New Secret Rare Ratio in Gladiator’s Assault!

Reliable sources close to Upper Deck Entertainment have stated that secret rares will be easier to pull in the upcoming booster set, Gladiator’s Assault. The insert ratio for recent sets like Tactical Evolution and Force of the Breaker was about one in 48 packs, but sources have told me that the ratio is going to be increased by “at least 30%” for the upcoming set.

With a figure like that, we’d be looking at one secret rare in every 30 or 35 boosters: a massive boon for those of us on the secret rare hunt. With several secret rares revealed in Shonen Jump earlier this week, those duelists drooling over Soul Taker and Necroface (like me!) are sure to be quite happy with the change in ratios.

Shonen Jump Offers Poll to Decide New Promos!

Speaking of Shonen Jump, they posted a poll over on their website a few days ago inviting readers to vote for which cards they’d like to see as promos in upcoming issues. Voters can choose five cards from a total of 20 on offer, and cast their ballot for long-awaited favorites like Dandylion, Summon Priest, and Toy Magician. There’s a nice mix of tournament-level stuff and GX character cards, so it’ll be interesting to see the final tally. Personally I voted for the three cards I already mentioned, plus Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and Beast King Barbaros.

There’s no announcement as to when the poll will be closing, so go and cast your votes today! You can find the poll over on Shonen Jump Magazine’s official website, right here.

Team Duel Rules Released                                                 

After years of duelists clamoring for them, UDE released official Team Dueling Rules earlier this month over on the official forums. The Team Dueling Rules let pairs of duelists go head-to-head against other two-player teams, sharing their fields and life points, and creating strategies that just wouldn’t be possible in regular dueling. If you want to learn how the new format works, check out the official rules right here.

While the Team Duel Rules will not be replacing regular dueling at major events, there’s talk of Organized Play support and special Team Dueling events for 2008. It’s been stated by UDE officials that this format is generally intended for more casual and fun scenarios, so prizes won’t match up to those available in Advanced format competition, but there’ll still probably be some cool stuff on offer once Team events make their debut.

For now, it’s time to dust off strategies like Dark World, Exodia, Four-Turn Burn, and more! Some of the mechanics of the new format have made for interesting quirks, and a big part of the fun is figuring out which of your favorite strategies will gain power in Team play.

This Week On Metagame.com

This week and next week on Metagame.com, we’re giving in-depth reviews of new cards coming out in Gladiator’s Assault! The Sneak Preview Events are less than two weeks away, so each day until then, we’ll be showing you at least one new card.

Today, I kick things off with a look at the Sneak Preview promo: the world-exclusive TCG-only Gladiator Beast Octavius. There’s been a lot of debate about Octavius’s effect, both what it does and how it can be useful. I’ll show you what makes him such a potent addition to the Gladiator Beast theme. He’s the biggest, baddest, Gladiator Beast of them all, and you can get him for free just by heading to your local Sneak Preview!

Tomorrow, Matt Murphy follows up with a look at Gladiator Beast Alexander and the monster that brings him into play without tribute: Gladiator Beast Dimacari. Alexander may fall slightly short of Octavius’s raw size, but his spell negation makes him a valuable piece of the Gladiator Toolbox, especially in an environment that’s about to see an influx of spell-based removal. What makes Alexander so great, and how can you tap into his versatility? Matt will tell all.

Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor is, for the majority of duelists, the most wanted card in Gladiator’s Assault. His release marks the beginning of a revolution for the Six Samurai, and he may be the hottest pull at your Sneak Preview. Jerome gives a bit of a history lesson to explain why Enishi is so deadly, then discusses the ways in which Enishi exceeds his predecessors.

The Evil Heroes are one of Gladiator’s Assault’s biggest attractions for fans of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, and they introduce a whole new twist on the fusion mechanic: Dark Fusion. Bryan Camareno dissects the new fusion spell and Evil Hero Lightning Golem this Thursday, showing off combos and plays to stomp your cookie-cutter opponents.

On Friday, we’ll hear from Ryan Murphy as he looks at another piece of Six Samurai support. Cunning of the Six Samurai is a tactical wonder for Samurai players, dishing out incredible amounts of damage while also enhancing the deck’s reverse toolbox theme. There’s a lot more than meets the eye to this potent quick-play, so get ready for a detail-heavy investigation.

Also on Friday, we’ll hear from Curtis Schultz as he explains some complicated rulings revolving around Card of Safe Return. In the past two Shonen Jump Championships, we’ve seen big-name Top 16 duelists making mistakes with this card: missing timings and generally confusing themselves. Curtis will set the record straight on when and why you can claim Card of Safe Return’s effect.

One of my favorite cards from Gladiator’s Assault is Energy-Absorbing Monolith. Matt Peddle will examine this underrated trap on Saturday, and will show you why it’s such a big deal in the current environment. Sick of burn whupping your behind? Monolith is the ultimate answer, so be sure not to miss this preview.

Finally, on Sunday we’ll hear from Matt Murphy yet again, as he explores one of the most popular cards from this set in Japan. Evil Hero Malicious Edge borrows a mechanic from Cyber Dragon, and it’s one of the most aggressive monsters ever printed. Capable of running over Monarchs and Jinzo, or piercing through defense-modes, it may have a very big impact here on Western shores.

That’s it for this week, but join us in another seven days as we look at some of the World Exclusive and Shueisha cards that made their way into Gladiator’s Assault!

As always, thanks for joining us here on Metagame.com.

—Jason Grabher-Meyer

Contributing Editor, Metagame.com