Pojo's Yu-Gi-Oh! news, tips, strategies and more!


Dark Maltos

 


Card Game
Card of the Day
TCG Fan Tips
Top 10 Lists
Banned/Restricted List
Yu-Gi-Oh News
Tourney Reports
Duelist Interviews

Featured Writers
Baneful's Column
Anteaus on YGO
General Zorpa
Dark Paladin's Dimension
Retired Writers

Releases + Spoilers
Booster Sets (Original Series)
LOB | MRD | MRL | PSV
LON | LOD | PGD | MFC
DCR | IOC | AST | SOD
RDS | FET
Booster Sets (GX Series)
TLM | CRV | EEN | SOI
EOJ | POTD | CDIP | STON
FOTB | TAEV | GLAS | PTDN
LODT
Booster Sets (5D Series)
TDGS | CSOC | CRMS | RBGT
ANPR | SOVR | ABPF | TSHD
STBL | STOR | EXVC
Booster Sets (Zexal Series)
GENF | PHSW | ORCS | GAOV
REDU | ABYR | CBLZ | LTGY
NUMH | JOTL | SHSP | LVAL
PRIO

Starter Decks
Yugi | Kaiba
Joey | Pegasus
Yugi 2004 | Kaiba 2004
GX: 2006 | Jaden | Syrus
5D: 1 | 2 | Toolbox
Zexal: 2011 | 2012 | 2013
Yugi 2013 | Kaiba 2013

Structure Decks
Dragons Roar &
Zombie Madness
Blaze of Destruction &
Fury from the Deep
Warrior's Triumph
Spellcaster's Judgment
Lord of the Storm
Invincible Fortress
Dinosaurs Rage
Machine Revolt
Rise of Dragon Lords
Dark Emperor
Zombie World
Spellcaster Command
Warrior Strike
Machina Mayhem
Marik
Dragunity Legion
Lost Sanctuary
Underworld Gates
Samurai Warlord
Sea Emperor
Fire Kings
Saga of Blue-Eyes
Cyber Dragon

Promo Cards:
Promos Spoiler
Coll. Tins Spoiler
MP1 Spoiler
EP1 Spoiler

Tournament Packs:
TP1 / TP2 / TP3 / TP4
TP5 / TP6 / TP7 / TP8
Duelist Packs
Jaden | Chazz
Jaden #2 | Zane
Aster | Jaden #3
Jesse | Yusei
Yugi | Yusei #2
Kaiba | Yusei #3
Crow

Reprint Sets
Dark Beginnings
1 | 2
Dark Revelations
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Gold Series
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Dark Legends
DLG1
Retro Pack
1 | 2
Champion Pack
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Turbo Pack
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
5 | 6 | 7

Hidden Arsenal:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
5 | 6 | 7

Checklists
Brawlermatrix 08
Evan T 08
X-Ref List
X-Ref List w/ Passcodes

Anime
Episode Guide
Character Bios
GX Character Bios

Video Games
Millennium Duels (2014)
Nighmare Troubadour (2005)
Destiny Board Traveler (2004)
Power of Chaos (2004)
Worldwide Edition (2003)
Dungeon Dice Monsters (2003)
Falsebound Kingdom (2003)
Eternal Duelist Soul (2002)
Forbidden Memories (2002)
Dark Duel Stories (2002)

Other
About Yu-Gi-Oh
Yu-Gi-Oh! Timeline
Pojo's YuGiOh Books
Apprentice Stuff
Life Point Calculators
DDM Starter Spoiler
DDM Dragonflame Spoiler
The DungeonMaster
Millennium Board Game

Magic
Yu-Gi-Oh!
DBZ
Pokemon
Yu Yu Hakusho
NeoPets
HeroClix
Harry Potter
Anime
Vs. System
Megaman

This Space
For Rent

Dark Maltos's Dueling Dome
Cards in Focus - Monarchs

May 2, 2007

Well guys, it’s been a while since I last posted, I’m sure you all missed me, but the truth of the matter is that between work, school and Stormvortex, the time just hasn’t been there for me to get back to what I do best, articles, generally of the Yugioh persuasion. (Anyone else think we should have a petition to have that changed to one word?) Anyway, on with my new series of articles - Welcome to “Cards in Focus”
 
I’ve had this idea for a while, but it never really seemed feasible to me until I actually sat down and thought about it. The idea itself is fairly simple, each article I’ll take a group of related cards, however that may be the case, then “test drive” them to see how they shape up. For the sake of simplicity, this week I’ve chosen  Monarchs.
 
The Monarchs have been around for a long time, and every so often a new one is released to us. As it happens, the long awaited Wind monarch is just around the corner, so I thought I’d best go back and review this royal bunch.

Monarchs first made their debut singularly in the height of the Chaos era, in the form of Zaborg the Thunder monarch, or to give him his full title “Zaborg-that-monarch-with-the-green-afro-that-maltos-spotted-and-no-one-else-has-ever-bothered-to-mention.” But to save on ink, that was abbreviated to the name we’re familiar with today.
 
Though light, and one of the few decent lights available during that era, Zaborg never really saw that much play.  You have to remember, this was BEFORE cyber dragon. ( to some of you I might be speaking in tongues, but believe me, it did happen once.) Back then people had to get by on DDWL and MoF.
 
As time rolled by we were given 3 more monarchs, Mobius, Granmarg and Thestalos, none of which made much interest , at least that was until Pojo’s own, Sand trap got his hands on them.  
 
Soul control was a simple idea that got the whole Duelist world thinking. The idea of advantage upon summoning, and “floaters” revolutionized the western game and was the forefather to many of the decks that have exploded onto the scene over the years. Sand trap’s wisdom gave us all a greater insight into the game that will probably never been seen again.
 
Following this uncovered game dynamic the dueling world accelerated dramatically, with Monarchs being seen as the old reliable monsters that were fairly easy to bring out, and abuse if played correctly. With their fifth instalment ready to burst on the scene within Force of the Breaker, what better time to take an in depth look at what has somehow become the epitome of all tribute monsters? I bring to you
 
Cards in Focus - Monarchs.
 
The Monarchs themselves are all fairly similar. For instance,  they are all 1 tribute, 2400 atk, 1000 def monster that receive an effect upon being tribute summoned. They pretty much cover all attributes now, and have a type associated with their respective attribute. That however, is where the similarities end.
 
Zaborg ;
 
Zaborg right now is probably considered to be the strongest of the monarchs, with an ability to destroy  any monster on the field upon summoning. That means that no matter how you’re holding up , one Zaborg can have a big momentum switch in your favour , depending on what you fry with his effect, be it an nuisance monster like Spirit Reaper, or an un stoppable killing machine like a Chimeratech. Either way, the crazy 1-4-1’s that this guy pull’s off can always be a deadly move if executed properly, and for that reason he’s been the monarch of choice for most professionals for some time now.
 
Artistically Zaborg is also pretty eye-catching and instantly recognisable, not only because of the green afro I keep banging on about, but also because of that awesome - looking open handed thunder attack he’s in the process of doing. 
 
In terms of reliability Zaborg is second to none. It has come to be the case that an opponent, regardless of  other cards should have at least on monster on the field during the start of you’re turn unless they’re in a top decking situation.  That gives Zaborg more of a competitive edge I feel, an certainly makes him a top choice for a quick switch around when you want to go into attack. If you blow up a monster and manage to vaporise another in battle , all for the cost of a returning Treeborn Frog you’ve definitely found yourself in a fabulous position for your expense, or lack of.  Zaborg has got a lot going on because he’s essentially a big fat freebie.
 
Mobius ;
 
Mobius is an absolute beauty. Upon summoning he’ll eradicate any back field the opponent has mustered with one fell swoop by blowing up ,up to 2 s/t’s form the moment he hit’s the field. The fact that he does a double-effect of whatever any other monarch has managed should immediately throw him straight up there with the big boys, and believe me it does. Mobius is stall’s worst enemy and aggro’s best friend. No one really sets more that 2 s/t’s these days anyway., and that’s why Mobius shines.
 
It’s annoying enough when the opponent heavy storm’s you, but to do the same thing again and again with multiple Mobius is just tear-worthy. You’ve not experienced a momentum shift until you’ve brought forth a frost monarch out of no where. Not only to you obliterate the backfield, you also allow yourself a 2400 beat stick which is just a jugger naught. Unlike Zaborg, Mobius gives himself protection upon summoning, as any duelist knows that it’s not what you can see that you should fear, it’s what’s face down. Nailing 2 s/t’s guarantee’s a free assault on their monster whatever it may be. That’s what makes the difference between this tribute monster and so many others, in one fell swoop you switch the whole game on it’s head. Mobius ranks up their with Jinzo and challenged him for the title of best tribute monster, a debate which has never truly been decided.
 
Art-wise, I feel that Mobius definitely has the other’s beaten. His smooth, medieval design is so much less clumsy that the other monarchs, and the contrast of the icicles in the dark very much reminiscent of metal garurumon from Digimon. Yeah, I watched it….
 
In terms of reliability, Mobius isn’t the best, which is part of the reason that he fell from favour in the dueling world. The temptation will always be there to hold on until the opponent has 2 s/t’s, or to play him simply because the opponent has 2 s/t’s. It’s like a compulsion we have as humans to get the most for our money, and it’s own gluttony that unfortunately has kept my favourite monarch off the top spot. Lately Mobius has lost a bit of his shine, with the emergence of quick play spells up the yin yang , his power just isn’t what it used to be when everyone ran Sakuretsu and Bottomless to death. Now a days , you’re more likely to nail a Shrink which would just be laughable, making him a 1200 attack normal monster for the turn, with none of the benefits. Ring of Destruction has certainly played it’s part in Mobius’s fall from grace, definitely making it unsafe to assume that a summoned Mobius is a guaranteed attack. Still, I run him , at least for the time being.
 
Thestalos :
 
For a while Thestalos was the most popular monarch. His ability to steal a card from the opposing hand and send it straight to the grave had proved to be an enormously effective dynamic, even with the negligible damage it produced. . Combined with Don Zaloog and you’ve got yourself a little party. Nothing could stop you from taking everything away from the opponent, before they’d even had a chance to use it. That was until Konami invented Dark World monsters.
 
Those popular fiends alone prevent Thestalos from reaching any sort of new heights, as they will always be popular, and always will be played. Run a Thestalos these days and you might as well be opening up your entire deck to be ravaged by the god-like effects the Dark Wolf monsters are capable of wielding. Of course, that’s just my opinion. 
 
Thestalos is probably my least favourite art-wise. I find his anima-like design to be just too awkward, and it’s a shame because it’s not a bad concept really. But think about it, when you’ve seen a Thunder monarch like Zaborg, and a Frost monarch like Mobius , you’d expect the FIRE monarch (the most destructive element) to have a little bit more about him. I’m not against the artwork, but it’s just not me.
 

Depending on what sort of deck you’re playing, Thestalos can be very effective. There’s nothing like stealing cards from people’s hands, that’s where they keep their best stuff, and odds are , they’ll always be something worth taking whenever Thestalos hit’s the field. With that in mind, Thestalos proves himself to be the most reliable monarch.
 
Granmarg :
 
And now that we’ve soldiered through the best of what the monarchs have to offer we come to the bargain bin of the bunch, Granmarg, with the ability of destroying a face down when summoned.
 
A friend of mine insists that Granmarg s the best Monarch, that’s he’s got a deck all worked out for him, but I’ve yet to see this deck and why either Mobius or Zaborg wouldn’t do his job better.
 
That’s what it all boils down to really, whatever you want Granmarg to do, Zaborg or Mobius would have done it better in the situation. If you want to kill face down monsters, stick in a Zaborg and kill face up one’s as well. If you want to blow up s/t’s period use Mobius, he’s not restricted to face down’s.
 
Art-wise,  Granmarg is also lacking. With his bland brown colour, and huge, unarticulated arms , he looks like essentially a wall. Still that’s up to personal preference, if you want to be commanding a giant, robust block then that’s up to you.
 
Granmarg’s only  benefit is choice. With the other’s there’s none, no variation. You either do their effect or not. Granmarg pumps a bit of variety into the mix, which is a redeeming feature. The choice between monster and magic is cool, but not cool enough to make this guy a frost monarch, and as shocking as that joke may be, it’s nothing compared to the static that gave Zaborg his ‘fro.
 
Which brings us finally to the new guy on the block;
 
RAIZA THE STORM MONARCH
Wind/Bird/6/2400/1000
When this card is successfully sacrificed summoned, return a card on the field to the top of its owner's deck.
 
At first glance, the storm monarch isn’t exactly Mr Revolutionary. The opponent won’t actually lose a card, not technically as they’ll be getting it back their next turn, but lets just think about that for a second.
 
That monarch essentially reads : Opponent skips their draw phase, return a card to their hand. That’s a hand effect, especially when you’re hitting a trap that’ll take a turn to be reset, or a tribute monster that cost the earth to summon. Raiza will make short work of it, and that’s more than enough for me to consider using it. He’s a good monster, and definitely up their with the top 2 of them.
 
Monarchs are a reliable bunch of tribute monsters, and you’d be hard pushed if you ever had to come up against them. They are solid, dependable monsters in their own right and are just too easy to use to not bother with, and what is more, they have a great future ahead of them that we’ll all learn from along the way.
 

Well that’s it from me for now. If you want to get in touch, my mails ;
 
 
Till then, have a good one guys.


 


Copyright© 1998-2005 pojo.com
This site is not sponsored, endorsed, or otherwise affiliated with any of the companies or products featured on this site. This is not an Official Site.