Superheavy Samurai Ninja Gokudo [WRITTEN]

[Tinkerer]

Superheavy Samurai Ninja Gokudo

EARTH Links: SE SW

Machine/Link/Effect

2 Machine Monsters

Monsters cannot be Special Summoned in Attack Position.  If you have no Spell/Traps in your Graveyard: the effects of monsters your opponent controls in defense position are negated.  Once per turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect that would destroy this card or a monster this card points to (Quick Effect): you can change the battle position of 1 monster this card points to; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card.

1600/LINK 2

 

 

A Supa Sam Link monster with a powerful floodgate ability if you've got no Spell/Traps in grave.  Notably, it locks out Link Summoning entirely, so you can't have 2 of these holding down your opponent.  The protection effect was meant to give a nod to the previous Machine archetype that had Ninja members for absolutely no reason: Karakuri (which, now that I think about it, could probably use this almost as well as Sams since the their whole shtick would enable them to go into attack position pretty easily even while under this).

[TheTrueSaiyan]

This card is way better than "Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir" for a lot of machine decks. 

 

But it really needs better balancing. The materials are way too generic, It doesn't have the effect negation for your own monsters, the ATK value is pretty high for a Link-2 with 3 good effects. Also opens up 2 monster zones while in the EMZ which is considered to be the best arrows.

 

It's very difficult to out for how much it stops your opponent. I can't summon any Link period, any other extra deck monster has their effect negated and must be summoned in defense so I can't attack.

 

Even if I manage to draw a Raigeki you can just switch a monster to ATK and negate it, how do you want me out it? Raigeki and Dark Hole? Not saying it should be easy to out but you shouldn't force your opponent to run Kaijus to out your monster (Ignoring super boss monster like "Flower Cardian Lightflare" and "Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus" that just require a lot more investment as a fact of life, not a Link-2 with halfway generic materials)

 

Here would be my suggestion:

• Have the first effect require no spells in the GY as well
• Another downside that keeps the power of this card but offers more way to play around it like:
  • Have an arrow pointing to the side or above so it only opens up 1 monster zone
  • Require the change from defense to attack for the protection, maybe include machine if all its arrows point to you so you actually have to be playing a machine deck rather
• Maybe require more materials? Not kidding, this card has 3 really good effects and has a high ATK for a floodgate monster.
• More specific materials or require it to be the EMZ? As this card is right now, I can build my board with my unbreakable_board.dek and just cobble together 2 machines and make this and pass. There are plenty of good machines like "Jet Synchro" and "Mecha Phanom Beast O-Lion" that I would run whether or now this card existed.
  • Sure Number 41 does a similar thing, but with this card, I can incorporate other types not just links into my boards like a CDI, Vortex, or whatever.

[Tinkerer]

Thanks.  Meant to respond much sooner but honestly forgot about it.

 

On the whole, I think your assessment is correct.  It is an overly powerful card that can be summoned at a relatively low cost, however, in your assessment, you are looking at all its effects simultaneously which.. isn't really feasible unless you are running Superheavy Samurai.  You were looking at it at its best and not necessarily seeing it in a more reasonable state.

 

- The Bagooska effect is only active when you have 0 Spell/Traps in your grave: a very tough condition for most decks.

- It ONLY gains its benefit off its protection effect when it is in the EMZ (meaning that while you can slap this down after you build your board to more effectively lock down your opponent, it is easier to kill)

- You can't actively extend yourself if this is on the field (since you cannot summon Links either)

- You use it IN your EMZ and your monsters will generally be in Defense: usually a more vulnerable position.

 

The only reasonable play that I can see where this could be used fairly effectively would be it alongside CyDra Infinity and that has a few problems on its own (one of which is that you wouldn't be able to steal your opponent's monster with CyDra since it'd be in defense).

 

At the same time, I do see that in some ways this could be overbearing.  I lowered its ATK to 1600 (a number that I think is reasonable enough for a Normal Summoned monster to run over easily), and I made its destruction protection effect only work when it OR a monster it points to would be destroyed (i.e. If your opponent drops Raigeki, this cannot block it).  I think with these flaws alongside its other ones make it more reasonable.