Welcome back for my next Top Ten article! This one will be covering the best Spell cards in the game as I view them. Each card is now color-coded by Civilization. I also added a one word summary of each card to start things off. Enjoy!

10. Spiral Gate: Underrated. Bouncing a creature from field to hand has become less effective since the release of Speed Attackers and Evolutions. Despite this, Spiral Gate is still a solid spells with multiple uses. It can clear anything you want your opponent to replay. Spiral Gate works well when triggered too. The only problem with this comes against cards like Aqua Hulcus that have CIP (come into play) effects.

09. Death Smoke: Old school. I still firmly believe that good ole Death Smoke has an advantage over the new-age Proclamation of Death. Being able to choose what dies is just nice, even if there are other restrictions. This has already been discussed so many times that I'll spare the details. Both Smoke and Proc are above average forms of creature control. Use whichever suits your style. Moving along...

08. Energy Stream: Prosperous. Card advantage wins games. Energy Stream costs three mana to gain one extra card in your hand. Not a bad deal when you look at the long term implications. Energy Stream has more potential than Crystal Memory or Brain Serum because it costs less, so you have more mana left to play cards after it.

07. Crimson Hammer: Simple. Some of the most useful cards in Duel Masters are short and sweet. This card is so good because it is an easy way to kill those annoying weenie creatures. All the commonly played Cyber Lords that fuel Merfolk can be targeted by Crimson Hammer. Rush creatures have trouble maintaining field presence against such cheap field control. Overall, Hammer is the best spell for taking down little guys.

06. Mana Nexus: Tricky. I disagree with those who say Mana Nexus is counter-productive. Losing one card from the mana zone is a small price to pay late in the duel. Many of the combinations with Mana Nexus can completely turn a duel around. Setting an effective Shield Trigger or even another Nexus can be downright nasty. Great in Blue/Green decks, especially ones with Terror Pit or Holy Awe splashed.

05. Future Slash: Painful. At least for whoever is having Future Slash played against them. I really like being able to undermine the opponent’s strategy by leaving their deck filled with only cards you want them to have. Say they are running out of time before their deck count hits zero. Not only does this make their deck two cards smaller, but you remove the best two cards they were counting on! You can also look through the deck to tell which cards might be in their shield zone. This card works wonders for stall decks that try to force the opponent into decking out. Black/Blue control could benefit from two copies thrown in as well.

04. Natural Snare: Rewarding. This is a card where you must ask: Do the ends justify the means? I say it is well worth giving your opponent an extra mana or two to clear their threat off the board. Natural Snare provides an easy way to remove big evolutions. The only problem is that you don't want to use Snare too early in the game, unless the target is too troublesome to allow it to live (Pyro, Horrid, etc.). Snare also has a good relationship with Mana nexus that can save you in a pinch. Not bad at all.

03. Searing Wave: Efficient. Searing Wave provides the best massive field destruction to date. The possible card advantage is amazing! I don't mind losing a shield here and there if it will help eliminate three or four creatures. Many duelists have even gone as far as splashing four Waves in a deck with no other Fire cards. That’s how good this card has become, especially against control decks that set up for a long time. Absolutely 1337 in my book.

02. Holy Awe: Versatile. Holy Awe is known for having uses both defensively and offensively. It can halt any remaining attackers when set of as a Trigger. Your opponent may have enough creatures to kill you 10 times over, but none of them matter once Holy Awe is through. It is also great when hardcasted during your own turn. This will allow you to bypass any blockers or attack your opponent’s creatures in a mass slaughtering. I see Holy Awe as a great card for a long time to come.

01. Terror Pit: Staple. No Timmy, not the kind you use to bind two documents together. The term “staple” in DM refers to cards that are in high demand because they are so powerful. Terror Pit is without a doubt extremely powerful. Its effect can instantly clear that threatening evolution off the board. Say goodbye to Mist Rias, Mongrel Man, Horrid Worm, Twin-Cannon, etc. There are no drawbacks or power restrictions. Terror Pit kills anything you target when hardcasted or activated as a Trigger. Highly useful.

And that’s the way the cookie crumbles...I will be more than happy to discuss these rankings and defend my opinion. You can catch me on AIM at Smcman7 or send an email to Smcman7@aol.com. Look forward to another article sometime next week. I plan on writing Deck Building Guidelines and then starting a series to break down deck types in today’s metagame. Good luck to everyone at Wizard World Philly this weekend!