Astral Barrier RDS-EN059

Card Name: Astral Barrier
Card Number: RDS-EN059
Card Type: Trap

Card Text:

If your opponent's attacks a monster on your side of the field, you can make the attack a direct attack to you Life Points.

At first glace Astral Barrier seems counter-productive. For many decks if very well would be. In the right deck or when teamed up with other cards it can be quite crippling though.

The obvious choices for a combo are Spirit Barrier. Other excellent possibility is Dimension Wall and Sebek's Blessing.

Keep in mind this is a continuous trap card with zero cost.

As a stand alone card, Astral Barrier can certainly serve a purpose most aren't seeing. While most bind decks obviously include Messenger of the Peace, Level Limit Area B, or Gravity Bind, the increased popularity of low level monsters that destroy face down monster's by effect can easily undermine the strategy. Astral Barrier gives a player the ability to take the small amount of atk as direct damage thereby saving their valuable face down monster (such as Morphing Jar, Cyber Jar, Swarm of Scarabs, Guardian Sphinx, etc.)

I like to include a couple of copies of this little gem in my flip effects deck. Countless times my Swarm of Scarabs, Swarm of Locusts, etc. have been saved with minor damage to my life points and lived to do their job as intended. It's often a small price to pay to save your monster from not getting their effect. I usually don't include Astral Barrier in my main deck. It's most often sided in after the first duel when I see my opponent siding out, no doubt going after the Mystic Swordsman LV2 and such.

This is obviously a card that you don't see much in play and it's not for every deck. I can tell you from experience though that it's continuous effect can give your opponent fits. Often times I take a hit early in the game while my monsters do their job destroying. Once I've established field control though I come zooming back. Give it a go in your favorite bind deck.
 
Having your opponent taking out your face down monsters before you can get them off is always a pain. I never considered using this card, normally I use Desert Sunlight for the same purpose. The problem with Desert Sunlight/Ceasefire is that it is a one-use deal, and wont protet them next turn. that said, it doesnt stop the attack, and having your opponent ram his mystic swordsman lvl 2 into your 2500 defence gravekeepers spy is rather amusing.

Perhaps this is the card that I have been looking for... if nothing else just to allow me to get my monster combos set up. Also might be quite good if one has a bad cyberjar experience, and as protection against the ubiquitous d.d. monsters
 
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