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Article #67: Sync into Future

I am getting crazy in this days as to writing so much articles, as I would say writing an article is a pain. So you can now asked "why I still write them now?". My answer: since with the new cards right now, it's a BIG pain to write them into one card review (my prefer way of looking at the game), so here we go, my fourth article in a month.

If you had been actually care about the game in recent weeks, there is a big change coming up with the release of Series 6. As for big change, I DO mean BIG change.

One thing of course the rulebook updating with GX ending (getting canceled) and the new 5Ds coming up (my first 2 cents on it later for those who don't usually go onto the forum). Of course, the new rulebook contain 2 things: Synchro monsters, and some terms changes.

Synchro monsters:
For those who STILL do not know what in the world is a Synchro monster, OK, according to p15-16 of the official rulebook, Synchro monster is an all new type of monster. They are White in color, and are put into Extra deck (a new term for Fusion deck).

To Synchro Summon a Synchro monster from the Extra deck, you must follow the following steps:

1. During your Main Phase, when the total level of a Tuner monster on your field and 1 or more of your monsters is equal to the Synchro monster you want to summoned, you can declare to summon that Synchro monster. You can choose any amount of those other monsters (or, it have to be 1 or more, but it can be 2, 3, etc.)

2. Send the Tuner and the monster(s) with total level equal to the Synchro monster to be summoned to your Graveyard. Basically, there must be 1 Tuner monster.

3. After you send the monsters into Graveyard, from Extra deck put that Synchro monster to your field in face-up attack or defense mode.

In first impression, most veteran players would think Synchro summon as "a combination of both Fusion and Ritual together", or some people think of it as "yet another Contact Fusion...except it also have the level limitation". To me? Well, of course, my first impression is that finally there is something new...although it's not very original in mechanic sense. However, I would have to say this: the difference between Synchro and other themes that one may see: it will come back again and again, and the nice thing is that it can be put into ANY deck, sometimes as high level monsters "that will not clog up your hand".

If you ask me what is my impression now? I see the Synchro now as more Fusion monster like thing, and just like Fusion monsters (before all the new Fusion supports) that you need the card [Fusion], you need the Tuners to Synchro Summon them.

So what's in the future? As Konami loves to do, expect the next 2 sets to be filled up with Synchro and the supports. Of course, the thing about Synchro that Konami did not realize that is different to other themes that they tried before is...SYNCHRO IS NOT A THEME, so therefore why in the world there are few "support" cards already is questionable. I mean, I still did not see a card with effect of "Can be activate when there is a Fusion monster on your field. Destroy a monster on opponent's field". Of course, since it's such a new thing...having more cards may be better since now any deck can splash them without hurting the deck itself a lot.

So as of the Synchros released in Duel Terminal and Starter Deck 2008, well, of course, one cannot be impressed with them. But for one thing, you cannot make things too complicated when things first came out: just keep it basic. Here are the ones I like...

1. Gigantic Fighter (great cards, can be use in Warrior deck also!)
2. Dragon of Ice Barrier: It's a beef up version of [Abyss Soldier]. Of course, there is no more [Killer Snake] abuse, but there is also not a limitation on which you can discard and which cannot...and it's not once per turn either. And yes...it can be abuse with the great [Discguy] ( + [Premature] = draw until you find things you like)
3. Stardust Dragon: The up and coming Dragon...how can you not like it?
(Of course, there are bunch more coming in TDGS, but I would save it to my next article.

Rules and Terms change:
I had talk about my impression on the term change before...but since not everybody read everything I said, I would go into detail this time.

The rule of the game did not really change much: yes...there is still no Mana cost, and no, you still have 8000 Life Points, not 20.

The 2 changes are that with the new Synchros, they now limit a new thing call "Extra Deck" to 15 cards. What is Extra deck for those who are just REALLY outdated...it's just a "new name" for Fusion deck, except that now you put both Fusion monsters AND Synchro monsters in there.

So my view on this rule? Well, so what, IMO...I mean, one should not have a gigantic Fusion deck from the beginning anyway. Limiting the Extra Deck means you cannot just splash every Synchro into your Extra deck, but have to think of which 15 total is the best to turn the game around for you.

The other rule change is now Side Deck can be 0 ~ 15 cards. For this one...I don't understand what take them so long to realize not everybody have 15 cards to fill up the side deck.

As for the term changes, there are two major ones, one that make sense and one that don't.

The first change is to that any monster sacrificing, as a cost, is now called "Release" a monster. Of course, at beginning, the term just sounds weird, but what I feel is that not only it save up a lot of text space, but it clarify between cost and effect, and make a term on a semi-official term of "sacrificing a monster".

Then the next one I don't understand...Sacrifice Summon (higher level monsters summoning via the right way) is now called "Advanced Summon". I can think of the change as since they called Sacrifice "Release" now, it does not make sense to continue to call something "sacrifice" summon. But Advance summon? Why even change it...what's the point for the term? I have no clue...

The future:
Since the game is still not dead and they somehow renew my interest in the game with [Honest] (by far my favorite card to abuse right now), I would say it should stay afloat for at least 2 more years. With the ending of Yu-Gi-Oh GX, we finally see the end of spamming of [Elemental Hero] (and whatever Hero, Neospacians, Neos, whatever) and focus back to the basic on the game. Although the upcoming anime, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, does not interest me a bit...but it maybe because I'm now older (although still not legal to drink in Texas...3 more months!) and I just think watching 20 minute commercial is no more worthing it. Of course, who knows what will come next from the anime? I mean, as this game is base a lot on what's going on in the anime, the future sets, in my view, depends largely on whether the cards used in the anime are good or not. Of course, there are the Synchros...but I hope there will be more, and finally end the reign of Heroes.

- Baron, 3/17/2008