Exceeds: getting the torch from Synchros

 

Exceeds are a new type of monster of the Extra Deck. They are summoned by having the specified number of monsters of the same level on the field. To summon an Exceed monster, you place the Exceed Material monsters on a stack, and place the Exceed monster on the top of the stack. The Exceed Materials are not sent to the Graveyard, they stay beneath the Exceed monster.

For now, the 3 above pictures show the best Exceed monsters so far. Mainspring Armored Zenmeister, Vylon Disigma and No. 39 Aspiring Emperor Hope. Let's have a look at what they do:

Mainspring Armored Zenmeister

Machine/Exceed/Effect

EARTH/Rank 4/ATK 1900 DEF 1500

2 Level 4 Monsters

This card gains 300 ATK for each of its Exceed Material Monsters. Once per turn, you can remove 1 Exceed Material Monster from this card to select 1 face-up monster on the field. Flip that monster to face-down Defense Position. During the End Phase, the selected monster is flipped to face-up Attack Position.

Vylon Disigma

Fairy/Exceed/Effect

LIGHT/Rank 4/ATK 2500 DEF 2100

3 Level 4 Monsters

Once per turn, you can remove 1 Exceed Material Monster from this card to select 1 face-up Attack Position Effect Monster your opponent controls, and equip it to this card as an Equip Card. When this card battles a monster that has the same Attribute as a monster equipped to this card by this card's effect, destroy that monster at the start of the Damage Step (without Damage Calculation).

No. 39 Aspiring Emperor Hope

Warrior/Exceed/Effect

LIGHT/Rank 4/ATK 2500 DEF 2000

2 Level 4 Monsters

When a monster declares an attack, you can remove 1 of this card's Exceed Material Monster to negate that attack. When this card is selected as an attack target while it has no Exceed Material Monsters, destroy it.

Zenmeister is possibly the best Exceed so far. It's a 2500 beatstick when summoned. But it's second effect is the most interesting one: at the cost of 300 ATK, it can do a Book of Moon until the End Phase. Mainsprings have very powerful effects, but can use them only once while they remain face-up. With Zenmeister, you can reset your Mainspring and use it's effect again! But that's not all; you can use the effect to flip face-down a big monster your opponent controls or re-use flip effects.

Disigma is also a great monster: it can steal an Effect monster from your foe and get protection from the stolen's monster attribute. But the best part is that it can use that effect 3 times and become a mini-catastor.

Hope is Yuma's ace card, and like Yusei's Stardust, it has a cool effect that can negate up to 2 attacks. But unlike the other 2 Exceeds I mentioned, it has a drawback: if it's attacked while having no Exceed Materials, it's destroyed. Still, a 2500 ATK beater that negates attacks is always nice. And being needed 2 Level 4s makes it even better.

Synchros changed the meta and made cards that we never thought to use, playable. If exceeds are going to do the same, we don't know yet. But these 3 monsters may start the same revolution Synchros did.