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 I was feeling a bit outdated.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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.