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Pojo's Yu-Gi-Oh Card of the Day
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Hammer Shot
Rare
Destroy 1 face-up Attack Position monster with the
highest ATK on the field.
Type
- Normal Spell
Card Number
- SOD-EN038
Ratings
are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being
the worst. 3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating
Date Reviewed - 10.12.04 |
|
Tranorix |
Hammer Shot
Hammer Shot is a nice little Rare from Soul of the
Duelist. It is often compared to Fissure and
Smashing Ground, but there's one key difference
between Hammer Shot and the others: Hammer Shot
counts your monsters too.
What does that mean? If you have the strongest
monster on the field, it probably isn’t a good idea
to play Hammer Shot since you'll be the one losing a
monster. As a result, it isn't as much of an
offensive card as Fissure/Smashing Ground. On the
other hand, it's far superior when it comes to
making a comeback from behind. If your opponent is
the one with the stronger monster(s), Hammer Shot
will probably be much more useful than Fissure will,
for example; instead of killing your opponent's Don
Zaloog, you'll be killing his BLS-EotB.
It should be noted that if you and your opponent
each have a monster with the same ATK on the field,
you, the player who activated Hammer Shot, get to
choose which one dies. Basically, it's an
alternative to Fissure and Smashing Ground. It can't
really be called better than either one, nor can
they be called better than it; it depends on the
deck you're going up against.
Traditional – CCCC: 3/5
Traditional – Field Control: 3.5/5
Advanced – Field Control: 3.5/5 |
|
Coin Flip |
Remember Fissure from the old days? Remember how it
was always fun to kill their weakest monster by
attacking and then use a Fissure to take out their
BEWD? How Fissure was a beast if used correctly?
Yeah, this is Fissure's daddy.
Stats/Cost: Free to play, Spell Speed 1, no
activation requirements except for a face-up monster
on the field. Since it's a SS1 Spell, it had better
have a decent effect.
Usability/Effect: Well, here's where this thing
falls. See, it's all nice and everything to kill the
monster with the highest attack, but this is a
double-edged blade. It doesn't specify your
opponent's monsters. If you have a Summoned Skull on
the field, and they have a Jinzo, your Summoned
Skull dies. On the upside, if both of you have a
Jinzo on the field when you play this, you can
choose which monster dies, similar to Fissure and
Smashing Ground. Often times you will want to get
rid of a Spirit Reaper, and if you have ANY monsters
on the field, it is unlikely that will happen.
Smashing Ground specifies opponent's cards, isn't
hindered by Scapegoat unlike Fissure, and will be
more useful in more situations than Hammer Shot.
Hammer Shot is still a decent card, though.
Combos: Erm, you COULD increase the attack of your
opponent's monster to destroy a specific one, but
then again, if you have the higher attack, just run
into them.
Score: 2/5 Traditional (raigeki > this), 3.5/5
Championship (somewhat reliable and quick removal
that's easy to get and no-cost. Think for a second). |
|
ExMinion OfDarkness |
Hammer Shot
This card has been regarded as the next Fissure.
Again, a closer look is needed.
Hammer Shot destroys the monster with highest ATK on
the field. THIS INCLUDES YOUR SIDE OF THE FIELD AS
WELL. If you have a BLS-E out, and they have a Jinzo...it'd
be better to save this card for later.
I see Hammer Shot as helping more than hurting; its
drawback really isn't one. Usually people don't play
Fissure or Smashing Ground if their strongest
monster can beat their opponent's strongest monster
-- Hammer Shot just enforces this as a rule. This is
similar to the difference in power of Berserk
Gorilla and Archfiend Soldier -- Berserk's slightly
more powerful, and has a drawback that is easily
worked around.
I'm hard pressed to think of a situation where
Hammer Shot is a bad card to have in hand...maybe if
you've Snatch Stolen their monster, and want to get
rid of their other blocker to attack with the bigger
one. Otherwise, it's really a great card for people
who are currently using Fissure or Smashing Ground.
This is a good test of any Duelist you may be
training. If the rookie you're bringing up is using
Fissures or Smashing Grounds, replace them with
these. If they play this correctly, and decide to go
back to the older cards, they will most likely play
the older cards correctly as well as they realize
the hand advantage they are saving.
My conclusions:
Traditional -- with Dark Hole and Raigeki still
alive, along with T-Virus and Torrential Tribute,
this card seems to be a bit weak. 2.25/5
Advanced -- with so little monster removal, this
card can be more useful. My only advice is to side
this out when facing a Burn deck, as their monsters
aren't strong -- their effects are. 3/5 |
|
Snapper |
Hammer Shot
Today’s card is Hammer Shot, one of the three
choices people have to replace Raigeki and Dark Hole
in Advanced Format. Let’s see how well it works.
Effect: Hammer Shot has a simple effect; destroy the
monster with the highest ATK on the field. That’s
rather straightforward. A simple rule of thumb when
using Hammer Shot is to make sure your opponent has
the monster with the highest ATK. Common sense
really. Now a question that may arise is what if 2
or more monsters exist on the field with the same
ATK. In this case, the controller of Hammer Shot
would decide what monster is destroyed. Another
question that may come up is if Hammer Shot is a
targeting card. The answer is no. Because you never
actually get to choose what monster Hammer Shot
destroys, you never designate a target. And no, even
if you need to choose one of the three 1900 ATK
monsters on the field, it still isn’t a targeting
effect. Effect – Good.
Combos: A combo to use with Hammer Shot is to just
give one of your opponent’s monster an Equip Spell
Card, assuming you have stronger monsters than your
opponent. Now of course this might not be one of the
wisest things to do, but it’s a way to get around
cards like Mystic Tomato…
Usability: Hammer Shot works in most, if not all
decks. It’s a card better suited to Advanced Format,
seeing as Traditional Format has Raigeki and Dark
Hole.
Hammer Shot is my top choice for monster removal in
Advanced Format, and it’s just a good card no matter
what format you’re using. Just make sure you use it
at the right time, and you’ll be fine.
Advanced Format: 4.5/5. As said before, it’s one of
the better monster removals here.
Traditional Format: 3.5/5. While useable, there are
just better choices.
Art: 2/5. It’s Name That Monster Time! I see Goblin
Attack Force. |
|
JAELOVE |
Tuesday: Hammer Shot
Rated For: Any Deck
Hammer Shot is a throwback to the old school days of
Fissure. It also evokes memories of Smashing Ground,
from IoC. I don’t understand why they didn’t
continue onward with the rupturing earth theme, but
Hammer Shot seems like a dandy moniker.
This one must target a face-up attack monster, but
it does destroy the highest one on the field.
Obviously, you can’t use it in all cases, but it
gives solid bang for the buck.
It’s certainly one of the best forms of targeted
removal out there; does it deserve space in your
deck? My gut intuition tells me that this is a good,
but not great option.
Advantage F/H:
You’re giving up one card for your
opponent’s monster. That’s a pretty solid trade
right there, but keep in mind this card will also
give you a free shot at your opponent’s life-points,
and hopefully kill a tribute monster (thereby
wasting two of your opponent’s resources, the
tributed monster and the tribute fodder itself.)
It’s a good way of establishing field control
against beatdown forces.
7.5/10.
Best Draw for the Situation:
This is a good card when your
opponent has high attack monsters on the field. It’s
even a good card when they don’t, since it’ll take
something down anyways. The only problem is that
certain monsters these days have built in effects
that prevent them from being targeted, and this
hurts targeted removal (obviously). It’s a decently
solid draw, just not when you’re getting your head
handed to you by more than one monster.
7/10.
Attributes/Effect:
Single shot target removal.
Obviously, this is intended to be the update to a
fan favorite, Fissure. It certainly is more
effective in almost every situation, and should
serve you well every time you have the chance to use
it. Monster removal is far more scarce in the
post-ban format, so try this
out.
8/10.
Dependability:
The only knock this card gets is that
the monster must be in attack position. That’s not
always guaranteed, meaning this card can possibly be
dead weight. Otherwise, it’s use and dump. Pretty
simple.
7/10.
The Bottom Line:
Solid option.
A BAD Score: 29.5/40=
74/100
Cards it functions well with:
Everything. |
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