Enemy of Justice has proven to be quite a set for Elemental Hero players everywhere! With a brand-new team of Elemental Hero Fusions and a great group of support cards, Elemental Hero players have plenty of new options to choose from. Oddly enough, almost every Fusion involves the Elemental Hero Avian in some manner, with Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer being the only exception. Avian will certainly be a busy guy!
This week, we’re going to cover the new Fusion monsters. If you want to know how your brand-new Elemental Hero Fusion monsters work, stick around.
Steel Wings
We used to use Elemental Hero Avian and Elemental Hero Burstinatrix to fusion summon Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, but in some cases, we’ll need to go a different route.
Enter Elemental Hero Phoenix Enforcer. Instead of inflicting damage when it destroys a monster in battle, the Phoenix Enforcer protects itself from ever being destroyed in battle. With Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, you’d have to worry about running into stronger monsters like Goblin Elite Attack Force, or a forced mutual exchange from your opponent using a monster like Cyber Dragon. Given the amount of cards you expend fusion summoning Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, these trade-offs can be devastating. But Phoenix Enforcer will not allow it to occur.
With its effect, your defense becomes much easier to maintain, so you can shift your focus towards the offense with cards like Skyscraper. With another fusion summon using Elemental Hero Sparkman, you can bring out Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer, with even more offensive power! Like Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman, Shining Phoenix Enforcer tacks on an added ATK increase effect based on the number of Elemental Hero monsters in your graveyard. You can also use King of the Swamp as a replacement for Phoenix Enforcer in the fusion summon, just like you could in the fusion summon of Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman.
Elemental Hero Shining Phoenix Enforcer also retains the “cannot be destroyed in battle” effect, so your defensive worries will certainly be lessened. If you really want to frustrate your opponent, try using a card like Ring of Magnetism with Shining Phoenix Enforcer. The effect of Skyscraper will easily compensate for the reduced ATK when you attack, and your other monsters will breath a welcome sigh of relief. As for Shining Phoenix Enforcer, it can handle whatever attacks come its way without Skyscraper helping out on defense.
Hero of the Sea
Allow me to introduce Elemental Hero Mariner, the fusion of Elemental Hero Avian and Elemental Hero Bubbleman. The text reads, “If you have any face-down cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone, this card can attack your opponent’s Life Points directly.”
Mariner may not be the strongest of the Elemental Hero Fusions, but its effect can be very useful without demanding much in return. It’s fairly common to have a face-down card in your spell and trap zone, even if it’s only there for a bluff. That helps Elemental Hero Mariner settle the score pretty quickly.
Sometimes you might want to use your only face-down spell or trap during the battle phase, but since it’s your only face-down spell or trap, what impact will using it have on Elemental Hero Mariner? As long as you have at least one face-down card in your spell and trap zone when you declare your attack in the battle step, you can declare a direct attack with your Elemental Hero Mariner. No surprises there. However, your opponent may have a surprise for you, and a Mystical Space Typhoon or Dust Tornado at the wrong time could ruin your plans. If your opponent can remove all of your face-down spells or traps from the field, your Elemental Hero Mariner will no longer be able to attack directly. This sudden change in Mariner’s potential attack targets results in a replay, requiring you to rethink your Mariner’s attack. Without your face-down spells and traps, your Mariner will be forced to attack a monster or else back down entirely.
Avian is Busy: Take a Number
Elemental Hero Avian’s work isn’t done yet! It’s still got two more Fusions to perform.
Next we have Elemental Hero Wild Wingman, the fusion of Elemental Hero Avian and Elemental Hero Wildheart. Wild Wingman’s text reads as follows: “By discarding 1 card from your hand, destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field.”
Not a bad effect for a monster with 2300 DEF. An ignition effect that allows you to trade any card in your hand to destroy one spell or trap on the field will certainly come in handy. Wild Wingman can use it to clear the path for its own attack, or just lend its partners a helping hand. Just remember that Wild Wingman’s effect can only be used during your main phases, so make sure you plan accordingly.
We end this week with Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman, the Fusion of Elemental Hero Wildheart and Elemental Hero Necroshade. Its text reads, “When this card is Special Summoned, destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field. Then select 1 monster from your opponent's Graveyard and Special Summon it to your opponent's side of the field.”
When this monster is successfully fusion summoned, you will choose one monster on your opponent’s side of the field as a target for its effect. Your opponent then has a chance to thwart you. If he or she fails, the selected monster will be destroyed. After destroying the monster, you search through your opponent’s graveyard and select a monster that can be legally special summoned. You could even choose the monster you just destroyed, if so desired. Finally, you special summon the monster onto your opponent’s side of the field in the battle position of your choice.
Some players may ask, “What happens if my opponent plays Scapegoat before I fusion summon Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman?” After all, a monster is being special summoned from the opponent’s graveyard onto his or her side of the field. However, the actual player responsible for the special summon is the one who used Necroid Shaman’s effect. Which means that the effects of Scapegoat will not be an issue.
Until next week, send all comments and questions to Curtis@metagame.com