B.E.F. Zelos ββββββββββββββββ When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Boss Rush" from your Deck to your hand. All "B.E.S." monsters and "Big Core" you control gain 500 ATK and DEF, your opponent cannot target them with card effects, also those cards cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects. Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 "B.E.S." monster or "Big Core" from your hand. If a "B.E.S." monster(s) or "Big Core" is Normal or Special Summoned to your field: Place 1 counter on that monster(s) that can be used for its own effect. ββββββββββββββββ Can Be Found In: Maximum Crisis (MACR-JP062)
The B.E.S. (Along "Big Core") is a group of alien spaceships based in the main vilains of the Gradius series. Replicating the gameplay of taking them out by destroying their core, B.E.S. creatures arrive with a series of counters which protects them of most destructive sources. Once they run out of counters they are automatically destroyed, but until then they can become a strong defense as annoys opponents with their sturdy survival mechanics. Together with their respective effects and some useful to shortcut their heavy summons, B.E.S. might not be the strongest build but can prepare a field advantage very hard to take down.
"B.E.F. Zelos" is one of the main headquarters B.E.S. monsters belong to in the videogame franchise, and obviously provides all sorts of benefits to the archetype with its pressence. Just for being acitvated we can search for the Spell "Boss Rush" from our Deck, a card which limits our summoning options yet allow us to replace B.E.S. monsters with others when are destroyed. While active, B.E.S. monsters gain a solid 500 ATK and DEF boost as well protection against targetting and destructive effects, making them even tougher to take down when including their counter mechanics. During each turn "Zelos" will allow us to Special Summon a B.E.S. from our hand, very helpful as the majority of B.E.S. monsters are high Level. Last but more importantly, each time we summon a B.E.S. it will gain a counter for their personal uses, which solves the main issue where most of these monsters only gaining counters when summoned in a specific way. Overall, like many Field Spells, "B.E.F. Zelos" considerably improves and solves many problems the archetype has upon arrival, becoming a highly important card to keep a powerful board with hard to take down B.E.S. under many aspects.
With Β usual searching options such as "Terraforming" and "Planet Pathfinder" ready to obtain "Zelos" as fast as possible, all that will be left is to gain its benefits as soon is activated. First of all is the obtention of the Spell "Boss Rush", which although forbids Normal Summons and Sets will constantly replace defeated B.E.S. with others from our Deck. Although most B.E.S. will arrive without counters this way or by the Special Summon effect of "Zelos" itself, an assured counter will be granted to them so they can survive for a few turns on the least. But with a single counter won't make them more fragile, as together with the stat boost and protection against many card effects many B.E.S. will be severely difficult to defeat. Otherwise we can use the counter to use the effects from the B.E.S. themselves, like "B.E.S. Crytal Core" rearranging battle positions of "B.E.S. Tetran" destroying a Spell or Trap. Both "Zelos" and "Boss Rush" will quickly empty our Deck of B.E.S. to summon against the many threats the opponent will use against us, so don't forget to use "B.E.S. Big Core MK-3" Graveyard effect to recycle all B.E.S. and "Big Core" back to our Deck to keep the cycle.
"B.E.F. Zelos" turns a well known archetype into a very terrifying position to face against. B.E.S. counter mechanics already allowed them to take against stronger enemies and survive, but with "Zelos" pressence as well gaining "Boss Rush" and a free summon each turn will quickly prepare a highly resistant board against all kinds of threats. Nearly any effects won't work against our B.E.S. monsters and "Big Core", a counter is assured regardless how are brought to the field, and with the usual stat boost from many Field Spells creates a powerful combination where the archetype is extremely difficult to have their field cleared out. However, while B.E.S. monsters will become quite annoying to defeat with their benefits along "Boss Rush", "Zelos" itself is clearly their main weakness of this entire setup and will become the main target of most removal effects to immediately disrupt our entire strategy. In resume, with a big arsenal of positive effects going from searching "Boss Rush" to making our B.E.S. stronger under several departments, "B.E.F. Zelos" is a must have to work along this Gradius archetype.
Personal Rating: A+
+ Searches "Boss Rush" when activated + B.E.S. monsters and "Big Core" gain a stat boost and protection against many effects + Allow us to Special Summon a B.E.S. or "Big Core" from our hand each turn + B.E.S. monsters and "Big Core" will gain a counter when Normal or Special Summoned
- Due its several benefits will become the main target of most removal effects
