Name: Knight of Twin Swords

Set: Starter

ID: ST-01

Level: 2

Tribe: Warrior

HP: 30 ATK: 20 DEF: 10

 

Stats: Knight of Twin Swords is a Level 2 Monster, perhaps the best Level in the game.  All though they are more difficult to summon than a Level 1 Monster, there is a full 50% chance of summoning a Level 2 on a roll of three Level 2 dice, and in the Advanced game, means there is a 75% chance of getting a Summon thanks to the Double Dice Roll rule.  More important are what else is on the Level 2 Dice: a double Progress Crest, a double Attack Crest, and a Magic Crest.  Three-fifths of all Crests in the game can come up, and two of them are even worth two a piece!  They also are the most important (barring Summoning Crests) Crests in my experience: you need to be able to Attack, and unless your opponent is totally pathetic you’ll also need to be able to move to get into position.  Magic Crests can be done without, but given how many potent effects they can power, the only reason they don’t outrank the other non-Summoning Crests is that there is no Special Ability that can actually finish off the opponent.  While Defense Crests can save your Monsters (and by extension, your Monster Lord), most players will just hold off attacking until they can overwhelm your monsters DEF score… so you won’t need a whole lot.  There are only a few Special Abilities that use Trap Crests, and fewer still should see play in the “average” Dice Pool.

 

Knight of Twin Swords has a robust 30 HP for a Level 2 Monster, and fairly good all around.  His 20 ATK is also good for a Level 2 Monster, though some Level 1 Monsters are just as strong and anything of a higher Level is will have more (unless the opponent is desperate or the effect is killer).  Knight of Twin Swords does have one poor stat: a paltry 10 DEF.  Anything that can hit for 40 or more damage in one shot, which isn’t much, can take this out in one hit.  More realistically, two or more Monsters with ATK scores of 20 or 30 will be able to swarm Knight of Twin Swords for the kill.

 

Special Abilities: Knight of Twin Swords is blessed with two Special Abilities.  First, you can access an “enhanced move” feature.  All it requires is that you announce it and sacrifice your normal movement option for this piece.  When you do, you can move two squares for each Progress Crest spent.  The wording is pretty clear on all but one aspect: can you choose to move just one square at the very end instead of two; that is, does he always have to move an even amount?  There are parties on both sides of this debate, and logical arguments as well.  It says “can”, which could be construed that when you use the effect he “can” but doesn’t have to.  It can also be argued that the can just means that using the effect enables this ability, and that it should say “up to” if it meant you could move one or two squares.  This side can also make the (fairly ineffectual) argument that this was something of a balancing feature, as well as adding some reality: when you break out into a fast run its hard to stop.  I myself started on the side of the “must move an even amount of squares”, but now find myself a proponent of the “you can move one odd square” at the end.  This is one of the many things that you should double check with your opponent if either of you plan on using this piece.

 

The second Special Ability is worded pretty well, but most people either misread it.  You may use this ability in place of your normal Attack option for Knight of Twin Swords.  When you use the ability, you must spend an even amount of Attack crests.  You then are allowed to attack as many times as Attack crests spent.  So you can attack two times for two Attack crests, four times for four Attack crests, six times for two Attack crests, etc.  Unlike the possible ambiguity of the first Special Ability, this states that you don’t have to be able to use all the “potential” attacks.  So, if something would be destroyed by three attacks, you could spend four Attack Crests and hit it three times, not making use of that fourth attack you have coming.  Based on the wording of this Special Ability, I believe that it works differently than in the GBA game: there, the damage from the attacks stacked on each other, but here each attack is defended against separately.  So if something has a DEF of 20, if the opponent has enough DEF crests, they can “soak” (Defend without taking any damage) all your attacks.  If you disagree, remember that in the Dungeon Dice Monsters video game for the GBA Knight of Twin Swords only had a 10 ATK and your Monsters would take damage if they ran into a DEF stronger than their ATK.  Lastly, remember that this Monster can only attack one opposing Monster at a time.  Even if you are adjacent to two different Monsters, you can’t split the attacks up between them.

 

Uses and

Combinations: This piece is incredibly versatile.  Its stats make it good opener, and if it survives to late game, it can rush the opponent’s Monster Lord and attack it.  Its Special Abilities allow it to menace anything with a DEF of less than 20, or with less DEF crests than you have ATK crests (barring Monsters that can’t be attacked by Knight of Twin Swords), making it useful mid-game when your opponent’s forces are out and about.  It can even hunt down that last opposing piece late game.  Just remember that it’s small Monster that can act really big so long as you have the Crests.

 

Ratings

 

Basic: 5/5-Notice this piece’s ID: ST-01.  The only thing with a lower number is the Monster Lord.  It’s almost like the designers new that the Monster Lord would be the only more important piece.  Its fellow Starter Set-mates are all at quite good, but this piece is the best of them in this format.  What is also nice is that it is actually legal and intended to be used here (unlike all the non-Starter pieces we’ve reviewed).

 

Advanced: 4.25/5-It is also still the best of the Starter pieces in this format, though its usefulness decreases here.  The only piece’s that are more worthy of a place in your deck are Blast Lizard and Dark Magician Girl. 

 

Summary

The “Ultimate Warrior” of the Warrior Tribe, Knight of Twin Swords belongs in any non-themed or Warrior-themed Dice Pool.  Easy to get into play and a useful Monster at all times during the game.  Also, unlike Blast Lizard, Knight of Twin Swords isn’t actually broken: all these abilities are fantastic and potent, but the piece itself is merely well made.

 

-Otaku