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A Crusher Tag Team: Shikamaru Nara (N-238) and the Second Hokage (N-613)

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on January 14th, 2011 by

The Second Hokage (N-613) isn’t exactly an inexpensive acquisition, but it can be paired effectively with Shikamaru Nara (N-238). I’ve briefly touched on Shikamaru and the Second Hokage having had some strong showings before. However, there are several strong units that players can form together with these two cards.

This tag team is really quite strong, though it may at least initially appear that a lot of the strength rests on the back of the Leaf Village hero. The Second Hokage had sought peace at whatever costs necessary, and the stats of the card clearly show this. The 3/3, 6/4 water attributed Hokage is pretty strong on numbers alone. Two water Chakra can be discarded and a jutsu may be removed from the game when the Matchless Hero aspect becomes valid.

It may be funny to think that Shikamaru might be leading around one of the greatest Leaf Ninja to ever live, but his card can do just that. Shikamaru is rated much more humbly than the Second Hokage, at 0/1, 1/3. However, he has the ability to organize teams of ninja. Whether by melding him and the Second Hokage together, or by forming a team to back up this ninja, the force on the field can be quite unstoppable by any enemy shinobi.

For instance, get together four Genin and place them in a team with Shikamaru at the head. Then, even with the Second Hokage standing alone, there will be plenty of material with which to defend him. After all, a player wouldn’t want an expensive card like that to be easily removed or simply wasted. While there are, of course, other ways to develop a defensive perimeter around a card that needs to be protected, the N-238 version of Shikamaru Nara is particularly useful for this purpose.

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More Naruto CCG Rule Changes

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on January 6th, 2011 by

In the last few months, Bandai has announced several more rule changes to the Naruto game that become effective with the Set 19: Path of Pain release. The rule change set may be viewed on Bandai’s official card game forum. One of the more important of these states that a ninja token is a Ninja and is unique; therefore, players cannot have two copies of a Ninja token in play at the same time with the same name. The token rule change was added on 11/19/2010.

This is a shift that will require some strategies to be changed, and when reading either older posts here, or strategies anywhere, one should keep rule changes in mind that have taken affect since the articles were written. The second change, which was added on 12/2/2010, influences the way that certain Jutsu work. If an effect negates a Jutsu and moves it, it is only now moved if negated. So, if for example a Jutsu is supposed to be moved back into the player’s hand, only do so if the target negation actually worked out. This was the way the game was supposed to be played; so most people won’t feel too affected by this change. However, some players had accidentally misinterpreted how Jutsu negations worked, and thus this clarification was necessary.

The third recent rule change, which was adopted on 12/17/2010, involves the way different card effects work on the player. For instance, some effects require a player to discard something. On the other hand, there are Ninja that read that they are unaffected by opponent’s effects. There has been some confusion as to whether or not they can be forced to do anything through one of these cards. However, this rule change clearly states that they are not immune to these sorts of commands.

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Kakashi Hatake (N-966) and Mangekyo Sharingan (J-750): Release the Power of the Eye!

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on December 30th, 2010 by

I should probably preface this by saying that Mangekyo Sharingan (J-750), no matter how good a match it is for Kakashi Hatake (N-966), won’t come cheap. It’s a super rare foil card, and can sometimes command a decent price. However, it might be worth it depending on how it’s used and how well it ends up being applied.

As I had previously mentioned, the Path of Pain Naruto card series version of Kakashi Hatake has a particularly useful effect that allows a wielder to place a -1/-1 ninja blade coin on a ninja that Kakashi is fighting. However, it is required that Kakashi become the user of a jutsu to activate this ‘Dangerous Opponent’ talent.

The Mangekyou Sharingan, which can also be used by Itachi Uchiha, immediately removes a ninja from the game. This combo can be used to suddenly gain a lot of ground in a game. For instance, if there are multiple ninja who are fighting against Kakashi, one can suddenly be removed with the Mangekyou Sharingan.

After applying the Sharingan Eye, the user has the opportunity to place the removed ninja wherever they’d like in their opponent’s team set at the end of the turn. That target is placed into an area that effectively neutralizes it, and then Kakashi has the opportunity to place the -1/-1 ninja blade coin on another ninja that’s battling against him.

Of course, this kind of combo strategy is only effective if it is properly deployed. Otherwise, it’s probably a waste of an expensive card. If you intend to play it, make sure that you have some experience picking out which targets are the most difficult to neutralize in a game, and be sure to play it on one of them. Playing it on another card is a waste.

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A Flexible Jutsu: Toad Mouth Trap (J-759)

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on December 29th, 2010 by

I know that I’m often extolling the virtues of non-human characters in the Naruto game, and that’s why so happy with the Toad Mouth Trap (J-759) jutsu card and its related combos. As a ninja toad combination card, the Toad Mouth Trap focuses on another jutsu being played at the time. As might be expected, it grants a substantial bonus of +2/+2 onto the user during that turn.

This might initially seem like a rather large modifier to some people, since a number of previous cards weren’t so generous and free with both the allotment and the parameters to play the card. However, fans of the series might remember the scene in which Jiraiya had used his prized toads to have his enemies swallowed. Quite a tricky position to get stuck in!

Therefore, the +2/+2 addition to the user does make good canon sense. While it’s tempting to flat out pair this card with a Jiraiya card for the purpose of staging something that happened in the actual story line, it doesn’t actually require the Toad Sage, and can be paired with numerous ninja. This makes the card extremely flexible.

In fact, many of the combos that Toad Mouth Trap can be used in will come about by pure accident. Since it simply targets a jutsu, rather than a particular ninja card, it will probably just end up getting deployed as it becomes available. This is particularly useful in a sudden pinch. For this reason, there may be players who will focus on it as a card that could be useful to have multiple copies of. Since it retails less than a dollar, despite the uncommon status and it’s membership in the Path of Pain Series 19 set, it may be easy to get a full set of them in a trade.

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Kakashi Hatake (N-966) and Kakashi’s Test (M-712): An Outlet for Those Jutsu!

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on December 21st, 2010 by

I’ve covered a pair of combos involving Kakashi Hatake (N-966), but so far they’ve both been jutsu. The Mangekyo Sharingan (J-750) and Lightning Blade (J-749) cards are both powerful, but they are both able to be effectively coupled with a mission card. One such mission card, which really needs a jutsu to be pared with, is Kakashi’s Test (M-712).

While Kakashi-sensei may have been routed rather easily in this scene in the anime (he was defeated by being confused with a copy of a book from his favorite Make Out series), this mission is sure to put you in better condition to gain ground on an opponent. Kakashi himself will, as I’ve said before, place a -1/-1 ninja blade coin on a target once a jutsu of his has been deployed. I’ve suggested Mangekyo Sharingan as particularly useful, and Lightning Blade as a less expensive jutsu for those who can’t acquire that version of the Sharingan eye. Both are strong combos, however, that can be made stronger with an extra addition.

Either of these pairs well with Kakashi’s Test. When a jutsu is played, this mission allows the player to draw a card and discard a card. Perhaps i should say forces instead of allows, depending on how you want to look at the situation. This can help to go through a deck quickly for players that have a great number of ninja specific jutsu. Likewise, people who play a machine of different jutsu and need to speed through their deck will find it very useful.

The effect is permanent, and will therefore really mess with your opponent’s head, depending on their style of play. It is particularly devastating whenever paired with one of the abovementioned jutsu. After all, you do need a jutsu to come down in order for Kakashi to gain his Dangerous Opponent specialty as well as deploy the Kakashi’s Test mission.

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Kakashi Hatake (N-966) and Lightning Blade (J-749): Unleash an Exclusive Jutsu

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on December 20th, 2010 by

The Path of Pain series contains some pretty interesting combos; Kakashi Hatake (N-966) and Lightning Blade (J-749) are one of several that feature Kakashi-sensei in a prominent role. The anime and manga depict him as a relatively unstoppable force, at least unless his mind is occupied with one of Jiraiya’s books. In this version of his card, he has pretty decent stats and a strong effect even before any combination jutsu is applied to his offense.

Kakashi-sensei features a 3/1 5/3 stat set that can make him very useful for growth players. This probably makes sense when you consider the number of times that we’ve seen him build up before completing releasing his power. Moreover, I’ve seen some decks that really could have used a Jonin rank ninja and didn’t have any. Rank limited jutsu and mission cards are actually more common than some people realize, and can lead to some very embarrassing mistakes. His Dangerous Opponent effect places a -1/-1 ninja blade coin on a ninja battling against him when he uses a jutsu.

One of the better Jutsu to use with him is Lightning Blade, which is Kakashi Hatake-specific. This card causes the target ninja to receive a shocking (no pun intended) -10/+0 modifier. When you consider the fact that the actual Kakashi card is lending a -1/-1 modifier to the target, it becomes all the more apparent just what a ‘Dangerous Opponent’ Kakashi really is.

Many lower level shinobi can be taken out by this kind of attack, and it can certainly hold off some stronger ones. In fact, I wouldn’t doubt that it would be quite effective against some of my beloved animal ninja. In the future, I should probably start watching how I play my summoning jutsu!

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Stand Behind a Fortress of Earth: Detonating Clay: C2 Dragon (J-744) and Detonating Clay: Mines (J-745)

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on December 19th, 2010 by

Detonating Clay: C2 Dragon (J-744) and Detonating Clay: Mines (J-745) are two sequential jutsu cards that can work together very well in an Earth mono deck. In my last post, I mentioned that the Naruto Series 19 Path of Pain releases feature a number of cards that really look like they can fit well together. These two cards are excellent for these sorts of players, and can be deployed in quick succession to strengthen a position.

I’ve always found that Earth had some very good strategies for defensive players. Detonating Clay: Mines fits well into this kind of an ideology. When played, the user gets +5/+0 and if a higher cost of the jutsu was paid, then the player draws 2 cards. In this condition, your opponent’s moves cannot affect this jutsu. This maneuver sets up a great defensive position that really typifies just what it is that comes to my mind when I think about Earth ninja.

Then Detonating Clay: C2 Dragon can further be used to build up this fine Earth defense. One ninja that is battling against the user of this card goes into stand-by. If the opposition has three or more face-up Battle Rewards, the ninja goes to the top of their deck. Afterwards, three of your opponent’s Battle Rewards get turned down. This is particularly devastating if you have an opponent who uses a number of attacks that are based on Battle Rewards.

Sure, it’s nice to shred through your opponents with ease. However, too much offense can sometimes leave you unguarded. That’s why this kind of strategy can work for even the most bloodthirsty of players if it’s adequately deployed. It might also be effective if combined with another idea, such as the Earth/Water combined offense that I tried describing in my last post.

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Another Mate for Pledge Under a Setting Sun (M-716): Detonating Clay: C1 Snake (J-743)

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on November 29th, 2010 by

Previously I mentioned that Pledge Under a Setting Sun (M-716) and Detonating Clay: C3 Ohako (J-746) make a sort of useful succession combo; however Detonating Clay: C1 Snake (J-743) can also take its place in this grouping. Like Detonating Clay: C3 Ohako, Snake is an Earth jutsu. However, by using it, you’ll probably come out with a more defensive stance. As I said in the Detonating Clay Mines and C2 Dragon article, Earth attributed decks often form a good basis for defensive maneuvers. While some players might feel that defense is unnecessary, and prefer to play from an offensive-only, this is often foolish. If you have no cards left to mount an offense because you had no way of protecting them, then you’ll quickly loose.

The Pledge Under a Setting Sun mission card will mess with an opponent’s chakra balance, and prevent them from mounting an effective offense if they play very chakra heavy attacks. Moreover, when properly paired with a water ninja this card brings back some discards of yours into the chakra area. This can be a great way to stall for time and build up a better position at the same time. Of course, the more copies of the card you have, the better. Deck building models built around this concept will surely stress that fact.

While Pledge Under a Setting Sun stalls you time, Detonating Clay: C1 Snake will hold off any further offensive material that your opponent might try to mount at you. It targets an opposing jutsu in play and negates it, moving that card to the bottom of the owner’s deck. This can remove a particularly tenacious jutsu card from play, which is especially useful if you’re unable to defeat something any other way. Perhaps this is best thought of as a sort of defensive screen from which to act behind.

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Pledge Under a Setting Sun (M-716) and Detonating Clay: C3 Ohako (J-746): An Odd Combination That Might Just Work for Dual Type Players

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on November 22nd, 2010 by

Pledge Under a Setting Sun (M-716) and Detonating Clay: C3 Ohako (J-746) go together quite well. While once again not exactly combos in the way that one would usually think of combos, the Series 19 Path of Pain cards have several jutsu and mission cards that can be mixed and matched pretty well together. By properly combining these cards together in one deck, several quality maneuvers can be attempted.

This match up is particularly useful if you prefer to play a mixed type deck, and have both water and earth cards featured heavily. Ohako is going to require Earth to enter, and has a relatively high entrance cost of 5. However, the C3 chakra is going to simply rip through a cheap opposing army. It gives two damage to any ninja who has an entrance cost of two or less. Therefore, anyone who plays against people who strategically field large, but inexpensive forces will be able to tear them apart.

As if damaging them physically wasn’t enough, you can mess with their chakra balance by playing Pledge Under a Setting Sun afterwards. Make sure to pay the hand cost of the card with a water ninja so that you can get threw cards out of your discard pile. These are moved to the Chakra area. Then, for every copy of the card in your chakra area, remove one of your opponent’s Chakra.

If properly played, this sort of a tactic should really prevent your opposition from standing for very long. Players who know that they will soon be up against an opponent like this might want to keep a few copies of these cards, along with the appropriate shinobi, in a side deck. Of course, a Path of Pain combination set can also become the basis for a whole new type of deck building.

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Wind Style: Air Bullets (J-168) and Shukaku (N-177): A Complicated Combo to Say the Least!

Huzzah! An article about NARUTO posted on November 14th, 2010 by

The Naruto Eternal Rivalry series Wind Style: Air Bullets (J-168) certainly isn’t an inexpensive card. However, it can form a very useful combo for some deck builders with the even more expensive Shukaku (N-177), when it can be put into play. The deployment of either of these cards is a part of an onerous combo in their own right, and might take a bit of explanation to understand. To be totally honest, the shinobi that get developed in the process might actually end up being more useful to you than the end result.

To play Shukaku, one needs to have another Eternal Rivalry card in play: Gaara of the Desert (Possessed Mode) (N-179).  By using Sand Cocoon (J-138) to deploy this form of Gaara, one can finally deploy Shukaku. It’s a good card, though the entrance cost of eight can be a bit steep. Once again though, I have a bit of a bias towards inhuman ninja cards.

With Shukaku in play, Air Bullets can finally be deployed. It does two damage to the target. While that might not seem like a lot, the fact that cards like the Possessed Mode form of Gaara have been put into play could actually make up for it. In fact, it might be useful to think of Air Bullets simply as an attack for an already in play Shukaku, instead of the end all for the combo. The combo, depending on strategy, might focus more on the deployment of those other cards.

That being said, anyone who would actually want to do the prerequisite deck building to develop this Wind attribute combo would have to put down a lot of money or trading material. None of these cards are considered to be inexpensive by any means, and most people won’t give them up cheaply.

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