Since the promo card for the Sneak Preview is always the first World Debut we see from a new set, those promos always generate a ton of discussion. No matter how playable the promo is, there’s always a mix of opinions. In the past we saw the SJC-winning Dark Grepher decried as "unplayable and clearly worse than Armageddon Knight," while Guardian of Order was dubbed "broken, bad for the game, far too good," and then never played. Ever. Possibly by anyone.
So it’s no surprise that the promo for The Duelist Genesis Sneak Preview this weekend has been debated back and forth for weeks. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out . . .
Avenging Knight Parshath
Light / Level 8
2600 / 2100
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Light monsters
Once per turn, you can change the battle position of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.
Like our pal Dark Grepher, Avenging Knight Parshath has met with mixed reactions. Complaints from the skeptics range from "it doesn’t even draw cards" to "but it can’t take down Heraklinos." Those statements are all true—there are lots of things this card can’t do. But I think the folks making those statements are missing the point, because Avenging Knight Parshath does one thing really well. Something that no other Synchro is designed to do.
It kills you.
Let Me Elaborate a Bit
We’ve spent two weeks talking about the deadly power of Synchros like Goyo Guardian and Stardust Dragon: cards that can certainly contribute to big wins. Taking your opponent’s stuff, negating effects, and even purging the field of defense-mode monsters are all very powerful abilities—but they won’t actually win you the game then and there. Synchros are largely about big ATK with control-oriented effects: they do impressive things, but they don’t grab you a win on their own as soon as they hit the table. No Synchro in the core Duelist Genesis set or the new 5D’s Starter Deck is capable of that. And honestly, why should they be? Being able to drop a big monster that instantly wins you the game has been proven over and over to be a controversial thing: think Gladiator Beast Gyzarus or Dark Armed Dragon.
And yet, that’s the exact role that Avenging Knight Parshath fills. With 2600 ATK, it can mow down an attack-mode Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter or Destiny Hero - Disk Commander just as well as any other Synchro, but if you’re facing something in defense mode, it’s the only one that can punch through to your opponent’s life points. It’s a finisher card, and compared to the heavy theming of similar game-ending monsters seeing play right now, it’s a flexible one at that.
There are a lot of commonly played monsters vulnerable to Avenging Knight. Take Gladiator Beasts—virtually all of the Gladiators have weak DEF scores, and even accompanying cards like Elemental Hero Stratos share that problem. The notable exception is Gladiator Beast Hoplomus, but thanks to Avenging Knight Parshath’s effect, that’s not a problem either. If Avenging Knight’s mark isn’t already sitting in its weakest position, the Parshath can change its target from defense mode to attack (or vice versa) to soften it up. It lets you manipulate the situation until you can maximize the damage it deals, running down almost anything.
But That Would Be Missing the Point
Destroying big monsters isn’t the reason you’d Synchro summon Avenging Knight Parshath anyway—that’s really Nitro Synchron’s territory, or in a pinch, Red Demon Dragon’s. You summon Avenging Knight Parshath in the mid or late game to hammer home damage against a weak monster, sweeping a win when your opponent least expects it. No other Synchro can fill that role.
Granted, there are lots of cool tricks you can do, too. The Six Samurai can feed Avenging Knight’s demand for Light Synchro material with Cyber Dragon (or even The Six Samurai - Zanji). Then you can use the Knight’s effect to turn any monster to defense mode, letting Zanji destroy it while you take no loss.
The Lightsworn are excellent at forcing an opponent into a defensive stance, and since most of them are Light, they’re the perfect match for Avenging Knight Parshath. Clear away any defenses with Lyla or Ryko, and then just activate Lightwave Tuning to turn one of your level 4 Lightsworn cards into a Tuner. Synchro summon with any two level 4’s and you can suddenly pound home 2000 damage through just about anything. If you used a free copy of Wulf, Lightsworn Beast as a Synchro material, hey: extra style points. It’s even a nice late-game tactic when your own monsters threaten to deck you out.
The high ATK values wielded by Elemental Hero Beatdown often force an opponent to set defense-mode monsters. This strategy is rich in Lights, and the ability to deal piercing damage can end games that your opponent might have otherwise stalled to a win. Avenging Knight Parshath can offer similar finishing power to Counter Fairies as well, which get two Tuners in The Duelist Genesis.
Remember, you can play your copy of Avenging Knight Parshath in your deck at the Sneak Preview, but to do so you’re going to need a Light monster—one that isn’t a Tuner. There are only two in the set, so if you pull Jenis, Lightsworn Mender, or Mind Protector, definitely run them. Both monsters have very high DEF, and they can help you pull off your first-ever Synchro summon.
The best Synchro monsters have unique abilities that offer you the right play at the right time. No other Synchro can give you what Avenging Knight Parshath brings to the table, so think hard before you trade off your copy. Any deck running Light monsters in the future is going to want at least one Avenging Knight, so I’d suggest holding onto yours.
It may not draw cards, but it wins you the game instead. That seems like a fair trade.
—Jason Grabher-Meyer