Good Defense Monsters

Inca Cards

Synchrons, Part 3

     Welcome back duelists! Coach Muramasa here with the exciting conclusion to our tour of the Synchrons. In part one, we looked at Synchrons used for specific Synchro Summoning. In part two, we looked at wild card Synchrons. Today, we're gonna give the Synchrons some added support.

     First off, let's look at a few monsters that work well with the Synchrons. Synchron Explorer is a Level 2
monster with the ability to recycle a Synchron monster from the Graveyard, by negating the monster's effect. Junk Servant is a good choice if you're favoring Junk Synchron as the ace of your deck. If there's a Junk monster already in play, you can Special Summon this card. Consider putting 3 of these in your deck, and you'll have a field full of monsters in no time. If you need protection from a direct attack, consider using Junk Defender. Like all Defenders before this one, the DEF is pretty good. In addition, this card can gain an extra 300 DEF once per turn, until the end of that turn. Junk Forward is a nice monster to lead off with. Its special ability allows you to Special Summon him when you are without monsters. Our last monster is a bit unique among the others. He is a Synchro Synchron (try saying that three times fast) by the name of Formula Synchron. It is a Level 2 Synchro, with the ability to Synchron Summon during either player's turn.

     Let's get some Spell support for the Synchrons. A good start is Swords of Revealing Light. This is more of a stall card, stopping your opponent's attacks for three turns. This will give you some time to fill your field with monsters and pull off a Synchro Summon or two. Next up is United We Stand. This is a good way to give a monster a serious ATK and DEF boost. Double Summon will grant you the power to Normal Summon twice in the same turn. That's ideal for a quick Synchro Summon.

     There are a number of Traps for supporting your Synchrons. The top choice has got to be Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. Not only does it negate a single attack that turn, but it can used once per turn. This is a good card to have three of, in case one gets destroyed. Spirit Force is another negation card. Unlike Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, this is used and disposed of, but allows you to return a Warrior Tuner from your Graveyard to your hand. This will pull your Junk Synchron back to be used again. Another nice option is Mirror Force. Wipe out all of your opponent's monsters in attack position when one of them attacks.
 
     I'll give you my rate of approval on these cards:

  6/10     Synchron Explorer
10/10     Junk Servant
  8/10     Junk Defender
  9/10     Junk Forward
  5/10     Formula Synchron
  9/10     Swords of Revealing Light
  9/10     United We Stand
  7/10     Double Summon
10/10     Scrap-Iron Scarecrow
  8/10     Spirit Force
  8/10     Mirror Force

     There you have it! Synchrons have their place in the world of dueling. You don't have to be Yusei Fudo to win with these gems. In a future post, I'll give you a couple of decks to look at and consider for yourself. Until next time, this is Coach Muramasa telling you to keep on duelin'!

Synchrons, Part 2

     What's shaking duelists? Coach Muramasa is back! As promised, today is part two of our Synchron study. Last time, we took a look at four of Yusei Fudo's aces. Today, let's travel a little further down the road and take notice of another six-pack of these useful monsters. Unlike the previous batch, these guys don't Synchro Summon a specific monster.

     First stop on the Synchro Express is Hyper Synchron. This little dynamo has decent ATK, so it can hold its own early in the duel. If things get too intense, or you just want to get down to business, it's a good Tuner to Synchro Summon with. If you choose to summon a Dragon, that monster gets an 800 ATK boost. The catch is, it's banished at the end of your turn. Consider using this as a last resort, to either turn things around at the end of the duel, or to assure victory.

     Our next contender is a bit of a wild card. Quickdraw Synchron can be used to Synchro Summon any monster that is Synchron specific. You want Nitro Warrior? That's not a problem. Do you need Junk Archer? You're covered. All you have to do is send a monster from your hand to the Graveyard, and this Level 5 monster can join the fight. Follow up with another monster from your hand on the same turn, and instant Synchro action. This one card opens up a lot of possibilities. If you don't want to weight your deck down with all the other Synchron monsters, just pop this guy in three times, and you can still pull off a variety of Synchros.

     Bri Synchron is an improvement on the concept of Hyper Synchron. He can give a Synchro a 600 ATK boost, without sending him into exile. Instead, he negates that Synchro's ability until the end of that turn. This is a good card to use to bring Stardust Dragon or Red Dragon Archfiend to the field. This card is one of the few Synchrons that can support almost any Synchro monster.

     Next on the agenda is Unknown Synchron. Like so many 0 ATK / 0 DEF monsters, he seems completely useless. Its saving grace is that it can be Special Summoned if your opponent has monsters and you don't. Follow that with a Normal Summon and you've got the power to Synchro Summon.

     The last stop on the Synchron Express is Mono Synchron. He is another 0 ATK / 0 DEF monster. This one does seem to be on the useless side. He can only be used with Level 4 or lower monsters, and they are all reduced to Level 1 when performing a Synchro Summon. This isn't too useful, unless you are using a low level Synchro.

     Let's look at our duelist report card on these Synchrons:

  6/10     Hyper Synchron
10/10     Quickdraw Synchron
  9/10     Bri Synchron
  4/10     Unknown Synchron
  2/10     Mono Synchron

     That does it for part two of Synchron study. Next time, we'll conclude with some strategies for Synchron decks. Until then, keep gettin' your game on!

Synchrons, Part 1

Hello duelists in the making! Coach Muramasa is back with your next installment of dueling advice. Recently, I was with the gang and we were sitting around dueling. We did some traditional 2 on 2 duels, and we thought we'd role play a bit while doing so. Since 5 of us hang out together, the odd man (or woman) out was the referee. Each of us built a deck based on only cards that the Signers used. I chose my deck based on the greatest Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's duelist: Yusei Fudo. Everyone who watched the show knows that his deck centered about a special group of tuner monsters known as Synchrons. These crafty monsters are what make Synchro Summoning possible, and all of Yusei's monsters summon impressive Synchro monsters. Today, in the first of a three part series, we're gonna look more into Yusei's Synchro world.

     First stop on the tour is Junk Synchron, and he's got two really good uses. On one hand, he's great for getting a Level 5 Synchro monster in play after being put on the field. On the other hand, he's even greater because he's linked to four different Synchro monsters. So many options, so little time needed to win. You have Junk Warrior for a quick 2300 point strike. Junk Archer can snipe a monster away and open up your opponent to a 2300 point direct attack. Junk Destroyer can trash up to four cards your opponent controls, and then follow up with 2600 points of damage. Junk Berserker can drain a monster's attack by removing a Junk monster from your Graveyard, and smash a defensive monster of any strength. Now those are some pretty good options.

     Next up, let's look at Nitro Synchron. He's a bit on the weak side, but his ability to summon Nitro Warrior will grant you a free card draw. Nitro Warrior is a powerhouse at 2800 ATK, with the ability to jump to 3800 ATK is you activate a Spell Card during your turn. Not only is he going to trash one monster, his ability will give him the chance to do if again, if your opponent has a Defense Position monster. That Defense Position is switched to Attack Position, and Nitro Warrior gets a second knockout under his belt. Nitro mosters may not be as diverse as Junk monsters, but their power will speak well enough for them.

     Let's switch gears and have a need for speed. Turbo Synchron is a little dynamo with two abilities. First, he can attack a monster and force it into Defense Position. This is really only good for heavy hitters with 0 DEF. Second, it can Special Summon a monster based on damage it takes from picking a fight with something that has much greater defense. This is a risky move, but could pay off if you are looking to make a comeback. After you've had your fun with this little guy, use him to trade up for Turbo Warrior. TW's special abilities make him much more useful than his little counterpart. He can pick a fight with and win against a more powerful Synchro monster, including any of the Signer Dragons. He is also unaffected by monster of Level 6 or less with a special ability. Turbo Warrior is perfectly in the middle. He's too fast to be taken done by those weaker than him, and also too fast to be taken down by those stronger than him. He's an ace to put in any deck.

     Next up on the Synchron Express will be Road Synchron. Now, while he can be used to Synchro Summon almost anything, it is at the cost of 2 of his levels. This is not bad for getting a lower level Snychro in play, but it is that much harder to pull in Stardust Dragon or any of the other aces. If Road Synchron attacks before Synchro Summoning, he gets an extra level. So waiting until Main Phase 2 might not be so bad. Road Warrior is a good choice for any deck with his ability to Special Summon a Level 1 or 2 monster of the Warrior or Machine variety. RW sets you up for back to back Synchro action, in the right deck.

 

     Last, but not least, is Drill Synchron.  His special ability gives all your Warriors the power to do piercing damage. Since Synchrons use both Warriors and Machines, this is a perfect fit. In addition, for using this effect and doing damage, you get to draw a card for your reward. After you've had your fun with that, use him to Synchro Summon his big brother, Drill Warrior. This tool of destruction has two impressive abilities. First, he can half halve his ATK and bypass your opponent's monsters for a direct attack. His second ability can save him from certain doom by ditching a card to the Graveyard in order to banish him until the start of your next turn. This is good to keep him around when more lethal opponents are in play.

     Let's take a tally of my scores for these duel monsters:

  9/10     Junk Synchron
  7/10     Junk Warrior
  8/10     Junk Archer
10/10     Junk Destroyer
  7/10     Junk Berserker
  7/10     Nitro Synchron
  7/10     Nitro Warrior
  8/10     Turbo Synchron
10/10     Turbo Warrior
  7/10     Road Synchron
  9/10     Road Warrior

     That's it for this part of the tour. Next time, I'll be back with more of Yusei's hardcore Synchrons. Until then, keep on duelin'!

Card Spotlight: Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke

Hello duelists! Coach Muramasa here to fill your brain with more dueling knowledge. Today, let's take a look at Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke. Ninjas are a very popular Archetype, and are a very good edition in many Warrior-type decks. This sneaky bad boy has 1800 ATK and 1000 DEF. His special ability makes him a must in a deck that is up against heavy resistance. If your opponent loves playing the stall game with a monster of DEF of 2000 or more, then this guy can make short work of that. When he strikes at a face-up DEF monster, he destroys it without damage calculation. With the exception of monsters like Marshmallon or Spirit of the Reaper, he can clear the field in no time. Consider putting him alongside lethal monsters such as Red Dragon Archfiend, or monsters that inflict piercing damage.

Sasuke is a LIGHT attribute monster, so he would work well in decks that showcase superstars such as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Elemental Hero Neos, or even Ancient Fairy Dragon. For Warrior-type decks, again, EH Neos would be a good choice, as well as a Six Samurai deck, or a deck with Warriors that Special Summon one another pretty quickly. That does it for another training session with the Coach. Next time, we'll work those dueling brain cells. Keep on dueling!

Greed

What's up duelists? The Coach is back to make you run your laps around the duelist field. Today, let's talk greed. How many of you out there love to draw cards outside of your draw phase? I'm sure it's more than half of you, and I'm happy to admit I fit in that crowd as well. There are a few cards that give you extra drawing power. We're gonna take a look at some of those cards in what I call the Greed archetype.

Pot of Greed was the first card to give you extra drawing power outside of a draw phase. With this card, you can draw a couple of extra cards if your hand is empty, or you just need a couple of extra cards.

Shard of Greed is a good edition to a deck. When you activate it, it stays on the field, collecting counters on it during each of your draw phases. After two of your turns, send this card to the graveyard to draw two extra cards. Consider slipping three of these in your deck if you need extra cards for discarding due to other card effects.

Moray of Greed is a good choice for a WATER attribute deck. It's kind of a double edged sword, since it calls for the return of two WATER monsters from your hand to your deck in order to draw three cards. Play this only if you are hoping to get something better in your hand.

Greed Grado is a good card if you are up against a Synchro deck. Destroy an opponent's Synchro monster by attacking it or using a card effect, and chain this Quick-Play Spell Card in order to draw two cards.

 Jar of Greed is a good follow-up to Pot of Greed. While it only lets you draw a single card outside of your draw phase, you are not restricted to one of these like you are with Pot of Greed.

 Reckless Greed allows you to draw two cards, but the catch is that you skip your next two draw phases. Use this card if the duel is towards the end, and you need an extra card or two to guarantee victory.

The Gift of Greed is a card that gives your opponent a pair of cards outside of their draw phase. Use this if you are trying to empty their deck for a win.

There you have it duelists. Greed can be a very good way to win a duel. Make sure you use these cards responsibly. Drawing too fast can lead to your own defeat. Come back soon for your next dose of dueling knowledge. Until next time, keep on dueling!