For any returning players out there, here's a simple beatdown deck for you.
17-18
3 Dark Elf
3 Slate Warrior
3 Giant Orc
3 Goblin Elite Attack Force
2 Penguin Soldier
1-2 Dark Necrofear
2 Caius the Shadow Monarch
12
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
3 Smashing Ground
Allure of Darkness
2 Pot of Duality
3 Mystical Space Typhoon
7-9
Mirror Force
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
0-2 Ultimate Offering
Plenty of beatsticks with lots of removal.
For anyone wary of Duality, try this: pick up the top 3 cards and see if adding one of them to your hand helps. In this particular deck, the special summon clause won't be an issue. In others, it's more about gathering combo pieces for later in the game.
Offering simply allows the possibility of a swarm. It's up to the player's preference to use it or not. If anyone's interested in trying to use Offering for exceeds, stick to Offering Gadgets. They're far better equipped to do it.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Magical Retreat
Today we'll look at an easily disregarded and underestimated common from Photon Shockwave.
Sound the Retreat!
Normal trap
Return all monsters you control to the hand.
Now at first appearance why would anyone run this? After all the hard work you did to get a few monsters on the field why put yourself back to square one? Some people use Compulsory Evacuation Device in response to the opp's removal effect to save their monster. This would do it largescale in response to mass removal like Dark Hole and the freshly semi limited Torrential Tribute. But then you'd have to summon them all over again.
Now here comes the ingeniousness someone brought up on Pojo the other day about the card. Use Magical Hats.
Magical Hats
Normal trap
Activate only during your opponent's Battle Phase. Select 2 non-Monster Cards from your Deck and 1 monster you control. Shuffle those 3 cards and Set them on the field in facedown Defense Position. The 2 cards selected from your Deck are treated as monsters (ATK 0/DEF 0) and are destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase.
A favorite of Yugi's, this card has seen play a few times, largely in Geartown decks. Grab a pair of Geartown, make your opp choose either to atk em or end the battle phase and out pops Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragons.
Now with Sound the Retreat we have an instant Gold Sarcophagus that'll net you 2 spell/trap cards.
As with most combo decks, this one will need the help of Pot of Duality. The only issue is that these cards take up almost a quarter of the deck if you use em in full quantities. Try out different numbers on DN and see what works for you. Aside from this being a rather ingenious engine the deck can be anything you'd like.
Sound the Retreat!
Normal trap
Return all monsters you control to the hand.
Now at first appearance why would anyone run this? After all the hard work you did to get a few monsters on the field why put yourself back to square one? Some people use Compulsory Evacuation Device in response to the opp's removal effect to save their monster. This would do it largescale in response to mass removal like Dark Hole and the freshly semi limited Torrential Tribute. But then you'd have to summon them all over again.
Now here comes the ingeniousness someone brought up on Pojo the other day about the card. Use Magical Hats.
Magical Hats
Normal trap
Activate only during your opponent's Battle Phase. Select 2 non-Monster Cards from your Deck and 1 monster you control. Shuffle those 3 cards and Set them on the field in facedown Defense Position. The 2 cards selected from your Deck are treated as monsters (ATK 0/DEF 0) and are destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase.
A favorite of Yugi's, this card has seen play a few times, largely in Geartown decks. Grab a pair of Geartown, make your opp choose either to atk em or end the battle phase and out pops Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragons.
Now with Sound the Retreat we have an instant Gold Sarcophagus that'll net you 2 spell/trap cards.
As with most combo decks, this one will need the help of Pot of Duality. The only issue is that these cards take up almost a quarter of the deck if you use em in full quantities. Try out different numbers on DN and see what works for you. Aside from this being a rather ingenious engine the deck can be anything you'd like.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Solitaire
As I mentioned before I'm an active member of the Pojo forums. I'm also a member of three of the theoretical and support teams on there.
Over a year ago, a pair of members worked together on an antimeta deck, trying to improve and spread some awareness. The deck still needs work but is generally fun.
Let's start with the key components and then I'll add my little spin.
Timeater
Dark/Machine/Effect/6/1900/1700
If this monster destroys a monster on your opponent's side of the field in battle, your opponent skips his/her next Main Phase 1.
A low atk tribute monster that most players would glance at and ignore. While it does skip the first main phase of your opp, it simply sends them into their battle phase from standby.
Next is Thunder of Ruler.
Normal trap
You can only activate this card during your opponent's Standby Phase. During the turn this card is activated, your opponent cannot conduct his/her Battle Phase.
This shuts down the battle phase and has been seen in numerous stall decks. Used with Timeater, your opp is left with draw, standby and end phase. Cutting main 1 and battle phase stops your opp from entering main 2. Threatening Roar has a similar effect but will let them enter main 2.
Now we cut off their second main phase.
Terminal World
Continuous spell
Activate only during Main Phase 1. While this card is on the field, both players skip their Main Phase 2.
Now the turn will be draw, standby, end.
Now the hard part. Thunder of Ruler and Threatening Roar are only 6 cards with limited retrieval choices. Another issue is that Timeater must constantly kill a monster to make the opp skip their first main phase. And then there's always the consistency issue.
Now during the think sessions that were held by the two members, atleast one person tried Mask of Darkness to retrieve Thunder and Roar. Another person used Creature Swap to hand off battle recruiters (Mystic Tomato and the like) to the opp to deal with Timeater. Another option is Black Garden.
For consistency we have Duality. For Time edible monsters there's Wall of Ivy and Ojama Trio. To deal with Timeater's low ATK there's Solidarity in pure machine builds and Burden of the Mighty in all others. There's also Shrink and Forbidden Lance.
To help with Timeater's tribute there's Psychic Shockwave.
Normal trap
Activate only when your opponent activates a Trap Card. Discard 1 Spell/Trap Card to Special Summon 1 Level 6 DARK Machine type monster from your Deck.
The card was meant to be a way to summon Jinzo but it works here well enough.
Another card that helps is Safe Zone to keep Timeater alive as well as safe from bothersome Veilers.
Now for the actual deck. As I said, I put my own spin on the deck, making it a little less focused on Timeater.
16
3 Timeater
3 Victory Viper XX03
2 Falchion Beta
2 Jade Knight
3 Lord British Space Fighter
3 Blue Thunder T-45
16
2 Solidarity
2 Enemy Controller
2 Burden of the Mighty
3 Terminal World
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Limiter Removal
United We Stand
Book of Moon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
8
3 Thunder of Ruler
2 The Huge Revolution is Over
Mirror Force
2 Torrential Tribute
I took Timeater's need to eat monsters and combined it with Spaceships' same need.
E Con allows for easier snacks while making use of the tokens.
United makes a single ship into a boss, especially if used on Viper.
Huge Revolution was discussed in an earlier article and works well here.
The rest is self explanatory.
Enjoy the solitaire when you get the lock off and enjoy the beatdown otherwise.
Thanks for reading. Until next time this is the Island of Lost Cards, taking care of the ignored and unwanted.
Over a year ago, a pair of members worked together on an antimeta deck, trying to improve and spread some awareness. The deck still needs work but is generally fun.
Let's start with the key components and then I'll add my little spin.
Timeater
Dark/Machine/Effect/6/1900/1700
If this monster destroys a monster on your opponent's side of the field in battle, your opponent skips his/her next Main Phase 1.
A low atk tribute monster that most players would glance at and ignore. While it does skip the first main phase of your opp, it simply sends them into their battle phase from standby.
Next is Thunder of Ruler.
Normal trap
You can only activate this card during your opponent's Standby Phase. During the turn this card is activated, your opponent cannot conduct his/her Battle Phase.
This shuts down the battle phase and has been seen in numerous stall decks. Used with Timeater, your opp is left with draw, standby and end phase. Cutting main 1 and battle phase stops your opp from entering main 2. Threatening Roar has a similar effect but will let them enter main 2.
Now we cut off their second main phase.
Terminal World
Continuous spell
Activate only during Main Phase 1. While this card is on the field, both players skip their Main Phase 2.
Now the turn will be draw, standby, end.
Now the hard part. Thunder of Ruler and Threatening Roar are only 6 cards with limited retrieval choices. Another issue is that Timeater must constantly kill a monster to make the opp skip their first main phase. And then there's always the consistency issue.
Now during the think sessions that were held by the two members, atleast one person tried Mask of Darkness to retrieve Thunder and Roar. Another person used Creature Swap to hand off battle recruiters (Mystic Tomato and the like) to the opp to deal with Timeater. Another option is Black Garden.
For consistency we have Duality. For Time edible monsters there's Wall of Ivy and Ojama Trio. To deal with Timeater's low ATK there's Solidarity in pure machine builds and Burden of the Mighty in all others. There's also Shrink and Forbidden Lance.
To help with Timeater's tribute there's Psychic Shockwave.
Normal trap
Activate only when your opponent activates a Trap Card. Discard 1 Spell/Trap Card to Special Summon 1 Level 6 DARK Machine type monster from your Deck.
The card was meant to be a way to summon Jinzo but it works here well enough.
Another card that helps is Safe Zone to keep Timeater alive as well as safe from bothersome Veilers.
Now for the actual deck. As I said, I put my own spin on the deck, making it a little less focused on Timeater.
16
3 Timeater
3 Victory Viper XX03
2 Falchion Beta
2 Jade Knight
3 Lord British Space Fighter
3 Blue Thunder T-45
16
2 Solidarity
2 Enemy Controller
2 Burden of the Mighty
3 Terminal World
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Limiter Removal
United We Stand
Book of Moon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
8
3 Thunder of Ruler
2 The Huge Revolution is Over
Mirror Force
2 Torrential Tribute
I took Timeater's need to eat monsters and combined it with Spaceships' same need.
E Con allows for easier snacks while making use of the tokens.
United makes a single ship into a boss, especially if used on Viper.
Huge Revolution was discussed in an earlier article and works well here.
The rest is self explanatory.
Enjoy the solitaire when you get the lock off and enjoy the beatdown otherwise.
Thanks for reading. Until next time this is the Island of Lost Cards, taking care of the ignored and unwanted.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Dark Magic
I'm an active member of the Pojo forums. I try to help new players, either in the newbie section of Pojo or at locals.
Recently I've been seeing atleast three people try to make a Dark Paladin deck. While it's always easier to make a pure Dark Magician deck, I thought I'd give Dark Paladin a shot. Now the key card to a Dark Paladin deck and even a regular DM deck is Elemental Hero Prisma. A walking Foolish Burial is always nice.
Now let's look at ways of summoning Dark Paladin. With no special fusion cards for such an old card like Miracle Fusion, Gemknight Fusion and the likes all we really have is Fusion Gate and the original Polymerization. Both are lousy in requiring the cards in hand and/or on field. Again we go back to Prisma which helps us in this. There's also King of the Swamp with really helps as it's a fusion substitute that can tutor Poly.
That leaves us with:
2 Dark Magician
3 Skilled Dark Magician
2 Elemental Hero Prisma
Buster Blader
3 King of the Swamp
2 Polymerization
2 Dark Paladin
I didn't mention Skilled Dark before but it's always good to have in anything DM related.
Now with only 11 monsters we need to fill some slots. Let's add the good ol Apprentice engine.
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
Now we can add Sangan with 7 targets.
Now let's focus on the spells. First we'll add the staples.
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
For those capable we'll add Dualities. Otherwise it'll be Upstarts.
2 Dark Magician
3 Skilled Dark Magician
2 Elemental Hero Prisma
Buster Blader
3 King of the Swamp
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
Sangan
2 Polymerization
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
3 Pot of Duality/Upstart Goblin
2 Dark Paladin
And now the traps. Along with the staples, we'll add 2 copies of Call since the deck will be dumping DM or Buster quickly.
Final deck list:
16
2 Dark Magician
3 Skilled Dark Magician
2 Elemental Hero Prisma
Buster Blader
3 King of the Swamp
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
Sangan
12
2 Polymerization
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
3 Pot of Duality/Upstart Goblin
Book of Moon
Allure of Darkness
11
Mirror Force
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Call of the Haunted
2 Dimensional Prison/Sakuretsu Armor
2 Solemn Warning/Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
15
2 Dark Paladin
+13 random exceeds/synchros
The deck is currently 39 so add whatever piece of tech you'd like for the last slot.
Enjoy the dark magic.
Recently I've been seeing atleast three people try to make a Dark Paladin deck. While it's always easier to make a pure Dark Magician deck, I thought I'd give Dark Paladin a shot. Now the key card to a Dark Paladin deck and even a regular DM deck is Elemental Hero Prisma. A walking Foolish Burial is always nice.
Now let's look at ways of summoning Dark Paladin. With no special fusion cards for such an old card like Miracle Fusion, Gemknight Fusion and the likes all we really have is Fusion Gate and the original Polymerization. Both are lousy in requiring the cards in hand and/or on field. Again we go back to Prisma which helps us in this. There's also King of the Swamp with really helps as it's a fusion substitute that can tutor Poly.
That leaves us with:
2 Dark Magician
3 Skilled Dark Magician
2 Elemental Hero Prisma
Buster Blader
3 King of the Swamp
2 Polymerization
2 Dark Paladin
I didn't mention Skilled Dark before but it's always good to have in anything DM related.
Now with only 11 monsters we need to fill some slots. Let's add the good ol Apprentice engine.
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
Now we can add Sangan with 7 targets.
Now let's focus on the spells. First we'll add the staples.
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
For those capable we'll add Dualities. Otherwise it'll be Upstarts.
2 Dark Magician
3 Skilled Dark Magician
2 Elemental Hero Prisma
Buster Blader
3 King of the Swamp
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
Sangan
2 Polymerization
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
3 Pot of Duality/Upstart Goblin
2 Dark Paladin
And now the traps. Along with the staples, we'll add 2 copies of Call since the deck will be dumping DM or Buster quickly.
Final deck list:
16
2 Dark Magician
3 Skilled Dark Magician
2 Elemental Hero Prisma
Buster Blader
3 King of the Swamp
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
Sangan
12
2 Polymerization
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
3 Pot of Duality/Upstart Goblin
Book of Moon
Allure of Darkness
11
Mirror Force
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Call of the Haunted
2 Dimensional Prison/Sakuretsu Armor
2 Solemn Warning/Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
15
2 Dark Paladin
+13 random exceeds/synchros
The deck is currently 39 so add whatever piece of tech you'd like for the last slot.
Enjoy the dark magic.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Invading Worms
This week we'll look at Worms. This deck has been compared to Gravekeepers and Blackwings. It's also rather cheap.
We'll start by looking at the two main monsters: Worm Xex and Yagan.
Worm Xex
Light/Reptile/Effect/4/1800/1000
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can send 1 Reptile type "Worm" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. If you control a faceup "Worm Yagan", this card cannot be destroyed by battle.
Worm Yagan
Light/Reptile/Effect/4/1000/18000
If the only monster you control is "Worm Xex", you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard in facedown Defense Position. If you do, remove it from play when it is removed from the field. When this card is flipped faceup, select 1 faceup monster your opponent controls and return it to its owner's hand.
They're quite the pair. Summon Xex, dump Yagan and you get a free monster. That would be the BW similarity with Xex acting as Shura.
Next we'll cover the searcher.
Worm Cartaros
Light/Reptile/Effect/4/1200/500
FLIP: Add 1 Level 4 or lower Reptile type "Worm" monster from your Deck to the hand.
The archtype's Reinforcement of the Army.
Next is the deck's boss. Up until now, the cards have been Hidden Arsenal 1-3 supers, generally cheap.
Worm King
Light/Reptile/Effect/8/2700/1100
This card can be Tribute Summoned in faceup Attack Position by Tributing 1 Reptile type "Worm" monster. You can tribute 1 Reptile type "Worm" monster to select 1 card your opponent controls and destroy it.
The archtype's Gravekeeper's Descendant. Don't worry about his lvl. It's actually a benefit for our next card.
W Nebula Meteorite
Normal trap
Change all facedown monsters on the field to faceup Defense Position. During the End Phase this turn, change all faceup LIGHT Reptile type monsters you control to facedown Defense Position, then draw 1 card for each. After that, you can Special Summon 1 Level 7 or higher LIGHT Reptile type monster from your deck.
Now let's look closely at the wall of text.
First all facedown monsters are flipped faceup. This will activate flip effects and "when this card is flipped faceup" effects (Cartaros & Yagan respectively). Note that there has to be a facedown monster on the field for this card to activate.
Next, during the end phase, all faceup light reptiles you control are flipped facedown. Once they're facedown, you draw a card for each reptile.
Now we get to special summon a lvl7+ reptile from the deck (King). But if no Worms were flipped facedown you don't get to special summon a lvl7+ reptile.
This card makes the deck run and usually creates quite a bit of advantage. But it can be stopped by Solemn Warning.
Now let's look at what we have so far.
3 Worm Xex
3 Worm Yagan
3 Worm Cartaros
2 Worm King
Worm Linx, Worm Apocalypse and Worm Tentacles are tech choices. With the right protection, Linx can survive and net you a fair bit of advantage by letting you draw each turn but first it must be flipped and stay flipped. Apocalypse is currently beaten by 3 Mystical Space Typhoons and Heavy. Tentacles is rather fun as a double attacker.
Another tech choice is Evil Dragon Ananta.
Dark/Reptile/Effect/8/?/?
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play all Reptile type monsters from your side of the field and Graveyard. This card's ATK and DEF are each equal to the number of monsters you removed x 600. During each of your End Phases, destroy 1 card on the field.
Here we have a nomi monster meaning it can only be summoned by the means described in the effect. Generally you'd want atleast 3 Worms to get removed so it'll survive with 1800+ ATK. Now the key reason it's used is for its destruction effect. But be careful as it is mandatory and doesn't specify which side of the field the card must be on. Smart players will leave minimal cards on the field so you'll be left with only your cards to destroy. It's generally run at one or none.
However there is an OTK (one turn kill) deck that uses Ananta, Future Fusion and Worm Zero. But it's inconsistent and often ignored for the control variant.
Another card the archtype loves is Offering to the Snake Deity.
Normal trap
Target 1 faceup Reptile type monster you control and 2 cards your opponent controls; destroy all 3 targets.
Another similarity to BWs as Worms have their own Icarus Attack. Now the difference between them is that Icarus tributes a winged beast while Offering destroys. Before Konami's problem solving text and the card's reprint in LCGX it was a matter of knowing which card could do what. Icarus can tribute facedown winged beasts while Offering can't destroy facedown reptiles.
With the whole archtype being light they can use Honest. And to battle the meta they can easily play around Thunder King Rai-Oh with Cartaros, Duality and Sangan the only cards that don't draw. With the Ra Yellow mega pack out Rai-Oh received another reprint so it should be cheaper than before. The deck is a combo deck so it will generally run Pots of Duality to gather the pieces. Those will be the only truly expensive card in the deck. If you can't get em try Upstart Goblins.
Now let's look at a fully built deck. Budget options will follow the expensive stuff.
16
3 Worm Xex
3 Worm Yagan
3 Worm Cartaros
2 Worm King
3 Thunder King Rai-Oh
Honest
Sangan
10
Monster Reborn
Heavy Storm
Dark Hole
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
3 Pot of Duality/Upstart Goblin
Mind Control
Book of Moon
15
Mirror Force
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Mind Crush
2 Dimensional Prison/Sakuretsu Armor
2 Solemn Warning/Bottomless Trap Hole/Compulsory Evacuation Device
3 Offering to the Snake Deity
3 W Nebula Meteorite
The extra should have whatever you can fit but you should really have Number 39: Utopia and Wind-Up Zenmaister. The game mechanic of exceeds avoids the removal of Worm Yagan and Zenmaister allows you to reuse a couple Worms.
Book stops synchro/exceed plays.
Mind Control grabs a monster you can use to your advantage. If it's a tuner your opp foolishly left on the field you can synch. However you'll be looking for lvl4s to exceed with Yagan.
With all the bouncing the deck does (Yagan & Evac) and searches that go on in meta play Mind Crush adds some disruption.
The rest of the cards are self explanatory and while the deck is 1 card over the preferred and often considered "magic" number the deck has a lot of thinning to make up for it.
This deck by nature is control oriented so be prepared to wait on your optimal moves.
Now invade and conquer your locals.
We'll start by looking at the two main monsters: Worm Xex and Yagan.
Worm Xex
Light/Reptile/Effect/4/1800/1000
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can send 1 Reptile type "Worm" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. If you control a faceup "Worm Yagan", this card cannot be destroyed by battle.
Worm Yagan
Light/Reptile/Effect/4/1000/18000
If the only monster you control is "Worm Xex", you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard in facedown Defense Position. If you do, remove it from play when it is removed from the field. When this card is flipped faceup, select 1 faceup monster your opponent controls and return it to its owner's hand.
They're quite the pair. Summon Xex, dump Yagan and you get a free monster. That would be the BW similarity with Xex acting as Shura.
Next we'll cover the searcher.
Worm Cartaros
Light/Reptile/Effect/4/1200/500
FLIP: Add 1 Level 4 or lower Reptile type "Worm" monster from your Deck to the hand.
The archtype's Reinforcement of the Army.
Next is the deck's boss. Up until now, the cards have been Hidden Arsenal 1-3 supers, generally cheap.
Worm King
Light/Reptile/Effect/8/2700/1100
This card can be Tribute Summoned in faceup Attack Position by Tributing 1 Reptile type "Worm" monster. You can tribute 1 Reptile type "Worm" monster to select 1 card your opponent controls and destroy it.
The archtype's Gravekeeper's Descendant. Don't worry about his lvl. It's actually a benefit for our next card.
W Nebula Meteorite
Normal trap
Change all facedown monsters on the field to faceup Defense Position. During the End Phase this turn, change all faceup LIGHT Reptile type monsters you control to facedown Defense Position, then draw 1 card for each. After that, you can Special Summon 1 Level 7 or higher LIGHT Reptile type monster from your deck.
Now let's look closely at the wall of text.
First all facedown monsters are flipped faceup. This will activate flip effects and "when this card is flipped faceup" effects (Cartaros & Yagan respectively). Note that there has to be a facedown monster on the field for this card to activate.
Next, during the end phase, all faceup light reptiles you control are flipped facedown. Once they're facedown, you draw a card for each reptile.
Now we get to special summon a lvl7+ reptile from the deck (King). But if no Worms were flipped facedown you don't get to special summon a lvl7+ reptile.
This card makes the deck run and usually creates quite a bit of advantage. But it can be stopped by Solemn Warning.
Now let's look at what we have so far.
3 Worm Xex
3 Worm Yagan
3 Worm Cartaros
2 Worm King
Worm Linx, Worm Apocalypse and Worm Tentacles are tech choices. With the right protection, Linx can survive and net you a fair bit of advantage by letting you draw each turn but first it must be flipped and stay flipped. Apocalypse is currently beaten by 3 Mystical Space Typhoons and Heavy. Tentacles is rather fun as a double attacker.
Another tech choice is Evil Dragon Ananta.
Dark/Reptile/Effect/8/?/?
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play all Reptile type monsters from your side of the field and Graveyard. This card's ATK and DEF are each equal to the number of monsters you removed x 600. During each of your End Phases, destroy 1 card on the field.
Here we have a nomi monster meaning it can only be summoned by the means described in the effect. Generally you'd want atleast 3 Worms to get removed so it'll survive with 1800+ ATK. Now the key reason it's used is for its destruction effect. But be careful as it is mandatory and doesn't specify which side of the field the card must be on. Smart players will leave minimal cards on the field so you'll be left with only your cards to destroy. It's generally run at one or none.
However there is an OTK (one turn kill) deck that uses Ananta, Future Fusion and Worm Zero. But it's inconsistent and often ignored for the control variant.
Another card the archtype loves is Offering to the Snake Deity.
Normal trap
Target 1 faceup Reptile type monster you control and 2 cards your opponent controls; destroy all 3 targets.
Another similarity to BWs as Worms have their own Icarus Attack. Now the difference between them is that Icarus tributes a winged beast while Offering destroys. Before Konami's problem solving text and the card's reprint in LCGX it was a matter of knowing which card could do what. Icarus can tribute facedown winged beasts while Offering can't destroy facedown reptiles.
With the whole archtype being light they can use Honest. And to battle the meta they can easily play around Thunder King Rai-Oh with Cartaros, Duality and Sangan the only cards that don't draw. With the Ra Yellow mega pack out Rai-Oh received another reprint so it should be cheaper than before. The deck is a combo deck so it will generally run Pots of Duality to gather the pieces. Those will be the only truly expensive card in the deck. If you can't get em try Upstart Goblins.
Now let's look at a fully built deck. Budget options will follow the expensive stuff.
16
3 Worm Xex
3 Worm Yagan
3 Worm Cartaros
2 Worm King
3 Thunder King Rai-Oh
Honest
Sangan
10
Monster Reborn
Heavy Storm
Dark Hole
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
3 Pot of Duality/Upstart Goblin
Mind Control
Book of Moon
15
Mirror Force
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Mind Crush
2 Dimensional Prison/Sakuretsu Armor
2 Solemn Warning/Bottomless Trap Hole/Compulsory Evacuation Device
3 Offering to the Snake Deity
3 W Nebula Meteorite
The extra should have whatever you can fit but you should really have Number 39: Utopia and Wind-Up Zenmaister. The game mechanic of exceeds avoids the removal of Worm Yagan and Zenmaister allows you to reuse a couple Worms.
Book stops synchro/exceed plays.
Mind Control grabs a monster you can use to your advantage. If it's a tuner your opp foolishly left on the field you can synch. However you'll be looking for lvl4s to exceed with Yagan.
With all the bouncing the deck does (Yagan & Evac) and searches that go on in meta play Mind Crush adds some disruption.
The rest of the cards are self explanatory and while the deck is 1 card over the preferred and often considered "magic" number the deck has a lot of thinning to make up for it.
This deck by nature is control oriented so be prepared to wait on your optimal moves.
Now invade and conquer your locals.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Rogue Thievery
For this installment, we'll be looking at an oldie but a goodie. This is again for the rogue decks but far more selective.
Falling Down
Equip spell
Destroy this card if there is no faceup Archfiend card on your side of the field. Take control of 1 of your opponent's faceup monsters. Inflict 800 points of damage to your Life Points during each of your opponent's Standby Phases.
An archtype specific Snatch Steal. This game has seen multiple cards that steal monsters come and go. Change of Heart was the original with Snatch following. There's also Relinquished and his banned evolution Thousand-Eyes Restrict. Currently we only have Mind Control as the only "free" stealer. I use quotes because in card advantage theory it's not truly free. Any other stealer has a cost. Brain Jacker must flip meaning he has to survive a whole turn facedown and can't die in battle. Creature Swap is an even trade though it's generally a -1 (again card advantage theory). Enemy Controller requires a tribute.
Now what can we do with an archetype specific Snatch? Sadly Archfiends are a dead archtype and are rarely seen anymore. That does not make Falling Down dead though.
Thanks to some translation snaffu we had a handful of cards printed that are considered Archfiends before Archfiends debuted in Dark Crisis. The most famous being Summoned Skull, the original tribute beater. There's also Axe of Despair. Both of these cards are seen in the hands of new players often. Well why not give them a card that saw it's generic twin banned? Let's toss together a quick newbie friendly Archfiend deck.
18
3 Archfiend Soldier
2 Summoned Skull
3 Flamvell Firedog
2 Flamvell Magician
2 Summoner Monk
Gorz, Emissary of Darkness
Sangan
2 Tragoedia
2 Breaker the Magical Warrior
14
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
2 Rekindling
2 Falling Down
2 Axe of Despair
Pot of Avarice
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Mind Control
Book of Moon
8
Torrential Tribute
Mirror Force
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
2 Dimensional Prison/Sakuretsu Armor
2 Solemn Warning/Bottomless Trap Hole
15
2 Red Dragon Archfiend
2 Stardust Dragon
2 Thought Ruler Archfiend
2 Dark End Dragon
Black Rose Dragon
2 No. 39: Utopia
4 open slots
Now the deck should be able to hold any big monsters off with the traps or you can steal them with an Archfiend enabled Falling Down. The main deck has 7 Archfiends with 4 more in the extra. That should be plenty to activate and keep Falling Down.
Key combos:
Firedog>Mage>synch>RDA/Thought Ruler/Utopia
Monk>Mage>synch>RDA/Thought Ruler/Dark End/Utopia
Axe on your/opp's monster>Falling Down. If you Axed an opp's monster steal the Axed monster.
Be wary of Typhoons and other cards that'll chain to Axe and/or Falling Down. Be careful when you Axe an opp's monster. Falling will often go down before Axe.
Cards to consider:
Hidden Armory.
Normal spell
Send 1 card from the top of your deck to the Graveyard. Add 1 Equip Spell Card from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. You cannot Normal Summon or Set the turn you activate this effect.
Grab Axe or Falling Down from wherever.
White Elephant's Gift
Normal spell
Send 1 faceup non effect monster you control to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards.
This is generally only good in decks that can spam vanilla monsters like Hieroglyph (Holy Marked Dragons) decks and the occasional Agent deck that doesn't want to synch/exceed. If it was quickplay it'd be that much better as well as worthy of a rarity bump.
Dark Necrofear
Dark/Fiend/Effect/8/2200/2800
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 3 Fiend type monsters in your Graveyard from play. When this card is destroyed by battle or by an opponent's card effect while it is a Monster Card, equip it to a monster your opponent controls during the End Phase of this turn. Take control of the equipped monster.
The deck has 9 fiends in the main. It can be used as a wall with its 2800 DEF. It also fits rather nicely with the stealing theme. Notice that it is a semi nomi monster. If summoned properly through the means described in its effect it can be revived later on unless it was returned to the deck or hand.
I hoped you enjoyed this spotlight and subsequent deck. Until next time, this is the Island of Lost Cards where the unwanted and ignored find homes.
Falling Down
Equip spell
Destroy this card if there is no faceup Archfiend card on your side of the field. Take control of 1 of your opponent's faceup monsters. Inflict 800 points of damage to your Life Points during each of your opponent's Standby Phases.
An archtype specific Snatch Steal. This game has seen multiple cards that steal monsters come and go. Change of Heart was the original with Snatch following. There's also Relinquished and his banned evolution Thousand-Eyes Restrict. Currently we only have Mind Control as the only "free" stealer. I use quotes because in card advantage theory it's not truly free. Any other stealer has a cost. Brain Jacker must flip meaning he has to survive a whole turn facedown and can't die in battle. Creature Swap is an even trade though it's generally a -1 (again card advantage theory). Enemy Controller requires a tribute.
Now what can we do with an archetype specific Snatch? Sadly Archfiends are a dead archtype and are rarely seen anymore. That does not make Falling Down dead though.
Thanks to some translation snaffu we had a handful of cards printed that are considered Archfiends before Archfiends debuted in Dark Crisis. The most famous being Summoned Skull, the original tribute beater. There's also Axe of Despair. Both of these cards are seen in the hands of new players often. Well why not give them a card that saw it's generic twin banned? Let's toss together a quick newbie friendly Archfiend deck.
18
3 Archfiend Soldier
2 Summoned Skull
3 Flamvell Firedog
2 Flamvell Magician
2 Summoner Monk
Gorz, Emissary of Darkness
Sangan
2 Tragoedia
2 Breaker the Magical Warrior
14
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole
Heavy Storm
2 Rekindling
2 Falling Down
2 Axe of Despair
Pot of Avarice
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
Mind Control
Book of Moon
8
Torrential Tribute
Mirror Force
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
2 Dimensional Prison/Sakuretsu Armor
2 Solemn Warning/Bottomless Trap Hole
15
2 Red Dragon Archfiend
2 Stardust Dragon
2 Thought Ruler Archfiend
2 Dark End Dragon
Black Rose Dragon
2 No. 39: Utopia
4 open slots
Now the deck should be able to hold any big monsters off with the traps or you can steal them with an Archfiend enabled Falling Down. The main deck has 7 Archfiends with 4 more in the extra. That should be plenty to activate and keep Falling Down.
Key combos:
Firedog>Mage>synch>RDA/Thought Ruler/Utopia
Monk>Mage>synch>RDA/Thought Ruler/Dark End/Utopia
Axe on your/opp's monster>Falling Down. If you Axed an opp's monster steal the Axed monster.
Be wary of Typhoons and other cards that'll chain to Axe and/or Falling Down. Be careful when you Axe an opp's monster. Falling will often go down before Axe.
Cards to consider:
Hidden Armory.
Normal spell
Send 1 card from the top of your deck to the Graveyard. Add 1 Equip Spell Card from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. You cannot Normal Summon or Set the turn you activate this effect.
Grab Axe or Falling Down from wherever.
White Elephant's Gift
Normal spell
Send 1 faceup non effect monster you control to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards.
This is generally only good in decks that can spam vanilla monsters like Hieroglyph (Holy Marked Dragons) decks and the occasional Agent deck that doesn't want to synch/exceed. If it was quickplay it'd be that much better as well as worthy of a rarity bump.
Dark Necrofear
Dark/Fiend/Effect/8/2200/2800
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 3 Fiend type monsters in your Graveyard from play. When this card is destroyed by battle or by an opponent's card effect while it is a Monster Card, equip it to a monster your opponent controls during the End Phase of this turn. Take control of the equipped monster.
The deck has 9 fiends in the main. It can be used as a wall with its 2800 DEF. It also fits rather nicely with the stealing theme. Notice that it is a semi nomi monster. If summoned properly through the means described in its effect it can be revived later on unless it was returned to the deck or hand.
I hoped you enjoyed this spotlight and subsequent deck. Until next time, this is the Island of Lost Cards where the unwanted and ignored find homes.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Salvation and Protection
Within Order of Chaos there is a little purple common that has or will create a ruckus regardless of its name.
The Huge Revolution is Over
Counter trap
When a Spell Card, Trap Card or Effect Monster's effect is activated that destroys 2 or more cards on the field; Negate the activation and destroy it.
What we have here is a new version of Starlight Road.
Starlight Road
Normal trap
Activate only when an effect is activated that would destroy 2 or more cards you control. Negate the effect and destroy that card. Then, you can special summon 1 Stardust Dragon from your Extra Deck.
Both cards protect the destruction of 2+ cards. That's the similarities.
Road gives you a 2500 beater that can save your cards once. But it can be negated by Solemn Warning.
Revolution disregards where the cards are or who controls them. What does that mean? You can stop Dark Hole/Torrential even when you only have 1 monster but your opp may have multiples. You can also stop Scrap Dragon. Judgment Dragon. Light and Darkness Dragon if you don't want your opp to get something back.
Make your choice and enjoy the salvation.
Until next time, the unwanted and ignored find care on the Island of Lost Cards.
The Huge Revolution is Over
Counter trap
When a Spell Card, Trap Card or Effect Monster's effect is activated that destroys 2 or more cards on the field; Negate the activation and destroy it.
What we have here is a new version of Starlight Road.
Starlight Road
Normal trap
Activate only when an effect is activated that would destroy 2 or more cards you control. Negate the effect and destroy that card. Then, you can special summon 1 Stardust Dragon from your Extra Deck.
Both cards protect the destruction of 2+ cards. That's the similarities.
Road gives you a 2500 beater that can save your cards once. But it can be negated by Solemn Warning.
Revolution disregards where the cards are or who controls them. What does that mean? You can stop Dark Hole/Torrential even when you only have 1 monster but your opp may have multiples. You can also stop Scrap Dragon. Judgment Dragon. Light and Darkness Dragon if you don't want your opp to get something back.
Make your choice and enjoy the salvation.
Until next time, the unwanted and ignored find care on the Island of Lost Cards.
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