A common problem the average duelist faces is having to take down a big monster with a smaller one. 2100 ATK monsters like Gladiator Beast Laquari and Wulf, Lightsworn Beast are just too big for most monsters to attack over. As a result, players have to either modify one monster’s ATK so that you can win the battle, or you’ve got to use some other method of destroying monsters. ATK and DEF modifiers have quite a unique role in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Most people try to avoid most modifier cards because losing the monster also means losing the modifier, and results in a poor trade for you. This is why even amazing equip spells like United We Stand see almost no play.

The ATK modifiers of choice for Yu-Gi-Oh! duelists are ones that can be activated in response to an attack. This allows you to trap an opposing monster, protecting your card and destroying the opponent’s. Such a trade can be quite beneficial, especially considering that you’re next to attack. However, we still see very few of these cards floating around. Shrink is by far the most common, and with the exception of Honest it’s virtually the only ATK modifier consistent enough for tournament play.

The problem with other similar cards that can be chained is that they fall out of the "right place, right time" philosophy. Blast with Chain is an interesting card that many players have experimented with. It’s chainable, it equips to your monster, and if it’s destroyed, you get to destroy something else. Not a bad deal at all and one that offers a lot of protection from many different cards. The problem with Blast is that it does nothing when your monster is more than 500 ATK below your opponent’s. Unless you’re able to destroy it yourself, a monster that’s just too big isn’t going to be surpassed by Blast with Chain.

Enter today’s preview card:

Kunai with Chain

Trap

Choose 1 or both of these effects:
●Activate only when an opponent’s monster attacks. Change the attacking monster to Defence Position.
●Equip this card to a monster you control. It gains 500 ATK.

If you’re like me and enjoy experimenting with cards that aren’t released in the TCG but are available in the Yu-Gi-Oh! DS and PSP games, then you’ll already be familiar with this particular trap. Kunai with Chain is a fan favorite, and one that’s finally being brought to this side of the globe. Kunai is basically a mix between Enemy Controller and Blast with Chain. You have two options, both of which are usually going to be used during the battle phase.

The first is a simple "stop that attacker" effect that turns an attacking monster to defense mode. One may initially think having to use it only during your opponent’s battle phase isn’t going to be that productive, but most of the time Enemy Controller is used the same way. You want to wait until your opponent has used his or her first main phase and battle phase before you block the opponent’s attacks so that that player can’t set up until next turn. Turning your opponent’s monster to defense mode during his or her main phase isn’t going to be very useful anyway, as the opponent can just switch it back unless it was summoned that turn.

The usefulness of this effect is equal to that of Enemy Controller, and to an extent, Book of Moon. Book is big right now because it makes monsters like Elemental Hero Prisma return to their original names, which hurts Gladiator Beasts, but a lot of the time both of these spells are used just to stop an attacker and allow your Gladiator to hit it next turn. Kunai will do the same thing.

"But wait," you exclaim, "you can’t use Kunai’s effect on your turn, which is what makes Enemy Controller so good." Fear not my friends, because Kunai with Chain’s other effect gives it utility on your turn as well. In a Gladiator mirror match, most of the monsters are within 500 ATK of each other. Gladiator Beast Bestiari, Gladiator Beast Darius, and Gladiator Beast Laquari are all within 300 ATK, and Gladiator Beast Equeste, being released in this set, is in the same range. Not to mention the fact that other popular monsters, such as Elemental Hero Stratos, Elemental Hero Prisma, and Dark Grepher, also fall between the 1500 and 1800 ATK milestones.

This means there are many opportunities for you to boost your Gladiators over opposing monsters. Players are being a lot more cautious lately thanks to the rampant use of D.D. Crow and Solemn Judgment, and simply trying to attack over smaller monsters is becoming more and more common. Kunai with Chain makes that sort of play pan out terribly, destroying an opposing monster and keeping yours alive while also giving your monster a permanent 500 ATK increase.

It’s easy to misread the card the first time, but you can actually activate both effects at once, too. When your opponent’s monster is too big and needs to be switched to defense mode, you can also buff up one of your own monsters. Enemy Controller can’t stop a pair of Laquari from tearing apart your Dark Grepher, but turning the attacker sideways and then boosting up your Grepher to 2300 ATK is going to stop them dead. Now you can hit the attack-mode Laquari with Grepher next turn, and pretty much anything can take down the Laquari thanks to its low DEF.

In any mirror match, this card will be very effective. Since you’re running the same monsters as your opponent, there will be plenty of opportunities to make excellent Kunai plays. In the Gladiator mirror, winning a battle of monsters is so important. Kunai allows your monster to live, meaning you can tag out while your opponent can’t. True, you lose the Kunai, but you’ll be switching out for something that is going to generate more positive actions. Bestiari, Darius, and even Gladiator Beast Secutor are well worth giving up a Kunai for.

The other option is to just have a big Gladiator Beast. If you thought a 2100 ATK Laquari was scary, imagine one that jumps suddenly from 1800 ATK to a permanent 2300. Your opponent can’t deal with that kind of monster in battle anymore, and is going to have to use his or her power cards to get out of the situation. In a Gladiator mirror, that’s exactly what you want to happen, which is why subbing out for two pumped copies of Laquari is so good. But your monsters have to survive battles to make that scenario a reality. Kunai can grant you that survival, or it can make one of your monsters too big to attack over.

The best part about this is you can activate the Kunai during the damage step, meaning that your opponent can’t trump it with Book of Moon or Enemy Controller. So long as you wait until your opponent attacks, you can ensure that you don’t lose out on the trade. Its damage step activation also gives you the means to power over big defenders. Gravekeeper’s Spy, Gladiator Beast Hoplomus, and Legendary Jujitsu Master are seeing a lot of play right now, and you don’t really want to just bounce off of any of them. Spy can multiply so that your opponent has tribute material next turn, Hoplomus can tag out, and Jujitsu Master just needs to go ASAP. You can activate Kunai in the damage step after you’ve revealed the opponent’s defender, allowing you to destroy it while giving you a big monster that your opponent will have to deal with.

Kunai with Chain really supports the "right card, right time" idea. It’s high in utility and with the ability to activate two effects at once, it can allow you to make some pretty cool plays. I’ll be one of the duelists fooling around with this card for quite some time to come. There’s just way too many awesome things it can do.