Cyclone Panic

Civilization: Fire

Type: Spell

Cost: 3

Ability: Shield Trigger

Both you and your opponent shuffle their hands into their decks and draw the same amount of cards.

Personally, I didn’t even realize that this card existed. Most of the cards out there, I know what they do, but when I heard this was the COTD, I had to look it up…

The Positive Side

This card has some potential. I can see combos with this card if you use water in conjunction with fire civilization cards. Since Blue does the bounce, Red can return to the deck.

Anyone who uses a red deck knows that an opening hand can determine the outcome of the game. For example, if my hand had 3 Braid Claws in it, then chances are I’m getting all crazy up on your shields.

But, if my hand had about 2 tornado flames and 3 terror pits, not only would you know you’re probably gonna lose, but you would also only sit there, wondering why in the world did you have these as your hand and not your shields…just like ye flask…

A new hand can alter the game in your favor. I constantly need new hands. Sometimes I need something to kill a blocker on the field and alls I got is a bunch of weak rushers.

Sometimes, your opponent went all crazy with his dimension gates or Brutal Charge and you don’t want anything to do with them.

If you can make a bounce deck with this card, it could have some success. A unicorn fish bounces out an alcadeias, then this card?...Craziness…sort of…

The Negative Side

Now, I really don’t see that much with this card. I don’t think it really has too much effect on the fire civilization anyway, since they focus on rushing and an effective deck would probably have about 2-4 cards by the time 3 mana happens. Now, you gotta think, wouldn’t you rather play a monster or 2 instead of this? (assuming that you can…)

Now, with the bounce decks that I mentioned before, the whole shuffling idea isn’t that really important. Sure, you change up their hand, but how much effect does that really do, since their hand is gonna be fairly large and he’ll still get the same amount of cards…With the whole bounce thing, you’d probably be better of with the completely crazy…Lost Soul. (King Tsunami + Lost Soul = GG…)

This card does have shield trigger. Shield triggers aren’t that bad, but this obviously will not save your life when you need it. Think about it. “last shield…come on Terror Pit…*flips card*…Cyclone Panic???...oh, boy, I get a new ha…now I’m dead…damn.

The next thing, personally, these kind of cards are really a waste. If the card said “discard”, then I see play, but since it goes to the deck, it only prolongs your eventual fate. Plus, having this card and another card that you want to play really sucks since, much like in Pokemon and sort of in YGO, you need to decide which one is more important, which can be painful. Finally, it’s all statistical. Each game has this one card where you get a new hand, since it is crucial to success. Now, in this card, and like reload in YGO, you have to give up one card in your hand to get a new hand, so you don’t get no real card advantage with this.

Finally, here’s “What else could you use?”

- Rikabu, who is more game breaking?

- Volcanic Arrows/ Crimson Hammer?

- 1 more turn to the vast selection of 4-cost monsters?

There’s not many other choices, but still…

The Limited Side

It may have a larger impact in limited, but not game breaking. You could have a hand of real monkey-dump and you need a refesh. You don’t want a hand of 7+ costs monsters when you know you have 4 or less cost monsters to bust out somewhere in your deck. Still, it probably won’t have that much of an impact. Get those cards that help you draw instead of replace.

The Recap

Here’s the + and –

Pluses

+ Shield Trigger

+ Effects your opponent also

+ get a refresh in your hand

Minuses

- costs a card to play, so you get 1 less card than you started with

- sometimes, replacing isn’t the best way to go

- Not a very good “shield trigger”

- In bounce decks, it may be better to discard than shuffle

- Opponent may get better hand

- You could get a worse hand, or the same hand…which would be crap.

Constructed- 2/5- It’s good if you need a refresh in your hand, but not worth it most of the time. Red’s to fast for that…

Limited- 1.5/5- Same case, but it has a lesser impact as almost any card in a limited tourney can make or break a game. Still though…

Art- 3/5- It’s a cyclone alright…Feel the burn you water freaks…

That’s it for Cyclone Panic. If anyone has any questions, comments, complaints, or concerns, E-mail me at:

pt_1bc_2@yahoo.com

Later Days….

Another thing- No tourney report from me this week. I gots a Neopets Release tourney :]

Don’t really know when the next one will be. I’ll keep you in touch…