I am having a hard time reviewing this card just because I find it… uninteresting.  I actually like a great many things about it, but for some reason, nothing.

 

Stats: Il Blud is a Level 6 Dark Zombie/Gemini Monster with 2100 ATK and 800 DEF.  Being Level 6 isn’t the worst level in the world: obviously it can hurt that it requires a Tribute to Normal Summon, but since I like game balance, I am glad that it does.  It is a Dark/Zombie, which means it enjoys some great Support, not quite the best in the game but way up there.  Being a Gemini Monster brings it even more support, and more importantly tones the card down.  As a Zombie with such a low DEF score, it can be brought out via Pyramid Turtle and that means you’re still getting a bargain to Normal Summon and then use the effect.  Yes, that even factors in its sub-par ATK and DEF scores.

 

Effect(s): Summon it again to gain the effect of Special Summoning a Zombie from your hand or either player’s Graveyard.  If this card wasn’t a Gemini Monster, this effect would be severely broken instead of just really powerful, since you could summon up to four more copies if both players ran it.  As is, you give up your Normal Summon to get a Special Summon, and it seems like a good trade.  There is the catch that if anything gets Il Blud off the field, you’ll lose whatever it was you Summoned.  Either protect Il Blud or find a use for the Special Summoned Monster and that won’t matter.

 

Uses and

Combinations: Zombie deck staple, I believe.  Unless you intentionally build your deck around lower-leveled Zombies (and I believe you could), at least one copy of this card should be in your deck.  I’ll let the others, who are much more familiar with the metagame, tell you if you need more (either in the Main or Side Deck).  Clearly this card makes Synchro Summons easier as well, since you can fetch the new Zombie Tuner, Plaguespreader Zombie, reviewed last Friday, or fodder for another Tuner with ease.  Getting this off a Special Summon plus Normal Summon of Il Blud is a true bargain.  Combined with all the other Zombie Special Summons, you might even be able to keep Il Blud himself.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional: 2/5 – I would expect Zombie decks now have enough to make a really good deck here… but this is a format for horribly powerful decks that make you wonder how facing one even constitutes “dueling”.

 

Advanced: 4/5 – A must run for all but specialized Zombie decks.  I think I’d prefer Zombie Master myself, and focus on the lower level Zombies.

 

Art: 3.5/5 – Suitably creepy.  Based on some of the translations I’ve seen for this cards names in other languages, it might be some sort of living… er… undead gateway, which isn’t inherently obvious to me from the art until I found that out, so while cool and appropriate, I don’t think it was exactly clear.

 

Summary

 

Go.  Play.  Enjoy.

 

-Otaku