You’re EXTREME! But not to the MAX.

Extreme Victory’s official release date is just around the corner. The set is good if you like the archetypes that it provides but you might be thinking about skipping out on if you’re not a fan. They’re a couple of cards that I think everyone should be looking for in the set though.

This is a list of what in my opinion, are cards most players should be looking at in this set outside of the archtypes (for example, people hyping the Psychic, T.G. stuff will already have a general idea of what’s good in the set that they’ll want, so I’ll skip over those).

So generic stuff.

Reborn Tengu
WIND/Beast-Warrior - Effect/4/1700/600
When this card is removed from the field, Special Summon 1 "Reborn Tengu" from your Deck.

Reborn Tengu is an amazing card, I don’t think there is any doubt. There are a lot of people that don’t think so, but the card is ridiculous to be honest. We’re seeing the return of the Peten type monster except that it no longer misses it’s timing and has a bigger body. So what decks? Fish OTK is one, Plant decks could splash a play set of this, Monarchs can use it as well.

The card is splashable and does amazing things, anywhere from big combo plays to being a self-replacing beater. It's a simple design but not one I have seen in a while, and I look foreword to seeing this card being played.

EXVC-EN001 Junk Servant
EARTH/Warrior - Effect/4/1500/1000
If you control a face-up "Junk" monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

This is another one of those possibly underrated cards out of the set. The basic idea is that Junk Synchron and this can make a 2 card Trishula. While other decks might be able to do Trishula better (like Fish for example) there’s no denying that if those decks get limited or restricted later we might see a rise in decks like Junk Doppel, and this kind of fits perfectly in them.

You could even combo off with Junk Synchron, bring back a level 2, special summon Junk Servant, make Librarian, revive Bulb, etc. The card has some neat combos. I’ll admit though, this card might end up being boarderline shoebox, with a couple of people trying it out at the beginning.

Unknown Synchron
DARK/Machine - Tuner/1/0/0
If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Each player can only use the effect of "Unknown Synchron" once per Duel.

Unknown Synchron is probably one of my more favorite cards out of the set. Basically it is a cyber Glow-Up Bulb. The thing is that it combos well with a lot of things, my example is in a deck that uses this, Bulb and Tengu.

Special summon this, normal Tengu, synchro for Librarian, special summon Tengu, bring back Bulb, make another Librarian. I can just see the combos. Even without Librarian (since they aren’t legal for a month) you can still make some spammable level 5 synchros or even level 6. The card is decent, but I can see it being niche and more of a tech choice.

I’ll admit though that the picture is too damn cute.

Mystic Piper
LIGHT/Spellcaster - Effect/1/0/0
You can Tribute this card to draw and reveal 1 card. If that card is a Level 1 Monster Card, draw 1 more card. The effect of "Mystic Piper" can only be activated once per turn.

This is once of my choices that barely makes the cut. I just cant of anywhere where this card is a stunning card to use, but I also feel like it may end up seeing play somewhere. Where that is I have no idea.

I guess it could see uses in decks that have a ton of level 1s (themed Meklords maybe) but for now its something that will not be too expensive, so I can see it gaining some use.

Blackwing - Kogarashi the Wanderer
DARK/Winged-Beast - Tuner/6/2300/1600
When a face-up "Blackwing" monster you control is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. When you Synchro Summon using this card as a Synchro Material Monster, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects.

This is a Blackwing card that I sort of like. I don’t know if it makes the cut, since I haven’t played Blackwings in a while, but it does seem to be above what we have been seeing in terms of support.

I guess it might just end up being shoeboxed.

Meklord Army of Granel
EARTH/Machine - Effect/4/1600/1200
This card gains 100 ATK for each face-up "Meklord" monster on the field, except this card. When this card is Normal Summoned, you can select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls, and halve its ATK until the End Phase.

This is another card that I actually like. It’s not gale, but there are comparisons between the two. I don’t think this card is that bad to be honest. It is actually pretty solid.

One of my friends plays a deck in locals that he likes called Don no Gale. Basically it’s a control deck that relied on Gale among other things to,; well control everything. The depressing part about this card is that it doesn’t get under Messanger of Peace but it could still see play in variants like that.

This card is also good in the Meklord archtype (which is a lacking archtype) but that isn’t too playable. Basically, I think this is underrated, it’s no Gale, but it has it’s place and might see play somewhere in the future, it’s by no means a bad card in my opinion.

T.G. Halberd Cannon
EARTH/Machine - Synchro - Effect/12/4000/4000
1 Tuner Synchro Monster + 2 or more non-Tuner Synchro Monsters
This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Synchro Summon. Once per turn, while this card is face-up on the field, you can negate the Summon of a monster and destroy it. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can select 1 "T.G." monster in your Graveyard, and Special Summon it.

Okay, so I lied a little bit when I send I wouldn’t go over the cards already known in this set to people that are looking for the advertised set archetypes, but Blade Blaster has it’s uses in other decks.

Basically this card is the replacement for Shooting Quasar Dragon, until that comes out this card will be used in a deck somewhere. Basically it’s a powerful effect on a stick that when the stick dies it will probably bring back a Librarian, which is pretty nifty.

So yeah, it’s part of the T.G. archetype, but fits in a lot of other places.

Debunk
Counter Trap Card
Negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect that activates in the hand or in the Graveyard, and remove it from play.

Strong possible side-deck choice. Basically, the card is sort of anti-Tengu anti-Effect Veiler. Since Tengu might actually bust the format wide open, this card might be seeing more play, the price of this card will also probably reflect that. Not much more to say about it, since it is pretty straight foreword.

W Nebula Meteorite
Normal Trap Card
Change all face-down monsters on the field to face-up Defense Position. During the End Phase this turn, change all face-up LIGHT Reptile-Type monsters you control to face-down Defense Position, then draw 1 card for each. After that, you can Special Summon 1 Level 7 or higher LIGHT Reptile-Type monster from your Deck.

Again, another card that has been hyped a lot. Worm decks have been seeing rises in play (just like cockroaches), and this card is a dramatic helping hand for the deck. Getting to use all of your flip effects, drawing a card for each, and a special summon is really strong, and I think this card is the most amount of powerful effects we’ve seen a card in this game for a while.

Not only is this card good, but I think it is an excellent example of strong theme support that isn’t too overpowered. It’s not specific to the theme either, since any deck using light reptiles (aliens maybe?) could use this. We know where it’s supposed to work (worms) but it can work in a lot of other places.

Personally I’m a fan of this card just because it’s good game design (unlike Shi En).

Dodger Dragon
WIND/Dragon - Effect/4/1900/1200
The Normal Summon of this card cannot be negated. Your opponent cannot activate Counter Trap Cards the turn this card is Normal Summoned.

The deception with this card is that it seems really generic when it’s not. It’s a Trap Stun on a body that gets around counter-traps. I like to call this thing, the anti-anti-meta, since it seems like it goes best against decks that might specifically struggle against anti-meta (decks using big bodies and strong spell and traps to counter current strategies).

I don’t think it wrecks but it’s certainly nice. It also combos nicely with Koa’ki Meiru Drago, when you think about it.

Tour Guide From the Underworld
DARK/Fiend - Effect/3/1000/600
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 3 Fiend-Type monster from your hand or Deck. Its effects are negated, and it cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster.

This is a card that’s getting a lot of futurefuture hype, what I mean is that it’s getting a lot of “it has the potential to be good.” Right now, I’m not seeing it, and it might drop down to shoebox secret price ($5-$10) but if the hype stays, then expect this card to be worth something for a long while (doubtful though).

Gladiator Beast Essedarii
EARTH/Beast - Fusion - Effect/5/2500/1400
2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".)

Last review, or second to last. Anyway, I’m just going to say that this card will see play in the Gladiator Beast deck. Even if it’s one copy you will see it, because it’s an extra option. Does this mean you’ll see it in game a lot? No you probably wont. But it’s still a card.

Honorable mentions (or stuff that people already know about that I didn’t want to go over):

The Psychic archetype
The T.G. Archetype
Karakuri stuff
Scrap Orthros
Aurora Paragon

Well that’s basically my song and dance. Is this set the best set? No, but I don’t think it’s worth the worst set award it has been getting from some of the players. We’re seeing a lot of strong things in the set, and although it might not drastically shift the game, or make players really rich, it’s by no means a bad set. I think a lot of people can get by on this set by just buying a play set of Tengus and some of the other small things I’ve mentioned.

Anyway, it’s been real. I’ve been thinking of rehashing another old article from the old blog, since it has to do with side decking, and there are a lot of side-deck cards that I think are underrated, probably write a follow-up piece.