D. D. Survivor
(DARK/Warrior/4/1800/200)
If this face-up card on your side of the field is removed from play, this card is Special Summoned to the owner's side of the field during the End Phase.
Rulings
Combos for D. D. Survivor are few, and since it is (or was, rather) used mainly for tech against BLS, (and now Chaos Sorcerer) they didn't matter too much. Still, they exist. The most prominent is using it in conjunction with Card of Sanctity as a sort of advantage gainer. Using it with Different Dimension Gate also was a rather nasty combo, and I'm rather surprised it wasn't used too much.
What D. D. Survivor does to give you advantage is make cards that remove monsters from play worthless, which used to force Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Banning to attack it, and from there, you could activate Mirror Force or Sakuretsu Armor. Well, now the advantages are simply a high ATK, which is undoubtedly nice, and the ability to gain advantage with cards like Different Dimension Gate and your opponent's cards that remove things from play. It also makes Chaos Sorcerer's effect totally obsolete. It is still plausible to tech this against the seldom-seen Chaos Sorcerer decks. And of course, being DARK makes it food for the aforementioned mage and Strike Ninja, and being a Warrior gives it more support than any other type in the game. And we can't forget that he still does counter D. D. Assailant and D. D. Warrior Lady, which is always nice, and soon to be Dimensional Warrior.
It still retains the same disadvantages. The DEF of 200 makes Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer look like a stall monster as Tsukuyomi can have a parade with it and Book of Moon can ensure that even Skull Servant can trample over it. (No offense to you Skullie; you're still my hero) And, as previously stated in multiples, the loss of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning of the Era of Better and Less-Broken Decks that Are Not Chaos makes this monster not a side-deck staple. With the rise of Ryu Kokki and the coming of Warrior Elimination in TP7, being a warrior is also a disadvantage.
As far as when and how to use this card, I'd have to say either a) Side-decked against the watered-down Chaos decks, which is unlikely, or b) Strike Ninja decks. It has a welcome home there, I'd say. Even if its effect doesn't activate when removed for the Ninja. However, an interesting deck focusing on abusing it with cards like Different Dimension Gate and Card of Sanctity wouldn't be a bad idea... (hint hint to all you innovative deck-builders)
Ratings:
Advanced: 2/5. Playability plummeted. It still has some, but not too much. The existance of the other D. D. monsters is the only thing keeping this at a 2, not 1.
Traditional...: 4/5. Chaos decks are free here. Go for it. *is hating Traditional*
Limited: 2/5. The Card of Sanctity deck can exist here, but otherwise... Well, there's just no point. However, I've never played TLM Limited, so...
(DARK/Warrior/4/1800/200)
If this face-up card on your side of the field is removed from play, this card is Special Summoned to the owner's side of the field during the End Phase.
Rulings
- The effect of "D. D. Survivor" activates during the End Phase if "D. D. Survivor" is currently removed from play. It does NOT activate at the moment he is removed from play. You can chain to this effect.
- You can activate "Divine Wrath" against the effect of "D. D. Survivor" when it activates during the End Phase. In this case, "D. D. Survivor" is not actually Special Summoned. "D. D. Survivor" remains removed from play (its effect doesn't activate again).
- If "Skill Drain" is active when "D. D. Survivor" is removed from play, it is still Special Summoned because its effect activates during the End Phase while it is removed from play.
- If you have no open Monster Card Zones during your End Phase, and "D. D. Survivor" is currently removed from play, he is not Special Summoned.
- If "D. D. Survivor" is removed from play, then placed in the Graveyard with "Miracle Dig", he is not Special Summoned.
- If "D. D. Survivor" is removed from play with "Dimensionhole", and "D. D. Survivor" is Special Summoned by its effect, the effect of "Dimensionhole" ends (freeing up the "occupied" Monster Card Zone) even though the effect of "Dimensionhole" did not return "D. D. Survivor" to the field.
- If "D. D. Survivor" or "D. D. Scout Plane" is removed from play with "Interdimensional Matter Transporter", you can choose whether it is Special Summoned (with its effect) or returned to the field (with "Interdimensional Matter Transporter").
Combos for D. D. Survivor are few, and since it is (or was, rather) used mainly for tech against BLS, (and now Chaos Sorcerer) they didn't matter too much. Still, they exist. The most prominent is using it in conjunction with Card of Sanctity as a sort of advantage gainer. Using it with Different Dimension Gate also was a rather nasty combo, and I'm rather surprised it wasn't used too much.
What D. D. Survivor does to give you advantage is make cards that remove monsters from play worthless, which used to force Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Banning to attack it, and from there, you could activate Mirror Force or Sakuretsu Armor. Well, now the advantages are simply a high ATK, which is undoubtedly nice, and the ability to gain advantage with cards like Different Dimension Gate and your opponent's cards that remove things from play. It also makes Chaos Sorcerer's effect totally obsolete. It is still plausible to tech this against the seldom-seen Chaos Sorcerer decks. And of course, being DARK makes it food for the aforementioned mage and Strike Ninja, and being a Warrior gives it more support than any other type in the game. And we can't forget that he still does counter D. D. Assailant and D. D. Warrior Lady, which is always nice, and soon to be Dimensional Warrior.
It still retains the same disadvantages. The DEF of 200 makes Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer look like a stall monster as Tsukuyomi can have a parade with it and Book of Moon can ensure that even Skull Servant can trample over it. (No offense to you Skullie; you're still my hero) And, as previously stated in multiples, the loss of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning of the Era of Better and Less-Broken Decks that Are Not Chaos makes this monster not a side-deck staple. With the rise of Ryu Kokki and the coming of Warrior Elimination in TP7, being a warrior is also a disadvantage.
As far as when and how to use this card, I'd have to say either a) Side-decked against the watered-down Chaos decks, which is unlikely, or b) Strike Ninja decks. It has a welcome home there, I'd say. Even if its effect doesn't activate when removed for the Ninja. However, an interesting deck focusing on abusing it with cards like Different Dimension Gate and Card of Sanctity wouldn't be a bad idea... (hint hint to all you innovative deck-builders)
Ratings:
Advanced: 2/5. Playability plummeted. It still has some, but not too much. The existance of the other D. D. monsters is the only thing keeping this at a 2, not 1.
Traditional...: 4/5. Chaos decks are free here. Go for it. *is hating Traditional*
Limited: 2/5. The Card of Sanctity deck can exist here, but otherwise... Well, there's just no point. However, I've never played TLM Limited, so...
