Top 10 List
Steven Cantrell

School is out for the summer in Georgia, which means I’m sitting at the computer wasting away in boredom. It also means you get to read even more of my rambling than usual. In addition to CotD reviews and tournament reports, I plan on writing several articles. This first one covers what I believe to be the top ten creatures in the game. Let the countdown begin...

10. Rumbling Terahorn: This is a card that did not catch on very quickly. I think a lot of people still have not seen the potential advantages Rumbling Terahorn can offer. Since Terahorn fills the five cost spot, you can search for an evolution to play the next turn. Or you could nab a cheap creature that you might still have enough mana to play on the same turn. Overall, Terahorn is a versatile card that can make an impact.

09. Mist Rias: Every time a creature is summoned to the field, Mist Rias allows you to draw one card. Entire decks have been built around abusing this effect to gain insane hand advantage. Now imagine you have two of these bad boys out at once. Think about summoning an Aqua Hulcus or Magris to draw two cards instead of one. Envision playing a cheap creature, then drawing another and playing it! These wicked combos all make Mist Rias a powerful card.

08. Locomotiver: I can not stress hand advantage enough in Duel Masters. The more you have in your hand, the more options you have, the easier it is to win. Locomotiver is a great card because it instantly depletes your opponent’s hand size. There are no drawbacks or restrictions. He also provides a cheap attacking body and shield trigger status. Locomotiver’s game-changing effect works great mainly in Black/Blue control.

07. Emeral: Messing with the shield zone can be devastating. There are two main ways to make use of this great ability. The first is to set a good shield trigger like Terror Pit or Holy Awe. Another way is to swap a card that is not useful at the moment. For example, set down a Crystal Lancer you’ll need later for something else. Emeral also has a cheap attacking body and can combo with the evils of Illusionary Merfolk.

06. Twin-Cannon Skyterror: I would not want to make this guy mad. Speed attacker means he can attack immediately, before your opponent can react. It also means Twin-Cannon can bypass cards like Death Smoke and Corile. After he pops out and smashes two shields to bits, his body stays around to cause trouble. Not many cards can take down 7000 power except some evolutions. Agility and brawn together make a powerful tandem.

05. Bronze-Arm Tribe: The original mana acceleration master. This game is built on the fact that powerful cards cost more, so they take longer before they can be played. BAT breaks this rule by allowing you to accumulate mana faster. Now what would happen if you managed to play two Tribes and move two turns ahead of your opponent? Cards that cost seven like Twin-Cannon and Lost Soul are suddenly happening on turn five! BAT also allows the luxury of keeping up with the mana count while not having to spend cards from your hand as mana.

04. Aqua Hulcus: Very few cards are so good that they can replace themselves. Aqua Hulcus automatically lets you draw a card to make up for the one you just played. As if that were not good enough, Hulcus also comes with a solid attacking body. His power is enough to slam into Horrid Worm and Corile, or take down Emeral and Bronze-Arm Tribe. Compatibility with the great Liquid People evolutions only seals the deal.

03. Horrid Worm: Destruction, desolation, and disaster all in a nice little package. I know from both playing Horrid Worm and having him played against me that this little bugger is nasty. Nobody likes to have all their plans ripped apart in one attack.  Normally destroying a shield means your opponent get a card sent to their hand. With Horrid Worm, your opponent loses a card first for a net gain/loss of zero.

02. Pyrofighter Magnus: The best Speed Attacker out right now by far. Pyrofighter has already made a huge impact just two months after its release. His power is enough to kamikaze or destroy most chump blockers and weenie creatures. He can come as a complete surprise attack. Then once your opponent knows you have Pyrofighter, they can do very little to stop it because he returns to the safety of your hand. A great card to go along with Searing Wave splashes.

01. Corile: This has been the single most effective card in Duel Masters for a long time. Ever head of tempo in a card game? It simply means to control the pace or flow of the duel. Corile is such a good card because it can easily interrupt any tempo your opponent had going for them. Corile especially works wonders against evolution creatures and beefy monsters your opponent spent tons of mana to play. I suggest putting four copies into almost every deck with Water.

Many of you will probably disagree with some of my choices. It was very difficult to rank the best creatures like this, so some worthy candidates may have been left out. I look forward to defending my views anytime. Send me (Steven Cantrell) an email at Smcman7@aol.com or AIM at Smcman7. Thanks for reading, and look out for more articles in the near future!