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Top Ten Underrated Cards

I like to think I have a knack for seeing power where others see nothing. I once ran a Normal deck, and got all sorts of Two-Turn Kills with “The Law of the Normal”. What follows is ten cards that, in my opinion, should see a fair bit of play, but don’t.

Number 10

Mystic Swordsman LV5/Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6

Both awesome cards with complete and total immunity to Spells. We all know the ways around Traps: Decree, Jinzo, and others. But Spells, not so much. Combine Horus with say, Mirage Dragon, and you’ve got a nasty lock, especially if you throw in Forced Back. Even outside of a deck based around them, they’re strong, and decks of their respective types (Warriors and Dragons) should consider them. Smashing Ground doesn’t destroy them, Swords of Light can’t stop their attacks, Brain Control can’t snatch them. Complete immunity to Spells is a good thing. The only flaw I find in them is that they’re 100 points shy of being able to stand up to Jinzo and the Monarchs. Oh well, you can’t have it all.

Number 9

Dark Coffin

This card is pure bluff, but does its job very well. Say the opponent blasts it. They not only just wasted their removal card on a bluff, but set it off into a real threat, and must now either discard a card or lose a monster. Either way, a +1 for you! And since its effect technically activates when destroyed, Jinzo and Decree can’t stop it. Nice way to exploit a loophole, isn’t it?

Number 8

Disturbance Strategy

A fine piece of hand disruption this is. Let’s say you just snuck a peak at your opponent’s hand and don’t like what you see. Then just play this! Your opponent shuffles their hand into their deck and this makes them draw another hand. It’s basically a Reload for the opponent, except you can make them Reload when they don’t want to. Plus it’s chainable, another good thing. Overall just a nasty thing to sic on an opponent when they have a good hand.

Number 7

De-Fusion

Fusions are well-known for being bad for advantage, but this card remedies that. You give up the Fusion and get back the pieces for it. In an ideal world you’ll Fuse 3 from the hand and De-Fusion that to get 3 on the field. Beyond that technique, which I don’t advise, you can fuse without caring if you’re walking into a Trap: you can simply chain this from your hand and avoid that Trap. Not a bad tech card in decks with lots of Fusions. And the more monsters you gave up to call that Fusion up, the better this card gets.

Number 6

Penalty Game!

This card is relatively conditional, although meeting the conditions isn’t too hard: your opponent has to have exactly 4 cards in their hand (not entirely impossible). Then, this card either makes them skip their next Draw Phase (Time Seal anyone?), or they’re forbidden to activate Spells and Traps this turn. Either way, granted, a -1. But the disruption from either effect can’t be denied. Imagine having to go a turn without playing any Spells or Traps. That can make or break your game right there. And we all know how disruptive Time Seal was, so disruptive it was banned! This card brings it back.

Number 5

Pixie Knight

Another 2-Star Spellcaster you can search with Apprentice Magician. It’s Light, which would mean something in another life with a different Banned list. It has 1300 ATK, which is searchable while still being formidable, and is marvelous, seeing as how it’s 2-Star. And when its destroyed battle, you get a Spell in your Graveyard on top of your deck. Not as good as Magician of Faith effect-wise, but fairly good if you like the idea of topdecking that Graceful Charity in your Graveyard. Not bad tech if you like Apprentice Magician, although Magician of Faith is still better.

Number 4

Appropriate

Another good card, this one makes your opponent consider their drawing cards. Graceful Charity, Pot of Avarice, Skelengel, Dekoichi, and Des Lacooda all those appeal when your opponent becomes aware that for every card they draw by an effect, you draw 2. Sadly, you have to have it face-up to use it, meaning you can’t chain it to draw 2. But either by turning your opponent’s drawing effects against them, or by stopping them entirely, it will cause trouble for opponents who like drawing cards.

Number 3

Sand Moth

If this card is destroyed while face-down (except in battle), it gets Special Summoned with its ATK and DEF switched. That means it goes from being 1000/2000 to 2000/1000. Either a big wall or a beatstick, it’s good. In an ideal world, you’ll have three of these when Torrential Tribute is activated. Sadly, that probably won’t ever happen, but even on its own, it’s a good card and a nasty surprise for players using Mystic Swordsman (remember, MS destroys face-down monster via an effect, so Sand Moth will return for revenge!)

Number 2

Disappear

Let me rephrase this card’s text in a way you can understand how good it can be: “Activate when your opponent activates a card effect that targets a card in their Graveyard. Negate the effect of that card”. Magician of Faith? Not likely. Mask of Darkness? No dice. Premature Burial, Call of the Haunted, Pot of Avarice, etc? Doesn’t work. Once again a -1, but a -1 that can snap an opponent’s combo in two. We all like re-using the cards in our Graveyard –MoD, MoF, Premature and Call show that. This card laughs at all of them, and can stop that topdecked Premature from reviving, say, a Cyber-Stein or a Jinzo for a comeback.

What card do I think isn’t played as much as it should be? Drumroll please!

Number 1 Card Nobody Plays…

Seven Tools of the Bandit

A classic, and something you can get in pretty much any of the original 6 Starter decks. Simple, really: pay 1000 points to negate a Trap card. A one-time Jinzo is how I see it. Once again, it can break a combo and stop a Trap your opponent was counting on to save their hides. It’s a 1-1 with a 1000 point cost, but no one cares about paying LP unless they can’t do it, right? And even if it’s merely a 1-1, you can make it a different 1-1. Did you just attack into a Sakuretsu with your Spirit Reaper? Seven Tools! A 1-1 either way, but given the choice you’d lose the Tools, not the Reaper, right? A good card in my opinion, all around.

Email comments to aculp_2@hotmail.com, and let me know what cards you think should see play.