Express Train to Nowhere

[weeb 14]

Artwork Source: Inner-City Train by Daniele Solimene

 

Express Train to Nowhere

LV10 | EARTH | Machine/Effect

ATK: 2500 – DEF: 1000

Effect: You can Normal Summon this card without a Tribute, but it is sent to the GY during the End Phase. If this card is in your GY, except the turn it was sent there (Quick Effect): You can Banish this card, then target 1 EARTH Machine monster in your GY; Special Summon that target, then if possible you can immediately Xyz Summon using that monster as an Xyz material. You can only activate this effect of "Express Train to Nowhere" once per turn.

 

Design Notes: This one’s for Anna.

I felt like making Train support, as I would love for that deck to become competitive. I guess it could support Infinite Ignitions as well, but I’m not as enthusiastic of those for whatever reason. I just like Trains.

Like most Trains, the card has a way to Summon itself without a Tribute. There’s usually some drawback, often an ATK reduction of some sort, but I opted to instead allow this thing to hit the field as a 2500 beater but with the drawback that it sends itself to the GY during the End Phase. I feel that it having this downside fits its name and theme better, rather than just an ATK reduction. Though considering how easily you can pump out Rank 10s in the deck, it’s rare that it’ll actually be sent to the Graveyard by its own effect anyway.

The revival effect has a number of uses in Trains such as: potentially stop an OTK, Special Summon a Main Deck Train at full ATK, revive Double Header Anger Knuckle without using its own effect, etc. A neat combo you can pull off is banish this card, Special Summon Derricrane, go into Number 81 (the only Rank10 Train that can use its effect during the opponent’s turn), detach Derricrane for 81’s effect, then Derricrane goes off and pops a card. Since you can use this combo during your opponent’s turn, it not only puts a big monster on board but can potentially disrupt one of their plays. Alternatively, you can use Express Train to revive an Xyz monster and immediately use it to Xyz Summon Juggernaut Liebe on top of it with the greatest of ease.

Of course, that assumes you have enough material on the field already that would allow you to Xyz Summon. Maybe you don’t. Luckily, the revival effect does trigger Revolving Switchyard even if it’s your opponent’s turn, and while by the time Switchyard’s effect resolves it will be too late to Xyz Summon by this effect, what you can do is wait till your opponent’s End Phase, activate Express Train, revive a Train, activate Switchyard, then during your turn use those two monsters to go into your Xyz monster, thus bypassing Switchyard’s downside (if you Special Summon a monster off its effect, your opponent does not take Battle Damage that turn) completely.

On a side note, while it can only revive EARTH Machine monsters, it does not specify that you have to use said revived monster to Xyz Summon an EARTH Machine, you don’t even have to use it to Xyz Summon at all.

So, tell me what you think. I’m not sure if this one card would be enough to push Trains into competitive play, but it surely couldn’t hurt.

[ArgosPanoptes 2]

I love this thing. I think it works really well in the mid-to-late game and works really well as a first turn XYZ material.