Block Golem: Supreme King of Legoland

When I first saw this card, I only saw a nice design and moved along. Then again, I was just coming back into the game, so I didn't know what to look for. But then I gave it a second look. And that's when I realized how awesome this card is. Well, awesome if you plan on playing Rock Stun.

This little card alone can bring back any pair of the key monsters (Rock, Guardian, or Sandman) to your field just for tributing itself. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Just imagine, going from 1 lone monster to suddenly having 2 that can control any mix of spells, traps or effects. And not just that, it's also a good Xyz machine if you plan on using a different version of rocks.

Rocks now can pull off some Xyz shenanigans from what I've seen, so it's not a bad thought to give it a try either. Too bad there isn't a rock Tuner to go around, otherwise this would also be a good Synchro machine. But mostly, it's a great card for anybody planning on using Rock Stun or just an solid Rock deck. Good way to bounce back for when your field is a bit empty.

Returning To Action

Well, after nearly a year away from YGO, I've gone back to a tourney (as part of the process of returning to the game). And it was everything I expected it to be, including the ass kicking. I mean, I've missed more than a whole format. I was feeling a bit outdated. And despite that, I jumped into the tournament.

And once I arrived, I was lucky to learn we would be using the new format rules. So I went to the table, prepared my Gravekeepers and began my first round.

Round 1: VS Dragunity

It was a constant battle over who kept their field spell, with the first game being lost due to a swarm and game 2 went a bit back and forth, but I won. Then again, game 3 was just killer. I had learned about some new Xyz monsters and exactly why Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon went to 1. Holy crap! I did not see that coming!

0-1

Round 2: VS Lavals

First time ever facing these guys, so I was in for a bit of a surprise. At this point, my being away from this game and lack of knowing what the new cards did was affecting how I played. I probably could have made a few better decisions, but I still managed to get one small win during that match.

0-2

Round 3: VS Dark World

Halfway through the match, I realized Grapha and the other guys were basically unaffected by Necrovalley. At that time, it basically turned into an attempt to control him as best as I could. Fossil Dyna (main decked FTW) turned out to be the MVP in this one, but I still lost the match 2-1.

0-3

Round 4: VS Gishki

Finally, a deck I had previously played. My lack of good draws made this game go really slow, but I finally managed to get my match win. Not only that, but Fossil Dyna was once again the star of the bout.

1-3

Final Thoughts: I learned that many cards have been reprinted since I last played, so I might go get some cheap ones and see if I can do better in my next tournament. And perhaps next time, I might just bring out those rusty Gadgets out and let them have some fun.

I'm slowly making my way back into YGO, so I might even be a bit more visible on Dueling Network now that I'm getting rid of that rust. And who knows, maybe next tournament I can go back to 2-2? Too soon to tell. For now, it feels a bit good to be returning to a game and having fun with it.

Impressive YGO Artwork: Prophecy Destroyer

My friend just called me screaming that he had found the most insane artwork in a YGO card. I was a bit skeptical when I first heard this, but then after seeing the card I was quite impressed.

Gotta say, this is definitely a step in the right direction. Looks intimidating, you know...for a yugi card. I might even get this once it comes out, just for collection of course.

Also, he can now shut up about the card seeing as how I gave into his request and posted about it here. Yeah, he's trying to bring me back into yugioh somehow. Part of me wants him to succeed, but he can't do it alone.

Crossroads

Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I've posted, but it's becoming harder to do nowadays. I haven't played any serious YGO games since before I moved to PA. So far, I haven't had any luck finding a place nearby that plays, or seen any players. With my new job on the horizon and Grad School looming in August, I'm wondering how much longer I'm gonna be active in this game.

Yes, I have used Dueling Network to somehow keep my game alive but it somehow isn't the same. I'm always gonna like this game as a fun hobby, but the lack of local players has kinda made me take a distance from this game. However, I'm still available from time to time in Dueling Network for a casual game if anybody wants (username: Gizer).

I have tried to keep up with my posts as much as I could, but I started to notice they were somehow declining in quality as I kept going. It's almost like I was trying to postpone the inevitable. But now, I'm at a crossroads. I could just stop posting and keep the blog open for archiving, or I could combine this blog with another one of mine (bringing into this one posts about videogames, sci-fi, and anime/manga). Still not sure.

However, after years of blogging, it looks like it's time for Gizer's Deckbox to take a break. I've been really grateful for the audience and those who keept me blogging. I'm not saying this is the end, because I might just come back in a few months playing YGO in full force all over again. I'm not sure what the future will bring, but right now I can't just force myself to keep making YGO posts when I'm just out of it.

Thank you all for supporting this blog, and I hope to see you guys soon (perhaps in my other blogs?). And who knows? I might come back sometime in the future. But for now, this is where my card game ride ends.

Lightrays

In my attempt to catch up to what's been going on in YGO, I have stumbled upon the Lightrays. Now, these have quickly caught my attention, especially now that Lightsworns are once again strong (two Luminas and Gardnas) and Hieroglyphs are taking the OCG by storm. So it got me thinking, could we see some Lightray usage in this deck? It might be more viable in Twilight decks, but can still be used in LS or Glyphs as well.

So the first two Lightrays that came to mind are Sorcerer and Diabolos.

Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) when you have 3 or more banished LIGHT monsters, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. Once per turn: You can shuffle 1 of your banished LIGHT monsters into your Deck to target 1 face-up monster on the field; banish that target. This card cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.

Now, 3 or more banished LIGHT monsters might seem a bit too much for a standard LS deck, but if you use Envoy and Chaos Sorcerers, your chances might increase to use it. Not really a bad choice, since it helps recover some LIGHT monsters back into the deck and remove a monster. And if you're not running Twilight, then it can still be a fun card to try as long as you combine it with the following Lightray:

Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by having 5 or more LIGHT monsters with different names in your Graveyard. Once per turn: You can banish 1 LIGHT monster from your Graveyard to target 1 Set card your opponent controls; reveal that target, and return it to either the top or bottom of the Deck.

Lightray Diabolos fits in quite well in Lightsworn mostly because it's a huge beater you can summon easily, especially since you can meet the requirements with little to no difficulty. And even if you don't get to use it's effect, it's still a good card to have. Now, by being able to banish monsters you can both manipulate your graveyard for Lightray Sorcerer and then recycle them back to the deck.

And as for Hieroglyphs, it's a Dragon type that can summon itself quite easily as well. So it seems like a great fit in either of these two.

You can either use one or both, but I think these two have what it takes to run along with Lightsworns/Glyphs and only improve their arsenal. Who knows? Perhaps these cards end up improving the deck or adding new twists to it. Only time will tell.

Neko Mane King...Wind-Up Weapon?

During your opponent's turn, when this card is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of your opponent's Spell, Trap or Monster Card, your opponent's turn ends.

Right away, my first thought upon discovering this card amongst my pile of extra stuff was that this could be really fun to use against Wind-Ups. I mean, it stops their loop dead in it's tracks even worse than Effect Veiler or Fiendish Chain can. However, there is the element of risk since it has to be discarded. But if you are successful with this card, just imagine how open your opponent might have left himself. Gives you pretty much an additional turn to do your things before the dreaded loop is attempted yet again.

While I doubt many will use this due to it's high risk scenario, it's certainly a fun card to use against Wind-Ups. So who knows?

Casual Dueling

In these last few days, I have noticed that players everywhere are trying to protest against Konami (yet again) due to the banlist. People are threatening to quit or switch to another game, and that's their decision. Heck, I have switched to MTG last time around but it's because I got tired of the players involved in the very YGO game. However, I haven't quit. Why? Because I actually enjoy this game for what it's originally supposed to be, just a fun game with friends. And yet, players out there aren't discussing about just playing casually (many are, but you get my point).

And I gotta say, there's nothing wrong with casual play. To go even further, I would say that I would never go back to competitive play just because casual games are too much fun. I have played competitively a few years back, mostly during the early times of this very blog. However, I always kept coming back to casual dueling. It wasn't because of the format changes, because I was a bad player, or any other thing like that. I kept playing casually because I believe that's where the real heart of the game lies. You can play any aspect of the game, whether it be casual or competitive, and that's fine. But a lot of people will tell you that with casual, they have the most fun.

First off, we get to play whatever deck we want. I have had casual duels with opponents ranging from Ice Barriers all the way up to Wind-Ups. The most fun aspect of casual for me is that you never know what you're gonna get. You might face a familiar archetype or deck, but perhaps they add a different spin on things. Perhaps you face some decks that give you nightmares, and others that make you laugh. For me, casual isn't about winning or losing, but about how fun a game can be. I would rather have a pretty close game where it's back and forth, than to constantly be making my opponents scoop consistently every game.

No matter what way you look at it, casual dueling is one of the ways a player can really get the most out of any card game. So before you go about trying to boycott a company or consider quitting because of a horrible format, stop and think about what this game really means. Because if you truly enjoy this or any card game for what it is, then you will continue to play casually. And if you quit because of a format change, then perhaps you don't enjoy the game as much as you thought.

To end on a lighter note, just have fun with it. After all, it's just a game. No reason to riot over something we do for fun. And if you want to quit from competitive play to just play casually every now and then, power to you. And if you just wanna quit and never come back, then power to you as well. Just don't make such a big deal about it.

Banlist Denial

Ever since the list was confirmed to be real, one of my friends keeps calling me to verify it's validity. Why? Because everybody back home is still making up bogus statements regarding the list and he always has to be 500% sure, so he calls me.

I swear, sometimes I wish I were still at home so I could smack some sense into those people who still keep making bogus statements regarding the list. Just accept the list for what it is and move on.

*end rant*

Thoughts on the March Banlist

First of all, I'm not going to do any complaining or ranting today. I see a lot of people going off in anger about how it's all about money and the format is ruined and all that. Instead, I'm just going to look at the effects the list will have and share some of my thoughts.

First off, seeing the Plant Synchro deck get hit was no surprise. However, I had no idea they were going to bring out the weed whacker on it and kill it completely. I'm all for bringing down decks if they are too OP, but at least keep them to the point where they can still be functional for casual games. That's why I still run Blackwings, I got no problem with the deck being nerfed but still being able to function well. That said, the Plant deck was the hardest hit in this list (losing 2 main tuners and one Tengu). More on Tengu for another day, since a curious note merits an article on it's own.

Trishula getting banned was really no surprise, since it was a problem solver for Agents and any other deck that could summon it quickly. And yes, it has a lot of counters, but it's still a pretty powerful card. So I understand why they took it down. Same thing when it came to Trap Dustshoot, it was pretty much a problem solver early game and it determined the winner way too quickly at times. Sure, Dustshoot could sometimes not work as well as you wanted to, but that's not the point. Despite both cards having many weaknesses or counters, they still had a heavy influence on determining the outcome of a duel.

The limits were less than expected, to be honest. Seeing Earth limited is no surprise, since it's both a tuner and a searcher. Same thing with TG Striker, but this one did strike me as a surprise. However, since TG Agents were going berserk, they decided to axe the tuners.

Now that I think about it, this list has been quite the massacre for tuners in general. Bulb, Spore, Striker, and Earth all either limited or banned. Someone really wants to push Xyz monsters and watch Synchro monsters become the new Fusions. There are other ways to go about this. But again, I see what their purpose is quite clearly at this point.

Play Xyz, don't play Synchros. I should have seen this coming back when Goyo got the axe, but I didn't know it was going to be this strong. Anyways, moving on...

Lumina, Emergency Teleport, and Smoke Signal going back to 2 gives a helpful boost to their respective decks. Psychics and Psychic Hybrids will be a bit more viable now, as well as LS /Twilight due to an essential card going back up. So we will see how this impacts the current metagame. And no, I'm not leaving Samurai behind. I know they can put up a good fight too.

And then there's Torrential Tribute going up to 2 as well. This is quite fun, seeing as how it shows more punishment for overextension and helps protect you against massive swarms. So now there will be 2 of these, along with 2 of Warning/Bottomless and 2 Compulsory to have some good field control. Not bad.

However, the list didn't address any of the newer decks (Rabbit, Wind-Up, Inzektor) and it's no surprise people are complaining. No doubt that it will truly be a very expensive metagame, as well as a very insane one. I understand why people are saying it's going to be dominated by those three alone, but it's too early to tell. Who knows? Perhaps another deck rises to the occasion? That hasn't stopped players before. And yet, the format makes me happy that I've been playing just casually for almost a year now. To be honest, I wouldn't last half a round at a tourney in this format. And that's alright with me. I know that competitive play is no longer for me (besides, there's also MTG).

So take the list for what it is. Don't complain, but rather prepare. But I gotta admit, I fear where the game might head if it keeps going this way. It's reasons like the banlist that remind me why I stick to casual decks, because sometimes it's better to just invest less in decks you will enjoy using with friends rather than to spend a fortune and lose it a few months after.

I think that covers tonight's article on the banlist. Hope you enjoyed this article.

March 2012 Banlist

Edit: List is 200% legit, so this time there won't be any revisions.

Well, it looks like the original list I posted and then deleted turned out to be the real list after all. However, I'm still skeptical about it, due to all the shenanigans it's caused in the last few days (created a bit of disbelief due to post/delete/post process). So I'm just going to post the list and then save my analysis for later, when I make sure the list is 200% legit. But from the looks of it, it's already being confirmed as the real one due to other V-Jump scans being put alongside it.

So here we go...again!

"Seems Legit"

Banned:
Trishula
Glow Up Bulb
Spore
Trap Dustshoot

Limited:
The Agent of Mystery Earth
TG Striker

Semi-Limited:
Marshmallon
Lightlord Summoner Lumina
Emergency Teleport
Shien's Smoke Signal
Level Limit Area B
Torrential Tribute
Ultimate Offering
Reborn Tengu

Unlimited:
Call of the Haunted

Analysis to come later, once all this mess is sorted out.

Banlist Mishap

A few hours ago I posted an article concerning the new format list for March. However, I got a call from a friend and was told that Shriek had accidentally published a list that wasn't completely confirmed. So I did the logical thing...

I DELETED MY ARTICLE...Why? I felt a bit foolish just keeping it there, I'm not going to lie about that.

So the wait for the real list is still ongoing. So I apologize if any regular visitor from my blog found out about the list from here and spread it. I don't like to post fake lists, so I thought this one was the real deal.

But as soon as the real one comes out and it's 250% confirmed, it will be posted here.

Until then, keep having fun with your duels and don't go crazy with speculation. And remember, Shapesnatch might just get banned...lol

Downfall

I'm starting to realize how the lack of real duels can affect a player. I thought dueling my friends every once in a while via DN was gonna keep my duel senses in tact, but I'm starting to see it's the opposite. I'm making a lot more misplays, making bad judgments in the game, and overall losing to anything.

I better find some people to duel with soon, or else I'm gonna go back to being just a very bad player overall.

Fake Format Lists

It's that time again! Time for fake lists to hit the web and drive the YGO world insane. That, and people claiming that they know what's going to happen. So here's what I'm going to do in this post...

No predictions for me, but I'm going to give advice. Take everything you hear regarding the ban/restrict list with a grain of salt and just ignore it. Because when it comes down to it, none of us know what's going to happen. And if we do, nobody would believe us anyways, so it's not worth it.

The list comes out in a few weeks, I think. So until then, rather than going insane with all the lists out there, just enjoy the chaos all the speculation brings. Because when that real list comes out, everyone's going to be complaining and saying how the previous format was better.

Happens every time.

Xyz Reborn

Target 1 Xyz Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it and attach this card to it as an Xyz Material.

I was talking about this card with a friend today and figured it would be a worthy topic for today's post. Let's see...a themed trap card that revives Xyz monsters and turns into an Xyz Material in the process? Not bad at all.

So of course, this card opens up some crazy shenanigans right off the bat, both offensively and defensively. On the defensive side, you can use it to block an attack with Utopia and save yourself. Bring back Wind-Up Zenmaines and not only keep a monster, but blow something up for a defensive and offensive play at once. Bring back Adreus or Tiras for a surprise offense. Perhaps you want to bring back Zenmaity to further the loop.

So which ever way you put it, Xyz Reborn can be a game changer. However, having a card limited only to Xyz monsters is a bit risky. Then again, if your deck is capable of bringing many of these guys out, one or two copies won't hurt.

Xyz Reborn, use it wisely. I may just change the tide.

Battle Pack: Epic Dawn

So Konami finally made a set that's ideal for sealed play! News article here. What I'm loving is that it's only $1.99 for a 5-card pack (contains one rare, 3 commons, and a foil card). The set contains 220 cards in total, so it seems like a fun and cheap way to get new stuff and have fun at the same time.

But what really caught my attention are some of the cards revealed for this set:

- Gem Knight Pearl
- Doomcalibur Knight
- Forbidden Lance
- Gorz, Emissary of Darkness
- Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon
- Tour Guide of the Underworld

That's right! Tour Guide gets a reprint. Pretty good, if I say so myself. But there's still more to be revealed from this set. Since it comes out in May, there's still plenty of time to see what more goods it will bring.

But for now, I'm loving that I can finally try out sealed play in YGO at last. And as a bonus, I can finally buy a cheap booster and not feel bad about it.

Verz, My New Interest

Every time new stuff for Duel Terminal comes out, I always have one specific archetype I'm loyal to. At first, it was the Ice Barriers (yeah, that didn't go well), then I moved on to the Genex Ally (really fun deck), and finally moved on to Ritua (not calling it Gishki). However, when the Verz arrived, they caught my attention in a big way.

I really like how they are "contaminated" forms of previos DT characters. What makes it even better is that they actually have some potential to be a pretty fun deck to use. Yeah, there's a version out there that's mostly for Rabbit shenanigans, but I'm not talking about that one. I'm talking about a deck mostly made of Verz monsters.

I like how they cover a lot of bases with their range of effects. They can swarm quite well, as well as manipulate the field (but that one takes a bit more time). What really impresses me are the Xyz cards, which are contaminated forms of one of my favorite archetypes, the Ice Barriers.

I'm going to see if I make a deck based on these guys, just to mess around. Heck, these new things are the only thing keeping my YGO spirit alive until I can find a place to go that I like. Oh well, off to test with the Verz deck.

Wind-Ups: More Than Just a Toy

Wind-Ups, first revealed in Generation Force as the first archetype fully dedicated to Xyz summoning. At first, a simple set of toys with potential, now a deadly force to be reckoned with. This is Archetype Analysis: Wind-Up Edition.

Micro Machines

Wind-Ups had their start at the end of the Synchro era, a time where Xyz were very few in number and was the newest monster in town. At first, people seemed skeptical of these new monsters, still confining in Synchros for all of their needs. However, Wind-Ups knew they were built for Xyz shenanigans. While these toys normally had their effect once while on the field, it called for some good tricks too. But no trick could ever compare to Soldier and Dog, the first level manipulators of the group. These two made it possible for Rank 5 to be achieved quickly, which seemed to be the power Rank of the moment (Tiras and Adreus were going nuts).



Their effects also managed to have synergy with themselves, allowing for the deck to have some mobility. Factory and Magician accomplished these tasks quite well, adding a Wind-Up to either your hand or field whenever an effect goes off. And they also had their first Xyz, Zenmaister, which allowed them to reuse their effect by flipping them. But at the time, this wasn't enough to get these guys on the top shelf at the toy store. They needed something else...

Not Your Average Toy...

During their next set (Photon Shockwave), more Xyz monsters and Wind-Ups became available. During this time, we saw that these guys could pack a punch. Not only by their own releases, but by the TCG Exclusive release of Zenmaines. Zenmaines is a Rank 3 Xyz that allowed to keep field presence and destroy for it's survival. Right there, Rank 3 was becoming the norm via cards like Tour Guide. But Wind-Ups weren't going to fade away in obscurity. Cards like Wind-Up Rabbit allowed for further rewinding of these fun toys, as well as refueling Factory for greater advantage. Cards like Hunter and Kitten were also created to manipulate your opponent's hand and field.

Rabbit and Zenmaines were starting to get these guys on the map, allowing for more shenanigans and increasing the archetype's power. They were starting to captivate more players, becoming a really fun deck full of possibilities. However, nothing could prepare them for the incredible onslaught that was Order of Chaos.

Toys For All

Order of Chaos strapped these guys to a rocket and let them fly! With the release of Rat and Zenmaity, Wind-Ups went from fun toys your kid brother played with, to the mighty action figures you brag about to your neighbor. Rat allowed for special summoning of other Wind-Ups and also set the standard for Rank 3 summoning thanks to Zenmaity. This incredibly ship allowed for what it an incredible loop involving itself, Rat, and Hunter. With one Zenmaity you can bring out one Rat from anywhere and just open the door to insanity. While they are perfectly capable of achieving other shenanigans, the Zenmaity Hand Control Combo is the most famous one. However, there's also another card that took them to another level, Shark.

Shark allowed for level manipulation of itself by either reducing or adding a level to itself. And better yet, it was once per turn. This card helps fuel Factory in so many ways that it's amazing. And it can special summon itself after the summon of another Wind-Up, thus boosting their shenanigans even more.

So with all this, it's no wonder that Wind-Ups are here to stay. They are a powerful archetype full of bringing out dangerous Xyz monsters that can cripple you is you aren't careful. I think they got what it takes to compete with the best, so now it's only a matter of time until we see if they can pass the test.

Dark Ascension: The Zombie Invasion

With Dark Ascension to be released soon, and with more and more card released, I have noticed that one group of cards is gaining a ton of incredible support. And that group is none other than Zombies, lords of the undead. The zombies here are so good, even I'm considering building a deck around them.

But for now, I'm just gonna take a look at a few of the cards that are definitely going to be a must-have for any Zombie deck.

First off, we have Gravecrawler:

Simple, yet effective. Gravecrawler is ideal for any Zombie deck just on the basis of constant revival. Controlling one zombie isn't hard enough either, so this makes for a good card to keep returning. And even though it can't be a chump blocker, it's good at forcing your opponents to use theirs. Also good fodder for cards that need to sacrifice creatures. Overall excellent card.

What's next?

 Quite nice. Exile any zombies you might not need back to get a new zombie token and continue to buff your army. A good card to maintain field presence and make your zombies quite strong. Maybe not ideal for a pure zombie deck, but the attack boost for all of them is certainly something nice, so it's included in this list.

And then there's an amazing sorcery for them as well. Apocalypse brings them all out, which has got to be quite intimidating late game, especially after that army of the dead comes back for more. And to top it all off, it destroys all humans, but that varies on your opponent. However, the ability to revive a mass swarm of zombies for 6 mana seems pretty good to me.

And then we have the final card, Diregraf Captain.

Diregraf Captain 1UB

Creature – Zombie

Deathtouch

Other Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1.

Whenever another Zombie you control dies, target opponent loses 1 life.

2/2

Again, giving your zombies a boost is always a good thing. Having a nice 3 mana cost is also a plus, since it can come out pretty early. Not only that, but it inflicts damage after a zombie dies, so it makes good use of your chump blockers by finding more ways to deal damage.

So that's it for zombies at the moment, more to come soon.

Wind-Up Deck

In my quest to keep my YGO spirit alive, I have turned to deck making once again (even if it's just online). This time around, I have made Wind-Ups, one of the most fun decks I have seen in a while. Perhaps I could take it for a few duels soon...

It's still a work in progress, but it's been working so far. It's really fun. 

Looking For Players

Already found a place for MTG, but I still am searching for some YGO players in the Washington, PA area. Trying to see if I can find any player MTG or YGO through this place.

So if you live nearby, play MTG or Yugioh (even Pokemon is accepted), then comment below and we can get in touch to duel sometime.

Dark Ascension: New Mythics

With more and more cards being revealed for the new set, I stumbled upon a few of the mythics to be included in this set. Let's take a quick look at them:

First up, we have a new card for Spirit decks. Seems a bit expensive for a creature, but then again, you can't mess with flying, double strike, and lifelink all in the same time. Not just that, Reaver fuels a good draw engine whenever you gain life, whether it's by one of it's attacks or by any other card. So perhaps we can see a strategy that involves increasing life and card drawing in some way.

Just like every dragon card, it has a high cost and it flies. However, this one is quite interesting, since it can provide a nice buff for your creatures for that turn. And it can be done as many times as you can provide mana for, so it's quite good. However, don't see it in any Innistrad themed decks. Perhaps it's too early to tell.

A possible hybrid between human and vampire decks? Don't know, but it seems that this card will surely benefit from a deck of that kind. The sacrificing a creature in order to be indestructible is a very good effect, as you can sacrifice vampire tokens, for example. But perhaps with the new cards that produce human tokens, this card can become quite deadly indeed.

And last but not least, we got ourselves a Planeswalker!

Producing vampire tokens to protect itself, nice! Giving your creatures a nice attack boost, also nice! Select up to 3 creatures or planeswalkers, destroy them and then take control of them afterwards? Now, that's completely insane! No doubt, Sorin packs a punch in this one. Taking creatures is really good, but the ability to also take planeswalkers puts this into a whole new category. Surely, Sorin will be a valuable asset to any deck that can use him.

Well, those are all the mythics we know of for the moment. More stuff to come as it unfolds.

Wind-Up Shark

When a “Wind-Up” monster is Normal or Special Summoned to your side of the field: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn: You can activate 1 of these effects.
● Increase this card’s Level by 1, until the End Phase.  

● Reduce this card’s Level by 1, until the End Phase.

Just because I haven't found a place to play YGO yet, doesn't mean I'm not gonna keep up to date on what's going on. There's still Dueling Network for me. Anyways, let's take a look at this new exclusive from ORCS, shall we?

Shark is an awesome addition to any Wind-Up deck, especially since it allows for crazy Xyz shenanigans when you combine it with Wind-Up Soldier or Wind-Up Dog. And if you just feel like going into Rank 4, then go for it. This little thing can go into 3 different ranks all on it's own, which is pretty impressive.

But for one, I'm glad it's restricted to Wind-Ups. The synchro shenanigans this thing would also unleash are going to be insane. However, that hasn't stopped people from testing out new plays, right?

Wind-Up Shark is not only a crazy Xyz enabler, but a great way to set off Wind-Up Factory every turn. In short, this card is good, the art is great, and it's just overall full of awesome. I see this thing making an impact someday.

Dark Ascension: New Mechanics

With the Dark Ascension pre-release event coming at the end of the month, we are finally getting some spoilers for the new set. And with those spoilers also comes information from new mechanics. While the old mechanics from Innistrad (Transform, Morbid, Flashback, Curse) are returning, we are also getting two new mechanics: Undying and Fateful Hour.

So let's get to these mechanics.

Fateful Hour is an ability that will activate while your life is at 5 or less. Not only that, but it will stay active as long as those requirements are met. But keep in mind that if you gain life for some reason, and it goes to 6 or above, Fateful Hour abilities will vanish. So it's interesting to see how this new ability will affect comebacks in games once this set is out.

And the next ability is Undying:

Creatures with the undying ability will "come back to life" as long as that creature has no +1/+1 counters on it. And when it does revive, give it a +1/+1 counter. Perhaps we will see some counter shenanigans to keep abusing this mechanic. Either way, I'm sure that creatures with Undying will be quite interesting. These creatures will be quite fun to use against cards with Infect, especially since they will keep losing that counter from undying.

More from Dark Ascension to come. That's all for now.

MTG Mobile App

I'm finally back with a Magic update. Been a while since I played, but today I finally managed to find a new store where I had a few games, so being back in action got me to check up on what I have missed. And then I find this little gem...

That's right! There's going to be an official MTG app soon. And not just that, but it looks pretty neat. It's got the basics such as life meter, number of players, and deck building utilities. However, this one also has the ability to search for nearby events, find stores, and lets you read the articles from the MTG site as well. 

Those are all pretty good features to have on an app. So it makes it feel pretty much complete.

I'm most looking forward to having the online gatherer be at my fingertips. So that way, I don't have to be on my computer whenever I think up of an idea for a deck or something. Not just that, but being able to test out the decks I build on this app is something I seriously need, especially since I can test my opening hands. That way, I can tell if I gotta go back to the drawing board.

I'm just glad this app is coming out at the same time I find a place where to keep playing MTG.

Turbo Pack 7

Just saw the list for the new Turbo Pack. Here it is:

TU07-EN000 Ally of Justice Catastor (Ultimate Rare)

TU07-EN001 Book of Moon (Ultra Rare)

TU07-EN002 Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke (Super Rare)

TU07-EN003 Yellow Gadget (Super Rare)

TU07-EN004 X-Saber Pashuul (Super Rare)

TU07-EN005 Horn of the Phantom Beast (Super Rare)

TU07-EN006 Dark Horus (Rare)

TU07-EN007 Lightning Warrior (Rare)

TU07-EN008 Primal Seed (Rare)

TU07-EN009 Big Evolution Pill (Rare)

TU07-EN010 Tail Swipe (Rare)

TU07-EN011 Geartown (Rare)

TU07-EN012 Seiyaryu 

TU07-EN013 Serpent Night Dragon 

TU07-EN014 Kotodama 

TU07-EN015 Gokipon 

TU07-EN016 Goe Goe the Gallant Ninja 

TU07-EN017 Herald of Orange Light 

TU07-EN018 Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn 

TU07-EN019 Ninjitsu Art of Transformation 

TU07-EN020 Ninjitsu Art of Decoy

Gotta say, it's a curious list. Catastor and Moon are indeed excellent cards, but aren't enough to hook me on this turbo pack. TU06 hooked me with a greater selection of rares, but this one doesn't hook me that much. There are a few commons I could go after, as well as the Ninja support which could become useful. However, throwing the lone Yellow Gadget there makes me wish the others would also get foil treatment and not just have 1 getting it.

I dunno, the list is okay, I guess.