It's been
quite a busy
couple of
weeks. Sorry
for the
slight
lateness in
my monthly
Card Article
but to make
up for it
I'm going to
be reviewing
a card
that's
becoming
incredibly
strong in
dominant
strategies
across the
spectrum of
game
formats.
Cheers, -T
Gajirabute,
Vile
Centurion
(Card
Information
Courtesy of
the Official
Duel Masters
Card
Database)
Cost: 6
Race: Demon
Command
Civilization:
Darkness
Type:
Creature
Rules Text:
When you put
this
creature
into the
battle zone,
choose one
of your
opponent's
shields and
put it into
his
graveyard.
Flavor Text:
"I love the
smell of a
fresh
apocalypse!"
Power: 3000
Mana Number:
1
Artist:
Masaki
Hirooka
Rarity: V
Collector
Number: 4
Set:
Shockwaves
of the
Shattered
Rainbow
(DM-10)
<>
The Basics
First and
foremost I
would like
to establish
the benefits
of an
ability that
sends a
shield to
the
graveyard.
Since it's
not returned
to your
hand, the
"shield
trigger"
ability
cannot be
used. You
are outright
depriving
the opponent
of a
defensive
option;
weather it's
a trigger
which could
hinder your
progress, or
a card in
their hand
they can use
to turn the
game around.
This is
crucial for
control
strategies,
and by
translation
the game
itself as
control is
inherently
the
highest-potential
archetype.
If you would
like to read
more about
control and
the way Duel
Masters
works, I
highly
recommend [url=http://tomrogers.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=articles&action=display&thread=416&page=1]"The
Answer."[/url]
3000 power
is nothing
to sneeze
at. It never
has been --
over time,
in fact,
this
specific
power number
has gained
strength due
to card
changes in
the metagame
and viable
answers to
3000 power
creatures
while
maintaining
one's own
against the
current
widespread
threats. The
Darkness
Civilization
is
characteristically
befitting as
it's
depriving
the opponent
of a
resource,
but is
itself a
benefit due
to the
synergy with
other
depriving
threats of
other
natures. For
example,
discarding
the
opponent's
hand before
summoning
Garajibute
leads them
with little
answers and
less
mechanics to
rely on to
defend
themselves.
This also
increases
the danger
of the 3000
power body.
Interestingly
enough
Garajibute
is of the
legendary
Demon
Command race
and as such
brings a
field of
mechanics
into play
from now
until later
in the game
such as
evolutions
which
destroy
multiple
resources (Ballom,
Dorballom),
and cost
reduction of
other cards
(Sympathy,
G-Zero).
How This
Affects The
Game
The current
uprisal of
Marinomancer-based
Dark+Water+Light
Control in
the Pr0
Circuit
strongly
caters to
Garajibute's
nature. Dark
Reversal is
a natural
choice in
these decks
to retrieve
the water
cards
discarded by
Marinomancer,
which can
also be used
to recycle
the Demon
Command's
shield
destruction
ability.
Gajibute is
currently
playing a
major role
in Pr0
Tourney 5
where my
pick for the
eventual
champion is
using
multiple
synergistic
loops
including
the one I've
mentioned
above.
The
difficult
transition
period
between
early to
late game in
the Japanese
and KC
formats
shows flesh
to a
combination
of
Garajibute
and the
Nature
Civilization.
Merely
summoning a
Bronze-Arm
Tribe early
during your
assault
allows you
to quickly
hammer down
a 3000-power
creature and
outright
destroy one
of the
remaining
lines in
your
opponent's
defenses.
The current
(by far)
first-rank
player in
the KC
format,
Prince of
Hell, is
using a
strategy
similar to
this to gain
a noticeable
edge over
his
opponents.
How This
Affects You
>> Playing
With
Recycling
options
become more
viable as
well as
synergistic,
where
otherwise
they may
have caused
your gears
to turn more
slowly or
possibly
even throw a
spoke in the
wheel.
Competitive
players
should
heavily
consider
strategies
similar to
the two I
have
described
and learn
them
inside-out.
>> Playing
Against
More
disabling
than
reactive
cards should
compose your
primary
strategies,
since
"answering"
the
opponent's
play will
not be
enough when
they have so
much
re-usable
ammunition
at their
disposal.
Eventually
you will run
out of
answers or
be left with
less than
the
surmounting
number of
problems and
be left in
the dust.
Again,
competitive
players
should learn
these
strategies
inside-out
in attempt
to fully
understand
what they're
up against
and the
weakest
points in
the
strategy.
<>
I'm playing
a little
more on KP,
so feel free
to find me
and see what
I'm talking
about. My
username is
Thomas_Jay.
- Tom Rogers
