/Assault Mode

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/Assault Mode
"Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode" and "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode".
Japanese
  • スラッシュバスター
  • /バスター (base)
  • スラッシュバスター (ruby)
  • Surasshu Basutā (romanized)
  • Slash Buster (translated)
Simplified Chinese
  • /爆裂
French
  • /Mode Assaut
German
  • /Angriffsmodus
Italian
  • /Assalto
  • /Assault (translated)
Korean
  • /버스터
  • /Beoseuteo (romanized)
  • /Buster (translated)
Portuguese
  • /Modo de Ataque
  • /Attack Mode (translated)
Spanish
  • /Modo Asalto
Sets
TCG
OCG
Anime appearances
Lists

"/Assault Mode", known as "/Buster" (スラッシュバスター Surasshu Basutā, read as "Slash Buster") in the OCG, is an archetype of Effect Monsters that are powered-up versions of already-existing Synchro Monsters, which are Special Summoned by using "Assault Mode Activate", "Assault Mode Zero" or "Assault Reboot" on the corresponding Synchro Monsters. Those versions have the same name as its counterpart, but with "/Assault Mode" at the end.

This archetype was localized to "/Assault Mode" in order to convey a greater sense of power, according to Dan Scheidegger (an Upper Deck Entertainment employee) in a post on Pojo[1]. In the anime tour special episode, Evolving Duel! Stardust VS Red Demons, Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas had a Duel in which they both Summoned "/Assault Modes" of their dragons. Jack summoned "Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode" first and began to boast about it but Yusei quickly brought out "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode". A lot of the Duel consisted of both players using various cards to protect their dragon and take out their opponent's. Eventually, both "/Assault Modes" were destroyed and the regular "Red Dragon Archfiend" and "Stardust Dragon" returned. Yusei increased the ATK of "Stardust Dragon" so it could defeat "Red Dragon Archfiend" and used "Synchro Destructor" to take out Jack's remaining Life Points.

Design[edit]

Aesthetically, the "/Assault Mode" monsters are re-armored counterparts of the original monster. Certain small details other than "armor" change in the monsters design when they are transformed into their "/Assault Mode" forms but the overall design of the original is kept intact.

In terms of stats, each monster has 500 more ATK and DEF than their original versions, their Level is 2 higher (except "T.G. Halberd Cannon/Assault Mode", as its original is already at the maximum Level of 12), and they Special Summon their original versions when they are destroyed. In addition, each monster has a more powerful version of their originals' effects.

Members[edit]

Monster Upgraded effect
Evolved Original
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode Arcanite Magician Destroy all cards your opponent controls by removing 2 Spell Counters from this card
Colossal Fighter/Assault Mode Colossal Fighter Decrease the ATK of your opponent's monsters by 100 for each Warrior monster in your Graveyard
Doomkaiser Dragon/Assault Mode Doomkaiser Dragon Special Summon as many Zombie monsters from either player's Graveyard(s) to your side of the field when this card is Special Summoned
Hyper Psychic Blaster/Assault Mode Hyper Psychic Blaster If this card destroys a monster in battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its DEF and gain LP equal to its ATK
Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode Red Dragon Archfiend Destroy all other monsters on the field after damage calculation when this card declared an attack
Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode Stardust Dragon Negate the activation of a Spell, Trap, or Monster Card's effect and destroy it by Tributing this card
T.G. Halberd Cannon/Assault Mode T.G. Halberd Cannon Negate the Summon of an opponent's monster(s), and banish those monster(s) and all Special Summoned monsters the opponent controls.

Playing style[edit]

"/Assault Mode" monsters are powerful, but they are Main Deck monsters that rely on Special Summoning their original counterparts quickly and consistently, making them potential bricks in the hand. Furthermore, "Assault Mode Activate" can only Special Summon monsters from the Deck, while "Assault Mode Zero" can only Special Summon from the hand; having the wrong card depending on where the desired monster is can be an issue. On occasion, an "/Assault Mode" monster's effect may not be as desirable as the original ("Hyper Psychic Blaster/Assault Mode" does less damage with its effect, generally, than its original version's piercing damage, but will activate when attacking an Attack Position monster, and "Red Dragon Archfiend/Assault Mode" destroys all other monsters the player controls).

"Psi-Reflector" is key to the Deck's success, since it can search any card that mentions "Assault Mode Activate", and then Special Summon a Non-Tuner monster that mentions it from the GY and change its Level as needed to enable a Synchro Summon of the desired Synchro Monster. "Assault Beast" is an especially useful card to search, as it both searches "Assault Mode Activate" and sends itself to the GY to be Summoned back with "Psi-Reflector". "Assault Sentinel", "One for One", and "Emergency Teleport" can Special Summon "Psi-Reflector" from the Deck to start using it quickly; the former can also change a monster's Type and Attribute to meet the material restrictions for monsters like "Arcanite Magician", and can be searched with "Fire Formation - Tenki".

The above combination of cards can also be used as a small engine for other Decks that appreciate their quick Synchro Summoning capabilities, since the combo allows for an instant Synchro Summon of any Synchro Monster from Level 5 to Level 9. As such, they can also be used to Summon powerful Synchro Monsters like "Naturia Beast", "Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn", or "Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake".

Due to their varied strategies, some "/Assault Mode" boss monsters require different strategies to use their full potential.

Recommended cards[edit]

Weaknesses[edit]

  • Cards that prevent the summon of Synchro Monsters such as "Dimensional Barrier" slow down the deck's progression to its win condition and reduce the player's likely ceiling at the end of the turn. Cards that can negate the Summon of monsters also hinder the deck more than average.
  • Cards that can negate "Assault Mode Activate" are very effective against this deck. Most handtraps can stop the Deck's combo starters and "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" can negate "Assault Mode Activate".
  • If a Synchro Monster is banished, it can't be Special Summoned by its "/Assault Mode" form. Non-destruction removal will also prevent the "/Assault Mode" monster from Special Summoning its original form.
  • Cards like "Respect Play" and "Ceremonial Bell" can block "Psi-Reflector" as you cannot reveal "Assault Mode Activate". Additionally, with the low level of "Psi-Reflector", it can prove very difficult to summon the original Synchro monsters required without using its effect.

References[edit]

See also[edit]