The next day, I was back to my usual business. Which also means a lot more time practicing with my skills, including magic. That led Laura and I to discover things she could now do. Well, she already knew it since she’d read up on it, but it was our first time testing it. Now that she was perfect, she could perfectly control my mana, unless I resisted her. To the point where she could use my Instant Cast skill to cast spells in my stead. Previously she could at most assist in Quick Casting spells. But now, perfect spell casting and I didn’t need to do anything. Sure some communication between Laura and I was needed, but it was still easier than casting the spells myself. Especially when it came to buff and debuff magic. My main magic for that is Time Magic, and I’m really not the best at it. So having Laura use it for me while I focus on other stuff is great. Also, with her being able to cast Space Magic for me, we can maybe use Short Teleport in combat. She can also use offensive spells, but Laura has worse control over those than I do. She ended up putting too much power into them, which can be good sometimes, but with my level and especially when using Errelitea, we did too much damage when that was left to her. Also, since Laura has to use Instant Cast, the mana cost for spells is higher than with the Quick Cast strategy. And Quick Cast already has higher mana cost than fully chanted spells. Sure we should basically never run into mana problems, but still good to consider. Last thing we tried to do was something some perfect System Supports have been able to do. That is having the System Support fully take over the holder’s body. But that ended terribly. The two of us ended up running into a wall, and through that wall. In short, Laura couldn’t control my strength. I had gotten used to it over a long time, so her having full control over it is like putting a first time driver in a Porsche. And yes, while Laura controlled my body, I could still control our mana, so I could take over as the magic caster while she is the physical fighter, but we do better the other way around, so I think we will stick to that. Also, it has been a few days, so I think it is about time I return to Pack Opener. I just have that pack opening itch and I need to scratch it. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on Nov3lFɪre.ɴet I think 10 packs of Shadow Specters and Legacy of the Valiant will help. So let’s get to the packs. Rasetsu; Bujingi Ibis; Baby Raccoon Tantan; Chain Ignition; Survival of the Fittest; Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts; Numbers Overlay Boost; Vampire Kingdom; Vampire Duke Chain Ignition is way too situational. Sure in the TCG it somewhat counters decks that destroy their own monsters, but in this world, why would you sacrifice your own ally? And Survival of the Fittest is great. Sure it is Dinosaur only, but +1000 attack and the ability to attack again are both great. Gagagatag; Ghostrick Mansion; Soul Drain Dragon; Ghostrick Stein; Vampire Grace; Intrigue Shield; Black Dragon Collapserpent; Survival of the Fittest; Aratama Aratama just searches Spirit monsters. Which I’d normally say is not that great for me, but searchers can search for other things that fulfill the conditions. So I could have it search out an actual spirit if one is lost somewhere. Still not all that useful, but it is added utility. Baby Raccoon Ponpoko; Vampire Kingdom; Ghostrick Witch; Ghostrick Vanish; Ghostrick Mansion; Skelesaurus; Blue Duston; Vampire Grace; Bujingi Raven And that is the first nothing new here of this opening. Hopefully I won’t have that many of them. Malicevorous Fork; Malicevorous Spoon; Gagagatag; Ghostrick Specter; Ghostrick Stein; Bujingi Ibis; Bujingi Centipede; Soul Drain Dragon; Vampire Duke Malicevorous Spoon is new. Having more cutlery demons is nice, as they do make for great servers when I’m dragon sized. I need to make some watermelon sized grapes so that Janina and I can eat them. I just think it would be cool. And now maybe some soup or something. And Bujingi Centipede banishes itself to destroy a Spell/Trap. Nice but MST is better. Magicalized Duston Mop; Ghostrick Specter; Rasetsu; Ghostrick Scare; Skelesaurus; Soul Drain Dragon; Ghostrick Witch; Pot of Dichotomy; Burst Rebirth Pot of Dichotomy is a ‘retrain’ of Pot of Avarice. … well, more like a detrain really. Sure the draw 2 is nice, but you have to use Dichotomy at the start of your main phase 1, and you need 3 monsters with different Types in your graveyard to activate the card. And after all of that, you even lose your battle phase for the turn. So the card really isn’t worth using. Burst Rebirth on the other hand is perfectly fine. Pay 2k for a Monster Reborn, and the summoned monster is in face down defense position. So while Monster Reborn is much better, Burst Rebirth is still a good option to have. Ghostrick Mansion; Skelesaurus; Malicevorous Knife; Baby Raccoon Tantan; Gagagatag; Intrigue Shield; Sacred Serpent's Wake; Bujingi Centipede; Bujin Regalia - The Mirror Bujin Regalia - The Mirror sucks. The activation condition is just way too specific. I understand why, but getting that situation to happen when you have this card in your hand happens once in 70 games or something. And the no spells or traps limit applies to you as well. So I won’t be using it. Magicalized Duston Mop; Baby Raccoon Tantan; Ghostrick Specter; Secret Sect Druid Dru; Secret Sect Druid Wid; Mythic Tree Dragon; Chain Ignition; Gagagatag; Archfiend Giant Archfiend Giant is … okay-ish. Protection against card effect destruction is nice, but it can only be used once. But if Archfiend Giant is destroyed by a card effect, you get to special summon a monster from the hand. Sadly from the hand and not the deck. BIG Win!?; Malicevorous Spoon; Risebell the Star Psycher; Sacred Serpent's Wake; Chow Chow Chan; Ghostrick Vanish; Malicevorous Knife; Battlin' Boxer Cheat Commissioner; Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus Well, I got an ultra rare. … but I have it already. So nothing new here. Couldn’t go with just one of those for this opening, huh? Ghostrick Specter; Baby Raccoon Ponpoko; White Dragon Wyverburster; Chow Chow Chan; Survival of the Fittest; Armed Protector Dragon; Ghostrick Yuki-onna; Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts; Oh Tokenbaum! Ghostrick Yuki-onna is really cute. But sadly she isn’t all that good. Forcing the thing that destroyed her into face down defense really isn’t all that amazing, even if it cannot be flipped back face up. Ghostrick Vanish; Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts; Ghostrick Specter; Vampire Grace; Battlin' Boxer Rib Gardna; Magicalized Duston Mop; Secret Sect Druid Dru; Archfiend Giant; Bujintei Kagutsuchi Battlin' Boxer Rib Gardna is … I actually don’t remember the first card that did the ‘banish until your next standby phase’ effect. Was it Interdimensional Matter Transporter? No, that one is only until the end phase. Well, whatever. Rib Gardna is basically that for Battlin' Boxers. And Bujintei Kagutsuchi is fine. Nothing crazy, just fine. It has 2500 attack, can gain potentially 500 more, and can protect itself from battle and card effect destruction. Also it is an ultra rare, so a nice pull before the set change. Which happens right now. To the set that isn’t Laval, Legacy of the Valiant. Ghostrick Yeti; Gorgonic Ghoul; Ghostrick Mummy; Deep-Space Cruiser IX; Release, Reverse, Burst; Majiosheldon; Ghostrick Jackfrost; Xyz Shift; Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree Release, Reverse, Burst is new, but not worth using. Sacrificing a Utopia for a Harpie’s Feather Duster just isn’t worth it. And Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree is great. Good stats and it can only be targeted with effects for a short period of time after it attacks, making it difficult for opponents to deal with. Gorgonic Golem; Gorgonic Ghoul; Majiosheldon; Chronomaly Moai Carrier; Tackle Crusader; The Monarchs Awaken; Stand-Off; Photon Chargeman; Number C69: Heraldry Crest of Horror Gorgonic Golem is new, and it is okay. Lowering something’s attack to 0 is always nice. And the ability to stop a spell or trap from being activated for a bit is also good. And Chronomaly Moai Carrier is a Cyber Dragon with worse stats. Gravekeeper's Ambusher; Alpacaribou, Mystical Beast of the Forest; White Duston; Ghostrick Jackfrost; Xyz Avenger; Duston Roller; Sylvan Blessing; Photon Chargeman; Oath of Companionship Nothing new here. Not Laval couldn’t save me from them either. Majiosheldon; Rose Witch; Gorgonic Cerberus; Luminous Dragon Ritual; Chronomaly Moai Carrier; Kalantosa, Mystical Beast of the Forest; Ghostrick Skeleton; Overlay Sentinel; Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree Ghostrick Skeleton is okay. It banishes cards from the top of your opponent’s deck, which is nice. And it banishes them face down. Is Ghostrick Skeleton the first card to banish stuff face down? Probably not, but it is one of the first. Actually, Different Dimension Capsule banishes stuff face down, so it for sure isn’t. But it might be the first to banish your opponent’s stuff face down. Gillagillancer; White Duston; Release, Reverse, Burst; Interplanetarypurplythorny Beast; Purge Ray; Starship Spy Plane; Sylvan Blessing; Overlay Sentinel; Bujingi Fox Bujingi Fox is fine. It does offer protection from battle damage. Swordsman from a Distant Land; Dododo Buster; Ghostrick Mummy; Ghostrick Jackfrost; Chronomaly Moai Carrier; Ghostrick Skeleton; Ghostrick Nekomusume; Xyz Avenger; Ghostrick Dullahan Swordsman from a Distant Land is … I don’t even know what to say. “Destroy that monster during the 5th End Phase after the attack”. … really? Who designed this piece of … traveling swordsman. It has 250 attack for crying out loud. And you have to attack with it. It is horrible. Dododo Buster is fine. You can special summon it under Cyber Dragon conditions, but it becomes level 4. But if you tribute summon it, you get to resurrect a Dododo from the GY. Ghostrick Nekomusume is okay. Forcing stuff into face down defense is good in the TCG, but I can’t use it. But cuteness bonus and all of that. Majiosheldon; Gorgonic Gargoyle; Bujin Regalia - The Jewel; The Monarchs Awaken; Ghostrick Mummy; Purge Ray; Mighty Warrior; Black Brachios; Oath of Companionship Nothing new here, next. The Monarchs Awaken; Rose Witch; Gorgonic Gargoyle; Dark Artist; Kalantosa, Mystical Beast of the Forest; Tackle Crusader; Xyz Avenger; Gorgonic Cerberus; Bujingi Peacock Bujingi Peacock is a searcher. … that you can only use during your main phase 2, and only if you’ve only activated “Bujin” cards and effects that turn. So not really all that great. Luminous Dragon Ritual; Swordsman from a Distant Land; Gorgonic Ghoul; Rose Witch; Starship Spy Plane; Duston Roller; Gravekeeper's Ambusher; The Monarchs Awaken; Sylvan Komushroomo Sylvan Komushroomo … is a Sylvan. It isn’t bad, I mean Spell/Trap destruction is always nice, but I won’t be using it. Photon Chargeman; Rose Witch; Luminous Dragon Ritual; The Monarchs Awaken; Stand-Off; Xyz Shift; Bujingi Swallow; Interplanetarypurplythorny Beast; Sylvan Peaskeeper Sylvan Peaskeeper is just as Sylvan as Komushroomo. But it actually special summons a monster from the GY when milled, so it is probably the best Sylvan I have. Still not going to use it. Also, I didn’t get a single higher rarity card from 10 packs. Sure I got 3 from the 10 Shadow Specters packs, but that is just a bit above average. Not getting a single one from 10 is bad. And getting 3 from 20 is also bad. So that clearly shows me that I should call it a day. Sure I could force Pack Opener to work with me, but I only have these two sets that I haven’t fully completed. I don’t want to ruin my chances just yet.