Konami has revealed five new “Salamangreat” cards, and they are built to make the deck faster and harder to interrupt. The new support, revealed on the official Yu-Gi-Oh! site, includes a new Link-3 boss monster, two effect monsters, a field spell, and an Equip Spell. The cards are part of the IMPH-JP set.
The headline is a new Link-3 monster that counts as “Salamangreat Heatleo” at all times. That trait unlocks the archetype’s existing combos, since Heatleo is a familiar name in “Salamangreat” strategies.
King of Beasts, the New Boss Monster
The centerpiece is IMPH-JP048, The King of Beasts that Rises from the Valley of Flames. It is a Link-3 Fire Cyberse monster with 2300 ATK, requiring three Fire Effect Monsters as material. Its first effect is a constant one: all face-up monsters on the field become Fire. That makes the opponent’s monsters vulnerable to any effects that target Fire monsters, and it ensures your own monsters are always the right attribute.
Its second effect is the real draw. During the Main Phase, if this card was Link Summoned using “Salamangreat Heatleo,” you can activate it as a Quick Effect. You target one card your opponent controls and shuffle it into the Deck. Then you can make the ATK of one Fire monster your opponent controls become the ATK of one monster in your GY. The shuffle is removal that does not destroy, which means it gets around most protection effects that stop destruction.
Because the card is always treated as “Salamangreat Heatleo,” you can use it as material for a higher Link Summon that requires Heatleo. The new Link-3 also works with the archetype’s field spell, which lets you reuse a Link Monster with the same name as the entire material for a new Link Summon.
Markhor Searches Spells and Traps
The first of the two new main deck monsters is IMPH-JP013, Salamangreat Markhor. It is a Level 4 Fire Cyberse monster with 300 ATK and 2100 DEF. Its first effect triggers on Normal or Special Summon. You add one “Salamangreat” Spell or Trap from your Deck or GY to your hand. That is a search that works on either summon, and it can grab a spell from the graveyard, giving the deck a way to recover resources.
The second effect triggers when the card is sent to the GY as material for the Link Summon of a Link-3 or higher Fire monster. When that happens, you Special Summon one Fire Cyberse monster from your Deck. That is a free body from the Deck, and it does not have to be a “Salamangreat” monster. That opens the door to other Fire Cyberse extenders.
The restriction is that you cannot Special Summon the turn you activate either effect, except Fire monsters. That is a real cost, but it is not a heavy one for a deck that is already all-in on Fire.
Markhor is a one-card starter in many lines. Normal Summon it, search a Spell, then use it as material for a Link-3. The second effect then summons a monster from the Deck, giving you two bodies from one card.
Bastella Sets Traps From the Deck
The second main deck monster is IMPH-JP014, Salamangreat Bastella. It is a Level 3 Fire Cyberse Tuner with 1600 ATK and 1000 DEF. Its first effect is a Special Summon from the hand. You can do this if you control no monsters, or if all monsters you control are “Salamangreat” monsters. Then you can increase or decrease the Level of one monster on the field by 1.
The second effect is the standout. If you Link Summon a Link-3 or higher Fire monster while this card is in your GY, you can banish it to Set one “Salamangreat” Trap directly from your Deck. That is a Trap from the Deck, which is a huge advantage. You just Link Summon, and the Trap is live on the field, ready to activate on your opponent’s turn.
Bastella is a Tuner, which gives the deck access to plays that were previously awkward. The Level change effect can turn a Level 3 into a Level 4, or a Level 4 into a Level 3.
Shrine, the Field Spell
IMPH-JP062, Salamangreat Shrine, is a Field Spell that is always treated as “Salamangreat Sanctuary.” That means it works with any card that references the original field spell. Its first effect lets you use one “Salamangreat” Link Monster you control with the same name as the entire material for a Link Summon. That is a massive efficiency boost.
The second effect is protection. “Salamangreat” monsters you control are unaffected by your opponent’s activated Fire monsters’ effects. That is a blanket immunity against a specific attribute and a specific activation condition. It stacks with the new boss monster’s effect that makes all monsters Fire, meaning your monsters are protected from your opponent’s activated monster effects.
The third effect is a hand filter. During your Main Phase, you can shuffle any number of “Salamangreat” cards from your hand into the Deck, then draw the same number of cards. That is a way to trade dead cards for fresh ones.
Gearblade, the Equip Spell
IMPH-JP063, Salamangreat Gearblade, is an Equip Spell with three separate effects, each usable once per turn. The first effect Special Summons one “Salamangreat” monster from your hand or GY, and equips this card to it. That is a revival effect that puts a monster on the field with the Equip attached.
The second effect sends one “Salamangreat” monster from your Deck to the GY. If you do, the equipped monster gains ATK equal to the sent monster’s Level multiplied by 300. The mill also fills the GY with resources for other effects, like Bastella’s Trap-setting requirement.
The third effect is recursion. If this card is in your GY, you can shuffle three “Salamangreat” cards from your GY into the Deck, except Equip Spells, and if you do, add this card to your hand. That is a way to recycle your resources and get the Equip back for another use.
The Reprint
IMPH-JPS14 is a reprint of Cynet Mining with alternative artwork. The reprint gives players a chance to pick up the card with new art.
- IMPH-JP013 Salamangreat Markhor: Searches a Spell/Trap, summons from Deck as Link material
- IMPH-JP014 Salamangreat Bastella: Self-Special Summons, sets a Trap from Deck
- IMPH-JP048 The King of Beasts that Rises from the Valley of Flames: Always treated as Heatleo, shuffles opponent cards
- IMPH-JP062 Salamangreat Shrine: Always treated as Sanctuary, recycles and protects
- IMPH-JP063 Salamangreat Gearblade: Revives, mills, and boosts ATK
How the Pieces Fit Together
The new cards are designed to work as a unit. Markhor searches the field spell or an Equip. Bastella sets a Trap. The new Link-3 acts as a Heatleo replacement and a removal tool. The field spell makes Link climbing cheaper. The Equip brings monsters back and pumps them.
A typical line starts with Markhor. Normal Summon it, search the field spell or Gearblade. Use Markhor directly as material for the new Link-3, along with one other monster. Markhor’s second effect triggers because it was sent to the GY as material for a Link-3 or higher Fire monster’s summon, and it summons a Fire Cyberse from the Deck. Bastella can then be summoned from hand, and its effect sets a Trap from the Deck when you Link Summon.
For Bastella’s Trap-setting effect to work, it must be in the GY when you Link Summon a Link-3 or higher Fire monster. So the line needs to get Bastella into the GY first — either by using it as Link material, sending it with Gearblade’s mill, or discarding it. Once it is there, the Link Summon triggers its banish effect, and the Trap is Set from the Deck.
The protection from the field spell, combined with the Trap set from the Deck, gives the deck a strong turn-one board. The opponent has to deal with a monster that is unaffected by their activated Fire monster effects, a Trap that can disrupt their plays, and the threat of the Link-3’s quick effect on their turn.
The new support is a significant upgrade. The deck gains a searchable Trap, a searchable Spell, a boss monster with removal that does not destroy, and a field spell that makes Link climbing cheaper. The reprint of Cynet Mining is a bonus for the broader Cyberse strategy.
The new “Salamangreat” cards are powerful, and they are clearly designed to put the deck back in the competitive conversation. The combination of search, recursion, and protection gives the archetype a complete game plan. The Fire lock on Markhor is a limitation, but it is one the deck can live with.
“Salamangreat” players have new tools, and the deck looks ready to run hot again.
Source: ygorganization.com
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