Adamancipator Risen – Raptite

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1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
During your Main Phase: You can excavate the top 5 cards of your Deck, and if you do, you can Special Summon 1 excavated Rock monster in Defense Position, also place the rest on the bottom of your Deck in any order. During your opponent’s turn, if a WIND monster is in your GY (Quick Effect): You can target 1 card in your opponent’s GY; banish it. You can only use each effect of “Adamancipator Risen – Raptite” once per turn.
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Currently Found In: Secret Slayers (SESL-EN008)

Manipulating the Deck itself often allows players to take control of which cards they can obtain without waiting to be drawn, even if they have to send them to the Graveyard by milling effects. One method to do so is by excavating, a mechanic where a player can show cards in their Deck to obtain key cards in one way or another. Although the opponent gains information of our Deck not only we will gain one of many benefits by excavating cards, but it will often lead to rearranging the shown cards so the main drawback will rarely matter. From obtaining cards to our hand or field to simply dimping the most important shown cards to the Graveyard, excavating might not be as extreme compared to milling cards but gives us some control of how to manage our Deck.

“Adamancipator Risen – Raptite” is one of the lead monsters from the Adamancipator archetype, a group of Rock monsters all about excavating their cards to gain various advantages. “Raptite” does indeed excavate the top of our Deck once per turn, revealing the first five cards and summon a Rock monster in Defense Position among the shown cards, then returning the other four to the bottom of our Deck. The second effect of “Raptite” aims towards disruption under the condition that we have a WIND monster in the Graveyard, allowing us a chainable effect to banish an opponent’s card in their Graveyard during their turn. Adamancipators didn’t take long to make a big impact in the game with their many excavation effects, and “Raptite” in particular can become a reliable monster due its ability to either extend plays or stop opponent’s plays.

While is clear that the excavate ability of “Raptite” will benefit the most on its own archetype, with no restrictions on its Synchro Summon allows this monster to potentially stand out in any Deck if some investment arround a few Tuners. Adamancipator itself won’t have too many problems to bring out “Raptite” as fast as possible, as with both “Adamancipator Analyzer” and “Adamancipator Researcher” Special Summon themselves under very frequent conditions, and “Adamancipator Seeker” arriving as soon we have another member on the field, this will be combined with their excavating effects potentially summoning any Rock revealed in our Deck. With no limitations on the materials that we can involve on its arrival “Raptite” and Adamancipators overall can take any liberties needed for its Synchro Summon, with various reliable Rock monsters like “Doki Doki” and “Gigantes” providing cheap Special Summons to gather materials, or simply work outside the Type as a wide number of recurring options can easily bring out this monster no matter the Deck. If anything we should atleast invest in either Rock and/or WIND monsters to work arround one or both of its effects, with the latter allowing “Raptite” become a solid candidate to fit in some themed Decks like Harpies or Simorgh.

“Raptite” overall provides two different yet incredibly valuable effects to cover any scenario its assistance will be needed, making this Synchro Monster a solid pick even if isn’t the strongest summon we can aim for at the moment. Its excavation effect alone allows “Raptite” to potentially summon one of many Rock monsters, bringing not only other Adamancipators but monsters such as “Koa’ki Meiru Guardian” and “Barrier Statue of the Drought” which can limit the opponent’s options for some turns, or simply one of many monsters we can immediately use as materials even if “Raptite” gets involved in the consequent summon(s) as a material. The ability to banish a card from the opponent’s Graveyard has the major advantage that can be chained at any moment of the opposite turn, giving us flexibility on how and when we can use it. Along using it in our turn to simply reduce the opponent’s Graveyard, “Raptite” can respond against any effects that could involve and/or target key cards in their Graveyard and practically negate their actions. If this is combined with the Anti-Meta nature of the Type, as well other lead cards arround its archetype such as “Adamancipator Risen – Dragite”, “Raptite” can become troublesome as soon the opponent aims for some Graveyard interactions.

“Adamancipator Risen – Raptite” has the major advantage of offering two effects that grants us positive results in one way or another, giving us flexibility on how we want to handle its pressence. Along a cheap Synchro Summon even outside of its own archetype, “Raptite” will have one of many goals depending of the circumstances during the Duel and the Deck itself. The excavation effect like any other relies on some luck, but with a major investment on monsters as well cards like “Adamancipator Signs” arranging our Deck as we want this makes it a minor risk worth its random nature. The ability to banish cards in the opponent’s Graveyard on the other hand might have some problems, as Rock monsters in general are of the EARTH Attribute, leaving a incredibly scarce number of monsters such as “Adamancipator Crystal – Raptite” an any other monsters outside the Type in charge of assuring this effect’s availability. But as pointed out, “Raptite” has the opportunity to take one of two roles or both depending of how we handle it, so is up to the Deck tiself how we want this monster to stand out.

Personal Rating: A

+Excavates the first five cards in our Deck to summon any revealed Rock monster
+Banishes an opponent’s Grayeyard card during their turn
+Very easy to summon

+Flexible uses depending of the circumstances and build
+Excavate effect relies on a bit of luck
+Very few WIND Rock monsters unless we invest outside the Type