Yu-Gi-Oh Power of the Elements – What You Should Know
Crunch$G
It’s time to get our game on once again. Hello Pojo Readers, Crunch$G here to tell you about the latest core booster set in the TCG: Power of the Elements. This is arguably one of the most hyped sets in a long time, as it debuts 2 new archetypes that are expected to have a notable meta impact. Not only that, but we got a bunch of nice new generic cards and new Elemental HERO Neos support to give Neo-Spacians and Neos himself a bit more of a push. This set also has some nice support for legacy archetypes and an extra EARTH Fairy archetype to boost EARTH strategies all together. This is one of the biggest releases of the year, so let’s get into it and see what we got.
The Starlight Rares
As always, we start with the 5 Starlight Rares chosen for the set. First, we got another high rarity card for Exosisters as the new Exosister Martha comes in Starlight Rare. A new generic monster that can help take care of the opponent’s monsters get a high rarity with Kurikara Divincarnate getting the Starlight treatment. We continue the Charmer and Familiar-Possessed monster trend with the new Aussa the Earth Channeler matching the other recent monsters. One of the most hyped generic cards of the set gets Starlight treatment as Ultimate Slayer appears in the rarity. Finally, for the extra Starlight, to go along with HERO support, Destiny HERO – Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer gets upgraded to Starlight Rare after missing out in Burst of Destiny.
Contact Out
Now for the archetypes of the set, we of course start off with the aforementioned HERO cards that are represented on the cover of the set, mainly focusing on Elemental HERO Neos. Elemental HERO Spirit of Neos is a Level 7 LIGHT Warrior who can be Special Summoned from your hand in Defense Position when the opponent declares an attack, can’t be destroyed in battle the turn it’s summoned by this effect, lets you add a Polymerization or any Spell/Trap that lists an Elemental HERO’s name in its text from Deck to hand on Special Summon, and you can shuffle this card into the Deck during your Main Phase to summon any Elemental HERO Normal Monster from Deck. Cross Keeper is a Level 2 DARK Warrior who can be sent from the hand or the field to the graveyard to summon any Elemental HERO or Neo-Spacian monster from your hand or graveyard, but the monster’s effects are negated if it was summoned from the graveyard, also if you Special Summon any Elemental HERO Fusion, you can banish this from the graveyard to draw 2 cards and return a card from your hand to the bottom of the Deck. Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman is a Level 8 LIGHT Warrior Fusion between Elemental HERO Neos and any Wingman Fusion, must be Fusion Summoned, gains 300 ATK for each monster in your graveyard, cannot be destroyed by card effects, if Special Summoned can let you destroy cards the opponent controls up to the number of different Attributes on the field, and inficts damage to the opponent equal to the original ATK of a monster it destroys in battle. EN – Engage Neo Space is a Normal Spell that lets you send 1 Elemental HERO and 1 Neo-Spacian (1 from hand and 1 from Deck) to the graveyard to summon any Level 5 or higher Elemental HERO or any Neo-Spacian from your Deck, then you can add a Polymerization from your Deck or graveyard to your hand, also an Elemental HERO Neos summoned by this effect gains 1000 ATK and also you can only summon Fusion Monsters from the Extra Deck the turn you activate this card. Instant Contact is a Normal Spell that lets you pay 1000 LP to summon any Level 7 or lower Elemental HERO or Neo-Spacian Fusion from your Extra Deck while ignoring the summoning conditions, but it’s effects are negated, it cannot attack, and it returns to the Extra Deck at the end of the turn unless Elemental HERO Neos is on your field or in your graveyard. EN Wave is a Continuous Spell that lets you summon any Neo-Spacian or Elemental HERO Neos from the Deck if your Elemental HERO monster is sent to the graveyard or banished as material for a Fusion Summon, also you can Special Summon an Elemental HERO monster from your graveyard if a Neo-Spacian monster or Elemental HERO Neos is shuffled from your field or graveyard into the Deck or Extra Deck. Over Fusion is a Quick-Play Spell that lets you target a face-up monster on the field and reveal an Elemental HERO, Neo-Spacian, or Level 10 monster from your hand, Deck, or Extra Deck to treat the targeted monster’s name as the name of the revealed monster’s for a Fusion Summon that turn, also the revealed monster is sent to the graveyard if you have Elemental HERO Neos on your field or in the graveyard, otherwise shuffle it into the Deck. Finally, Favorite Contact is a Normal Trap that lets you Special Summon a Fusion Monster that lists a HERO monster as material, igonring the summoning conditions, by placing the materials on the bottom of your Deck from your hand, field, graveyard, and/or banished cards, also if you returned Elemental HERO Neos by this effect, neither player can return the summoned monster to the Extra Deck.
Spright Light
Now we get into the Albaz lore of this set as we continue support for Branded, Therions, Icejades, and Dogmatika while also debuting the new Spright archetype, an archetype focused on Level, Rank, and Link-2 monsters. Spright Blue is a Level 2 DARK Thunder who can be Special Summoned from the hand if you control a Level/Rank 2 monster and searches for any different Spright monster on Special Summon. Spright Jet is a Level 2 DARK Thunder who also can be Special Summoned if you control a Level/Rank 2 and searches for a Spright Spell/Trap on Special Summon. Spright Pixies is a Level 2 DARK Thunder who can be Special Summoned from the hand if you control a Level/Rank 2 and during damage calculation where a Level/Rank/Link 2 monster you control battles an opponent’s monster, you get a Quick Effect to send this card from the hand or field to the graveyard to have your monster gain ATK and DEF equal to the opponent’s monster’s ATK for the turn. Spright Red is a Level 2 FIRE Thunder who can be Special Summoned from the hand if you control a Level/Link 2 and has a Quick Effect when the opponent activates a monster effect to tribute another Level/Rank/Link 2 to negate the effect and destroy that card if you tributed a Rank/Link 2. Spright Carrot is a Level 2 FIRE Thunder who can be Special Summoned from the hand if you control a Level/Link 2 and has a Quick Effect when the opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card or effect to tribute another Level/Rank/Link 2 to negate that effect and then destroy that card if you tributed a Rank/Link 2. Therion “Empress” Alasia is a Level 8 EARTH Reptile who can be Special Summoned from the hand by equipping a Therion or Reptile from your graveyard to it, can let you discard a card to target a Therion monster in your Spell/Trap Zone and Special Summon it, and gives the latter effect to all Therion monsters this card is equipped to along with 700 ATK. Therion Irregular is a Level 10 DARK Machine who can be Special Summoned from the hand by targeting up to 3 Therion monsters in your graveyard and equipping them to this card, can let you discard an Endless Engine Argyro System to destroy all cards the opponent controls, and while equipped to a monster you can Special Summon this card from the Spell and Trap Zone while also equipping the monster this was equipped to onto this card. Icejade Creation Aegirocassis is a Level 7 WATER Aqua Tuner who gives a monster this is equipped to a 400 ATK/DEF boost for each banished monster, can equip itself from the hand or graveyard to an Icejade monster you control as a Quick Effect, and can be Special Summoned if equipped to a card. Albaz the Ashen is a Level 4 DARK Dragon whose name becomes Fallen of Albaz while on the field or in the graveyard, while a Level 8 Fusion is in your graveyard this will gain 200 ATK for each monster in your graveyard and the opponent cannot target other monsters you control with card effects, and can be Special Summoned from the graveyard if it is in there with a Fusion Monster and a monster(s) you control leaves the field by an opponent’s card effect. Gigantic Spright is a Rank 2 DARK Thunder who needs 2 Level 2s to summon, lets you use any Link-2 monsters as Level 2s for this card’s materials, has its original ATK become doubled if it has a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link monster as material, and during your Main Phase lets you detach a material from a monster you control to summon any Level 2 from your Deck, then neither player can summon monsters for the rest of the turn except for Level/Rank/Link 2 monsters. Spright Elf is a Link-2 FIRE Thunder with Bottom Left and Bottom Right arrows, needs any 2 monsters, including a Level/Rank/Link 2, to summon, cannot be used as Link Material the turn it’s Link Summoned, prevents the opponent from targeting monsters this points to with card effects, and has a Quick Effect during the Main Phase to revive any Level 2 from your graveyard, but you can instead revive a Rank/Link 2 if the opponent controls a monster. Spright Starter is a Quick-Play Spell that lets you summon any Spright monster from your Deck, but you then lose LP equal to that monster’s ATK and can only summon Level/Rank/Link 2 monsters for the rest of the turn. Spright Gamma Burst is a Quick-Play Spell that makes all Level/Rank/Link 2 monsters you control gain 1400 ATK and DEF until the end of the turn, and during your Main Phase can be banished from the graveyard to let a Level/Rank/Link 2 you control gain 1400 ATK until the end of the opponent’s turn. Spright Smashers is a Quick-Play Spell that lets you banish a Therion, Springans, or Spright from your graveyard to either Special Summon any Springans from your Deck, Special Summon any Therion from your graveyard, or banish a Level/Rank/Link 2 monster you control and a monster the opponent controls. Branded in Central Dogmatika is a Continuous Spell that lets you look at either player’s Extra Deck to send a monster to the graveyard if you Special Summon a Ritual Monster and no other cards via a Spell effect, and if you Special Summon a Fusion Monster and no other cards, you can target that monster to have it gain ATK equal to its original ATK for the turn, but it can only attack Attack Position monsters the opponent controls. Finally, Branded Explusion is a Normal Trap that lets you tribute a Fusion Monster to target 2 non-Fusion Monsters that are banished or in either graveyard to Special Summon both of them in Defense Position, with 1 going to each field unless you tributed a monster that mentions Fallen of Albaz as Fusion Material.
Tears of War
Next up we continue with the Visas Starfrost lore with a few Scareclaws, but mainly looking at the new Fusion-based Tearlaments archetype, with the first 3 Main Deck monsters all triggering when sent to the graveyard by a card effect to let you Fusion Summon a Fusion by placing the materials from your hand, field, or graveyard to the bottom of the Deck, inlcuding the monster that’s activating the effect. Tearlaments Merrli is a Level 2 DARK Aqua who on Normal or Special Summon lets you send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the graveyard. Tearlaments Havnis is a Level 3 DARK Aqua who can be Special Summoned from the hand as a Quick Effect and send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the graveyard when the opponent activates a monster effect on the field. Tearlaments Schiern is a Level 4 DARK Aqua who can be Special Summoned from the hand and send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the graveyard by sending any monster in your hand to the graveyard. Tearlaments Reinoheart is a Level 4 WATER Warrior who on Normal or Special Summon can send any Tearlaments monster from Deck to grave that isn’t another copy of itself, also upon going to the grave by a card effect can be revived by sending a Tearlaments card from hand to grave, but it’s banished when it leaves the field. Tearlaments Kitkallos is a Level 5 DARK Aqua Fusion between any Tearlaments monster and any Aqua monster, upon Special Summon can let you take any Tearlaments card from your Deck to either add it to your hand or send it to the graveyard, can send any other monster on the field to the graveyard to summon any Tearlaments monster from your hand or graveyard, and if sent to the graveyard by a card effect can let you send the top 5 cards of your Deck to the graveyard. Tearlaments Kaliedo-Heart is a Level 9 DARK Fiend Fusion of Tearlaments Reinoheart and any 2 Aqua monsters, can’t be used as Fusion Material, upon Special Summon or when an Aqua monster is sent to the graveyard by a card effect can let you shuffle a card the opponent controls into the Deck, and if sent to the graveyard by a card effect can be revived by sending a Tearlaments card from Deck to grave. Scareclaw Light-Heart is a Link-1 DARK Beast-Warrior with a Left arrow, needs any Scareclaw monster or Visas Starfrost to summon, can only be Link Summoned using monsters in the Main Monster Zone, if Link Summoned to the Extra Monster Zone can let you add a Primitive Planet Reichphobia from your Deck to your hand, and can be Special Summoned from the graveyard if you control Visas Starfrost. Scareclaw Straddle is a Quick-Play Spell that can either let you target a Scareclaw or Visas Starfrost you control and a monster the opponent controls to have your monster gain ATK equal to the opponent’s monster’s ATK or DEF (whichever is higher), or you can negate a card or effect that targets a Scareclaw or Visas Starfrost you control. Primeval Planet Perlereino is a Field Spell that on activation lets you add any Tearlaments monster or Visas Starfrost from Deck to hand, boosts all Fusion Monsters and Tearlaments by 500 ATK and DEF, and lets you destroy a card on the field if a Tearlaments monster you control or in your graveyard is shuffled back into the Main or Extra Deck. Tearlaments Metanoise is a Normal Trap that on activation if you control a Tearlaments or Visas Starfrost lets you target an Effect Monster the opponent controls to change it to face-down Defense Position and send a Tearlaments monster from Deck to grave and when this card is sent to grave by a card effect, you can add any Tearlaments monster from grave to hand. Tearlaments Sulliek is a Continuous Trap where if you control a Tearlaments or Visas Starfrost you get to target an Effect Monster the opponent controls to negate its effects and send a Tearlaments monster you control to grave, and lets you add any Tearlaments monster from Deck to hand if sent to the graveyard by a card effect. Finally, Tearlaments Cryme is a Counter Trap that negates an opponent’s Spell/Trap card or effect or monster effect while you control a Tearlaments monster or Visas Starfrost and then sends a Tearlaments monster from your hand to the graveyard, also it lets you add a banished Tearlaments monster to your hand if sent to the graveyard by a card effect.
Seasons Change
Now we get to the brand new batch of EARTH Fairy monsters, the Vernuslyphs, to help support generic EARTH strategies. Vernuslyph of the Flourishing Hills is a Level 4 who prevents Vernuslyph monsters you control from being destroyed by card effects and can be discarded alongside any monster or Vernuslyph card to add any Vernuslyph card that isn’t another Flourishing Hills from Deck to hand, and then lets you revive any EARTH monster from the grave, but you can only use the effects of EARTH monsters for the rest of the turn. Vernuslyph of the Awakening Forests is another Level 4 who can be discarded alongside any monster or Vernuslyph card to send any EARTH monster that can be Normal Summoned/Set from Deck to grave and then lets you revive a different EARTH monster from what you sent, but you can only use the effects of EARTH monsters for the rest of the turn, also you can target a Vernuslyph monster and double its ATK for the turn. Vernuslyph of the Flowering Fields is a Level 3 who prevents the opponent from targeting your Vernuslyph monsters with card effects, also you can discard this card along with any monster or Vernuslyph card to add any EARTH monster from grave to hand and then Special Summon any EARTH monster from grave, but you can only use the effects of EARTH monsters for the rest of the turn. Vernuslyph of the Thawing Mountains is another Level 3 who can be discarded with any monster or Vernuslyph card to draw a card and then revive any EARTH monster from the graveyard, but you can only use the effects of EARTH monsters for the rest of the turn, also you can target a Vernuslyph monster you control to let it make a second attack that turn. Vernuslyph Corolla is a Continuous Spell that turns all your EARTH monsters into Vernuslyph monsters, and once per turn when you would discard a Vernuslyph monster and another card for that Vernuslyph’s effect, you can make it to where you only have to discard the Vernuslyph monster. Vernuslyph and the Changing Season is a Normal Trap that lets you target a Vernuslyph monster in your graveyard to either Special Summon it or add it to your hand, also during the opponent’s turn, except the turn this is sent to the graveyard, if you have no cards in hand, you can banish this card from the graveyard to Special Summon as many Vernuslyph monsters from the graveyard as possible with different names, but reutrn them to the hand at the end of the turn. Finally, Vernuslyph and the Flower Buds is a Normal Trap that targets face-up cards the opponent controls up to the number of EARTH monsters you control with different names that were summoned from the graveyard, reutrn EARTH monsters you control to the hand equal to the number of targets and if you returned at least 1, return the targeted cards to the hand.
Shine Like a Gem-Knight
Now we get all the legacy support in this set, starting with the return of the Gem-Knight archetype with 4 brand new cards. Gem-Knight Quartz is a Level 4 EARTH Fairy who can be discarded if the opponent controls a monster to set any Fusion Continuous Spell directly from your Deck, but you can only summon Gem-Knights from the Extra Deck for the rest of the turn, also if you send this to the graveyard or banish it for a Fusion Summon, you can add a Gem-Knight that isn’t Quartz from your graveyard to your hand. Brilliant Rose is a Level 2 LIGHT Rock that’s always treated as a Gem-Knight card, can be Special Summoned from the hand by discarding a Gem-Knight or Melodious card, and can send a Gem-Knight or Melodious monster from your Extra Deck to the graveyard to treat this card’s name, Type, and Attribute as that of the sent monster’s for the turn. Gem-Knight Lady Rose Diamond is a Level 8 EARTH Fairy Fusion between any Gem-Knight monster and any Fairy, prevents the first destruction of a Gem-Knight by a card effect on the opponent’s turn, and can banish a Gem-Knight card from your graveyard on your turn when the opponent uses a monster effect to target and destroy a face-up card the opponent controls. Finally, Scatter Fusion is a Continuous Spell where during your Main Phase if the opponent controls a monster, you can Fusion Summon any non-Rock Gem-Knight monster from your Extra Deck by using materials from your Extra Deck, but you can only summon Gem-Knights from the Extra Deck for the rest of the turn and all monsters summoned by this effect are destroyed when it leaves the field.
Hiking the Melffy Forest
Now we look at the brand new Melffy support with 4 brand new cards. Melffy Wally is a Level 2 EARTH Beast that can be returned to the hand if the opponent Normal/Special Summons a monster or attacks this card in order to summon 2 Melffy monsters with different names from the Deck that isn’t another Wally and it can also be Special Summoned from the hand during your End Phase. Melffy Pinny is a Level 2 WATER Beast Tuner where if a face-up Beast monster returns to your hand, you get to Special Summon this as a Quick Effect and immediately after this resolves Synchro Summon using only this monster and Melffy monsters you control, also you can attach this card from your graveyard to a Beast Xyz you control during your End Phase. Merry Melffys is a Level 4 EARTH Beast Synchro that needs any Tuner and non-Tuner(s) to summon, can return a face-up monster on the field to the hand on Special Summon, and can return itself to the Extra Deck when the opponent Normal/Special Summons a monster or attacks this card to summon any Melffy Xyz from your Extra Deck. Finally, Melffy Staring Contest is a Continuous Spell that can let you reveal a Beast monster in your hand to add a Melffy monster with a different name from Deck or grave to your hand and return the revealed card to the bottom of the Deck and at the start of the Battle Phase can reveal any number of Melffy monsters in your hand and keep them revealed during that Battle Phase to make your opponent’s monsters lose ATK and DEF equal to the combined ATK and DEF of the revealed Melffy monsters during the Battle Phase.
Battle-Ridden Vendreads
Now we look at the new wave of Vendread support with 3 brand new cards. Scar of the Vendread is a Level 6 DARK Zombie who if sent to the graveyard can let you add any Vendread Spell/Trap from Deck to hand and if a monster(s) on the field is tributed, you can banish any Zombie from your graveyard to summon this from the graveyard, but you can only Special Summon Vendreads while it’s in the monster zone. Vendread Scavenger is a Level 8 DARK Zombie Ritual that can be Ritual Summoned with any Vendread Ritual Spell, has a Quick Effect during the Main Phase to tribute another Zombie monster to have this card gain ATK equal to the tributed monster’s original ATK for the turn, and if you control Revendread Slayer and this card is in your graveyard, you can Special Summon it, but it’s banished when it leaves the field. Finally, Ravenous Vendread is a Ritual Spell that lets you Special Summon a Vendread from your hand, Deck, or graveyard in face-down Defense Position besides Vendread Scavenger, then you Ritual Summon any Vendread from your hand or graveyard by tributing monsters you control, including the monster summoned by this effect, whose combined Levels equal or exceed that of the Ritual Monster.
Deep in the Depths
Now we look at the new TCG exclusive archetype to debut in this set, the Fish-based Ghoti archetype full of WATER Fish monsters based on Synchro Summoning and banishing. Ghosti of the Deep Beyond is a Level 10 Synchro that needs any number of Fish Tuners and any non-Tuner(s) to summon, has its original ATK become 500 times the number of banished monsters, banishes all cards on the field if Synchro Summoned on the opponent’s turn, and can be Special Summoned during the next Standby Phase after it was banished from the Monster Zone. Paces, Light of the Ghoti is a Level 2 Tuner who can be banished from your control to summon any Fish from your hand that isn’t Paces, can be Special Summoned during the next Standby Phase after it’s banished, and has a Quick Effect during the opponent’s Main Phase of the turn it’s Special Summoned to let you Synchro Summon any Fish using this card and other materials you control. Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti is another Level 2 Tuner who can be banished from your graveyard to boost a Fish by 500 ATK, can be Special Summoned during the next Standby Phase after it’s banished, and also has a Quick Effect during the Main Phase of the opponent’s turn it was Special Summoned to Synchro Summon a Fish Synchro using this card and materials you control. Eanoc, Sentry of the Ghoti is a Level 6 who on Normal or Special Summon can let you Special Summon any Level 4 or lower Fish that’s banished with its effects negated in Defense Position and can let you banish a Fish from your hand or face-up field to add a Ghoti Trap from Deck to hand. Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti is a Level 8 Synchro that needs any Tuner and non-Tuner(s) to summon, upon Synchro Summon can banish a Fish you control and a card the opponent controls, and when banished can be Special Summoned by banishing any Fish from your graveyard. The Most Distant, Deepest Depths is a Field Spell that cannot be destroyed or banished by card effects while you control a Fish Synchro, can let you banish a Fish from your hand or graveyard to add a Ghoti monster from Deck to hand, and when a Fish is Normal or Special Summoned while this in in the graveyard, you can banish a Fish you control to add this card to your hand. Finally, Ghoti Chain is a Normal Trap that lets you banish a face-up Fish you control to summon a Ghoti monster with a different name from your hand, Deck, or graveyard with a different name from the monster banished to use this effect, but the summoned monster is banished when it leaves the field.
Mighty Morphin Morphtronics
Finally for archetype waves of support, we look at the Morphtronic cards from OCG’s EARTH Duelist Pack we are not getting over here. Morphtronic Telefon is a Level 1 EARTH Machine Tuner that while in Attack Position can let you roll a six-sided dice to gain LP equal to the result times 100 and revive a Morphtronic from grave with a Level lower than or equal to the result, and while in Defense Position can also let you roll a six-sided die to excavate the top cards of Deck equal to the result to send an excavated Morphtronic card to the graveyard while the other cards return to top or bottom of Deck in any order. Gadget Gamer is a Level 3 EARTH Machine that on Normal Summon can let you add any Level 1 Machine from Deck to hand and can be tributed to summon any Morphtronic from hand and a Gadget Hauler from your hand or Deck. Morphtronic Scannen is a Level 6 EARTH Machine Tuner that cannot be Normal Summoned/Set and must first be Special Summoned from hand by banishing a Morphtronic from hand, while in Attack Position can let you add a Morphtronic Spell/Trap from Deck to hand and then return a card from hand to the top of Deck, and while in Defense Position can let you add a Level 4 or lower Morphtronic monster from Deck to hand and return a card from hand to the top of the Deck. Morphtronic Earfon is a Level 4 EARTH Machine Synchro that needs any Tuner and non-Tuner(s) to summon, lets a monster equipped with this card make 2 attacks on monsters during each Battle Phase, on Special Summon lets you target a monster you control to make it a Tuner for the turn, and can equip itself from the field or graveyard to a Synchro you control. Power Tool Braver Dragon is a Level 9 EARTH Machine Synchro that needs any Tuner and non-Tuner(s) to summon, upon Special Summon can equip up to 3 Equip Spells from your Deck to this card, and has a Quick Effect during the Main Phase to send a card equipped to this card to the graveyard to target a monster on the field to either change its battle position or negate its effects until the end of the turn. Morphtronic Converter is a Normal Spell that lets you target a Machine you control to apply an effect based on its battle position with Attack Position letting you summon any Morphtronic monster with a different name from the target from Deck and then place the target back on top of the Deck, and Defense Position lets you change the monster to Attack Position to summon a Level 4 or lower Machine from hand. Finally, Life Extreme is an Equip Spell that can only be equipped to an EARTH Synchro, makes an opponent’s monster the equipped monster battles lose 1500 ATK during damage calculation, can target and destroy a card on the field if the equipped monster’s battle position is changed, and if sent from the Spell/Trap Zone to the graveyard can let you tribute a Power Tool Synchro you control to summon Life Stream Dragon from your Extra Deck (treating it as a Synchro Summon).
Archetype Assists
Now we get to all the archetypes in the set that got one or two new cards, with this set including new cards for Exosister, Gunkan Suship, Rikka, Mathmech, Krawler, Mokey Mokey, P.U.N.K., Amazement, and Lady of Laments. Exosister Martha is a Level 4 LIGHT Spellcaster who can be Special Summoned from hand if you control either no monsters or just Xyz Monsters alongside a copy of Exosister Elis from Deck, but you can only Special Summon Exosister monsters the turn you activate this effect, also if a card is moved from either graveyard, you can use this card to summon an Exosister Xyz by using this as material. Exosister Returnia is a Normal Trap where if all monsters you control are Exosister monsters, you can pay 800 LP to target a card the opponent controls or in their graveyard and banish it, then you can either Xyz Summon an Exosister monster using monsters you control or if you already Xyz Summoned that turn, you can banish a card the opponent controls. Gunkan Suship Shari Red is a Level 4 FIRE Aqua whose name becomes Gunkan Suship Shari while in the hand, Deck, graveyard, or field and it can reveal another Gunkan Suship Shari from your hand to Special Summon itself from hand, then you can Special Summon any Gunkan from Deck that isn’t Gunkan Suship Shari with its effects negated and immediately Xyz Summon a monster that mentions the summoned monster’s name using that monster and this card you control. Rikka Princess is a Level 4 WATER Plant who can be Special Summoned from the hand during the Main Phase, but you can only Special Summon Plants while you control it, also when your opponent activates a monster effect while you control a Rikka monster, you can shuffle this card from the hand or graveyard into the Deck and tribute a Plant to negate that effect. Rikka Konkon is a Field Spell where if you control a Rikka monster, you can set a Rikka Spell/Trap directly from the Deck, but you can only Special Summon Plants for the rest of the turn, also if you would tribute a Plant monster for a Rikka card or effect, you can tribute one of the opponent’s face-up monsters. Mathmech Circular is a Level 4 LIGHT Cyberse who can be Special Summoned from the hand by sending any Mathmech monster from Deck to grave, but you can only attack with 1 monster for the rest of the turn, also if you Normal or Special Summon a Mathmech while you control this monster, you can add any Mathmech Spell/Trap from Deck to hand. Krawler Soma is a Level 6 EARTH Insect that can target a face-up monster you control and turn it to face-down Defense Position to Special Summon this from the hand, but you cannot change the battle position of the targeted monster for the rest of the turn, also you can reduce this monster’s Level by 2 or 4 to summon a Krawler from Deck in face-up or face-down Defense Position for each Level deducted off this card. Mokey Mokey Adrift is a Level 1 LIGHT Fairy that’s treated as Mokey Mokey and a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the graveyard, also you can discard this card to add a Mokey Mokey card from Deck to hand besides Mokey Mokey Adrift. P.U.N.K. JAM Dragon Drive is a Level 8 EARTH Psychic Synchro that needs a Psychic Tuner and any non-Tuner(s), lets you pay 600 LP when it’s Synchro Summoned or Special Summoned by a P.U.N.K. effect to take a Level 3 Psychic monster from Deck and either add it to your hand or send it to the graveyard, also if your opponent activates a card or effect in response to your P.U.N.K. card or effect activation, you can Special Summon this card from the graveyard. P.U.N.K. JAM Extreme Session is a Field Spell with a once per turn effect to banish a P.U.N.K. in your graveyard to summon a P.U.N.K. from your hand, also twice per turn when you pay LP to use a P.U.N.K. monster’s effect, you can draw a card. Amaze Attraction Thrill Train is a Normal Trap that can equip itself to any Amazement monster you control or a monster the opponent controls and applys an effect based on who controls the monster equipped with this card with your monster letting you change the monster’s battle position and set an Attraction Trap directly from your graveyard and your opponent’s monster letting you banish the equipped monster until the End Phase. Finally, Loris, Lady of Lament is a Level 3 DARK Fiend that can let you target 3 or 6 of your Normal Traps that are banished and/or in your graveyard and return them to the bottom of the Deck to draw a card for every 3 cards returned, also if another monster(s) is tributed or a Normal Trap(s) is sent to your graveyard by an opponent’s card effect, you can set a Normal Trap directly from your graveyard.
Generic Goodies
Now we get into some of the interesting cards with more generic purposes in this set, and some of these are very interesting. Kurikara Divincarnate is a Level 1 FIRE Fairy who cannot be Normal Summoned or Set and must be Special Summoned from the hand by tributing monsters the opponent controls that activated their effects that turn, with this gaining 1500 ATK for every monster tributed, also during your End Phase you can target a monster in the opponent’s graveyard and Special Summon it to your field. Aussa the Earth Channeler is a Level 5 EARTH Spellcaster who’s always treated as a Charmer card, can discard itself with an EARTH monster to search for any EARTH monster with 1850 or less ATK and the same Type as the discarded monster, but you cannot activate non-EARTH monster effects for the rest of the turn, also you can Special Summon this card from the hand when an EARTH monster is destroyed by battle. Grandtusk Dragon is a Level 8 EARTH Dragon that when Normal or Special Summoned, you can target up to 2 other cards on the field and destroy them, then this gains 600 ATK for each card destroyed. Eka the Flame Buddy is a Level 4 FIRE Warrior who can target a face-up monster in either player’s Spell/Trap Zone and Special Summon it to your field, also you can target another face-up monster you control and equip this card to that monster to give it a 500 ATK boost. Cartorhyn the Hidden Gem of the Seafront is a Level 2 WATER Rock who can be discarded from your hand to let you Normal Summon a WATER or EARTH monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set that turn, also you can Special Summon this card from the graveyard if you control a WATER and EARTH monster, but it’s banished when it leaves the field. Emperor Tanuki’s Critter Count is a Level 1 DARK Fiend that cannot be tributed while it’s in the Monster Zone and when you would Ritual Summon, you can send a monster from the Extra Deck to the graveyard for that Ritual Summon. Nightmell the Dark Bonder is a Level 4 WIND Psychic who can let you tribute a monster to summon from the Deck a monster with the same original Type, Attribute,Level, ATK, and DEF as the tributed monster but with a different original name, also if you tributed a monster summoned from the Extra Deck, you can summon a monster from the Extra Deck instead. Hydralander Orbit is a Level 1 DARK Machine where if you have 4 or more monsters in your graveyard and none of them have the same name, you can tribute this card to excavate the top cards of your Deck equal to the number of monsters in your graveyard and if 2 or more monsters with different names were excavated, you can add one of them to your hand and the other cards return to the top of your Deck in any order, also you can banish this card from your graveyard to place a monster in your graveyard to the bottom of your Deck. Ashura King is a Rank 3 EARTH Warrior Xyz who needs 3+ Level 3s to summon, can attack a number of times each Battle Phase up to the number of Xyz Materials it has, gains 200 ATK when it battles at the start of the Damage Step, and has a Quick Effect when the opponent uses a monster effect to detach a material in order to negate that effect and destroy that card. Ultimate Slayer is a Normal Spell the opponent cannot use monster effects in response to and lets you send a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link from your Extra Deck to the graveyard to send a monster the opponent controls of the same card type to the graveyard. Terrors of the Overroot is a Normal Trap that targets a card the opponent controls and a card in their graveyard to send the target on field to the graveyard and set the card in the graveyard to their field. Draco-Utopian Aura is a Counter Trap where when an opponent activates a monster effect on the field, you can negate that effect and destroy that card, then you can banish a monster from your hand to Special Summon the destroyed monster to your field with its effects negated. Vanguard of the Underground Emperor is a Level 8 EARTH Reptile that while it’s in your graveyard and a card is sent from your hand to the graveyard, you can Special Summon this card from the graveyard, but it returns to the bottom of the Deck when it leaves the field. Garura, Wings of Resonant Life is a Level 6 DARK Winged Beast Fusion that needs 2 monsters with the same Type and Attribute, but different names to summon, doubles any battle damage the opponent would take from this card, and lets you draw a card when it’s sent to the graveyard. Pitknight Earlie is a Link-2 FIRE Cyberse with an Upper-Right and Right arrows, needs 2 Effect Monsters to summon, has a Quick Effect when a monster this card points to activates its effect to target a Effect Monster the opponent controls to change its ATK to 0 and negate its effects for the turn, also during the End Phase of the turn it’s destroyed by battle or card effect, you can revive it. Moray of Avarice is a Normal Spell that lets you banish a face-up Fish, Sea Serpent, or Aqua monster you control to draw 2 cards. Finally, Mimesis Elephant is a Continuous Trap that can be Special Summoned as an Effect Monster (Beast/EARTH/Level 2/ATK 0/DEF 2000) while also still treating itself as a Trap, also if it’s in the Monster Zone, you can declare a Type and Attribute and target a face-up monster on the field to change that monster to the declared Type and Attribute for the turn.
In Conclusion
Overall, this is an excellent set. Spright and Tearlaments are going to be two of the better strategies in the metagame for a bit after this set. Exosister and P.U.N.K. both also get some nice boosts in this set to improve their performance. The new Ghoti archetype has potential, but like all TCG exclusives after their first wave, they do need more support, but Moray of Avarace is a nice bonus. Ultimate Slayer is a pretty good removal option while also triggering the effects of certain Extra Deck cards that want to be sent to the graveyard. It’s nice to see all the Morphtronics in this set in a budget friendly printing, since the EARTH Duelist Pack isn’t likely to sell well. The new Super Poly target in Garura is also great since it also works with Ultimate Slayer. The HERO stuff that’s the forefront of the set is nice for supporting the Neos side of things, and Instant Contact does have potential as another Instant Fusion. There are other cards with potential as well like Kurikara Divincarnate, Ashura King, and Draco-Utopian Aura. The rarity spread also makes the best Decks not overly expensive compared to what was expected. The main complaint of the set is why wasn’t DPE a Starlight in Burst of Destiny? Other than that, I like this set.
