Ratings are
based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 being the worst. 3 = average. 5 is the highest rating.
Alucard of the Abyss
Today we get to #9 on the
top 10 cards of 2007 and it is a card that truly
deserves to be on this list.
Ino [Formation] US
There is a lot to say about this card. It is simply
one of the top cards in the game (and was probably
the top card in the game before the errata). Her
effect is invaluable in games and she can be
splashed into almost any deck. Pre errata the card
dominated the early game and post errata it's still
a force to be reckoned with but not as dominating.
Her stats are average for a 0 drop Kunoichi, 0/1
injured and healthy. She also has Growth and Mental
Power: 1 which makes her even better.
Onto the effect, it's one of the best in the game,
especially for a 0 drop. On your opponent's turn you
can easily stifle thier offenses by taking one of
thier big support ninjas and making it the head for
that turn. Shikamaru [ US Formation] getting you
down? Temari's 2 support (or three support for those
playing [Analytical Mind] just too much? Well Ino
helps with that and much much more. She is early
game control at it's finest and with the errata a
perfect example of a balanced card. Her in a team
with Shikamaru [US Formation] means you also can
choose what Ninja's effect you want to negate on
your opponent's turn, so it's quite easy to see why
she is one of the top cards of 2007, and in the
entire game of Naruto for that matter.
In Limited if you don't choose to deck this then you
probably shouldn't be playing the game in general.
Her effect can be even more dominating here than in
normal play and she has alright support stats for
limited. I would go so far as to say that she is so
good in this format that if you pass her up and your
opponent's are using thier's (if they pulled any)
you are probably gonna lose.
Constructed: 4.9/5 (I can never really give a card a
perfect 5 here, but it's close)
Limited: 5/5 ( Here I can give it a perect score
because it's a game winning card in this format)
Tomorrow we look at the #8 card of '07 and it's
another card that has shaped the meta in ways no
other card has so far.
The
First Hokage
Ino Yamanka [Formation]
Continuing counting down our top 10 of 2007, Ino
makes her case at number 9.
She was definitely popular before her errata by
bandai. She was allowed to choose a head ninja
during the mission phase. This means that she could
choose during your turn and your opponent's turn.
Basically, Ino was solid early game giving you the
advantage by making your opponent's support ninjas
like Temari head ninjas while you pile out your
early heavy hitters to score battle rewards. She was
a nice 0 Drop for Earth, which need some nice early
drop support. Although, her stats weren't very
solid, having Growth helped and that one mental
power could make a difference. Either way, she was
played in a lot of decks until the errata. Now she's
tampered off a bit in terms of playability allowing
you to only use her during your opponent's mission
phase.
Either way, her time of greatness was roughly 2
months, but that was nice enough for the Sannin
Tournament.
My Ratings As Of Right Now - Post Errata:
Constructed: 3/5 Still nice, but definitely not as
nice
Limited: 3.5/5 Early field control is nice
Art: 3.5/5
Uberdylan
Sorry, but this is it for me.
What you're reading is my letter of retirement.
Life is getting busy for me, but, more than that,
I've fallen out of touch with the Naruto TCG. I
don't know the combos, I haven't been playing
competitively...
Rather than keep giving reviews that seem more and
more out of touch, I'm going to retire. It's been a
good ride.
