“I tribute my sheep token . . . trap . . . spell . . . Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”
 – Ray, the Gate duelist

Reasoning first hit the scene with the release of the Pharaonic Guardian expansion set. At the time, the spell was cast aside in shoeboxes everywhere, until its best friend, Magical Scientist, was introduced a few months later. From that point forward, the two cards were inseparable, and the Scientist “First-Turn Kill” (FTK) deck began to reign.

Let’s fast-forward a bit to Ancient Sanctuary and the release of the set’s unpredictable Summoner, Monster Gate. Monster Gate and Reasoning worked together to support the Scientist FTK deck. The two cards also created a mysterious new deck type that I like to call “High-Level Rampage.”

Neither card proved to be problem free. Reasoning’s original text was a source of great confusion, and Monster Gate’s effect often seems too good to be true. Some players have trouble believing that it’s possible to use Monster Gate to special summon a monster as strong as Blue-Eyes White Dragon. How can you turn a sheep token into Blue-Eyes? Sounds a bit fishy, right?

This week, we’ll delve into both cards. I’ll explain the details of each card and clear up all myths. By the end of this article, you will know the secret of how a sheep token can become Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I’ll even explain the workings of the High-Level Rampage deck.

Reasoning

Your opponent declares a monster level. You then pick up cards from the top of your deck until a monster that can be normal summoned is picked up.

When you activate Reasoning, your opponent picks a monster level. An opponent will usually pick a level that is common to most decks, like level 4. Calling a level like 12 isn’t likely to help an opponent out.

Once your opponent picks a level, you will set aside your hand and begin to reveal cards from the top of your deck, one at a time, until you pick up a monster that can be normal summoned.

This part of Reasoning’s effect can confuse players. You need to remember that high-level monsters like Blue-Eyes White Dragon can be normal summoned. According to the official rules, a tribute summon is a normal summon that requires tributes, due to the monster’s higher level.

What does this mean? It means that you can special summon a high-level monster like Blue-Eyes White Dragon with Reasoning. Or in the case of the Magical Scientist FTK deck, you can special summon Catapult Turtle.

Let’s say that you run into a monster, but it can’t be normal summoned. Perhaps a Ritual monster like Relinquished or a special summoned monster like Dark Necrofear is the first monster that you pick up. What would you do then? According to Reasoning’s text, you need to reveal cards until you reach a monster that can be normal summoned. If you pick up a monster that can’t be normal summoned, you must continue picking up cards.

Then there’s Rare Metal Dragon, another monster you don’t want to pick up with Reasoning. The powerful level 4 Dragon can’t be normal summoned or set, and because of that, the card doesn’t benefit from Reasoning’s effect.

If that monster is the same level as the one called by your opponent, send all picked-up cards to the graveyard. If not, special summon the picked-up monster and send the remaining cards to the graveyard.

This part of Reasoning’s effect is straightforward. If the monster that you picked up isn’t of the same level that your opponent called, you will special summon that monster. If your opponent called the right level, the monster will go to the graveyard. In both cases, the other picked-up cards go to the graveyard.

I must warn you, however, that there is one monster class that will try to trick you. Does everyone remember our old friend (or sworn enemy), Yata-Garasu? The evil bird is a Spirit monster, and Spirit monsters can’t be special summoned. However, they can be normal summoned, and that makes them a problem for any player using Reasoning. Spirit monsters will halt your progress through the deck because they can be normal summoned, but you will be unable to special summon them due to their class restriction. Spirit monsters will be sent to the graveyard along with all of the other cards you had picked up when Reasoning’s effect resolves.

Another situation that causes confusion is the use of A Legendary Ocean with Reasoning. You need to remember that the cards you pick up with Reasoning aren’t in your hand, so the level of revealed Water monsters won’t be lowered by the effect of A Legendary Ocean. If I were to reveal Gogiga Gagagigo, it would be a level 8, rather than a level 7, monster.

Monster Gate

Offer one monster on your side of the field as a tribute. Pick up cards from your deck until you pick up a monster that can be normal summoned, and then special summon it. Send any other cards that you picked up to the graveyard.

The special-summoning portion of Monster Gate’s effect is similar to Reasoning’s. Unlike Reasoning, Monster Gate is free of opposing interference, but because of that, Monster Gate comes with a price.

When you activate Monster Gate, you must tribute a monster you control to pay the spell’s cost. That’s when our little buddy, the sheep token, shows us some love. You see, you can tribute a sheep token to pay the activation cost of Monster Gate. That’s how a meek little sheep token can be transformed into a ferocious Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

From there, you pick up cards until you reveal a monster that can be normal summoned. Just like with Reasoning, special-summoned monsters, Ritual monsters, and Spirit monsters have the same problems and are handled in the same way.

High-Level Rampage

What is the High-Level Rampage deck? I’ve been using it since Ancient Sanctuary was released. If you play it, you’ll discover that High-Level Rampage catches opponents off guard. The deck uses mostly high-level monsters with only a few low-level monsters for support. High-Level Rampage flows by relying on cards like Reasoning and Monster Gate. Support cards like Scapegoat, Stray Lambs, Cost Down, and A Hero Emerges round out the deck’s arsenal.

You can fuel Monster Gate with sheep tokens and any monsters you can take control of with cards like Snatch Steal. Sinister Serpent is also a great addition for this purpose.

Reasoning is equally nasty in this deck. Your opponent will have a difficult decision to make when trying to guess the level of your monster, because the levels vary so wildly in this deck. You can bet that Reasoning will keep opponents on their toes. I suggest running multiple monsters from different levels ranging from 4 to 8.

The other neat feature of this deck is that it gives you the chance to play with high-level monsters that are really cool but difficult to bring out in most decks. Can you imagine using Mystical Knight of Jackal, Dark Magician of Chaos, Armed Dragon LV5, Blowback Dragon, Invader of Darkness, and Airknight Parshath in the same deck? The High-Level Rampage deck allows you to do just that.

You’ll have a lot of fun with The Creator in this deck. Discarding one high-level monster to special summon another, turn after turn, feels great. Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast is another great monster for this deck because of the card’s dual-mode function. Try mixing in the brand-new Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys for even more fun, because your opponent will have to be very careful when handling it. Also, don’t forget about high-level monsters with spell-card immunities like Silent Swordsman LV5 and Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6. These monsters will protect themselves automatically and make your work easier.

Give High-Level Rampage a try. It’ll be fun for you and your opponents.

Until next week, send all comments to Curtis@metagame.com.