Chain Strike is one of the recent “Link Number” sensitive cards that a) can’t be used until some point after a chain has been formed and b) won’t let itself be activated if there are multiple copies of it already in the chain.  Chain Strike is a Quick-Play Spell, so you can surprise an opponent by tacking it onto (preferably the end of) a chain.  The specifics of its effects are that it has to be at least Link 2 (so it can be activated in response to most things) and when the Chain resolves, you inflict 400 points of damage times the Chain Link number of the card.  So… 800+ if it’s at all legal to use (it can’t be Chain Link 1 according to its own effect, so it can’t do just 400).  That’s not too bad.  It’s far from a deck staple as far as I can tell, but in burn decks, I would honestly consider it.  This has the “Set it and forget it” feel to it, that is, just Set it when you draw into it (unless there’s some huge combo about to happen) and wait until some Spell/Trap removal is played.  Nothing like the opponent wasting a Mystical Space Typhoon that could have destroyed/been saved to destroy your Mirror Force and then getting slapped for 800.  You wouldn’t want a full three down (since then one couldn’t be used in Chain to the S/T removal), but two can safely respond to all but one S/T removal effect: that of Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder.  I could find no Counter-Traps (at least in the English game) that expressly destroy Spells and/or Traps: some negate, and many negate and destroy, but none just destroy.  So… having one or two down is no real risk, unless they are running one of the blanket, Spell negating Monsters (possible, but that’s what Side Decks are for).  Having two copies of Chain Strike Set can lead opponent' to a) be more likely to Heavy Storm or b) think that they are themselves safe from Heavy Storm.  With “a”, you can then chain the two copies of Chain Strike for at least total of 2000 damage (800 for first and 1200.  Doesn’t sound too great, but remember you’re also making them waste Heavy Storm (and there are a few other burn cards you could include that are also fun bait, like Poison of the Old Man, which by making the chain longer, also makes the damage greater).  In the case of the opponent thinking it’s safe to Set S/Ts (granted, I didn’t say that would happen at higher level events) that may lull the opponent’s into a false sense of security with respect to the field… and then you can slam them with your own Heavy Storm (and respond to it with the copies of Chain Strike).

 

In a burn deck built with Chain Strike in mind, you should actually hit some numbers big enough win over even the card-advantage-obsessed.  I mentioned Poison of the Old Man earlier.  I did so because it was burn and a Quick-Play Spell.  There are of course some potent burn Traps (Ring of Destruction, Ceasefire, Magic Cylinder) and of course Meteor of Destruction and assorted Monster burn effects, all of which can be used to build up grand chains.  Once you hit Link 5 with Chain Strike, it most definitely “pays” for itself.

 

All in all, a good card: one that most decks can use, but that takes effort to use well.  As such, I’ll be scoring it taking into account that it isn’t bad (just not that good) for most decks and quite nice for decks as a whole.

 

Ratings

Traditional: 1/5

Advanced: 3.5/5 (2/5 for most decks, as much as 4/5 in a custom build)