It’s been seven days since Shonen Jump Championship Boston. An all-team Top 8 pitted Team Overdose against Hunger Force and the brand-new Team Scoop. Overdose frontman Kris Perovic made his first Shonen Jump Championship Top 8 and beat out teammate Jerry Wang, but was then defeated by Bryan Coronel. The Scoop/Hunger Force side of the bracket produced Brian Long as its finalist contestant, and in what can be described as “an upset,” Long went on to defeat Coronel for the championship in record time.

Brian Long became Hunger Force’s first Shonen Jump Champion, but now all eyes turn toward Georgia. On October 8, hundreds of duelists will arrive at the Sheraton hotel in downtown Atlanta for another shot at fame, glory, and some awesome prizes, as Upper Deck Entertainment presents Shonen Jump Championship Atlanta. For those who are interested in attending this event, check out Unity Entertainment’s official website here. A block of rooms have been set aside for prospective duelists, and discounted hotel rates are available for those attending the tournament. Check out Unity Entertainment’s website for details on how to save some significant cash, as well as start times and side event information!

Thus far, it’s unclear as to who will be in attendance at Shonen Jump Championship Atlanta, but as major teams come forth to announce their presence at the event, you’ll be able to read all about it in this column.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Premiere Imminent

Tournament Pack 7 Slated For Release

Sources at Upper Deck Entertainment have stated that Tournament Pack 7 will hit hobby stores in late October. Though no fixed date has been issued and no cards have yet been announced, duelists are already clamoring for the next installment in UDE’s exciting Tournament Pack series. With many cards currently in printed circulation, due to the release of new expansions and Dark Beginnings 2, it’s anyone’s guess as to what we’ll be seeing for player rewards.

Elemental Energy Sneak Preview And New Promo Card Announced

On November 5 and 6, venues across the US, Mexico, and Canada will host the next round of Sneak Preview events! The set being previewed is Elemental Energy, which is slated for release later on in the month. Packed with cards seen in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and the original Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series, Elemental Energy features the King’s Knight, Queen’s Knight, and Jack’s Knight cards, as well as new Elemental Heroes from Jaden Yuki’s arsenal.

But the most exciting part of all may be the promo card. While supplies last, those attending the event will receive one copy of the ultra rare Exchange of the Spirit. For those unfamiliar with it, the new trap basically reads as follows:

“You can only activate this card by paying 1000 Life Points while there are 15 or more cards in your Graveyard. Both players swap the cards in their Graveyard with the cards in their Deck. Then, shuffle the new Deck and put it in the Deck Zone.”

Is this archetype-worthy? You bet.Check out the official Sneak Preview site for more details.

Exarion Universe Tears Up Tournament Play

The 2005 Collector’s Tin promo Exarion Universe has been winning a lot of tournaments lately. Dominating in everything from local-level tournaments to Shonen Jump Championship Boston, the piercing-damage monstrosity has sent Sheep tokens running for the hills!

If Exarion tins are still to be had in your area, snap them up while you can. They’ve been selling out where ever they’ve been made available, often selling even faster than the short-packed Gilford the Lightning sets.

This Week on Metagame.com

The Collector’s Tins have had such an impact on both casual and veteran players that we’ve decided to devote an entire week to them. We’ll feature a new card each day, and one of our writers will examine it in detail. Here’s what you can look forward to seeing this week.

Julia Hedberg kicks off Tin Week with the heaviest hitter of them all, Exarion Universe. Despite being a relatively simple card, there are quite a few tricks at the disposal of this Beast-Warrior powerhouse, and Julia lays them all out for you. Everyone knows that Exarion punishes Sheep tokens like nothing before, but what else can it do? Find all the answers in today’s article.

Jae Kim takes a look at Dark Magician Girl on Tuesday. The release of Magician’s Circle has made Spellcaster fans sit up and take note, and with the new Forbidden list looming on the horizon and shrouded in mystery, a golden age for new decks may be just around the corner. Jae looks at both the strategy and the mystique surrounding one of the dueling world’s most popular character cards, and his conclusions about the playability of Dark Magician Girl may just surprise you!

After that, Jerome McHale takes on Rocket Warrior on Wednesday! Jerome was championing this card at the Toronto Regional tournament last month, leaving many to wonder why he and others regard it highly. The answers will all be explained in his article this week, when he takes an incredibly detailed look at the sleeper hit of the 2005 Collector’s Tin Series!

On Thursday, Mike Rosenberg uses his gifted talents as an anime aficionado to do justice to Vorse Raider. For years duelists have awaited the release of this one of Kaiba’s signature cards, and finally, we have it! Check out what Mike has to say about the ultimate nostalgia card in the set.

Curtis Schultz then checks out the only short-packed card in the series, Gilford the Lightning. While most tins are packed at a rate of two per case, only one Gilford is to be had for each display, and that’s sent collectors clamoring for copies of the card. Costing three tributes to use its effect, many have turned their nose up at Gilford and have written it off as unplayable. But Curtis flexes his muscle as our resident master of obscure card knowledge, and details the many different ways to ensure you have the three monsters Gilford demands. Just wait until you see some of the tricks he’s got up his sleeve!

Finally, I’ll round out the week with a look at Panther Warrior. Think I’m going to cough up 500 words on how Joey uses it? No way. Panther Warrior is a heavily underappreciated card and possibly one of the best early-game monsters available in the game. This Saturday, it’ll finally get its due respect. Can I convince you of its playability, or have I finally lost my mind? Check back in six days to find out!

With a new Forbidden List, new Sneak Preview Weekend, new expansion, and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX all just weeks away, it’s a great time to be a duelist. Yu-Gi-Oh! is about to enter an unprecedented golden age, and as the news breaks, Metagame.com will continue to be your exclusive source for all the info.

Are you excited? So are we.

—Jason Grabher-Meyer

Contributing Editor, Metagame.com