With Nationals just a single day away, the field is pretty much set. If any teams have any secret weapons left in their arsenals, no one’s eager to be spilling secrets at this point.
That said, a few cards have left their marks on the LCQs hosted today. The following two monsters have proven effective in a variety of decks, and may see play tomorrow in deciding matches. While Chain Disappearance is definitely the hot tech of the weekend, the following cards will go down as being memorable—and powerful—contributions to the metagame.
Mirage Dragon: In a sea of Control-oriented decks and an environment which encourages conservative play, Mirage Dragon lets aggressive players go all-out. There isn’t much complexity or intricacy to using it, since Sangan can’t fetch it to the hand and Shining Angel cannot summon it to the field. The fact that it’s a Light monster means it can be used in Chaos decks, but overall, Mirage Dragon is low on synergy in anything other than an aggressive Dragon build.
However, it’s still highly useful. I’d definitely consider it to be a “specialized” card instead of a purely narrow one. The main threats it stops are Sakuretsu Armor, Magic Cylinder, and the mighty Mirror Force, all of which are cards that can easily swing a game into the opponent’s favor. Heck, it can even prevent a forgetful opponent from successfully activating Gravity Bind, Ring of Destruction, or Call of the Haunted if the opponent is relying on them as tricks for the battle phase. Because Mirage Dragon doesn’t see much play, it’s possible that an opponent may be caught off guard by its effect. Often all you need to win a duel is a single mistake to capitalize on, and Mirage Dragon can create that kind of situation.
The cool part is that, despite the fact that it cannot be easily searched out, it fits in basically any battle-oriented deck. It’s a poor monster to open with if you’re going first on turn one, since it’s relatively easy to rout in battle when play shifts to your opponent’s turn. However any time after that, from the early game through the mid- and late game, it can be an incredibly valuable option to have. Permitting aggression in an era of the game where unbridled over-extension can be highly rewarding, Mirage Dragon has the potential to make an impact in what remains of the 2005 tournament season.
Zombyra the Dark: A favorite of both Jae Kim and myself, Zombyra the Dark is the best example of its class. A superb opening monster by virtue of its stats, Zombyra is big enough to best anything on turn one that an opponent might throw at it, short of Giant Orc or Goblin Attack Force. It’s not worth wasting a D. D. Warrior Lady or D. D. Assailant on, but Zombyra the Dark is a brutal beatstick on turn two when it inevitably attacks whatever your opponent played.
On top of that, Brain Control and Snatch Steal are a moot point, at least on turn 1. While removing Zombyra from the line of fire can allow your turn 1 monster to attack directly, Zombyra itself cannot join in on the attack since it can only go after monsters, not players. Unless you’re equipped with a hand full of special summons, the odds are good that the investment of a card alone will not be justifiable, let alone the life points given to the opponent with Snatch Steal or lost due to Brain Control.
Beyond those points, Zombyra is a Dark monster, meaning it can work nicely in a Chaos deck to provide fodder when it hits the graveyard—which it inevitably will, due to its habit of decreasing its own ATK. It’s also a Warrior, so it can be searched out with Reinforcements of the Army. While Zombyra’s best use is as a field-clogger for turn 1, it can’t be ignored that it’s also a beast in battle before its attrition effect kicks in more than once, and the ability to seek out a 2100 ATK monster at will cannot be underestimated.
While Mirage Dragon may be a bit ahead of its time, it’s fair to say that Zombyra the Dark might have a big impact tomorrow. Some well-known and well-recognized players will likely be using it, and while players are currently abuzz with the potential locked within Chain Disappearance, it would be naïve to assume that only a single piece of tech will shine in the 2005 U.S. Nationals. Still, everything is up in the air, and until 9 AM tomorrow, it’s all just speculation. Only a handful of hours remain before the main event, but if you’re looking for one more tweak for your deck, consider either of these two underrated monsters!