by DanceJonDance Fri Feb 05, 2010 8:31 amEver so often there comes a card that changes the game of Yu-Gi-Oh as we know it. It becomes a staple of the current format and will often stay there for years and years. When the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game first got to America the instant staples were the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician based on the character you liked most in the anime. We know now that those cards are pretty useless, and are not even remotely close to being staples, but back then we had no idea which cards were good, and which cards were not. Most cards were normal monsters, and magic cards used in the anime. As people began to get the hang of the game, and started to take it to the competitive level, they realized that big bad monsters from the anime didn't win you duels, but magic cards that worked with nearly every deck you could build were your best bet.
With the release of Legend of Blue-Eyes there weren't too many cards which could b e considered competitive, and most of the spells in that set are banned today. These spells include: Raigeki, Monster Reborn, and Dark Hole. Monster reborn has spent more time on the ban list than it has out of it, but it does manage to come out and do a little bit of damage to opponents every time Konami lets it out of the cage. Monster Reborn was probably the first staple card in the TCG because its power to let you special summon any monster from your graveyard opened up several possibilities to punish your opponent. The combo that always got to my friends was when I drew Monster Reborn, and Card Destruction (from Starter Deck: Yugi) then waited to dump a Dark Magician in the grave with Monster Reborn set, and bringing out Dark Magician and owning their Mystic Clowns, and Mystic Elves. Monster reborn was one of those cards that allowed you to use other cards along with it in order to do something that would usually be hard, like sacrificing two monsters for a Dark Magician, and make it simple with a combo. As the game of Yu-Gi-Oh got more sets, it more complex. There were more cards, and all of them could be pretty devastating in any deck. Most of these cards have made some trips to the ban list, and often find their way out.
Today most of the staples we use made their debut in some of the earlier sets of Yu-Gi-Oh, and have been able to stand the test of time to make their way into our decks eight years later. Some of the most commonly used staples are cards like Mirror Force, Heavy Storm, Brain Control, Torrential Tribute, and Bottomless Trap Hole to name a few. Most of these cards were game changers, and are so flexible that they will fit in any deck. However, there are some other cards that aren't as flexible as spell, and trap cards, but without a doubt were game changers when they were released. The card that would probably be the biggest game changer up to date is Dark Armed Dragon because,unlike cards like Judgement Dragon, DAD can be used in any deck that runs DARK monsters from Destiny Heroes, to Zombies, and more commonly today, Blackwings. 
JD is a pure Lightsworn monster, and can't really be considered too much of a game changer in my opinion, but most people would disagree with me. A lot of people believe JD to be unstoppable once he's on the field unless you make a huge sacrifice by using Solemn Judgment on him, or being lucky enough to have a Royal Oppression set by the time he is out on the field. The fact that he is semi-limited, and the existence of cards like monster reincarnation, and beckoning light, makes it even harder to keep JD off the field, and even if you do have a Royal Oppression set, Lightsworns users tend to get rid of them with Celestias, Lylas, and Heavy Storms. I would understand why he is considered such a powerful monster, but in my opinion a game changer is a card that can be used in potentially more than one deck, and will devastate decks for it.
JD is the biggest reason for people running Lightsworns, and I made an article before mentioning how Lightsworns seem to be favored by Konami, and that there is hardly any support for other decks to stop LS and JD--In comes the new game changer: Starlight Road. Most of you are unfamiliar with this card since it won't be released in the TCG for another month. Let me get you guys acquainted with Starlight Road, this card's effect is as follows: Activate only when an effect was activated that destroys 2 or more cards you control. Negate that effect and destroy that card. Then, you can Special Summon 1 "Stardust Dragon" from your Extra Deck. Most people run two Stardust Dragons in their deck so this card is a no brainier to add to any deck or at the very least any side deck. If you thought that JD was unstoppable, and required too much of a sacrifice with cards like solemn in order to stop it from reaching the field and using its effect then the effect of Starlight Road probably hasn't sunk in yet. This card will stop JD in its tracks because JD destroys all cards on the field, and most people usually call priority on him right when he gets on the field, and it is very likely that you'll have more than two cards if your opponent is going to go out of his way to pay 1000 Life Points to clear the field. Starlight will not make you pay half your life points, it won't even make you pay 800 life points, this card will stop JD and even give you a stardust for free!
Starlight Road doesn't stop at just Judgment Dragon, he will destroy cards like Celestia and give you an instant stardust which means Lightsworns will have a huge blow thrown against them when this card is released. SR won't stop at destroying Lightsworns though, if your opponent runs Heavy Storm (trust me, he probably does) then you'll have a chance to use this card, if your opponent runs blackwings and activates Icarus Attack, then bam! Instant Stardust. I don't think there's ever been a card with the ability to negate monster effects before that was as powerful as this one. Stardust Dragon does this, but people expect you to negate effects, and find several other ways to get around Stardust Dragon. However, when you're dealing with trap cards you never know what's set on your opponent's side of the field which is what makes this card so dangerous. The possibilities are endless when it comes to this card, and I'm sure there are more examples in which this card can be used to win a game.
So I'd like for people who took the time to read this article to give me a reply with a way you think Starlight Road will be a game changer for you.
With the release of Legend of Blue-Eyes there weren't too many cards which could b e considered competitive, and most of the spells in that set are banned today. These spells include: Raigeki, Monster Reborn, and Dark Hole. Monster reborn has spent more time on the ban list than it has out of it, but it does manage to come out and do a little bit of damage to opponents every time Konami lets it out of the cage. Monster Reborn was probably the first staple card in the TCG because its power to let you special summon any monster from your graveyard opened up several possibilities to punish your opponent. The combo that always got to my friends was when I drew Monster Reborn, and Card Destruction (from Starter Deck: Yugi) then waited to dump a Dark Magician in the grave with Monster Reborn set, and bringing out Dark Magician and owning their Mystic Clowns, and Mystic Elves. Monster reborn was one of those cards that allowed you to use other cards along with it in order to do something that would usually be hard, like sacrificing two monsters for a Dark Magician, and make it simple with a combo. As the game of Yu-Gi-Oh got more sets, it more complex. There were more cards, and all of them could be pretty devastating in any deck. Most of these cards have made some trips to the ban list, and often find their way out. Today most of the staples we use made their debut in some of the earlier sets of Yu-Gi-Oh, and have been able to stand the test of time to make their way into our decks eight years later. Some of the most commonly used staples are cards like Mirror Force, Heavy Storm, Brain Control, Torrential Tribute, and Bottomless Trap Hole to name a few. Most of these cards were game changers, and are so flexible that they will fit in any deck. However, there are some other cards that aren't as flexible as spell, and trap cards, but without a doubt were game changers when they were released. The card that would probably be the biggest game changer up to date is Dark Armed Dragon because,unlike cards like Judgement Dragon, DAD can be used in any deck that runs DARK monsters from Destiny Heroes, to Zombies, and more commonly today, Blackwings. JD is a pure Lightsworn monster, and can't really be considered too much of a game changer in my opinion, but most people would disagree with me. A lot of people believe JD to be unstoppable once he's on the field unless you make a huge sacrifice by using Solemn Judgment on him, or being lucky enough to have a Royal Oppression set by the time he is out on the field. The fact that he is semi-limited, and the existence of cards like monster reincarnation, and beckoning light, makes it even harder to keep JD off the field, and even if you do have a Royal Oppression set, Lightsworns users tend to get rid of them with Celestias, Lylas, and Heavy Storms. I would understand why he is considered such a powerful monster, but in my opinion a game changer is a card that can be used in potentially more than one deck, and will devastate decks for it. JD is the biggest reason for people running Lightsworns, and I made an article before mentioning how Lightsworns seem to be favored by Konami, and that there is hardly any support for other decks to stop LS and JD--In comes the new game changer: Starlight Road. Most of you are unfamiliar with this card since it won't be released in the TCG for another month. Let me get you guys acquainted with Starlight Road, this card's effect is as follows: Activate only when an effect was activated that destroys 2 or more cards you control. Negate that effect and destroy that card. Then, you can Special Summon 1 "Stardust Dragon" from your Extra Deck. Most people run two Stardust Dragons in their deck so this card is a no brainier to add to any deck or at the very least any side deck. If you thought that JD was unstoppable, and required too much of a sacrifice with cards like solemn in order to stop it from reaching the field and using its effect then the effect of Starlight Road probably hasn't sunk in yet. This card will stop JD in its tracks because JD destroys all cards on the field, and most people usually call priority on him right when he gets on the field, and it is very likely that you'll have more than two cards if your opponent is going to go out of his way to pay 1000 Life Points to clear the field. Starlight will not make you pay half your life points, it won't even make you pay 800 life points, this card will stop JD and even give you a stardust for free!Starlight Road doesn't stop at just Judgment Dragon, he will destroy cards like Celestia and give you an instant stardust which means Lightsworns will have a huge blow thrown against them when this card is released. SR won't stop at destroying Lightsworns though, if your opponent runs Heavy Storm (trust me, he probably does) then you'll have a chance to use this card, if your opponent runs blackwings and activates Icarus Attack, then bam! Instant Stardust. I don't think there's ever been a card with the ability to negate monster effects before that was as powerful as this one. Stardust Dragon does this, but people expect you to negate effects, and find several other ways to get around Stardust Dragon. However, when you're dealing with trap cards you never know what's set on your opponent's side of the field which is what makes this card so dangerous. The possibilities are endless when it comes to this card, and I'm sure there are more examples in which this card can be used to win a game.
So I'd like for people who took the time to read this article to give me a reply with a way you think Starlight Road will be a game changer for you.
