The other side of the card game #2: Starter Deck 2013

Second up in the new OCG cards review is the OCG Starter deck of 2013.

Each year, we get a new starter deck. This time, next to the 42 cards that make up this deck, each starter deck will have 2 extra booster packs (more on that tomorrow).

The starter deck itself is made of 42 cards which include 5 new ones. You should look at the deck list, because the Super Starter that will appear in the TCG upcoming June will be at least 80% the same as this list: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Starter_Deck_2013.

5 New cards

Each Starter deck also introduces a few new cards. This year, they’re the following:

• Gagaga Kid: Another addition to the Gagaga Family, this time it’s another Spellcaster (why aren’t they all Spellcasters, seriously?). You can special summon this card when you control another Gagaga monster and tune its level to that monster, for easy XYZ-ing. But its low attack makes it a bad topdeck.
• Magical Undertaker: A FLIP monster that syncs nicely with Apprentice Magician. If it is flipped, you can special summon a Lv. 4 or lower Spellcaster from the grave (nice).
• Kuro Kuro Kuro: Black, Claw & Crow are three words that are all pronounced as kuro (lol at the word play). This level 2 monster special summons itself from the hand when you control a Dark Monster. This card is a possible tech in Blackwing decks (to get Silverwind). The only thing this card is missing is the name “Blackwing”, so that it could be searched / special summoned by other blackwing card effects. But I have the feeling it won’t be used in other decks.
• Swords of Blazing Light: Stall Decks can rejoice (a little), because after the limiting of One Day of Peace, they get this new card. If you control no monsters and your opponent has a hand of less than 5 cards, he cannot attack you (lol). This card might be on the field for several turns if you activate it at the right moment (if your opponent has 2 or less cards left in his hand and no MST). Not a great card to have multiples of in your opening hand, though.
• Reborn Puzzle: If your opponent destroys a monster by card effects, you can special summon it, no matter where the monster ends up. This card is made to save your monster from a Bottomless Trap Hole. Too bad the restrictions make it so that it’s hard to use when facing a Mirror Force, Torrential Tribute and impossible when facing D-Prison.

My thoughts

A few of these new cards will have limited use, though none of the new cards are impressing (unlike previous starter decks, which had great XYZ).

The rest of the Starter deck is filled with Mediocre cards as usual (unless you're dying to get the first non-foil version of Cosmo Queen). Though, on a positive note: The reprint of Utopia Ray may be nice (if you missed out on the card in Order of Chaos). And I would appreciate a reprint of Wonder Wand any time, but due to its reprint in the Star Pack, nobody's really looking for that one anymore. Oh and of course, there’s also: Utopia, Lord of Reprints, just in case you burned all of his other reprints (same goes to Call of the Haunted & ROTA).

So not much value to buy it, huh? Luckily, Konami realized that and put 2 enhancement packs in this starter deck, to make it a little more appealing. But more on that one tomorrow.

Until then, V out.

"I'm going to break the printings record of Mystical Space Typhoon!"