There are more than forty Rares in Battle Pack 2: War of the Giants, but some of the best cards in the set are Commons!  When you open your packs and start looking over your cards, the Rares always stand out.  But there are tons of game-breaking Commons that might be a bit tougher to spot, especially in your first few games.  To help you out, we’re going to look at some of the best Commons in Battle Pack 2.  Today we’ll look at the mightiest monster cards, and later this week we’ll see some standout Spells and Traps!

There are forty different Spell Cards in Battle Pack 2, but only twelve of them are Equips.  Cards that can boost ATK are a huge part of sealed Dueling, and Equip Spells are some of the best.  Unlike Normal Spells, Quick-Plays, and most Traps, Equips stick around turn after turn, helping you control the Duel.  ATK-boosting Equips are great with any decent attacker.

But some monsters are especially good with Equips.  Maha Vailo starts with 1550 ATK, but gains 500 ATK for every Equip Spell you attach to it.  That means just one Equip like Axe of Despair or Malevolent Nuzzler could let you take down Level 7’s and Level 8’s.  Give Maha Vailo two Equips, and suddenly it’s a big threat to your opponent’s Life Points!  It’s a fast card that comes out of nowhere and changes the Duel instantly.

Evocator Chevalier is one of the few removal cards in Battle Pack 2. It starts off with 1900 ATK, and once you Normal Summon it a second time its effect lets you trade an Equip Spell you control to destroy any opposing card.  With the right Equip to boost its attack points, it can best all sorts of monsters in battle.  But whatever it can’t attack over, you can demolish with its ability.  The longer you protect Chevalier, the more you’ll control the Duel.

As a note, these cards also work with Traps and monsters that become Equip Cards as well, so you can combo them with cards like  Spikeshield with Chain, Metalmorph, or the Vylons.

You can Special Summon these three monsters straight from your hand.  Bring out Cyber Dragon with its 2100 ATK when your opponent controls a monster and you don’t.  Oracle of the Sun is similar, but instead of big attack points it’s got 2000 DEF.  Solar Wind Jammer loses its high DEF when it’s Special Summoned , but you can bring it out even when your opponent doesn’t have a monster.

All three cards help you make Tribute Summons: combo them with another Special Summon to unleash a high-Level monster, or protect them for a turn to build towards a bigger play.  Since they’re all Commons you’ll see them pretty frequently.

These three cards help you make Tribute Summons too, but in a different way.  While Cyber Dragon and its buddies go straight from your hand to the field, you Special Summon Treeborn Frog and Flame Tiger from your Graveyard.  Dandylion goes one step further, Special Summoning two Fluff Tokens when it hits the yard.

You can Summon or Set any of these cards, then head into your next turn with valuable Tribute Fodder, but there are other ways to use these monsters.  My favorite is to make combos with other cards that send them straight to the Graveyard – it’s faster than Setting a monster and waiting around.  You can discard them for Power Giant or The Tricky to make several Special Summons at once.  You can even wait for your opponent to attack you; Special Summon Gagaga Gardna; and then defend it by discarding any of these powerful Commons.  Next turn you’ll have everything you need to Summon a big Tribute monster.

There are more strong Commons that strike back from the Graveyard.  Bacon Saver and Necro Gardna protect you from a key attack, keeping you in the Duel and helping you make Tribute Summons.  Amarylease is a little different: when you banish it, Amarylease takes the place of your next Tribute.  You can buy some time by setting any of these monsters to block an attack, or combo them with Power Giant, Tricky, and Gagaga Gardna to speed things up.

Finally, these monsters do a great job of protecting your Life Points while setting up a quick Tribute Summon!  Battle Fader stops the Battle Phase, then acts as Tribute next turn.  Tanngisnir of the Nordic Beasts Special Summons two Nordic Beast Tokens when it’s destroyed by Battle, and Mecha Phantom Beast Hamstrat Summons two Tokens when it’s flipped face-up.  Defend Hamstrat for a turn and you can Flip Summon it to put a whopping three monsters on the field.  That’s enough to Summon any of the Egyptian God Cards, or to devastate the field with Beast King Barbaros.

Some of the best monsters in Battle Pack 2: War of the Giants are Commons that you might not notice when you first play sealed.  Now that you’re up to speed you can really put your cards to work.  But we’re not done yet!  Join us again later this week and we’ll look at some game-changing Spells and Traps.  Sealed Play is all about knowing your options!