In August 1993, Wizards of the Coast would set the gaming world on its ear with the debut of Magic: The Gathering, ushering in a totally knew form of gaming: the collectible card game.

Many designers and companies have attempted to profit on the frontier of CCGs. A few have managed to endure and become major names. Some have settled into niche followings... while others have failed with amusing and disastrous results. Elephant Graveyard gives tribute to the lesser known card games that have populated your hobby stores shelves over the years...

Ultimate Combat (1995)

Today we present ULTIMATE COMBAT from Ultimate Games, the card game that lets *you* become an undefeated master of the martial arts!

Utilizing an array of hand-to-hand combat techniques, artifacts, and actions, you can pummel your opponent into submission. It was even the Official Card Game of the US Judo Association, the US Tae Kwon Do Team, and the USA Wrestling Team at the time! Indeed, Ultimate Combat was a homage to authentic martial arts action... despite a lot of various mystic power cards.

THE GOOD

For starters, there's a wide array of fighting techniques represented, from striking moves of karate & tae kwon do, to the throws and holds of judo, jujitsu and wrestling. There's also a neat "movement" mechanic that effects how powerful your techniques are, depending on which way you and your opponent are moving

The sanctioned tournament format also has an interesting set-up. There are four different levels of competition, corresponding to the four belt colors in the game (white, brown, black and Master's). Each level puts a cap on how many commons, uncommon, rares, and foil cards can be in your deck. For instance, a novice White Belt deck can have any number of commons, 10 uncommons, 4 rares & 2 foil cards. Meanwhile, a Black Belt deck can have any number of commons & uncommons, 16 rares, & 8 foils. Naturally, for a Master's deck, it's anything goes: no limit on any rarities. It would have been really useful in tournament play... had Ultimate Combat lasted long enough to have an organized play scene.

THE BAD

If you've played Magic: The Gathering... you've pretty much played Ultimate Combat already. With the exception of Movement, pretty much all the other game mechanics bear an uncanny resemblence to MTG. You pay for your cards by generating Power Points from your Foundation cards, a la land. Techniques play much like creatures, each one attacking & defending one at a time, sans other card effects. These techniques are then discarded from play after attacking or defending. Picture MTG combat where all the creatures act like Ball Lightnings.

THE UGLY

The artwork... Great Hera, the artwork in this game.

Apparently, Ultimate Games just went down to the local dojos and photographed them in various katas and poses. This seems perfectly reasonable for a martial arts CCG...

Except that they then added lots of Photoshopped special effects to the pictures, ranging from the mundane speed lines and after-image effects to show movement, to the more absurd energy and glowing power auras. Sadly, I was unable to find the Bad Body Odor card for this article...

CAN IT BE SAVED!?...

It would need a total makeover, first and foremost; something that didn't steal from MTG verbatum. Oddly enough, Comic Image's pro wrestling game WWE Raw Deal does a fairly innovative way of doing one-on-one combat. Wrestlers build their Fortitude as the game goes on, starting with basic punches, kicks and throws before moving up to more awesome trademark moves. Raw Deal might get a more in-depth viewing in future Elephant Graveyards.

Ultimate Combat is just one of the many CCG casualties you can find collecting dust at your local comic shop, or wandering on eBay looking for a home. So consider parting with a few dollars and try something new, they're usually pretty cheap, and you might be surprised and enjoy it!

But be warned, grasshopper, if you decide to track down some Ultimate Combat. "Once you begin, it will grip you like the iron vise of the immobilizing arm lock!" Actual box text, I swear.