From: maurice delamar [mailto:mxdelamar@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 9:14 AM

Subject: Overlooked S/T Removal: Gigantes--Maurice D.

Hello again, everyone!  Welcome to my second installment of the overlooked S/T removal cards.  Today, we will take a second look at possibly one of the most versatile Level 4 monsters to come in a long while.  He's big, he's bad, and even if you take him down, he sure won't go down without a heck of a good fight.  Let's give a warm welcome to:

Gigantes

Earth/Rock/Level 4/1900 ATK/1300 DEF

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set.  This card can only be Special Summoned by removing from play 1 Earth monster in your Graveyard.  When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.

Before I start, I want to make sure to remind you all that the errata for Gigantes has changed.  As of Dark Revelation Volume 2, Gigantes is now a full-fledged nomi, meaning you cannot use Premature Burial to bring him back. 

Now, getting on topic.  Just by looking at the card, it's easy to see that Gigantes is a good one.  He's a Special Summon, has a respectable 1900 ATK, and he destroys all S/Ts if he's destroyed as a result of battle.  Being a Special Summon means you can still conduct a Normal Summon, and you can offer him as Tribute for a high-level monster.  Getting an Earth monster into the Graveyard is also relatively easy.  Earth has more than enough monsters that can get the job done.  You have Nimble Momonga, Giant Rat, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, Howling Insect, and Pyramid Turtle, among others. 

Gigantes's effect lets you destroy all S/Ts should he be destroyed as a result of battle.  Unless your opponent's S/Ts are all chainable, he or she is not going to attack your Gigantes any time soon.  Instead, you'll have to trigger the effect yourself, by attacking either a stronger monster, or another 1900 ATK monster, with the card.  Of course, your opponent might just destroy your Gigantes with a Sakuretsu Armor or Widespread Ruin, but in the end, you would have him/her lose a valuable Trap, that he/she would have saved for later.  He/she would have to make a split-second decision: destroy Gigantes now, or give up all of the S/Ts that are already set on the field?  Let's not count that the S/Ts set are chainable.  Your opponent could blow him up, and be able to attack you directly next turn, but if you've only summoned Gigantes during your turn, you can still Normal Summon a monster, or summon another Gigantes.  But if your opponent can't do anything about him, he/she loses cards that could have turned the tide of a duel to his/her favor.  So depending on how you play, you will form some kind of 1:1, or 1:2+ trade.

A nasty card that goes well with Gigantes is Cold Wave.  If you play this and summon Gigantes, there's no way around it--your opponent will lose S/Ts.  You could also give the new Ancient Gear Cannon a spin.  This makes it so that no Traps can be activated during the Battle Phase.  Both of these cards open a window to some really nasty damage.  There are other cards that have good synergy with Gigantes, including all the cards that associate with Aussa the Earth Charmer.  With him on the field, all you will ever need to do is slap Aussa the Earth Charmer on the field before sending both of them to the Graveyard to summon a Familiar Possessed: Aussa from your Deck.  If Gigantes is not needed at the present, or is the target of cards like Snatch Steal, he can be Tributed with Spiritual Earth Art: Kurogane, to bring out an extra monster from your Graveyard.  And since Gigantes is a Rock monster, he powers up Megarock Dragon.

Concluding, this guy has more versatility that you could ever imagine.  He isn't just a Level 4 1900 ATK beatstick; he's a reliable Special Summon that can fish out your opponents Traps, in addition to wiping them out.  He can be Tribute bait for all the popular Tribute monsters, or turn into an extra Earth monster with Spiritual Earth Art: Kurogane.  Even after he lives his usefulness on the field, he can make way for either another Gigantes, or his other Rock brother, The Rock Spirit.  He can even help you summon a really powerful Megarock Dragon!  All this and more...is coming from a Level 4 Nomi that's only a common in both Invasion of Chaos, and Dark Revelation Volume 2. 

Well, if you have any comments, e-mail me at mxdelamar@yahoo.com.  Stay tuned for my next CCG Tip!