Today, we celebrate the release of Number Hunters with the incredibly powerful Rank 7 Number Monster, Number 74: Master of Blades!

There’s nothing subtle about the strength of Number 74: Master of Blades. Master of Blades is a Rank 7 monster with 2700 ATK; the ability to protect itself from effects; and the power to destroy your opponent’s cards. Now that Rank 7 monsters are easy to Summon, and those most popular are vulnerable to Number 74: Master of Blades, Master of Blades is certain to find its place in Extra Decks.

Number 74: Master of Blades can be Xyz Summoned by combining just 2 Level 7 monsters. It has 3 particular qualities that put it a cut above many other Rank 7 monsters!

1.) Master of Blades has 2700 ATK.

First off, notice that Number 74: Master of Blades has 2700 ATK. Two of the most popular Rank 7 Xyz monsters, Number 11: Big Eye and Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack, only have 2600 ATK. That means Master of Blades can beat them in battle. But Attack Points aren’t the only area in which Master of Blades excels over these 2 monsters.

2.) Master of Blades can negate the activation of cards and effects that target it. Then it can destroy the card that targets it, along with another of an opponent’s cards.

Master of Blades’s effect is really what makes it shine. Whenever it’s targeted by any card or effect, by giving up an Xyz Material attached to Master of Blades, you can negate the activation of that card or effect, and destroy that card. In addition, Master of Blades will be able to retaliate by destroying an additional card that your opponent’s controls. That’ll make your opponent think twice before targeting your Master of Blades at all!

Number 74: Master of Blades counters some of the most popular cards used in tournaments. While you have an Xyz Material attached to it, your opponent won’t want to use the effect of Number 11: Big Eye to try to take control of it, or the effect of Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack to target it for destruction. In addition, Number 74: Master of Blades can negate and destroy popular Spell and Trap Cards like Dimensional Prison and Book of Moon.

Note that you can use Master of Blades’s effect to negate the activation of your own card that targets it, too. That’ll give you a quick and easy way to use Master of Blades to destroy an opponent’s card. If you have your own copy of Book of Moon, but would rather destroy an opponent’s card than turn a monster face-down, just target your own Master of Blades with your Book of Moon and then activate your Master of Blades’s effect to negate the activation of Book of Moon and destroy an opponent’s card.

3.) Master of Blades is a Rank 7 monster, which means it’s easy for lots of popular Decks to Summon.

Any Decks that Summon Number 11: Big Eye or Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack can also Summon Number 74: Master of Blades, since all 3 of these Xyz Monsters are the product of 2 Level 7 monsters. If you’ve got a source of Level 7 monsters in your Deck, you will want to include Number 74: Master of Blades in your Extra Deck as Rank 7 option to trump the targeting effects of the others should your opponent Summon them.

Number 74: Master of Blades is an awesome card with abilities unparalleled by any other Rank 7 monster. Expect to see it in lots of Duelists’ Extra Decks starting today, with the release of Number Hunters!