Post by King Klass on May 1, 2009 10:32:16 GMT -5
Welcome Folks to another edition of the Kings Kourt with your Rich Royal Highness – King Klass. Now today’s article is about my personal thoughts and opinions on the upcoming tcg release/arrival of the “Earthbound Immortals – known in the ocg s the Earthbound Gods.”I'd probably wait until all of RGBT is out, but I just couldn’t think of anything else to write and hype about these bunch of delinquents has risen in my local area so might as well make the use of it.
Like with the Assault/Buster and Core-Chimail families, they are mostly just further extensions of their types or strategies involved with their "unique" last effects. Nothing you can really make a whole Deck around, especially since you can only have 1 on the field at a time. (And having 5+ 2 Tribute monsters like them...yeah...)
But seriously remember one thing first folks - You also DO NOT require a Field Magic Card to summon them. Only to keep them on the field! Anyways, like with any other big Tribute Monster, they can pretty much use all the same things; Gravekeeper's Spy, Giant Germ, Nimble Momonga, Hyena, etc, etc. However, as usual, it's not as simple as just throwing in such things and expecting an easy time (same with Mausoleum). The Levels are inconsequential except for Synchro Summoning which I doubt you'd waste getting out such a monster only to use it as a Synchro Material Monster anyway.
All of them have the same first few effects as well. Cannot be selected as an attack target and can attack your opponent directly. Oddly enough, the "cannot be selected as an attack target" thing has been ruled (OCG-wise last I checked) that it is NOT the same as having as lone The Legendary Fisherman + "Umi" or a face-up Guardian Kay'est and whatnot. So if the only monster you have is a face-up Earthbound God monster, your opponent CANNOT attack you directly.
Unfortunately, the downside to each Earthbound God ("Earthbound Immortal") is that every one of them so far requires a Field Magic Card to be face-up on the field just to live, so a simple Mystical Space Typhoon can wreck its day. (Or Ancient Fairy Dragon, who's effect is obviously meant to "counter" them in that way.) They all also lost their immunity to Magic and Trap Cards that they had in the anime, but that's understandable. Overall, while definitely strong in their own ways, they are balanced out.
Though, another difference in the anime was that without a face-up Field Magic Card, the Earthbound God monster merely had its effects negated and was not destroyed until the End Phase of the turn. I can see why this was changed since that could easily allow the player to play a new Field Magic Card to keep it on the field.
RGBT-JP019
Earthbound God - Aslla Piscu
Dark/Winged Beast/10/2500/2500
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. When this card is removed from the field except by its own effect, destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls and inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points for each monster destroyed in this way.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- This just screams abuse with things like the Plant Token spawners (spawned to your opponent's field), Ojama Trio (2400 + 900 for 3300 damage alone), Shien's Spy (Giant Kozaky anyone?), Creature Swap, etc. Light of Intervention can also add to its annoyance. (The OCG also having Dark Simorgh.)
This will also probably be one of, if not the most used one as well.
2500 ATK is decent enough to run over most things except the highest Special Summons. Though your opponent should be careful. It doesn't matter how it gets removed from the field as long as it's not because of self-destructing without a Field Magic Card (so by safeguarding the Field Magic Card somehow, your opponent either must risk the destruction + damage or keep taking damage from it attacking them), so you can use Interdimensional Matter Transporters, Different Dimension Gate, or Dimension Hole to remove it, blow up all your opponent's face-up monsters and do 800 damage for each one, and then get it back later to use again.
And because it's a MANDATORY effect, you DO NOT miss the timing for it, so it can be removed during the Damage Step somehow and set off its effect or if it gets removed from the field in the middle of a chain, it will start a new one after the current chain has resolved. So if your opponent activates Mystical Space Typhoon on the Field Magic Card, you can chain Interdimensional Matter Transporter to remove it from the field. Chain resolves with Aslla Piscu being removed from play, then MST destroying the Field Magic Card. Then Aslla Piscu starts a new chain, destroying your opponent's face-up monsters and doing 800 damage each monster
RGBT-JP020
Earthbound God - Ccapac Apu
Dark/Fiend/10/3000/2500
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the ATK strength of the destroyed monster.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- Nothing all that special. Just your basic E. Hero Flame Wingman effect. Though, unless the monster is really a big threat in the long run, I don't see why one would kill it in battle when you can simply hit for 3000 directly since, unless you raise its ATK by another effect, you'll only end up doing 3000 damage anyway. I guess to allow other monsters to attack afterwards. Though, being the very first one shown in the anime, I guess it's understandable it has a more recognized effect.
ANPR-JP016
Earthbound God - Cusillu
Dark/Beast/10/2800/??00
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. When this face-up would be destroyed as a result of battle, by Tributing 1 monster, it is not destroyed and your opponent's Life Points are halved.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- Sadly, yes, it must be destroyed as a result of battle in order for the effect to work and not be "destroyed" in any way except its own effect, meaning the opponent must KNOWINGLY attack it with a stronger monster that'd kill it in battle or, the more obvious way, find a way to "suicide" it into a stronger monster of your opponent's. Sadly, with 2800 ATK, the chances of this happening normally are very slim unless your opponent brought out DAD last turn, so using things like Shrink on itself or Rush Recklessly or something on your opponent's monster are ways to use it.
Unfortunately, not only does this use up your resources then, but you also need to have at least 1 other monster on your field to Tribute to keep it alive and halve your opponent's LP. Lastly, halving your opponent's LP is only really good early on. Mid to late Duel, halving doesn't hurt nearly as much. Probably would've been better if it had some fixed amount of damage at least, like 2000 or equal to the ATK of the monster that would've destroyed it in battle or something.
ANPR-JP017
Earthbound God - Chacu Challhua
Dark/Fish/10/2900/2400
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. Once per turn, you can inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to half the DEF strength of this card. During the turn this effect is activated, this card cannot attack. Also, while this card is in face-up Defense Position, your opponent cannot conduct their Battle Phase.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- The latest of the bunch (and not yet shown in the anime; shows up next episode or the episode after).
Basically, each turn, you can do 1200+ Damage to your opponent. I say "+" because it does NOT state "original" DEF, so you CAN modify the DEF to be higher and do half of that, so something like...having a Metal Reflect Slime on your field and using Unity to make its DEF 5400, thus doing 2700 damage to your opponent instead. And while it's in Defense Position, your opponent loses out on their Battle Phases, thus no need to worry about it or any of your monsters being run over by your opponent's monsters in terms of attacking. This can be a great asset to something like Flip Flop Decks or Burn Decks and whatnot. Add in things like Dark Room of Nightmare, and this thing can really add up.
...and even though they haven't been slated for release yet that I've seen, the other 2 ones that haven't popped up in a Set yet;
*note* These are ANIME effects. Chances are they'll end up the same as the other ones in terms of axing the m/t immunity and the changing the Field Magic Card portion while keeping the rest the same.
Earthbound God - Ccarayhua
Dark/Reptile/10/2800/1800
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, the following effects are negated, and this card is destroyed during the End Phase:
- This card can attack your opponent directly.
- This card is unaffected by the effects of your opponent's Magic and Trap Cards.
- This card cannot be selected as an attack target.
- When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard (except by its own effect probably), destroy all cards on the field.
- Pretty much an Arcana Force EX - The Dark Ruler effect. It gets "destroyed", so does everything else. Pretty "standard" effect these days.
Earthbound God - Uru
Dark/Insect/10/3000/3000
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, the following effects are negated, and this card is destroyed during the End Phase:
- This card can attack your opponent directly.
- This card is unaffected by the effects of your opponent's Magic and Trap Cards.
- This card cannot be selected as an attack target.
- By Tributing 1 monster, take control of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls until the End Phase.
- If this came out, this one would probably also be used a bit behind Aslla Piscu. Basically, you Tribute a monster and you can Change of Heart an opponent's monster. Also not limited to once per turn, so you can pretty much "exchange" everything else around it to take all of your opponent's monsters for the turn. Basically use them like how you would Change of Heart; Tribute Summon, Synchro Summon, attack, use effects, etc. Now a few of you will probably end up screaming – OMG broken – this cards needs to be restricted upon release! Perhaps...but it still has yet to be released and the others have been kept exactly the same too in terms of their own effects. Also, I should correct it and say it can only take control of FACE-UP monsters, not any, so more like Brain Control than Change of Heart.
Now Mausoleum is the most generic one (Field Spell) that could be used with all of them given they do NOT have any Summoning conditions. Only "existence" conditions of which can easily be bypassed, thus making them balanced. DNA Surgery is the only way to make them Spellcasters currently. I do have a DNA variant utilizing Spellcasters (with Village and/or Magical City - Endymion) with a couple in there as well as an Undead World version. All I really need to look out for in terms of self-protecting ones like Endymion is Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. Otherwise, it's pretty well protected. Sadly, anything without protection is still quite susceptible, including Village...(Not many Magic Cards your opponent could use that could be used during your turn that are that widely used anyways)
Of course, this is also where the oldie Magic Reflector comes in handy. Though, like those self-protecting Field Magic Cards, only works on "destroy" effects.
Now why would they work well with Mausoleum than others – because of field presence and with a bit of innovation a possible otk! What? Now let us not get confused first of all on the whole Tribute Summoning process because Level 9+ monsters do NOT require 3 Tributes to Tribute Summon. Anything Level 7 or higher only requires 2 Tributes to Tribute Summon unless it specifically says otherwise. So at most 2000 life points will be paid to summon them via Mausoleums effect. Then since Mausoleum is a field spell instant existence fodder. Then attack directly with say Earthbound God - Ccapac Apu equipped with Megamorph and well a 6000 direct attack machine is generally a positive thing in today’s chaotic Meta. Combo with Twin Swords of Flashing Light – Tryce and two times the fun for an instant otk.
So overall whilst some things may seem "broken" on paper and all, but like I kept telling people, it's actually balanced overall when you consider the fact that there are plenty of other effects that can get by Village, even with Magic Cards being stopped. Trap Cards and Effect Monster Cards have plenty of removal effects for getting rid of Village, so people quickly learned that even though the effect is pretty powerful and easy to upkeep in general, keeping it on the field despite its effect is trickier than they initially believed, thus forcing them to protect it more than they'd like to use resources for.
So whether these cards on first glances do look promising it all depends on the aftermath after they are released because only tie will tell if they are decent cards to use or good but not playable and therefore binder fodder cards.
Anyway that’s just my opinion on these cards – yours could differ
Till next time folks and remember have fun and good luck
K-Klass.
__________________
Like with the Assault/Buster and Core-Chimail families, they are mostly just further extensions of their types or strategies involved with their "unique" last effects. Nothing you can really make a whole Deck around, especially since you can only have 1 on the field at a time. (And having 5+ 2 Tribute monsters like them...yeah...)
But seriously remember one thing first folks - You also DO NOT require a Field Magic Card to summon them. Only to keep them on the field! Anyways, like with any other big Tribute Monster, they can pretty much use all the same things; Gravekeeper's Spy, Giant Germ, Nimble Momonga, Hyena, etc, etc. However, as usual, it's not as simple as just throwing in such things and expecting an easy time (same with Mausoleum). The Levels are inconsequential except for Synchro Summoning which I doubt you'd waste getting out such a monster only to use it as a Synchro Material Monster anyway.
All of them have the same first few effects as well. Cannot be selected as an attack target and can attack your opponent directly. Oddly enough, the "cannot be selected as an attack target" thing has been ruled (OCG-wise last I checked) that it is NOT the same as having as lone The Legendary Fisherman + "Umi" or a face-up Guardian Kay'est and whatnot. So if the only monster you have is a face-up Earthbound God monster, your opponent CANNOT attack you directly.
Unfortunately, the downside to each Earthbound God ("Earthbound Immortal") is that every one of them so far requires a Field Magic Card to be face-up on the field just to live, so a simple Mystical Space Typhoon can wreck its day. (Or Ancient Fairy Dragon, who's effect is obviously meant to "counter" them in that way.) They all also lost their immunity to Magic and Trap Cards that they had in the anime, but that's understandable. Overall, while definitely strong in their own ways, they are balanced out.
Though, another difference in the anime was that without a face-up Field Magic Card, the Earthbound God monster merely had its effects negated and was not destroyed until the End Phase of the turn. I can see why this was changed since that could easily allow the player to play a new Field Magic Card to keep it on the field.
RGBT-JP019
Earthbound God - Aslla Piscu
Dark/Winged Beast/10/2500/2500
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. When this card is removed from the field except by its own effect, destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls and inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points for each monster destroyed in this way.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- This just screams abuse with things like the Plant Token spawners (spawned to your opponent's field), Ojama Trio (2400 + 900 for 3300 damage alone), Shien's Spy (Giant Kozaky anyone?), Creature Swap, etc. Light of Intervention can also add to its annoyance. (The OCG also having Dark Simorgh.)
This will also probably be one of, if not the most used one as well.
2500 ATK is decent enough to run over most things except the highest Special Summons. Though your opponent should be careful. It doesn't matter how it gets removed from the field as long as it's not because of self-destructing without a Field Magic Card (so by safeguarding the Field Magic Card somehow, your opponent either must risk the destruction + damage or keep taking damage from it attacking them), so you can use Interdimensional Matter Transporters, Different Dimension Gate, or Dimension Hole to remove it, blow up all your opponent's face-up monsters and do 800 damage for each one, and then get it back later to use again.
And because it's a MANDATORY effect, you DO NOT miss the timing for it, so it can be removed during the Damage Step somehow and set off its effect or if it gets removed from the field in the middle of a chain, it will start a new one after the current chain has resolved. So if your opponent activates Mystical Space Typhoon on the Field Magic Card, you can chain Interdimensional Matter Transporter to remove it from the field. Chain resolves with Aslla Piscu being removed from play, then MST destroying the Field Magic Card. Then Aslla Piscu starts a new chain, destroying your opponent's face-up monsters and doing 800 damage each monster
RGBT-JP020
Earthbound God - Ccapac Apu
Dark/Fiend/10/3000/2500
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the ATK strength of the destroyed monster.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- Nothing all that special. Just your basic E. Hero Flame Wingman effect. Though, unless the monster is really a big threat in the long run, I don't see why one would kill it in battle when you can simply hit for 3000 directly since, unless you raise its ATK by another effect, you'll only end up doing 3000 damage anyway. I guess to allow other monsters to attack afterwards. Though, being the very first one shown in the anime, I guess it's understandable it has a more recognized effect.
ANPR-JP016
Earthbound God - Cusillu
Dark/Beast/10/2800/??00
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. When this face-up would be destroyed as a result of battle, by Tributing 1 monster, it is not destroyed and your opponent's Life Points are halved.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- Sadly, yes, it must be destroyed as a result of battle in order for the effect to work and not be "destroyed" in any way except its own effect, meaning the opponent must KNOWINGLY attack it with a stronger monster that'd kill it in battle or, the more obvious way, find a way to "suicide" it into a stronger monster of your opponent's. Sadly, with 2800 ATK, the chances of this happening normally are very slim unless your opponent brought out DAD last turn, so using things like Shrink on itself or Rush Recklessly or something on your opponent's monster are ways to use it.
Unfortunately, not only does this use up your resources then, but you also need to have at least 1 other monster on your field to Tribute to keep it alive and halve your opponent's LP. Lastly, halving your opponent's LP is only really good early on. Mid to late Duel, halving doesn't hurt nearly as much. Probably would've been better if it had some fixed amount of damage at least, like 2000 or equal to the ATK of the monster that would've destroyed it in battle or something.
ANPR-JP017
Earthbound God - Chacu Challhua
Dark/Fish/10/2900/2400
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. Once per turn, you can inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to half the DEF strength of this card. During the turn this effect is activated, this card cannot attack. Also, while this card is in face-up Defense Position, your opponent cannot conduct their Battle Phase.
Ultra/Ultimate Rare
- The latest of the bunch (and not yet shown in the anime; shows up next episode or the episode after).
Basically, each turn, you can do 1200+ Damage to your opponent. I say "+" because it does NOT state "original" DEF, so you CAN modify the DEF to be higher and do half of that, so something like...having a Metal Reflect Slime on your field and using Unity to make its DEF 5400, thus doing 2700 damage to your opponent instead. And while it's in Defense Position, your opponent loses out on their Battle Phases, thus no need to worry about it or any of your monsters being run over by your opponent's monsters in terms of attacking. This can be a great asset to something like Flip Flop Decks or Burn Decks and whatnot. Add in things like Dark Room of Nightmare, and this thing can really add up.
...and even though they haven't been slated for release yet that I've seen, the other 2 ones that haven't popped up in a Set yet;
*note* These are ANIME effects. Chances are they'll end up the same as the other ones in terms of axing the m/t immunity and the changing the Field Magic Card portion while keeping the rest the same.
Earthbound God - Ccarayhua
Dark/Reptile/10/2800/1800
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, the following effects are negated, and this card is destroyed during the End Phase:
- This card can attack your opponent directly.
- This card is unaffected by the effects of your opponent's Magic and Trap Cards.
- This card cannot be selected as an attack target.
- When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard (except by its own effect probably), destroy all cards on the field.
- Pretty much an Arcana Force EX - The Dark Ruler effect. It gets "destroyed", so does everything else. Pretty "standard" effect these days.
Earthbound God - Uru
Dark/Insect/10/3000/3000
Only 1 "Earthbound God" monster can be face-up on the field. If there is no face-up Field Magic Card on the field, the following effects are negated, and this card is destroyed during the End Phase:
- This card can attack your opponent directly.
- This card is unaffected by the effects of your opponent's Magic and Trap Cards.
- This card cannot be selected as an attack target.
- By Tributing 1 monster, take control of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls until the End Phase.
- If this came out, this one would probably also be used a bit behind Aslla Piscu. Basically, you Tribute a monster and you can Change of Heart an opponent's monster. Also not limited to once per turn, so you can pretty much "exchange" everything else around it to take all of your opponent's monsters for the turn. Basically use them like how you would Change of Heart; Tribute Summon, Synchro Summon, attack, use effects, etc. Now a few of you will probably end up screaming – OMG broken – this cards needs to be restricted upon release! Perhaps...but it still has yet to be released and the others have been kept exactly the same too in terms of their own effects. Also, I should correct it and say it can only take control of FACE-UP monsters, not any, so more like Brain Control than Change of Heart.
Now Mausoleum is the most generic one (Field Spell) that could be used with all of them given they do NOT have any Summoning conditions. Only "existence" conditions of which can easily be bypassed, thus making them balanced. DNA Surgery is the only way to make them Spellcasters currently. I do have a DNA variant utilizing Spellcasters (with Village and/or Magical City - Endymion) with a couple in there as well as an Undead World version. All I really need to look out for in terms of self-protecting ones like Endymion is Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. Otherwise, it's pretty well protected. Sadly, anything without protection is still quite susceptible, including Village...(Not many Magic Cards your opponent could use that could be used during your turn that are that widely used anyways)
Of course, this is also where the oldie Magic Reflector comes in handy. Though, like those self-protecting Field Magic Cards, only works on "destroy" effects.
Now why would they work well with Mausoleum than others – because of field presence and with a bit of innovation a possible otk! What? Now let us not get confused first of all on the whole Tribute Summoning process because Level 9+ monsters do NOT require 3 Tributes to Tribute Summon. Anything Level 7 or higher only requires 2 Tributes to Tribute Summon unless it specifically says otherwise. So at most 2000 life points will be paid to summon them via Mausoleums effect. Then since Mausoleum is a field spell instant existence fodder. Then attack directly with say Earthbound God - Ccapac Apu equipped with Megamorph and well a 6000 direct attack machine is generally a positive thing in today’s chaotic Meta. Combo with Twin Swords of Flashing Light – Tryce and two times the fun for an instant otk.
So overall whilst some things may seem "broken" on paper and all, but like I kept telling people, it's actually balanced overall when you consider the fact that there are plenty of other effects that can get by Village, even with Magic Cards being stopped. Trap Cards and Effect Monster Cards have plenty of removal effects for getting rid of Village, so people quickly learned that even though the effect is pretty powerful and easy to upkeep in general, keeping it on the field despite its effect is trickier than they initially believed, thus forcing them to protect it more than they'd like to use resources for.
So whether these cards on first glances do look promising it all depends on the aftermath after they are released because only tie will tell if they are decent cards to use or good but not playable and therefore binder fodder cards.
Anyway that’s just my opinion on these cards – yours could differ
Till next time folks and remember have fun and good luck
K-Klass.
__________________