Today’s preview card makes me a happy person, because it’s similar to a card that I really, really like—Big Shield Gardna. Check this one out!

TLM-EN024
Rare
Earth
Warrior/Effect
Level 4
100 ATK
1800 DEF

You can flip this card into face-down defense position once per turn during your main phase. Negate the activation of a spell card that targets this face-down monster. At that time, flip this card into face-up defense position.

These days, most decks run exactly 40 cards, because that gives you the best chance of drawing the cards you need when you need them. The problem with this is that you often have to cut good cards from your deck, because there are other cards that can do more for you. Most experienced duelists try to play cards that can do multiple things depending on what you need at any given time. Running multi-functional cards is an important part of deckbuilding. EN024 is an example of such a card.

The Most Bang for your Buck

The usefulness of a multi-functional card is based on how good its abilities are. For example, Breaker the Magical Warrior can act as either a 1900 ATK, level 4 monster or a piece of spell/trap removal. These are both excellent abilities to have access to. Compare that to a card like Pyramid Energy. While Pyramid Energy looks good in theory, its abilities are hardly as useful as they sound. In most situations, using Rush Recklessly or The Reliable Guardian is much better suited for the job.

That brings us to today’s preview card. Much like Big Shield Gardna, EN024 can act as a form of spell negation and serve as a powerful defense against attack. There are, however, a few key differences between the cards. The first difference is that Big Shield Gardna has a superior DEF. With 2600 DEF, it can easily stand up to every commonly played monster with the exception of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. EN024 only has 1800 DEF, but that’s still large enough to stand up to nearly all commonly played, level 4 monsters—with the obvious exceptions of Berserk Gorilla and a powered-up Blade Knight.

While Big Shield Gardna may be nearly invincible for the first attack, repeated attacks are sure to cause large amounts of pain for the card’s controller. This isn’t the case with EN024. Unlike its big brother, this card doesn’t have to switch to attack mode after being attacked, so it’s a more stable form of defense. Also unlike the Big Shield, EN024’s spell-negation ability is reusable, because you can flip the card face down once per turn. This ability will give the card a lot of staying power against any deck that packs two copies of Nobleman of Crossout or runs Back to Square One. The effect will also be useful in the Traditional format, where Change of Heart is still running rampant. There will be a drawback if your opponent manages to hit EN024 with Snatch Steal, however. If that happens, your opponent will be able to flip the card face down to steal it permanently.

Somewhere I Belong

Where does EN024 belong? Not in Constructed, because there isn’t a place in most decks for a monster that doesn’t have an incredibly devastating effect, and I’d hardly call negating Nobleman of Crossout or flipping over once per turn “devastating.” EN024 may find a place in some Burn decks, but most Burn players would rather use Big Shield Gardna with Level Limit - Area B to get around the card’s weakness.

Sealed and Draft are entirely different stories. A monster with 1800 DEF is strong in Sealed Pack, because most level 4 monsters can’t get past it. The ability to negate a spell is also very good in Limited, where spells are in short supply. Plus, the potential to negate more than one spell makes the effect even better. If you see EN024 in a sealed pack or draft, snap it up quickly.

Overall, EN024 is a strong opener that has the potential to force an opponent to waste at least one card. That being said, its usefulness drastically decreases as the game goes on.  Consider pitching the card to pay a cost if you draw it later in the game.

That’s it for the last preview I’ve got for you, but make sure you check back every day for the rest of the week, as Metagame.com will be bringing you more exclusive previews from The Lost Millennium. Also, make sure you go to a Sneak Preview event this weekend to get a chance to play with the new cards before they’re released!

Jerome McHale
jcmchale@andrew.cmu.edu

Next week: Playtesting with The Lost Millennium.