[EXFO] Ventriloquists Clara & Lucika

[~British Soul~]

 

EXFO-JP049 副話術士クララ＆ルーシカ Fukuwajutsushi Kurara Ando Ruushika (Ventriloquists Clara & Lucika)
Link 1/EARTH/Spellcaster/Effect
Links: Top

1 Normal Summoned Monster
This card can only be Link Summoned during Main Phase 2.

ATK: 0

 

On first glance I was like "this doesn't seem good at all", but discuss?

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

It's great for laddering...

...and that's about it.

[Flash Flyer - Sakura]

Yeah, this is basically for laddering purposes into Ningirsu or whatever requires you to use Link Monsters as material. I mean, I guess it's as close to generic for a Link 1 as we're getting right now, but that's it.

 

Also marker position is crap; should've pointed Down if it'd have the condition on summoning and only useful for laddering. Upwards, it doesn't do anything except if you co-link it to something.

[The Highlander]

Yeah, this is basically for laddering purposes into Ningirsu or whatever requires you to use Link Monsters as material. I mean, I guess it's as close to generic for a Link 1 as we're getting right now, but that's it.

 

Also marker position is crap; should've pointed Down if it'd have the condition on summoning and only useful for laddering. Upwards, it doesn't do anything except if you co-link it to something.

Actually down, down-left, down-right, left and right would have been alright (with the second and third being material for the link pendant).

I am actually disappointed, the least thing I checked were the markers and that marker is just really terrible.

[Flash Flyer - Sakura]

Actually down, down-left, down-right, left and right would have been alright (with the second and third being material for the link pendant).

I am actually disappointed, the least thing I checked were the markers and that marker is just really terrible.

 

Yeah, any down or side markers would've worked for this card considering the conditions to even make this. Either of them would open the MMZ a bit for Extra Deck summoning, though I doubt Konami will actually made Link 1s with side markers anytime soon (least without doing a Security Gardna or something).

 

But think we're all disappointed with how this turned out. Yeah, Imduk has a Up arrow too, but at least it kills the monster at that point and floats when it goes; this card doesn't have that. (Just pack filler)

[The Highlander]

[...] Yeah, Imduk has a Up arrow too, but at least it kills the monster at that point and floats when it goes; this card doesn't have that. (Just pack filler)

Imduk is also mainly a double summon for the archtype to immediately tribute summon the level 5 star relic and go all out due to that.

It could at the very least have been an interesting pack filler (like artifact mjolnir, mecha phantom beast raiten, conjoined bird renrin, whirlwind machine striborg or even battle for the world legacy etc.)

[~~~~]

Overall, this card is an interesting, if perhaps cautious, foray into generic Link 1s. It is to be used for triggering "if sent from field to GY"-type effects without needing another material. For example, a weak but somewhat common hand in ABC would be Hangar + a union, with nothing else live to enable combos such as Destrudo, Photon Thrasher, Gadgets etc. Previously, this would be a brick hand where the best play you could make would be to activate Hangar, search A-Assault Core, NS the A and use Hanger to equip B-Buster Drake from the deck. Attack if you're going second and pass with a 1900 unaffected by spells with opt destruction protection and good floating capability. Pretty s*** imo.

 

Now however, if you're going second (sorry to all those players who win the die roll), you can activate Hangar, search B-Buster Drake, NS B and use Hangar to equip C-Crush Wyvern from the deck. Attack if you want to (your Buster is unaffected by traps too!) and MP2 Link Summon this card. Chain Link 1 Crush Wyvern (this is the only reason you need the other union in hand) and Chain Link 2 Buster Drake. Buster search A-Assault Core and Crush summons the Assault from hand. Link this card + Assault into Underclock Taker and contact fuse into ABC Dragon Buster. You just turned 2 cards (Hangar + Union) into 4 cards (ABC-D, a Link 2, and you still have the original Hangar and Union monster) pretty good value for a "brick" hand imo.

 

So what are the downsides to this card? Well you can't use it at all turn 1, and you can't use it after then to make a big board and attack for serious damage. But this conveniently lends itself to synergy with Evenly Matched (the TCG name for Struggling Battle), which essentially makes you give up your battle phase to out a big board. This card then rewards you for doing the majority of your plays in the Main Phase 2.

[Atypical-Abbie]

Well, it's a generic way to get a co-link with Firewall Dragon and what not, but what else it does right now is pretty limited. It was mentioned that it can trigger effects, which is always useful, Gouki may use it to search a card they need faster perhaps, maybe World Chalice and put some monsters in the GY they need, though yeah, not much too this, sad that it must in MP2 though, I wonder why that heavy restriction when all it really does is make co-links possible, as it will point to the opponent otherwise.

[~~~~]

I wonder why that heavy restriction

Because Link 1s are extremely powerful and need to be approached with caution. Zoodiacs had a load of 1 card combos because they only needed 1 material to get things going, and a lot of things could turn out to be the new Zoo should they given access to easy 1-mat monsters

[The Highlander]

Because Link 1s are extremely powerful and need to be approached with caution. Zoodiacs had a load of 1 card combos because they only needed 1 material to get things going, and a lot of things could turn out to be the new Zoo should they given access to easy 1-mat monsters

Zoo's issue is not that they are able to 1-monster xyz, their issue is that they can keep xyz evolving into members which add pluses, just for being summoned. Summoning all Zoos with a single xyz is what makes them stuppid and laddering over bull into drident is just degenerate. (While being easy to summon in the first place, unlike the galaxy eyes series).

[~~~~]

Zoo's issue is not that they are able to 1-monster xyz, their issue is that they can keep xyz evolving into members which add pluses, just for being summoned. Summoning all Zoos with a single xyz is what makes them stuppid and laddering over bull into drident is just degenerate. (While being easy to summon in the first place, unlike the galaxy eyes series).

No, it's because they can do all that off of 1 monster. That means 1 card combos and that means extremely high consistency. It is Zoo's consistency that made it meta.

[Atypical-Abbie]

Because Link 1s are extremely powerful and need to be approached with caution. Zoodiacs had a load of 1 card combos because they only needed 1 material to get things going, and a lot of things could turn out to be the new Zoo should they given access to easy 1-mat monsters

Zoodiacs are not generic though, they only work with other Zoodiacs, that is a problem with the Archetype, not this type of design. I don't even see the direction they would need to take to even have abuse with something like this. Like, you remove monsters, you don't get new materials like Zoodiacs do, so you aren't creating more advantage, just replacing what you had. The only thing this does for you is replace the requirements for other Link Monsters to a Link Monster, EARTH and Spellcaster instead of a Normal Summoned monster. That isn't going to take over the world anytime soon, and they are not going to make Link Monsters that would be broken if they hadn't made this card so mediocre.

[Guest BGMCANN0N]

Cute artwork, wasted potential.... That is all I got. Everything else important was said. But, if you like to play with air and not accomplish much... I suppose you could use Zerozerock to "stall" with it: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Zerozerock

[~~~~]

ok ok so lets clarify what I'm saying here so that maybe people will understand.

 

First of all, I'm responding to a question asking:

 

why that heavy restriction when all it really does is make co-links possible, as it will point to the opponent otherwise.

And therefore rebutting my points by saying "well it won't do anything because of all the restrictions" is silly because I'm explaining the heavy restrictions as Konami's way of being cautious with something that has the potential to be very strong indeed, similar to the way they were at first cautious with Pendulum Summoning when it came to particularly high or low scales. I'm saying that the heavy restrictions do indeed reign it in (perhaps even a little too much for my liking but I can't blame them for being cautious), but that that some restrictions (in this case, that it must use a Normal Summon/Set monster, and that it must be Link Summoned in MP2) are required on this sort of card, even with no effect, no ATK and meh to usuable link arrows.

 

Ok so with that out of the way:

The comparison to Zoo, while perhaps ___, is appropriate because where Zoo get their value out of their Extra Deck monsters, outside of Rat (which got semi'd early on anyway) most of the maindeck monsters are basically vanillas, as can be seen now that Broadbull and Drident are banned, and Rat limited, the deck isn't doing anything even with 3 Barrage because it is essentially just Unexpected Dai at this point. Conversely, while this card has no effect, many of the monsters that could be used for its Link Summon do. I already gave the example of how in ABC it can turn previously brick hands into non-brick hands. Similarly, it can turn an Aleister the Invoker into actual value before using it as fusion material. It is just unfortunate for Invoked players that it is both true that this card doesn't have a down arrow, and that it isn't WIND or LIGHT.

 

A field of Drident + Emeral with a Whiptail in hand (typical Zoo board once Norden was banned) isn't that strong, so why was it meta? Because it could be made very consistently, and made every single turn. And they could do that because Zoo could make a lot of plays off just one card. Compare this to how ABC have worked until now, where you'd also need to have an "enabler", Photon Thrasher, Gold/Silver Gadget or most recently Destrudo. That reliance lowers the consistency of basic combos and 1-mat monsters are an easy way to enable 1-card combos. Hence, the restrictions that this card has.

[notcleverusername]

Zoodiacs are not generic though, they only work with other Zoodiacs, that is a problem with the Archetype, not this type of design. I don't even see the direction they would need to take to even have abuse with something like this. Like, you remove monsters, you don't get new materials like Zoodiacs do, so you aren't creating more advantage, just replacing what you had. The only thing this does for you is replace the requirements for other Link Monsters to a Link Monster, EARTH and Spellcaster instead of a Normal Summoned monster. That isn't going to take over the world anytime soon, and they are not going to make Link Monsters that would be broken if they hadn't made this card so mediocre.

Zoodiacs are totally generic tho

 

But anyways, some notes taken from elsewhere;

Although I don't think it really needed the restriction, turning any Normal Summon into a Spellcaster means you can turn any Normal Summon into draw power via Wonder Wand/Spellbook of Knowledge.

Although it means every deck has generic access to Secret Village of the Spellcasters, it also means every deck has a generic out to it.

 

Honestly, probably the reason it's so cautious is more the Type than anything else. Card sucks, but it probably sucks because at the current time they don't want a Link engine using the loads of rando Spellcaster support to arise.

Can't really think of any other Spellcaster support that would even care, though.

[BatMed]

So this plus Tengu = Link 3 monster. I guess that's why they put that Main Phase 2 restriction.

Also are we now allowed to use Set monsters to Summon this card? Since it's saying Set monsters and not "flipped face-up"?

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

This seems fine. As mentioned, its type gives access to spellcaster support, and the attribute opens up missus radiant. As more cards become available, it becomes progressively better for laddering.

 

The restriction for when it can be summoned is annoying, but oh well.

 

The linked zone basically had to be there, otherwise it would just be bonkers good at setting up co-links.

 

Actually down, down-left, down-right, left and right would have been alright (with the second and third being material for the link pendant).

Why do people keep calling extra link 'link pendant'? It isn't called that in TCG or OCG, and hardly makes sense.

[The Highlander]

[..] Why do people keep calling extra link 'link pendant'? It isn't called that in TCG or OCG, and hardly makes sense.

As far as I remember that is what it was initially called.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

As far as I remember that is what it was initially called.

That was never what it was called. It was called "extra link" ever since the initial announcement.

[ÆƵ–]

That was never what it was called. It was called "extra link" ever since the initial announcement.

As far as I remember that is what it was initially called.

People called it a link necklace before it got an official term. An unofficial fan thing, kinda like the non-existent banished zone.

 

As for the card: I was hoping for the start of an archetype, but the most generic link 1 to date is cool too I guess. Her restriction is kinda lame, but because links are such a volatile thing, I get it.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

People called it a link necklace before it got an official term. An unofficial fan thing, kinda like the non-existent banished zone.

https://ygorganization.com/ekisotorarinkuexclamationpoint/

 

This is the YGOrg post where extra link was revealed. This post includes the name "extra link". It even mentions them in the URL.

 

Searching for "link pendant" and "link necklace" only yield 1-2 people here calling it that for very little reason, and Zazi having a post where he uses the word "necklace" to describe the shape of extra link, though, once again, the name of the mechanic had already been revealed.

 

This isn't like saying "banished zone".

 

This is like calling Xyz "Stack Cards on Top of Eachother Monsters"

 

Another note for ventriloquists is that they synergize with play-starting cards that could otherwise end up dead on field, turning them into something more useful.

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

ITT Link Pendants vs. Link Pedants

 

This can get any Normal Summoned monster in the Graveyard instantly for cards that go off that way. Making Ningirsu is also nice, which is itself a largely underappreciated generic Link-3 that can also be Summoned with Vayu (albeit a little less nice with the summoning sickness Ventriloquists imposes). 

 

I expect this to be more relevant later on. 

[Azuriena]

Also are we now allowed to use Set monsters to Summon this card? Since it's saying Set monsters and not "flipped face-up"?

A Normal Summoned/Set monster is a monster that's on the field because it was Normal Summoned/Set. It needn't be face-up or face-down in particular to be such a monster, although Link Summons necessitate it to be face-up to be used as material for one.

[~~~~]

Essentially, it can use a Normal Set monster if that monster was flipped face-up without Flip Summoning it. So by an effect such as Book of Taiyou, or by being attacked while in face-down Defence Position.

 

This is something that has stumped many World Chalice players at my locals, with regards to World Legacy - "World Chalice".

[Azuriena]

Essentially, it can use a Normal Set monster if that monster was flipped face-up without Flip Summoning it. So by an effect such as Book of Taiyou, or by being attacked while in face-down Defence Position.

 

Note that a Flip Summoned monster can still be a Normal Summoned/Set monster.

 

(So with Gemini monsters, you can actually have a Normal, Flip and Special Summoned monster!)