The Yu-Gi-Oh! television show first introduced us to a virus card when Kaiba used one to wipe out his opponent’s strongest monsters. As if that wasn’t strong enough, it would also destroy any monster the opponent happened to draw that fell into the same category. We didn’t have a card like that to add to our TCG decks at the time, but things changed with the release of Flaming Eternity’s Deck Devastation Virus. The game card was similar to the one Kaiba used in the show, but it chose instead to punish the opponent’s weaker monsters. At first this didn’t seem very beneficial, but as the game environment changed and popular decks started relying more heavily on these weaker monsters, the usefulness of Deck Devastation Virus grew substantially. Players wanted to know how they could get the most from it, and experimentation led to situations they couldn’t easily explain.

This week, we examine Deck Devastation Virus. Understanding how to activate it and what it will destroy is necessary if you want to succeed with it.

First, we should refer to the card text found on the errata section of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG website. It is slightly different than the text of the printed cards from Flaming Eternity.

“Tribute 1 DARK monster with an ATK of 2000 points or more on your side of the field. Check all monsters on your opponent’s side of the field, your opponent’s hand, and all cards he/she draws (until the end of your opponent’s 3rd turn after this card’s activation), and destroy all monsters with an ATK of 1500 or less.”

All Deck Devastation Virus needs to get things started is the tribute of one Dark monster you control with 2000 or more ATK. This can be accomplished in many ways and usually becomes part of the strategy. It is fairly easy to begin with the inclusion of Dark monsters that have a printed ATK value of 2000 or more, such as Giant Orc or Ryu Kokki, because these monsters are normally tough in a fight. Giant Orc is often a popular choice because of its “I shift to defense position” penalty. Its 0 DEF can’t stand up well in a battle, so offering it to the Deck Devastation Virus allows players to get more from a monster that was very likely going to be destroyed anyway.

Some players didn’t really want these monsters in their deck and yet still wanted to use Deck Devastation Virus. They knew and relied on the knowledge that the card uses a monster’s current ATK value to determine if it can be tributed to pay the activation cost. With the right support cards, they could make their Dark monsters strong enough to fulfill this purpose.

Everyone loves Sangan, right? With 1000 ATK, he isn’t strong enough to tribute for Deck Devastation Virus, but strap an Axe of Despair on him and things change. Now he has 2000 ATK and becomes a worthy tribute. It may not always seem like the most economical solution, but if you know you’re going to destroy a few monsters, you won’t shed any tears.

You might run into trouble with monsters that start out strong enough, but weaken due to modifiers on the field or the monster’s own inherent effects. For example, Zombyra the Dark starts out at a worthy 2100 ATK, but after it destroys one monster in battle, it drops to 1900 ATK and can no longer be offered as a tribute for Deck Devastation Virus. This same fate befalls a Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast that is summoned or set without tributes through the blessing of its effect. Halving its original ATK from 2800 to 1400 deals quite a blow.

Once you’ve satisfied the Virus’s tribute, the fun can begin. When you resolve Deck Devastation Virus, it destroys any monster on your opponent’s side of the field or in his or her hand with 1500 or less ATK. In order to determine which monsters are destroyed, your opponent is required to show you every card in his or her hand, and must reveal any face-down monster(s) on his or her side of the field. Even face-down monsters with 1500 or less ATK get destroyed! True to its namesake, the Virus can strike a devastating blow with this combination of monster destruction and reconnaissance.

Let’s take a look at a few examples and use them to illustrate which monsters are destroyed. To keep things simple, please assume in each example that we are resolving the effect of Deck Devastation Virus and that no ATK modifiers exist unless otherwise noted.

Our opponent Clark has a face-up Exxod, Master of the Guard and Stone Statue of the Aztecs and a face-down Golem Sentry on his side of the field. In his hand he has three monsters: Maharaghi, Great Spirit, and Hieracosphinx.

You can check your opponent’s hand first or his field first (it honestly doesn’t matter), but for our examples we will begin with the field. Both Clark’s Exxod and Stone Statue have less than 1500 ATK, so they are destroyed. Clark reveals his face-down monster, showing us the Golem Sentry which (with 800 ATK) is also destroyed. Next we move on to the examination of the cards in his hand. Both Maharaghi and Great Spirit are too weak to stand up to the Deck Devastation Virus, so they are destroyed. Only Hieracosphinx stays in his hand with its printed 2400 ATK.

Diana has Cannon Soldier, Cyber Dragon, and an Ancient Gear Soldier equipped with Heavy Mech Support Platform face up on her side of the field. She also has one face-down monster on her side of the field, and Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast and Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in her hand.

As in the previous example, we will begin with the monsters on the field. Cyber Dragon’s ATK is too high, so it is safe. Cannon Soldier only has 1400 ATK, so it is destroyed. Ancient Gear Soldier would normally be in the proper range, but it receives an ATK increase from Heavy Mech Support Platform that makes its ATK too high. How about Heavy Mech Support Platform itself? Normally it would be in range too, but in this situation, it is equipped to Ancient Gear Soldier, and therefore treated as a spell card. Deck Devastation Virus won’t touch it in this state.

Now we check that face-down monster. Diana shows us that it is a Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast that she had set without tributes. Its original ATK has been halved to 1400 (putting it within range), and thus it is destroyed. Fusilier Dragon is unique in situations like these because of its quirky effect. Normally when a face-down monster is revealed, you will refer to its printed ATK.

In Diana’s hand she has another Fusilier Dragon with a printed ATK of 2800 and a Gear Golem the Moving Fortress with 800 ATK. Only the Golem is destroyed.

Next week we will examine more field situations and conclude things by going over the remainder of Deck Devastation Virus’s effect. Until then, send all comments and questions to Curtis@metagame.com