Well, the previews have come and gone once again. I hope that everyone had a good time at their local Yu-Gi-Oh! Cybernetic Revolution Sneak Preview. Wasn’t Embodiment of Apophis a cool promo card? Now that the previews are over, the next big Yu-Gi-Oh! event is the premiere of Yu-Gi-Oh! GXhere in the United States. In fact, many of the monsters you may have seen in your packs of Cybernetic Revolution will be featured in this spin-off of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series. Today’s featured card comes from one of the side characters in the show.

One of the more interesting characters in the upcoming Yu-Gi-Oh! GXseries is Zane Truesdale. Also known as the Kaiser of Duel Academia, Zane Truesdale is the top-ranked member of Obelisk Blue. He is considered one of the best and smartest duelists of the school, which prompts the question . . .

First of all, Syrus resembles little Yugi Moto more than any other character. He’s also one of the worst duelists at Duel Academia. This isn’t too surprising, as he plays the funny (but lacking) vehicle monsters, such as Cycroid and Patroid. All right—let’s face it, Skull Servant is more useful than Cycroid. It’s easy to see why Syrus may have found himself in Slifer Red while Zane ended up at Obelisk Blue.

However, there is one card in Syrus’ arsenal that intrigues me. UFOroid, a key element to Syrus’ deck, possesses an abnormally high level for a search-effect monster. This is definitely odd, since almost all the monsters that search out a monster with an ATK of 1500 or less are only level 4. However, UFOroid is worth a look. One of my favorite types of effects in any card game is the search effect, and UFOroid is one of the only search effects available for Machines.

The Basic Breakdown

UFOroid’s stats are far from impressive. 1200 ATK usually isn’t going to get you anywhere if it’s on a level 6 monster, unless that monster’s effect involves drawing extra cards. However, this mechanical cartoon of a monster is the first search effect that’s available to Machine-type themes. UFOroid allows you to special summon a variety of nifty control monsters, such as Cannon Soldier, Jetroid, Roulette Barrel, Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, and the ridiculously powerful and widely available Cyber-Stein. While many of these monsters can be special summoned through other, more popular, search-effect monsters, such as Shining Angel and Mystic Tomato, UFOroid allows you to search for any Machine-type monsters, whether that monster’s attribute is Light, Dark, or Earth. This gives UFOroid far more versatility than any of the other search-effect monsters.

UFOroid also works great when it’s combined with Shining Angel, as the Light-searching monster allows you to special summon UFOroid without the hefty burden of tribute summoning it (which is something you should never try to do with this monster). Now imagine running three copies of each of these cards. Either you’ll be able to thin your deck to an enormous extent in a matter of turns, or you’ll be able to summon any control-element Machine monster of your choice, such as Cannon Soldier, which is another highly underrated card in the current environment.

Combos and Counters

UFOroid’s high level may seem to be an annoying drawback at first, but you can summon this search-effect monster with its buddy Shining Angel. If that happens, then you’ll have access to some of the best Machine monsters if you can cause UFOroid to be wrecked as a result of battle. However, its high level of 6 proves to be extremely useful for duelists who like Metamorphosis. A morphed UFOroid allows its controller to special summon monsters to the field like Ryu Senshi, Fiend Skull Dragon, or Dark Blade the Dragon Knight. Having access to a monster that can search out some of the best control monsters in the game certainly isn’t a terrible option.

UFOroid is also the key to the new fusion monster UFOroid Fighter, which has one of the more unique fusion requirements in the game. While this monster can only be useful when it’s fusion summoned, it allows you to combine UFOroid with Warrior-type monsters, such as Zombyra the Dark and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. Imagine special summoning Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, removing your opponent’s only monster, and then using your Envoy in a fusion summon with UFOroid to summon a monster with an ATK greater than that of Cyber End Dragon. This card could easily prove to be one of the casual duelist’s greatest joys.

If you’re looking for other methods to avoid tribute summoning UFOroid, then direct your attention to Last Will. This old spell card that’s reminiscent of the original Yugi-themed starter deck allows you to special summon either your first UFOroid or multiple copies of UFOroid at once, depending on how you cause the destruction of one of your monsters. Last Will won’t be wasted either, as it can allow you to easily special summon monsters such as Cannon Soldier and Shining Angel.

UFOroid’s biggest weaknesses are relatively obvious. Its DEF might be able to survive a Tsukuyomi assault, which is technically a drawback, since you’d love it if your UFOroid was destroyed as a result of battle—but its ATK is comparatively weak. While this gives you the advantage of searching your deck if it runs into an average search-effect monster, it will also meet Pyramid Turtle head-on. While you may be able to special summon a Machine-type monster with 1500 ATK or less, your opponent will probably end up special summoning Vampire Lord. It’s pretty obvious who would get the better trade-off.

UFOroid’s level is also a royal pain to deal with. If you end up with multiple copies of UFOroid in your hand early in the game, your chances of winning will probably be greatly decreased. If UFOroid ends up on top of your deck thanks to the effects of a “spin” mechanic, then you’ll also be in an equally unpleasant situation.

Final Thoughts

While UFOroid isn’t the greatest search-effect card to be released, it is the first one that’s specific to Machine-type monsters. Its level is both a pain and a blessing, depending on the deck that you’re running, but it gives you the option of going through your deck at a rapid pace when you combine it with Shining Angel. It’s definitely a fun card to try out if you’re a casual duelist. Who knows? A competitive duelist may just put this card to serious use at a future tournament. Not only would it be a unique use of a search-effect monster, but it would be simply hilarious to beat an opponent at a tournament with a monster that looks like it jumped out of an old children’s television program*.

*Please tell me that vehicles with faces bring back memories for a few people that are reading today’s article. C’mon! You can admit it!