MegaMan is still a relatively new game.  As such, some of my terminology may be confusing, as I plan on using the game specific terms to refer to cards.  For example, Energy refers to cards in your deck, but Power refers to cards in your Power Gauge.  Confused?  You can download the current rule book here, from Decipher’s MegaMan TCG site.  If something doesn’t make sense, make sure the game meaning is being applied to the word.  Also, much to my dismay, an error occurred when I attempted to save this, and I had to re-type everything after the paragraph for “Casual”.

Name               : This card is called WideSword.  Since BattleChips are never in play (and are thus not bound by the rule of being unique), just remember no more than four copies are allowed in your deck.

Card Type        : This is a BattleChip (yes, it is one word).  This is a mixed blessing, as you can only play one Battle Chip per turn.  It would likely be more useful (in general) if it were an Event, for I cannot think of any card that cancels an Event (though there is a card to prevent Events from being played).  BattleChips, like Events, can be prevented by an opposing card, and there is also a card that can cancel their effects (except for LifeAura).  It would be less useful as a Resource since Resources must be put into play during the Resource Phase, and (as we will see), this card likes some element of surprise.

Destiny Number: WideSword is Destiny 5.  This is good, since there are only two scores higher but four scores lower.  For those completely new to the game, the higher the Destiny Number, the better.  The Destiny Number acts like built in “dice” for a deck: when a random number is needed, it’s generated “randomly” through the Destiny Numbers.  For example, to start the game, both players cut their decks and expose a card: highest Destiny Number starts.

Requirements  : WideSword requires two blue resources in play in order to be activated.  This is what I would view as “average” in terms of difficulty to set-up/maintain in your standard di-color deck.  If you run mono-color it’s a little on the easy side and if you run tri-color it’s hard, and a real pain if you run “Rainbow” (all four colors).  There is no Power or Emblem Requirement on this card, so any deck running Blue can consider it.  Unfortunately, there is a second “requirement” hidden in the card’s text.

Card Effect       : When you use WideSword, you discard a blue card.  This reduces the opposing NetNavi’s Strength score to zero.  This can be brilliant or next to pointless.  Again, for newer players, let me point out that all damage in this game is that in Battle, all damage is taken from Strength, and all current game effects that alter Strength do so as soon as they are played.  This means that if my opponent’s GutsMan plays a LaserBlast, then uses the Event Not Enough Power to play another LaserBlast, GutsMan’s base Strength of 3, the +5 he received from each LaserBlast (as per that card’s text), and the +1 Bonus Gut’sMan’s own effect gives him for each BattleChip his controller players (so a total bonus of +2 in this example since two BattleChips were played) would all be “erased” when WideSword’s effect occurs.  Now, if GutsMan then decides to Blast, the bonus earned from that would just add onto his current Strength of zero.  If he Blasted before you used WideSword, any effects that would add to his Blast Destiny would still do that, and thus add to his Strength.  As such, this card is very, very potent.  If the card just boosted your defense, you’d have paid for roughly a Defense; you would have paid for a total of a +3 or so: I would allot a +1 bonus per blue resource required, and +1 for the discarded blue card, which also has to account for the higher than average Destiny Number as well.

Uses/Combos   : This card requires good timing.  Since you automatically enter Battle Phase when you and your opponent consecutively pass on taking an action, you must attempt to gauge your opponent’s ability to increase their Strength.  If you use it as soon as you can on their turn, you would be lucky to “zero out” just their base Strength score.  That is usually just S2.  On the other hand, if you wait too long, they might do all the actions they had planned on, and pass themselves, meaning you missed your chance to drop the damage!  You also have to worry if your opponent has the cards needed to negate a BattleChip or prevent it from being played, either directly or through other actions like destroying your resources or depleting your hand.  So this card can become frivolous, when used to zero out a paltry figure, or it can be dead weight as you make the mistake of waiting for a “big score” to ruin.  From what I have learned, you are best of “settling” for negating anything that has increased its Strength score to (your Defense + 5).  Yes, it is a variable term.  If they are less than 5 over your Defense, you might want to just take the hit or see if you have another option.

I cannot think of any real combos for the card.  Use common sense and ditch any cards that look to be next to useless that game.  For example, Useless One allows you to cancel a blue blast destiny.  If it appears your opponent is not running any blue cards, then you can be reasonably safe by discarding that card.  You also should consider using viruses to help meet the resource requirement (yes, there is a reason to not run a lot of Viruses-look up Rush, Roll Over).

The NetNavis that should consider running this card are those that run well with blue resources.  Roll gets an extra “buffer” from her effect, so she can be a little less cautious (if she used it too soon, it has boosted her to D4 already) 

Ratings

I will use Casual, Tournament, and Limited for my categories.  The meanings are a hair different than normal though.  Where as I usually use “Casual” to denote playing in an atmosphere where people chose to ignore the best decks and play what they enjoy, here it mainly means for the casual player who doesn’t have a lot of cards.  A higher score in this area will mean that the card works quite well without a lot of Rare or better cards.  “Tournament” will mean for competitive play, both organized, as well as just facing people with extensive card pools full of the higher rarities.  Limited has its traditional meaning-a tournament where you build your deck out of cards provided.  Do to some fundamental differences between this game and others, I will score Limited according to its most common sub-categories: Sealed (you get a certain amount of packs to make your deck), Starter (you get a starter deck plus two to three packs), and Draft (where you.  Yes, this seems cumbersome, but today’s card will prove why it matters.

Casual: 3/5, if you are running at least half blue resources.  That may sound odd to some, but it’s like saying Blastoise is good with Water Energy in Pokémon. ;) It’s possibly the best defensive card in the game, but it is a rare, so getting multiple copies can be tricky (hey, I got one out of over a box).  More over, in this format, players will usually focus on “pecking away” at your deck instead of setting up the grandiose combos that become available when you have access to-the damage you’d cancel out could probably be handled by a Guard1 BattleChip.

Tournament: 4/5, if you are running at least half blue resources.  Should every blue deck run it?  Almost certainly, but it is not automatic in my mind.  Some might prefer more concrete gains.  Also, you probably should limit yourself to just two or three copies: four would likely be a waste.

Limited: 1.75/5 for Sealed, 2.5/5 for Starter, and 1.25/5 for Draft.  Since it’s a resource specific and heavy card, pulling enough blue resources (and additional blue cards to discard) might be hard.  For starter, if you get TorchMan (who could use it), then it’s a solid card, but you won’t be stopping a lot of huge combos in this format unless your opponent has a sick amount of luck.  Finally, not only can Drafting blue can be as hard as pulling it in Sealed and not only is it doubtful there will be any huge combos to counter, but if an opponent notices you going after blue, they might pull it in an attempt to deny you. 

Summary

This is one of the best defensive cards in the game right now, an in MegaMan, Defense actually does win games (though I think offensive has a slight edge).