It’s February 13, and we are just five days away from the Sneak Preview launch of what is perhaps the most anticipated Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG expansion to date!

Shadow of Infinity Sneak Previews This Weekend

Shadow of Infinity, the next expansion set of all-new cards for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, doesn’t launch in stores until March. But this weekend, you’ll get your chance to try out some of the new cards for yourself and take home a chunk of pre-release product at Shadow of Infinity Sneak Preview events!

We’ve been giving you some detailed glimpses of the set’s highlights for a week now, and we’ll continue to do so right up until the days of the Sneak Previews. Then, you’ll get to check out the set first-hand and crack some boosters at one of the hundreds of Sneak Preview events that Upper Deck Entertainment has organized across the world. Featuring both tournament competition and casual play, Sneak Previews are all about having fun and getting your paws on the new hotness, and whether you’re a hardened veteran, a collector, or a new player, there’s something for everyone. Attendance for these events should be huge, as Upper Deck Entertainment began airing televised advertisements this past Saturday. Find a Sneak Preview event in your area right here!

If you’ll be attending a Shadow of Infinity Sneak Preview in the New York City area, keep an eye out for both myself and Julia Hedberg. We’ll be doing a tour of several Sneak Previews, because hey—who doesn’t want new cards? If you see us, feel free to come over and say hi!

For of you who missed it (or who just want to witness the stellar action again), Week 1 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Rise of the Sacred Beasts storyline will be repeated on Cartoon Network, starting today.

In Week 1, the stakes are clearly set higher than ever before, as Jaden, Zane, and Dr. Crowler take on Nightshroud and Camula of the Shadow Riders. Duelists fall, surprises emerge, and tragedies strike as the Riders begin their assault on Duel Academy. It’s the beginning of the biggest Yu-Gi-Oh! story arc ever told, and it will forever change the lives of those who reside at Duel Academy. Revisit all the action and see how this thrilling epic begins, all week long on Cartoon Network!

Later today we’ll see the launch of two new websites from companies deeply involved in the Yu-Gi-Oh! license.

After a week of front-page promotion for Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Cartoon Network will be adding a special section to their main website, focusing on the Rise of the Sacred Beasts Yu-Gi-Oh! GX arc. Featuring activities, episode news, and scheduling information, it’s a must-visit for Yu-Gi-Oh! GX fans.

4kids will also be adding a Rise of the Sacred Beasts section to the official yugioh.com web site today as well. While this site will also feature plenty of episode information, it will also have something that I personally can’t wait for—daily gameplay articles from Upper Deck Entertainment staff members! Each day will feature new article content in which UDE staff members will discuss the previous day’s episode and talk about different strategies that the characters could have used. Have you ever watched an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! and wondered what would have happened if someone had made a different play? If so, you’ll want to hit up the new site every day for keen insight from those involved with the game’s production!

The 4kids site will also feature info on the upcoming Shadow of Infinity release, and will unlock new Yu-Gi-Oh! GX content over time, revealing information parallel to its debut on the show. Cool stuff!

After seven days of preview-packed content, we here at Metagame.com still have another week of Shadow of Infinity single-card discussion. Check back every day for more information, and get yourself prepared for this weekend’s Sneak Previews!

Mike Rosenberg opens the week today, looking at the card with the most amusing name in years: Anteatereatingant. Break it down, and you might get a feel for what the art looks like. Mike will show you how to use Anteatereatingant as the center of a powerful, renewable, removal engine, and he’ll also show you some important rulings about this massive monster. What does it mean for Insect decks, and how powerful can it be in your Sneak Preview matches? Mike answers all your questions today!

Then, Jerome McHale brings you a special Valentine’s Day preview article. Everyone needs a little love, and the Sacred Beast monster Raviel, Lord of Phantasms is no exception! Jerome looks at some powerful combos that you can create to support Raviel, including . . . a possible love interest? How best to play it, how best to pay for it, and how to sate its massive hunger—for a soul mate? It’s all on the menu on Tuesday!

On Wednesday, I’ll look at Disciple of the Forbidden Spell, one of the most versatile cards in Shadow of Infinity. I do all the work for you, breaking down the different ways one can use this new, dominating monster, and showing you the variety of options that it presents in a tournament-competitive environment. I’ll discuss how to set up its effect, when to use it in a duel, and what decks will want to use it.

On Thursday, Julia Hedberg previews the last of the three Sacred Beasts! Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder is arguably the best of the Yu-Gi-Oh! new divine triumvirate, and Julia’s focus lies on showing you the multitude of options you have for complementing Hamon’s unique summoning requirement. She reaches into her bag of old school tricks and pulls out some favorites that you might have forgotten about, showing you how they can make Hamon a viable powerhouse!

But that’s not all for Thursday! Curtis Schultz is back with a follow-up to last week’s Duelist Academy, looking at even more Insects and their support cards. In this extra-long edition of his column, Curtis looks at Insect Queen, Prickle Fairy, Insect Imitation, and a surprise trap card that you might not see coming. What happens if you tribute Pinch Hopper for Insect Queen’s attack? How does Prickle Fairy function if you turn it into an Insect-type? Does it get its effect even when it's destroyed in battle? Curtis answers those questions and more.

Friday marks the final Shadow of Infinity preview article here on Metagame.com, and we’ve saved the best for last! Jae Kim shows you why Treeborn Frog might be the greatest card in the set, showing you how to get the most from its effect. He’ll demonstrate how to play the card effectively, and give you some cool synergies to help you juice every last ounce of froggy goodness out of this hot new monster. Be sure to read the article, because there may be some important strategies you wouldn’t have thought of on your own!

Saturday marks the first day of Shadow of Infinity Sneak Preview events, and after months of keeping it under wraps, Upper Deck Entertainment will finally be revealing the special participant promo card! While message board debate has been spirited over the past few weeks, the answer looms on the horizon, and on Saturday night, I’ll take a look at the new card. What it does, how to use it, and whether or not it’s deck-worthy: I’ll tackle it all in a detailed strategic article!

That’s it for now! Next week we’ll start our countdown to Shonen Jump Championship Durham, including some announcements about coverage for the event. We’ll also return to our regularly scheduled content. All your favorite Metagame.com columns will be back, plus we’ll sit down for a talk with the New Zealand National Champion. Stay with us this week, and head on back in seven days for more of the best in Yu-Gi-Oh! tech, decks, and strategy.

Until next time, keep hitting those tables!

—Jason Grabher-Meyer

Contributing Editor, Metagame.com