Mull to Four Gaming

MJM's been pretty quite lately, hasn't he? Have no fear, for he has returned. What makes his homecoming even better is that he have, for you guys, an exclusive preview from Set 28: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3. Hit the jump for the preview!

This format's had its share of Naruto Uzumaki Ninja cards, however there haven't been any that really take the cake. The best ones in format are either [Pervy Sage's Disciple] or [Like Whirlwind]. If you don't like using Promos, then you have [Keeper of the Nine Tails]. All three of these Naruto's have their uses and aren't bad by any means, however there isn't an end-all-be-all Naruto this format; the closest is the aforementioned [Like Whirlwind].

Enough with the Naruto Uzumaki ramblings, let's get to the preview already. If you haven't guessed by now, the preview is a Naruto Uzumaki. But something's different about him. No he's not in Sage Mode or Tailed Beast Mode, but he does have something that no Naruto Uzumaki has ever had before...

... Jinchuriki. That's right, this is the first Naruto Uzumaki, actually first Ninja card period, to have Jinchuriki as a characteristic. What does this mean? This opens up room for so many new card concepts. Not only does it allude to the coming of more Jinchuriki  Ninja cards, but it also means that we'll have effects that require or designate Ninjas with the Jinchuriki characteristic. This characteristic is long overdue but is warmly welcomed.

But until we actually see the other Jinchuriki-related cards, we can't really make any big comments on the characteristic itself, other than speculation of course, so let's get into the card as a whole. He features your average Turn 3 Naruto Uzumaki stats and whatnot, but he is the third Naruto Uzumaki, the second Turn 3 Naruto Uzumaki, to have Burst.

What's more is his effect actually involves the utilization of the Burst mechanic. Once per turn, when you apply the effect of Burst, you get a Chakra back. Now that effect is not bad, however it's not amazing either, especially since you can get the same effect without the requirement of Burst on the next turn with Killer Bee. Another problem lies in his Entrance Cost; he's Turn 3. This means he clashes with Anko, who, in my opinion, is the optimal three drop for the Burst deck.

This Naruto isn't amazing but it does have its uses. Something tells me that some upcoming Reinforcement of Naruto is going to require Naruto Uzumaki + "Jinchuriki", forcing you to play this Naruto if you want to play the Reinforcement. If that's the case, assuming the Reinforcement is actually good, this card will see tons of play. However, this is just speculation, so don't get excited just yet. Another thing that I feel might happen is the activation of Burst at different times. The reasoning behind this is present in his wording that reads, "When you apply the effect of Burst,". Maybe we'll be able to reuse the Burst of Ninjas through some cool effects this Set. 

That's it for now. We'll be having some more material over the week, most likely. Check back Saturday for another Stormy Battle segment, reviewing all the Bandai Previews revealed so far and Sunday for another exclusive Preview!