Did "Dark World" get what they deserve or we are missing something?

Dark World has been my go to deck when it was released many years back. Sadly, I never had a chance to own an entire core in real life that's why it excites me when I found that the Structured Deck will finally get a revamp. This really brought back memories way back when I was still an avid fan of Dueling Network (Now Dueling Book). 

Yesterday, we finally got the wave 2 reveals of the upcoming Structured Deck R: Devil's Gate. Like the previous Structured Deck R, we are anticipating 8 new cards for Dark World. Majority of the Dark World fans like me are hyped about this since the beginning but did this second wave of support meet the expectations? That's something that I will share in my article for today. 

New Dark World cards

SR13-JP002 Genta, Gateman of Dark World
DARK Fiend / Effect
LV4 1000/1800
You can only Special Summon “Genta, Gatekeeper of Dark World(s)” once per turn.
(1) You can discard this card to the GY; add 1 “The Gates of Dark World” from your Deck to your hand.
(2) If this card becomes banished and you control a “Dark World” card: You can Special Summon this card.

Card Review

Finally, Dark World has a card starter that can get the engine going. Dark World had an issue where it got many Dark World monsters but nothing to banish in GY for The Gates of the Dark World which requires a different spell starter to make Gates live. 

With Genta, Gateman of Dark World, you now have an instant target in your GY after you search The Gates of the Dark World with its first effect. Not only that, the search effect of Genta, Gateman of Dark World isn't once per turn so you can use multiple Genta to search multiple The Gates of the Dark World. Why would you do that? I have no idea.

The second effect also comes in handy as you can Special Summon it back after it is banished. This combos well with The Gates of the Dark World as it guarantees you an instant level 4 body that you can use for a Link, XYZ or even Fusion summon. Plus, it also helps you chain block your opponent's negation or Ash Blossom and Joyous Spring as you can choose to put its revival effect on the last chain. I'd put 3 copies since it is a good starter.

SR13-JP003 Perl, Hermit of Dark World
DARK Fiend / Effect
LV1 300/100
You can only use the effect of this card’s name once per turn.
(1) If this card is discarded to the GY by a card effect: You can target 1 “Dark World” monster in your GY, except “Perl, Hermit of Dark World”; Special Summon it to either field, then, if this card was discarded by an opponent’s card effect, you can Special Summon 1 of your Fiend monsters that is banished, in your hand, or in your GY to either field.

Card Review

Looks like we are finally getting the monster on the left side of the Grapha fusion in the game mat. I expected too much and I'm saddened that its effect isn't something that propels are strategy like how Genta, Gateman of Dark World did.

Its first effect can special summon a different Dark World monster to either field which is good mid to late game if you have already established your GY. I mean in reality, you would have banished them with The Gates of the Dark World or Dark World Accession since you would want to abuse The Gates of the Dark World in your turn to hard draw what you need. 

I feel that this is intended to abuse Ceruli which is also unreliable already since it requires set-up. While I like the aura of the artwork, I don't think I would see myself using this card adding the fact that it only has 1 effect and it is a hard once per turn per name. 0 copies or 1 I'd say.

SR13-JP026 Dark World Library
Continuous Spell Card
You can only use the 1st and 2nd effect of this card’s name each once per turn.
(1) During your Main Phase: You can discard 1 “Dark World” monster, and if you do, all “Dark World” monsters you currently control gain ATK equal to the discarded monster’s Level x 100 until the end of this turn.
(2) If your monster(s) whose original Type is Fiend is discarded by the effect of a “Dark World” card or an opponent’s card (even during the Damage Step): You can discard 1 card, then draw 2 cards.

Card Review

We got a new continuous spell with Gren on it. I always love lore cards with a little bit of backstory so I welcome this idea. Its first effect can provide you a free discard which powers up your Dark World. 

I personally feel that it could have been better if the discard can net another Dark World card instead rather than increasing the stats of your Dark World to be honest. Its second effect is quite useful as you can discard 1 card and draw 2 cards. Instead of searching important cards, they would rather have us draw them. I feel that it would be better if the draw 2 comes first before the discard. The thing that I like about this spell is it let you chain block with its second effect. I'd say 1-3 copies since you cannot use multiples anyway. 

Previously revealed Dark World cards!

SR13-JP001 Reign-Beaux, Supreme Overlord of Dark World
DARK Fiend / Effect
LV8 3000/1800
(1) You can Special Summon this card (from your GY) by returning 1 Level 7 or lower “Dark World” monster you control to the hand.
(2) If this card is discarded by card effect and sent to the GY: You can add 1 Level 5 or higher “Dark World” monster from your Deck to your hand, except “Reign-Beaux, Supreme Overlord of Dark World”, then, if it was discarded by your opponent, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower “Dark World” monster from your Deck or GY to either field.

Card Review

The retrained version of Reign-Beaux and the new main deck boss monster of the deck. Like the former Dark World, its effects are also not hard once per turn. Its first effects comes in handy as it can return 1 Level 7 or lower Dark World monster to Special Summon itself and like Grapha, I believe this also doesn't start a chain so you can have an instant 3000 beater out of nowhere. With Grapha in the grave, you can also bounce this card to special summon Grapha.

Its second effect comes in handy as it can search 1 level 5 or higher Dark World monster from your Deck to your hand when discarded by a card effect and can also special summon 1 level 4 or lower Dark World monster from your Deck or GY to either field on top when discarded by your opponent's card effect. This is great as we would want to reserve our Snoww search for something else but we need Grapha as a fusion material at least. I'd say 3 copies would work for me. 

SR13-JP025 Dark World Puppetering
Quick-Play Spell
You can only activate 1 card with this card’s name per turn.
(1) Target up to 3 cards in any GY(s); banish them, then discard 1 Fiend monster.
(2) During your Main Phase, except the turn this card was sent to the GY: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 of your banished Fiend monsters; add it to your hand.

Card Review

The first effect comes in handy against Tearalaments as it can outright banish up to 3 cards and can also help in discarding a Fiend monster. Late game, you can recycle one of your banished Fiend monster which is pretty neat. This card is hard OPT so I'll put 0-1 copies. 3 copies when facing Tearalaments as this is a searchable side deck card at least. 

SR13-JPP01 Grapha, Dragon Overlord of Dark World
DARK Fiend / Fusion / Effect
LV10 3200/2300
“Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World” + 1 DARK monster
You can only use the 1st effect of this card’s name once per turn.
(1) When your opponent activates a Normal Spell/Trap Card, or monster effect (Quick Effect): You can make that effect become “Your opponent discards 1 card”.
(2) If this Fusion Summoned card leaves the field by your opponent: You can Special Summon 1 of your “Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World” that is banished or in your GY, then each player discards 1 card.

Card Review

Is it Colorless? Nope, it's Grapha with more legs and wings. Its first effect has the ability to change an effect of an opponent's Normal Spell/Trap card or monster effect to an effect that would make their opponent this discard 1 card. This is Ceruli on crack as it lets you take advantage of the additional effects of our Dark World. 

The second effect if I see it correctly can also be used when Grapha leaves the field for whatever reason due to an opponent card. Its effect lets you bring back a fallen Grapha, Dragon Lord of the Dark World from banished or GY and would also let each player discard 1 card. It's automatically a minus for your opponent and a possible plus on our side.

The major downside I can see here is that it requires Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World as material which means you would want easy access to both Grapha and Dark World Accession or Dark World Accession will be a dead card. I'd run 2-3 in pure. Excellent fusion.

SR13-JPP02 Dark World Accession
Quick-Play Spell
You can only use the 1st and 2nd effect of this card’s name each once per turn.
(1) During the Main Phase: Fusion Summon 1 Fiend Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by banishing Fusion Materials listed on it from your field and/or GY. If Summoning a “Dark World” Fusion Monster this way, you can also discard monsters from your hand as material.
(2) During your Main Phase, if this card is in your GY: You can add it to your hand, then discard 1 “Dark World” monster.

Card Review

Ah yes, a fusion spell for Dark World. The card is hard OPT (Once Per Turn) for both effects. The first effect lets you fusion summon any Fiend Fusion monster by banishing materials listed on it from your field and/or GY. 

You can also discard the monsters from your hand as material if you are summoning a Dark World Fusion monster which comes very handy as it will trigger our discarded Dark World effects. The terms Dark World Fusion monster also hints that we might get another fusion monster in the near future but I won't keep my hopes high until Photon Hypernova though.

Its second effect can act as another way to discard your Dark World monsters from your hand when it is in GY. This can also be used the same turn you use it for a fusion summon so if you still lack The Gates of the Dark World or would need an additional discard, you can take advantage of its effect. The ratio is still a bit unclear to me because it requires Grapha in the set-up but I'd rather have multiple Grapha than multiples of this card. I'd say a safe number is 2 copies.

A monster from the Underworld has arrived

DABL-JP051 News Reporter from the Underworld
DARK Fiend/Link/Effect
1000/LINK-2
L B
2 Effect Monsters
You can only use the 2nd effect of this card’s name once per turn. Cannot be used as Link Material the turn it was Link Summoned.
(1) If a monster(s) you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can Tribute 1 Fiend monster instead.
(2) You can target 1 Fiend monster in your GY, except “News Reporter from the Underworld”; you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except Fiend monsters, also discard 1 card, and if you do, Special Summon that monster.

Card Review

This isn't a Dark World monster but its effects scream that it is meant to support it where I can actually see this card featured in the back of the Dark World game mat. It is a generic Fiend link 2 that prevents link climbing of course. Its first effect provides instant protection to this card or another monster. 

The second effect allows you to revive a Fiend monster in your GY with a discard and a Fiend only special summon for the rest of the turn. You can use this if you don't have your spells that can discard so this is a blessing in disguise. Sadly, it is a link two and we rarely have ways to swarm the field without our spells but still, this could come in handy. 

The revival effect also doesn't care what level of Fiend monster you are summoning so you can also revive the Grapha fusion. This is like a better Perl to be honest. I'd say 1-2 copies.

What left in Dark World?

We still have many slots left. Reprint wise, I'd say previously used Dark World techs like Dragged Down into the Grave, Upstart Goblin, Danger!, Chicken Game, Skill Drain, Deck Devastation Virus and Eradicator Epidemic Virus are good candidates for reprints but again, we never know so let's keep our hopes high for those.

What Dark World Needs

Here are some possibilities:

• A Link 1 monster that can search Dark World Spell/Trap or Dark World Accession from your Deck to your hand so you don't have to run multiples of that card.
• A new fusion monster that only requires any two Dark World monster and has an effect to search?
• A counter trap card that can negate any card effect or change their effects to make you discard a card is also a possibility since we haven't had a counter trap card. If they do this, I hope it is as fast as Infinite Impermanence turn 0 activation. 
• Perhaps, release Dark World Corridor because it what we want.

There's a lot of possibilities and like The Agents which got further support in Battle of Chaos, we might also get one in Photon Hypernova in October but until that happens for real, this is pure wish.

Summary

I have high expectations on the last card left to be revealed and I really hope it's worth the wait. I feel that with this fast paced meta, Dark World deserves support that can actually help it keep up with the game. 

We still have less than a month to see what's inside the Gates of the Dark World and if we are still missing something, I hope it's something that Dark World deserves. Til next time!

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