Card ruling updates – Are there any noteworthy changes in Astral Pack 3?

It took several days, but all new cards from Astral Pack 3 have been scanned and updated on the Yugi wiki. Time to take a closer look at them and see if there are noteworthy changes in card rulings.

But honestly, there aren't that many changes in here. I can put the cards in a few categories:

• New cards in TCG: Curtain of the Dark Ones & Kamionwizard.
• Foil reprints of wanted cards: Atlantean Marksman, Fire Formation Tenki, Mermail Abyssgunde, Spellbook Star Hall and Library of the Crescent.
• Reprint, just for the sake of Problem-solving Card text (PSCT): Pollinosis, Wall of Thorns, Jowgen the Spiritualist, Des Lacooda, Vampire Dragon, Gladiator Beast's Battle Archfiend Shield, Deck Lockdown (sadly enough) and Heavy Slump.
• Cards that did not stated they targeted, now officially target in their PSCT: Falling Down, Swarm of Scarabs, Swarm of Locusts and Archfiend’s Roar.

But there are a few other cards in the set, with a specific reason for reprint.

Superfluous “face-up” is removed

In the first version of Problem-Solving Card Text, there was an often-used “face-up” in the card texts, even if it was not necessary. If you compare the card texts of the cards where these two words were removed, you’ll notice that the words were superfluous. There were already a few updates in the previous Astral pack. This pack, this change involves the following cards:

• Maestroke the Symphony Djinn: It’s impossible to protect face-down Djinn monsters anyway, so “face-up” is removed from his protection effect.
• Noble Arms Gallatin & Arfeudutyr: These two cards are equip spells, so they obviously can’t be equipped to face-down Noble Knights, but the original cards stated it anyway.
• An extra part on Gallatin was that the original text of the re-equip stated that its effect could only be used once per turn… like once for both players together (which was not true). The text has now been updated that both players can use it once per turn (important ruling for mirror matches).

"I used my sword this turn, you can't use yours... right?"
"Obviously NOT right!"

Cards need to remain in the grave in order to resolve their effect

Due to the difference between cards that resolve in the grave and effects that keep lingering after they’re sent to the grave, a few extra words have been placed on the following cards:

• Serene Psychic Witch: She has to remain in the grave in order to special summon the banished target. Was already like that in the rulings, but now this is stated on the card text.
• Imprisoned Queen Archfiend: The boost only happens when she remains in the grave while Pandemonium remains on the field (until after her effect resolves). Her effect is now also updated that she’s destroyed if you cannot pay her maintenance cost (was already in rule).

"Talk about a Gold Digger. She eats your money/lifepoints away.
And if you don't have enough left, she's gone."

Super Solar Nutrient

The last card in this set is Super Solar Nutrient, which is a different kind of update.

This card now states that the level that matters is the level the tributed monster had on the field. For example, if you tribute a Lv. 2 Spore (special summoned by its own effect), the special summoned monster can be of Lv. 5 or less; not 4 or less (if you would consider Spore’s level when it hits the grave).

This is an interesting text update that Konami might consider putting on Ninjitsu Art of Super-Transformation as well, because the level of the special summoned monster often causes many (unnecessary) discussions.

Afterword

Mostly, the updates in this pack is clarifications on already existing rules, or foil reprints to make it a wanted pack in general.

And yes, this pack is turning out to be quite wanted due to its foil reprints and those new cards. I personally liked the addition of Kamionwizard (it's an Instant Fusion target) and I'm not the only one (this common is about 20$).

However, I disliked the fact that Deck Lockdown's update is so... insignificant. Tewart mentioned the card text was horrible, but I didn't realize he meant the usage of proper English instead of the ruling issues (*facepalm*). There's still no clarification on the card whether or not it syncs with Master Key Beetle (on a side-note, the answer on that is: "no, it doesn't"). Come on, Konami. Please put a differentiation between conditions and card effects on your cards already!

And a last thing... Certain reprints are easy to get. Archfiends is due to the Archfiend support in JOTL; Zombies is due to the support in Shadow Specters; The Flip effect trio (Locusts/Lacooda/Scarabs) is due to their sync-potential with the Ghosttricks. But the Plant support reprints? Will there be more plant support in Shadow Specters? Or is that for the Shinra's already (in Legacy of the Valiant)? I guess we'll see when Shadow Specters is released in November.

Until next time, V out.