This month, we’re back with another exciting volume of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s.  Things are really heating up now as the D1 Grand Prix enters its final stages. My main man Jack Atlas gets his chance to shine in the spotlight, but Yusei’s got some pretty epic moments of his own along the way.

Back-To-Back Zodiac!

Jack Atlas continues his duels with Kalin Kessler. Now under the influence of his duel Dragon, the Void Ogre Dragon, Kalin’s appetite for battle has run away with him completely. He comes at Jack with a suped-up version of the Infernity Deck with his Type Zero combo: his hand’s permanently empty, but as long as Void Ogre Dragon survives, he literally can’t lose.

Of course, this is freakin’ Jack Atlas we’re talking about, so it’s not long before Kalin’s grounded and cured of his black magic road rage. Forking over his Star Ticket and Duel Dragon, Kalin reveals Goodwin’s plans for him as a Duel Priest (read: guinea pig) meant to help revive the so-called Ultimate God. Goodwin plans to use this being in a bid for world domination, but Jack decides to stop him…so he can claim the evil deity’s power for himself!

Dead Man’s Party

Even as Jack prepares to counter Goodwin’s plans, Yusei has his own problems: namely, the other major string-puller, the Skeleton Knight. Conceding to Yusei’s demand that he reveal Sect’s whereabouts, the bone-daddy informs him that his friend is in the Arial Fortress Seibal. There, now thoroughly controlled by the miasma, he is ready and waiting for whatever sinister role he must play in awakening the Ultimate God. However, only duelists with twelve stars’ worth of Star Tickets can cross the Duel Gate and enter Seibal, so off Yusei goes to collect the remaining tickets, save his friend, and keep Goodwin, the Skeleton Knight and Jack from nabbing the sleeping deity. (Looks like sealed abominations are topping everyone’s Christmas List this year…)

But we’re not done yet! Goodwin’s plans have also entered their next phase…namely, moving his next set of pawns, twins Leo and Luna into position against Yusei. Both have fallen under the corruption of their own Duel Dragons - Luna now sees the world and its people as characters straight out of her favorite storybook while Leo has lost all his moral compass beyond saving his sister. Now Yusei’s got to juggle saving the world and saving his opponents from the darkness possessing them!

Stars In The Sky, Sparks From A Fire

Packed inside this volume is Yusei’s Duel Dragon, the Stardust Spark Dragon. The symbol of Yusei’s strength and virtue, this mythic white beast makes for a terrific card and an awesome collector’s item.

Like most Duel Dragon, Stardust Spark Dragon’s effect is the reverse of its Signer Dragon Counterpart, Stardust Dragon, from the anime. Stardust Spark Dragon is also a high-stat Level 8 Synchro Monster with the power to protect other cards on the field. However, its protection is both stronger and narrower—sacrificing itself (temporarily) to negate Effects that include destroying cards. Stardust Spark Dragon stays on the Field and allows the user to protect one card from either Battle or Effect-destruction once. Players can use this effect every turn at any time except the Damage Step, so there’s plenty of opportunities for you to shift your strategy around.

Stardust Spark Dragon is especially useful if your opponent’s trying to wipe the Field clean. Backup plans are now more crucial than ever so there’s nothing nicer than a powerful monster that carries its own shield. Time it right, and it’ll be you, not your opponent, who’ll wind up with the only monster in play!

You can ride along with Yusei and pick up a Stardust Spark Dragon card here! 

by Chris Turner