It's summertime. Summer means...well, me slacking off due to being holiday mode (I know, I can make excuses all day on not updating the site). Anyway, finally I will write a new review, not that anyone cares.
For the card today, it would be a card going all the way back to Doma Arc. When I said all the way back, I do mean that a card that I want it to be released for SOO long that I don't even remember anymore (and I'm talking about Series 4 sets here, that's how long ago). This card was used by Raphael in Episode 158 in his duel against Yugi (that of course, pwned Yugi for once...)
Let's start on the card that can actually took down "King of Duelist".
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LE15-JP002
Guardian Eatos
Wind/Angel/8/2500/2000
When there are no monsters in your Graveyard, you can special summon this card from hand. By sending an Equipment Magic equipped on this card to Graveyard, choose up to 3 monsters in opponent's Graveyard and remove them from the game. For each monster removed from game by this effect, increase this card's attack strength by 500 until End Phase.
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Art:
The illustration on the "real" card is taken in a different angle compared to the anime art. Of course, it is the same female Guardian: my favorite hawk (eagle? Other?), the "native" feather headdress and dress. Because it is an Angel, of course, the wings.
RATING: 9.7/10
Stats/Requirement:
This card is a level 8 Wind/Angel with stats of 2500/2000. Compare to other Wind attribute and Bird type monsters, the stats is average. With this combination, however, means no abuse with [Honest] or [Gelan Duo]. There is really no significant advantage (or disadvantage) for being a Wind monster. Being level 8 means this card does not help any Synchro summoning at all (there are just not much, if anything, over 8). On the other hand, level 8 means [Trade In] (or [Advance Draw]...XD)
RATING: 6.9/10
Effect:
Unlike other [Guardian] monsters, you do not need the equipment for this card to be play out to the field. Of course, that was changed from the anime pretty much due to limited space in a LE set (and other reasons). The only disadvantage is maybe there is not a "theme" equipment for this card's effect to play with.
But before going into that, let's go into the first effect. The first effect of this card lets a person special summon this card for free if there is no monster in his/her Graveyard. For a free 2500 monster, there are several options:
1. First-turn special summoning (duh)
2. Bazoo, Soul Release, etc.
3. Exodios
4. In an out-game deck...really good since it's 2500 free summon 99.9% of the time!
Although having no monsters in your Graveyard may sounds a little bit hard in late game, it is not an impossible situation, but one that a player need to adjusted for (in the deck) to fully used up this card's potential.
For the "main" effect of this card, this card lets to release an Equipment (a modification from anime) to remove monster cards from opponent's Graveyard AND increase this card's attack strength. While the attack gain is nowhere near what the anime gain could do (hey, it DID killed Yugi!), for one equipment this card can easily turn up to 4000 attack strength while opponent, outside of those few that used [DDR]-like cards, will cry on making his strategy/reborn cards useless.
Of course, the hardest thing about this effect is finding the correct Equipment (since they are still weak). For one thing, searching out the Equipment is not that hard of a thing with [Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu] or [Arms Hole]. For another thing, equipment options always include the always-powerful [Power of Teamwork] and [Power of Unity]. The bad thing is of course the most powerful card that would work with this effect, [Early Burial] (Premature Burial), is still banned, so is [Daggar of Butterfly - Eruma] since it comes back again and again, which means long as opponent have monster to remove, this monster can turns up big.
RATING: 8.4/10
OVERALL: 8.0/10 - If talking about using this card in tournament deck, I would say this card have almost 0 chance. One is that there is another first turn and comeback option all-together in [Emissary of Darkness - Gorz] or even [Cyber Dragon]. Two is that most tourney deck would not use any Equipment Magics. The killer is of course the un-Synchroability of level 8 monster.
However, this card is not all that bad afterward. For a deck with more of a "theme", this card works well in Angel, Wind, and RFGed oriented deck. Also, never underestimate how easy this card can actually be special summoned even in late game (of course it does help to give this card a little support before it).
Airtos is STILL an incredible card, and when you combine it with Nest of Ghosts and/or Garuda/Sylpheed, a Deck can make good use of her. Moreso the Necklace of Command might see some play with it, or even getting rid of your Evolving Mankind that turned negative (I.E. was 2400, now 1000). I suppose that you could run Relinquished with it, and use that to get rid of the Equips faster, but...Okay, outside of the new Warrior support, I don't see a LOT of constructive use for the card, but there are TONS of ways to get her into play at the drop of a hat, and a 3000ATKer swinging after they just BTH'ed your Normal Summons, will really take the Opponent by surprise and press them into a corner on turn 1 (assuming they don't counter with Gorz).
Regardless the fact, I have a personal bias towards Airtos, so I'm just glad to see her released with some UN-nerfing to allow her to see play ^^
Actually, when you really think about it, Eatos CAN get 10,000 ATK just like the anime, but only if you're EXTREMELY lucky. Just do the math...
1 Equip = 3 removed monsters for 500 ATK each = 1500 ATK
5 Equips = 15 removed monsters for 500 ATK each = 1500 ATK x 5 (Equips) = 7500 ATK
2500 ATK (original ATK) + 7500 ATK = 10,000 ATK =)
Though, like I said, the chances of getting it out and using 5 different Equips is EXTREMELY slim. Also, why would you want to ditch them all, especially if you happen to get stuff like Power of Teamwork and Power of Magicians attached to it for up to 14,000 ATK total? lol.
Also, sending an Equip isn't really different. The anime also required Holy Goddess Sword - Eatos to be destroyed (if equipped to her) to use her effect. If you notice, both times the effect was used, it did NOT count the +300 ATK it should've gotten from being equipped with Sword after its effect was used. Otherwise, her ATK would've been 10,300 the first time at least.
