Dragard

Dragard ———————————————— When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Normal Monster with 1000 or less ATK in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Defense Position. Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 Dragon-Type monster, then target 1 face-up monster you control; until the End Phase, its Level becomes 8, and if it does, it gains 800 ATK. ———————————————— Can Be Found In: Shadow Specters (SHSP-EN092)

Almost every theme has some way to take advantage of the Graveyard, including does arround banishing tactics. Since the card game debuted players always aimed for shortcuts to quickly summon their monsters by dumping resources in the Graveyard, and as years passed this trend went from staple cards to entire builds arround that premise. While is not highly necessary to have a full focus in the Graveyard, is useful to have atleast a few cards ready to revive either our strongest monsters or materials for a quick setup arround them.

"Dragard" is one of many monsters that alone can help us with all sorts of bigger summons. When Normal Summoned, "Dragard" will revive a Normal Monster with 1000 or below ATK from our Graveyard into face-up Defense Position. That alone is more than enough to setup various Extra Deck summons, but "Dragard" provides further assistance by tributing a Dragon (Can be itself) so a monster of ours turns its Level to 8 and gains 800 ATK until the turn ends. This ability might be useful to outmatch some enemies or setup some expensive summons, but in most circumstances its ability to revive Normal Monsters will suffice to most likely become a stronger tool to summon bigger monsters compared to many other cards with a similar ability.

While has solid Special Summon options on its own, "Dragard" is that kind of monster to better keep at hand ready for its own Normal Summon. That will reduce its support options to searching effects such as "Sangan" or "Creeping Darkness", but on the bright side give us more Deck space to setup its revival effect. Since involves Normal Monsters there are plenty of ways to gather monsters to summon with "Dragard", ranging from "Dragon Shrine" milling our Deck to "Obedience Schooled" swarming the field with materials to bring back in later turns.

Since "Dragard" only asks for 1000 ATK and below on its targets there are plenty of candidates to revive no matter the theme of our Deck, ranging from small monsters like the Ojamas to high Level creatures such as "Hieratic Seal of the Sun Dragon Overlord". While most of them can suffice for a Link Summon others will further expand our Extra Deck options, like a Level 4 target to Xyz Summon together or reviving "Labradorite Dragon" to Synchro Summon a Level 10 monster. Among its many targets it also includes Gemini Monsters, as since are treated as Normal Monsters in the Graveyard "Dragard" can become of great assistance during their slower turns. Let's not forget about "Dragard" ability to change Level and increase ATK, as although not as simple as its revival effect thanks to working arround Normal Monsters it obtain further assistance from cards like "Swing of Memories" or "Silver's Cry" to gather further monsters in our Graveyard and prepare expensive summons like Rank 8 Xyz Monsters.

While "Dragard" is not that different to many other monsters having a staple position in different Decks nowadays, it has a lot of liberties in comparison thanks to working along Normal Monsters. From Gemini Monsters to big targets like "Labradorite Dragon", "Dragard"can prepare all sorts of Extra Deck summons on its own as soon we have some monsters in the Graveyard to play with. This ability clearly overshadows its second effect and is obvious why, as while its first effect can go arround most Extra Deck summons by a single Normal Summon, manipulating the Level and ATK of a target requires additional steps when we could aim for one of many monsters "Dragard" alone can easily summon upon arrival. Overall, while might require some investment of the Deck itself to prepare the right candidates, "Dragard" it a flexible material to quickly setup nearly every type of Extra Deck summon out there.

Personal Rating: A

+ Revives a 1000 ATK or less Normal Monster when Normal Summoned + Tributes a Dragon to change a target's Level and increase their ATK + All sorts of targets to summon by its effect including "Labradorite Dragon" and Gemini Monsters + Very flexible to setup most Extra Deck summons

Monsters (23)

3x Labrodorite Dragon

1x Divine Dragon Ragnarok

1x Flamvell Guard

1x Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning

3x Hieratic Dragon of Nuit

3x Dragard

3x Performage Hat Tricker

3x Keeper of the Shrine

3x Carboneddon

1x King of the Swamp

1x Glow up Bulb

Spells (12)

1x One for One

1x Raigieki

2x Polymerization

1x Cards of Consonance

1x Dragon Shrine

1x Soul Charge

1x Dragon’s Mirror

1x Dark World Dealings

1x Foolish Burial

2x Mystical Space Typhoon

Traps (5)

1x Compulsory Evacuation Device

1x Blast with Chain

2x Fiendish Chain

1x Solemn Warning

Extra Deck

Five-Headed Dragon

First of the Dragon

King Dragun

Dragocytus Corrupted Nethersoul Dragon

Leo, The Keeper of the Sacred Tree

Trident Dragon

Giganticastle

Armades, Keeper of the Shrine

Naturia Beast

Ally of Justice Catastor

Underworld Fighter Balmug

Number 101: Silent Honor Ark

Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer

Evilswarm Exciton Knight

Mechquipped Angineer

Themes

Using Dragard to Target Labradorite, then synchro summon Lv10 synchros!

Using Carboneddon to get Labrodorite to field from deck or hand!

Targeting Nuit with Traps to chain the special summon of Labrodorite Dragon.

Have fun!