Rank 7 Xyz Monsters continue to be extremely popular, and with good reason. They’re easy to Summon in Decks like Mermails and Dragon Rulers, and they’re incredibly powerful. Number 11: Big Eye, which can take control of an opponent’s monster, and Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack, which can destroy an opponent’s cards, are two of the most commonly Summoned Rank 7 monsters. Number 74: Master of Blades, which is sometimes even more powerful, is rapidly gaining popularity.

Number 74: Master of Blades has 2700 ATK and can negate the activation of any card or effect that targets it. When it does, Master of Blades also destroys that negated card and then can destroy any other card on the field.

That means Number 74: Master of Blades can effectively neutralize an opponent’s Number 11: Big Eye or Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack. Not only does it have more ATK than each of them, but it can also stop their effects when they’re used against Master of Blades. But that’s not all that Master of Blades can stop. Lots of newly popularized cards are vulnerable to Master of Blades’seffect.

Fire Hand, for example, has recently seen a surge in popularity. When Fire Hand is destroyed by an opponent’s card, it targets and destroys a monster. Then, it Special Summons Ice Hand from the Deck. Since Number 74: Master of Blades can negate any effect that targets it, Master of Blades can negate the activation of Fire Hand’s effect when that effect is used against it.

Number 74: Master of Blades can also protect itself from the effect of Number 101: Silent Honor ARK. If an opponent tries to take your Master of Blades with Silent Honor ARK’s effect, you can detach an Xyz Material from Master of Blades to negate the activation of Silent Honor ARK’s effect and destroy a card on the field.

In addition, Number 74: Master of Blades stops tons of classic cards that target face-up monsters. Book of Moon, Dimensional Prison, Caius the Shadow Monarch, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, Fiendish Chain, Forbidden Lance, and Compulsory Evacuation Device are just a few of the commonly used cards that are powerless against Master of Blades. Master of Blades can also negate the activations of lots of theme-specific effects that target it, including the effects of Bujingi Quilin, Atlantean Heavy Infantry, Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear, and the second effect of Artifact Sanctum, should you be unfortunate enough to destroy one.

As different cards rise and fall in popularity, the utility of other cards often changes. Number 74: Master of Blades can stop a plethora of currently popular cards. That makes it a powerful card in the upcoming World Championship Qualifiers!