Card of the Week #20: Big Burn
While writing this COTW, I wondered how many people had heard of Big Burn. As a card, it seems incredibly good at defeating almost any deck in the current format. This includes non-meta, although obviously the very few decks which do not care about the Graveyard would laugh at this card. This is clearly a double edged sword- you wouldn't want to use a card like this in Zombies because what kind of idiot would want to sacrifice their own strategy in its entirety? Instead, you can view this card not as a Side Deck counter for almost any deck, but as a Main Deck card for decks that don't use the Graveyard.
Firstly, think of the Macro decks. They've been hit pretty hard this format by the limiting of Macro Cosmos and Dimensional Fissure. What would they want more than a card that banishes EVERYTHING? Specific decks might get 3 Scout Planes from that, as well as smashing down the opponent's entire strategy. You may note the condition of the card; you can only use it in response to a card that targets something in the grave. That doesn't matter so much, since that's exactly when you would want to use it! The only implication is that you can't use it after an MST, which is a shame, but the card still has a lot of potential. Using it after a COTH or similar Graveyard based card is generally a very good idea.
Take a look at its possible use in an anti-meta deck. They tend to like their Rai-ohs and Doomcals, alongside Barbaros and other cards. What they don't care about is their Graveyard. What they DO care about is stopping their opponent's strategy. This thing should be mained in anti-meta decks, if only to catch the opponent completely off guard after they destroy a Necrovalley. Think about it; there is no deck towards the top tier of the current format that doesn't rely on the Graveyard, making this one of the best anti-meta cards possible.
The card could even be used in decks that simply don't care about their Graveyard. Using it in another common anti-meta style deck, Malefics, may well turn out to be a good idea. The card is potentially one of the best aggressive techs you can find, and will undoubtedly cripple an opponent. In burn decks, which don't care for their Grave, this card brings access to D.D. Dynamite, which can become an incredibly powerful card for dishing out burn damage. And to raise the earlier suggestion of using this alongside Macro decks, one of the strongest ways to use this card is with Necroface. Activate Big Burn, then next turn Normal Summon Necroface, and your opponent's entire Graveyard and Banished zones are shuffled away, not to be seen for a long while. This gets rid of all hope your opponent may have had and creates a very powerful beatstick in Necroface.
Lastly, Soul Absorbtion. The card has such great synergy with it it's unreal; banish all cards in both Graveyards and then gain 500 LP for each? That could easily double or even triple your life points, and in a very lategame situation might even save you for the next couple of turns. And with those turns made easier by your opponent's lack of a Graveyard, it should completely carry the game. Heck, with the right build, this could even make its way in an E-drag deck, letting you make a huge search by banishing all 4 dragons simultaneously. You'd have to be careful, of course, but since this card will almost always be used in your opponent's turn you could set up for an OTK and stop whatever your opponent was doing at the same time.
Overall, to sum this card up with 3 adjectives, it's unknown, underused, but excellent. Let's face it, people- would this card completely wreck the deck you use most? Because in 90% of cases, the answer is "Well, yeah, but.. uuuh.." and in a further 9% of cases its "Yes.". This card really hurts. So it's worth using where possible. Since it is essentially guaranteed to stop one thing, such as a COTH or a Junk Synchron, using the card is never a complete failure. It even kills certain decks COMPLETELY- Lightsworn are left with absolutely nothing, and it allows you to laugh in your opponent's face when they think they lucked out with a Lumina. Certain opponents will cry, some will ragequit. Some will wonder what the hell just happened, and you will be sitting there, laughing your head off. Because this is the way the card works. So make sure you pack some burn heal for that burn.