The metagame has spoken, and 2400 ATK appears to be the breaking point for acceptable tribute monster attack values. While nifty monsters such as Blowback Dragon and Mefist the Infernal General have been mostly ignored by the general Yu-Gi-Oh! community, monsters like Jinzo, Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, Dark Ruler Ha Des, and others seem to rule the roost. The sole exception to this trend of the 2400 ATK benchmark is Airknight Parshath, which is revered for both its card-drawing power and its status as the best Light tribute monster in the game.

For the first time since Ancient Sanctuary, when Zaborg the Thunder Monarch first arrived, there is a legitimate challenger to the Airknight’s throne. Cybernetic Magician is an interesting new card from Cybernetic Revolution that can pack quite a punch. Weighing in with a hefty 2400 ATK, it has multiple favorable characteristics and a single downfall.

First, let’s look at the good stuff. Cybernetic Magician has a Light attribute, which is always great in Chaos decks, and it also falls under the well-supported Spellcaster type. This allows Cybernetic Magician to be splashed into almost any Chaos-oriented deck, where easy tribute fodder is usually provided in the form of spent copies of Magician of Faith and Apprentice Magician. Once it reaches the field, Cybernetic Magician is a powerhouse. By discarding a card from your hand, Cybernetic Magician will target any face-up monster on the field, changing its ATK to 2000 until the end of the turn. The most commonly played monsters in the game that can match its monstrous 2400 ATK are Jinzo, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, and Mobius the Frost Monarch. All three will fall to this card in short order.

Unfortunately, Cybernetic Magician is plagued by a low 1000 DEF. Any time a tribute monster hits the field, more resources are invested in the board. A monster like the commonly played Tsukuyomi can take advantage of Cybernetic Magician’s weak DEF value. Much like the Monarch family tree, Cybernetic Magician’s true weakness is to cards that force it to switch from its muscular attack position to its more humble defense position.

Obviously, cards such as Night Assailant and Sinister Serpent will help provide discard fodder. Sure, in rare cases you’ll be able to take down Jinzo with this card, but the effect will often increase the ATK of the opposing monster.

Most cards with discard costs have game-breaking effects. Cards such as Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, Tribe-Infecting Virus, and Lightning Vortex are renowned for completely disrupting the opponent’s strategy. Discarding a card to simply deal 400 extra damage seems situational and generally unfavorable, except in certain cases.

Despite its shortcomings, you can expect Cybernetic Magician to be a powerhouse in the Booster Drafts that take place at the Sneak Preview events. Almost all of these events have shown that the strongest monster on the board will lead to victory. There are very few situations where anything will be able to push through a monster with 2400 ATK, and dropping it on your turn ensures that you’ll have field supremacy.