Dark Templar @Ignister – Yu-Gi-Oh! Review

Crunch$G

We end the week off with a more balanced Link Monster, but one that’s insanely powerful for its archetype, Dark Templar @Ignister.

Dark Templar is a Link-3 DARK Cyberse with 2300 ATK and arrows pointing to the Bottom, Bottom Left, and Bottom Right. Fair Link-3 ATK, good Attribute and good Type, and those arrows are just perfect. The summoning requirements are any 3 monsters with different names, which is easy to do in @Ignister, which is the only Deck you’re playing this in. Considering what the card does, I’m fine with it not being 2+ monsters with different names. The first effect is that if a monster is Special Summoned to a zone this card points to, even during the Damage Step: you can Special Summon as many Level 4 or lower @Ignister monsters from the graveyard as possible to zones this card points to, but their effects are negated. Very good effect to keep plays going. The effects are negated, but you likely already triggered them during this turn or have options to revive them again to use their effects after they’re used as material for an Extra Deck or Ritual Summon. You got the EARTH and WATER @Ignister monsters to Special Summon if you don’t have A.I.Land to help trigger this, so that’s nice. The second effect lets you revive any Cyberse monster from your graveyard if this monster destroys an opponent’s monster in battle. Less restrictive revival here is nice, and 2300 ATK shouldn’t have too many issues finding a monster to run over. No Level or archetype restriction means another Link for more Link Climbing. This card alone is probably the easiest way to summon the archetype’s Link-6 in Eternity Code. It’s the best card in the Extra Deck for the archetype bar none with its summon effects. Each effect is a hard once per turn, because all that monster summoning can get insane, which does hinder this from being a perfect card for the archetype. It’s still integral to @Ignister enough to play 2-3 in the Extra Deck. It’s so good for them.

Advanced Rating: 4.5/5

Art: 4.5/5 It’s like Decode Talker, but cooler.

Solember
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Dark Templar @Ignister 

   I had a lot of fun playing with this card this week. It works great in a dedicated @Ignister deck, but it is also the key card for adding @Ignister Monsters as an engine to other Cyberse decks. This also makes @Ignisters have some sparing usage in other decks.

   Both of the effects allow for Special Summoning in different ways, and the second effect can be used to activate the first.

   One thing I like about this card is that it can be used to make complex plays when combined with otherwise overlooked cards. I had a blast with Black Garden and Remove Brainwashing in an @Ignister/Token deck I have been playing with lately. I also tried using @Ignisters in MathMech with good results when using this card. I also found myself equipping this card with Grid Rod frequently to assert pressure on my opponents.

   The card is well balanced. HOPT is in full force, and the Monsters summoned by the first effect have their effects negated.
   The design of this card is very edgy (and by edgy, I also mean it has a lot of edges). The design of the armor is comparable to Breaker the Magical Warrior going through a My Chemical Romance phase (it’s not a phase MOM), and that isn’t a bad thing. I love when aspects of older cards work their way into the designs of newer ones. There may be too much blue here, though, and I wish this was a Synchro Monster or that the swirling background gradient was purple-to-magenta so that the art could really pop.

Versatility – 5
– I was surprised how well this crossed into other archetypes.
Rogue Plays – 5
– You can get some cheesy OTKs if your opponent isn’t ready for you, especially if you have Ignister A.I.Land on board.
Art – 4
– There is great model design here, but the background fails to let it pop.
Balance – 5
– Take notes, Firewall Dragon.
Uniqueness – 4
– There are plenty of cards that can Special Summon from the GY, but this one does it in a different way.

   Overall, I give this card 4/5. You can have a lot of fun trying to build combos based on this guy, and when you find one you like, you feel good about it.