[VJUMP] Dark Metal Dragon - Darkness Metal

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

VJMP-JP148 Kuroganeryuu Darkness Metal (Darkness Metal, the Blacksteel Dragon)

Link 4 DARK Dragon Link Effect Monster

ATK 2800

Links: Top, Bottom Left, Bottom, Bottom Right

Materials: 2+ Effect Monsters with the same Type and Attribute

You can only use this card name’s effect once per turn.

(1) You can target 1 of your monsters that is banished or in your GY; you cannot Special Summon Link Monsters for the rest of this turn, also Special Summon that monster in Defense Position to your zone this card points to, but that monster’s effects are negated, and if it leaves the field, return it to the bottom of the Deck.

 

[Tinkerer]

So... a link 4 that wants to ladder?

 

It being a generic SS any banished monster is cool, but underwhelming given what you're likely doing to summon this thing and its own back-end restrictions.  At the very least it locks you just out of Links rather than restricting all SS's, but still...

 

Prefer the original.

[Atypical-Abbie]

Personally I think it's pretty neat, there aren't a whole lot of generic monsters (mostly generic anyway) that allow for a banished Special Summon. The fact that you can just grab back your Link Monster you used too is great. Just make sure you make this while you have access to another Link Summon as well, and when we get some LINK-5 or higher, this will shine a lot as well.

[Black D'Sceptyr]

Think of this as a new generic Link-4. Really, that's its main purpose, and it performs it admirably. It isn't the threat-taker that Borreload is, it isn't the uber-busted hand-spammer that Firewall is, it isn't the hand-fixer-upper that Saruja is-heck it isn't even the walking Torrential Tribute/Amaryllis OTK enabling trash sack that Topologic Bomber. sadly is. it's something that rewards you once a turn for a relatively easy Summoning condition and doesn't require that heavy an investment to open a load of your Zones. Heck, proper Tokenspam could get this card out well (hullo Scapegoat) 

 

It's a Link for all seasons that lets you get back a crucial resource to ladder up into something other than more Links. In that regard, it's perfect as is-the true generic Link-4. It'll have use, gentlemen. Plenty of it for people who simply want to open their Zones with minimal fuss. Comparing it to Darkness Metal is missing its true utility as that. 

 

And I do love that Tomahawk can be used for it like I hoped for Red-Eyes....even if not in the direct way I expected.

[The Highlander]

Well, this card is the link 4 for decks that use links to channel their other extra deck mechanics.

This card is definitely solid and if nothing else waiting to be amazing.

Using Crystron Needlefiber it can be summoned with relative ease, while maintaining resources.

Lightsworn might actually enjoy this card.

[VCR_CAT]

Not hard to summon, and if you get out an EARTH Dragon you can use that and your Saryuja as materials for this, which is pretty dang swanky if you ask me. It's a good card that keeps a combo rolling, even if it doesn't include Link monsters (the part I like most about the card's design) and obviously one that you keep to use closer to the end of that combo. It's just a good card, plain and simple, and pretty well designed.

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

I just realized, you can summon something like Light Pulsar back to the Up Arrow, and then destroy it to get the effect right?

[VCR_CAT]

I just realized, you can summon something like Light Pulsar back to the Up Arrow, and then destroy it to get the effect right?

 

"Special Summon to YOUR zone..."

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

"Special Summon to YOUR zone..."

Why the bloody funk does this have an up arrow

[VCR_CAT]

Why the bloody funk does this have an up arrow

 

Balance purposes as a trade-off for the three down arrows you get in return? Same reason as Saryuja, only Saryuja also has the additional downside of giving an opponent's monster a boost, but his overall effect is also more potent in return.

 

EDIT:

I did a quick browse of the EARTH Dragon pool, and wow it's bad. it's actually so bad that you want to practically go from Saryuja into this, you have to use Riplodocus, but by then the exchange of value isn't really worth it. I mean, it's a +0 play overall, but that's an extra-deck commitment that's probably just not worth the meme.

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

This card isn't very good and having to compete with other generic Link-4s that are amazing doesn't help.

 

Personally I think it's pretty neat, there aren't a whole lot of generic monsters (mostly generic anyway) that allow for a banished Special Summon. The fact that you can just grab back your Link Monster you used too is great. Just make sure you make this while you have access to another Link Summon as well, and when we get some LINK-5 or higher, this will shine a lot as well.

 

You can't grab back your Link Monster because you have to Special Summon in Defense Position which Links can't do, and you can't ladder because it specifically prevents you from further Link Summoning.

 

Not hard to summon, and if you get out an EARTH Dragon you can use that and your Saryuja as materials for this, which is pretty dang swanky if you ask me.

 

You can't overshoot Link ratings, Saryuja counts as either 4 or 1. If this were Link-5 you could do that.

[Black D'Sceptyr]

This card isn't very good and having to compete with other generic Link-4s that are amazing doesn't help.

 

 

Right, have to handle this real quick. Borreload is horrid first turn cuz it's begging for the exotic removal and monster possession only gets you so far with Ghost Ogre being a thing. Plus, it requires three Effect Monsters, something not every Deck is willing or able to pump out in ADDITION to its original strategies. And Aryuja demands four monsters with different names to get to its fullest potential-amazing, but incredibly cost-intensive, and likely

 

Listen, I understand the wonderful blowout power Borreload offers, the hand-fixing turnout power Saryuja gives, but their Summoning conditions do not make them 'generic' to anything that isn't inherently spammy. Darkness Metal could do more, but its Destrudo with benefits, and it is good because, again, its the most streamlined investment into opening le-zones for access to other Extra Deck types to be played out. One Scapegoat can open three of your Zones and provide you revival without having to jump through all this extra hops for it. And it's probably the best Link-4 for its simplicity (relatively) - only need two Link-2s and this card in the Extra Deck. I'd argue it is up there with Decode Talker in that regard. 

 

This is simply put, an economically sound card-not just for what it does but what it is-generic revival and Zone-opening on a Link 4, something one doesn't normally do without dedicating half the Deck to Links, or spamming so hard you could turn out half your Extra Deck anyways. 

 

Three  slots to make this card and you get a revival on top. It'll find many homes, holmes.

[Atypical-Abbie]

This card isn't very good and having to compete with other generic Link-4s that are amazing doesn't help.

 

 

You can't grab back your Link Monster because you have to Special Summon in Defense Position which Links can't do, and you can't ladder because it specifically prevents you from further Link Summoning.

 

 

You can't overshoot Link ratings, Saryuja counts as either 4 or 1. If this were Link-5 you could do that.

I completely misread that card then, wow, well sucks for Links, but works well for non-Links then, which I suppose is fine enough on its own, since there isn't a whole lot of need for more Links after you get this out for that turn in most cases.

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

Right, have to handle this real quick. Borreload is horrid first turn cuz it's begging for the exotic removal and monster possession only gets you so far with Ghost Ogre being a thing. Plus, it requires three Effect Monsters, something not every Deck is willing or able to pump out in ADDITION to its original strategies. And Aryuja demands four monsters with different names to get to its fullest potential-amazing, but incredibly cost-intensive, and likely

 

There's also Firewall Dragon, Knightmare Gryphon, Borrelsword and Borrelguard - all of which are pretty good on the first turn. Additionally, in most cases where one can summon this they can achieve more by going into Summon Sorceress with a material left on the table with which to use her effect to go into a broader range of targets with the ability to keep Linking. 

 

One Scapegoat can open three of your Zones and provide you revival without having to jump through all this extra hops for it. 

 

Nah you still need to ladder because this calls for Effect Monsters.

[Black D'Sceptyr]

There's also Firewall Dragon, Knightmare Gryphon, Borrelsword and Borrelguard - all of which are pretty good on the first turn. Additionally, in most cases where one can summon this they can achieve more by going into Summon Sorceress with a material left on the table with which to use her effect to go into a broader range of targets with the ability to keep Linking. ...

 

...a card which A) TCG does not have yet and B) is Type locked in a format where mix-and-matching Types is prevalent beyond compare. Sorceress's main utility comes from the asides it gives to Machines through Needlefiber laddering, anyways. 

 

And yes, I do think Sorceress is the optimal candidate to consider in Darkness Metal's utility, thank you for mentioning her. An otherwise ok Link that's main utility is in bringing stuff out from a different place. In fact, I think there could be a usable ladder game for DARK Spellcasters with this, using a Link-2 and another monster of the same caliber to go into Summon Sorceress, then use Summon Sorceress to ladder into Darkness Metal. 

 

Point is, this card isn't standing in opposition to Link strategies but can work in concert with them AS well as a barebones Monster Zone opener. Again, two-Link-2s and this opening three of your Monster Zones for other Extra Deck types is amazing, and definitely sound if you're limited in need to open up Zones in this Master-Rule-4 format (Remember, we've got FOUR different Extra Deck types to work through in a 15-card Extra Deck, how much space it takes to put through a good enough lane-opening Link in Decks that are not primarily Link-centric is crucial.

 

Not being able to go into other Links is the condition that never was, because most poeple in the scenario that would need to Link Summon further after making a Link -4 is....very limited I should say. This basically says "with me and two Link-2s, which are easy to do with the Attribute retrain Links and Proxy/Security Dragon's you get three open Zones and a revival.) Its a space-saving Link-4, essentially, and with an incentive to use LESS materials to make it instead of more (like Saryuja) or have a side dependance on Links just to make play with it (like Firewall).

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

...a card which A) TCG does not have yet and B) is Type locked in a format where mix-and-matching Types is prevalent beyond compare.

 

...did you lose the thread? Is this card that we're referring to as "Dark Metal Dragon Darkness Metal" any more accessible in the TCG than Summon Sorceress? Is it not just as type locked as Summon Sorceress, and in fact attribute-locked on top of that?

 

Point is, this card isn't standing in opposition to Link strategies but can work in concert with them AS well as a barebones Monster Zone opener. 

 

It doesn't work in concert with Link strategies any better than any other generic Link-4. This locks you out of Link summoning. Sure it has three arrows pointing down, but all three arrows can be opened up just as easily in the process of laddering. For example, you could use Summon Sorceress's Bottom-Left and Bottom-Right arrows for summons from the Extra Deck before using that Summon Sorceress as Material for Firewall Dragon or Knightmare Gryphon, then you can use either of their Bottom-middle arrows for another Summon. The only situations where this doesn't apply are Pendulum Summoning from the Extra Deck, in which case you have Zefra Metaltron for a more cost-efficient source of arrows. If you're not going to ladder at all, you're better off with Saryuja or a Borrel dragon.

 

Not being able to go into other Links is the condition that never was, because most poeple in the scenario that would need to Link Summon further after making a Link -4 is....very limited I should say. This basically says "with me and two Link-2s, which are easy to do with the Attribute retrain Links and Proxy/Security Dragon's you get three open Zones and a revival.) Its a space-saving Link-4, essentially, and with an incentive to use LESS materials to make it instead of more (like Saryuja) or have a side dependance on Links just to make play with it (like Firewall).

 

Link-focused decks depend on being able to generate Link materials beyond an initial Link-4, if they couldn't then Firewall Dragon would be a useless card when in fact it's now Limited because of no shortage of combos that could pump out multiple Firewall Dragons. Goukis, SPYRALs, and World Chalice can consistently generate 10+ Link materials off of 1-2 card combos in the TCG right now. Barring access to further Link summoning isn't a negligible restriction. 

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

Balance purposes as a trade-off for the three down arrows you get in return? Same reason as Saryuja, only Saryuja also has the additional downside of giving an opponent's monster a boost, but his overall effect is also more potent in return.

 

EDIT:

I did a quick browse of the EARTH Dragon pool, and wow it's bad. it's actually so bad that you want to practically go from Saryuja into this, you have to use Riplodocus, but by then the exchange of value isn't really worth it. I mean, it's a +0 play overall, but that's an extra-deck commitment that's probably just not worth the meme.

Uh soldier Dragon? 

 

Redox (Rulers) might get unbanned

 

Amorphage Goliath 

 

Kidmodo Dragon

 

Mythic Tree Dragon has its uses if you're also running Mythic Water

 

 

K'mon VCR

[Black D'Sceptyr]

Uh soldier Dragon? 

 

Redox (Rulers) might get unbanned

 

Amorphage Goliath 

 

Kidmodo Dragon

 

Mythic Tree Dragon has its uses if you're also running Mythic Water

 

 

K'mon VCR

 

That seems okay, but the most plausible and fastest routes to this card seem to be through the mass Tokenspam cards we've got (namely, Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk and Scapegoat). Go for one of those, spam out two of the generic Links (Greatfly or Missus Radiant) with them as Material, then go into this and revive.

 

Really, I'm happy of this card's Link-lock restriction only going on after the revival effect activates. That was a nice way to keep that restriction from being overbearing, though it does exclude Links from being Summoned with it (though I still maintain the Decks that run this aren't heavy on the Links to begin with.)

[Tinkerer]

Ok, I lost track.  Why are EARTH Dragons being listed?

 

And if we're tossing in cards that open up 3 down arrows for minimal cost that also don't happen to be in the tcg yet, can I toss in Traffic Ghost?  I mean, that's literally its only job.