Yu-Gi-Oh Card Review: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon

Next up for review is the Cover card of the next set, Photon Shockwave. Its been a long time since the cover card was not between the numbers 40-50 in the set (I believe the last time this happened was Rainbow dragon, or maybe Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault mode). It's evident that Konami have some crazy obsession with dragons, because so many cover cards thus far have been dragons, as well as boss synchro monsters and other cards.

Anyway, today I'm reviewing Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.

The ghost rare art is so freakin' sexy!

This is Kaito's ace monster in the Anime (If you dare to watch it). It hits the field at 3000 attack and 2500 defence. With those stats, it's assumed that he is going to be Yuma's rival for the rest of the anime (Like Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician). He is part of the Photon archetype, which I have mentioned a few times in my previous card reviews. Anyway, here's the effect:

You can Tribute 2 monsters with more than 2000 attack to special summon this card (From your hand). When this card battles, during the damage step, you can remove from play Galaxy-eyes and the monster it's battling. When the battle phase ends, return both monsters to the field. If your opponent's banished monster was an Xyz monster, this card gains 500 attack for every Xyz material that Xyz monster had when it was banished.

That's quite a lot of effect right there. Definitely one of the weirdest effect's I've seen in a long time. Like all good boss monsters, it's got a built in special summon condition that does not need to be filled in order to get it onto the field. But it does require 2 monsters and they both have to be 2000 attack or more. There are very few level 4 or below monsters that come onto the field with 2000 or more attack, so unless you're running Koa'ki Meiru's, you will have to use level 5 or above, which means you will have to tribute summon monsters, which is rarely ever a good thing to do anymore (unless its for a monarch). Therefore, the best cards to use as fodder are easy to summon cards like Cyber dragon, or cards that can gain attack by their effects, like Wind-up Soldier.

Once your preferred summoning method is sorted out, you can easily summon it when you need to. Now, it's effect, I admit, is really not very good. With the way the game is, this card can be stopped so many times even before you get to enter the battle phase (Bottomless, Solemn warning, torrential etc.. etc.. etc..). However if you do manage to get into battle without being stopped (Say, by using MST on all of the back rows before summoning this card) you can banish problems that are in the way, allowing your other monsters to attack through. You can attack the Legendary Jujitsu Master that is sitting there on your opponent's field and remove them before it's effect activates. But it's best used against Xyz monsters so that you can remove their Xyz materials. That makes Leviathan dragon a 2000 sitting duck or Leviair the sea dragon completely useless. But with 3000 attack, wouldn't you prefer to just attack over their monster anyway? sure you can gain up to 1500 attack with it's effect (If the Xyz monster had 3 materials), but how many cards in this game can get over 3000 attack? At least you do not have to worry about Honest if you use it's effect.

Anyway, in conclusion, this card is really nothing to rave about. It's got a lackluster effect, and it's just food for the younger player base who watch the anime and wants to play Photons. There are other, easier to summon 3000 beatsticks with much more potent effects, like the ridiculously broken Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning.

It's price? Well I can imagine many people getting very annoyed if they pull this card from a pack, so it wont be any higher than around $5. The Ghost rare might be around $10, only because that rarity is sought after by collectors, and it actually looks really good.