A New Generation of TCG Exclusives

Next month, we get a new booster set to introduce us to the ZEXAL era of Yugioh. As always, aside from the 80-card core set, we're getting 11 TCG exclusives, and today we're going to take a look at the 4 confirmed exclusives.

GENF-EN000 Xyz Veil

Continuous Trap Card

Face up Xyz Monsters with Xyz Material cannot be targeted by card effects.

If you decide to build a deck around Xyz Monsters, this is a nice way to protect them from cards like Brionac, Caius, Scrap Dragon, and Chaos Sorcerer. Unless Xyz Monsters are part of your win condition, you should pass on this card.

GENF-EN084 Pain Painter

DARK/2/Zombie/Tuner

While this card is face-up on the field, its name is treated as "Plaguespreader Zombie". Once per turn: You can target up to 2 face-up Zombie-Type monsters you control, except this card; they become Level 2 until the End Phase. They cannot be used as Synchro Material Monsters except for the Synchro Summon of a Zombie-Type monster.
ATK/400 DEF/200

This would have been a great card a few formats ago when Zombies were dominant. Really, the only thing this card does is, while you have 2 more Zombies on the field, make an instant Doomkaiser Dragon, Revived King Ha Des, or Archfiend Zombie-Skull. All of which are sub par at the moment, except maybe Ha Des.

 

GENF-EN085 Orient Dragon

Wind/6/Dragon/Synchro
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned: Target 1 face-up Synchro Monster your opponent controls; banish that target.

This is a much needed addition to Plant Synchro, and a welcome addition to the Synchro family. Since Goyo Guardian was banned, there has been an empty slot for a level 6 Synchro. Currently, most deck only have Brionac and Gaia Knight. As I said before, Plant Synchro gets the biggest boost from this card because their main Tuner, Debris Dragon, can only be used to summon Dragon type Synchros, and the only level 6 Dragon we currently have is Iron Chain Dragon.

GENF-EN086 Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon

DARK/5/Fiend/Xyz/Effect

2 Level 5 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach a Xyz Material from this card to target 1 face-up card your opponent controls; destroy it.
ATK/2600 DEF/1700

For the trouble of keeping 2 one tribute monsters on the field, you get to destroy 1 face up card per turn. This is easier to accomplish with some of the Normal Monster support we already, and some new level 5 support.

A Great Day for Budget Players!

Usually when the holiday tins come around, there are a few great cards included that were originally pretty hard to come by. Last year we got great reprints like Stratos, Battle Fader, Vayu, and Dark Armed Dragon, but a single card from this year's tins blows away all the others combined. Here is what we know so far.

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon Tin
1 Secret Rare Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
2 Packs of Storm of Ragnarok
2 Packs of Extreme Victory
1 Pack of Generation Force
1 Super Rare Pot of Duality
1 Super Rare Dark Simorgh
2 Super Rare cards

Wind-Up Zenmeister Tin
1 Secret Rare Wind-Up Zenmeister
2 Packs of Storm of Ragnarok
2 Packs of Extreme Victory
1 Pack of Generation Force
1 Super Rare Pot of Duality
1 Super Rare Elemental HERO Gaia
2 Super Rare cards

That's right! POT OF DUALITY! These tins are a huge step in the right direction by Konami. There is no reason one card should cost anywhere near $100. Not just Duality, but Gaia was a $50 card, and it can only be played in one type of deck. Simorgh was another somewhat expensive card, being priced at around $35.

These tins are being released on August 25th, and there are still 4 unknown cards included. My money is on Kristya as one of the supers. I'll update once we get some more information.

Deck Analyzation: Tegu Synchro

Reborn Tengu is one of the most useful exclusive cards we've had in a while. When it's removed from the field, you Special Summon another one from your deck. As long as the Tengu wasn't face down when it was removed from the field, or it was sent to your deck, you'll get a free monster. Tengu has made a very strong showing at the last 2 YCS Championships since its release, and we're going to take a look at the winning deck from YCS Providence.

Monsters: 20
2x Lonefire Blossom
3x Reborn Tengu
2x Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
2x Effect Veiler
1x Sangan
1x Blackwing – Zephyros the Elite
1x Glow-Up Bulb
2x Caius the Shadow Monarch
1x Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1x Spore
2x Debris Dragon
1x Card Trooper
1x Dandylion

First, there's the popular Plant engine. This allows easy access to Formula Synchron using Glow-Up Bulb/Spore and Dandylion Tokens. This also lets you get multiple level 5 Synchros with Tengu. Debris Dragon revives any monster with less than 500 ATK (read Dandylion) for instant Synchros. Effect Veiler and Gorz cards that can turn the game around when in your hand.

This deck is based on using monsters from the Graveyard, and Card Trooper and Ryko can put them there while using their effects to pressure the opponent. Zephyros is a nice beater, and can be easily Special Summoned from the Graveyard. With Zephyros and Glow-Up in the Graveyard, a Tengu on the field means a free Trishula. Since most of the monsters in this deck have less than 1500 ATK, Sangan can grab what you need to turn the duel in your favor, and a pair of Caius takes care of monsters that you otherwise would not be able to get rid of with destruction (Stardust, Shi En, etc).

Spells: 12
2x Pot of Duality
2x Pot of Avarice
2x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Dark Hole
1x Monster Reborn
1x Book of Moon
1x Giant Trunade
1x One for One
1x Foolish Burial

There's the standard set of staples with the Plant engine Spells, Pot of Avarice and One for One. Avarice is great in this deck, as it lets you reuse your Tengus.

Traps: 9
2x Solemn Warning
1x Call of the Haunted
1x Torrential Tribute
1x Mirror Force
1x Limit Reverse
1x Solemn Judgment
1x Dust Tornado
1x Dimensional Prison

Again, pretty standard trap line-up, if not a bit much for a deck that tries to mill monsters. Limit Reverse can grab most of the monsters in this deck, and can plus off an opponent's MST if you target Dandylion, Trooper, or Sangan. Dust Tornado is a nice choice. Not only does it take care of Necrovalley and Oppression, but with Plant decks running so few traps, there's a good chance you'll hit a Solemn. I'll leave out the Extra Deck because it's basically the same as any Plant-Synchro deck, and Hyper Librarian wasn't legal at the time.

Side Deck: 15
2x Cyber Dragon
2x Thunder King Rai-Oh
1x Dust Tornado
1x Nobleman of Crossout
2x Chain Disappearance
1x Bottomless Trap Hole
1x Royal Oppression
2x Puppet Plant
2x D.D. Crow
1x Ally Salvo

Cyber Dragon is a good side choice against decks like Gladiator Beasts and Gravekeeper's that have monsters you'll have a hard time getting over, and wrecks any Machine deck with Chimeratech Fortress Dragon in your Extra Deck. Thunder King keeps your opponent from adding cards to their hand, so it shuts down cards like Duality, Gadgets, Darksoul, and Stratos. It can also negate inherent Special Summons like Synchros, Contact Fusion, and Faultroll. Nobleman of Crossout can take a big chunk away from your opponent's deck if you hit a Ryko or GK Spy.

Chain Disappearance works kind of like Crossout. If you hit a card like Darksoul, Ryko, or Treeborn Frog, your opponent loses some very important cards. Bottomless Trap Hole is good against Glads, GKs, and the new Agent deck. Once you have your field set up, Royal Oppression can lock down your opponent so they can't come back. Puppet Plant steals opposing Warrior (Samurai) and Spellcasters (Gravekeepers), and you can do whatever you want with the monster.

Crow is a great side choice all around. The Graveyard is a very important part of most decks, and this card can stop your opponent's plays dead. Ally Salvo works against Agents if it's destroyed by battle, but with Hyperion around, that won't always be the case.

What's Next?

One of the best parts about this deck is the easy access to T.G. Hyper Librarian. With just Tengu and Glow-Up Bulb, you can make 2 of these in 1 turn, giving you an instant +1. With Formula Synchron being so easy to summon as well, you can easily gain advantage over your opponent. Next time, we'll look at a deck very similar to this one, but also very different. They both have the same goal, but have different ways of getting there.