, well, those cards will be reviewed another day.

Eleven already???

So it is another Saturday that has seemed to pass me over and become another late Saturday night... or, "SAT-UR-NIGHT!" ..nah.. Last thing(s) I remembered was waking up to be lectured by my father, being told to do some yard work, using the computer for a short time, visiting my older brother, whom has now moved out of the house and now has a family of his own, and returning to once again use the computer.. I remember it being Seven o' clock when I came home. Currently I am thinking about my visit to my older brother's home. Often I choose not to go, but because my brother invited our parents, I decided to tag along for once. I had forgotten that I was hungry, but fortunately for me I was greeted with a tasty meal. Pizza from Costco and home cooked rice and beans. It was all good, complimented with sweet iced tea. When I left I was full. I really appreciate being able to eat such good food. I like pizza, but my favorite part of the meal was the beans and rice. By that point I had eaten too much for seconds. Because it is late, I must make my leave. I cannot completely focus on more complex matters with my current state. (In my mind, I imagine that my tone has abruptly shifted to one unfitting for the humble subject I have addressed. Apologies.. I need to get used to this.)

First Posts - Obligatory

We all have to make them. I am a "Duelist", which means that I enjoy playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. Many of my posts will most likely be my thoughts on a card, card archetype, deck builds, or any such matter that may pertain to the game. I will not limit myself to only discussing a card game, as I enjoy other aesthetically appealing past times. That is all I have to say for now.