Drill Warrior ———————————————— "Drill Synchron" + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters. Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1: You can halve this card's ATK, and if you do, it can attack your opponent directly this turn. Once per turn: You can discard 1 card, and if you do, banish this card. During your next Standby Phase: Special Summon this card banished by this effect, then add 1 monster from your Graveyard to your hand. ———————————————— Can Be Found In: Absolute Powerforce (ABPF-EN041), Duelist Revolution: Special Edition (DREV-ENSE1), Duelist Pack: Yusei 3 (DP10-EN018), Legendary Colleciton 5D's Mega Pack (LC5D-EN038)
A card's efficiency might not be as easy to figure as to simply read its effects. A card which might seem severely restricted and/or flawed could be capable to release a lot of potential under the right hands, achieved by either the cards and effects that can interact with to simply play it at the right moment. Even though some cards might stand out more in comparison, is really up to the user how the card's performance will be during a Duel.
"Drill Warrior" is a monster that while might not lead whole Duels on its own, it can become a great annoyance if we time its abilities properly. During our Main Phase 1 "Drill Warrior" can gain the ability to direct attack, but in return have its ATK halved permanently. "Drill Warrior" becomes unorthodox with its second ability, which allows us to temporarily banish this monster at cost of discarding a card to once returns in our next turn retrieve a monster from our Graveyard back to the hand. With a steady hand "Drill Warrior" becomes quite evasive from many threats as keeps retrieving monsters from our Graveyard, and not only that but any demerits its direct attacks and others effects can cause can be easily solved if we keep using its banishing effect wisely.
The Synchro Summon of "Drill Warrior" is completely limited by the use of "Drill Synchron", a Tuner that provides both drawing and piercing effects. Although completely dependant of a single Tuner there are plenty of options to obtain it as soon as possible, going from searching effects like "Tuning" and "Genex Neutron" to summoning it directly from our Deck by cards such as "Crystron Needlefiber". Our late game tools won't mitigate as cards like "Crane Crane" and "Synchron Explorer" will summon it back from the Graveyard, or else "Drill Warrior" itself will bring it back to our hand by its banishing effect. Finally and as part of the Synchron archetype, "Quickdraw Synchron" can take over the role of "Drill Synchron" to work a Level 1 material and Synchro Summon "Drill Warrior" with its assistance.
Once on the field, thanks to its banishing effect "Drill Warrior" can become quite difficult to take down if the opponent isn't prepared. Although the ability to direct attack permanently reduces its ATK, once comes back to the field by its second effect its stats will reset to keep a hit and run strategy. This also applies to other effects that can permanently affect "Drill Warrior" in some way or another, like "Level Eater" summoning itself by reducing the Synchro Monster's Level. The retrieval effect after its return will become quite valuable to retrieve key monsters from the Graveyard, which includes "Drill Warrior" itself and other reusable cards such as "Effect Veiler" or "Swift Scarecrow" among others. Discarding a card is not really a cost, therefore "Drill Warrior" effect can assist effects like the Dark World archetype as well other Graveyard abilities such as "Dandylion". Not only that, but while we can discard cards with uses inside the Graveyard, "Drill Warrior" can simply retrieve the Monster Card we used to banish it from the field and completely erase its cost. Don't forget that since "Drill Warrior" summons itself from being banished, it will leave our Extra Monster Zone clear for other Extra Deck summons.
"Drill Warrior" might not be as devastating as many other Extra Deck monsters, but can become a powerful support staying active for a big number of turns. Dealing 1200 damage by default each turn is a solid offense, and despite losing ATK it will reset as we keep banishing it turn after turn. This ability is what really makes "Drill Warrior" stand out, not only erasing the direct attacks' demerit but also making it difficult to defeat as also retrieves Monster Cards including those we use for this ability. One thing to be aware of is the fact that our field might be wide open for opponent attacks until "Drill Warrior" comes back, so try to have some coverage and/or other monsters until this monster comes back to keep cycling its effects. "Drill Warrior" might not lead Duels on its own, but its evasive tactics as direct attacks and retrieves cards makes it more powerful that might apparent.
Personal Rating: A-
+ Able to direct attack the opponent + Banishes itself to return in our next turn + Recovers a Monster from the Graveyard once comes back from being banished by its effect + Hard to take down as well able to erase certain stat changes + Interactions with Monster Cards we can discard for its banishing effect including retrieving them back next turn
- Loses half its ATK permanently to direct attack - Not a powerful offense compared to other Extra Deck options
