It’s time to look at three more hidden gems from Cosmo Blazer!  While Hidden Arsenal 7: Knight of Stars is just around the corner, the set that brought us everything from Fire Fists to new Mermail support is still packed with hidden treasures, and today we’re going to dig deep to find a few more.  First up is, of all things, a Synchro Monster!

Crimson Blader is a Level 8 that you can Synchro Summon with any Tuner and non-Tuners.  If it destroys an opposing monster in battle and sends that monster to the Graveyard, Crimson Blader stops your opponent from Normal or Special Summoning Level 5 or higher monster on their next turn.

When Cosmo Blazer was first released, tournaments were filled with Wind-Ups, Dino Rabbit, Fire Fists, and Mermails.  The only Level 5 or higher monster you were likely to see was Mermail Abyssmegalo, or maybe an Ally of Justice Catastor or Mist Wurm from a Mermail Deck. But things have changed.  All four of those strategies are still important, but Mermails now run lots of stuff like Mermail Abyssteus and Mermail Abyssleed. With 6 or 7 Level 7 monsters, not counting the Extra Deck, that Mermails need to be able to Summon, Crimson Blader delivers in the Mermail matchup.

It can also shut down Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En and Grandmaster of the Six Samurai in Samurai Decks, and it’s a great answer to the high-Level Synchro plays in the new Karakuri/Emergency Teleport Deck.  Crimson Blader has serious potential.

Slacker Magician’s cool because it’s the first Rank 1 Xyz Monster that only needs two Xyz Materials.  Before her release there was just nothing to Xyz Summon with a pair of Level 1’s.  With two protective abilities plus 2100 DEF, she’s really difficult to destroy, but she’s more than just a wall.

Because Slacker Magician is a Spellcaster card that’s tough to get rid of, she’s a great combo with Secret Village of the Spellcasters.  As long as Slacker stays on the field your opponent won’t be able to play Spell Cards, and her defense make it tough to break that lock.

If you’re playing a deck packed with Level 1’s, you can use them to Summon Slacker Magician and then send her to the Graveyard to draw two cards with Wonder Wand.  You can even use Slacker Magician as Spellcaster presence to activate Magical Dimension.  You don’t have to Tribute a Spellcaster for Dimension’s effect: just keep Slacker Magician on the table and Tribute Treeborn Frog over and over.

One of the most flexible cards from Cosmo Blazer isn’t seeing tournament play right now, but in the right Deck it could give you a serious edge.  Dimension Gate is a Continuous Trap, and when you activate it you target and then banish one of your monsters.  If the Gate’s sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon your monster back.  Also, you can send Dimension Gate to the graveyard yourself whenever your opponent makes a direct attack: that brings back your monster to block.

On the surface, Dimension Gate is a powerful card that lets your monsters dodge removal: it lets your monsters escape everything from Bottomless Trap Hole and Torrential Tribute, to the effects of Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear or Atlantean Heavy Infantry.  It can also save them from an attack, too, or protect their effects from Effect Veiler or Fiendish Chain.  Those are all really good ways to play the card, and no matter where you run it, you’ll find yourself making those moves.

On the other hand, certain monsters happen to create slick combos with Dimension Gate.  Banish Fortune Lady Light, and you trigger her effect to Special Summon another Fortune Lady from your Deck.  That can destroy stuff, draw cards, or put a big attacker on the field.  Note that when your monster returns, Dimension Gate actually Special Summons it.  Bring back Elemental HERO Stratos and you can activate its effect to search a HERO from your Deck or destroy a Spell or Trap.  You can reset the effect of Wind-Up Magician; get another search with a Gadget monster; or grab a card with Mermail Abysspike.  Ninja Grandmaster Hanzo loves it.

Whether you’re playing a popular Deck or creating your own new strategy, searching through new cards can bring real benefits.  It’s easy to get caught up in the big, flashy cards that people focus on when a new set hits, but it’s always a good idea to look at everything yourself and see what you might find.