Stats                : Exarion Universe is a Level 4 Dark/Beast-Warrior.  This is very nice, at least at the moment.  It works as Chaos Food.  It can work well in a Dark or non-Attribute-themed Beastdown.  It has an ATK of 1800.  While not as good as a Berserk Gorilla or Vorse Raider, it is still very, very solid.  It also has a 1900 DEF.  That is actually useful.  It’s pretty safe in DEF mode (barring cards that naturally nail DEF cards, like Nobleman of Crossout).  All in all, it would be a solid, but sub par Monster (since we have so many “good” Monsters, just being solid isn’t enough).  But this isn’t a Normal Monster.  This is an effect Monster.  And the effect, as we will see, is good.

 

Effect(s)            : When you declare an attack, you have the option of lowering your ATK score by 400.  Why would you do this?  Because when you do, you get Trample (you still do battle damage to DEF position Monsters).  The decrease lasts until the end of the turn, making it fairly trivial (most commonly encountered Set Monsters will be Flip Effects with a low DEF).  A good effect on a solid Monster leads to a great card.

 

Uses and

Combinations  : Separately, an 1800 ATK Level 4 beatstick and a 1400 ATK Trampler would be pretty poor.  Make them one Monster (who will be the higher ATK score when an opponent attacks it) that is both “Beast Friendly” and Chaos compliant, and you have a very slick card.  Give it a 1900 DEF, and it honestly seems to border on “broken”.  Seriously, Book of Moon/ Tsukuyomi without a follow up Nobleman of Crossout, and most commonly played beatsticks can’t get rid of this card.  Even for the “modern” standard of beatsticks with good effects, or even beatsticks without good effects, DEF scores are rarely this high.  Think about it: below 1000, only the weakest non-attacking support Monsters, like Magician of Faith, would be stopped.  Well, above 300 DEF, but below 1000 DEF.  1000-1500 DEF means some random support Monsters can beat it, but some can’t.  At 1600, you something has to qualify as a beatstick to get rid of it (meaning a Monster dedicated to attacking).  At 1800 DEF, you need to start relying on “vanilla”, effect-less beatsticks.  A 1900 DEF Monster is only vulnerable to “plain” battle by tributes and Berserk Gorilla (of what is commonly played)-except the popular Airknight Parshath.  Now again, on its own, it isn’t much, but just like all these incremental ATK increases, this kind of thing can add up and become a pain on its own.

 

Now, for something most of you will really like: Scapegoat killer.  If you activate Scapegoat against this, it triggers a replay, and Exarion Universe still gets you use its effect.  Sure, you reduce the damage taken by 400, but you’re used to getting 2-3 turns with no damage from battle.  For cookie-cutter Chaos, I can see dumping the TecHed in Enraged-Battle Ox for a copy of this, and probably dropping one other beatstick too.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional       : 4/5-Looks good to me.  Sure it won’t last that long, but it’s a nice big beatstick that can do trample if needed.  Solid topdeck since it can even be a defensive play.

 

Advanced        : 3.75/5-Counters the current metagames most common (well, perhaps second most common) defensive play: Scapegoat.  It also makes using your own Book of Moon/Tsukuyomi tricks more effective (force your Berserk Gorilla face down, then skewer it).

 

Limited            : N/A, but it might be close to a 5/5.  I mean, it would just be that good in a Limited event.

 

Summary

Please remember that I often give composite scores.  So for a Cookie Cutter Chaos build, this card is probably close to a 4/5 (which is the Traditional score since that is Traditional).  If Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning gets banned as we hope, it won’t be quite as useful, nor will it be so hot if Scapegoat and Book of Moon get restricted.  So enjoy it while you can, it will be a little less abused soon.  I still feel it sets a bad precedent though: the same recipe could be used for a burn beatstick, a bounce beatstick, etc. and we’d have another sick general archetype.  I mean, Abyss Soldier is good now, but imagine if it had an effect that could be used without requiring a Water Monster to discard?  Then tack a great DEF on it as well.  Yeesh.