(ETCO) Unchained Twins - Salama : Too OP?

Hi there RespectYGOers! It's me Arcknight once again reviewing one of the newest cards in Eternity Code! As expected, looks like we'll get a new "Hakai/Unchained" monster in next years' main Booster pack! Will this make the deck top tier? 

Want to know more about the card, here's the effect:

破械童子サラマ 

(ETCO) New WIND Ghost Girl Revealed: Upgraded Veiler?

Wazzup RespectYGOers! It's me Arcknight of RespectYGO blog and we're here to review the newest hand trap soon to be released in January's Main booster pack "Eternity Code"! Will this card impact the meta? Without further ado, here's the revealed effect:

ETCO-JP036

Evening Crescent & Autumn Shower

Level 3 WIND Zombie Effect Monster

0 ATK / 1800 DEF

-You can only use this card name's effect once per turn

(1) If your opponent Special Summons a monster(s) face-up: You can discard this card, then target 1 of those face-up monsters; negate its effects until the end of this turn, also if that face-up monster leaves the field this turn, its controller takes damage equal to its original ATK.

Source:

https://twitter.com/YuGiOh_OCG_INFO/status/1210168382735163392?s=19

Initial Thoughts:

⚫ Cute Artwork indeed. High value card on first day guaranteed.

⚫ It's like an effect veiler but can only work on special summoned monsters. The good news is that it can work either player's turn which makes it versatile. 

⚫ It also plays a good mind-game tactic like the recent Null Nun especially on turns where life point is tight or players are on last three turns. If the monster negated by Evening Crescent & Autumn Shower leaves the field (used as link material, synchro material, tribute material, fusion material etc.). You can have your opponent decide whether to continue with the combo or just end with the negated monster.

⚫ It doesn't need to land in the Graveyard unlike Effect Veiler.

❎ Only works on special summoned monsters and will only trigger if the opponent special summon monsters.

❎ Technically a minus one and doesn't provide much threat and control like Maxx "C" , Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit etc.

❎ Monsters used as XYZ material is not considered leaving the field so it will bypass the burn effect.

Summary:

Some players may feel disappointed because a lot of players though that it will include an effect that will negate something activated from hand although little is yet to be known on how useful this card will be once Eternity Code releases its full content. I'm still eyeing to get a copy of this for collection once Rarity Collection: Premium Gold Edition releases the Alternate artwork. 

If you like this card or you guys have content suggestions, feel free to comment down below. 

See ya!

Dragun of Red-Eyes: Top 10 cards to Counter it

Hey RespectYGOers! Merry Christmas to all of you. It's been a huge while since I made my post and this blog is now 5 years old! Out of the blue, I decided to come-up with a comeback article featuring one of the most sought after cards in OCG: Dragun of Red-Eyes! 

For those of you who are not yet familiar with the card, here's how it works (ctto):

Chou Madou Ryukishi Dragoon of Red-Eyes (OCG: Supreme Magical Dragon Knight – Dragoon of Red-Eyes / TCG: Dragun of Red-Eyes)
DARK Spellcaster Fusion Effect Monster
LV8 3000/2500
Materials: “Dark Magician” + “Red-Eyes Black Dragon” or 1 Dragon Effect Monster
(1) Cannot be destroyed by card effects, also neither player can target this card with card effects.
(2) During your Main Phase, up to a number of times equal to the number of Normal Monsters that used as Fusion Material for this card: You can destroy 1 monster your opponent controls, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK.
(3) Once per turn, when a card or effect is activated (Quick Effect): You can discard 1 card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card, and if you do that, this card gains 1000 ATK.

Basically it's:

◼️ Masterpiece of True Draco esque boss that can negate and buff itself by just discarding a card. 

◼️ a monster that can't be mind controlled, lightning stormed (using it as verb lol) , Dark Holed (still doing it) etc.

◼️ A monster with cool artwork

While the card looks strong on paper, there are minor things that need to be considered like it requires specific Materials that doesn't do anything major on their own other than feeling like Yugi and Joey when you draw them. (Believe in the heart of cards). The good news is with the release of Link Vrains Pack: 3, we got an awesome link monster that can summon this card with ease! Check this out! 

LVP3-JP071
Predator Plants’ Verte Anaconda / Predaplant Verte Anaconda
Link 2 DARK Plant Link Effect Monster
ATK 500
Link Arrows: Bottom-Left, Bottom-Right
Link Materials: 2 Effect Monsters
You can use each effect among the (1)st and (2)nd effects with this card’s name only once per turn.
(1) You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; it becomes DARK for the rest of this turn.
(2) You can pay 2000 LP, then send 1 “Polymerization” Normal or Quick-Play Spell, OR 1 “Fusion” Normal or Quick-Play Spell, from your Deck to the GY; this effect becomes the same effect as when that Spell is activated, also you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of the turn.

This card is: 

◼️ Too generic (only two effect monster amd it doesn't have to be different names!)

◼️ It can turn any monster into DARK attribute (super polymerization anyone?)

◼️ It can copy and dump any "Fusion" or Polymerization" Normal or Quick Play Spell Card straight from Deck which also helps in evading lots of Fusion spells' draw back. 

So what does it do for your almighty Dragun? 

Yes! You can copy "Red-Eyes Fusion" from the deck and then send both "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" and "Dark Magician" from Hand, Field or Deck! (Imagine thinning your Deck with Three cards!). 

Now, how can I counter this deck? Here we've came up with the top 10 cards that you may consider to counter "Dragun of Red-Eyes"!

1. Super Polymerization

✔️ Non-targeting removal that brings out your "Starving Venom Fusion Dragon" , "Predaplant Dragostapelia" etc. It prevents your opponent from responding their "Dragun of Red-Eyes" and usually, once you remove it from the field, it would be harder for them to utilize another "Predaplant Verte Anaconda" unless they have the "Magicalized Fusion" banishing materials from the Grave. 

2. Al-Lumi'raj

✔️ This card is receiving lots of noise lately for being a 1 card no-sweat solution to beat "Dragun of Red-Eyes"! This card brings down the ATK and DEF of any monster by 300 multiplied by their level/rank! Since "Dragun of Red-Eyes" is level 8, it can bring it down to 600 ATK!!!! 

❎ The downside of this card is it is not easily splashable to most of the decks and you have to draw it. 

3. Night Dragolich

✔️ Yes! Another Wyrm-type monster that changes all non-Wyrm summoned from Main or Extra Deck to defense position! Not only that, it changes their defense to 0 making it a good stun card post Master Rule April 2020 Adjustment for both OCG and TCG. It is a continous effect like "Al-Lumi'raj" which makes it good vs. negation cards.

❎ Downside is the same as the card in no.2

4. Dark Ruler no More

✔️ The card speaks for itself. Once you activate this card,  their boss monsters will be dethroned. They cannot respond their negation(monsters only though). 

❎ It doesn't directly remove the threat but only removes their threatening effects and protections. If you don't have a combo piece in hand that could remove the threats, they can easily make a comeback next turn. 

❎ This card, aside from being hard to search, is also prone to Spell/Trap Negations. 

5. Kaiju monsters

✔️ Who doesn't forget the sudden heat in your heart when your opponent tributes your best monsters? That annoying feeling cannot be escaped by "Dragun of Red-Eyes" as well. Boss monster you say? Just tribute it away! Too much negation? Tribute it away! Electric Bills? Tribute it away! Annoying friends? Tribute them away! Lol

This card is also a good tech in "Salamangreat" since they can always bounce this card with "Salamangreat Mirage Stallio" which gives another threat to the next boss monster of the opponent.

❎ You have to draw it like the other cards. You also have to be ready to remove the Kaiju as it could backfire as a beatdown monster. I would want to include "Volcanic Queen" and "Santa Claws" but "Kaiju" is much better.

6. Dimensional Barrier

✔️ A go-first card that prevents summon especially Fusion Summon! It also negates existing effects of the type you declared! Huge out to "Thunder Dragon" , "Zefra",  " Shadoll", "Dragun of Red-Eyes" and the like. In this meta, a turn lost is like a game lost so better to take advantage while the cat is away. 

❎ You have to draw it and go-first. It is hard to use if opponent went first already with a field full of negations. 

7. Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon

✔️If they leave it in Extra Monster Zone for some reason and it's not yet the new Master Rule, you can use "Cyber Dragon" and just use the "Dragun of Red-Eyes" as material. 

❎ Downside is it has to capture monster from Extra Monster Zone and will take a slot in your precious Extra or Side Deck.

8.Lava Golem

✔️ Perfect answer to both "Predaplant Verte Anaconda" and "Dragun of Red-Eyes" since if you use Kaiju on the Dragun, they can just use Anaconda next turn and dump "Magicalized Fusion". 

❎ Downside is you have to draw it and it prevent's you from normal summoning.

9. Artifact Engine

✔️ A go-first engine that prevents Extra Deck summoning. See Dimensional Barrier.

❎ Downside is it may lead to bad draw when you draw it works best if you go-first.

10. Kamion, the Timelord

✔️I just came across with this card and looks like it's a good candidate! It doesn't say that it targets and it shuffles any card! Plus, it prevents player's from responding which means "Dragun of Red-Eyes" cannot respond! 

❎ Not searchable aside from a dedicated "Timelord" deck and you have to hard draw it.

Hope you guys like the article and I look forward on making this blog more active. If you have more content suggestions , feel free to comment down below. This has been Arcknight of RespectYGO, signing out!