Raiza the Storm Monarch

Was last reviewed in 08 and was deemed the 2^nd best card from 2007

http://pojo.com/yu-gi-oh/COTD/2008/Jan/31.shtml

Raiza is definitely not the hulk it used to be but it aged really well and still is relevant today.  By returning a card back to the top of the owner's deck you are not only negging them but ensuring they can't draw a new card the next turn.  If you happen to bounce a monster they set, they're going to be locked into only being able to set that monster next turn (most of the time).

Christian Moss told me Raiza's effect literally gave him nightmares in his sleep of drawing the same dead card over again.  Combine Raiza with the floater-heavy Burning Abyss and it's triple (contextually costless) Phoenix Wing Wind Blasts and you can lock the opponent.

Special Summoning is both the strength and weakness of Raiza.  In an era where powerful monsters can be summoned left and right, tribute summoning a 2400 beater with a cool effect isn't as significant.  At the same time, we are in a resource-rich meta today that gives us even more opportunities to summon him.

Ratings

Power -- 4

Versatility -- 3

Dependability -- 2

Advantage -- 4

Speed -- 3

Traditional – 1.5

Advanced – 3.5

Raiza the Storm Monarch

Next up we have Raiza the Storm Monarch. Raiza the Storm Monarch is a WIND/Winged-Beast which is great with 2400 ATK and 1000 DEF, pretty much standard for a 2400 ATK level 6 monster.

Effectwise like all Monarchs Raiza effect activates when it is Tributed Summoned. With it you can target and return 1 card on the field to the top of the owner’s deck. This is a really useful effect, it can disrupt your opponent by forcing them to either lose an Extra Deck monster or possibly get a dead draw as well as getting rid of a threat. Of course you can use this on your cards to recycle  your cards if you want, but that might not always be a good thing.

Overall a great if sometime underrated Monarch and with all the support Monarchs have recently this guy is even more playable.

Traditional: 3.5/5
Advanced: 4/5

Hello Pojo Fans,
 
The winds are blowing this Thursday as we review one of the two best Monarch monsters: Raiza the Storm Monarch. This guy made such an impact when first introduced that it solidified Monarchs as the top deck for a long time, and for good reason. Sending a card back to the top of the opponents deck will stall them from drawing into something they need while forcing them to redraw something they already had. Several years ago the loop that occurred more than a few times was being hit by Phoenix Wing Wind Blast (your opponent discarding Treeborn Frog), then hitting you with Raiza to again send a card back to your deck, a lot of times the same card! If the effect was used against something from the Extra Deck, then they are going to have to work and invest more into getting it back. As a Winged-Beast, Raiza can be used alongside Blackwings and Icarus Attack, as well as fill voids in Wind-based decks like Gusto and Dragunity. Level 8 Synchro summons are easy with Raiza alongside Plague or Krebons.
 
Though Tribute Summon decks aren't as popular as they used to be, this guy can hold his won as a tech in any deck like most Monarch monsters can. Him and Caius are the best Monarchs and make a tough duo to beat. Either of those two could be tech'd in a deck (Caius more because of its added Life Point damage). The deck lineup for Monarchs can be altered time and time again to adapt (showing its versatility), but the lineup of 2 or more Raiza doesn't change.
 
Traditional-3/5
Advanced-3.5/5
Art-4/5