This time last year, we took a look at card combos and examined how they worked mechanically according to the rules of the game. Looking at card combinations helps us to get a feel for how effects work together, and can be beneficial when trying to develop a new deck type. Combos often originate from a desire to use one specific card as the basis of a deck, while other times a player intends to “break” a card and win duels using a powerful combo.
This week we’re taking a look at two specific cards, Flame Ogre and Majestic Mech - Ohka, and follow the paths that lead us to combos for each card. Sometimes, strong combos can come in a moment of unexpected insight, but more often than not, they arrive from analysis of the card’s functions, strengths, and weaknesses. I’m hoping that the process of study for these two cards will aid you in your own pursuits.
Ogre Victory
Flame Ogre from Cyberdark Impact is one of those rare high-level monsters that actually rewards you just for summoning it. In Flame Ogre’s case, you get to draw a card. It’s not a bad reward and it helps to offset the cost spent in summoning your savage beastie, but you are somewhat forced into it since you cannot special summon the Flame Ogre. In light of that, you should ask yourself, “How can I try to make using this card as easy as possible?” Questions like these are what drive the use of combos. Fortunately, Flame Ogre has a worthy selection of choices available.
We begin with Mausoleum of the Emperor from Power of the Duelist. At a cost of 2000 life points, you can normal summon the Flame Ogre without tributes and draw one card through its effect. With field card search ability through Terraforming, this is a great place to start. At this point, you have one working combo which can serve as a general starting point for a deck, but why stop there? The more ways you have to normal summon Flame Ogre, the better.
We cannot always hope to have our field card in play, and 2000 life points can become costly towards the end of our duel, so we need to look into additional ways of normal summoning Flame Ogre. Going back to Flaming Eternity we find Flame Ruler, a monster capable of counting for two of the tributes you need when you normal summon the Flame Ogre. With this combo, the card you draw from Flame Ogre’s effect will offset the cost you spent to summon it, while the Flame Ruler is fairly easy to search for with Sangan, Last Will, or UFO Turtle. In addition, any monster that swarms onto the field goes along with this strategy, making monsters like Nimble Momonga and Gravekeeper’s Spy welcome additions. You can even use more aggressive selections like the popular Hydrogeddon.
If you find yourself forced to tribute two monsters, the cost will not be quite as well offset (though it does make one wonder if there is a way you can take advantage of this situation too). If you look back even further, to Dark Crisis, you will find Precious Cards from Beyond, which will award you with a total of three cards when you tribute summon the Flame Ogre.
Majestic Combos
Combos can be created to make our cards easier to play or more reliable. Sometimes we can use combos to alleviate constraints our cards place upon our deck. In the case of the Majestic Mechs from Enemy of Justice, we can use combos to take advantage of something that was already going to happen anyway: their destruction.
Majestic Mech - Ohka and Majestic Mech - Goryu allow you to normal summon them at reduced cost, but by doing so they will be destroyed in the end phase. In some ways this is fine, because they can go in for a quick hit of damage or assume the role of a monster removal card. For the remainder of this section, please assume that the Majestic Mech was summoned at the reduced cost, making it susceptible to destruction in the end phase.
Knowing that your Majestic Mech - Ohka is toast in the end phase, why not make its destruction more meaningful? Look for cards that tribute, destroy, or otherwise remove a monster you control from the field in order to achieve something positive. Linear Accelerator Cannon from Cyberdark Impact springs quickly to mind because it can allow us to tribute our “doomed” Majestic Mech and get some damage out of the deal. If we want, we can instead use Mystic Wok to tribute the “doomed” Mech and gain life points. It really depends on which equation works best for you. Since Ring of Destruction is back in the Advanced format, why not include it as well? Sure, you don’t normally blow up your own monster, but the Majestic Mech was going to explode anyway.
It may seem a bit strange, but when you have multiple effects to resolve in your end phase (your Majestic Mech being one of them), you can have your Majestic Mech destroy itself before resolving the other effects. Depending on the situation, this can make a huge difference. Consider Ectoplasmer from Soul of the Duelist. If I tribute my Majestic Mech - Ohka to Ectoplasmer, I can get some additional damage from a monster that was about to expire on its own. If I choose to have Ohka destroy itself first, this will not occur. Ectoplasmer would instead demand that I offer one of my other monsters, and if I don’t have to tribute, I will not inflict damage. The decision is yours.
Of course, why destroy our Majestic Mech when we can use combos to help us get around its little pitfall? We know the Majestic Mech will only be destroyed if it is face up on the field during the end phase, so turning it face down or removing it from the field can keep it from ending up in the graveyard. Book of Moon is useful, but the Majestic Mechs aren’t known for very high DEF stats, so how can we reliably remove one from the field without losing it in the process? We have access to single use cards like Compulsory Evacuation Device that can spring it back into our hand, but these cards become scarce as the duel progresses.
However, If you go back to Invasion of Chaos, you will find a continuous trap card that works much better: Begone, Knave! This card returns a monster to its owner’s hand if the monster inflicts battle damage to a player’s life points and will continue to do so while it remains face up on the field. How does this match with the Majestic Mechs? When your Majestic Mech - Ohka inflicts battle damage to your opponent, Begone, Knave! will return it to your hand. Since it’s back in your hand, you can summon it again during your next turn.
This doesn’t work quite as well for Majestic Mech - Goryu, however, due to its need for tributes. You may be concerned about your opponent summoning monsters and hitting you with direct attacks, but keep in mind that your opponent’s monsters of equal strength are not likely to be as easily summoned as Ohka. Without any monsters on your side of the field, your opponent can’t swarm with Cyber Dragon and will have to come up some other means of pressing a lead. If he or she does, you can always use removal cards or Cyber Shadow Gardna to throw roadblocks in his or her way.
2007 will bring us even more surprises and more cards for our playing pool. I will be here to continue examining the mechanics and rulings behind new and older cards alike, and I hope that you will be there too. Until next time, send all comments and questions to Curtis@Metagame.com