The hits and misses of Abyss Rising

The report about my trip to Japan is over, so back to Yu-Gi-Oh! Related content!

Just like with previous set, I’ll give you the hits and misses of the new TCG set, Abyss Rising (according to my own opinion).

Hits:

• Water attribute gets great support and it’s not limited to the included archetype (Mermails). There are many cards in here that generally support water archetypes like Penguins or Ice Counters. Together with the structure deck, this can give fruition to a few nice water-style decks.
• Gagaga Cowboy: This card was a sleeper hit in the OCG, making it one of the most wanted cards of the set. Cowboy’s burn effect can be a sudden surprise. Those last 800 lifepoints you held on to, might be gone faster than you think. And honestly, I’m glad this card did not become a Secret Rare (sigh of relief), or this would’ve become the money card of the set.
• Magic Deflector: I mentioned it in my last post about Abyss Rising(Click here to read it), but Magic Deflector is a hidden gem (and it’s a frigging common card). It’s virtually a spell stun card, that cancels the effect of field spells, continuous spells and (most importantly) quick-play spell cards. This is the first card that can jam an MST, Book of Moon, Forbidden Lance or Enemy Controller WITHOUT A COST!
• That Wacky alchemy!: Didn’t realize the potential of this card until the Konami Blog pointed it out for me. Click here to read the powers of this card.
• Interesting twist to old cards: Giant Soldier of Steel? Attack the moon? It’s like watching the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Cardgame anime all over again. Props to Konami for introducing old classics with a new twist.
• Slushy: Safe having a hilarious name (lol, a slush monster) this card is a hidden gem in this set. I strongly advice getting a playset of this card while nobody realizes the potential (the card is dirt cheap). Getting 3 of them in your grave is easy. And honestly, having 3 Monster Reborn cards that activate in your grave for Sea Serpents is a god’s gift. The only downside is that right now, there aren’t that many great targets to revive available right now (Poseidra, Abyssmegalo or Divine Dragon Aquabizarre). But if we get some more high-level Sea Serpents, this card will pop up a lot.
• Electromagnetic Bagworm: This is an old card and the only effect monster left of the old OCG boosters and expansions that wasn’t introduced in a TCG set. People started wondering if Konami would ever get to it. It’s not the greatest of cards, but still I’m glad it’s in our hands now.
• Bahamut Shark: I hoped this card would be in here and it is! This is the key card of Shark in the manga and god, it’s way better than Shark Drake Veiss (his key card in the anime). This card (A) is a 2600 beat stick that can get over most other XYZ monster and (B) can special summon other water XYZ. Preferred targets are Leviathan Dragon and Aero Shark (2 beaters) or the new Mermail Abysstrite (from the upcoming set Cosmo Blazer). Abysstrite is a mighty defender (2800 defense) and special summons a Mermail monster when destroyed (by any means) and sent to the grave (bringing back Spike or Megalo). Combo’s with sharks and mermaids has never been so advantageous.
• Thunder Seahorse: (Notice how he DOES get a T I his name) The card was absent from the last set, but its honor has been restored in this set with a secret foil. Thunder fans (Watt & Batteryman) will love this card, as it gives a much needed boost for this type of cards.
• Balance: For a few sets now, the full set is balanced. There are good cards, but there are no clear overpowered cards, only introducing the Mermails as the next tier-material archetype (like how last set introduced Geargia’s) and giving more support to Prophecies and Madolche’s.

Misses:

• Some anime cards should better be left in the anime. Have you read the card text of Heroic gift? You must be really desperate for those draws, if you want to let your opponent gain 6000+ life points. Even in the Anime it wasn’t that much.
• The worst card in the set. Last set had the awfully bad card Cold Feet, this set has an equally bad card: The Humble Sentry (as opposed to the forbidden card “The Forceful Sentry”). This card forces one of your cards back in the deck. Why would anyone ever do this? Yeah, I know, there’s that combo with Mystic refpanel. But honestly, will you ever use that combo in real life? There are better ways to get rid of your opponent’s cards.
• Worst Armageddon Knight copy: Armageddon Knight > Dust Knight > Shore Knight. The usefulness of the carbon copies is decreasing with each set. Thank god, the fire one in Cosmo Blazer will be better again.
• The secret foil of Abyssmegalo & Spellbook Tower. Granted, they look pretty in that foil, but the prices for those two cards have gone up in a crazy way. And seriously, releasing a field spell in Secret Rare? This never happened before! Jeezes, they’re really turning Prophecies into a bling deck (like Lightsworns a few years back).
• This set might not be for you: If you’re not interested in the Mermails, Madolche’s, Prophecies or any of the included anime cards, there’s not really many cards in here for you. Outside of a few good cards (I think Gagaga Gunman, That wacky Alchemy and Magic deflector are about the only generic good card in this set), there’s not much to get in here. Thank god, this gets better in Cosmo Blazer.

That’s about it for this set. Next up, I’ll give you the cards to look out for in Cosmo Blazar.

Until then, V out.