Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo

3800 ATK is nice, but it's really not much different than 3000 ATK, practically speaking.  It's effect of being able to steal an opponent's Spell/Trap card is great, but it requires you to have no Spell/Traps in your grave, which is a dealbreaker.  Could be good early game for the deck type, but not worth the concerted effort to summon most of the time.

2/5

Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo is a Synchro Monster (remember them) and a new variety of Samurai (Superheavy do different things than the Normal Samurai and work better with themselves, but can work well with the other Samurai brethren).  This is a Level 10 Synchro, who specifically requires a Machine-type Tuner, and one or more non-Tuner Superheavy Samurai Monster.  You're likely looking at at least three Monsters to pull this off, the Tuner, and two others, but it could be well worth it.  2400 attack is unremarkable for Level 10 but Earth will help a bit, as will being Machine, and the 3800 defense is monstrous.  Especially since he can attack while in face-up Defense position.  (Like Total Defense Shogun!  Remember him?)  But wait, if attacking from Defense position, you apply the whopping 3800 Defense during Damage Calculation.  Furthermore, once per turn, if you control no Magic or Trap cards, you can Set one from your opponent's Graveyard to your side of the Field.  Said card is removed from play when it leaves the Field.  He does a lot, he's hard to Summon, but he's a huge asset to the Deck.

Rating: 2.75/5 
Art:  4.5/5

Hello Pojo Fans,
 
It's been a while since we reviewed a monster from the Superheavy Samurai archetype, and this one is their Synchro heavy-hitter (no pun intended).
 
Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo is built for primary use only in the “Superheavy” archetype, as it requires “Superheavy Samurai” monsters alongside a Machine-Type Tuner. Birdman, Unknown Synchron, and Black Salvo are other Machine-Type Tuners beside Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter that can be used to summon Susanowo. With several monsters under 500ATK, Machine Duplication is a real option to swarm monsters to the field for a Synchro Summon. Regardless of what combo you use to summon Susanowo, its ability to attack while in face-up defense will keep it safe due to its beefy defense. While it's ATK isn't close to what you'd want a Level 10 Synchro's ATK to be, it's DEF is applied for damage calculation when you attack while in defense, making it likely the strongest monster on the field.
 
The “Superheavy Samurai” archetype benefit from a lack of spells/traps in your graveyard. If that is the case during either players turn while Susanowo is on the field, you can steal a spell/trap from your opponents graveyard and set it on your field. Protect yourself with their traps, or use their spells on your turn. This card also will banish them once they leave the field, eliminating resources if your opponent has the ability to bring back spells/traps from their graveyard.
 
The effect to use its high DEF as it's attack power while attacking in defense mode, keeping itself safe from almost any monster in terms of attack, and the ability to use an opponents spell/trap cards once per turn during either turn, this card isn't seeing any play outside of the archetype even if a deck would run enough specific monsters to realistically summon this.
 
 
Advanced-2/5
Art-2.5/5
 
Until Next Time
KingofLullaby

I'll profess to not having known much about Superheavy Samurai until recently and that much of what I did know about them was due to their appearance in the anime, with them being used by Gongenzeka in Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V.

Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo seems an awkward card to use really, which is really the prime issue with the archetype. They're all sort of awkward. Not being able to have spell/trap cards in the graveyard when you use the archetype's various effects can be of particular nuisance, though there are ways to circumvent this if you do wish to play spells and traps within your deck, through cards such as Skill Prisoner and Breakthrough Skill. This deck can even tech Naturia Barkion for this purpose!

But enough about the archetype, Susanowo's effect takes an opponent's Spell or Trap cards, something that I've found unusual in its general absence from the game, given that effects that take the opponent's monsters are pretty much everywhere. It has the potential to be very powerful in the late-game, given that power Spells have had a particular resurgence recently, with cards such as Raigeki and Snatch Steal being back in the game. You can also use the effect solely to remove certain Spells or Traps from the graveyard, such as Spellbooks or Nekroz ritual spell cards, or to take your opponent’s Trap cards to make a makeshift defense on their turn. There is a particular appeal to the idea of using it to take an opponent’s Vanity’s Emptiness for example.

Unfortunately common for cards like Susanowo ,it is really limited by its own archetype’s own inconsistencies and lack of power, that’s what lets it down. If the deck gets more (and better quality) support, the Susanowo will turn into a very threatening card, but as of now, it’s hard to fear a Superheavy Samurai deck, regardless of the effect of its boss monster.

Advanced Rating: 3/5

– A decent card, though one too limited by archetypal restrictions to really ever impact the game.