FINISHED! Retrain that Vanilla #3

[VoicesOfChaos]

This week we review the entries for Doma The Angel of Silence.

 

This is the first level 5 or higher vanilla we have retrained that brings up new challenges. For stats of 1600/1400 you don't want to tribute summon and it isn't even summonable by something like Mystic Tomato. So we ether need an effect so good that it is worth summoning, an effect that lets you special summon it, or just make it a synchro.

 

Also Doma is a DARK Fairy which leads to a lot of flavor. I got a variety of different entries so this will be fun. I normally try to review them in order from first sent to last sent but a lot were sent very closely together so I will do my best to arrange the time-stamps.

 

Psychic Almighty

Lore: 1 DARK Tuner monster + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can pay 1000 Life points to increase this cards ATK by 1000. Every turn, decrease this cards ATK by 300 and place 1 "Silence" Counter on this card. You can remove 5 "Silence" Counters from this card to destroy 2 face-up cards. If you destroy a Spell or Trap you control by this cards effect, place 2 "Silence" Counters on this card.

 

Well first off it says "every turn" but never states when. End phase? Standby Phase? These things are pretty important. The paying 1000 LP to increase the ATK by 1000 seems a bit random. I understand the base attack is low and need it increased to work with the silence counters but method just seems a bit weird. Next, 5 counters is a LOT for only getting 1 each turn until you hit 5. It is nifty that you get more counters for destroying your own cards, works well with GearTown and other cards that benefit from being destroyed.

 

This wouldn't be so bad if the ATK increase was more refined and the silence counters better explained. Could probably do away with the ATK decrease and lower the needed number of counters to activate.

 

 

Hounds of Anubis

Lore: You can special summon this card from your hand by discarding one "Darklord" monster from your hand to the graveyard. If this card is removed from the field, remove it from play. Depending on the monster you discarded to summon this card, this card gains a different effect.

• "Darklord Asmodeus" - This card cannot be destroyed by battle. If this monster is destroyed by a card effect then you can add one Fairy monster from your deck to your hand.

• "Darklord Desire" - Once per turn you can discard one Fairy monster from your hand to the graveyard to destroy one monster your opponent controls.

• "Darklord Edah Arae" - This card gains 900 Attack.

• "Darklord Superbia" - You can tribute this monster and one other Fairy monster on your side of the field to special summon one Fairy monster from your graveyard, that monster's effect is negated.

• "Darklord Zerato" - Once per turn, you can discard one DARK monster from your hand to the graveyard to halve the attack of one monster your opponent controls.

 

 

Ok where to start? I really really do like the DarkLord flavor to it! I myself find the concept of the DarkLords to be a pretty cool archtype. To be honest too each effect does relate to the card discarded really well too! None of them seem too over-powered but they all seem good enough to want to play. So it is all very good! But of course it doesn't even need to be said, the effect is just simply way to long.

 

It might have been better if you made 2 cards (I have said you can send in optional support cards) and have each card have 2 of the above effects (Could leave Zerato out and be ok). Course the other way to go is just make it special summonable by discarding the a DarkLord but just have a generic effect and not a unique one. But that is a lot less fun. Overall I love the flavor and even the balance is pretty good but the playability loses some points due to the long and some-what complicated effect.

 

 

Vediavis

The OCG is a bit vague. Can I activate ether effect every turn equal to the number of Doma in my grave? Do these effects only trigger when summoned? Can you this activate them endlessly?

 

A bit straight-forward which isn't bad but it really doesn't leave much to be desired.

 

 

Dwarven King

LORE: During your main phase, you may activate one of the following effects. * Skip your battle phase. Your opponent then skips his/her next battle phase. * Discard the top card of your deck to make your opponent discard the top card of his/her deck.

 

Ehh I don't really like how you completely force your opponent to skip their battle phase just for you not attacking. Burn, Mill, Exodia, and all other non-battle decks would abuse it too much. At least with other stallers like Gravity Bind or Wall of Revealing Light there is loop-holes to get around it. This only loophole is you need to kill it with a card effect. At least Marshmallon can be pierced. The second effect is ok but feels like it should even be stronger actually.

 

 

Cody Frost

 

I like this quite a bit. Can special summon just for controlling a fairy. Then once per turn can negate an attack by milling. The switching to face-down defense position seems a bit odd, I think it would have been better if it was only defense position while leaving it face-up.

 

The special summoning would be abused for synchros, especally with Trust Gaurdian. It won't out for a while but would also be good to exceed Protector of the Founders, Tyrus. Overall it is pretty good, balanced, and fun.

 

 

Darkplant

If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card would be removed by play, except by its own effect, send it to your Deck. Once per turn, you can select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls, and destroy it. During the End Phase, remove this card from play. When your opponent declares a direct attack while you control no monsters, and this card is removed from play, you can Special Summon this card and end the Battle Phase.

 

The effect did confuse a bit until I re-read it a few times. The Cyber Dragon effect mixed with destruction is cool, the ATK isn't too high so it doesn't seem like too much of a nasty hit. The whole remove from play thing is a bit different but I see where you were going with it. I like the summoning at the end of an opponent's battle phase.

 

Overall might be a bit too powerful being able to destroy constantly, re-summon, and evade. But there is a bit of pay-off for it. Pretty neat all in all.

 

 

Mr. Striker

Doma the Angel of Silence

DARK

LEVEL 5

Fairy/Effect

ATK 1600

DEF 1400

Once per turn, you can discard 1 card to decrease this card's Level by the Level of the discarded card, until the End Phase of your turn. This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster for a Level 6 or lower Synchro Monster. As long as this card is on the field, no player can declare an attack with Level 5 or higher monsters. When thus card is destroyed, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Fairy-Type monster from your Deck. Then shuffle your Deck.

 

Being able to decrease the level while at the same time not being able to synchro under 7 seems interesting. The search effect is decent too. I feel iffy on the level 5 or higher not attacking but having low stats I guess it is easy to kill with a level 4.

 

Overall not bad but the effects seem a bit disconnected.

 

 

Donovyn Mikara Gerra

 

Straight forward destruction of whoever kills it. Then re-summons to keep a defense up. Though I feel the not attacking directly effect is a bit pointless. I guess it is to ensure not clearing the opponent's field and then attacking with it but I don't think that is a huge concern.

 

Balanced and playable. Pretty decent all-around.

 

 

Sorin Markov

Lore: Once per turn, you can discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 monster your opponent control. When this card is destroyed, activate one of these effects based on how it was destroyed:

-Result of battle: Destroy 1 monster on your opponent side of the field.

-Monster's effect: Destroy 1 monster that you control.

-Spell/Trap: Destroy all monsters on the field.

 

What a weird conditional destruction effect. By a monster effect you destroy your own monster. Spell and traps hit everything. Quite a gamble at times it seems.

 

The Tribute to the Doomed effect is all good. But I feel the randomish destroyed effect doesn't leave a lot of incentive to play. It is very chance-ish but not even in a way that tempts you test fate.

 

 

The Wicked One

Lore - If your opponent activates a Spell or Trap, you can discard 1 card in your hand to negate that card's effect and destroy it. Every time a Spell or Trap card is destroyed by this card's effect, add 1 Spell Counter to this card (MAX 2). You can remove 1 Spell Counter from this card to negate the effect of an Effect Monster until

 

A pretty solid magic/trap jammer. But your opponent sees it coming so that questions how effective it would be. It certainty does make an opponent think twice before trying something. The spell counter thing is a niffty idea but by using its effect alone I don't really see it ever happening.

 

Not a terrible card. Spend a tribute to get a bit of a lock-down effect. But you would need to have Spell Counter support like Spell Power Grasp to get off the monster effect nagation.

 

 

 

WINNERS!

1st: Cody Frost

2nd: Hounds of Anubis

3rd: Donovyn Mikara Gerra

 

It was hard and close to pick the winners. Lots of good entries this week. I want to give a giant "THANK YOU!" out to everyone that entered!

 

As much as I enjoy doing Retrain that Vanillia, it will be going on break so I start another contest that I have been wanting to do for a while. Later today after I fix up all the details I will be posting "Double Structure Contest"! The prizes will be much bigger then the ones here and the challenge much more complex so if you really want a good challenge then please check it out!

[Cody Frost]

:D My first contest 1st place! That's a good feeling :)

[Dwarven King]

Gah! I didn't win this one either! D: But I do feel like I did better on this one then I did on the one before. So I am improving!

 

GOOD JOB EVERYONE! :D

[Guest Hounds of Anubis]

Eh, figured I'd gone overboard with it, but getting second sure feels good. Well competed, everyone.