Shueisha’s brought us something nice. I’ve a story to tell you though, about how Shueisha brought us this nice thing.
To celebrate the history of the game, a special poll was held earlier this year in the OCG, wherein players could choose their favorite monster from a long list of noteworthy and paradigmatic choices. The top three cards were not surprising:
The Dark Magician is the game’s original “boss monster”, as it was printed in Konami’s very first playable OCG product, and it was the strongest card one could play in January 1999 (if one ever got the chance). The only thing surprising about its place in the poll today is, simply, how some were stunned that it didn’t rank higher: it (only) took 3rd place.
It didn’t take long for KONAMI to knock it off of its initial perch, though – March 1999 brought the first OCG-playable printing of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Again, surprise struck some at its placement: it (only) took 2nd in the poll.
So, if the first iconic aces didn’t win, who won?
Mayhap we should’ve seen it coming. Black Luster Soldier rarely shows up in the anime or manga, but when it does, it does something important. Without it, the plot of the original series would’ve ended in the semi-finals of Duelist Kingdom, for starters. It all began with taking a little bit of darkness from Kuriboh and giving it to Gaia The Fierce Knight – and we’ll find similar themes as we delve further. This victory paved the way for the design basis of V-Jump Edition 9, and because we now have photographic proof of its packs being opened, we can now deem the card texts finalized and pass word along about what the cards do.
I’m going to be showing them in reverse order though. Because I can do that.
VE09-JP005
03160805
明と宵の逆転
Ake to Yoi no Gyakuten
Exchange of Twilight
Continuous Trap Card
You can activate 1 of these effects, but you can only activate 1 “Exchange of Twilight” effect per turn, and only once that turn.
● Send 1 LIGHT Warrior-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard, then add 1 DARK Warrior-Type monster of the same Level from your Deck to your hand.
● Send 1 DARK Warrior-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard, then add 1 LIGHT Warrior-Type monster of the same Level from your Deck to your hand.
VE09-JP004
76766706
渾沌の種
Konton no Tane
Chaos Seed
Normal Spell Card
If both LIGHT and DARK are Monster Attributes you control: Target 1 of your banished LIGHT or DARK Warrior-Type monsters; add that monster to your hand.
You can only activate 1 “Chaos Seed” per turn.
VE09-JP003
40371092
白夜の騎士ガイア
Byakuya no Kishi Gaia
Gaia The White Knight
Level 4 LIGHT Warrior-Type Effect Monster Card
1600 ATK
1200 DEF
You can only use each effect of “Gaia the White Knight” once per turn.
● You can Tribute 1 other LIGHT monster; add 1 Level 4 DARK Warrior-Type monster from your Deck to your hand, then send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard.
● You can banish 1 DARK monster from your Graveyard, then target 1 monster on the field; that monster loses 500 ATK until your opponent’s End Phase.
VE09-JP002
14882493
極夜の騎士ガイア
Kyokuya no Kishi Gaia
Gaia The Polar Knight
Level 4 DARK Warrior-Type Effect Monster Card
1600 ATK
1200 DEF
You can only use each effect of “Gaia the Polar Knight” once per turn.
● You can Tribute 1 other DARK monster; add 1 Level 4 LIGHT Warrior-Type monster from your Deck to your hand, then send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard.
● You can banish 1 LIGHT monster from your Graveyard, then target 1 monster you control; that monster gains 500 ATK until your opponent’s End Phase.
VE09-JP001
77498348
カオス・ソルジャー －宵闇の使者－
Chaos Soldier -Yoiyami no Shisha-
Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of Twilight
Level 8 DARK Warrior-Type Effect Monster Card
3000 ATK
2500 DEF
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set.
Cannot be Special Summoned unless you have an equal number of LIGHT and DARK monsters in your Graveyard. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by banishing all LIGHT or all DARK monsters from your Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned other ways.
While face-up on the field, this card is also LIGHT-Attribute.
When this card is Special Summoned: You can activate the appropriate effect, depending on the Attribute of the monster(s) banished to Summon this card. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect.
● LIGHT: Target 1 monster on the field; banish that target face-up.
● DARK: Banish 1 random card from your opponent’s hand, face-down, until your opponent’s End Phase.
