Skull Archfiend of Lightning DCR-073

"Summoned Skull" is back with a makeover and a whole new attitude. Basically by playing this version of him, you gain 1 positive effect and 1 negative effect. The good side, when he is targeted by your opponent, you have a 50% chance on negating it. The bad side, you have to pay 500 Life Points a turn to keep him on the field. Fortunately "Pandemonium" can help offset that and 500LP isn't much when you don't have "Pandemonium" around (except that since it's manditory, you just can't decide to stop).

Other than that, he's looking more powerful in the picture. Same beatdown stats. Same kind of use in the game. Gotta love the Skull!
 
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I remember when I first got one, I was soo happy, took a while for me to realize that it was Summoned Skull himself REMIXED haha. Despite being a strong Archfiend, never see him in Archfiend decks.
 
I too have never seen skull archfiend of lightning in an archfiend deck... Maybe 500 LP is too steep of a cost to keep it on the field. I would pay 500 LP to keep a 2500 attacker on the field that could negate stuff but if I would run into a stall deck I would kill myself by losing 500 LP a turn.
 
Here is my take on it.

As pointed out Skull Archfiend of Lightning has a nice negation effect. It also was pointed ot that there is a manditory life point payment. The question is the life point payment worth the negation ability.

My opinion is it isn't. For paying 500 points I would want more from his effect. Like if his effect had the ability to negate all effects he might be affected by. Or perhaps if there was no roll at all and he just negated targeting effects. No, for me this card is more of eye candy then for deck construction. The con for this card just outwieghs the pros.

If I were to want a powerful archfiend beat stick I'd use The classic Summoned Skull over him. Sure, no negator but no life point cost niether. This card is good but Summon Skull is better. In my opinion. Skull Archfiend of Lightning should go back to school for more training. He flunked out to early. :D

I give this card a 2 out of 5

Side note. Love the artwork.
 
But in an Archfiend deck which can pull Pandemonium quickly, and then perhaps back it up with something like Magic Reflector, or even a replacement Pandemonium, Skull Archfiend of Lightning kicks ass...

But yeah, when Pandemonium isn't around, forcing 500 LP out of you every turn for the POSSIBILITY of a negation isn't quite amazing... still, I like it, especially seeing as how the Summoned Skull in the pic looks seriously annoyed.
 
500 isn't all that expensive, in Archfiend terms for payment. ShadowKnight Archfiend is a 900 payment, and while he's a 4 star 2000 attacker, life point damage is halved, so it makes for an expensive field control piece.

Where I think Skull Archfiend lacks payment is that for tribute space, he's up against TerrorKing for your "Ultimate Archfiend" slot. Let's face it. TerrorKing is HANDS DOWN a more desirable Archfiend due to his overwhelming effects. In addition, some of your other high ball Archfiends are found in the Lesser Fiend or Black Skull Dragon, where the cost isn't a factor.

I'd personally run 1 of them in my Archfiend deck because of the Negating ability. Plus when Pandemonium is in Play and Skull Arch takes a dive, it would let be bring out a TerrorKing to my hand from the deck.
 
I think all of the Archfiends have LP costs to keep them on the field. 500 a turn isn't that much (when compared to a few other archfiends) if you can maintain control. Plus, chances are that your opponent will try to get rid of it as soon as possible.
 
What would be good is if they would make a card (other than Pandemonium, which is no payment) that would just make it a flat, once per turn "500 lp payment" for all Archfiends on YOUR side of field, regardless of how many you had, 1, 2, or all 5 zones.
 
It mostly depends on where you would use the Skull Archfiend that makes it either an excellent choice or a poor one.

Archfiends like this one that have the negating effect possiblility belong in the advance format. Here where the 500 LP cost will be worth it. You'll have a 50% percent chance of negating cards like Snatch Steal, change of heart, sakurestu armor, trap hole, bottomless, magical cyclinders and many others that have become staples in this format. No other archfiend has that good of a chance of negating a targeting effect or than the Darkbishop archfiend. This card however can last on the field without another archfiend protecting it, although it does help having another one that aids other acrhfiends. 2500 atk won't be easy for the opponent to walk over especially since it can negate most cards that would be used to destroy it. Not even smashing ground will kill it in an archfiend deck. It will have THE weakest def out all the archfiends besides the pawn who has def of 200. All other chess archfiends have a def of at least 1400. They would have kill those before they can get Skull Archfiend with a smashing ground. For a measely 500 LP I'd say its worth it... in this format. And besides its cost is lower than that of the King or Knight archfiend. They have 800 and 900 LP payment respectively.

I cannot say why other people who play archfiend decks don't use Skull Archfiend of Lightning but I can say why I don't use it in my archfiend deck. I really don't see the space for it. I tend to use archfiend of glifer but against decks that would give my pawn, queen combination a hard time I would definitely use Skull Archfiend. Plus there's something to tribute the knight. Many times I find myself wanting to get rid of the knight (ex. scenario in which Pandemonium is still not out) and the Skull Archfiend would be a perfect choice. And once its destroyed via a card effect, you can get an archfiend like the king or the queen. Archfiend of glifer can do that as well but I usually play it for its effect, not a beatstick and I usually send it the graveyard via Painful choice. Pandemonium doesn't activiate its effect if the card is simply discarded.
 
I used to play Archfiends and I think the reason ppl tend to skip over Skull Archfiend is because AF decks tend to work only when you have multiple AF's on the field, making speed essential. And unless you're getting an uber effect, tribute monsters only slow things down. The only Tributes I would consider in an AF deck are Dark Necrofear and AF Gilfer (because Necrofear is a special summon and Gilfer can be dumped directly to the grave). Skull AF is a nice beatstick but really doesnt have any other beneficial qualities to support the other AF's and is thus too slow. Nice pic tho.
 
Skull Archfiend of Lightning

Dude, look at his stats and effects. Archfiends mostly cost 500LP anyways, besides the fact I use all archfiends except cyberjar. Speed may be an issue, the field helps with accecel and cost, but a few mosters that are 2500 would be nice. There is the level thing with this guy, but I run two of him.
 
Skull Archfiend of Lightning

Skull Archfiend of Lightning's 500 Lp payment isn't that steep of a payment, it can easily be even out with a Solemen's Wishes (sorry if spelled wrong) or two. You can also throw in one or two Marie the Fallen One in an Archfiend deck so you can gain some lifepoints to help even out the payments when you don't have Pandamonium on the field.

Pandamonium should be run in multiple in Archfiend decks anyway so they shouldn't be hard to draw, even better if you throw in a Terraforming to draw if faster. To protected it, you always have Pandamonium Watchbear, 1800 defense and Magic (Spell) Reflector.

A better field card for Archfiend decks would be instead of just negating the payment would be that it also increase an Archfiend monsters' attack power (we can hope, can't we)
 
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