What do I have for you today? Well, I’ve got a card that I hope I pull at the Sneak Preview, because it has my most favorite of favorite effects: piercing damage! I have to admit it, those Saber Beetles really sharpened my appetite for this kind of thing, so I’m pleased to present you with:

Majestic Mech – Goryu

Want to hear more? Of course you do. This is a level 8 Fair-type Light monster with an impressive 2900 ATK/1800 DEF. That might not seem like much for a two-tribute monster, but wait! There’s more! It goes through defense position monsters to deal the difference in damage to your opponent’s life points, which makes it awesome. If you’re a frugal type, you can actually summon it using only one tribute (although if you do, you’ll have to send it to the graveyard during your end phase).

I’m happy to get this card to review, because there’s nothing I like better than smacking someone with a heap of damage. If I can do it while he or she is sitting smugly behind a defense position monster, I relish it all the more. I’m not exactly sure if it’s the New Yorker in me, or a remnant of that mall tour where “youhavetoduel200peopletodaysokeepthemmovingthroughthanksgetgoing,” was the plan, but I like to play fast and hit hard. Any card that helps me do that is guaranteed to catch my attention.

It’s more than just personal likes, however. Many people play a lot of defense position monsters nowadays. They sit there behind Spirit Reaper and look so smug—with that Dekoichi, and that set D. D. Assailant, and all the rest of it, just keeping me away from their life points! Piercing monsters are one way to deal with that sort of nonsense, and this one does more damage than anything other than Cyber End Dragon.

Let’s talk a bit more about the fact that you can use it for only one tribute. I know, I know, the big thing nowadays is “card advantage” this and “card advantage” that, and people throw around +1 and -2 and so many other numbers until you think you’re doing a story problem. I won’t deny that it’s nice to have more cards than your opponent, but honestly, there’s more to the game than that. It’s also nice to have a stronger monster, and to be able to wipe out those last few life points too, and if you’re playing smart, you’re going to reach a point where the strong monster that can hit those life points will win the game for you. Don’t get so blinded by card advantage that you miss out on the other kinds of advantage that are available to you.

You can trade away two monsters to keep Majestic Mech – Goryu on your field as a permanent (as permanent as anything can be in the dynamic world of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG), or you can give up one monster and lose the Mech in the end phase. It sort of balances out number-wise when you look at it like that, doesn’t it? The right choice depends on what else you’re playing, and the state of your opponent’s field. If you’re going to smack D. D. Assailant, you might as well just tribute one monster since you’re going to lose it anyways. If you’ve got Premature Burial or set Call of the Haunted, it won’t stay gone for long. If you can finish off your opponent with the combined damage from Majestic Mech and another monster on your side of the field, tribute whatever is least valuable and move in for the kill.

On the other hand, if your opponent constantly sets monsters and doesn’t really attack, then giving up two tributes might make more sense, and you might as well keep the big guy around. If you’ve got a used-up Dekoichi, Apprentice Magician, Sangan, or Treeborn Frog, trade it in for something that bites a little harder. Majestic Mech will suit more aggressive players who are willing to trade in some field presence for something that has the potential to give them control of the game. The 1800 DEF is nice too, and that should generally keep it around even if your opponent is packing Tsukuyomi and Book of Moon. Lots of high attackers are soft on defense, but Majestic Mech will stand up to a lot of the cards that are commonly played now.

Since it’s a level 8 monster, it will Metamorphosis beautifully into Cyber Twin Dragon or Gatling Dragon for one tribute. You could always make a spiteful swipe through a defense position monster, then trade it in for a fusion monster, since it will be destroyed anyway.

What kind of cards combo well with it? How about Last Will? The recently revised rulings for Last Will can keep you from losing too much field presence, replacing the tributed monster and the Mech with your choice of useful monsters with 1500 ATK and under. Apprentice Magician, D. D. Warrior Lady, Mystic Tomato, Spirit Reaper and Sangan can all help cover your assets when they’re fetched out in the end phase, especially if your opponent is a “card counter” gleefully relying on a gap in your field. Then—surprise!—you get to play Last Will and fetch out a monster that the opponent really doesn’t want to attack.

There are still plenty of people playing with Return from the Different Dimension. While Majestic Mech – Goryu won’t work too well in Bazoo-themed Return decks, Chaos Return decks might like it a lot. They already pack in some tribute monsters, so it shouldn’t be hard to swap one of those out and see what the Mech can do. It’s a Light attribute monster, so removing it from play isn’t difficult, and Return decks hate defensive walls. 2900 ATK worth of piercing damage isn’t something to take lightly!

If you just want a big attacker for one tribute, Skill Drain can help you out. You’ll give up the pierce effect as long as Skill Drain’s on the field, but that might be a reasonable exchange. Naturally, you could always throw in Giant Trunade (or one of those dusty old Emergency Provisions) and get it back.

And of course, Premature Burial or Call of the Haunted would both be happy to bring your Majestic Mech – Goryu back to the field for you, so you can continue your reign of doom and destruction. Good old Premature Burial and Call of the Haunted. They always take the sting out of “goodbye.”

While Fairy-themed strategies aren’t exactly fluttering rampantly around the top tables, there are several other cards coming out in this set that will open up even more possibilities for this card. Macro Cosmos, in particular, will be of interest to players looking to use Majestic Mech – Goryu with Return. Check out some of the upcoming reviews, and you’ll likely spot a few more.