Hello again, everyone. It’s been a little while since my last article, but like I’ve said before, I won’t be able to dish out articles as much as I used to, and I apologize for that to anyone who might be wanting me to submit an article or two per week as I used to. But anyways, today’s article is a News Article and a Card Reviews Article mixed into one. We’ll start off with the news.

First we have news on the soon-to-be-newly-updated Banned/Restricted List for the OCG. The following is what the new Banned/Restricted List will look like for the OCG, beginning September 1st. If this is at all incorrect (which it should not be), I will post a new News Article about it. New additions to the list are in bold, and cards that were moved are in italics.

YataGarasu

Critter (Sangan)
Thunderbolt (Raigeki)
Harpy's Feather Sweep
Dark Hole
Raise Dead (Monster Reborn)

Mischievous Demon Twins (Delinquent Duo)
Angel’s Gift (Graceful Charity)
Power of Unity (United We Stand)

Imperial Order
Mirror Force

Chaos Soldier - Messenger of Creation (Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning)
Chaos Black Magician (Dark Magician of Chaos)

Android Psycho Shocker (Jinzo)
Vampire Lord

Magical Warrior - Breaker
Exclusivity Virus (Tribe-Infecting Virus)

Reflect Bounder
Magical Scientist

Killer Snake (Sinister Serpent)
Dol-Dora (Twin-Headed Behemoth)
Mercenary Troops (Exiled Force)
Sealed Exodia (Exodia the Forbidden One)

Sealed Left Arm (Left Arm of the Forbidden One)

Sealed Right Arm (Right Arm of the Forbidden One)

Sealed Left Leg (Left Leg of the Forbidden One)

Sealed Right Leg (Right Leg of the Forbidden One)

Pot of Greed

Mirage of Nightmares

Early Burial (Premature Burial)

Tempest (Heavy Storm)
Theft (Snatch Steal)
Steadfast Guard (The Forceful Sentry)

Confiscation
Hand Obliteration (Card Destruction)
Power of Magicians (Mage Power)

Butterfly Dagger - Eruma (Dagger of Butterflies - Elma)
Sealing Swords of Light (Swords of Revealing Light)

Wealthy Goblin (Upstart Goblin)

Deck Destruction Virus of Death
Cry of the Living Dead (Call of the Haunted)

Destruction Ring (Ring of Destruction)
Magical Cylinders

Reversal of Worlds
Ceasefire Treaty
Careless Avarice (Reckless Greed)

Manticore of Darkness

Executioner Makyura

Troop Commander (Marauding Captain)

Chaos Pod (Morphing Jar #2)
Apostle of Obliteration (Nobleman of Crossout)
Last Battle! (Last Turn)
Forced Rotation (Creature Swap)
Calling Reinforcements (Reinforcements of the Army)

Should be quite interesting. I personally like the list more than not, but no matter how they change the Banned/Restricted List, I myself am always going to find ways to work around it and develop new playing styles based on them and the cards that can now be used in their places. It’s really a shame that not everyone can think that way. Sure there will be new “dominant,” as some would say, Deck types and such, but no matter what anyone thinks, there will never be just 2-3 Decks that dominate the game and are “unbeatable.” There are only the Decks that are most-played, and just because they are the most-played does not mean they are “the best” or most effective. If you don’t like everyone playing the same few types of Decks, then get out there and create something to your own personal liking and playing style, and work with it until develops into a “dominant” Deck of your own. And you can’t just say you don’t like the list without at least giving it a chance for a while. Because more likely than not, and especially with this new list, you’ll like it more than you might first think you would.

Also, about Time Machine, as reviewed in my last article.. It does indeed count as Special Summoning, as I found out a short time after my article was posted. Sorry about that. But anyways, onto the card reviews now.. We begin with a look at Hannibal Necromancer.

Hannibal Necromancer’s yet another interesting and one-of-a-kind Monster Card. Being a Dark/Spellcaster, it can fit well into both of those types of Decks if you’re courageous enough to try to make it useful. It has 1400 ATK, so it can be Searched by Sangan (though not after the new Bans) and the Tomato. It’s not too powerful, but it can get some damage done, and some is better than none, ya know =/. With 1800 DEF, it can put up a somewhat-solid defense for you, but it’s not all that great in terms of ATK/DEF strength.

Its Effect is quite interesting, and one that you probably would not think at first glance would ever be too effective. But with the new Banned/Restricted List, and cards like Gravity Bind, Curse of Darkness, and quite a few other Continuous Trap Cards that are showing up more and more often nowadays, Hannibal Necromancer may be one overlooked card that can start seeing some play for once now.

When HN is Normal Summoned, it gets a Magic (Spell) Counter. And you can choose to remove that Counter to destroy one face-up Trap Card on the Field, whether it be one of your own (such as a Curse of Darkness you may want to get rid of so you don’t have to pay LP to use Magic Cards) or an opponent’s (such as a Gravity Bind or Call of the Haunted, which can always prove to be nuisances).

Also, being a Spellcaster, Hannibal Necromancer has quite a few cards to work with, including Dimension Magic, which, in case you don‘t know, is a Quick-Play Magic Card with the Effect of “Activate this card when you have a face-up Spellcaster on the Field. Sacrifice one Monster on your side of the Field, and Special Summon one Spellcaster Monster from your Hand. Afterward, you can destroy any one Monster on the Field.” So you could use D-Magic with H-Necromancer for something like a Dark Magician, a Magician’s Valkyrie, a Dark Magician of Chaos, etc. and then destroy a Monster from D-Magic’s Effect. Could be pretty fun and effective, especially if you get to use H-Necromancer’s Effect in there somewhere, as well.

Overall, I see H-Necromancer as an average and somewhat overlooked Monster Card. I give Hannibal Necromancer an overall rating of 6.7/10. It can be good to at least include in Spellcaster Decks’ Side Decks.

For the next and final card review of today’s article, we take a look at the Perfect Machine King.

A nice high-level Machine Monster here. And some of you may even recognize this card from somewhere before. It requires 2 Tributes to Summon, being Level 8, but it can be Special Summoned, so that’s a plus. It has a nice high ATK strength of 2700, so not much can withstand that. It also has a nice search-able DEF strength of 1500, but that won’t be too helpful with the loss of Witch to the Banned List.

PMK’s an Earth/Machine, so it can fit well into Earth-based Decks, Beatdown Decks, and of course Machine Decks, where it shines. And being a Machine, it can be used with Limiter Removal to easily power it up to 5400+ ATK. That could be easily devastating to your opponent, especially with any other Machines on the Field along with it.

Its Effect is simple. Its ATK is powered up +500 points for each other Machine-type Monster on the Field (excluding itself), your own or your opponent’s side. Get some mad Machine Rush going and you’ll be pretty hard to stop. A good card that can be used to help with its Effect could be DNA Surgery, to change all face-up Monsters to Machine types, which will likely greatly increase PMK’s ATK strength to overwhelm your opponent.

PMK’s not all too hard to get out onto the Field, either, for being a powerful Level 8 Monster Card. You could dump it and Revive it (not too easy with the loss of Monster Reborn, but there‘s still the others, as well as Death Reversal to use), Tribute 2 Monsters (easily done with Spirit Reaper and/or Marshmallon), etc.

Perfect Machine King is a pretty versatile and powerful Monster Card, and with all the support it has in being a Machine, it’s a Monster to certainly be reckoned with and to watch out for. It’s also pretty fun to use. I give Perfect Machine King an overall rating of 7.5/10.

Now for an example of a Machine Deck using PMK to end today’s article. This is in accordance to the newly-updated Banned List. If there are any card names here you’re not aware of, just let me know, and I can tell you.

1x Perfect Machine King

1x Blowback Dragon

3x Cannon Soldier

2x Dimensional Warrior Girl

1x Reflect Bounder

1x Kinetic Soldier

1x Sphere Bomb

1x Drillago

1x KA-2 Death Scissors

1x Mechanical Chaser

1x Marshmallon

1x Cyber Pod

1x Killer Snake

3x Limiter Removal

2x Death Reversal

2x Scapegoat

1x Pot of Greed

1x Early Burial

1x Painful Choice

1x Change of Heart

1x Snatch Steal

1x Cyclone

1x Heavy Storm

1x Steadfast Guard

1x Apostle of Obliteration

1x Book of Moon

2x DNA Surgery

1x Call of the Haunted

1x Sixth Sense

1x Destruction Ring

1x Magical Cylinders

1x Magic Drain

1x Perfect Machine King

1x Emesu the Infinity

1x Android Psycho Shocker

1x Bowgunian / Big Bang Shot

1x Mechanical Chaser

1x Magic Warrior - Breaker

1x Exclusivity Virus

1x Marshmallon

1x Scapegoat

1x Shallow Grave

1x Apostle of Obliteration

1x Book of Moon

1x Tidal Wave

1x Attack Drain / Mystery Wok

1x Waboku

And that’ll do it for Article # 55 - The Heartless Cards. You can e-mail me with questions and/or comments at dm7fgd32@hotmail.com .

Until next time..