Illegal Knight – #DIFO-EN023
During the Main Phase, if you control no monsters, or control an “Adventurer Token” (Quick Effect): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If you control an “Adventurer Token” (Quick Effect): You can target up to 2 cards your opponent controls; give control of this card to your opponent, and if you do, return that card(s) to the hand. You can only use each effect of “Illegal Knight” once per turn.
Date Reviewed: June 20th, 2022
Rating: 3.15
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is awful. 3 is average. 5 is excellent.
Reviews Below:
King of
Lullaby
Adventure monster starts off the week in the form of Illegal Knight.
Like all “Adventurer” monsters, if you have the name token of the archetype you get to Special Summon Knight from your hand. Knight also can Special Summon itself if you have no monsters so you don’t have to depend on getting that token from Rite of Aramesir.
If you have the “Adventurer Token” Knight can bounce two cards but you lose your Knight to your opponent. Bouncing two cards, likely monsters is great to get rid of some Extra Deck monsters, but I don’t like giving my opponent a monster they could use to summon next turn unless I do something. 2000ATK isn’t anything to fear though, an Adventurer Token can take that with its base ATK alone, but you’ll have it equipped with other stuff to boost over it, not to mention Magicore Warrior of the Relics can get over it and Wandering Gryphon Rider can trade with it. Equipping something like Dracoback, the Rideable Dragon to your token immediately gets you your monster back, while
Illegal Knight is a good, easy summon if you have your token. Double bounce is great even if you have to give up Knight. Just make sure you can handle giving your opponent a monster.
Advanced- 3/5 Art- 4/5
Until Next Time,
KingofLullaby
Crunch$G
Getting tired of seeing the Adventurer Tokens? Yes? No? Well maybe Illegal Knight will freshen things up either way.
Illegal Knight is a Level 7 DARK Fiend with 2000 ATK and DEF. Not a fan of the stats on a Level 7, but DARK and Fiend are at least nice. First effect is a Quick Effect in the Main Phase, letting you Special Summon this card from the hand if you control no monsters or you control an Adventurer Token, so it’s easy enough to get out. If you manage to get it with Wandering Gryphon Rider and don’t need their effects, you at least got a free Rank 7 as well. Second effect is a Quick Effect where if you control an Adventurer Token, you can target up to 2 cards the opponent controls to give them this card and return the targets to the hand. I mean, it’s a fine way to remove problematic cards from the field at the very least, and it isn’t like you’re giving the opponent the strongest monster in the world. A double bounce is nice to have access to if the negate isn’t what you need, but Wandering Gryphon Rider is just better for the engine. Hard once per turn on each effect, cause things might of gotten crazy otherwise. It’s a fine addition to the Adventurer Token package, just doesn’t feel mandiatory like Gryphon Rider and the security for your combos that provides you.
Advanced Rating: 3/5
Art: 4/5 Looks kinda like a clone from Star Wars? Maybe it’s just me.
Alex
Searcy
Illegal Knight is a name that makes me just…cringe. Dark/Fiend are both great, Level 7 with 2000 atk and def isn’t so great, even with the ease of dropping this to the Field, but given the plays it seems you’re supposed to make with him, it’s likely more of a benefit as he’s probably not supposed to sit long on your Field anyway. A Quick Effect drops this guy to your Field via your Hand if you control no Monsters and/or control an Adventure Token. A free Level 7 is great for Extra Deck plays, but a second Quick Effect lets you give this card to your opponent (here again if you control an Adventure Token) which lets you Target 2 cards your opponent controls and return them to the Hand, if you’re successful.
Giving your opponent a 2000 atk/def really isn’t anything…Quick Effect or not, I feel the better way to use this is on your Turn so you can destroy it before they can use this for a play of their own. Sure, you can use it defensively too, as an option to interrupt or ruin an opponent’s play, but I don’t like the idea of just leaving them a Level 7 like this either. Each Effect here is Once per Turn. I like the versatility of this card, but just the same, I don’t like the Adventure Token part, and how the bounce Effect is dependent on your opponent having TWO or more cards…
The two part does make sense as this guy would take two Monsters to bring out, but the fact you don’t (necessarily even) have to use Monsters, is again, a pro and a con, in the overall sense. I think this thing has potential, but the variables make it unreliable.
Rating: 2.99/5
Art: 5/5 This is freaking incredible
Mighty
Vee
This week covers some of the archetypal support introduced in Dimension Force, starting with Illegal Knight from the Adventurer series. It’s a level 7 DARK Fiend monster with a rather underwhelming stat spread of 2000 attack and defense, so while it’s not exactly much in terms of numbers, it does help enable Rank 7 Xyz plays alongside Wandering Gryphon Rider. Though DARK Fiends have lately been on the wayside (at least until we get Tactical Masters), it is a good combination in general. As with the other Adventurer monsters, it can be searched by Fateful Adventure if necessary.
Like Wandering Gryphon Rider, Knight can Special Summon itself as a hard once per turn Quick effect during either player’s Main Phase as long as you control no monsters or control an Adventurer Token, letting it dodge Dark Ruler No More or field-wide disruptions if necessary. Knight’s other effect is the main one, also being a hard once per turn Quick effect; if you control an Adventurer Token, you can target and bounce two of your opponent’s cards in exchange for giving them control of Knight. Double bouncing can arguably be more devastating than an omni negate in certain matchups, and thanks to Knight’s low stats, it’s unlikely that your opponent will be able to use it for much outside of Link fodder. That said, Knight faces stiff competition with Gryphon in the Adventurer engine, which greatly prefers Gryphon for its omni negate. Knight could see potential in pure Adventurer decks as utility or as an alternative to Gryphon if it’s ever banned or we see a meta that favors Knight’s bouncing effect. Overall, not a bad card, but it’s hard to compete with an incredibly powerful monster with the same level and summoning condition in the same archetype.
Advanced: 3.25/5
Art: 3.75/5 I get that this isn’t Kozmo, but doesn’t he kinda look like a Medieval Darth Vader? No? Okay.
Phew, I was busy. Sorry for no reviews last week, but I’m back now!
I feel bad for the cards related to the “Adventurer” Series. It’s only a matter of time before Konami brings the ban hammer down upon them and either limits or restricts the Brave Engine in some way.
If that happens, then the meta as a whole will be less degenerate…but at what cost? If cards like Water Enchantress, Gryphon Rider, or Aramesir get hit then the Adventurer Deck as a whole will be practically unplayable, making cards like today’s review borderline useless.
Speaking of, today’s card is Illegal Knight – a cool name for a cool card. 2000 ATK on a Level 7 isn’t great, but both DARK and Fiend are (especially with the direction that newer cards are going). Luckily, he possessing a way to cheat himself onto the Field (I see why he has “illegal” in his name now). Similar to Cyber Dragon, you can just play him for free, assuming you meet the conditions.
In this case, you must either control no monsters or have an Adventurer Token. This isn’t too bad of a requirement. Not only that, but it’s also a Quick Effect, so you can surprise your opponent with this or use him to Chain Block some of your other effects.
Why would you want to spring this on your Opponent during their turn? Well, it’s not because he can just block some direct damage. It’s because he comes with another Quick Effect. By targeting 2 of your opponent’s cards, you can bounce those to Hand and then give your Opponent this card.
A 2-for-1 interruption is pretty cool. I like how fair this is because your opponent isn’t permanently losing their cards, but you are. Still there is room for abuse as effects like these immediately remind me of stun/control strategies that revolve around controlling the gamestate.
An easy way to abuse this is to give your opponent cards that YOU’D get back if they were bounced. Nibiru Tokens, Kaijus, and anything they’ve stolen from you (via Change of Heart, Crackdown, or Triple Tactics) are excellent targets for bouncing.
I also love the flexibility of being able to Target ANY of your opponent’s cards – so you can even clear out their backrow and use the opportunity to push for game.
Illegal Knight is a balanced and flexible card – one whose design I absolutely love. Decks that already employ the Adventurer Engine probably don’t have room to throw this guy in as well, but I foresee him being swapped in for Gryphon Rider instead, depending on the matchup.
In his own deck, he’d definitely be a 3-of. He’s an extender, a blocker, and a nice interrupter. I just hope Konami is able to do something about the Adventurer Engine without ruining the deck as a whole.
Advanced Rating – 3.5/5
Art – 4.5/5
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