So the new year has rung in and your mind wonders “what new and thrilling cards have Yu-Gi-Oh got in store for me?” Well, mindful readers, I am here to answer those questions. I’ve chosen to delve into this new set, which is sure to shake up the meta here and there while also bringing back some old favourites into the fray. So, step in–it’s time to take a journey into the Millennia.
This new Yu-Gi-Oh set introduces new card rarities like Collectors Rare and also the elusive Quarter Century Rare, with the only card to have this rarity being Junk Warrior with a mighty fine new alternate art which blew my socks off, so be on the lookout for that!
If you're a big fan of the anime/manga, or are just looking to amp up your deck with some terrifying new cards, this new box set has something everyone wanting to step up their game! With this set being reprint heavy you’ll find some interesting staples whilst the new cards bring in some much needed support for bygone decks.
Bonfire
The first card I want to talk about in Maze Of Millenia is “Bonfire”, quite a simple card with a huge impact. Basically, this card allows you to add any Pyro level 4 or lower monster from your deck to your hand. Having this much ease of use means that this thing will fit into a lot of decks that involve Pyro monsters and may shape the meta in the future.
For instance, a good use of the new spell would be a hybrid deck of Fire Kings and the Snake-Eyes engine. Watch out for the new monster “Snake Eyes Populus” in the upcoming set “Phantom Nightmare” which glues this whole thing together making a symphony of chaos in it’s wake.
The one big problem that this card has at the moment is the pull rate with it being ultra rare and having the price point be so high since it’s a new set, but hopefully that won't be an issue later on in the life span of this card. I just fear that we may have another I:P and S:P situation if the price stays the same.
Flame Swordsman Archetype
What a welcome surprise seeing support from one of Joey's ace cards from the original Yu-Gi-Oh TV series. Flaming Swordsman has come back in a blaze of glory with a couple of new cards to spice up the life of any duelist wanting to fight fire with fire!
With Flame Swordsman getting ten new cards to help him on the battlefield it’s nice to know that the cards of old are getting some new support in the new age of Yu-Gi-Oh, so go ahead and channel your inner Joey.
The plan for playing with these fiery new Yu-Gi-Oh cards seems, in my mind at least (and a couple of the communities), quite old school with a bit of new flare. You’re able to summon Flame Swordsman cards from the extra deck with ease via the new “Flame Swordsrealm” Spell card. The deck has a heavy focus on equip cards which build up your power over multiple turns.
Overall, this is a good entry in the Archetype. Though combining it with the “Infernoble” line of cards will significantly increase the power of the deck and will probably be the route to make it more competitive in today’s meta.
Earthbound Archetype
Finally, the wait is over! With this being a long time in the making, these cards have been talked about since the middle of 2023 but now they’ve finally made their way over to the west. These cards have originated all the way over from Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s with these new monsters in the set being sighted over in Arc V.
These new monsters are able to take advantage of the new spell card “Harmonic Synchro Fusion” which allows you to summon both a Synchro and Fusion monster – only if the monsters used for the special summon can go into both. That’s some crazy stuff.
The Ghoulish Fiends that are included in this set are all about getting those boss monsters out via “Harmonic Synchro Fusion” and making a constant monster machine on the field. Forcing your opponent into a box as they have to make their choices count to fight out of the mess you’ve created.
With nine new cards being added and plenty of reprints of past monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! Maze Of Millennia you're sure to create something ferocious, which I’m sure will annoy the heck out of your opponent.
Additions of Interest
Drastic Draw
Now this card is kinda crazy in the hands of a Cyberse player. It allows you to banish 2 or more of your monsters in exchange for letting you draw 3 cards. But here's the catch: you cannot perform any normal or special summon for the rest of the turn. Now you may be wondering how it would be any good for Cyberse. Well, I left out the one small detail that makes this card great… you can summon Cyberse monsters, meaning that this card has very little downside to it being included in a wide range of Cyberse decks, including Salamangreat.
Transaction Rollback
Transaction Rollback is an interesting card. By paying half your life points it allows you to copy any normal trap in your opponent's graveyard. Better still, it gives another effect in the graveyard by again halving your life points to do the same effect but on your own normal traps in the graveyard (except itself of course).
I, for one, have never seen a card do this kind of effect. To be honest I don’t l know how viable this would be in an actual duel since it’s restrictions on only normal traps. However, this would be a good choice to bring into your side deck to counter your opponent. Seems like a great card to use in trap deck matchups, such as Traptrix and Labyrinth.
Photon Delta Wing
In a good turn of events we now have some fantastic “Galaxy-Eyes” support in the form of this new monster. When a Photon Delta Wing is normal summoned to the field it can summon another one of itself to the field from your hand or deck, which is kinda neat. Unfortunately, it does lock you into only using Light monsters for the rest of the turn but if your whole deck is basically Light there is no worry in using this card.
Another cool little feature it has: as long as there are 2 “Photon Delta Wings” on the field your opponent can’t attack any of your monsters. A good trick to have up your sleeve if you end up being in a bind, so keep a lookout for this one.
Eye of Illusion
The last card I want to talk about is just out of my fondness for the days gone by, when things were much simpler and a turn consisted of placing a normal monster and setting a card. We have Eye of Illusion, a neat card that any Maximillion Pegasus enjoyer will be happy about. Sporting his eye piece, this card gives the user 3 options which fit nicely in a Spellcaster type deck or one that uses the Illusion line of cards.
It’s first effect makes it so that the user can’t lose their spellcaster or illusion type monsters in battle, since this card is a quick play spell it is nice to have this as a back up plan just in case.
The second effect is basically a better version of “Enemy Controller” meaning that this card is able to steal one of your opponent's monsters so long so you control a Spellcaster of Illusion monster on the field.
This card's final effect is quite funny, you can force your opponent to hit themselves right where it hurts. So during the battle phase if your opponent has the unfortunate luck of not knowing what trick lies on the field you can force your enemy to switch targets on any of your monsters to one of their own just as long as they have another monster to switch to of course.
I can already see me running this in a “Dark Magician” deck already so get ready to be dark magic attacked at a turns notice. The only drawback this card has is having to run one or both of the monster types mentioned above but I wouldn't let that stop you from wanting to be just like Atem!
Final Thoughts
It’s nice to see a lot of interesting cards like these get added into the fray and there is more to come since the year has just started. It just makes me wonder what the future of the meta will look like from now on but I know something Nightmarish is on the way so keep your eyes peeled until then!
And remember, you can pick up a couple packs in-store or online today so don’t miss your chance. You never know you might be lucky and pull something extraordinary or even find your new main deck.
Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG: Maze of Millennia Booster Box
£39.99
£69.99
Description Maze of Millennia rings in the New Year with new long-thought-lost cards seen in the TV series, and some of today’s hottest tournament-level cards, coming in January 2024! From the mesmerizing power of Pegasus’ Eye of Illusion to the… read more
