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From: SquirrelyVoid@aol.com
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2005 01:43:55 EDT

Overlooked Cards by Sean of the Dead

Well, here I am, it's past midnight, I'm all hopped up on caffeine and full of Yugi-zest after just building what I hope to be a really neat successful deck, so I figger I'd work my literary magic at another article to be ignored, my subject this time? Underrated cards. Yep, this time thru I'll be taking a look at some of my favorite unloved hidden treasures and why I think you should take a second look at them. First on the list is a little guy I just noticed prior to beginning this. And his name is Kelbek.

KELBEK
Earth/Fairy/4/1500/1800
Any monster that attacks this card is returned to it's owner's hand. (Damage is normal)

Let me just start by saying that I'm a big fan of Giant Rat. I love Pyramid Turtle, I love Injection Fairy Lily, and I adore Exiled Force, so Giant Rat is my bestest friend. This fella also digs the Rat, as he's an earthen monster with the ginchily searchable ATK of 1500. As most of us know 1500 ATK is pretty adequate in today's advanced control-oriented environment. Add this to his great DEF of 1800 (something most popular cards will not be breaking thru, especially considering the effect) and we've got a very well rounded search for the Rat. But the effect is nice. Remember the old days of Wall of Illusion totally owning? Well, this dude's all the better, though his DEF is slightly lower, it really isn't anything that's going to affect the game. His ATK is. Having a nice monster that automatically evens out field presence is always nice (i.e., DD Assailant) but the fact that a lot of times you're opponent's monster is returning and Kelbek is staying around really adds to the appeal of this little dude. Admittedly this guy won't be finding a place in chaos decks any time soon, but if you're running anything that is or could be running Rats this guy should be considered.

LAST WILL
Spell
If a monster is SENT from YOUR field to YOUR graveyard this turn you search out a monster with 1500 or less ATK from your deck and special summon it.

Some quick notes on Last Will: 1) The monster must be going from your side of the field to your graveyard, so no Swapping a monster and killing it and no suiciding an opponent's stolen monster. 2) This activates when a monster is sent to the graveyard sop not only is battle unnecessary, destruction is too. The monster can just be tributed or morphed or anything. 3) This only works once a turn, the first time a monster goes you get a replacement and that's it.
This is a card that saw lot's of use for a very specific purpose and as soon as that purpose was banned it was completely forgotten again. How people can just ignore the awesome potential of this card is mind-blowing. How do you not want to be able to turn ANY monster you own into ANY searcher you want crossed with Sangan? You can't do it can you? If you are running searchers you try this.
If your are playing Cannon Soldier, you try this. If you are playing anything that involves monsters going from field to grave during your turn you play this because the swarms a deck can make with this are amazing, and take very little setup. Even if you aren't going to tribute or ram this turn, if you so much as think the opponent has a Ring or Mirror Force waiting for you activate this first and make them think twice about whatever monster you decide to bring out on them. If you think they have Torrential down activate this and make them fear that open shot from Injection Fairy Lily. This card is just so versatile in so many decks it's not funny. Even Chaos can fit this guy in if it plays some Tomatoes or something of that sort simply because of it's anti-trap insurance. If you ever give up monsters during your turn give this a shot.
Seriously, I think you'll really be surprised. Exiled Force your opponent's monster and bring out Lily is sickening. Hell, just maintaining field presence after Exiled Force with any low ATK monster in your deck is nuts.

SHADOWSLAYER
Dark/Fiend/4/1400/200
If your opponent controls no attack mode monsters this guy can attack directly.

Just to retain the attention of any chaos-heads out there that I may be losing... CHAOS FOOOOOD!!!!!! Yes, this guy is chaos food, blah blah blah. It's painfully obvious that Scapegoat massively influencing the current metagame. I mean, people are playing Asura Priest, a godforsaken spirit monster because he can kill them all. Why not just bypass them and get in a nice shot instead? I mean, how often do you sit there befuddled as to what to do about your opponent's field of face-down monsters, all assuredly some game-breaking flip effect?
Just pop this guy out and hit them in the face and don't worry about it! 1400 direct works fast and it'll make your opponent think very seriously about skipping that Magician of Faith in favor of his dumb Blade Knight just to save him from some damage. Lots of times players rely on that set Magician or Jar or Assailant or what-have-you when they don't want to extend the trap protection or simply don't have it available, this guy punishes that. And as I said, when he does bite the dust he becomes delicious CHAOS FOOOOOOOD!!!!!!

TREMENDOUS FIRE
Spell
Your opponent takes 1000 damage you take 500 damage.

OK, so this card's a bad topdeck, but late game it can easily save your life.
A quick 1000 damage is nothing to scoff at and it's ability to be used as a game ender (contrary to Meteor of Destruction) makes it very handy for tense late games. I mean, think of all that your opponent can do to ruin your elaborate last ditch rush at his few remaining lifepoints. Now think of what he can do to top unexpected effect damage from a freaking Metal Raiders common. Big contrast. Plus if your side decking against burn this guy coupled with Des Wombat is a complete crap on burn's face. The thing burn works worst against is more burn.

MIRAGE DRAGON
Light/Dragon/4/1600/600
Your opponent can't use traps during either battle phase.

CHAOS FOOOOOOB!!! Use this before you use Blade Knight. Unless you run dedicated warrior chaos a light-type no tribute one sided mini-Jinzo is going to help a lot more than a 1600 attacker that sometimes is strong and stops a few effects when you're doing crappy on hand/field presence. I'm not saying don't use Blade, just pop one of these before you start on him. You chaos folk should know that you can't really depend on Blade being anything more than a light monster with decent ATK. This guy is that with a great effect, because look at the traps used today: Bottomless Trap Hole, Torrential Tribute, Mirror Force, Sakuretsu Armor, Ring of Destruction, Call of the Haunted. 4 of those 7 either have to be used in the battle phase or are most deadly when they are. And this stops them. Without stopping yours, which to me is the most important part, even if you don't find this guy as potentially flashy as Blade or are just afraid of how creepy he looks the bottom line is this is a highly chaos-friendly monster that substantially limits your opponent's resources while leaving yours alone. Jinzo can't say that folks. Repeat, Jinzo can't say that folks.

TRIBUTE TO THE DOOMED
Spell
Discard a card to destroy a monster on the field.

This really is a matter of preference I suppose, this guy's quality all rests in whether or not you find it worthwhile to have the flexibility of using Nobleman of Crossout or Smashing Ground at any given moment. I find this to be highly useful and totally worth the discard, especially if you're running something that can take advantage of the discard like Zombie or Chaos. Run Nobleman and Smashing first, but then look at Tribute and be the judge of whether or not the versatility makes-up for the mathematical disadvantage. BTW, the only reason I mention this instead of Raigeki Break is that Spells are pretty much by default more versatile than Traps because they're quicker and much less likely to be negated, i.e., by Jinzo.

MIND CONTROL
Spell
Take control of one monster until the end of the turn, it can't attack or be tributed.

But it can be flipped or have it's effect activated. One costless card to use your opponent's Magician of Faith, Tribe-Infecting Virus, Breaker, or to have his BLS remove itself from play seems pretty good to me. This card was instantly deemed worthless upon release by lot's of people who don't realize how good it is to not have to target face-up monsters.

ROBBIN' GOBLIN
Continuous Trap
When your monsters damage your opponent randomly discard a card from his hand.

Guys, if you get this effect off once it's paid for itself, twice and it's good! I've messed with this thing numerous times in the past and have really wrought some havoc when combining this with direct attackers (Raging Flame Sprite, Shadowslayer) and monsters that already discard (Don Zaloog, Spirit Reaper) It really doesn't matter if it gets destroyed next turn if you just save it for when you'll be doing some direct damage with multiple monsters, and this when hitting with a couple of monsters, one of which is a Don or Reaper pretty much puts the opponent top-decking instantly, even early game. In one turn.

And now as my reviews wear down from fatigue I close this article. I really hope it's opened your eyes to some hidden gems you've been over looking, possibly for years and more than anything I want people to start glancing over their commons boxes and realize that not every good card in the game has top eighted yet. The winner of SJC was running Gravekeeper's Guard for God's sake. And to those of you out there already fighting the good fight of creativity (and especially if you're winning) Rat's off to ya!

And btw, any comments or, even better, more over looked cards would be mucho appreciatedo by SeanoOfTheDead@aol.com