Card of the Month: Verz Ophion

So I've already shown you my Hieroglyph Psychic Silver Dragon of Red Eyes deck and I hope you had fun trying it, although inconsistency exists in the deck due to a higher number of vanilla monsters. I've been using it alongside my revamped Poseidra Turbo 7 deck and Vampire deck in YgoPro for a few days now, I usually go with the name jjangbak or Master in YgoPro since for some reason I can't use MasterEM, so if you see those names, hello to you. While testing my HPSDRE deck, I noticed something, it's gonna be hard to use this in the meta since the third favored deck is Verz and the deck is going to get smooshed by Ophion and never in my life have I ever hated this card for this reason.

Verz Ophion

DARK / Dragon / Rank 4 / 2550/1650

"While this card has Xyz Material, Level 5 or higher monsters cannot be Special Summoned. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; add 1 "Infestation" Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand."

This card needs no explanation since it's effects are pretty simple. The second effect allows for it fetch an Infestation Spell/Trap card. It can search for that annoying Verz' own Forbidden Lance or the trap card that allows them to return to the deck to add another Verz monster to your hand, which we all know that they're going to get Castor or Kerykeion to bring out another Ophion during their turn.

But the more troublesome effect is its pedophile effect (because Ophion likes them under 5, get it?). This effect kills my HPSDRE because I can't special my Su, Tefnuit and Nephthe which are the core of any Hieroglyph deck. The only way out is for me to tribute summon Nephte and use its effect to kill Ophion and hope that my hand can get me the winning combo to finish my opponent before he can bring out another Ophion.

There's nothing much to say since Ophion has a pretty simple effect that kills special summoning reliant decks such as Hieroglyph and E-Dragons. So instead I'll just present to you some of the ways to prevent Ophion from hurting you any further.

• Breakthrough Skill - It can be activated twice but not in the same turn so you can special summon in your own turn.
• Forbidden Chalice - Take out it's effect and then destroy it by a bigger monster but be sure to have a 3000ATK monster because this will take Ophion to 2950.
• Book of Moon - Flip it face down then special summon all you want.
• Maestroke - Same as Book of Moon but this time you can just attack it since Maestroke has a higher ATK than Ophion's DEF.
• Skill Drain - Same as Breakthrough but this one's permanent but it will cost you 1000LP.
• Book of Eclipse - Same as Book of Moon.
• Spellbook of Fate - Since I know you will have that Magical Cisty by End Phase and you will search Spellbook of Fate with Judgment to use you combo next turn.
• Blaster, Flame Incarnate Dragon - Kill it with fire.
• Dire Wolf - Same as Blaster.
• Gem Knight Pearl - It has a higher ATK by 50.
• Compulsory Evacuation Device - Bounce it.

And more bounce, destroy or flip face down effects that you can get your hands on.

There are many ways to get around Ophion but Hieroglyph doesn't have much so I used one of the engines from my other decks which is the Deep Sea Diva engine.

Just try to add 3 Divas, 2 Armsman and 1 Marksman to the HPSDRE to take out Ophion. Just summon Diva, use it's effect to call out Armsman then summon Armored Kappa, then use Kappa effect and detach Armsman which will trigger Armsman's effect and destroy Ophion. A very simple idea that can help the Hieroglyphs and other decks as well.