Massive Yugioh updates - Masked HERO Structure Deck, Baby Monarchs, new D.D. monsters and more

It's been one of those days where you wake up and spread your eyes wide open because of all the news updates. I'll try to recap whatever I found/noticed this morning.

The HERO structure deck supports masked HEROs

Considering all the variants in HERO cards, it wasn't quite clear what kind of Structure deck we could expect. But I guess most people kind of guessed what effect monster would be in here, right?

The first revelead 2 cards are the long-awaited Elemental HERO Shadow Mist and a new quick-play spell card named Form Change.

• Shadow Mist: has two effects. The first one is "If this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Change" Quick-Play Spell Card from your Deck to your hand (Mask Change or Form Change obviously)". The other is: "If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "HERO" monster from your Deck to your hand, except for "Elemental HERO Shadow Mist". You can only use 1 of these effects once per turn (to prevent abuse, since it's a good effect).
• Form Change on the other end is similar to Mask Change, but while Mask Change required you to keep the current attribute, Form Change requires you to keep the same level instead; AND it sends the targeted fusion monster back to the extra deck instead of to the grave (interesting twist).
• Chaos HERO Chaos and Masked HERO Kouga are also revealed to be new fusion cards in this structure deck, but without effect as of yet (more on that next month around this period).

Other revealed cards are Card Trooper, Honest, E-HERO Woodsman, Bubbleman and Gaia, Masked HERO Acid and Miracle Fusion.

It's not hard to predict, but people are quite excited about Shadow Mist... her second effect obviously. She doesn't miss timing and when sent to the grave by ANY means. And when sent, she searches any HERO (Tele-DAD abuse?). And believe me, with an attack of 1000, reviving her and sending her back to the grave is just as easy as constantly spamming Stratos. Thank god there's a once-per-turn clause, or otherwise this card would become limited/forbidden sooner than you think.

Stratos is gone for good (in TCG). Does this serve as a replacement?

Baby Monarchs, what the...?

Another big uproar is the announcement of baby Monarchs. Well, truth be told, they're not named monarchs (nor princes), but the effect and art of the first revealed card make it clear that they're related to the monarchs.

The first card to be revealed is named Essha, the Forst Vassal. The effect is: "If your opponent controls 2 or more cards in their Spell and Trap Card Zones, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand)."

The art is similar to Mobius and seems (in terms of effect) like the perfect setup to summon Mobius. This card will appear in the OCG Jump Victory Carnival 2014. no idea if more of the "baby monarchs" will follow, but they probably will (considering Konami's pushing the Monarchs lately).

"Perfect spam card?
I don't know what you're talking about?"

New V-Jump Card has new D.D. Monsters

A New V-Jump pack will appear in the OCG, with cards like Entermate Heitiger (Warrior Tiger), Entermate Jinrhino (Thunderhino), DDD Caesar the Conqueror, DD Proud Ogre and DD Proud Chevalier.

No effects as of yet, since they still have to appear in the anime. But more on that next month I guess?

Duelist Advent fully spoiled

The Duelist Advent (the next set after Primal Origins) is being released today in the OCG, so yesterday and last night all cards were slowly revealed. I won't go into detail at this moment, but I'll give you the usual "cards to look forward to" post next week's Monday or so.

OCG's Number Guide 3 promo card revealed

The promo card will be Number 99: Hope Dragun. And it gives people another reason to play a Utopia monster (any Utopia monster)

Because while you can use 3 Lv 10 monsters as Xyz Material, you can also discard any Rank-up Magic spell card to overlay a Utopia monster you control with this boss monster. Its two effects are:

① Once per turn: You can target 1 “Number” monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Defense Position. Its effects are negated. ② When a monster effect targets this card: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate that activation, and if you do destroy it.

Don't expect this one soon in the TCG, the first Numbers Guide card became a Jump Promo and the second one is only being released this month in Dragons of Legend.

More cards (or card effects) revealed in Dragons of Legend

You know that series of cards in my post about Dragons of Legend that didn't have a card effect announced yet? Well, they all got their effect revealed... together with some new revealed cards!

• Instant Fusion (anime card) became Flash Fusion (because of the obvious naming issues). It's a quick-play spell card that lets you fuse instantly, with the cost that the fusion monster is destroyed during the end phase (unless used as Xyz Material or for Masked HERO transformations.).
• Shooting Star got its effect as predicted: while you control a stardust dragon: target 1 card, destroy the target.
• Rising Sun Slash: Utopia can not be destroyed by effects (including its own, lol); each time a monster is attacked, it gains 500 attack (lol, whut), and you can detach it as an Xyz material (why would you do that, for crying out loud?). Good support card!
• Blackwing – Steam the Cloaked is an "interesting" Blackwing tuner that creates a lv 1 token when sent to the graveyard and which can special summon itself by tributing a monster you control. Though the downside is that both effects can only be used once per duel.
• Number C73: Abyss Supra requires 3 LV 6 monsters and does attack manipulation, similar to Abyss Splash. It does become interesting if Abyss Splash is an Xyz Material, since then it cannot be destroyed by card effects (wich makes it a menacing card). But that's not very likely to happen, right?
• Final Fusion: If two fusion monsters battle it out, both monsters are destroyed and both players take the total attack as effect damage. Massive effect damage, but only usable in limited decks.
• Wiretap: Now THIS is an interesting counter trap: When a Trap Card is activated: Negate that activation, and if you do, return that card to the owner’s Deck. No more allowing your opponent to draw a card (Dark Bribe) or paying 1000 lifepoints (7 Tools). You just send it back to the deck (LOL).
• Mound of the Bound Creator: This is an interesting support card for God Card decks. It protects Lv. 10 and higher monsters from card effects (*cough*REDMD*cough*), causes extra effect damage if a Lv. 10 or higher monster destroys a monster (*cough*star*eater*cough*quasar*cough*) and when this card is destroyed by effect (not game mechanic, you sly weasels), you can add a Divine Beast from your deck to the hand. Amazing for God cards, but I have no idea what other monsters to use it for (*cough*bullshit*cough*).
• Guardian Dreadscythe: You can only special summon it when Guardian Eatos is destroyed (like in the anime) or by its own effect. When summoned, you can instantly equip the Reaper Scythe from your deck to this card (lol, wut?). And if it's send from the field to the grave, you can send 1 card from your hand to the grave to special summon it once more. Downside: no further summons except this card (to prevent abuse with its special summon condition). But whether or not it will be used, will probably depend on the effect of the Reaper's Scythe.

And the newly revealed cards are:

• Amulet Dragon: The Fusion between Dark Magician and the Eye of Timaeus. When summoned, you can banish any number of spell cards in either player's grave (*hint*prophecy*hint) to gain extra attack. And when it's destroyed, you can special summon any spellcaster from your grave. Very interesting card.
• Rank-Up-Magic Admire Death Thousand: Hey, look. Vector's RUM card. And it's a funny card (though very situational). When both players have an Xyz with the same rank in their grave, you can special summon a Number C monster whose rank is 1 higher than the 2 Xyz in the graves. Special summon the Number C card and attach the two Xyz from the grave as Xyz Material. While similar to another nerfed Rank-up Card (you can't special summon other monsters), the fact that you can create a chaos monster out of thin air makes it a little better. If you use it (unlikely), the best bet to use this card is a Rank 5 C card (Utopia Ray V and Heraldry Crest of Horror), because it has the highest chance of success.
• Shadow Impulse: Not from Jump, but from an article on the Konami blog last evening (you'd almost forget it with all the other reveals). When a Synchro you control is destroyed by any means and sent to the grave, you can special summon another synchro from your extra deck of the same Type (e.g. Dragons) and level, but with a different name. It is an easy way to sacrifice decent cards (like Scrap Dragon) to achieve harder-to-get but hella annoying synchro's (like Beelze, Dark End Dragon, Void Ogre Dragon or Infernity Doom Dragon) . Interesting trap card, I have to say.
• Reaper's Scythe - Dreadscythe is announced in the card effect of Guardian Dreadscythe, but no effect as of yet.
• And a certain poster announced that Express Train Trolley Olley will be in this set as well. No effects either, but the anime effect isn't great so... should we care?

"BOW BEFORE YOUR MASTER!"

Afterword

Wow, that was a lot to cover. Hope I got it all. Anyways, that's it for now, V out.