Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā 2 or more (max. 5) Level 4 Warrior-Type monsters During each of your opponent's End Phases: Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card. This card gains effects based on the number of Xyz Materials attached to it. ā 1 or more: Cannot be destroyed by battle. ā 2 or more: Gains 1500 ATK and DEF. ā 3 or more: Unaffected by other card effects. ā 4 or more: Your opponent cannot Normal or Special Summon monsters. ā 5: Once per turn: You can destroy all cards your opponent controls. āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā Can Be Found In: World Superstars (WSUP-EN022)
Xyz Monsters offers an interesting mechanics which allows them to use the materials used as cost for their abilities. While that might avoid certain abuses in the Graveyard when compared to other summons, very often Xyz effects becomes more effective the more materials they carry. Not only they will be able to use their effects for more turns, but some permanent effects will become stronger the more materials we can place in that Xyz Monsters. With effects allowing us to attach cards to Xyz Monsters as well particular Xyz Summons, is easy to achieve Xyz Summons with a big pile of materials ready to use.
"Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad" is an Heroic monster which gains effects by the more materials are gathered on itself. During the opponent's End Phase "Rhongomyniad" will lose a material, so is highly recommended to aim for the most materials possible for its Xyz Summon so we can obtain the more effects upon arrival. With a single material "Rhongomyniad" gains protection towards battles, with two will double its ATK and DEF, for three materials will ignore effects that might affect it, with four the opponent will be unable to Normal or Special Summon, and finally with five materials we will be able to clear the opponent's field. While by the default two materials for the Xyz Summon we can obtain a 3000 ATK, is obviously recommended to invest on its maximum potential so can pretty much shut down the entire opponent's strategy with all five effects.
Obviously achieving five monsters for a single Xyz Summon might seem a rough goal, but fortunately despite "Rhongomyniad" restricted conditions we obtian a big array of Warriors to work along with. Probably the fastest method is to work along Pendulum Monsters to swarm the field with from early to late game, specially the Igknight archetype as they destroy each other to fuel the Extra Deck for a big Pendulum Summon. The Heroic archetype which "Rhongomyniad" belongs to will obviously provide several options to gather several materials with, going from "Heroic Challenger - Thousand Blades" summoning members from the Deck as well reviving itself, to other members like "Heroic Challenger - Double Lance" and "Heroic Challenger - Ambush Soldier" summoning other Heroics from our hand or Graveyard. Warriors are very well known for their support arround Level 4 monsters so is not that difficult for "Rhongomyniad" achieve its highest potential in all sorts of themes and archetypes, with builds arround Tellarknight of Six Samurai having no difficulties to gather their members together, as well support coming from cards like "Goblindbergh" and "Photon Thrasher" adding further options to Xyz Summon with. If in late game we're short on options we can go towards "Soul Charge", letting us revive several Warriors at once for an immediate setup arround "Rhongomyniad".
The more we invest on the arrival of "Rhongomyniad" the more devastating will become for the opponent to confront the Xyz Monster. Using only two materials is already an effective Rank 4 as thanks to its stat boost easily becomes one of the strongest Xyz Monsters of its kind, but soon enough will become easy to take down as once the opponent's turn ends will lose a material and thus its 3000 ATK and DEF. By default we should atleast aim for three or four materials, as "Rhongomyniad" will become nearly impossible to take down by effects (Including our own) and/or restrict the entire opponent's Deck from summons besides Setting monsters. At five materials "Rhongomyniad" can pretty much win Duels, as by destroying the entire opponent's field combined with all its restrictive effects will either assure us victory or leave the opponent almost impossible to recover despite "Rhongomyniad" losing its removal effect next turn. Keep on mind that although "Rhongomyniad" constantly loses materials we are able to keep stacking cards to keep it at its peak, with either "Overlay Regen" attaching itself upon activation or "Overlay Capture" stealing materials from another Xyz Monster.
Despite its expensive summon, "Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad" can easily dominate Duels if we can achieve its maximum potential. And that's not difficult task, as with Warriors having a big array of summoning options going from archetypes to Pendulum Summon "Rhongomyniad" can fit in all kinds of Decks and still able to achieve all its effects in no time. Is a Xyz Monster that requires a big investment to obtain all its abilities and assure we can keep atleast four of its five effects active to shut down the opponent's Deck, but if we're running out of materials summoning a 3000 ATK for cheap is still a valuable option despite only lasting a pair of turns. "Rhongomyniad" might be a tough Xyz Summon, but with all the abilities it offers as well the mass support arround Warriors is very easy to create a build to unleash all its potential in no time.
Personal Rating: A
+ Obtains effects the more materials are attached + Corners the opponent with protective effects, shutting down summons, and/or destroying their field + One of the strongest Rank 4 Monsters even if is brought with few materials + Highly supported to achieve its maximum potential
- Loses a material and therefore an effect on each opponent's End Phase - Might need its own Deck to achieve its maximum potential
