For over 10 years, People have been trying to make unbreakable fields. “I Have Jinzo, Horus, and Plasma! what do you do?!”. For 10 years one of two cards has always been the answer; Morphing Jar #2, or: Lava Golem
Lava Golem has been an interesting card for me these many years. It’s seen play in random OTK decks, it’s seen play as just an out to various decks that would do things that compare to the modern ‘Number 66: Master Key Beetle + Safe Zone‘, and of course, was super popular with Inferno Tempest.
Today however, I’m here to talk about why this card should be seeing play in Dragon Rulers, currently the best deck in the game.
Lava Golem serves quite a few little jobs in this deck that can be capitalized on in various variants. For starters, it is a FIRE monster so you can banish it or discard it with Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos.
Next it’s also a Level 8 monster, which means you can discard it with Trade-In, for those running the Blue-Eyes White Dragon Variants.
Thirdly, it can remove any monster your opponent has on the field regardless of it’s inability to be destroyed, targeted, or likewise. Their Colossal Fighter, Thought Ruler Archfiend, Stardust (and/or Spark) Dragon, even Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack with tokens out, can be immediately dealt with. Lava Golem is even an Inherent Summon, so they cannot respond by chaining any of the monsters effects at the last minute, or even discard Maxx “C” for a draw!.
But these are only the tip of the iceberg with how useful Lava Golem can be to your deck.
If we rewind a few months, people will recall that Colossal Fighter could OTK your opponent by them simply discarding a Maxx “C” while controlling a monster in ATK mode, that has more ATK points than Colossal Fighter does, due to his ability to Special Summon himself unlimited times (life points permitting) via destroying himself in battle.
People took hold of this by running “Forbidden Chalice” in their decks to increase the ATK points of Number 11: Big-Eye or Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack, as well as Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls, and Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos on their opponents side of the field to 3000. This however was later countered by people simply summoning their monsters in Defense Position when they had a Maxx “C” They wanted to use.
Lava Golem already has 3000 ATK points. It can be placed in either Attack or Defense Position on your opponent’s side of the field at will. This sets their field up for the Colossal OTK, meaning if you have Lava Golem in your hand, haven’t normal summoned, and a way to get a tuner to the field (Such as D.D.R., Return from a Different Dimension, or the effects of Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders or Silver’s Cry), you are completely invulnerable to Maxx “C”. If they try it, they lose the Duel.
“But hey, what if they don’t Maxx “C” me? What if they don’t have two monsters!?”
Your opponent isn’t always going to have two monsters. That’s a fact. You can however lure them into having two, by summoning cards like Star Eater to bait out Number 11: Big-Eye, or Setting Traps to lure out Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack. But what if they don’t have or use Maxx “C”?
If you look to our right, you’ll see fan-favourite “Crimson Blader” with his mighty 2800 ATK Points. Not enough to Deal with Lava Golem, but if you resolve his effect, the duel is all but won. As you are the player Special Summoning Lava Golem, you get to choose the position it is played in. Start by Summoning a Dragon Ruler Monster. Did they use Maxx “C”? If so, proceed to OTK them with Colossal. If they don’t? Proceed as planned making Crimson Blader instead, and giving them the Lava Golem in Defense Position, turning their Blader-proof field of Redox and Colossal, or Dracossack and a token, into a field you can almost assuredly resolve his effect from.
There’s plenty of other things involving this card you can do, not to forget 1000 life points may be all you even need to finish them off, or the fact that once it’s destroyed, you can even summon it to your own side of the field at 3000 via Redox or Return, but that’s all I have time for tonight.
Remember to try hard, play fair, and most importantly, have fun.
