From: Nocthunder@aol.com [mailto:Nocthunder@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 11:55 AM

Subject: To Fuse or Not to Fuse - Irothtin

Fusions have seen lots of new power very recently with Elemental Heroes and Cyber Dragons. Along with the boost they get with the television show advertising them, and with the "powerful" effects they have, many have been using Fusions recently. But, is it worth it?

Think about Fusions for a moment. You have to invest 2-3 monsters and a Polymerization for one creature. That is automatically a -2 or -3. While in some cases, the -2 monsters can be a good thing (Shining Flare Wingman) , in most cases it can put you at a terrible disadvantage. Also, if your opponent happens to have a Snatch Steal, Chthonian Polymer, or Solemn Judgement, you just put 3-4 cards to waste. Some might say, "Solemn Judgement can only negate Polymerization!", or, "That's why we have Fusion Gate!". Solemn Judgement can negate summonings, so you just WASTED 3-4 cards. Sad. Fusion Gate stays on the field, leaving it easy prey for S/T removal and other Field cards. Also, notice something about almost all of the recent Fusions. They all have one of these lines:

"This monster can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon."

"This monster can only be Fusion Summoned by the above Fusion Material monsters."

This makes Fusions much harder to get out, without being able to use Fusion subs or other methods.

On the other hand, we have Union Fusions, aka VWXYZ. These beauties are much better. They fuse without Polymerization, but there are downsides. Firstly, you have to get all of them on the field. That can be hard to accomplish, but considering Shining Angel can fetch 3 out of 5, that doesn't have to be a problem.Also, they get removed from play when fused. With the power of Dimension Fusion or Return from a D.D., they can easily come back for a visit and a re-fuse. They also give fodder for Chaos End or Golden Homunculus. That's better than most Fusions.

Lastly, we have the cards like Dragon's Mirror and Miracle Fusion. These are very good cards, and should be replacing Polymerization in their respective decks. being able to fuse from the grave is better than having to have the cards in your hand or on the field. There is also Metamorphosis. Being restricted, it is hard to get, but it can change a lowly Scapegoat into a powerful Thousand-Eyes Restrict.

So, are Fusions worth it? It depends on which Fusions are being used. It also depends on your personal opinion. I can't tell you what to do. But you can decide what is best for your deck, right?

Contact me at Nocthunder@aol.com