Sometimes, life just isn’t fair. Together we studied each of the six elemental attributes for Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG monsters in The Juncture, and came to the conclusion that the effectiveness of these attributes is often tied to the searchable targets of its corresponding searcher. These “elemental searches,” all from Spell Ruler, are what determine the playability of the archetype. After all, a card like Mystic Tomato can fetch multiple monsters to pay for its own cost, including Sangan (a floater), Newdoria (a piece of monster removal), or Spirit Reaper (indestructible by battle). I noticed this disparity while constructing my series of elemental-based decks: the haves (Earth, Dark, Water) possess a wealth of options when compared to the have-nots (Wind, Light, Fire).

Each of the former attributes has at least a single card that can pay for itself. Giant Rat digs out Exiled Force, Mystic Tomato is timeless, and Mother Grizzly has access to either Yomi Ship (basically Newdoria) or Treeborn Frog (a spicy option). By comparison, Light has access to only D. D. Warrior Lady, while Wind and Fire have seen few options used in tournaments.

With the release of Enemy of Justice, however, the most oppressed attribute in all of Yu-Gi-Oh! will receive a champion. The card I speak of with such glowing aplomb is Cyber Phoenix, a level 4 Fire monster that helps two archetypes, Machine and Fire. Boasting searchable stats of 1200 ATK and 1600 DEF, it packs two effects. Let me create a simple but effective diagram to explain why we like this:

No Effect (Not So Good) à One Effect (Getting Warmer) à Two Effects (Scorching Hot!)

Cyber Phoenix’s effect text reads like this. While this card is in face-up Attack Position, negate the effects of any Spell or Trap Card that targets 1 Machine-Type monster on your side of the field. When this face-up card attacks or becomes attacked, if it is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can draw 1 card.

In all honesty, Fire decks have been so starved for a decent searchable card that the latter part of the effect alone—allowing you to draw a card if the Phoenix is destroyed through battle (like Dark Mimic LV3)—makes the card an excellent choice. However, in conjunction with its great first effect, it’s no surprise that this new card from Enemy of Justice is an incredible pull.

How Important Cyber Phoenix Will Be to the Metagame

As a proponent of themed deck focus for years, it’s hard not to be excited by such a wonderful card that seeks to resurrect a rather lackluster archetype. Cyber Phoenix has the ability to increase the draw power of both Fire decks and Machine decks, generate card advantage, or poke across an empty field for added damage without worrying about counter-attacks that destroy resources. In standard scenarios, the searcher for Fire—UFO Turtle—will bring out a card like Solar Flare Dragon, which can create 500 points of burn damage a turn, but will fall very quickly to any card like Breaker the Magical Warrior or Cyber Dragon. I must say that Cyber Phoenix is unquestionably the best searcher for any Fire deck. In fact, it might force Machine users to splash a few copies of UFO Turtle (which is a Machine, as well), resulting in great synergy across the board.

In essence, UFO Turtle now becomes the gateway to a monster that can attack with relative impunity. There are currently three kinds of effect monsters in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG: limited impunity, relative impunity, and absolute impunity. Let’s overlook the fact that I just conjured up some completely arbitrary terms and move on to the meat of the discussion. Limited impunity monsters are cards like Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and Berserk Gorilla. While they can certainly attack all they want, they tend to fall prey to both battle destruction and spell or trap effect destruction. The former is more unappetizing, as it creates a loss of advantage for you if your opponent’s Cyber Dragon smacks it.

Relative impunity monsters exert far more sway over the field. These are cards like D. D. Warrior Lady, D. D. Warrior, Newdoria, Yomi Ship, Mystic Tomato, Spirit Reaper, and Cyber Phoenix that can attack across a clear field without fear of battle destruction reprisal. Because battle is the only way that monsters can genuinely lose advantage (outside of mass removal like Torrential Tribute, these cards have relative impunity from opponent’s options. Sure, your opponent can use traps or spells to destroy these monsters, but other than that, they can constantly put pressure on his or her life points without fearing counter-attacks.

Monsters with absolute impunity are very special cases. They’re often referred to as “floaters.” In this case, your opponent cannot activate a spell or trap form of monster destruction without losing advantage. If your opponent has only 800 life points and must activate Sakuretsu Armor to destroy your marauding Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive or Sangan, he’s forced into a lose-lose proposition. Other cards with absolute impunity include Monarchs that have used floaters as tributes, Chaos Sorcerer, flip effects like Skelengel and Dekoichi, and advantage through battle monsters such as Spirit Reaper that have hit directly.

Interestingly enough, the three weaker elemental attributes have no access to any monsters with either relative or absolute impunity. (I’m excluding Twin-Headed Behemoth because the monster they had to use to destroy the Kamakiri can presumably stand up to 1500 ATK as well.) Now that Fire actually has a great search card in the form of Cyber Phoenix, the other attributes are certain to be either white or green with jealousy (depending on whether they’re Light or Wind).

Maximizing the Use out of your Brand-New Toy

While most of this talk has rightfully focused on Cyber Phoenix’s exciting ability to draw a card when destroyed, the first part of its effect is also incredible. It allows your Machine monsters to break through cards like Book of Moon, Enemy Controller, and Snatch Steal. Without defenses to protect the opponent, kill cards like Return from the Different Dimension and Limiter Removal become even more powerful. And if you can find some method of summoning the real Machine king, Jinzo, your opponent will have only one chance to avoid some immense battle damage (Scapegoat). After all, every quick-play defense chooses a single target, and traps are negated!

Remember that one of the problems with relative impunity monsters like Mystic Tomato is that a smart opponent might somehow take control of it, then tribute it. Cyber Phoenix is impervious to such shenanigans by virtue of its ability to negate any targets. This makes it quite an effective poker to sneak in a few thousand points worth of damage, and it also provides cover fire for your other Machine monsters to get in where they fit.