Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning
Light, Level 8, [Warrior/Effect]
ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500
MC2-EN004, Limited Edition Secret Rare (Master Collection Vol. 2 Variant)

This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster in your Graveyard from play. Once during each of your turns, you can select and activate 1 of the following effects:
* Remove 1 monster on the field from play. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn.
* If this card destroyed your opponent's monster as a result of battle, it can attack once again in a row.

Earlier I reviewed the all-powerful Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End, so it is only fair that I also review this card, which has been present in my Chaos deck builds since the recent release of Master Collection Vol. 2, which is yet another fantastic assembly of incredible promo cards, surpassing the original in terms of value (except for the ridiculous inclusion of the Exclusive Pack of movie cards, at least, but I digress).

Like CED, Black Luster Soldier is unquestionably one of the most powerful cards in the game -- THE most powerful, according to some people. After all, whereas CED can only blow up and end the duel, BLS has TWO different effects which can be chosen to best fit the situation at hand. Don't want to trigger your opponent's face down flip monsters? Just remove them from play. Want to smash your opponent's Life Points into oblivion? Swap him a Goat token and attack not once but twice with this card's overwhelming 3000 ATK. Safety is simply something that does not exist while BLS is on the field or in the Graveyard.

What may arguably push this card over CED for real is the support it has beyond itself. Warriors are simply the strongest monster type, and they keep getting stronger with more support cards and very little that can counter them (a hole in the design of the game, many are arguing, and I am apt to agree). Did your BLS get destroyed? Bring him back to your hand with The Warrior Returning Alive. Protect him from attack with Marauding Captain, and strengthen him with Command Knight. As the Ace Card of a Warrior/Chaos build, BLS reigns supreme.

As with CED, BLS cannot be called a staple because he can only be effectively used in a deck with a large percentage of Light and Dark types. It is often difficult to get the requisite monsters into the Graveyard at the right time even in a dedicated Chaos deck, so success rates will drop as more monsters of other Attributes are added to the deck.

That being said, however, BLS was practically a staple up until its final removal from Advanced format with the newest ban list, since every person on the typical tournament registry sheet was using him. By the way, that's right, Chaos is finally dead in Advanced, excepting the far less powerful Chaos Sorcerer. This has been a blow (however small) to Warrior builds, and has lead to discussion of what deck archetype will arise to replace it at the top of the metagame. There are many candidates, and I believe the metagame is still in flux due to the addition of so many new and important cards recently, so only time will tell.

And for the rating. For Chaos decks of ANY build type, this card is simply a must. You can run a Chaos deck with only CED, but if your opponent has both and you don't, you'll find yourself crumbling in match after match. For Warrior builds, there simply is no other monster that is worthy of his position. As for any deck that wishes to be even in the slightest bit original or fun to play, leave him out. 10/10 for Phenomenal Cosmic Power. 0/10 for what Chaos has done to the metagame, however. Any card which people are forced to play will sooner or later breed more resentment than admiration. Those things being said however, I must also give the card a 10/10 for its design. They couldn't have picked a more cool monster to become the Chaos lynchpin. Black Luster Soldier was always awesome, he just needed an effect and to be freed from the shackles of Ritual Summoning.