It’s Monday, October 29th, and it seems as if Light and Darkness Dragon is debuting a few days early!
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Volume 1 Manga Appearing in Stores Early
There are two ways to get your hands on the new Light and Darkness Dragon. The Light and Darkness Power Pack comes with a copy of the much-anticipated promo card, as well as two boosters of the new Dark Revelation 4 reprint set. But you can also find Light and Darkness Dragon in Volume 1 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Manga, set to debut early next month.
The surprise? Despite its November 6th release date, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Volume 1 is appearing in a lot of chain bookstores already, and copies are selling out. While the foil treatment of Light and Darkness Dragon in the Power Pack is currently unconfirmed, it’s a really sweet looking secret rare in the Manga version.
Remember that while you can get Light and Darkness Dragon early, it won’t be legal for play in local level tournaments until November 6th, as specified in the current version of UDE’s Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Policy Document.
Four More Days Until The Sneak Preview Weekend!
Are you pumped? I am. I haven’t actually managed to make it to a Sneak Preview since Strike of Neos, and even then, I had to work a Shonen Jump that weekend. What’s worse than not making it to your Sneak Preview? Standing right next to it and not being able to play!
Just in case you missed the news, attendees to this weekend’s Sneak Preview events will get a chance to play with cards from Gladiator’s Assault two weeks before its release in stores, and everyone who registers will get a copy of the world-debut card Gladiator Beast Octavius. You’ll get a chance to win more boosters of the set in tournament competition or free play formats, and lucky duelists may walk away with a Gladiator’s Assault t-shirt to boot!
If you still haven’t made your final plans, be sure to check out the event locator on UDE’s official Gladiator’s Assault Sneak Preview page. With more than 120 venues in North America alone, there’s probably a Sneak Preview within driving distance.
This Week on Metagame.com
Today I get things started with a look at one of the most unexpected TCG exclusive cards in Gladiator’s Assault. Gladiator Beast Octavius brought massive size to the Gladiator line-up, but it’s Test Tiger that gives them the speed and versatility they need to be competitive. Flexibility, explosive combos, and a double-toolbox strategy are all within the clawed grasp of this deadly kitten, and I’ll explain what makes this card so important and powerful.
Bryan Camareno follows up on Tuesday with an in-depth review of what’s sure to be one of the most popular secret rares from the set. One of the three “Design Your Destiny” contest winners from 4Kids’ contest earlier this year, Skreech is everything a Water duelist could want. Bolstering themed classics like Salvage and Mother Grizzly, it’s also an awesome combo with Treeborn Frog, and Bryan will illustrate the impact this TCG-exclusive will have.
On Wednesday, we’ll look at another “Design Your Destiny” winner, as Ryan Murphy shows you Dragon Ice! A defensive trump to Cyber Dragon and an aggressive answer to recruiter monsters, Dragon Ice is one of the most unique cards we’ve ever seen. Following in the footsteps of D.D. Crow it’s an unpredictable card to drop from your hand on your turn or your opponent’s, and it’s a great pick for a lot of different matchups. Ryan’s going to demonstrate why.
One of the biggest surprises about Gladiator’s Assault was the recent revelation revealed in Shonen Jump magazine: Necroface will be a secret rare. One of the five Shueisha cards in the set (that’s the publishing company that puts out Yu-Gi-Oh! books in Japan), Necroface is one part beatstick and one part peculiar OTK. Jerome’s going to show you just some of the ways you can play this bizarre monster.
Matt Peddle rounds out our previews on Friday, taking a look at another of the set’s secret rares. Soul Taker is a superior monster removal spell when compared to Fissure and Hammer Shot, and one can easily argue that it’s better than Smashing Ground too. What makes a simple card-for-card removal spell such a hot prospect? Matt will explain all on the eve of the Sneak Preview.
On Saturday, Curtis Schultz returns with another Duel Academy article, as he dives into his mailbag to answer some of the most common reader questions. Apprentice Magician, Hysteric Party, the upcoming Adhesive Explosive, and more get rulings explanations straight from the horse’s mouth. Don’t miss it!
Finally, this Sunday, Ryan Murphy presents some interesting insight into risk-taking in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. With a simple little math equation of Ryan’s own concoction, you may find yourself making moves that would have looked too risky otherwise, and the technique Ryan’s going to teach you really might up your win percentage. Be sure to check it out this Sunday!
That’s it for this week, so start getting ready for your Sneak Preview weekend. If you’re headed to the Sneak in San Diego, I’ll see you there!
—Jason Grabher-Meyer
Contributing Editor, Metagame.com