Monday

Well it's Number Week, and in proper numerical order for the week, we open with Number 10:  Illumiknight.  We have a Rank 4, Light attributed, Warrior type XYZ Monster, who is XYZ Summoned with 3 Level 4 Monsters.  Illumiknight has 2400 attack and defense points, which means he can handle his own, in either position.  Light and Warrior are obviously excellent and well supported things, let's start with that.
 
I'm immediately turned off by the fact it requires three Level 4 Monsters, but perhaps the effect here is so game breakingly broken that it requires a third XYZ Material.  Let's see...once per turn, you can detach and XYZ Material from Illumiknight:  Then discard one card from your Hand to the Graveyard to Draw one card from your Deck.  So you get a +1 each turn you are able to activate and use this effect successfully, but it's a -1 in the fact you give up an XYZ Material AND a discard.
 
I suppose this could be a combo card, adding some speed by being able to Draw the extra card.  But I just really dislike the extra Monster needed to XYZ Summon, you're giving up too much, just to Draw one card.  I think we have here an effect that perhaps the card maker was too worried about being broken, so it didn't want Illumiknight to have too simple a cost, ie simply the detaching of an XYZ Material OR a discard.
 
Ratings:

Traditional:  1/5  You don't want to discard in Yata-land, even to Draw.  While this doesn't actually lower the content of your Hand, stick to increasing your Hand size. 
Advanced:   2.5/5 
Art:  4/5

For the next two days, we are going to be looking at Xyz monsters that require 3 level 4 monsters. First up is Number 10: Illumiknight with the ability to send a card to the graveyard to draw a card. The ability to send a card you do not need or one that is more useful in the graveyard and gives you draw power should not be underestimated.
 
Now let’s find a deck that this card will fit best in. First, we want a deck that can summon 3 level 4 monsters to the field quickly. Second, we do not want to commit a lot of resources to accomplish this great feat. And finally, we need a deck that utilizes cards that are sent to the graveyard.
 
Zombie decks currently fit this build. They have numerous level 4 monsters with Zombie Master, Pyramid Turtle, Paladin of the Cursed Dragon, Goblin Zombie and Mezuki. They also have an abundance of ways to special summon more Zombies with two Call of the Haunted’s, Monster Reborn, three Book of Life’s, three Zombie Master’s, and Call of the Mummy. You can even throw in some Kagetokage’s for additional level 4 special summons.
 
The big question with Number 10: Illumiknight is if spending resources on getting it out is worth the sending and drawing effect. As we will see with tomorrow’s card, there may be better options.
 
Traditional: 1/5
Advanced: 2/5

It's Xyz Numbers week and we're starting off with a nice one. Number 10: Illumiknight. A rank 4 Xyz, needing 3 level 4 monsters with 2400 ATK and DEF. A solid monster with solid stats. But it's ability is pretty darn good too. Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz material from this card and send a card from your hand to the grave to draw 1 card. First, it's summoning requirements. Getting 3 level 4 monsters may sound like a pain, but it's a bit easier than it sounds. Photon Lead and 3 Daybreakers can do the job, 3 Batteryman AAA are easy to get out on the field as well. Gravekeepers can do it as well. You just gotta be a bit imaginative and plan ahead to get out Illuminknight. It's ability to send a card from your hand to the grave to draw 1 card is good. You can send cards you rather have in the grave to draw a card. Cards like Lightserpents, Dandylion, and others. This card is definitely worth a spot in your extra deck. 
 
Traditional: 2
Advanced: 4
Tomorrow: You would think it's Number 11....but it's not.

Number 10: Illumiknight
Light/ Warrior/ Rank 4/ 2400 ATK/ 2400 DEF
“3 Level 4 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard and draw 1 card.”

Today we are reviewing a card that doesn’t see a lot of play, and probably for good reasons. First off, you need 3 level 4 monsters that in itself is quite a feat. Next, this card SENDS cards to the grave, not discards.

The only deck that can possibly utilize this card the best at the moment would probably be Fabled decks for the discard outlet. Another one can possibly be Zombie decks that use Blue Blooded Oni.

Pros: Let’s you get rid of dead cards from hand and deck thinning.

Cons: Does not discard, requires 3 monsters, and is easily ran over by some of the most common XYZ

Advanced: 2/5
Traditional: 1/5

Hey all, sorry for my extended absence, but am finally in the new place and have been dealing with several car repair issues, but am glad to be back. It's Numbers week, so let's start the countdown:

Monday:

Number 10: IllumiKnight
Rk 4/LIGHT/Warrior/2400A/2400D
"3 Level 4 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard and draw 1 card."

Illumiknight is a good card for decks that want cards in the Graveyard such as Chaos, Lightsworn, Laval, or Dark World (as discarding them triggers their effects). His stats are pretty good, but requiring 3 Level 4 Monsters makes him a bit difficult to get out. There's not a huge assortment of Lv. 4 Monsters who get Special Summoned (unlike Levels 2 and 3), so it'll take some work to bring him out. I'm not saying he's not worth the effort, but he's not the best choice of Rk. 4 Monsters that need 3 Materials to bring out. He's an alright card, but not the best out there.

Traditional: 3.25
Advanced: 3

This is Kite Tenjo's second number to be revealed in the anime, after Number 56. Like Goldrat, it has a similar effect of drawing cards, but frankly it's not very good at all.
 
Ok, so you can discard a card to draw another card. Keep in mind that the discarding part is NOT a cost; the real cost is giving up an Xyz Material. However, you must pay special attention that the card still reads send, NOT discard, which means you can't do still fancy stuff with Dark World and Fabled by "discarding them." But still, you get to "discard" ANY card you want and get a free draw to thin your deck! And with three Xyz Materials, you can use the effect a whoppin' three times!
 
Yeaaah...that pretty much ruined the card. Illumiknight would be a whole lot prettier if it only used two materials. Giving up three monsters for this guy isn't worth it for this effect (which is "not bad" but is by no means game-breaking). 2400 ATK is also not bad, but you'll never get to the point where you have a really urgent need to use the effect more than twice, especially considering the effect doesn't give you any net advantage.
 
You can try something like what Kite did on the TV show:
Use Photon Veil to get triple Daybreaker into your hand. Photon Lead summons all three of them and you can use them for Illumiknight; then use Illumiknight's effect to not only draw a card, but to summon Lightserpent. But that's just being fancy. I really can't find a specific deck that could use Illumiknight well at all.
 
Illumiknight is not the only Rank 4 monster that needs triple material. Evilswarm Ouroboros has astounding ATK and three effects to choose from. Shark Drake has even more ATK. Number 91 will actually destroy stuff with its effect, Tinplate Archduke's effect is useful because of disruption, and Vylon Disigma can steal a monster from your opponent every turn! Or, you know, you can use only two Level 4 monsters to summon Utopia, whose ATK and effect are both better than that of Illumiknight's.
 
Trad: 1.2 (maybe if you can find a way to summon it effectively, it would be very useful for the FTK decks, but the point is you can't summon it effectively)
Adv: 1.2
Aesthetics: 3/5 You know, they really could've picked something cooler to do with Number 10. The Japanese name is "White Knight Illuminator," but I like the English department's work with "Illumination Knight." What interests me the most is how Illumiknight really reflects Kite's personality: being a Light "knight" monster makes it seem really noble, but it's also really scary-looking. It lets you draw a card, but you have to sacrifice one first. Kite's been shown to own Numbers 10, 20, and 30, but another reason about the number 10 is that it's the atomic number of neon, and you know how they make flashy neon signs and everything... For the record, Number 40 is confirmed not to be owned by Kite and Yuma has Number 50, but only in the manga.
 
Philosophy Corner:
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I live in a moving van.
I go where I'm sent
And I save up on rent.
I go lots of places
And I see lots of faces.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
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