Yu-Gi-Oh Card of the Day, Card Reviews, yugioh tips

Tranorix	Hammer Shot Hammer Shot is a nice little Rare from Soul of the Duelist. It is often compared to Fissure and Smashing Ground, but there's one key difference between Hammer Shot and the others: Hammer Shot counts your monsters too. What does that mean? If you have the strongest monster on the field, it probably isn’t a good idea to play Hammer Shot since you'll be the one losing a monster. As a result, it isn't as much of an offensive card as Fissure/Smashing Ground. On the other hand, it's far superior when it comes to making a comeback from behind. If your opponent is the one with the stronger monster(s), Hammer Shot will probably be much more useful than Fissure will, for example; instead of killing your opponent's Don Zaloog, you'll be killing his BLS-EotB. It should be noted that if you and your opponent each have a monster with the same ATK on the field, you, the player who activated Hammer Shot, get to choose which one dies. Basically, it's an alternative to Fissure and Smashing Ground. It can't really be called better than either one, nor can they be called better than it; it depends on the deck you're going up against. Traditional – CCCC: 3/5 Traditional – Field Control: 3.5/5 Advanced – Field Control: 3.5/5
Coin Flip	Remember Fissure from the old days? Remember how it was always fun to kill their weakest monster by attacking and then use a Fissure to take out their BEWD? How Fissure was a beast if used correctly? Yeah, this is Fissure's daddy. Stats/Cost: Free to play, Spell Speed 1, no activation requirements except for a face-up monster on the field. Since it's a SS1 Spell, it had better have a decent effect. Usability/Effect: Well, here's where this thing falls. See, it's all nice and everything to kill the monster with the highest attack, but this is a double-edged blade. It doesn't specify your opponent's monsters. If you have a Summoned Skull on the field, and they have a Jinzo, your Summoned Skull dies. On the upside, if both of you have a Jinzo on the field when you play this, you can choose which monster dies, similar to Fissure and Smashing Ground. Often times you will want to get rid of a Spirit Reaper, and if you have ANY monsters on the field, it is unlikely that will happen. Smashing Ground specifies opponent's cards, isn't hindered by Scapegoat unlike Fissure, and will be more useful in more situations than Hammer Shot. Hammer Shot is still a decent card, though. Combos: Erm, you COULD increase the attack of your opponent's monster to destroy a specific one, but then again, if you have the higher attack, just run into them. Score: 2/5 Traditional (raigeki > this), 3.5/5 Championship (somewhat reliable and quick removal that's easy to get and no-cost. Think for a second).
ExMinion OfDarkness	Hammer Shot This card has been regarded as the next Fissure. Again, a closer look is needed. Hammer Shot destroys the monster with highest ATK on the field. THIS INCLUDES YOUR SIDE OF THE FIELD AS WELL. If you have a BLS-E out, and they have a Jinzo...it'd be better to save this card for later. I see Hammer Shot as helping more than hurting; its drawback really isn't one. Usually people don't play Fissure or Smashing Ground if their strongest monster can beat their opponent's strongest monster -- Hammer Shot just enforces this as a rule. This is similar to the difference in power of Berserk Gorilla and Archfiend Soldier -- Berserk's slightly more powerful, and has a drawback that is easily worked around. I'm hard pressed to think of a situation where Hammer Shot is a bad card to have in hand...maybe if you've Snatch Stolen their monster, and want to get rid of their other blocker to attack with the bigger one. Otherwise, it's really a great card for people who are currently using Fissure or Smashing Ground. This is a good test of any Duelist you may be training. If the rookie you're bringing up is using Fissures or Smashing Grounds, replace them with these. If they play this correctly, and decide to go back to the older cards, they will most likely play the older cards correctly as well as they realize the hand advantage they are saving. My conclusions: Traditional -- with Dark Hole and Raigeki still alive, along with T-Virus and Torrential Tribute, this card seems to be a bit weak. 2.25/5 Advanced -- with so little monster removal, this card can be more useful. My only advice is to side this out when facing a Burn deck, as their monsters aren't strong -- their effects are. 3/5
Snapper	Hammer Shot Today’s card is Hammer Shot, one of the three choices people have to replace Raigeki and Dark Hole in Advanced Format. Let’s see how well it works. Effect: Hammer Shot has a simple effect; destroy the monster with the highest ATK on the field. That’s rather straightforward. A simple rule of thumb when using Hammer Shot is to make sure your opponent has the monster with the highest ATK. Common sense really. Now a question that may arise is what if 2 or more monsters exist on the field with the same ATK. In this case, the controller of Hammer Shot would decide what monster is destroyed. Another question that may come up is if Hammer Shot is a targeting card. The answer is no. Because you never actually get to choose what monster Hammer Shot destroys, you never designate a target. And no, even if you need to choose one of the three 1900 ATK monsters on the field, it still isn’t a targeting effect. Effect – Good. Combos: A combo to use with Hammer Shot is to just give one of your opponent’s monster an Equip Spell Card, assuming you have stronger monsters than your opponent. Now of course this might not be one of the wisest things to do, but it’s a way to get around cards like Mystic Tomato… Usability: Hammer Shot works in most, if not all decks. It’s a card better suited to Advanced Format, seeing as Traditional Format has Raigeki and Dark Hole. Hammer Shot is my top choice for monster removal in Advanced Format, and it’s just a good card no matter what format you’re using. Just make sure you use it at the right time, and you’ll be fine. Advanced Format: 4.5/5. As said before, it’s one of the better monster removals here. Traditional Format: 3.5/5. While useable, there are just better choices. Art: 2/5. It’s Name That Monster Time! I see Goblin Attack Force.
JAELOVE	Tuesday: Hammer Shot Rated For: Any Deck Hammer Shot is a throwback to the old school days of Fissure. It also evokes memories of Smashing Ground, from IoC. I don’t understand why they didn’t continue onward with the rupturing earth theme, but Hammer Shot seems like a dandy moniker. This one must target a face-up attack monster, but it does destroy the highest one on the field. Obviously, you can’t use it in all cases, but it gives solid bang for the buck. It’s certainly one of the best forms of targeted removal out there; does it deserve space in your deck? My gut intuition tells me that this is a good, but not great option. Advantage F/H: You’re giving up one card for your opponent’s monster. That’s a pretty solid trade right there, but keep in mind this card will also give you a free shot at your opponent’s life-points, and hopefully kill a tribute monster (thereby wasting two of your opponent’s resources, the tributed monster and the tribute fodder itself.) It’s a good way of establishing field control against beatdown forces. 7.5/10. Best Draw for the Situation: This is a good card when your opponent has high attack monsters on the field. It’s even a good card when they don’t, since it’ll take something down anyways. The only problem is that certain monsters these days have built in effects that prevent them from being targeted, and this hurts targeted removal (obviously). It’s a decently solid draw, just not when you’re getting your head handed to you by more than one monster. 7/10. Attributes/Effect: Single shot target removal. Obviously, this is intended to be the update to a fan favorite, Fissure. It certainly is more effective in almost every situation, and should serve you well every time you have the chance to use it. Monster removal is far more scarce in the post-ban format, so try this out. 8/10. Dependability: The only knock this card gets is that the monster must be in attack position. That’s not always guaranteed, meaning this card can possibly be dead weight. Otherwise, it’s use and dump. Pretty simple. 7/10. The Bottom Line: Solid option. A BAD Score: 29.5/40= 74/100 Cards it functions well with: Everything.