![COLUMN](/digimon_liberator/images/column/title.png?v2)
TIPS 03
Battle Coverage [1] VS. Ice Knight
This battle introduces a new breeze into the world of the Digimon Card Game, featuring Shoto Kazama's Bird Beatdown deck against the Emerald Coast’s rogue NPC's Ice Clad deck, which significantly restricts the opponent's actions.
Shoto's Bird Beatdown deck, capable of aggressive attacks with the powerful ST18 Zephagamon, faces significant challenges. Despite the deck's potential, Shoto is a beginner and carries the considerable handicap of never having used the cards of Pteromon and others before.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_01.jpg?v2)
On the other hand, the NPC's Ice Clad deck has a strong suppressive ability that not only stunts Digimon by trashing their digivolution cards but also possesses a new effect called "Ice Clad" that ensures it doesn't lose in battles. Furthermore, the NPC's level is set high.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_02.jpg?v2)
In this high-stakes game, Shoto faced immense challenges on his path to victory. Let's take a closer look at how the match unfolded.
Firstly, this battle wasn't just any match— it was a scenario battle where Shoto had to adapt to atypical situations compared to a regular game.
As Bulucomon had just broken one of Shoto's security shields, Pteromon made a sudden entrance. This effectively resets the battle situation.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_03.jpg?v2)
As a result, despite it being only the first turn, the playing field looks dire for Shoto. The NPC's side had 3 security cards while SnowAgumon and Paledramon occupied the battle area, with Bulucomon in the breeding area. The game resumes with the memory passing to Shoto.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_04.jpg?v2)
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_05.jpg?v2)
Here is the playing field situation for Shoto and the NPC.
As you can see, Shoto's side of the playing field is devoid of any Digimon. At this rate, he risks being quickly overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Shoto's game begins under these desperate conditions at the start of his first turn, with 3 memory available to him. His goal for this turn is to delete at least 1 Digimon from the NPC's battle area.
His deck is capable of fulfilling this goal.
By spending 3 memory, the newly added Pteromon is played. Pteromon's on play effect allows Shoto to reveal the top 3 cards of his deck and add 1 card among them to his hand. Next, Shoto digivolves Fluffymon into Muchomon in his breeding area for 0 memory, drawing 1 Galemon card as his digivolution bonus draw — a card that Shoto desperately needs to have in play.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_06.jpg?v2)
Shoto digivolves Pteromon into Galemon, shifting the memory to 2 on the NPC's side. At the end of his turn, the effect "Vortex" activates.
This effect, which allows the newly played Digimon to attack another Digimon, enables Galemon to engage in battle with Paledramon and delete it. Including Muchomon, who he is raising in the breeding area, Shoto successfully turned around his numerical disadvantage.
Shoto's battle area at the end of turn 1
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_07.jpg?v2)
However, the opponent is a high-level NPC. It is still too early to rejoice.
It is now the NPC's second turn. The memory at the start of their turn is 2.
SnowAgumon, which is in the NPC’s battle area, charges at Shoto's security card. The result of the security battle was SnowAgumon's victory. This means that Shoto now has only 3 security cards left.
Following a strategic digivolution from Bulucomon to Paledramon, and then to CrysPaledramon, the NPC silently announces the advent of a level 6 Mega Digimon.
Caught in the rapidly shifting circumstances, Shoto makes a critical error.
Distracted by the arrival of a level 6 Digimon, he overlooks CrysPaledramon's troublesome ability—
"Ice Clad." This effect judges the battle outcome by comparing the number of digivolutions cards instead of DP, setting Shoto up for a dire situation in the next turn.
Facing his second turn with 3 memory,
Shoto advances Muchomon from the breeding area to the battle area and digivolves his battle area Galemon into GrandGalemon. When digivolving, an effect activates that allows Shoto to suspend Muchomon, allowing another Muchomon to be played from his hand.
With Muchomon's effect, GrandGalemon's DP rises to 14000. He then launches an attack on the security stack with GrandGalemon, a force no Digimon in the NPC's deck can withstand, reducing the NPC's number of security cards to 2.
Next, the newly played Muchomon digivolves into Galemon, and the effect "Vortex" activates once more. This time, Galemon attacks the remaining SnowAgumon in the battle area.
Due to Muchomon's "Piercing" effect, the NPC's security card is checked. Shoto has successfully reduced the NPC's security stack to 1 card.
Shoto's battle area at the end of turn 2
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_08.jpg?v2)
NPC's third turn. It has 2 memory.
Emerging from the breeding area, CrysPaledramon immediately attacks GrandGalemon. Utilizing the "When Attacking" inherited effects of both Paledramon and Bulucomon, as a result, GrandGalemon's top 2 digivolution cards are trashed.
Under normal circumstances, this battle would result in both Digimon being deleted. However, CrysPaledramon's "Ice Clad" effect comes into play, capturing GrandGalemon in its icy grip.
As a result, CrysPaledramon easily defeats GrandGalemon.
Shoto is shocked by the unexpected ability. Compounding his despair, the NPC digivolves CrysPaledramon into the level 6 Hexeblaumon, escalating the threat even further.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/EX7-023.png?v2)
An Ice-Snow Magic Knight had manifested, with an effect that prevents Shoto's Digimon with as many or fewer digivolution cards as Hexeblaumon from suspending.
NPC's battle area at the end of turn 3
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_09.jpg?v2)
Now, it is Shoto's third turn. He has 2 memory.
During this turn, the Digimon in Shoto's battle area are unable to suspend due to Hexeblaumon's effect.
This effect that prevents Digimon from suspending is a formidable power. Particularly for green Digimon, who typically rely on battling or suspending themselves to activate their own effects, it makes Hexeblaumon a natural predator to them.
Although he has 2 Digimon in the battle area, including Galemon, no matter how much Shoto digivolves them, Hexeblaumon's ability to trash digivolution cards stops him dead in his tracks.
For this turn, Shoto's only option was to digivolve the Digimon in his breeding area up to level 5 and hope to draw a game-changing card in the next turn.
It is now the NPC's fourth turn. With 3 memory, the NPC will use this opportunity to strike while Shoto is vulnerable.
Hexeblaumon, boasting two "Security Attack +1" effects, including one from its digivolution cards, launches an assault on Shoto's security stack. Although Shoto's Tamer card, ST18-14 Shoto Kazama, is played from his security stack, it was not enough to stop Hexeblaumon, reducing Shoto's security stack to 0.
Following this, the NPC continued to raise a level 3 Digimon in the breeding area, and, as a finishing move, used the Option card Summon Frost, which brought in Sorcermon, equipped with the "Blocker" effect.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/EX7-067.png?v2)
This meant that in Shoto's next turn, he needed to break through the Blocker and the 1 remaining security card with a Digimon that had more digivolution cards than Hexeblaumon to snatch victory.
And then came Shoto's final turn. With 3 memory, Shoto is finally able to draw the card to turn the tide of battle. That card was "Zephagamon."
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/ST18-12.png?v2)
When a Digimon unsuspends, the Magic Knight-Vortex Warrior becomes unaffected by the effects of the opponent's Digimon, thanks to the Wind Guardian. This will allow him to break through Hexeblaumon's icy barrier.
With all the pieces for a turnaround in place,
Shoto digivolved the GrandGalemon he had just moved into the battle area into Zephagamon.
Socermon’s [On Play] effect unsuspends Hexeblaumon which is then suspended by the [When Digivolving] effect and then unsuspended again.
Since a Digimon became unsuspended, Zephagamon becomes unaffected by the effects of the opponent's Digimon, and its DP increases.
Now, Hexeblaumon's icy barrier can be breached.
Zephagamon then launches an attack on the security stack. Fluffymon’s [When Attacking] effect is used to suspend the <Blocker>, Sorcermon.
After that it became a battle against the Hexeblaumon lurking in the security, but this was not enough to stop Zephagamon, which had reached DP18000 due to its digivolution cards and own effects. This reduced the NPC's security stack to zero.
Then, Shoto decisively used the Option card, Anemoi Embrace.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/ST18-15.png?v2)
He suspends Hexeblaumon with this Option card, allowing for Zephagamon to rise once again, shifting the NPC's memory to 5.
But, after this, the turn would not return to the opponent!
At the end of the turn, Zephagamon's effect, "Vortex," activates. Shoto launches an attack on the suspended Hexeblaumon.
Shoto's battle area at the end of turn 4
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_10.jpg?v2)
At this point, the effect of the Tamer card Shoto Kazama, which was played from the security stack earlier, was activated.
Shoto Kazama has an effect that synergizes perfectly with Vortex. This effect allows Shoto to change the target of an attack, and Zephagamon's attack was redirected from Hexeblaumon to a direct attack on the NPC.
![IMAGE](../../../images/column/tips03/en/img_11.jpg?v2)
Despite starting from an overwhelming disadvantage, guided by Pteromon and fighting tenaciously to the end, Shoto achieved a stunning comeback victory.