In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, we never really cared which specific square we summoned or set our monsters onto. We wanted to play them, so we played them. It wasn’t really important where. Perhaps we would group our monsters together or spread them apart. When we summoned that really big monster, perhaps we’d throw it right in front of its intended prey, or simply set it off onto either side of the field.
It didn’t really matter. Not that much. Not until now.
Positioning the Troops
Cyberdark Impact introduces us to a generation of monsters that use field location as a means of combat support. These cards—hereafter referred to as the “Column Kings”—use two expressions in their texts that every duelist needs to understand.
When the text of the Column Kings refers to an “adjacent unoccupied Monster Card Zone,” it is referring to a monster zone space to the immediate right or left of your monster. The space in question cannot have a monster in it, because if it does, it certainly can’t be called “unoccupied.”
When the text of the Column Kings says, “in the same column as this card,” the column mentioned is comprised of the space your card is on and all spaces above and/or below it. Columns run vertically, up and down, and are comprised of your spell and trap card space at the bottom of the column, your opponent’s spell or trap card space at the top, and the two monster zone spaces in between.
Consider the text of Rampaging Rhynos that states, “Once per turn, this card can move to an adjacent unoccupied Monster Card Zone. If this card attacks the monster in its same column, this card gains 500 ATK during the Damage Step.” Its first effect allows you to move it to a space to its immediate left or right (adjacent) that is not already occupied by a monster. Rampaging Rhynos isn’t able to skip over your other monster, so if you’ve got one in the way, your Rampaging Rhynos won’t be able to just hop over it.
Rampaging Rhynos’s second effect refers to the act of attacking a monster in the same column as your Rhynos. This means that your opponent’s monster—the one staring down your Rhynos—is taking liberties with its safety. Combined together, the Rhynos’s first effect helps it to position itself so it can use its second effect to “rampage” with an additional 500 ATK.
The Column Kings typically have their own ability to reposition themselves on the field, but your other monsters do not. If we need to get Rampaging Rhynos into a occupied adjacent space, we will need to figure out some way to remove the monster from its path. For this reason, we have been given Senet Switch. Its text says “Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can move 1 monster on your side of the field to an adjacent unoccupied Monster Card Zone.”
This effect is the same effect as that of Rampaging Rhynos, Storm Shooter, and Alien Infiltrator, and can be applied to the monster of your choice on your side of the field. With this card, you can reposition other monsters you control to keep them out of the path of your Column Kings or as a means of giving your Column Kings an even wider range of movement.
Understanding what comprises a column on the field is very important for Alien Infiltrator and Blasting Fuse. Each of these cards has an effect that depends upon the presence of cards in the same column. With Alien Infiltrator, you can attack your opponent directly if your opponent’s side of the column it occupies does not have any cards. In this case, it doesn’t matter if your opponent has monsters in other monster zone spaces because the column Alien Infiltrator occupies is the only one that matters for its effect.
Blasting Fuse, however, needs a full complement of cards in its column. If each space in the column Blasting Fuse occupies is full, you can activate it to destroy every card in the column. Naturally this depends upon how your opponent plays his or her cards, and you don’t have much control over that.
Or do you?
Compression Method
Now that you have a good understanding of how these cards work, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Won’t my opponent just summon his or her monsters as far away as possible?” It is likely that he or she will do so when threatened, but with the right support cards, you can prevent the opponent’s escape.
Ground Collapse is a great way to start things off. By sealing two of your opponent’s monster zones, you can lock your opponent’s monsters into three specific locations that your Column Kings can easily monitor. You can establish this lockdown in two different ways, each with its own advantages. The first plan leaves two adjacent spaces for your opponent’s monsters, keeping them closely packed together.
Why is this helpful? The effects of our Column Kings allow them to move to an adjacent square, which is only one space worth of movement. When your opponent’s field is free of restriction, he or she can place monsters anywhere from one to three spaces apart, keeping your Column Kings from reaching their quarry. With Ground Collapse locking two of these spaces out, the three adjacent spaces will make it hard for your opponent’s monsters to escape. Imagine how annoyed your opponent will be when your Storm Shooter is at most two spaces away.
Other formations leave spaces that are separated by at least one forbidden zone. Your Column King monsters can still move from one side of your field to the other as you deem necessary, or they can be left in the column opposing one of your opponent’s free zones.
If Ground Collapse isn’t your style, there is always the diabolical, fear-inducing menace of Ojama Trio. The multifaceted Ojamas can fit right into the Column Kings’ strategy by blocking three of your opponent’s monster zones with monsters that don’t really do much of anything. In this strategy, your opponent can always ram an Ojama into your monster to clear off a space for another monster, but doing so can be costly.
In using either of these strategies, remember that your opponent’s monster will still attack whomever he or she wants. While you may be positioning your monsters to attack specific targets, your opponent’s monster won’t necessarily be doing the same.
Until next time, send all comments and questions to Curtis@metagame.com