Spirit Reaper is cool. [The Final Nightmare]

[Althemia]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/4yZ0v.jpg[/img]
[u]Effect[/u]
[b]2 Level 5 DARK monsters, including at least 1 Fusion Monster[/b]
Must be Xyz Summoned, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. While this card has an Xyz Material: This card can attack your opponent directly and it cannot be targeted as an attack target while you control another monster. When this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent: Send 1 card from their hand to the Graveyard OR 1 card on the field to the Graveyard. [b]When this card would be removed from the field (except for a Tribute Summon): Detach an Xyz Material instead.[/b][/center]

Not sure on balance for this one.
EDIT: Errata underneath card.

[.Rai]

I have trouble figuring out what deck could easily get this out. I mean, possibly Sacreds teching Instant Fusion, but that would be probably be bad.

It is pretty balanced though, even with the fact you can randomly nuke everything on the field potentially.

[Synchronized]

[b]Name[/b]: I'm liking this. It (obviously) fits with the rest of the theme, but I appreciate the fact that it expands upon the Fusion Monster as well, so it makes the card seem more complete as opposed to just random Spirit Reaper support. (Of course, the black border would've made this look all the more badass.)

[b]0.5/0.5[/b]

[b]Image[/b]: This is pretty sick. I'm big on images, and this one definitely didn't disappoint. Again, the correlation it has to the Reaper on the Nightmare, Nightmare Horse, etc., makes it look really well done and not something you rushed. It's great when thought goes into a card and you can clearly see that depicted here. Like I said, the black border would've made it look even better, just because it fits the whole theme, but unfortunately we don't have that, so I'm good.

[b]0.5/0.5[/b]

[b]Creativity[/b]: while I like and appreciate the design, it's unfortunately not that creative. You took the effects of the cards below it in the archetype chain and just kind of mish-mashed them alltogether to come up with an effect that a boss monster would use, of course to justify its use. So while I'm a big fan of the card itself, I'm not seeing much creativity here (outside of the name and picture.)

[b]0.5/1.0[/b]

[b]Balance[/b]: Ah, here we go. I've gone back and forth on this one, and I'm not really sure where I stand. First of all, the Summoning Requirements are incredibly difficult to fulfill, Instant Fusion or not. Most Rank 5's have ridiculously good effects for this reason alone, etc. Tiras, Volca, but this one, I'm not really sure where I feel about it. All that investment when it can be stopped so easily by Spells and/or Traps, I'm not sure I'd want to go for this over anything else. Effect wise, it's got a good balance of useful effects that can wear down the opponent, which is good. I don't know whether that last line implies that if you were to Tribute it for a Tribute Summon, you can just detach instead to keep it on the field and bring out the monster anyway. Either way, it's balanced, if not somewhat outclassed.

[b]1.2/1.5[/b]

[b]Overall[/b]: It's definitely a visually impressive card; the way you managed to incorporate elements from the previous cards in the series is awesome; I'm always tempted to give more points to things that support an older archetype in a balanced manner. I did minus some points for creativity, but there's no way I can't say that this is extremely solid card design.

[b]1.3/1.5[/b]

Total: 4.0/5 - 80% B

I can't think of many suggestions I'd make to change it, but one I could definitely say is to cut it down to 2 Level 5's, including a Fusion. That still makes it somewhat challenging to bring out, but steps it up a few notches in terms of playability.

[Althemia]

Just to clarify, if you were to Tribute it for a Tribute Summon, you can detach and bring the monster out. It also cannot be bounced by things like Brio, banished by Dimensional Prison, etc. It is practically immune to being removed from the field by any means while it has an Xyz Material.

I might make it 2+ Level 5 DARKs, including at least 1 Fusion Monster.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Kokomoe' timestamp='1342625190' post='5981871']
Just to clarify, if you were to Tribute it for a Tribute Summon, you can detach and bring the monster out. It also cannot be bounced by things like Brio, banished by Dimensional Prison, etc. It is practically immune to being removed from the field by any means while it has an Xyz Material.

I might make it 2+ Level 5 DARKs, including at least 1 Fusion Monster.
[/quote]

I strongly dislike cards designed in that way, because it makes Tribute Summoning ridiculous. To bring out a Caius by simply detaching a material, and then proceed to plus of Caius' effect as well as have much more field presence, is something that just rubs me the wrong way, even if this is difficult to bring out. I think if you were to re-tool it a bit so that it was a bit easier to Summon, while not having that last line work for Tributes, it'd be much better.

[Althemia]

[quote name='- Neo -' timestamp='1342625699' post='5981879']
I strongly dislike cards designed in that way, because it makes Tribute Summoning ridiculous. To bring out a Caius by simply detaching a material, and then proceed to plus of Caius' effect as well as have much more field presence, is something that just rubs me the wrong way, even if this is difficult to bring out. I think if you were to re-tool it a bit so that it was a bit easier to Summon, while not having that last line work for Tributes, it'd be much better.
[/quote]

So 2+ Level 5 DARKs, including at least 1 Fusion Monster, without the last part working for Tributes?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Kokomoe' timestamp='1342625941' post='5981881']
So 2+ Level 5 DARKs, including at least 1 Fusion Monster, without the last part working for Tributes?
[/quote]

Sounds good to me ^^;

[Althemia]

BUMP.