Set 3 Spoiler Series!

Battle Spirits Set 3 - Scars of Fury is set to release on February 5, 2010. With its impending release comes one of my favorite times in the TCG year, spoilers! Throughout the month of January, the Battle Spirits community will be given the privilege of viewing many of the cards that will be released in Set 3. Bandai has graciously provided Eye of the Vortex with six exclusive cards to preview to our audience.

Red's Newest Addition: Runkaphorhynchus

Runkaphorhynchus is the newest addition to Red's arsenal of spirit destruction cards. Among this class of spirit destruction are Sickle Fool Joker, Pteratomahawk, Flame Dance, Flame Tempest, and The DragonicFortress Giga. While, Runkaphorhynchus may not be original in its destruction ability, it does sport another intriguing effect in the keyword, "Evolution".

Evolution Meets Destruction

Anyone who used Pteratomahawk in the second set knows how potent Runkaphorhynchus' destruction ability when attacking will be. However, when using Pteratomahawk, it was difficult to place a lot of cores on him in order to make full use of his effect. That is no longer a problem as Runkaphorhynchus' evolution ability gives him the option to take cores from other spirits and place them on him. This completely solves the dilemma of lacking cores to strengthen your other spirits to go for the all out assault and onslaught on your opponent.

Cheap & Effective

Runkaphorhynchus has a very long name and is hard to pronounce. However, it more than makes up for that shortcoming in playability. Evolution allows Runkaphorhynchus to sport high battle points regardless of what point in the game you play him on. As long as you have the necessary cores to place him at the required levels for your situation, it will be smooth sailing with this beatstick. It also doesn't hurt that it has a cost reduction of two; allowing you to play him for a minimal cost of two cores.

Two Spaces In My Red Deck

Pteratomahawk was an extremely useful card in Set 2 and will definitely continue to be potent in future sets. However, Runkaphorhynchus is a better card in all areas. It has higher battle points, evolution, higher cost reduction, same cost without reduction and effect as Pteratomahawk. For those reasons, Runkaphorhynchus will definitely be a two or even a three of in my Red Beatdown Deck. The card is very good in many respects and definitely deserves a place in many Red variations when it hits the card pool.

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