Card Slash
Card Slash (カードスラッシュ Kādosurasshu; Dub: Digi-Modify) is a technique in Digimon Tamers, in which Tamers swipe ("Slash") trading cards from the Digital Monster Card Game, or certain other special cards, into their D-Ark Digivice to generate temporary power-ups, equipment and other modifications for their partner Digimon.
Overview[edit]
Basis[edit]
Digimon Tamers depicts Digital Monster Card Game cards as having a metallic stripe along their side, containing code pertaining to that card's gameplay effects. This code is meant to be read by Card Fighter Ex devices that are used to play the game, by Slashing cards through a long slot in the device,[1] but the D-Ark Digivice is able to use the code from the cards to generate augmentations for partner Digimon. (Card reading functionality of a sort would later be added to the real Digital Monster Card Game, but it used barcodes along the base of some sets of cards instead, and was exclusively used with the D-Scanner toy line rather than to play the card game itself.)
Card Slashing works similarly to how it does with D-Arks in an American Digimon computer game that Lee Jianliang once played, where he met Terriermon. This game uses a card reader peripheral that is plugged into the computer; Jianliang's card reader became his D-Ark when he Slashed a Blue Card.[2]
Mechanics[edit]
The effect that a card has when Slashed is based on its own properties, and what type of card it is:
- Digimon Cards: Basic cards depicting individual Digimon, which are used in the card game to fight against other Digimon cards. When Slashed in a D-Ark, they instead allow the partner Digimon to use one of the featured Digimon's attack techniques.
- Option Cards: Support cards which invoke additional effects. In the Digital Monster Card Game, these come in three main types that are denoted by an icon in the top left of the card. Two of these types are used in Tamers for Card Slashing:
- Item Cards: Cards which add to some aspect of the Digimon's strength and abilities. They serve this function both in the card game and when Slashed. For the purposes of Slashing, Item Cards can be divided into three further categories:
- Equipment Cards: Cards which equip the partner Digimon with a physical item that has abilities that the Digimon did not previously have.
- Plug-In Cards: Cards which boost the attributes of Digimon. They can be used to increase a Digimon's offensive, defensive or speed stats, can recover a Digimon's energy and stamina, or can induce evolution to the Adult level. Each is named with a single-letter suffix.
- Device Cards: A type of item card that Akiyama Ryo describes as a "wild card" that is usable only by "truly strong Tamers".[3]
- Program Cards: Cards which execute a more complex procedure involving the partner Digimon.
- Item Cards: Cards which add to some aspect of the Digimon's strength and abilities. They serve this function both in the card game and when Slashed. For the purposes of Slashing, Item Cards can be divided into three further categories:
D-Arks are also able to read and execute effects from certain other cards which are not from the Digital Monster Card game, but do carry particular algorithms that are in some way intended for use with Digimon, such as Blue Cards.[4]
Jianliang observes that the only reason Card Slashing has any effect at all is because the Tamers believe that it will, and that the D-Arks transfer the power of that faith into their Digimon. He claims that if they did not believe the cards would do anything, the cards would just be cards with no effect at all.[5]
Multiple cards can be Slashed one after another to create combos, where a Digimon can use the powers of all of those cards together at once. However, the cards that a Tamer uses for a combo must be chosen carefully to avoid the cards' effects undermining each other. For example, when Takato tries to combo with the "White Wings" and "High Speed Plug-In B" cards, the increase to Guilmon's speed makes it harder for him to control his flight.[6]
Production[edit]
The mechanic of Card Slashing came about in Digimon Tamers due to a directive from Bandai to incorporate the Digital Monster Card Game into the series, as part of their larger directive to depict Digimon as an in-universe media franchise. According to Chiaki J. Konaka, he, at least, had difficulty with this directive, both due to it clashing with his own worldbuilding style and due to difficulties coming up with on-screen functions for the cards beyond the obvious application in evolution. As far as he can remember, Kaizawa Yukio may have been responsible for the concept of the D-Arks being created by Slashing Blue Cards through card readers.[7]
The cards that were used for Card Slashing in Tamers have since been reprinted and sold in several special-edition anniversary collections. They include cards which had only been identified by name and not by ID number (i.e. by having its face shown on-screen) in the series, in which case they select one pre-existing card that has that name. However, different collections do not always select the same card of the same name.
- The D-Ark ver.15th Edition release for the Digital Monster Card Game features reprints of every card that was used for (including in Takato's Card Fighter Ex and Jianliang's computer reader) in Digimon Tamers, as well as cards for the partner Digimon. It also includes replicas of the Blue and Red Cards, and also a brand new Re-83 High Speed Plug-In D card in reference to the episode "Culu Culun! Playing with Culumon!", which temporarily renamed the St-51 High Speed Plug-In B to this.
- The three Super Complete Selection Animation D-Ark sets each include, along with the replica D-Ark, a set of 10 cards. All three sets include a replica Blue Card and a reprint of St-100 Super Evolution Plug-In S, while the remaining eight cards in each set are selected from cards that that individual Tamer matching the D-Ark used. Like the D-Ark ver.15th Edition, the Lee Jianliang edition set also includes Re-83 High Speed Plug-In D.
Appearances[edit]
Anime[edit]
Digimon Tamers[edit]
Category | Image | ID No. | Name | Slashed by | Effect | Episode |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Option Card (Program) |
Bo-303 | The Revelation of Hidden Power!! 「秘めたる力の発現!!」 (Dub: (N/A)) |
Matsuda Takato | In a Digital Monster Card Game match that he plays with Hirokazu, Takato uses this card to evolve his Dark Tyranomon into a Metal Tyranomon (St-148) to defeat Hirokazu's Maildramon (Bo-333). This coincides with a Dark Tyranomon in the Digital World undergoing the same evolution and destroying a Maildramon that was chasing Culumon. | "Guilmon is Born! The Digimon that I Created" | |
Other card | (N/A) | Blue Card 「ブルーカード」 (Dub: Blue Card) |
Matsuda Takato, Makino Ruki, and Lee Jianliang | When used in a D-Ark: Triggers its user's partner Digimon's Matrix Evolution to the Perfect level. When used in any other card reader: Transforms the card reader into a D-Ark. |
Many episodes starting from "Guilmon is Born! The Digimon that I Created" | |
Mizuno Gorou (using Lee Jianliang's D-Ark) | Helps ZERO-ARMS: Grani realize. | "Save Dukemon! Grani Scramble" | ||||
Other object | (N/A) | Matsuda Takato's notepad | Matsuda Takato | When he first receives his D-Ark, Takato tries scanning his notepad full of Guilmon drawings through it. At first it doesn't work and the notebook is stuck in the D-Ark, but later that night, the D-Ark continues scanning through all the pages by itself and creates Guilmon's DigiTama. | "Guilmon is Born! The Digimon that I Created" | |
Option Card (Item) |
St-51 | High-Speed Plug-In B 「高速プラグインB」 (Dub: Speed) |
Makino Ruki | Renamon's movement speed increases, allowing her to slip out from under Lynxmon and attack. | "Guilmon is Born! The Digimon that I Created" | |
Lee Jianliang | In Jianliang's Digimon computer game, Terriermon's speed stat is increased. | "A Tamer's Task! Defeat Gorimon!" | ||||
High-Speed Plug-In D[N 1] 「高速プラグインD」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Terriermon's movement speed increases, allowing him to run and hit Evilmon before it can fire its Nightmare Shock. | "Culu Culun! Playing with Culumon!" | |||
High-Speed Plug-In B 「高速プラグインB」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon's movement speed increases, allowing him to dodge Devidramon's attack, but it makes him move too fast for the confined space and he crashes into an obstacle. | "Guilmon Evolves! The Great Decisive Battle in West Shinjuku" | |||
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon's movement speed is increased. | "Renamon is my Friend! Ruki's Perplexity" | ||||
Lee Jianliang | No observed effect. | "This is the Trump Card! Blue Card of Friendship" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
(N/A) | Bo-208[N 2] | Boost Chip 「ブーストチップ」 (Dub: Hyper Chip) |
Makino Ruki | Renamon's attack power is increased by 10%, according to Ruki. | "You are my Friend - Introducing Terriermon!" |
Lee Jianliang | In Jianliang's Digimon computer game, Terriermon's power stat is increased. | "A Tamer's Task! Defeat Gorimon!" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
(N/A) | Bo-18t[N 2] | Heavy Metal 「ヘヴィ・メタル」 (Dub: Armor) |
Makino Ruki | Renamon is equipped with a metal gauntlet that fires a powerful piston to punch opponents. However, when her punch misses Guilmon, the force of the piston firing sends her flying. Later, Yamaki Mitsuo finds this card discarded at the site of Guilmon and Renamon's fight, which has become a crime scene. | "Renamon vs Guilmon! Battle is a Digimon's Life" |
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-151 | Devil Chip 「デビルチップ」 (Dub: Power) |
Matsuda Takato | Takato Slashes this card to increase Guilmon's attack power, but the Slash fails. | "A Tamer's Task! Defeat Gorimon!" | |
Makino Ruki | Powers up Renamon's acquired Itetsuku Kaze. | "The Meaning of Partner - Renamon Evolves!" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
(N/A) | St-382[N 2] | Aurvandil's Arrow 「アウルヴァンディルの矢」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | In Jianliang's Digimon computer game, Terriermon's accuracy stat is increased. | "A Tamer's Task! Defeat Gorimon!" |
Option Card (Item) |
(N/A) | Bo-153[N 2] | Seed of Durability 「じょうぶ草の実」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Jianliang Slashes this card into his Digimon computer game intending for it to increase Terriermon's stamina, but instead, Terriermon evolves into Galgomon. | "A Tamer's Task! Defeat Gorimon!" |
Option Card (Item) |
St-381 | Training Gibs 「トレーニングギプス」 (Dub: Training Grips) |
Lee Jianliang | Terriermon's ears are equipped with a pair of training gibs, which he throws at Gorimon to bind its arms. Jian borrows this card from Takato, who received it from Shiota Hirokazu. | "A Tamer's Task! Defeat Gorimon!" | |
Option Card (Program) |
(None)[N 3] | Alias! 「エイリアス!」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Makino Ruki | Creates an illusory clone of Renamon to act as a decoy for Evilmon to attack. | "Culu Culun! Playing with Culumon!" | |
Makino Ruki and Lee Jianliang | Creates illusory clones of Taomon and Rapidmon, which stay trapped insted Beelzebumon's Bao Yù and are destroyed and loaded, while the real Renamon and Terriermon revert to their Child forms and escape the Bao Yù bubbles. | "The Name's Dukemon! The True Ultimate Evolution" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-46 | White Wings 「白い羽」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon is briefly equipped with a set of wings that let him fly to attack Evilmon. | "Culu Culun! Playing with Culumon!" | |
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon is briefly equipped with a set of wings, but they disappear when Devidramon hits him. | "Guilmon Evolves! The Great Decisive Battle in West Shinjuku" | ||||
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon is briefly equipped with a set of wings, allowing him to carry Ice Devimon to the ceiling of the cave. | "Renamon is my Friend! Ruki's Perplexity" | ||||
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon is briefly equipped with a set of wings, but he is unable to control his flight due to the previously used "High Speed Plug-In B" card. | "Shinjuku Ō-Guard - The 1½ min. Showdown!" | ||||
Digimon Card | Bo-126 | Yuki Agumon 「ユキアグモン」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Makino Ruki | Renamon acquires Yuki Agumon's Itetsuku Kaze technique, and uses it to repel Allomon's friames and then freeze it. | "The Meaning of Partner - Renamon Evolves!" | |
Digimon Card | St-200 | Snimon 「スナイモン」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Makino Ruki | Equips Renamon with metal blades on her arms that allow her to use Snimon's Shadow Sickle technique, which she uses to attack Dokugumon. | "The Meaning of Partner - Renamon Evolves!" | |
Option Card (Item) |
St-379 | Evolution Plug-In E 「進化プラグインE」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | No effect. Takato thought that slashing it in reverse would undo Guilmon's evolution into Growmon. | "Revert to Guilmon! Growmon Rebels" | |
Option Card (Program) |
None[N 4] | Inflating Space!! 「膨張する宇宙!!」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Terriermon inflates and expands in size enough to break both himself and Guilmon out of Ice Devimon's ice. | "Renamon is my Friend! Ruki's Perplexity" | |
Digimon Card | Bo-5 | Meramon 「メラモン」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Jianliang Slashes this card so that Terriermon can use the heat of Meramon's Burning Fist technique to melt his way out of Ice Devimon's ice, but it isn't strong enough to affect the ice at all. | "Renamon is my Friend! Ruki's Perplexity" | |
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-445 | High Speed Plug-In H 「高速プラグインH」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato and Lee Jianliang | Guilmon and Terriermon's movement speed is increased. | "Shinjuku Ō-Guard - The 1½ min. Showdown!" | |
Matsuda Takato | Growmon's movement speed is increased. | "Beautiful Evolution! Taomon Dances in the Moonlight" | ||||
Makino Ruki | Kyubimon's movement speed is increased. | "This is the Trump Card! Blue Card of Friendship" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
(N/A) | Not shown[N 5] | Offense Plug-In A 「攻撃プラグインA」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | The power of Guilmon's Fire Ball is supposed to increase, but Musyamon dodges the attack. | "Shinjuku Ō-Guard - The 1½ min. Showdown!" |
Digimon Card | Bo-109 | Metal Garurumon 「メタルガルルモン」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon acquires Metal Garurumon's Cocytus Breath technique, and uses it to freeze Dark Lizamon. | "The Order to Capture Digimon! The Premonition of Disaster" | |
Option Card (Item) |
St-100 | Super Evolution Plug-In S 「超進化プラグインS」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato, Makino Ruki, and Lee Jianliang | Triggers the evolution of its user's partner Digimon to the Adult level. | Many episodes starting from "Stand Up Tamer! The Super Evolved Megalo Growmon" | |
Option Card (Item) |
St-384 | Brave Shield 「ブレイブシールド」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Equips Terriermon with War Greymon's Brave Shield. | "Giant Snake Appearance! Great Edo Line, Great Panic" | |
Lee Jianliang | Equips Galgomon with War Greymon's Brave Shield. | "Impmon Evolves! The Shudder of Beelzebumon the Dark Lord" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-47 | Steel Drill 「鋼のドリル」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon's hands are transformed into drills that allow him to dig into the Tokyo subway system. | "Giant Snake Appearance! Great Edo Line, Great Panic" | |
Lee Jianliang | The horn on Terriermon's head is enlarged and transformed into a drill that allows him to dig a way out of a cave. | "The Mystery of Guilmon's Birth! The Mystical Water Space" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-448 | Power Charger 「パワーチャージャー」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | The power of Growmon's Exhaust Flame is increased. Takato borrows this card from Hirokazu. | "Giant Snake Appearance! Great Edo Line, Great Panic" | |
Makino Ruki | The power of Kyubimon's Koenryū is increased, but it is not enough to resist Vajramon's attacks. | "Beautiful Evolution! Taomon Dances in the Moonlight" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-541 | Thor Hammer 「トールハンマー」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Terriermon is equipped with Zudomon's Thor Hammer. | "Chase the Blue Card! Lightning Rapidmon" | |
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-443 | Strength Plug-In W 「強化プラグインW」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Makino Ruki | Renamon's hands and feet are temporarily wreathed in blue fire. | "Chase the Blue Card! Lightning Rapidmon" | |
Matsuda Takato | Growmon's Exhaust Flame is powered up. | "This is the Trump Card! Blue Card of Friendship" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-498 | High Speed Plug-In T 「高速プラグインT」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Galgomon's running speed is greatly increased. | "Chase the Blue Card! Lightning Rapidmon" | |
Matsuda Takato | No effect, because Growmon is too exhausted. | "Beautiful Evolution! Taomon Dances in the Moonlight" | ||||
Makino Ruki | Kyubimon's running speed is greatly increased. | "The Return to the Real World!" | ||||
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-497 | Defense Plug-In G 「防御プラグインG」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Galgomon's body is hardened into stone to protect him, but Pajiramon's kicks break the stone. | "Chase the Blue Card! Lightning Rapidmon" | |
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-539 | Invalidation Plug-In P 「無効化プラグインP」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | No observed effect. | "Chase the Blue Card! Lightning Rapidmon" | |
Option Card (Item) |
(N/A) | Bo-540[N 2] | Strength Plug-In O 「強化プラグインO」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | No observed effect. | "Beautiful Evolution! Taomon Dances in the Moonlight" |
Option Card (Item) |
None[N 6] | Reload Plug-In Q 「充填プラグインQ」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Reloads ammunition for Galgomon's Gatling Arm. | "This is the Trump Card! Blue Card of Friendship" | |
Option Card (Program) |
Bo-491 | The Sparkle of Fate!! 「運命の煌めき!!」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Makino Ruki and Lee Jianliang | Taomon and Rapidmon glow brightly and escape from Vikaralamon's goo attack. | "Digimon Total Sortie! Advancing while Facing the Wind" | |
Option Card (Item/Device) |
Bo-609[N 7] | King Device 「キング・デヴァイス」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Akiyama Ryo | Cyberdramon grows significantly in size. | "Here is the Ghost Castle! The Great Escape of Stray Culumon" | |
Digimon Card | St-209 | Lady Devimon 「レディーデビモン」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Katou Juri | Leomon acquires Lady Devimon's Poison technique, and uses it to destroy Orochimon. | "Friendship with Guardromon! "I'll fight too!", Tamer Hirokazu" | |
Digimon Card | (N/A) | Not shown[N 8] | Yukidarumon 「ユキダルモン」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Jianliang | Equips Terriermon with icy boxing gloves that allow him to use Yukidarumon's Zettai Reido Punch technique, in order to freeze a water leak into the cave. | "The Mystery of Guilmon's Birth! The Mystical Water Space" |
Option Card (Item/Device) |
(N/A) | Not shown[N 9] | Device Card: Knight 「デヴァイスカード・ナイト」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Akiyama Ryo | Cyberdramon is equipped with two lances, which he throws into the ground to use as a support for a rockslide to block the rise of the D-Reaper's bubbles. | "Whirling Ultimate Flower! Sakuyamon Evolves" |
Option Card (Item/Device) |
Bo-888[N 10] | Queen Device 「クィーン・デヴァイス」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Lee Shaochung | Andiramon glows pink and gains the ability to fly. | "The Power to Protect Juri - Beelzebumon's Fist!" | |
Other card | (N/A) | Red Card 「レッドカード」 (Dub: Red Card) |
Matsuda Takato, Makino Ruki, Lee Jianliang, and Akiyama Ryo | Enables partner Digimon to remain evolved while inside the D-Reaper. | "The Crimson Knight Dukemon - Save Your Beloved Ones!" | |
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-542 | Battle Tomahawk 「バトルトマホーク」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Makino Ruki | Renamon is equipped with Boltmon's Battle Tomahawk. | Digimon Tamers: The Adventurers' Battle | |
Option Card (Item) |
Bo-543 | Aero Wing 「エアロウイング」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Matsuda Takato | Guilmon is equipped with Aero V-dramon's wings, allowing him to fly after Hangyomon. | Digimon Tamers: The Adventurers' Battle | |
Digimon Card | St-188 | Shellmon 「シェルモン」 (Dub: (TBA)) |
Makino Ruki | Renamon acquires Shellmon's Hydro Pressure technique and tries to use it to extinguish Locomon's boiler, but the fire is too hot. | Digimon Tamers: The Runaway Digimon Express |
Video Games[edit]
Digimon Tamers: Brave Tamer[edit]
"Card Slash" is a menu option within the D-Ark submenu, both in and outside of battle, through which the player uses items (as all items are characterized as cards). It becomes usable once the player has obtained Matsuda Takato's D-Ark.
Digimon World Re:Digitize and Decode[edit]
During the Colosseum 40th floor Free Battle: "Digimon Tamer?", Matsuda Takato performs a Card Slash with the Matrix Evolution card to evolve Guilmon into Megalo Growmon.
Additional Information[edit]
References | Notes |
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