Union monsters were a surprising addition to the Cybernetic Revolution set. First introduced into the game in Magician’s Force, Union monsters are a part of the game that’s often overlooked. Union monsters are intended to combine with other monsters and create a powerful bond. While Cyber Dragons prefer to do this with Power Bond, many Union monsters have their own specialized method of combining with other monsters.

Union monsters can also be a source of trouble. Union monsters are often misunderstood, because players are not accustomed to dealing with them. This can mean trouble for everyone; but after this week’s article, you won’t have any trouble at all.

The Bonds of Union

Every Union monster is intended to “unite” with either a specific monster or a specific type of monster. Only the card text of the Union monster will tell you what can unite with your Union monster, so make sure to check that before placing any Union monsters into your deck.

Take a look at Doitsu from Cybernetic Revolution. After it finishes its meal, it seeks out one particular monster to unite with. That monster, Soitsu, is written in its card text. Protective Soul Ailin, on the other hand, only unites with Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei. For both of these Union monsters, there’s only one choice for which monster to unite with.

Some Union monsters are more versatile and can unite with several monsters. Heavy Mech Support Platform from Rise of Destiny is a very useful Union monster that can unite with all Machine-type monsters. This gives it a rather large selection of monsters to unite with, and it fits right in with the monsters of Cybernetic Revolution.

How is it that a monster can unite with other monsters? Examine the following text, which is common to all Union monsters.

“Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on the field, you can equip it to your “XXXX” as an Equip Card . . . ”

Let’s say we already have Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei on our side of the field. During our first main phase, we normal summon Protective Soul Ailin. Looking at Ailin’s effect, we know that we can now equip Protective Soul Ailin to Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei. This effect does use the chain, so remember that your opponent may do something to try and stop it. He or she could use a card like Ring of Destruction to destroy the Union monster before it can successfully unite with another monster.

Once it succeeds, the Union monster becomes an equip card and equips to its partner. Remember that whenever a monster becomes an equip card, it is treated as an equip spell card. As an equip spell card, it shares all of the strengths and weakness of spell cards. After the card’s united with another monster, it will become a target for spell-destroying effects, like Mystical Space Typhoon.

This equipping effect can only be performed while the Union monster is face-up on your side of the field. You cannot use this effect while the card is in your hand. The spell card Frontline Base will allow you to special summon one level 4 or lower Union monster during each of your turns, which can help speed up the process.

“ . . . or unequip the Union equipment and Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position.”

If you enter your main phase and decide that you’d rather have your two monsters separated from their union, you can activate the Union monster’s unequipping effect and special summon it back onto the field as a monster. Your opponent can also chain to this effect, but when he or she responds, he or she needs to realize that this unequipping effect comes from an equip spell card and not from a monster card. This means that it cannot be stopped by using an effect like that of Divine Wrath.

It is important to remember that you can’t use both effects in the same turn. You can use the equipping effect or you can use the unequipping effect, but you can’t use both. I recommend using the trap card Formation Union if you think you might need to do this.

Also, keep in mind that a monster can only be equipped with one Union monster at a time. If I have X-Head Cannon on my side of the field, I can only equip it with one Union monster. I could equip it with Y-Dragon Head or Z-Metal Tank, but I can’t equip it with both monsters at the same time.

The Gifts of Union

Each Union monster bestows powers upon the equipped monster. Every Union monster is different, so be sure to refer to your Union monster to see what it does. Let’s take a look at what the Union monsters in Cybernetic Revolution can do.

Doitsu

Doitsu equips to a little level 3 Wind monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF, which is Soitsu the unimpressive. Soitsu questions its abilities and wonders if it has hidden potential, but it’s Doitsu that makes Soitsu’s power awaken. By using Doitsu’s effect to equip it to Soitsu, Soitsu’s ATK is increased by 2500 points.

Protective Soul Ailin

If Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei attacks, it is switched to defense position at the end of the battle phase. With 0 DEF, this leaves Lei Lei in a world of trouble. But it has a guardian angel in the form of Protective Soul Ailin. While equipped to Lei Lei, Ailin allows you to use its effect to switch Lei Lei’s battle position once during your turn. This means you can attack with Lei Lei and then use Ailin’s effect in main phase two to turn Lei Lei back into attack position.

“If the equipped monster is destroyed as a result of battle, destroy this card instead.”

Union monsters also offer one extra bit of protection, and this is shared by all Union monsters. Whenever the equipped monster would be destroyed in battle, the Union monster is destroyed instead. This makes the equipped monster a bit tougher to take down.

But one Union monster offers even more. Heavy Mech Support Platform’s protection effect goes even further, protecting the equipped monster any time it would be destroyed. If your opponent tried to use a card effect like Tribe-Infecting Virus to destroy the equipped Machine-type monster, Heavy Mech Support Platform would be destroyed instead.

One final thing to remember about Union monsters is that they will only bestow their powers upon a monster if the Union monster is equipped using its own effect or by the trap card Formation Union. If your Union monster is absorbed by the opponent’s Relinquished, their copy of Relinquished will not gain any of the Union monster’s powers.

Until next time, send all comments and questions to Curtis@metagame.com.