There are some types of decks we just don’t see anymore. Most of them have become impossible to play due to changes in the Forbidden and Limited lists or due to metagame shifts. One such deck was the Empty Jar combo strategy that used Cyber Jar repeatedly to deplete the opponent’s supply of cards. Another similar strategy that just flat-out never took off (possibly due to the Forbidding of the card that would have made it a problem before it was even possible to construct), was the Exchange of the Spirit deck. The advent of Gladiator’s Assault gives us a brand new way to do incredible things on a grand scale, courtesy of today’s preview card: Necroface. To be perfectly honest, Necroface scares the heck out of me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it isn’t going to win any cardboard beauty pageants. Second . . . well, there’s everything else about the card. It’s a level 4 Zombie, it’s a Dark attribute monster, you can fetch it from your deck with Sangan, and it does this:
When this monster is Normal Summoned, shuffle all removed from play cards into their owner’s Decks. “Necroface” gains 100 ATK for each of those cards. When “Necroface” card is removed from play, both players remove the top 5 cards of their Deck from the game.
Just from reading that effect, I can come up with a deck designed to win on the very first turn. Well, it might not actually physically end the game on the first turn. You’ll probably need to end your turn so that your opponent can fail to draw a card, but most of the time, when your opponent has no cards left, he or she will concede outright. Just think of how many different ways you can get this card removed from play. There’s Bazoo the Soul-Eater for quick removal of any monster, usually in preparation for a huge Dimension Fusion or Return from the Different Dimension. In a similar vein, you could remove it from the graveyard with Skull Lair to clear out an opposing monster and set up for all kinds of craziness. I’m thinking Gren Maju Da Eiza. Each time a Necroface resolves its remove-from-play effect, all your Gren Maju cards will gain an extra 2000 ATK. Combine this with the fact that Necroface will trigger even if it’s removed from play from the top of the deck (such as when you resolve Magical Merchant while Dimensional Fissure is in play or hit another Necroface while the first Necroface is resolving), and you have a convenient method of achieving a 6000 ATK monster with little effort.
While the thought of dropping a 6000 ATK monster on the first or second turn amuses me, it’s nowhere near as thrilling as building a new deck that empties your opponent’s cards as quickly as possible. By applying some of the principles from both the Empty Jar deck and the Exchange of the Spirit strategy that never was, one could theoretically empty out both decks on the first turn of the game . . . and since you’re doing this on your turn, your opponent will be the one without a deck to draw from. Even if you don’t get to go first, what’s your opponent going to do to stop you? The standard side deck counters to combo decks (namely Waboku and Threatening Roar) are powerless to stop deck depletion antics, and Skill Drain isn’t going to do a thing because Necroface triggers and resolves far, far away from the field. Dark Bribe and Solemn Judgment would be the main worries if you choose this route, but then again, those two cards shut down any deck, not just combo decks.
Zombie players should be extremely happy that Necroface falls within their chosen monster type, as the prominence of decks based around Macro Cosmos and Dimensional Fissure for the purpose of beating down Perfect Circle and Zombie builds means that the time is right to consider using Necroface as a tech card in case of these bad matchups. Sure, a ton of cards are likely going to be removed as a result of your opponent’s machinations (and possibly due to a Necroface of your own), but your opponent is almost certainly halving his or her life points every now and then to pay the cost of Solemn Judgment. This is where the first effect of Necroface gains a practical and deadly use. By normal summoning Necroface, you eliminate everything the Fissure/Cosmos player has strived to achieve during the duel, and worse, you create a giant monster that’s poised to strike him or her down in an instant! I can hear the bad beat stories from San Mateo already. “I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for that meddling creepy doll-head-thing!”
Even if you’re not a fan of combo decks, it’s difficult to not appreciate the kinds of wacky games that Necroface allows for. If you ever play against the card, I guarantee you’ll be on the edge of your seat every time it hits play . . . or goes out of play for that matter. Keep an eye out for Necroface, because I’m quite sure it’s keeping its eye out for you. Speaking of things to keep an eye out for, if any readers are planning on attending the Gladiator’s Assault Sneak Preview in Monroeville, PA at the Radisson Hotel, feel free to drop by and chat. I’ll likely be exploding with new deck ideas and looking for people to share them with. Regular content resumes next week—including the newest installment of School of Duel—so until next time, play hard, play fair, and most importantly, have fun!
Jerome McHale
jcmchale@andrew.cmu.edu