Dark
Level 8
ATK/2800 DEF/2300
[Fairy/Effect]
If there are 4 or more DARK monsters with different
names in your Graveyard, you can Tribute Summon this
monster by Tributing 1 DARK monster. You can send 1
DARK monster from your hand to the Graveyard to
destroy all monsters your opponent controls. If you
activate this effect, destroy this card during the
End Phase of this turn.
Card Number -
PTDN-EN081
Card Ratings
Traditional: 3.33
Advanced:
4.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.
3 is average.
5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed - 03.28.08
Closing the week, we look at Darklord Zerato, a card
I'm surprised we haven't looked at yet. Darklord
mirrors Archlord from Ancient Sanctuary, and has
2800 attack and 2300 defense, as you might have
guessed, and is off the Dark type, yet still a
Fairy...neat.
Anyway, if you have four or more Dark monsters with
different names in your Graveyard, you can tribute
only one monster to summon Darklord, instead of the
normal two, as he is Level 8. Now, if you tribute a
Dark monster you control, and then discard one more
Dark monster from your Hand, you can destroy all
monsters your opponent controls.
Now, Darklord Zerato is incredibly destructive, and
may not be all that good, on it's own, especially if
you do that effect and walk into a Mirror Force or
something. Now, after activating this effect,
Darklord Zerato is destroyed during your End Phase.
Big deal, you should win in the turn you do this.
If you have Dark Armed Dragon on your Field also,
and a couple of cards in your Hand to destroy
whatever your opponent has face down on the Field,
that is 5600 damage, and probably the game for you.
Both of these cards work so well together, and I
have all ready seen them work in the same Deck.
Ratings:
Traditional: 3/5 Not necessary with Chaos and OTK/FTK
everywhere,
but it could still be a nasty Deck to play against.
Advanced: 4.25/5 For reasons and combos listed
above.
Art: 5/5
General Zorpa
Darklord Zerato
This is the second powerhouse of the Dark Armed
Dragon deck. They form a love box, with Dark
Magician of Chaos, Jinzo, Darklord Zerato and Dark
Armed Dragon each claiming a corner. In playtesting
(mind you against a Crystal Beast deck) I found that
40% of my wins were due to the field clearing
effects of Darklord Zerato. You just discard a DARK
monster to Raigeki the field. He does die at the end
phase, but by then you will have already won if you
set it up right. Then there is delicious icing on
the cake. If you have 4 or more DARK monsters in
your graveyard, you get to Summon him for just one
tribute! There are few cards that can live up to
Darklord's ability. Oh and it is a world exclusive
card, so eat that up Japan.
What I find odd is that Konami/UDE seems to give
game breaking effects to two tribute monsters with
2800 ATK. I mean Dark Magician of Chaos, Darklord
Zerato, Dark Armed Dragon (well if he was able to be
normal summoned he would be two tributes) and Light
and Darkness Dragon. Anyway, DLZ, as he is being
called on the forums, is what Yugimonz cards should
be like. Swift, efficient and combo oriented. Plus
some frickin sweet art if I do say so myself.
Traditional-3/5
Advanced-5/5
Jae Kim
Friday- Darklord Zerato
I think this card is highly overrated. But you can't
really argue against its effectiveness as a one-of
in DaD builds.
Premier Level- Zerato is splashable because
Armageddon Knight basically mills him any time you
want. He is also one of the best monsters to remove
with Allure of Darkness. Voila, you have a DaD
staple. Do please run not more than one.
Casual Level- I have no clue what the designers were
thinking with Zerato, but he obviously wasn't
intended for casual play. I'm not exactly certain
(just got back and need to find this out), but a lot
of secret rares and other cards are unique to the
TCG version of the game, as compared to the OCG
(Japanese version). Cards such as Allure of Darkness
and Darklord Zerato are exclusive to us.
I can only assume that Upper Deck is then designing
these cards. Other cards, such as Grandmaster of the
Six Samurai are also US exclusives. If someone could
forward me the list at jaelove@gmail.com, I would
love you forever.
Note to designer of Allure of Darkness and Darklord
Zerato: Please kindly step away from the game. I
think you are an epic failure and a disgrace to
competitive balance. I realize you need to make
these new, hot, broken cards to sell extra boxes,
but try to think of the ramifications of a card like
Allure of Darkness. The fact that UDE, which
generally purports to support us and try to uphold
the competitive balance of the game, is DESIGNING
these atrocities amazes me to no end.
See, basic decks don't have access to Foolish Burial
in a monster and Raigeki in a monster and certainly
not anything remotely resembling Allure of Darkness
(/cuerant).
Allure of Darkness is one of the most ridiculous
cards ever designed, not because it's too broken but
because of the sheer idiocy involved in producing
it. Let's summarize my key points:
1) Dark monsters are ALREADY the strongest type in
the game. You do not need to give it #2.
2) No other theme or subtype has a ridiculous draw
engine such as Allure of Darkness backing it up. It
synergizes far too well with Return/Dimension Fusion
and Escape (brilliantly released in this set as
well, please continue failing). In fact, in certain
key situations a topdecked Allure is even better
than a topdecked Pot of Greed or Graceful Charity!
3) Destiny Draw is also splashable in the DaD deck,
a design lapse that was clearly never intended and
reeks of epic failure. Ban Stratos? Or should we
create more free 1800+ floaters.
4) Refer to point two. It is incredibly important.
Giving so much support to the strongest type (as
opposed to Wind or Fire) is seriously absurd. It is
also some of the best deck consistency supporting
stuff in the game, and basically forces everyone to
play Dark monsters because of the Allure engine.
Please create a card for the next set (I know you
can), a Counter Trap that negates the effect of any
Dark monster and sends it back to the deck (or
destroys it). You've created a monster. (/endrant)
Darklord Zerato is basically a free Raigeki when you
special summon it. And with cards like Sarcophagus
and Armageddon Knight, it is quite easy to get it
out for free and destroy the opponent's entire board
(not to mention, DaD can do that as well so Zerato
isn't even needed most of the time).
Traditional: 1/5
Advanced: 1/5 (epic failure of design, clearly
intended to spur on fad sales of the new set while
breaking DaD Return as the de facto king supreme
dominant cookie cutter)
Master Tricks
Darklord Zerato
We finish up the week with on of the best
cards produced from Phantom Darkness and one of
the most valuable, playable secret rares
created; Darklord Zerato, the sinister, darker
version of Archlord Zerato. Here is a list of
the pros about Darklord Zerato and how it is
used in duels in the metagame we're in:
You can use Trade-In on it since it is a
Level 8 monster.
You can use Allure of Darkness on it since
it is a Dark-Attribute monster.
If you have 4 or more dark monsters in your
graveyard, you can tribute summon it with only 1
monster.
Fearsome 2800 ATK to crush Monarchs, Jinzo,
and matchup with DMoC.
By discarding a Dark Monster from your hand,
you can destroy all monsters on your opponent's
field to clear a pathway for direct attacks for
your army of Dark monsters. (Note: It
self-destructs at the end phase if you activate
his monster-destruction effect)
You can combo with the combo mentioned in
"1" by using Monster Reborn, Premature Burial,
etc. to revive it from the graveyard and control
the field.
You can combo with the combo mentioned in
"2" by using Escape from the Dark Dimension,
D.D.R., D.D.M. - Different DImension Master,
DImension FUsion, etc. to special summon it when
removed from play.
This card is an essential card for a Dark
Armed Dragon deck and is something we'll need to
identify to counter Dark Armed Dragon decks.
Have a great weekend guys!
Traditional: 4.5/5
Advanced: 5/5
Art: 5/5
- Master Tricks :)
Pwii
Happy friday! woohoo! up next is darklord zerato.
well, the summoning condition sucks, so you'll
probably have to include some tribute support, maybe
masoleum of the emporor? anyways, the effect rocks,
and this will probably be seen the most blasting
your opponent's feild before using return. nice...
3.5/5 all.
--pwii
Ex`
Friday March 28th: Darklord Zerato
By this time I should be watching 21, but
I'll leave you off with one more review.
Today we're talking about Darklord Zerato.
Darklord is one of the mainstay Darks that
makes Dark Armed Return so brutal. By
discarding 1 Dark from your hand, you
unleash a Raigeki on your opponent.
Funny seeing how most of the wins ends up
because this card is revived from the Remove
From Play area
I'm sure none of you care about it self
destructing in the end phase when you
actually use that effect
