I've based the following article upon the Destiny Heroes. Unlike the Elemental Heroes and Evil Heroes, they don't focus on blasting the opponent in as few turns as possible, but focus on the time theme, delaying the duel until the main monsters, which I've put at the end of this article, are summoned.
- Spoiler:
- Destiny Hero - Blade Master
Effect Monster
ATK 300/DEF 600
During your opponent's Battle Phase, by discarding this card from your hand, all face-up "Destiny Hero" monsters on your side of the field gain 800 ATK until the end of this turn.
Although this card has a low DEF and an even lower ATK, it is good for protecting your destiny heroes against certain monsters. For example, if your opponent attacks Destiny Hero - Dasher with a monarch, just activate this card's effect and your opponent is left without a monarch, since there cannot be a replay.
Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious
Effect Monster
ATK 800/DEF 800
Once per turn, if another "Destiny Hero" monster you control (except this card) is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon that 1 monster during your next Standby Phase.
This card's effect makes it so you have a defence all the time. Plus, combined with D-Shield or Mist Body you have an indestructible wall that protects your life points and your monsters(at least one of them). Equipping this card with "Ring of Magnetism" while equipped with one of the former two cards mentioned will put the opponent in a lockdown, him being unable to attack other monsters than an indestructible one that is in defence mode.
Destiny Hero - Dasher
Effect Monster
ATK 2100/DEF 1000
Once per turn, by Tributing 1 monster, this card gains 1000 ATK until the end of this turn. If this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. While this card is in the Graveyard, one time only, when you draw a Monster Card during your Draw Phase you can show it to your opponent and Special Summon it.
This card has a great advantage, but an even greater disadvantage. First, you can tribute your "Sangan" or a lower ATK monster(for not losing any potential damage) and destroy a 3000 or below ATK monster that normally couldn't be destroyed by Dasher. And you get a monster in the process(if you tribute "Sangan"). But after it finished beating your opponent, this card switches into defence mode. Not that it has an extremely powerfull one. If your opponent gets a monster with more than 1000 ATK, then Dasher is history. But his magic works in the Graveyard. Once per duel, when he is there, you can summon any monster that can be both Normal and Special Summoned by simply drawing it. And the beauty of that is that you get to summon again in the same turn. And that is a great way to mount a comeback.
Destiny Hero - Defender
Effect Monster
ATK 100/DEF 2700
If this card is in face-up Defense Position during your opponent's Standby Phase, your opponent draws 1 card.
I know what you might think. The simple fact that this card is a +1 for your opponent during every Standby Phase you have this card out in defence mode makes it so that the duel becomes a pain. But it isn't that bad. Why? With a simple card like "Appropriate" you can turn that +1 for your opponent into a +1 for you every time your opponent reaches his Standby Phase. And this combo can be used in a lot of decks. One of the most known combos is the Appropriate Exodia combo, which relies on Defender's 2700 DEF to protect him whilst drawing Exodia with "Appropriate". But this combo can also be used along with "Solemn Wishes" and "Fire Princess" to burn your opponent during his Standby Phase. So right now this card doesn't look so bad does it?
Destiny Hero - Departed
Effect Monster
ATK 1000/DEF 0
During your Standby Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard, Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position on your opponent's side of the field. If this card is destroyed by battle, remove it from play instead of sending it to the Graveyard. If a card effect would send this card to the Graveyard from the hand or Deck, remove it from play instead.
What is good about this card? Well, for starters, only if you Tribute or if it is destroyed by a card effect it will it re-summon on your opponents field. But instead, it's a 2-star 1000 ATK monster, that, combined with "Remove Brainwashing" can give you a free 1000 ATK monster every one of your Standby Phases, unless this card is removed from play. If you have "Imperial Iron Wall" face-up you can be sure you will get Departed on your side of the field every turn.
Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude
Effect Monster
ATK 1400/DEF 1600
Once per turn, you can look at the top card of your Deck. If it is a Normal Spell Card, send it to the Graveyard and you can activate its effect during the Main Phase of your next turn. If the card is not a Normal Spell Card, place it on the bottom of your Deck.
I found this card quite useful in a Final Countdown deck. This way you could cycle between the cards faster, and when you reached "Final Countdown" you wouldn't have payed the 2000 LP you would normally pay, but just keep counting the turns to your win. Besides that, it has decent ATK and DEF, which makes it extremely useful for "Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster"
Destiny Hero - Disk Commander
Effect Monster
ATK 300/DEF 300
When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, draw 2 cards.
What is so special about this level 1 weak monster? Well, when summoned from the Graveyard, you get an instant +2/3(+1 on the field and +2 in the hand -1 the card used to summon him unless a card already on the field). That is the reason why it's the only Hero card that is forbidden. This card's effect makes it extremely useful in Exodia decks.
Destiny Hero - Doom Lord
Effect Monster
ATK 600/DEF 800
Once per turn, if this card is in face-up Attack Position, you can remove from play 1 monster your opponent controls. If you use this effect, you cannot declare an attack this turn, and the removed monster will be returned to the opponent's side of the field in the same battle position during your second Standby Phase after activation.
This card is actually quite good, despite the fact that you have to skip your Battle Phase to use it's effect. Why? You get rid of one of your opponent's strong/annoying monsters. And combinated with "Solomon's Lawbook" you can keep that monster removed from play. Also, if you are an Aster Phoenix fan, I think you will love playing this card, since it was the first Destiny Hero played by him in the anime.
Destiny Hero - Double Dude
Effect Monster
ATK 1000/DEF 1000
This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can attack twice during the same Battle Phase. If this card is destroyed, you can Special Summon 2 "Double Dude Tokens" (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1000/DEF 1000) during your next Standby Phase.
This card, when equipped with attack enhancing equipment spells, can become a severe problem. You don't want to stare in the face of a "United We Stand" equipped Double Dude with 4 aditional monsters on the opponent's field.
This is another card for the Aster fans, since he uses this card almost every duel. The D, Goblin Attack Force and even Jaden.
And just when the opponent destroys your Double Dude and thinks he got rid of the trouble, 2 Double Dude tokens get out to play(unless Double Dude is removed from play). They are just as strong as the original, just lack it's effects. With these two, just summon a Destiny Hero your next turn then Dogma can make his grand appearance(if you have him in your hand of course).
Destiny Hero - Dread Servant
Effect Monster
ATK 400/DEF 700
When this card is Normal Summoned, place 1 Clock Counter on "Clock Tower Prison". When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card you control.
Right from the beggining you can see that this card was made to aid in the summoning of "Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster".
Dread Servant ->Dreadmaster..... yep, I think I've got the link. Anyway, this card gets you one step closer from battle immunity when summoned after "Clock Tower Prison" has been activated. And when this card is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can nuke "Clock Tower Prison" (a thing I don't recommend, unless you're going with a Dreadmaster OTK next turn) to summon Dreadmaster.
Destiny Hero - Dunker
Effect Monster
ATK 1200 /DEF 1700
You can send 1 "Destiny Hero" card from your hand to the Graveyard to inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
This card is good if you have no real way to penetrate your opponents defence. It makes for a slow, yet painful death. Notice it isn't restricted to using it's effect once per turn, so you can inflict a lot of damage by sending a couple of Dashers and a few other heroes, then get ready if the opponent is going to destroy your "Clock Tower Prison" at full counters to unleash the power of 2 of the heroes sacrificed. Otherwise, it has decent DEF and a pretty low ATK, but for a level 4 monster it's effect makes up for the points.
Destiny Hero - Fear Monger
Effect Monster
ATK 1000/DEF 1000
If this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Destiny Hero" monster from your Graveyard (except a "Destiny Hero - Fear Monger") during your next Standby Phase.
This card is extremely useful. Put it in harms way and it will bring one Destiny Hero of your choice out of the Graveyard(not himself but still Dasher isn't a bad card at all). It doesn't have high ATK and DEF, but what it does have is the fact of rubbing the Dasher in your opponents face since he knows that he either destroys it and you get an aditional free summon(since Dasher can recycle his effect by recycling himself) or simply leave it there and watch how you destroy his defences one bit at a time.
Destiny Hero - Malicious
Effect Monster
ATK 800/ DEF 800
By removing from play this card while it's in your Graveyard, select 1 "Destiny Hero - Malicious" from your Deck, and Special Summon it.
Honestly, this is the WORST over-rating of a card I ever saw. 6 stars just because it can summon another one? Sure, it's a Special Summon, but he is removed from play. And since he was limited to 2, this effect can only be used once per duel. So basically now the way to summon Malicious is through his effect since he rarely gets normal summoned. Tribute one monster for a 800 ATK and DEF monster? Why do that when I can summon Jinzo or a Monarch?
But as much as I hate it's over-rating, it is great for Graveyard control. Especially in a Dark Armed Dragon deck. Discard him with Dark Grepher or Destiny Draw and you got your first dark monster and a Special Summon or 2 cards. That is why I keep it in my deck.
I've put a special part of this article towards the 3 unlimited level 8 Destiny Heroes. Why, you might ask? Simple. They can be used as fuel for "Trade-in", and with their power and only 3 "Trade-in"'s allowed due to the obvius max copy limit rule, this should be an easy game if you manage to summon 2 of the 3 following monsters.
Destiny Hero - Plasma
Effect Monster
ATK 1900/ DEF 600
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Tributing 3 monsters you control. Once per turn, select your opponent's monster and equip it to this card. (You can only equip 1 monster at a time to this card.) This card gains ATK equal to half of the ATK of the equipped monster. While this card is face-up on the field, negate all the effect of face-up Effect Monsters your opponent controls.
When you see his points, you would think: WHAT? 3 monsters for a 1900 ATK/600 DEF monster?
Well, you would be partially right, except that:
You can negate your opponent's monster effects(no more Horus, Armed Dragon, Dark Armed Dragon etc)
You can take your opponent's most powerful monster and add half his points to Plasma; plus, you got rid of him since he has to go to the Grave first before being re-summoned.
Doesn't look so bad now, huh? And it's just a Special Summon. Not to mention it's not as selective as Dogma. You can summon 3 tokens(even via "Scapegoat", since this is a Special Summon), then do your Plasma summon, then your normal summon.
Destiny Hero - Dreadmaster
Effect Monster
ATK ?/DEF ?
If this card was Special Summoned by "Clock Tower Prison", destroy all monsters you control (except for "Destiny Hero" monsters), then you can Special Summon up to 2 "Destiny Hero" monsters from your Graveyard. During the turn this card is Special Summoned, "Destiny Hero" monsters you control cannot be destroyed, and you take no Battle Damage when they battle. The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to the combined original ATK of all other "Destiny Hero" monsters you control.
Well, this card isn't that bad. If you could keep your Destiny Heroes, the reward should be now, especially if you have a Dogma face-up on the field. As for the "Clock Tower Prison" related effect, I recommend you don't intentionally destroy it, since it's a valuable protection and can keep your life points safe until you build a field of Destiny heroes big enough to make Dreadmaster a serious threat.
Destiny Hero - Dogma
Effect Monster
ATK 3400/DEF 2400
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Tributing 3 monsters, including at least 1 "Destiny Hero" monster. If this card is Special Summoned, halve your opponent's Life Points during your opponent's next Standby Phase.
This card has got to be one of the most feared heroes. In a Destiny Hero deck, you need 3 monsters (since all are destiny heroes, thus you don't have to worry about the summoning requirement) to SPECIAL SUMMON him. Which means there is room for another summoning. And, if you just barely started the duel, then this card should make a nasty dent in the opponent's life points on their Standby Phase. And with 3400 ATK, this is the Destiny Hero with the highest original ATK in the whole game. That makes it a big fear factor. The only big weakness this card has is that it needs to be on the field during your opponent's Standby Phase to make them lose half their points. So make sure to clear the back row before summoning him.
So this is what I think about the Destiny Heroes. They are great cards in quite a few decks, but, sadly, with the new cards, they will lose their power as a deck. Hopefully, Konami will do something to take these beauties of time manipulators back on top, where they deserve to be.
