The engine
Together with Fusion Substitute, Lunalight Black Sheep forms a mini draw engine.
The standard Zoodiac core combo ends with a Rank 4 and Zoodiac Drancia on the field. Daigusto Emeral is usually prefered for Turn 1 plays to generate card advantage. By searching for Lunalight Black Sheep using Zoodiac Broadbull's effect, you can fetch Fusion Substitute. Fusing both Rank 4 monsters on the field for Elder Entity Norden, you can use Norden's effect to revive another Level 4 monster to Xyz summon again.
You will have an applicable level 4 target as there will be an Xyz Material attched to Daigusto Emeral remaining when it is sent to the graveyard for Fusion Summon. Elder Entity Norden and the Level 4 (usually Zoodiac Ratpier) can Xyz summon into a second copy of Daigusto Emeral, which can then be used to recycle your first copy of Daigusto Emeral and also earn you another draw. It is intrumental to the combo that you detach Elder Entity Norden for the activation of Daigusto Emeral's effect.
With Elder Entity Norden in the graveyard, you can banish Fusion Substitute to return Norden back to your deck to draw one card, keeping your copies of Instant Fusion alive as you still have an applicable Fusion target in your extra deck.
To preserve your board advantage, one might not prefer fusing Daigusto Emeral with Zoodiac Drident. Hence, after Xyz summoning Zoodiac Broadbull, you can opt to go for Zoodiac Lyca, before going into Zoodiac Drident. Zoodiac Lyca's revived target can then be used for Fusion Summoning. Note that Zoodiac Lyca has yet to be released in the TCG.
This play wasn't previously developed in the OCG due to OCG's Forbidden and Limited List where Elder Entity Norden isn't allowed. Lunalight Black Sheep's greatest contribution in the OCG lies in Zoodiac Invoked variants. Lunalight Black Sheep would be used to fetch Polymerization in order for a double Fusion summon to be performed - the first using Polymerization, and the second using Invocation on the same set of materials sent to the graveyard by Polymerization. This makes it easier to gather up to two Invoked Fusion monsters onto the field, and also baits out Dimensional Barrier.
It grants you 3 draws, taking into account those from the Zoodiac core engine.
- From the effect of the 1st copy of Daigusto Emeral
- From the effect of the 2nd copy of Daigusto Emeral
- From the effect of Fusion Substitute
Assuming you started off with a single card - Zoodiac Barrage, you can end up with three extra cards in hand and retain two Xyz monsters on the field.
Edit:
As many mentioned, it is more wise to Xyz summon Zooidac Broadbull with Norden and Zoodiac Ratpier. Then, using Zoodiac Broadbull and Zoodiac Drident, you can special summon two more copies of Zoodiac Ratpiers from your deck, after shuffling them back to the deck with the previous Daigusto Emeral.
Unfortunately, Zoodiac Ratpier has met with a semi-limitation recently, and given that Zoodiac Lyca has not entered the TCG yet, it is possible that we will see less of such plays in the future. However, for better or for worse, the third copy of Zoodiac Ratpier can be compensated with another Zoodiac monster, which can be brought onto the field with the use of plenty support cards, such as Fire Formation - Tensu or Zoodiac Barrage.
This would however mean that more cards have to be used to start off the combo, hurting the engine's consistency and limiting its potential.
Conclusion
Even if Fusion Substitute is not involved, Lunalight Black Sheep is a good staple for Fusion decks due to its ability to search out the deck for Polymerization. It is more deserving of a slot in a deck due to its status as a Monster card, as opposed to the spell card Fusion Sage. As a Monster card, it can double as a Fusion Material monster when needed, especially in decks like HEROes and Invoked, where Fusion Materials are based on Attributes.
Furthermore, being a Beast-Warrior, it can be searched out by Fire Formation - Tenki and Zoodiac Broadbull.
In our next article, we will analyse another engine, that is more suitable for other fusion-based decks - Frightfur Patchwork
