Terror Mantis

[The Nyx Avatar]

Mostly made this one because Insects don't have many Pendulum cards. Only two, and they're both Performapal cards. So I wanted to give the Type at least one more, while at the same timr providing more direct support for said Type.

 

 

Pendulum Effect:You cannot Pendulum Summon monsters, except Insect-Type monsters. Insect-Type monsters can be Normal Summoned/Set with 1 less Tribute. If an Insect-Type monster destroys an opponent's monster (either by battle or by card effect): You can banish that monster. You can only activate this effect of "Terror Mantis" once per turn.

 

Monster Effect:When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: You can Special Summon 1 Level 6 or lower Insect-Type monster from your Graveyard. You can send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard to target 1 card on the field; destroy it. You can only activate 1 of the effects of "Terror Mantis" once per turn.

[Black D'Sceptyr]

Hmmm....

 

So Pend effect allows you to Normal Summon copies of this for no Tributes off and keeps the Graveyard triggers from going off in battle (ONCE A TURN THO?! With that restrictive cost I mean..). But...it locks you to insects. If Terror Mantis itself weren't Lev 5, I'd wonder about the strategy of this move, considering most of the Insect-Type goodies are in the Xyz-es and they're mostly either Digital (xenophobic to the point of becoming non-accessible) or Inzektoids (5 or 6.) So...point for Gryffindor? 

 

Monster effects are where it shines tho. 2nd effect essentially sets up the field well for the first, granted you've started off early. (something Insect Imitation can help with, of course.) But something that works off of battle is something it may require a tad more...staying power to fully appreciate. I mean, the Blackwing's Shura and Flamvell Dog fell by the wayside (a lil' bit, but STILL) because of that issue. Mill and destroy can help in that regard, but the picking between them handicaps where one would believe it balances an otherwise okay card. (Again, ESPECIALLY considering that xenophobic Summon Pend-lock that'd be the only way to NOT -1 bringing this out.)

 

Oh, and I believe the last part of that effect goes as such...(since it's a Pendulum and the text is specced a certain way for HOPT Monster effects)

 

 

You can only use 1 "Terror Mantis" Monster effect per turn, and only once that turn.

 

Other than that, is rather interesting, so 7.9/10, Notorious Nyx.