The darkness had grown too strong, and the forces of good were losing: The Archfiends had united with Pandemonium, releasing the forces of Chaos and their unbelievable power. The reformed champion Gagagigo’s quest to strengthen himself against the evil had led him into madness. His body was slowly being absorbed into its cybernetic enhancements, and he had begun attacking friend and foe alike.
With this, The Warrior of Zera’s quest began. He needed to find the Archlords and gain their power in order to fight the consuming darkness of the evil fiends. The Sanctuary in the Sky lay before him, and with it, the Agents who would turn the tide of war.
The Archfiends learned of this plan and devised their own countermeasure. Their sealed weapon, Mazera DeVille, was in need of a host to claim as his own. A lone warrior sent against the elements could be tempted to turn to their cause, and with him final victory could be theirs for the taking . . .
Who will win? Well now, that is up to us. Our first battlefield is the arena of limited play.
I won’t try and kid you—Ancient Sanctuary is a set of great contrast, in that the first half of the set is in great thematic contrast to the second half of the set. The first half of the set focuses on Light monsters and The Sanctuary in the Sky, with different weapons of other factions also supported, while the second half of the set focuses on the little guys and their Human-Wave Tactics.
Just as with previous sets, it can be difficult to gather together the entirety of a theme within a draft deck. Knowing this, it is still of benefit to be familiar with the various themes available so you can readily realize the potential combinations of cards you find in your draft packs.
This article will serve as an introduction to the notable monster cards of Ancient Sanctuary. Next week, I will discuss the notable spells and traps of the set. Future articles will go into more detail about each theme in the set and outline combinations they offer.
The Monsters
Gogiga Gagagigo and Metal Armored Bug: The ultimate realization of Gagagigo’s quest for power, the being that once existed has been replaced with a cybernetic menace of near-legendary power, even rivaling the power of the famed engine of destruction itself, Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Both Gogiga Gagagigo and Metal Armored Bug work well in draft as sources of power. Keeping monsters for tribute on the field is not too difficult in draft, so you should take your chances with these monsters if presented with them.
Agent of Judgment - Saturn: This card serves as its own deck type, but in draft it will be difficult to produce. It relies not only on getting this ultra rare card, but also on obtaining the super rare Sanctuary in the Sky. If you do manage to draw the pieces together, it should become your focus. If you use this card’s effect when your life points are twice your opponent’s life points, victory is yours.
Vampire Lady: Vampire Lord’s little sister, players spoke of this card before it was even released. It serves a good purpose outside of draft, but in draft it may be difficult to get the effect to work consistently. The average ATK of monsters in this set is lower then in previous sets, so use this to your advantage. The card is nice for helping to deplete your opponent’s deck so you can lead them more speedily toward a deck-out.
Stone Statue of the Aztecs: This super rare card offers high DEF and a beneficial effect—or at least it is beneficial once. After your opponent has the misfortune of upsetting it, he or she will no doubt not attack it again.
Rocket Jumper: Rocket Jumper has potential. It can be combined with cards like Earthquake and Level Limit - Area B to aid its effect. The effect is still vulnerable to your opponent setting spell and trap cards, though.
Gear Golem the Moving Fortress: A nasty level 4 monster with a great 2200 DEF. It is the only monster of its kind to reach ultra rare status. The Gear Golem works very well with a common spell card called Weapon Change, which offers you the ability to change Gear Golem into a 2200 ATK monster. Combine this with Gear Golem’s effect of being able to attack directly, and your opponent is in for a hurting. The only real difficulty in achieving this combo will be the set-up: getting your Gear Golem face up for use during your standby phase with Weapon Change.
Needle Burrower: Yeah, so it's a tribute monster with only 1700 ATK. You would be wise to look past this at what Needle Burrower is likely to battle with in draft before jumping to a hasty conclusion and not using it. Needle Burrower has good odds of finding a weak target to punish with its effect in draft. Being a super rare, you are more likely to see its little-brother KA-2 Des Scissors, but Needle Burrower offers more of the ATK punch needed to make it dangerous. You can expect to see someone using this outside of draft to put the hurt on people. KA-2 Des Scissors can be combined with Micro Ray to overcome its weak ATK and thus allow it to destroy an opponent’s monster in battle, dishing out some punishment.
Blowback Dragon: Someone must have decided to ask that one question… do you feel lucky? The Ultra Rare Blowback Dragon is a great addition to any Machine-based Deck and will work well in Draft, as it offers a source of both monster removal and Spell/Trap removal in once card. (Not a bad card for many Deck types, in all honesty)
Zaborg the Thunder Monarch: Combine a strong, single tribute monster with the ability to destroy a monster free of charge, and I am a happy boy. Just be sure not to tribute summon this monster when your opponent has no monsters in play. Zaborg is a super rare, so take it if you get it.
Piranha Army: Piranha Army has a nice effect when it attacks directly, doubling whatever damage it has done. If you have some muscle to clear the way, you can turn its 800 ATK into 1600 battle damage with its effect. Not a bad shot at all. Just don’t expect it to stand up in a battle with an opponent’s monster.
Two Thousand Needles: A great many monsters in this set have less then 1800 ATK and thus can fall prey to your Two Thousand Needles. The obvious problem is that your opponent is not likely to attack a monster you set by way of a tribute. The best use for Two Thousand Needles is its 2000 ATK. (Is it 1 point of damage for each needle?)
Goblin King: Lazy little guy, for certain. It has to feed off the power of other Fiends, of which there are ten in the set. If you manage to combine it with enough Fiends, Goblin King could become quite powerful and win you the match.
Solar Flare Dragon: Solar Flare Dragon’s effect is great for some quick damage. If you can get more then one, you have good odds of putting your opponent into a lock-down that would be difficult to break free of. You can combine it with Level Limit - Area B for even better control.
Protector of the Shrine: This card’s effect is something of an oddity that will be more useful in Constructed play. In draft, it will serve as a defensive monster.
Ghost Knight of Jackal: This one has potential. The 1700 ATK should be enough to defeat most monsters you will face in battle, and its effect will help you to amass a considerable force in no time. You also are not forced to special summon a monster you don’t want, which keeps your monster zone free for the ones you do want. The card is an ultra rare, so don’t count on seeing it. Draft it if you can.
Regenerating Mummy: This card is one of the few high ATK monsters in the set. The effect it has will serve well in Constructed but not in draft. Rely on this one for its offensive ability.
Night Assailant: Another form of Man-Eater Bug, this one is quite nasty, with its additional ability relating to it being discarded. You should draft this card when given the chance, as it will serve you well in protecting yourself from your opponent’s strongest monster threats.
The End of Anubis: While its effect is not likely to accomplish much in draft, its stats should make it worth using. You can expect to see more of this one in Constructed play.
Next week . . . the spells and traps.
Send all comments, suggestions, and menchi recipes to curtis@metagame.com.