We end this “Reduced Restrictions” week with United We Stand.  This is an Equip Spell, and that is why it is “safe” for the current format.  The effect boosts a monster’s ATK and DEF by 800 for each face-up monster you control.  The reason this effectively isn’t “broken” is that Yu-Gi-Oh has failed in another way: as I often like to remind our readers there is simply too much easy and/or general removal in the game.  This means that monsters, the cards hardest to get into play are the easiest to destroy: besides effects you still have battle!  How does that apply to this Equip Spell?  By their nature, Equip Spells are dependant upon monsters and unless they have an effect to make it otherwise, when the monster they are equipped to leaves the field or is placed face-down, the Equip Spell is destroyed.  Again, barring those specifically designed with a secondary effect in mind, you end up losing one more card than you “should” have, and that is in addition to the cards that can ruin an Equip Card just because it is a face-up Spell that targets.

 

With so many ways of thwarting Equip Spells, one might think that the solution is to up their power.  If it is easy to destroy that would make it worth playing, right?  Not necessarily: as we see here, it can be quite unbalancing.  We currently have a format that is quite good at swarming, and as such the return off this card is apt to be at least 1600 more points of damage than without, the equivalent damage of another (presumably) Special Summoned monster.  Quite impressive if there are three or more monsters: three monsters would result in a 2400 ATK (and thus damage) boost.  Against a clear field, that would mean three 1900 ATK monsters with one then boosted by United We Stand would inflict 8100 points of damage, enough for a OTK and hardly difficult to accomplish.  This also makes it very useful to OTK decks focused on small, multiple attack monsters such a Mataza the Zapper, Ben Kei – Armed Samurai, or Hayabusa Knight.  A Scapegoat activated during your opponent’s End Phase combined with a backfield clearing card like Giant Trunade or even a Mystical Space Typhoon if they only had a single set S/T would allow Hayabusa Knight to attack over a monster as large as 2000 ATK and skill score a OTK against an opponent with a full 8000 LP.

 

For general use, United We Stand can make a good “pressure” card.  Against a clear field, think of it as one more Special Summon (possibly monster number six) with which to decimate the rest of your opponent’s Life Points.  When facing monsters, besides inflicting some extra damage it can allow you to inflict damage by boosting something over a bigger monster.  When facing set S/Ts, it can be used to bait out removal against itself/the equipped monster.  Far better your opponent waste a Mystical Space Typhoon on this than on your Mirror Force, or a Dimensional Prison on something other than Stardust Dragon.

 

I do enjoy the art and the name on this card: a simple but effective way of demonstrating “monsters” teaming up.  However, the effect doesn’t really make a lot of sense given that context: even on its own, the Equip Spell boosts the equipped monster’s ATK by 800.  Besides balancing out the card a little better, it’d make more sense if there was no bonus when a monster was on its own.  I am also surprised after the events of 9/11, when this card’s name became such a popular slogan amongst Americans, that we never got a new art version of this as a commemorative piece.  I suppose it wouldn’t have been in good taste.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional: 2/5 

Advanced: 3.25/5 

Aesthetic: 3.75/5

 

I am still selling my former collectables on eBay.  I’ve had a lot of hobbies over the years, so at various times I’ll have comic books, manga, action figures, and video games on the auction block.  You can take a look at what’s up for bids here.  Just a reminder, Pojo is in no way responsible for any transactions and was merely kind enough to let me mention the auctions here. ;)