From: Anteaus44@aol.com [mailto:Anteaus44@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 1:45 AM

Subject: The Versatility (and lack of respect) of Book of Taiyou-Anteaus

Hello, and welcome to another rousing edition of Anteaus' [insert cool name here]!

Today we're going to be looking at Book of Taiyou, one of perhaps the best normal-magic (not spell) cards to come out of any set...except for, you know, Raigeki, Dark Hole, Pot of Greed...you get the idea. The simple truth is: Book of Taiyou is low on the list of killer-cards.

Why?

In an era dominated by Spirit Reaper, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Gravekeeper's Spy, Magician of Faith, Apprentice Magician, Book of Taiyou at 3 is insane. And here's why: Book of Taiyou is often compared to Enemy Controller, only with one drawback, and we all know what that is: no going the opposite direction (flip face-down). However, Enemy Controller is a) harder to get, b) useless against face-downs, and c) overrated anyway. Enemy Controller can save you from a Reaper attack, but Book of Taiyou can exploit a face-down Spirit Reaper to all hell and back again.

Book of Taiyou is also nice when you need that extra magic card from Magician of Faith, but you've already used the effect to flip it up, get the card, and either Tsukuyomi/Book of Mooned it face-down again. Can you do that with Enemy Controller? Didn't think so.

This card is screaming abuse at every level. Devastate your opponent's only defense of 1 lowly Spirit Reaper by hitting it with a Book of Taiyou. Own with three copies of Nobleman of Extermination/Nobleman of Crossout/Book of Moon/Smashing Ground/any other magic card that's good at all in one turn. See where I'm going with this?

Although we probably won't see this card in threes (or ones for that matter), it does make one helluva tech card, especially against those conservative players who all they have is a Spirit Reaper face-down because of their own Tsukuyomi to save their Reaper from a Smashing Ground and their entire Backfield is gone because of your ingeniously played Dust Tornadoes and you just so happen to have a Cyber Dragon in your hand, a Return from the Different Dimension set, and a Bazoo also in your hand. Good game.

Cheers,

Anteaus

E-mail me at anteaus44@aol.com if you want to talk :)