Trading Card Game - Yu-Gi-Oh! Significant Pulls and Trades: 40 Packs of Battle Pack: Epic Dawn!

    

      This last week Konami released Battle Pack: Epic Dawn, a special pack with the intention of being used for sealed tournaments.  Wal*Mart even carries a Special Edition box that's exclusively for Sealed Play, each box is $19.98, and comes with 10 packs and an exclusive Battle Pack: Epic Dawn playmat (The playmat is also a prize for sealed tournaments).  I decided to get a few of these today to post what all I pulled. 


Battle Pack: Epic Dawn Exclusive Playmat x4 ($10 [each]) <- This is insane

Notable Starfoils: 7
Tiras, Keeper of Genisis x1 
Gorz the Emissary of Darkness x1
Snowman Eater x1
King Tiger Wanghu x1
Ancient Gear Knight x1
Prideful Roar x1
Mirror Force x1

Rares: 30
Mobius the Frost Monarch x2
Raiza the Storm Monarch x2
Witch of the Black Forest x1
White Night Dragon x1
Machina Fortress x1
Treeborn Frog x1
Dark Magician of Chaos x1
Number 17: Leviathan Dragon x5
Gem-Knight Pearl x3
Number 39: Utopia x3
Grenosaurus x2
Harpie's Feather Duster x4
Snatch Steal x2
Scapegoat x1
Pot of Duality x1
Graceful Charity x1
Creature Swap x1
Raigeki x1
Metal Reflect Slime x3
Skill Drain x1 
Dark Bribe x1
Call of the Haunted x1
Mirror Force x1

If you want to know, ask about other Starfoils, I don't have time to type them all out.  

Trading Card Game - Yu-Gi-Oh! Single Card Discussion: Doggy!? (A Dog's Chance)

     The next set for the Yu-Gi-Oh!  Trading Card Game is full of new cards that really can cause a completely new turn from the meta, from the extreme speed of the Magical monsters, to the massive beat-down capabilities of the Heroic monsters, this set is sure to please.  Although there are 100 cards in every set (for the TCG, this includes the World Premier cards and the Previously OCG Exclusive cards, the OCG sets only have 80 cards)  there are a few cards that really shine out from the rest of the competition.  
     The first card in this installment isn't really great for a Sneak Event, but for tournament play, the effect of this card is outstanding.  Although it is a common in Japan, it is certain to be either an ultra rare, or even secret rare for the TCG!  The card's name is Doggy!? (listed on Dueling Network as "A Dog's Chance"), but don't let the name be misleading, this card is game-changing.  Although it won't get much play in a normal deck, Piper Chaos and Piper Exodia benefit greatly from this card, allowing them to search out Kinka-Byo, Mystic Piper and even Exodia pieces!  What does the card do exactly?  Well, now that you're all exited over it, I may as well tell you:


Card Information:

Doggy!? (A Dog's Chance)
Normal Spell Card
If you control a face-up Level 1 monster: Add 1 Level 1 monster from your Deck to your hand. During the End Phase, if you did not Normal Summon a card with the same name as the added monster this turn, you take 2000 damage.


Now, what would a build featuring this card look like?  I'll show you.


Monsters: 19
Blue-Eyes White Dragon x3
Mystic Piper x3
The White Stone of Legend x3
Thunder Dragon x3
Broww, Huntsman of Dark World x2
Exodia the Forbidden One x1
Left Arm of the Forbidden One x1
Right Arm of the Forbidden One x1
Left Leg of the Forbidden One x1
Right Leg of the Forbidden One x1


Spells: 18
A Dog's Chance x3
Cards of Consonance x3
Trade-In x3
Upstart Goblin x3
One Day of Peace x3
Dark World Dealings x3


Traps: 3
Hope for Escape x3


     Now, one question of the deck is "How do I avoid taking the 2000-6000 damage from the doggy?  Easy, it's damage!  One Day of Peace stops all damage both players would take until your opponent's next End Phase, so you sit pretty and activate the Dog's Chance without any backfiring, and even if you took two to four thousand damage from it, you can use Hope for Escape to draw lots of cards to hopefully get Exodia quickly!  You can also use it to search out The White Stone of Legend to use the normally-dead Cards of Consonance that every Dragon-Draw Exodia player dreads!  Overall, this card is definitely broken.  I give it a 5/5 for tremendous play ability and a seemingly pointless back-draw.  Great card!  

Trading Card Game - Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck Profile: Atlantean Mermails

Deck Profile: Atlantean Mermails

     The first deck profile of this website is gonna be a big one!  Sure, people are going to disagree with this, but when they come out, this deck type is sure be climb the Tier Ladder and hit Tier 1 or Tier 1.5.  Being amazingly consistent and fun as well, this deck drops beaters like Charlie Sheen drops panties.  The deck's potential to search for a key card every turn makes it very fast and gives almost no opening for a response apart from a stray veiler, or occasionally Solemn Warning.  The deck can destroy back row while searching and has the potential to drop double Gachi Gachi Gantetsu on turn 1!  The deck is a little monster-heavy  but that's okay, the deck needs monsters for its discarding effects.  The extra deck is basic, a couple Synchros, a few Rank 4s, Rank 3s, Rank 2s and the oddball, a Rank 7.  Now, the deck!  (Dueling Network photo posted at the bottom of the page.)

Monsters: 24

Atlantean Seahorseman x3

Deep Sea Diva x3

Mermail - Abyssgunde x3

Mermail - Abysshilde x3

Mermail - Abysspike x3

Mermail - Abyssturge x3

Mermail - Megaloabyss x3

Antlantean Marksman x2

Antlantean Armsman x1

Spells: 5

Mystical Space Typhoon x2

Heavy Storm x1

Dark Hole x1

Monster Reborn x1

Traps: 11

Compulsory Evacuation Device x2

Torrential Tribute x2

Spiritual Water Art - Aoi x2

Depthsphere x2

Depthsquall x2

Solemn Judgment x1

Extra Deck: 15

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu x2

Mermail - Gaioabyss x2

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon x2

Black Ray Lancer x1

Number 20: Giga-Brilliant x1

Number 30: Acid Golem x1

Gem-Knight Pearl x1

Maestroke the Symphony Djinn x1

Ally of Justice - Catastor x1

Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier x1

Black Rose Dragon x1

Stardust Dragon x1

Trading Card Game - Yu-Gi-Oh! Set Speculations: Rising Abyss's new Mermail monsters!

The OCG's next set is called Abyss Rising.  The sets announced cards are few, and so far are focused on the Abyss/Mermail archtype, which can prove deadly if at least one copy of each were to be pulled by a player during a Sneak Event.  Let's start with the monsters, first off is:

Mermail - Abyssgunde 





Card Information:
Effect Monster
WATER
Level 3
Aqua-type
If this card is discarded from your hand to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Mermail" monster from your Graveyard, except "Mermail - Abyssgunde". The effect of "Mermail - Abyssgunde" can only be activated once per turn.
Attack: 1400, Defense: 800




Now,  it doesn't look that great at first, so I should probably include the fact that nearly every card in this archetype discards from your hand to do something, and the best part is that Mermail - Abyssgunde never misses timing.  You can use it to Special Summon all of the boss monsters in the deck and explode into plays.  Great card, 5/5.  
Next card in this feature is:


Mermail - Abysshilde


 


Card Information:
Effect Monster 
WATER
Level 3
Aqua-type
If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Mermail" monster from your hand, except "Mermail - Abysshilde". The effect of "Mermail - Abysshilde" can only be activated once per turn.
Attack: 1300, Defense: 400


This card is a bit better than the last, if it's sent to the Graveyard by any means, it will Special Summon a monster from your hand.  There's really no draw-back to this effect.  I give this card a 5/5 for its ability to drop large monsters by activating Foolish Burial.  It combos perfectly with the next card, Mermail - Abysspike.


Mermail - Abysspike




Card Information:
Effect Monster
WATER
Level 4
Fish-type 
When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can discard 1 WATER monster to the Graveyard; add 1 Level 3 WATER monster from your Deck to your hand. The effect of "Mermail - Abysspike" can only be activated once per turn.
Attack: 1600, Defense: 800


This card is the...well...at the very least, second most broken card in this archetype, so far.  It's effect to add a Level 3 WATER from your Deck to your hand makes it highly versatile for any WATER deck, like BaniShark for example.  In this specific deck, if you already have the WATER in your hand that you need for a combo, you could search for Shark Stickers by discarding Mermail - Abysshilde.  Then use Abysshilde's effect to Special Summon a Mermail - Megaloabyss, which is the next card in this preview.  This card gets a 4/5 for having a very effective...well...effect.  It sets up plays that can cause an explosion of "Good Game, Sir"s and rage quits.  


Mermail - Megaloabyss




Card Information:
Effect Monster
WATER
Level 7
Sea Serpent-type
You can discard 2 other WATER monsters; Special Summon this card from your hand. When Special Summoned by this effect: Add 1 "Depth" Spell/Trap Card (except "Fish Depth Charge" or "Depth Amulet") from your Deck to your hand. You can Tribute 1 face-up Attack Position WATER monster you control, except this card; this card can attack twice during each Battle Phase this turn.


Two, inconsistent words...Treeborn Frog...it combos greatly with this card.  Discard two WATER monsters, Special Summon, using one or more Mermail - Abysshilde for the discard.  Use her effect to Special Summon a monster to your field in attack mode,  tribute the monster to herp-derp attack twice, seems great.  Set monster hate or back row hate and Foolish a Treeborn.  Corrupt their plays with your back row and standby phase your Treeborn comes back *In attack mode*, you tribute the Treeborn for a nearly-infinite resource for double attacking.  When it's Special Summoned, you get to add 1 "Depth" Spell or Trap card from your Deck to your hand, except any old ones, i.e., Fish Depth Charge and Depth Amulet.  In the next installment I will go in depth (no pun intended) with the Depth Spell and Trap cards I give this card a 4/5 for easy Summoning Requirements and a great effect and with that, were on to our next card:


Mermail - Abyssturge 




Card Information:
Effect Monster
WATER
Level 4
Fish-type
When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can discard 1 WATER monster to the Graveyard; add 1 Level 3 or lower WATER monster from your Graveyard to your hand. The effect of "Mermail Abyssturge" can only be activated once per turn.


This card is not ... that great.  I mean, it allows you to recycle some cards, such as Abysshilde and Abyssgunde, but overall...not that great.  I mean, if you play Deep Sea Diva, you could recycle her.  Personal opinion, this cards rating is a 2/5.  Now, the next card that will be shown is the Rank 7 XYZ monster, Mermail - Gaioabyss!


Mermail - Gaioabyss

Card Information:

XYZ Effect Monster

WATER

Rank 7

Aqua-type 

2 Level 7 WATER monsters
While this face-up card has any Xyz Material, Level 5 or higher monsters cannot attack. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate the effects of all monsters your opponent controls whose ATK is lower than this card's ATK, until the End Phase.
Attack: 2800, Defense: 1600


Obviously, easy to summon considering the level 7 that the deck plays is a Special Summon that can be dropped multiple ways, either by its own effect or by Abysshilde or Abyssgunde, it can be very easy to summon a Rank 7 monster.  This card's effect is obviously the dumbest.  If combo'd with Spined Gillman, you can negate every monster your opponent controls, except Obelisk the Tormentor, Ultimate Obedient Fiend, Rocket Arrow Express and Five-Headed Dragon.  Also, your opponent's Level 5 or higher monsters can't attack?  Seems good, and with a 2800 fist, it can easily climb over anything your opponent summons, and if it can't, it can stall until you can get over their beater.  This card easily gets a 5/5 score.  


Well, that is coverage of the Mermail/Abyss monsters from the OCG's next set, Abyss Rising!

Introductions

Hey, so how should I start this thing off?  Oh, right, so I'm going to be posting blogs regarding  Trading Card Games.  That covers set releases, what my pulls are from sets (when purchasing a lot of packs), deck lists and generic news regarding the games.  Games include Yu-Gi-Oh! and Cardfight! Vanguard.  Video games is what to look for in the upcoming months, what games to buy, what downloads to get.  Happy reading!