We close the week with a new Unicorn support card.

 

…

 

Yes, you read that correctly.  If I really wanted to play with unicorns, I’d find a good pencil-and-paper RPG with fantasy, sci-fi, or SPB (super-powered beings) game play.  It isn’t that I have anything against unicorns; it is just that so far the TCG’s take on them has been less than satisfactory.

 

The actual card is a Normal Spell, which is a good start: it may only be Spell Speed 1 but at least that makes it easy to play in terms of fundamental mechanics.  Yes, you are correct: when I focus on such primary aspects of a card it usually means a specific ruling or combo will address it or that the card would have been good if only it had that aspect of the card was different… or that I am just being obsessive.  The effect states that you “Select 1 removed from play Level 5 or lower Beast or Winged-Beast type monster.  Remove from play 1 card in your hand and Special Summon the selected monster in ATK position.”

 

The rulings state that the effect targets the removed from play monster, but that you can select an opponent’s removed from play Level 5 or lower Beast or Winged-Beast monster.  It also states that despite lacking a clause stating you must Special Summon the monster to your side of the field… you must special summon the monster to your side of the field.  Lastly, if an effect like Imperial Iron Wall is active, you cannot activate Unicorn Beacon since you can’t remove a card from play, and that if it is chained to your activation of Unicorn Beacon, you won’t be able to remove a card from your hand and the effect will fizzle.  This is important since it verifies that the removing of a card from your hand is part of the effect and not a cost.

 

So what can we do with this card?  Well, what are the viable targets for the effect?  Quite a few Beast and Winged-Beast monsters to be sure, but you’ll mostly have to use a themed deck for them: if you aren’t regularly removing potential targets from play, you’re looking at a dead draw.  That narrows the list of general deck designs to decks that focus on Beasts, Winged-Beasts, and/or involve a lot of removing monster cards from play.  No you can’t rely on Synchro Summons to hit the monster type requirement.  Only Naturia Beast and Thunder Unicorn are legal targets for Beast Synchro monsters and there are no Level legal Winged-Beast candidates.  Those two also require semi-specific Synchro materials, making them less palatable.

 

In fact, when you get down to it, there really are only a handful of cards likely to be played where you would want to also run this card.  This can be a solid fit for Blackwing decks thanks to Cards for Black Feathers and Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor and perhaps a Side Deck option for other popular Beast/Winged-Beast using decks (like Gladiator Beasts) in case they face an opponent who likes to remove cards from play.  There are some neat tricks you can do with the card you remove from your hand: D.D. Scout Plane to get another monster in play out of the deal, Necroface to trigger its effect, and Dark Desert Tapir to revive a Level 4 or lower Beast-type monster from your Graveyard.  They are fun and can be effective… but don’t strike me as justification for either building a deck around this card or modifying something they already appear in so it can make good use of it.

 

Since I commented so much on the art and names of the other Unicorn cards, I’ll discuss this one’s as well.  Taking into account my thoughts on the appearance of Thunder Unicorn itself, it is a good piece of art: you have an appropriate Different Dimension style hole in the sky and a dramatic entrance by Thunder Unicorn.  The name is where I am a little less thrilled: this isn’t just Unicorn (or “-corn” support if they decide to turn this into a running theme) support, and it might have been nice from a future card design standpoint if it had been something more like D.D. Animal Beacon or something.  The name, art, and effect go together well enough, but some tweaking might have made for a better fit.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional: 1.5/5 – Blackwings decks exist here, right?

 

Advanced: 2/5 – Again, mostly due to Blackwings.  Despite showing a unicorn, it works best for the birds.

 

Despite the poor showing in scores, don’t entirely write this card off.  After all, those are general ratings boosted by a specific, successful deck.  In the right deck its wonderful option, allowing at least some fodder and probably some solid beatsticks to return.  What really hurts it I think is the crazy Yu-Gi-Oh taxonomy: normally Beast-Warriors are lumped in with Beast and Winged Beasts.  That would have been a little better for this card, though Yu-Gi-Oh really just needs an overhaul: so many distinguishing characteristics can co-exist.

 

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.  I usually add new stuff on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Just a reminder, Pojo is in no way responsible for any transactions and was merely kind enough to let me mention the auctions here. ;)