“I’m not going to back down, no matter how strong they are.”—Dunames

Tournament Pack 8 introduces us to a new batch of normal monsters, with Dunames Dark Witch prevalent among them. It arrives just in time for Enemy of Justice, a set that features some useful support for Fairy-type monsters.

When you first look at a normal monster, you can’t help skipping right from its level to its ATK and DEF values. After all, normal monsters don’t have anything else to them . . . right?

See, that’s where normal monsters may surprise you. They have talents that are awakened when combined with the proper card effects. While some normal monsters are desirable based solely on their ATK and DEF values, other normal monsters that may seem weak at first glance can become much stronger when they’re used properly. They also have access to support cards that many popular monsters just can’t use.

The hidden power of normal monsters was first awakened by Non-Spellcasting Area. “All face-up Monster Cards on the field, except for Effect Monsters, are unaffected by any Spell Card (excluding this card).”

This meant that every normal monster card on the field no longer feared Raigeki, Dark Hole, Swords of Revealing Light, or Fissure. The majority of decks contained effect monsters, so it was unlikely that the normal monster player would have to worry about Non-Spellcasting Area backfiring.

Today, you can count on Non-Spellcasting Area to keep your normal monsters safe from popular cards like Smashing Ground, Book of Moon, Enemy Controller, and Snatch Steal. Naturally this card doesn’t help against traps or the effects of effect monsters, so it’s only a matter of time before you lose a few to the graveyard.

However, we’ll use Dark Factory of Mass Production to get them right back. The normal monster player will get to return two normal monsters to his or her hand at the cost of only one Dark Factory of Mass Production. Most recovery cards won’t give you this kind of return on your investment.

Non-Spellcasting Area can allow you to run unorthodox strategies that are sure to throw off your opponent’s game. Normally if a player wants to play with Level Limit - Area B he or she has to accept that his or her high-level monsters will be forced into defense position, or he or she will need to rely on lower-level monsters. Non-Spellcasting Area changes the rules, allowing high-level normal monsters to bypass this weakness entirely.

Following this same logic, you can take the plan further by mixing in Stumbling, which would normally shift a monster into defense position when it is normal summoned, flip summoned, or special summoned. But with Non-Spellcasting Area active, your normal monsters are completely unaffected. Your opponent’s effect monsters won’t be able to say the same. Let him or her try to stop you with Mobius the Frost Monarch or Cyber Dragon. Neither monster will do much good when they’re in defense position.

Dunames Dark Witch can take advantage of the Non-Spellcasting Area strategy, or she can rely on a few Fairy-type support cards. With Enemy of Justice, and some old friends from Dark Crisis and Ancient Sanctuary, Dunames Dark Witch’s timing couldn’t be better.

You can use the Fairy-type themed cards such as Sanctuary in the Sky, Light of Judgment, and Cestus of Dagla to help run an older Fairy-themed strategy of setting up life gain for The Agent of Judgment - Saturn.

Water decks have plenty of effect monsters to choose from, and many have really great effects, but they also have access to a few normal monsters that function quite well in a Water deck.

It all begins with A Legendary Ocean, which takes level 4 normal monsters like Gagagigo and Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness and changes them into level 3 monsters—allowing them to slip right under Gravity Bind and Level Limit - Area B.

Invasion of Chaos added another strategy. Why settle for strong level 3 monsters when you can outmuscle your opponent with unusually powerful level 4 monsters? Giga Gagagigo and Terrorking Salmon lead the charge with a serious boost from A Legendary Ocean. Giga Gagagigo, when receiving the benefits of A Legendary Ocean, becomes a level 4 monster with a serious 2650 ATK.

Ancient Sanctuary took the often forgotten low-level normal monsters and gave them new life. By using cards like Human-Wave Tactics, Order to Charge, and Enchanting Fitting Room, the little guys finally had their day. This strategy led to a field full of low-level monsters that you’d then power up with Thousand Energy or Pyramid Power, and Law of the Normal would clear the way to victory.

Not every low-level monster could benefit from this strategy, however. The level 3 normal monsters were on their own. Luckily, they were not entirely without champions. Cybernetic Revolution and Magician’s Force brought us three considerably powerful level 3 normal monsters that fit in well with any Gravity Bind and Level Limit - Area B stall strategy. At 1750 ATK, Jerry Beans Man stands tall as the strongest level 3 normal monster, with Mad Lobster and Sonic Duck following closely at 1700 ATK. If you look back to the origins of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, you’ll remember that Giant Soldier of Stone is also a level 3 normal monster, but with a focus instead on a high 2000 DEF.

Chazz’s Ojama monsters fall right into their own low-level strategy. With Ojamagic setting the stage, each Ojama monster can be used to pay various discard costs and then quickly return to your hand by way of cards like Beckoning Light and Backup Soldier.

Some normal monsters just scream attack. They have a thirst for combat and they aren’t afraid to show it. Who can forget the early days of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG when the monstrous Summoned Skull roamed the Earth? The single-tribute, 2500 ATK monster was a force to be reckoned with in many decks and still easily trumps most single-tribute monsters in the current metagame.

But it isn’t alone. Some level 4 normal monsters are quite strong and also have access to good support cards. Luster Dragon, clocking in at 1900 ATK and 1600 DEF, is a considerable brute that also gets to take advantage of the various support cards that Dragon decks have been using for years. Your opponent’s Sakuretsu Armors won’t stand up to the Dragon’s Stamping Destruction. From there, a bit of Dragon’s Rage will make sure your opponent’s cowering defense-position monsters get the punishment they deserve.

Gemini Elf was rightly packed into the Spellcaster’s Judgment Structure Deck. The twin elves are a strong pair, and they work quite well with Magical Dimension. Not to be outdone by the Spellcasters, the Insects enlisted the Indestructible Insect Invaders’ fiercest fighter, Insect Knight. It goes along in any Insect deck, and when defeated, it can help to serve the mighty Doom Dozer.

Until next time, send all comments to: Curtis@metagame.com.