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Doomkaiser Dragon
Card# CSOC-EN043


Doomkaiser Dragon's effect isn't just for Zombie World duelists: remember that its effect can swipe copies of Plaguespreader Zombie, too!
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Ancient Sanctuary Limited: Human-Wave Tactics
Curtis Schultz
 
“We can’t hold them off like this. Sir, we have to abandon this outpost.”

“And go where!? We’re out of options here, soldier. This is all we’ve got between them and home.”

“I know, but . . . wait . . . what is that?”

“Let me see . . . I’m not sure . . . they’re small . . . and white . . . like marshmallows.”

“What are they doing?”

“I think . . . they’re engaging the enemy. I think they’re trying to help.”

“How can those tiny things help?”

“One is destroyed, but another takes its place—look at them, they’re relentless!”

“Unbelievable. What commands such a force?”

“Ha! I don’t believe it. As I live and breathe, it’s him, General Freed! C’mon troops, let’s show them we still know how to fight!”


The little guys are tired of being kicked around. The long forgotten relics of binders, tins, and shoeboxes, these monsters have been assembled together to fight the good fight. They are empowered by their unity and their unwavering will to push onward. They’ve been given the tools to unite these powers with strong leadership to see them through to victory.

The most difficult task of drafting for Human-Wave is the short print status of many of the level 2 and lower normal monsters. Gigobyte, Mokey Mokey, Kozaky, Pharaoh’s Servant, and Pharaonic Protector have all been short printed, leaving Mystical Shine Ball and Fiend Scorpion the most likely to appear. Still, it is beneficial to be familiar with this deck type and the combinations it provides, as it is one of the most reliable sources of monster and spell/trap destruction in the set.


The Monsters

Level 1

Gigobyte, Mokey Mokey, Kozaky: Weak monsters on their own, when combined with the support cards of Ancient Sanctuary they are given new life. (Mokey Mokey are the marshmallows.)

Level 2

Mystical Shine Ball, Fiend Scorpion, Pharaoh’s Servent, Pharaonic Guardian: A bit stronger then their level 1 compatriots, these level 2 monsters are also in need of support. They will find it in Ancient Sanctuary.

Support Monsters

Sealmaster Meisei: Normal monster, level 3. It can be used in conjunction with some of the effects of the low-level normal monster support cards.

Spirit Caller: Easy form of revival for your low-level normal monsters.

Emissary of the Afterlife: Super rare. This will function as an enforcer and can replace itself when it gets sent from the field to the graveyard. In draft you are more likely to find your opponent also has level 3 or lower normal monsters in his or her deck, so don’t expect to be the only person using this effect.

Night Assailant: A duel purpose card, in draft this will be used primarily for its ability to destroy an opponent’s monster. In Constructed, it can also be used against the various card effects that would cause you to send the Night Assailant from your hand to the graveyard.

Man-Thro’ Tro’: Man Thro’ Tro’ functions well as the extra damage needed to finish off your opponent after getting a few normal monsters into play. Keep in mind that this card’s effect does not work with monster tokens.

Emissary of the Oasis: The idea of Emissary of the Oasis is to prevent you from losing life points in battles involving your lower level normal monsters. While it does not save your monster from destruction, it can buy you some time. It will function better if you are also using Human-Wave Tactics.


Spells

Order to Charge: A good way to destroy a monster you want destroyed utilizing the lower level monsters. You do not decide which monster you will destroy at activation, so your opponent is forced to react before knowing the possible outcome.

Sword of the Soul-Eater: The strength of the many feed the strength of one. This equip card is a backbone for the low level Human-Wave. Sealmaster Meisei stands to benefit with the least additional support, but it can serve any of the low-level normal monsters just as well.

Level-Limit Area B: This one is sure to drive your opponent’s strategies haywire. It can help you to stall until you have assembled your plan. In Constructed it will be more irritating then in Draft, where players have more likelihood of actually having lower level monsters in their decks.

Enchanting Fitting Room: Special summon capabilities for the low level normal monsters. You may get lucky and use it to assemble a few monsters for use with cards like the Sword of Soul-Eater, but you are just as likely to get nothing at all.

Thousand Energy and Triangle Power: Rare cards. Each functions for the different levels of the low-level monsters, level 2 and level 1 respectively. level 2 gets 1000 ATK and DEF increase from Thousand Energy and level 1 receives 2000 ATK from Triangle Power.

The Law of the Normal: Getting five level 2 or lower normal monsters on your side of the field will not be easy, but the payoff can be devastating. The idea here is to get the appropriate monsters together on your side of the field, power them up with a card like Thousand Energy, and then clear the way for your attack with The Law of the Normal. I would not plan on getting this one to work.

Opti-Camouflage Armor: Equip this to a level 1 monster, and you have yourself your very own direct attacker. It will be a good friend to any level 1 normal monster equipped with the Sword of Soul-Eating. For fun, you should try equipping a Relinquished or Thousand Eyes Restrict with this card in Constructed.


Traps

Human-Wave Tactics: The driving force of the ongoing swarm of little guys. This is the card that helps to keep your supply of monsters growing in order to best support the needs of the support cards like Sword of the Soul-Eater.

Curse of Anubis: Super rare. Given that the Human-Wave strategy functions around normal monsters, Curse of Anubis will offer you a good way to perform one of two functions: protect yourself during your opponent’s battle phase, or go offensive during your own battle phase. Keep in mind that a draft will feature its fair share of normal monsters, so you are more likely to do damage with this card in the effect-monster heavy Constructed environment.

Desert Sunlight: This card is an odd one, but the basic idea is to use this to put your monsters into defense position so that you will not lose life points in battle. In some cases it can be even more beneficial, such as for monsters with high DEF or monsters like Spirit Reaper.

Soul Resurrection: Rare card. A new revival card for normal monsters. You can use this one for any normal monsters you have drafted.

Order to Smash: Spell and Trap destruction for the Human-Wave.

Micro Ray: Bring an opponent’s defending monster down to the level of the Human-Wave. It is only useful against Defense Position monsters.

Wall of Revealing Light: Costly defensive measure, but the effects it can have are powerful in Limited. Keep in mind that you would need to activate it and pay 2000 life points in order for it to be effective.


Bringing it all together, the Human-Wave strategy in Limited works best if you focus on the simplest combinations, like Mystical Shine Ball with Order to Smash. Anything requiring a deal of work is not likely to come together. Longer-term strategies can function well using Wall of Revealing Light, but don’t expect it to last forever. That said, Wall of Revealing Light can act as a linchpin for any deck using the Human-Wave. Since it only affects your opponent, the life points you spend become the only issue for the card. Ancient Sanctuary contains many methods by which you can recoup this loss.

Human-Wave Tactics also has a good chance of showing-up, so you can plan around this card as well. Try to combine it with Emissary of the Oasis so you can allow the low level normal monsters to be destroyed in battle and not really be concerned. You will need to do something to keep the Emissary of the Oasis around though. This strategy is limited in its length of usefulness.


The cards you are most likely to see:

Monsters

Mystical Shine Ball
Fiend Scorpion
Spirit Caller
Night Assailant
Emissary of the Oasis

Spells

Sword of the Soul-Eater
Enchanting Fitting Room
The Law of the Normal

Traps

Human-Wave Tactics
Desert Sunlight
Order to Smash
Micro Ray
Wall of Revealing Light


Next week, the burn tactics of Ancient Sanctuary.


Send all comments, suggestions, and menchi recipes to
curtis@metagame.com.

 
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