One of my new favorite cards is Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu. It is a very powerful beast.
Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu
There can only be 1 face-up “Earthbound Immortal” monster on the field. If there is no face-up Field Spell Card on the field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. When this card is removed from the field, except by its own effect, destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls, and inflict 800 damage to your opponent for each monster destroyed.
Dark || Winged Beast || 10 || 2500 || 2500
All Earthbound Immortals have the “staple” effects, they destroy themselves when there is no field spell, and there can only be one face-up on the field. The staple effects are less important, so I won’t be focusing on those as much.
Aslla Piscu can attack life points directly and it cannot be attacked by your opponent. Since this phoenix of death sits on the field with 2500 attack, and discourages those who would remove it from the field sloppily, it makes it a pretty big threat. It’s a great standalone card too, since your opponent cannot attack if it’s the only monster on your field.
But what makes this bird so promising? It destroys all of your opponent’s face-up monsters when it is removed from the field. It’s similar to Elemental HERO Absolute Zero. But on top of getting rid of monsters, it does (800) damage to your opponent for each monster they have – giving it removal and damage in one package.
Today, you just can’t invest in tribute summoning. It’s a forgotten art. Two monsters on the field could mean you have Stardust Dragon, Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En, or T.G. Hyper Librarian. The Synchro Summon has replaced high-level tribute summoning, so getting Aslla Piscu onto the field the old-fashioned way is out of the question.
Let’s take a look at some other options that focus on versatility and speed.
SUMMON THE BEAST
Both players can Normal Summon or Set monsters without Tributing, by paying 1000 Life Points x the number of monsters needed for the Tribute Summon.
|| Field Spell ||
Mausoleum is the Field Spell and Summoning tool of the immortals. Both players can Normal Summon or Set Tribute Monsters. It does not Tribute Summon them – the act of sending monsters to the graveyard. And since monsters above level 4 do not exist in many forms other than Caius the Shadow Monarch, who must be Tribute Summoned, and Cyber Dragon, it seems like this card is a match made in wherever the Earthbound Immortals are from.
Paying 2000 Life Points to summon a 2500 attack monster who: can’t be attacked, can attack directly, and blows monsters off the field (doing damage) when it finally leaves is almost too compelling.
All monsters on the field and in any Graveyard become Zombie-Type monsters. Neither player can Tribute Summon monsters, except Zombie-Type monsters.
|| Field Spell ||
Special Summon 1 Zombie-Type monster from your Graveyard and remove from play 1 monster from your opponent’s Graveyard.
|| Spell ||
You can remove from play this card from your Graveyard to Special Summon 1 Zombie-Type monster from your Graveyard.
|| Earth || Zombie || 4 || 1700 || 800
Zombie World is a card used to inhibit tribute monsters like Monarchs, to fight other field spells, or to prevent the Synchro Summon of monsters that require specific types.Tagging this with Mausoleum gives you options for how and from where you summon your Aslla Piscu.
The graveyard removal that Book of Life provides is a nice bonus and Mezuki provides a free summon. It also enables you to use more zombie monsters, which could take your deck in a unique direction (see deck-list below). For instance, using Zombie Master’s effect to discard Aslla Piscu from your hand, then special summoning a Tuner and performing a Synchro Summon, following that up with Book of Life to special summon AP.
D.D.R. – Different Dimension Reincarnation
Discard 1 card. Select 1 of your removed from play monsters, Special Summon it in Attack Position, and equip it with this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the equipped monster.
|| Equip Spell ||
Escape from the Dark Dimension
Select 1 of your removed from play DARK monsters, and Special Summon it. When this card is removed from the field, destroy andremove from play that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.
|| Continuous Trap ||
Any monster sent to the Graveyard is removed from play instead.
|| Continuous Spell ||
You can Special Summon 1 “Helios – The Primordial Sun” from your hand or Deck when you activate this card. While this card is on the field, any card sent to the Graveyard is removed from play instead.
|| Continuous Trap ||
Here we have cards that deal with “removing from play” or Banishment. Aslla Piscu’s wonderful lack of specific summoning conditions means it really can swoop down from anywhere and pummel the field. Using Dimensional Fissure or Macro Cosmos almost guarantees that someone you play is going to get pissed off or, better yet, their deck is completely shut down.
There are a ton of monsters that are compatible with these cards, like D.D. Master, who can convert any dead spells into Aslla Piscu’s, or D.D. Scout Plane and D.D. Survivor who could be used as Tribute fodder, and then Necroface for bringing everything back home.
Escape from the Dark Dimension and D.D.R. are both excellent exploits for you and your opponent to remove Piscu from the field and get its effect. There’s also Return from the Different Dimension, which brings Banished monsters back for half of your life points, and then Banishes them again during the End Phase.
TRIGGER ITS POWER
Aslla must be removed from the field in order for its effect to activate. This means it can be destroyed in battle, by card effect, removed from play, returned to the hand, or tributed. It does not activate its effect immediately. It waits until the current event or chain resolves, and then it activates its effect. However, if it was removed from the field face-down its effect does not activate.
Tribute 1 face-up Level 8 or higher monster you control. Draw 2 cards.
|| Spell ||
Advance Draw, as it turns out, comes from the way the OCG refers to a Tribute Summon as an “Advance” Summon (and before that it was called a Sacrifice Summon).
Tribute 1 DARK monster with 2000 or more ATK. Check your opponent’s hand, all monsters your opponent controls, and all cards they draw (until the end of your opponent’s 3rd turn after this card’s activation), and destroy all monsters with 1500 or less ATK.
|| Trap ||
-Chain to any type of removal to protect your Aslla Piscu and send it out on your terms.
-Inflict massive damage to your opponents by hitting their weak points (field, hand, draws).
-Then, Aslla Piscu removes any remaining face-up monsters on the field, dealing damage.
Tribute 1 DARK monster with 2500 or more ATK, and choose Spell Cards or Trap Cards. Check all Spell and Trap Cards on your opponent’s side of the field, your opponent’s hand and all cards they draw (until the end of your opponent’s 3rd turn after this card’s activation), and destroy all cards of the chosen type.
|| Trap ||
-Chain to any type of removal to protect your Aslla Piscu and send it out on your terms.
-Inflict massive damage to your opponents by hitting their weak points (field, hand, draws), possibly crippling further response.
Tribute 1 monster. Select either its ATK or DEF and gain that many Life Points.
|| Quick-Play ||
– Tribute Aslla Piscu that was summoned with Mausoleum.
– Gain 2500 life points, 500 more then what you started with.
Interdimensional Matter Transporter
Select 1 face-up monster you control and remove it from play until the End Phase of this turn.
|| Trap ||
-Banish Aslla Piscu before your opponent destroys your field spell.
Select 1 Monster Card each from you and your opponent’s sides of the field and remove them from play. When this card is destroyedand sent to the Graveyard, return those monsters to the field in the same battle position as when they were removed from play.
|| Continuous Spell||
– Use on AP and any face down monster you don’t want to deal with.
Tribute 1 monster. Special Summon 3 “Nightmare Archfiend Tokens” (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2000/DEF 2000) to your opponent’s side of the field in Attack Position. When a “Nightmare Archfiend Token” is destroyed, its controller takes 800 damage.
|| Trap ||
Nightmare Archfiends brings victory so swiftly, it’s no wonder the card has “nightmare” in its name.
You start off by using Aslla Piscu as a tribute for the cost. Nightmare Archfiends then Special Summons 3 Nightmare Archfiend Tokens on your opponent’s field. Now, Aslla Piscu’s effect activates to destroy all your opponent’s face up monsters, inflicting (800) damage for each, so that is at least (2400) damage because they now have tokens. That is followed by the Nightmare Archfiend tokens and their effect. They still inflict (800) damage when they are destroyed, so that is another (2400)
That’s (4800) damage with one card! Oh, did you attack them directly already? Add another 2500 damage (8100).
It is the play only those with Tiger’s Blood have mastered.
CONQUER THE EARTH
We’ve discussed 2 important deck themes regarding Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu.
Here is my current build for:
Immortal Zombies V-TWO (40 Cards)
3 Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu
2 Earthbound Immortal Chacu Chaullhua
3 Malefic Stardust Dragon
1 Mezuki
Extra Deck
Notes:
Malefic Stardust Dragon: CAN be special summoned while there is no field spell card on the field. This allows Eradicator Epidemic Virus or Deck Devastation Virus to be activated in response to its effect to destroy itself.
Earthbound Immortal Chacu Chaullhua: Can be summoned first turn and use its burn damage effect.
Foolish Burial and Dark Simorgh: Considered for replacement.
Zombie Master: Possibly removing 1, to be replaced by another Nightmare Archfiends or Book of Life.
Here is my current build for:
Immortal Cosmos V-ONE (40 Cards)
3 Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu
2 Malefic Stardust Dragon
2 D.D.R. – Different Dimension Reincarnation
1 Different Dimension Ground
1 Return from the Different Dimension
Extra Deck
Notes:
Earthbound Immortal Uru: In test
D.D. Scout Plane: Can be used for any of the costs in the deck, and Allure.
Reinforcement of the Army: Could be added
Different Dimension Ground: In Test
Deck: Subject to complete rewrite
GATHER YOUR SUPPORT
There is a ton of support that I did not get a chance to mention, so I will highlight a few cards here with a thrilling list of monsters, spells and traps.
Monsters
…more Monsters
Gravekeeper’s Spy
Gravekeepers Guard
Spells
Traps
The opportunity for the rise of a great Earthbound Immortal themed deck expands as more and more cards are added to the game. The loss of Heavy Storm has left us in the ruthless wild west of spell and traps, and mini-monsters that Synchro Summon like rabbits are all too common. Earthbounds tasted fame briefly this year at the Serbian World Qualifier Championship. Could they, will they be back in the limelight again?
Thanks for reading and happy dueling!
– Matt Carter
Great article Matt! You did everything perfectly- introduction, deck ideas, description and the list goes on…
Well done, keep those card reviews coming!