For any trading card game, there’s nothing more refreshing than a new and well-constructed set of cards. There’s also nothing more entertaining than clicking the refresh button of your internet browser at a rate of once per second, and I imagine some of the readers out there have probably almost broken their own refresh buttons. Slow down, everyone—there’s still a little more than a week’s worth of previews left!
One interesting aspect of Elemental Energy, the upcoming Yu-Gi-Oh! set, is that it contains a variety of cards seen on the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX animated series, which is currently airing at 5:00 pm and 10:30 pm on Cartoon Network. It’s safe to expect some Elemental Hero support, as Jerome showcased one of the new fusion monsters earlier this week.
However, what if you don’t like Jaden Yuki, the Elemental Hero duelist of the new Yu-Gi-Oh! series? Perhaps hearing the quotes “Throw down a face-down!” and “Get your game on!” make you want to bury your head in the ground. In this case, you’re similar to me*, or maybe you just happen to like the original Yu-Gi-Oh! characters that much more. Today’s preview is a tribute to everyone’s favorite original spiky-haired duelist, Yugi Muto. The Queen’s Knight, King’s Knight, and Jack’s Knight cards will make their American debuts in Elemental Energy!
Queen’s Knight
Level 4
LIGHT Attribute
Warrior Type
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1600
Jack’s Knight
Level 5
LIGHT Attribute
Warrior Type
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1400
King’s Knight
Level 4
LIGHT Attribute
Warrior Type
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1400
If you have "Queen's Knight" on your side of the field when this card is Normal Summoned, you can then Special Summon 1 "Jack's Knight" from your Deck.
Many fans of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series may recognize these three monsters as Yugi’s method of summoning his Egyptian God card Slifer the Sky Dragon. The three Knights made their debut in Yugi’s duel against Seto Kaiba during the BattleCity semifinals. Thanks to bait (in the form of Yugi’s Big Shield Gardna), Yugi’s Queen’s Knight was left untouched by Kaiba’s monster. This gave him the opportunity to summon King’s Knight with a trap card that triggered once one of his monsters was destroyed, and then Yugi could special summon Jack’s Knight from his deck. It’s key to mention that, in the animated series, King’s Knight would trigger if Queen’s Knight was face-up on the field, even if the King was special summoned. Thanks to the Knights’ ability to quickly swarm the field, Yugi was able to summon his Egyptian God card before Kaiba could summon Obelisk the Tormentor.
The three Knights made many more appearances during Yugi’s duels. Queen’s Knight has been commonly seen as one of Yugi’s first plays in many duels, where he sets a spell or trap card and then summons Queen’s Knight in defense position. The effect of King’s Knight has been triggered on occasion, and Yugi used King’s Knight, Queen’s Knight, and Jack’s Knight during the Grand Championship story arc.
While these cards may not necessarily be useful when you’re competing in a Sneak Preview event, and may lack a little power (which will keep them from being seen in most competitive decks), these Knights are a ton of fun to play with. If you can successfully trigger the effect of King’s Knight, you will immediately gain card and board advantage over your opponent, thanks to the special summoning of Jack’s Knight.
Since King’s Knight has to be normal summoned in order for its effect to trigger, you might need to find a way to safely special summon Queen’s Knight onto the field. If you simply set or normal summon her to the field, there’s a good chance that she will be instantly wiped out by the opponent’s monsters. Shining Angel is a powerful option that can summon Queen’s Knight, and this Light-fetching monster can also summon D. D. Warrior Lady with ease as well.
You may have a problem if you end up drawing Jack’s Knight, as you can only special summon this monster from your deck by using the effect of King’s Knight. Good Goblin Housekeeping may be a trap card worth considering if you would like to explore these three monsters. This trap card can help you filter through your deck, and it also allows you to place copies of Queen’s Knight and Jack’s Knight back into your deck, since you don’t want those monsters in your hand. What makes these monsters so versatile in casual play is that you can fetch King’s Knight with ease by using Reinforcement of the Army. This nearly guarantees that you can fill the field with the Knights if you already have a Queen’s Knight face-up on the field!
Of course, if you have an obsession with the Elemental Heroes, then you’re certainly not going to be deprived of cards. You’ll find plenty of great cards for your Elemental Hero deck in the Elemental Energy set. This new Yu-Gi-Oh! set has many new options for both casual and competitive duelists. Participants in the Elemental Energy Sneak Preview Weekend events will also receive the new promotional trap card Exchange of the Spirit**! As always, the Sneak Preview events are a lot of fun for casual and competitive duelists alike, so be sure to attend the one near you!
*I do like the original series better, and I apologize for anyone who feels the same way. You don’t have to tell anybody—it’s a private illness. I pretend I’m not myself sometimes as well.