Stats                : Des Wombat is a Level 3 Monster.  This is good: it is small enough to fit under Gravity Bind and Level Limit-Area B, but high enough to still be allowed a decent ATK and/or DEF.  It is an Earth Monster, which means there is quite a bit of support, as well as a Beast, which means there is even more support for it.  It has a solid 1600 ATK, although I almost wish it was lower so it could be searched out via the common methods (Sangan and friends).  Those digging forepaws are very strong though.  Its DEF also seems a bit low, given that Wombats are apparently very good at defending if they are in their burrow…

 

Effect(s)            : The effect does fit, in a way.  Wombats, when in their burrow, are very for predators to get a hold of.  All that is exposed is their rumps, where their skin is pretty thick and touch, and there isn’t much to grab onto.  Plus, they have a nasty habit of kicking not unlike a horse, and can kill a predator by trapping it against the roof of the burrow, suffocating it.  Otherwise, they will just really hurt it if they merely break its nose or crack a rib… yes; I looked up information on wombats when doing this review.

 

Anyway, blocking all burn damage does fit with their defensive style.  The fact that it apparently blocks the damage regardless of the source is even better.  Use RoD on an opposing Berserk Gorilla for fun and profit; you won’t be hurt.  Fantastic.

 

Uses and

Combinations  : This probably should be in most Beast side decks.  I personally think that one should be main-decked, given how common burn elements are even outside of Burn decks.

 

You could also use this for a mock “suicide” burner.  Cards like Ring of Destruction, Dice Jar, and Dark Snake Syndrome all work with this (and that is straight from the UDE Yu-Gi-Oh FAQ); that is to say they will hurt your opponent but not yourself so long as you have a face-up Des Wombat.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional       : 1.75/5-Unfortunately Chaos Emperor Dragon sends it to the Graveyard, so it can’t protect you.

 

Advanced        : 3.5/5-A solid side-deck choice.  After all, it basically shuts down Burners for as long as it is face up and in play.  It also has its own possible deck-type, or at least variation of burner.

 

Limited            : 3.75/5-It actually is big enough to be a beatstick in this format, and it looks like there are some burn cards that could be useful in Limited in this set.

 

Summary

Des Wombat is a good card, and actually worries me a bit.  While it isn’t a great card that guarantees it will be seen in all decks, it is a good enough that appears easy enough to run that it may cripple burn decks.  Or maybe I am just over reacting.  Hmmm… Fantastic stats and a killer effect are sweet as is, but it’s a wombat: cute to look at with a fun to say name!  Rentsy!

Please remember that wombats do not make good pets at all.  They are indeed cute but are digging machines and become very territorial, practically overnight, once they become a young adult specimen.  Oh, and they are illegal to own in most places in Australia, their native home.  Really doubting they are legal in a lot of other places.