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Yugioh Reader Tips, Rants and Raves

From: Jon Ryherd [mailto:chaosmech@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2005 7:19 PM

Subject: Spirits: are they worth it?? by Chaosmech

Spirits: Are they worth it?

Hey everyone, Chaosmech (that's me) is back again. As the title tells you, I'll be reviewing the different spirits this time. Now, as far as I know, these are the spirits that exist:
Yata-Garasu
Tsukuyomi
Dark Dust Spirit
Otohime
Inaba White Rabbit
Susa Soldier
Yamata Dragon
Asura Priest
Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi
Great Long Nose
Fushi No Tori
Maharaghi


Anyway, let's take a look at the effects of all Spirits in general This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card will return to the owner's hand at the end of the turn it is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or flipped

face-up.
Well, the first part of the effect means that once your Spirits are in the graveyard, they're pretty much gone, except for Des Feral Imp and Monster Reincarnation. They also cannot be special summoned from the deck, which is not so helpful. I know Dark Dust Spirit and Tsukuyomi could have used the ability to be special summoned from the deck via Pyramid Turtle and Mystic Tomato respectively.
The second part of the effect means summoning a spirit will in the end be useless in terms of field presence. Summon the monster; use its effect, then

it gets sent back to the owner's hand. Now, this is usually a bad thing, unless you combo it with Creature Swap. Swap your spirit, end your turn, you

have a free monster.

Now that we have covered the basic Spirit effect, we move on to the next part of the Spirits' effects, the parts that make each one unique. However, we can divide the spirits into three groups:

1. Effect that is activated when battle damage is dealt.
2. Effect that is activated upon Summoning or flipping.
3. Asura Priest and Inaba White Rabbit

Now, in general, the first effect is not very desirable, the exception being

maybe Yata or Yamata Dragon. Because spirits don't stay on the field, battle

damage is, in the long run, ineffective, especially as many of these spirits

require tributes or have low ATK values. Yata-Garasu is one exception because it inhibits your opponent's ability to strike back. I'm sure you all

know about the yata-lock (and if you don't, either check out Yata's COTD review or check out my article called Dr. Strangelist: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrrying and Love the Ban, part 1.). With it in place, your opponent is helpless before the 200 ATK of the villainous bird. Yamata Dragon is the other exception for this reason: Spiritual Energy Settle Machine keeps Spirits on the field. At the End Phase of each of your turns, you must randomly discard one card from your hand to keep it active. This is very desirable for tributed spirits, because to keep summoning them, you have to keep offering tributes. But still, one card a turn is a hefty cost, which is

where Yamata Dragon comes in. When it does battle damage, you get to draw until your hand has 5 cards in it. This ensures that you will always have cards to discard at the end of your turn.
The second type of effect is what makes the returning part of the spirits'
effects exactly what the doctor ordered. Summon the Spirit, use its effect, then at the end, it returns to your hand, letting it live to see more use the next turn. Tsukuyomi, Otohime, Maharaghi, and Dark Dust Spirit all fit into this category. And, in general, these are the better spirits to use.
Now, the third group leaves Asura Priest and Inaba lonely. I couldn't really

fit them into either category, because they don't have to do battle damage to use their effects, but they don't get their effect on summoning or flipping. Asura Priest is nice, simply for its effect of being a Scapegoat killer and a Light Monster. Inaba can attack directly, which is somewhat handy.

Now, to look at each individually. I will simply list the last part of their

effect, without the whole inherent Spirit effect.

Yata-Garasu 200/100/**/Fiend/WIND
When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, your opponent must skip their next Draw Phase.
The original metagame killer. Summon Yata, lock your opponent's draw phase, they're done unless they have Sinister Serpent.


Asura Priest 1700/1000/****/Fairy/LIGHT
This card may attack all of your opponent's monsters in one Battle Phase. If

this card attacks a monster, it cannot attack your opponent's life points directly.
Good for killing goats. Not much else, though

Yamata Dragon 2600/3100/*******/Dragon/FIRE When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, draw until your hand

has five cards.
Ooo, two tributes, not special summonable, not good. Sure your hand gets a boost, but what does that matter when you just lost two monsters from the field for a monster that won't stay?

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi 2800/2900/*******/Pyro/FIRE When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, during your opponent's next draw phase, they must discard their entire hand before they draw.
Devastating. Too bad it requires two tributes. If it didn't. the most abused

card in the game, I assure you.

Dark Dust Spirit 2200/1800/******/Zombie/EARTH When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Flipped face-up, destroy all face-up monsters on the field except this card.
Kind of like a replacement for Dark Hole. It's decent, with some good attack, but the one tribute hurts it, and being a zombie doesn't help cuz you can't special summon it.

Otohime 0/100/***/Spellcaster/LIGHT
When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip summoned, or flipped face-up, you may change the battle position of one monster on your opponent's side of the

field.
Ouch. Bad stats, and mediocre effect gets this monster a thumbs down. On the

plus side, it is a LIGHT monster.

Inaba White Rabbit 700/500/***/Beast/EARTH This card may attack your opponent's life points directly.
Not too good, actually. 700 damage for a turn, and no protection. Not worth it.

Maharaghi 1200/1700/****/Rock/EARTH
When this card is Normal summoned, Flip summoned, or flipped face-up, during

your next Draw Phase, before you draw, you may look at the top card of your deck, and put it back on the top or the bottom of your deck.
Long-winded effect. Basically, you can take a gamble that the card underneath your next one will be better, or you can stick with the one you were about to draw. Ok, I guess, but don't use it outside of a rock deck.

Great Long Nose 1900/1700/*****/Beast-warrior/DARK
When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent's life points, your opponent must skip his/her next battle phase.
Crap on cardboard. Sub-par tribute stats + crappy effect= don't use.

Susa Soldier 2000/1600/****/Thunder/EARTH Any Battle damage this card inflicts to your opponent's life points is halved.
Good stats, bad effect. Doesn't stay=bad.

Fushi No Tori 1200/0/****/Winged Beast/FIRE If this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent's life points, increase

your life points by the same amount.
Not that great. Bad stats + mediocre effect = meh

And, my personal favorite,
Tsukuyomi 1100/1400/****/Spellcaster/DARK When this card is normal summoned, flip summoned, or flipped face-up, flip one face-up monster on the field into face-down defense position.
Ah, at last. The second most abused spirit (besides Yata). Re-use flip effects, flip low DEF monsters down and attack, or nobleman. Pretty darn good all around, and it's DARK!
That's all.
Keep it cool,
Chaosmech
You can email me at chaosmech@hotmail.com