Union Carrier – Yu-Gi-Oh! Review

Crunch$G

Now for a Link that might not seem like much on paper, but has insane interactions with other cards: Union Carrier.

Union Carrier is a Link-2 LIGHT Machine with 1000 ATK and arrows pointing Right and Down. ATK is pretty low, Type/Attribute combination is good, and the arrows are okay. The summoning requirements are any 2 monsters with the same Type or Attribute. The obvious Deck this is for is ABC, which are all LIGHT and Machines. Most Decks typically have repeating Types or Attributes in them, so really anything can use this. The first effect makes this card unable to be used as Link Material the turn it was Link Summoned, which is always a fair restriction for cards with high ceilings like this. Next you can target a face-up monster on the field to equip a monster from hand or Deck with the same original Type or Attribute as the target to the target with the effect to boost the equipped monster by 1000 ATK, and you can’t Special Summon a monster equipped from Deck with this effect. Again, obvious use suggest ABC to Link away an ABC piece equipped with another for double effects while also getting the materials for Dragon Buster, but there’s more combos here. Dragon Buster Destruction Sword can be equipped to any monster that’s DARK or Dragon to lock the opponent from the Extra Deck. Mist Valley Thunderbird can go on the card at the end of the week so when it summons Mist Valley Apex Avian, you can basically have infinite once per chain negations. Equip Block Dragon to a Rock or EARTH in something like Megalith or Adamancipator to get a bunch of searches once the Block Dragon falls off due to the monster it was equipped to being a material for a summon. Union Carrier opens up the floodgates for a lot of insane possibilities. It’s a once per turn effect, which is fitting to not abuse too many of these options in the same Deck. It’s an insane card overall that causes some crazy interactions, if you want to try them, this is the must for that strategy.

Advanced Rating: 5/5

Art: 4/5 Now leaving the Union Hangar!

Solember
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   This card is incredibly fun to play with, especially if you are the type of player that enjoys building rogue strategies.

   It is easy enough to summon in most decks, as most decks have at least one or the other requirement met in every monster. The intended use for this card is with Union decks, having the ability to both instill their passive effects and set them in place for their more interactive effects. This makes Special Summoning ABC-Dragon Buster a breeze, but I won’t hover too long on the obvious plays.

   I found this card works wonders in the Plunder Patroll archetype. It gives their boss monsters much needed ATK power while also providing a way to keep their effects as strong as possible.

   Other archetypes that can make use of this card include Dragunity, Simorgh, Cyber Dragon and Burning Abyss, but there are many more to consider as well.

   One thing to note is that this card is both fragile and easy to get stuck with, so play it with caution. Being unable to use it as Link Material for a turn is rough. That said, that is an excellent balancing point, as is the HOPT on its effect.

   The art is nice. It doesn’t seem intentional, but the black arrow on the left of the card frame gives the card a feeling of depth beyond the panel.

Versatility – 5
Rogue Plays – 5
Art – 5
Balance – 5
Uniqueness – 4

I score this card 5/5. It has a lot of homes. It can be powerful even in decks that just need to put things into the GY. It has a lot of abnormal plays to be found by crafty deck-makers.