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Naardaas · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject: Card #47 - Dark Side

Since I'll be gone for some time, I decided I wanted to put one last card up for review before I go. I decided there could be only one - and it's one of Bryan's greatest works.

(Level Four) Dark Side (Dark/Fire)
Category: Demon
Effect: When you play this card, except by an effect, look at your opponent's hand and Vanish up to 2 cards from it.
STK/ 3000
GRD/ 3000
Creator: Bryan

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The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:11 pm Post subject:

Neh. What's there to say, really? For four Mana, you get a double hand Vanish (really good) and 3000 ATK/DEF (pretty bad). It's best used as soon as possible, with the hopes of crippling your opponent as much as possible. The effectless restriction I put on it keeps it from being a double-Vanish 3000/3000 monster doable by something like 12 cards.

Effect-wise, it's amazing. Since the cards are Vanished, it really hurts decktypes based around the Graveyard. Like Skeletons and MetaDragons. Being able to look at the hand, instead of a random Scrap-vanish, ensures that you get to take out whatever could be a threat.

Support-wise, it doesn't have much. You'd have to be pretty desperate to revive Dark Side instead of Noble Dragon or Jack of the Lantern or whatever your Dark or Fire deck has. Its Demon category that it shares with a mere two other cards gives it zilch.

Now onto the weaknesses. Its 3000 ATK and DEF are the lowest of any Level 4 monster, save Molluskor. It has no Immunities, so it's as vulnerable to [Weak Point] as anything.

Dark Side is best used in a deck based on messing with your opponent's hand. Unfortunately, most of the other monsters that do that are STORM. You could easily make a DARK/STORM deck, considering Dark Side only needs one of its two Mana types to play, but it will naturally work better in a DARK/FIRE deck.

I'll give it a 4/5. Its effect is all it needs.
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Naardaas · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:37 pm Post subject:

Not much left to say about the card Aarikku hasn't already.

The biggest thing about the effect for me is that you get to look at your opponent's hand. That gives you an incling of why they've hold onto those cards as opposed to playing them, and it tells you what to watch out for.

The biggest thing I'd consider with this is using Pairogeists. If you can get the right cards, you can summon Dark Side by turn 3, where it would be an average creature, but unfortunately still beatable.

Just like Dragon of Twin Dimensions, Dark Side wasn't built for battle, and for that reason it loses some potential playability. HOWEVER, vanishing 2 cards, looking at your opponent's hand, and having a creature that might last a couple turns is pretty good. I agree with 4/5.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject:

Neh? Lightning Dragon wasn't built for battle? It's a 3200/3000 Level Three. That's around average.
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Naardaas · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:

Sorry. I meant Dragon of Twin Dimensions.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject:

Yeah, that's fine.
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Naardaas · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject:

Anyway, I hope you can find something to do on the site while I'm gone.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:54 pm Post subject:

Well, I recently started Flash programming again, so I'll probably be doing a lot of that.
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Naardaas · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject:

Good luck with that.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Pyrah · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:40 am Post subject:

As for the actual card art, are there four arms on it? I can't really tell.
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I am the Chronicler of the Silvarians. I know no bounds.

Aarikku · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:09 pm Post subject:

I don't think so. Dark Side looks as basic as a demon gets.
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Naardaas · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2008 1:31 pm Post subject:

Yeah. The only thing special about this card, if one exists, is the extra eyes. But it's not about the art, even if that is a factor in its rating.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Pyrah · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:28 am Post subject:

If I ever get to it, I'd like to make this card look so much cooler.
_________________
I am the Chronicler of the Silvarians. I know no bounds.

Aarikku · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:30 am Post subject:

Neh. It's a Bryan Pack card, so it's not even on the list of printings.

Also, you're messing up my nice order of the card reviews. Go post on Artist Knight

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