Card Combo: OVER-TUNE!

Good evening everyone! I hope you guys are all having a great Valentine's Day, or at least a decent day and night. Today, as a special treat I will share one of my favorite card combos. I call it the "Over-Tune!". The goal of "Over-Tuning" is to Special Summon an Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck by utilizing at least 1 Tuner Monster; in this case, my "Iconic 'Over-Tune'" uses Debris Dragon, a Tuner Monster I reviewed before. This combo will allow you to summon any Rank 4 Xyz monster as a direct result of using only your Normal Summon. The name "Over-Tune" is derived from a popular phrase out of two of the Yu-Gi-Oh! shows, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal; "Over", from "Overlay", how the character's describe the stacking of Xyz Material when Summoning an Xyz Monster, and "Tune" from "Tuning", what the characters claim happens when they are Summoning a Synchro Monster. (Tuner Monsters will transform into Tuning rings that represent their own Levels, depending on what Level they are, to resonate with the other Monsters to change into a Synchro. If I ever mention that Synchro Monsters are sounds, or that they are made of noise, this is where that idea comes from.)

So let's pull off an incredible strategy. To pull off this combo, you will need 1 Debris Dragon in your hand, 1  Level 4 Monster with less than 500ATK, and any Rank 4 Xyz Monster in your Extra Deck. For convenience, I will use Destiny Hero - Defender as the Level 4 Monster and Number 39: Utopia as the Xyz Monster. Not only are these cards that I reviewed already, but this is how I generally make my play when I duel.

First off, the other Level 4 Monster (Destiny Hero - Defender) must be in your Graveyard and you need your Debris Dragon in your hand. On your turn, you can Normal Summon the Debris Dragon and Special Summon Defender with the Effect. Defender will be Summoned in Attack Position, which is risky but worth the next monster to come. Normally Debris Dragon would be used to Synchro Summon a Monster, but it can never use another Level 4 Monster as a Synchro Material, however, it has no restriction against using another Level 4 Monster as an Xyz Material. Upon the dragon's Normal Summon, you would have already brought out 2 Monster Cards, just the Requirements for your Xyz Monster. At this point, simply Xyz Summon the Monster using Debris Dragon and the Monster he summoned (while shouting dramatically "I Over-Tune my Level 4 Debris Dragon and my Level 4 [2nd Monster] to Xyz Summon my [Rank 4 Xyz]!")

The advantages to this combo are abundant. Although there are are 3 cards that are technically needed to pull off this tactic, it may even feel like you only need one! In fact, this strategy can even work if you have not a single card on the field! (Debris is in your hand, Defender's in the Graveyard, and Utopia isn't even part of the Main Deck! All you need is 2 unoccupied Monster Zones.) The strategy I just explained is simple because you can use it to summon an Xyz Monster that only requires just 2 Monsters, but you can expand it to an Xyz that requires 3 Monsters if you already have a third Level 4 Monster on the field! This tactic also provides an alternative exchange your weaker monsters for a stronger one. Even if these monsters are not directly used to Xyz Summon, some duelists will be resourceful and crafty enough to use the monsters for other kinds of summons.

As great of a combo as this is, it is still not perfect. It is still vulnerable to many of the cards that can destroy or send Monsters out of the field. Ultimately, if your opponent is stocked with Spells and Traps, your Debris Dragon or the Xyz Monster you are attempting to Summon is still in danger. Using cards like Heavy Storm or Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Spells and Traps is advised for good measure. This card also heavily relies on the second Level 4 Monster existing in the Graveyard.

You may use this combo freely without having to credit me (The_Duelist); I only ask that if you do, refer to it as "OVER-TUNE" when you use this combo.

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.