July 2007
 

Inside Look: Card Trooper – Advanced Format

Article by Edward Sun

Email me at Lightningsaphira94@gmail.com

 

            Throughout the long time that I've been playing the Yu-gi-oh! TCG, I've noticed so many different decks take the spotlight, and then get destroyed after everyone began side-decking against them. Up until the release of Card Trooper, there were only a few decks that would win the big SJC's. Now, with Card Trooper released, every deck that can even remotely support it is able to run it without any trouble. Bazooper Return, Lazaro Monarchs, Exodia Backup, Machine Beatdown, and more decks are able to take advantage of it's excellent ability to mill card to the graveyard while at the same time powering itself up. Let's also not forget it's ability to let the owner draw a card when it's destroyed and sent to the graveyard. But, since some people may have forgotten, I'll give you the card text.

 

Card Trooper

Level 3

[Machine/Effect] Once per turn, you can send up to 3 cards from the top of your deck to the graveyard. This card gains 500 ATK for each card sent to the Graveyard in this way until the end of this turn. When this card on your side of the field is sent to your Graveyard, draw 1 card from your deck.

ATK/400 DEF/400

 

            Now, his effect means that you can send three cards from the top of your deck to the graveyard to increase his attack by 1500. His effect is not too different from the effect of the Trap Rising Energy, but I'll get into that card later in another one of my articles. So, with the attack boost of 1500 points, he would normally be at 1900 attack points, which is enough to run through a Dekoichi, Cyber Pheonix, or anything of that sort.

 

            Everyone notice how his effect completely relies on the Graveyard to work fluently. Not too many people are using a Dimensional Fissure/Macro Cosmos deck nowadays, and I personally think that's not too good. Anyways, combined with a deck that also relies on the Graveyard is the best place that Card Trooper belongs, such as Chimeratech/Machine Beatdown or T-Hero.

 

            Now, let's take a look at his stats, shall we? We know that he's able to pump up to 1900, but let's see what we can do with him with only his 400 attack and defense stats. Hey, remember that card that every Machine deck is running alongside Card Trooper? Yeah, Machine Duplication takes a HUGE advantage of Card Trooper's low attack and it's ability to later on power up. Let's take a look at Machine Duplication for those of you that aren't familiar with it:

 

Machine Duplication

Normal Spell

Select 1 Machine-Type with an ATK of 500 or less on your side of the field and activate this card. You can Special Summon up to 2 card with the same name from your deck.

 

           

 

            Next, we move on to Card Trooper's final ability (which also relies on the graveyard), letting you draw a card when he's DESTROYED and sent from YOUR field to YOUR Graveyard. There are many requirements for this effect to work, but hey, with all the great draw cards banned, we shouldn't complain. The first requirement is that it must be destroyed. Not just "sent to the Graveyard," it must be destroyed. This isn't too much of a problem, since destruction in battle is always easy. Next, it must be sent from YOUR field to YOUR Graveyard. This isn't too much of a problem either. You might think that Snatch Steal or Brain Control can cause problems, but normally, those cards are used to finish off the opponent.

 

            So, in conclusion, I would say to you: Run this card in any deck that involves the Graveyard. I will list some decks, but not all of them will come to mind when I'm writing this:

 

-         Machine Beatdown

-         DDT

-         Exodia Backup

-         Bazooper Return

-         Six Samurai

-         T-Hero

-         Perfect Circle

-         Lazaro Monarch

 

Have fun and Play fair! ~Edward Sun