Deadman Trigger -- A Zombie Archetype

[Adak33]

Zombie doesn't show up that often for archetypes, that I've noticed. So here's my go at it.

 

Basically, the point of this archetype is that when a Monster from this archetype is summoned, you place a "Trigger Token" on one of your opponent's cards. Deadman Monsters all have effects that can only be triggered when a Trigger Token is removed from the field -- and you can only trigger one Deadman effect per Token removed. So let's show these guys off:

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: This card gains 800 ATK until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

You'll notice that this Monster has zero defense. In Yugioh's early days, Zombies always had zero defense, as I recall; I remembered that little fact and thought, why not?

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: You may Special Summon 1 "Deadman" Monster from your Graveyard. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: Decrease one Monster's attack or defense by 1000 until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

As per Chaos Affinity's excellent advice, I changed the activation clauses for a lot of these effects, so from here on out those clauses will be different! You can expect a lot of them to have more varied effects this time, too.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn,If a Set card with a Trigger Counter(s) is flipped face-up: Select 1 "Deadman" Monster; that Monster may attack twice during your next Battle Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a monster your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field by a "Deadman" Monster: Gain Life points equal to the destroyed Monster's Attack. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) removes 1 of your cards from the field: Negate the effects of your opponent's Continuous Traps and Spells until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) Removes a "Deadman" Monster from the field: Target 1 of your opponent's Monster Card Zones; once per Duel, if a monster is Summoned in that Monster Card Zone, place 1 Trigger Counter on it, also it loses 1000 ATK. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, If a monster with a Trigger Counter(s) destroys a monster you control by battle: You may return 2 cards on the field to their owner's hand. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) is destroyed by a card you control during their Battle Phase: Negate the effects of Monsters destroyed by "Deadman" Cards until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: Increase the attack of all Zombie Monsters by 500 until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

There are, of course, some ways to get more Trigger Tokens on the field:

 

When this Monster is normal, special, or flip summoned: Place 3 Trigger Tokens on a card or cards that your opponent controls.

 

When you Normal, Special or Flip-Summon this Monster, place 2 Trigger Tokens on a card or cards that your opponent controls.

 

The difference being that while Arrival places less Tokens than torch, it also has enough attack to be useful for other purposes. There's also some tribute Monsters:

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: You may destroy 1 Monster your opponent controls. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: "Deadman" Monsters deal Piercing Damage until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

Naturally this Archetype has a big boss Monster, and I think you've already guessed what it does:

 

This Monster gains 300 attack for every Trigger Counter on the field. When a Trigger Counter is removed from the field, this Monster's Original Attack increases by 500. You can Special Summon this card (from your hand or Graveyard) by Tributing 1 "Deadman" monster you control and removing all Trigger Counters from all cards your opponent controls. The effects of your "Deadman" monsters cannot be activated in response to this effect.

 

Note that this is technically not a Deadman Monster, as it does not have "Deadman" in its name. Thus, it is not subject to the rule that only one Deadman Effect may be triggered per token removed -- it's not a Deadman effect, so it always triggers when a Trigger Token is removed whether you used that token's removal to trigger a Deadman Monster's effect or not.

 

Lastly, a bit of spell support:

 

Zombie-Type Monsters gain 400 Attack for every Trigger Token placed on them. WHen this card is destroyed, all Cards with Trigger Tokens on them are destroyed, and both Players take 500 Life Point Damage for every Trigger Token on a destroyed Monster that they controlled.

 

If a "Deadman" monster you control is removed from the field while it has a Trigger Counter(s) on it: Until the End Phase, this card's effect becomes the effects of that monster. Then place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls.

 

So, what do you guys think? I appreciate commentary of any sort, even if they are inane or completely non-constructive!

[BatMed]

Well , as I understood your set, it's not "TOKENS" we call them "Counters"

Also, make some real support cards. I see all these cards running around with no archetype attached to them, No effects, nothing.

Except that,, each card have good balanced effects (I still want you to attach them with each other) and the pictures are okay

 

6/10  >>> Anyway keep the good work ;)

[Amanea]

Deadman Roar

With an effect that activates upon Summon, he is swift to set up combos for the deck, and he potentially benefits from this, possessing a formidable 1800 ATK to begin with. Perhaps too self-functioning and useful, his 800 ATK boost is arguably over the top. However, this is counteracted by a clause which nullifies any benefits which may be rewarded for utilizing Roar's 1800 ATK to remove Trigger Counters (as they are called, not Tokens) from the field: it expires during your coming End Phase. The current metagame reintroduces this weighty condition as a unique lock-down effect, preventing a monster with Trigger Counters from being Tributed, used as a Synchro Material Monster, and, depending on how you are willing to reword the effect in proper OCG, Xyz Material as well. Additionally, placing a Trigger Counter on a Set card would prevent the opponent from activating it without facilitating the rise of a 2600 ATK beater for them to deal with. In a format relatively unwelcoming to heavy back-row, I see this as nicely balanced. What I do not like is that his mandatory effect upon Summon prevents effects from being activated in response to his Summon, such as Bottomless Trap Hole. For an OCG reworking: "When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: This card gains 800 ATK until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect."

Deadman Break

Playing the same ATK manipulation game as Roar, I feel him to be a bit redundant and overall unneeded in the shadow of the aforementioned. Again, his OCG needs reworking similarly to Roar. Any effects which he would have in real life are just echoes of what I've already said in Roar's review.

Deadman Slash

Although still repetitive, he does provide a neat workaround for those halted by Zenmaines, Gachi Gachi, and other annoying wall monsters. However, his usefulness is limited beneath the fact that Defense Position is highly uncommon in strategies. To decrease the DEF of a monster, it must be face-up, which follows that you would have to have either already attacked that monster, flipped it face-up, and failed to destroy it, or your opponent must have Special Summoned it in face-up Defense Position, which, as I said, is going to be seldom seen. Overall a poor opener for the deck, and other cards in this archetype would see much more play than him. The clauses he shares with Roar and company need the same rewording.

Deadman Toxin

I think he epitomizes redundancy. There really isn't any reason to run Break or Slash with this one available. Out of these first four, only this one and Roar stand out to me as worthwhile in a deck. The other two are terribly overshadowed and overall uninteresting. The permanency of Toxin's effects really perpetuates this and also poses him as potentially broken. Like Roar, I would extend the decrease until the controller's next End Phase. Archetypal clauses need rewording.

Deadman Burn

With only passable though tangential burn damage to offer, I don't see any apparent usefulness that he would pose in real life. Burn damage is only competitively useful in a Burn Deck, and even then only to a mild degree. A monster whose burn damage is only fully applicable in a deck built to substantiate him is likely to fall into disuse. Archetypal clauses need rewording.

Deadman Freeze

I think it goes without saying that he is terribly overpowered. While he has potential as a useful shutdown staple for the deck, as it is, the ability to completely eliminate the threat of Spell/Traps is outright broken. A fair rewording could be: "When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: Negate the effects of your opponent's Normal Traps until your next End Phase. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect."

Deadman Shot

The same exact clause for each card begins to pose the threat of over-repetition. Play around with different conditions than, "If a card with a Trigger Counter(s) is removed from the field," as this limits the flexibility of the deck. For more powerful effects such as Shot's, I would suggest a different clause, such as: "If a monster with a Trigger Counter(s) destroys a monster you control by battle," or "If a Set card with a Trigger Counter(s) is flipped face-up." Mixing it like that can counterbalance exceptionally heavy effects. Archetypal clauses need rewording.

Deadman Stroke

Not dissimilar to all other members of the archetype thus far, his clause gives him the mild ability to function independently as a splash-able card in a Zombie Deck, yet his uses within the archetype are not to be overlooked. ATK should be lowered to draw attention away from his role as a pseudo-beater and more toward his supportive nature. Archetypal clauses need rewording.

Deadman Reload

 Until I saw him, I felt that there was little interaction to discuss overall with the effects of these monsters, as they did not have solid integrity with the archetype. Powerful recovery effects in Reload offer more cooperation; however, with scarce chances to stockpile the Graveyard within the deck, he will often be left a dead draw early game, and perhaps even mid-game due to the wording of his effect. Allowing only one Deadman monster to be resurrected would be more balanced and consistent, in my opinion, and it would not scream for a cost as loudly as his current effect does. Archetypal clauses need rewording.

Deadman Scream

He's just bland and redundant of a multitude of cards already mentioned.

Deadman Shatter

You seem to be confusing the natures of Tokens and Counters here. An easy way to reword her effect to conform to the attributes of Counters would be: "When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. Once per turn, when a card your opponent controls with a Trigger Counter(s) in removed from the field: Target 1 of your opponent's Monster Card Zones; once per Duel, if a monster is Summoned in that Monster Card Zone, place 1 Trigger Counter on it, also it loses 1000 ATK. The effects of "Deadman" monsters you control cannot be activated in response to this effect."

Deadman Torch

He has major set-up capability, although the player won't see any explosive plays originating at his effect. Rather, distributing Trigger Counters in addition to the ones that will be placed by the effects of the other members of the archetype amplifies the usefulness of your monsters who manage to survive a turn in order to reuse their effect. He does run into the potential roadblock of distributing more than one Counter on cards your opponent controls - basically wasting them. Like the others, his OCG needs to be reviewed.

Deadman Arrival

Stunningly similar to Torch, he might actually be favored over the former due to his capability as a beater as well as a enforcer of the Trigger Counters. There is enough difference between the two to offer the player a choice which to run based on personal preference. OCG needs to be reviewed.

Deadman Raze

His powerful destruction effect compounds with the removal of a card from the field, and he has a dangerous ability to trigger a chain of effects to explode at once. For example: Opponent's monsters A, B, and C have Trigger Counters on them. Raze attacks one monster and destroys it, triggering his effect. He destroys monster B, and another Deadman is able to respond with his effect. I really enjoy how this deck takes advantage of typical dead-end card removal effects. The effectiveness of cards like Mystical Space Typhoon and Bottomless Trap Hole are exponentiated by Deadman effects. Raze in particular has a well-designed effect that is deeply ingrained into the archetype. Well done. There is one thing that I would change in accordance to this card's existence: Modify Reload's effect to read "1 Level 4 or lower "Deadman" monster". Archetypal effects need rewording.

Deadman Stampede

I'm not too fond of a forced Tribute Summon for the mediocre reward of piercing Battle Damage, yet it totes a formidable 2500 ATK. He's a classic beater, without much else to offer except a frequent dead draw. Realize that Level 4 and lower monsters usually don't last long enough to be Tributed, and for that reason, Level 5 and higher monsters without an alternate Summoning condition must be granted immense function with the archetype in order to see any play. Archetypal effects need rewording.

Triggerman Dead

"Now, Gotham, this bomb is armed. This bomb is mobile. And the identity of the trigger man ... is a mystery!"

Oh, I love Bane. But, uhm, yeah, this one could really develop into a dreadful beater with constant ATK increases. However, a minus two on Summon is a heavy drawback to cope with, and the major reason why Level 7 and higher monsters are virtually never seen being Tribute Summoned in the current game. I would have loved to see an alternate Summoning condition on the boss, that would serve as its own drawback, such as: "You can Special Summon this card (from your hand or Graveyard) by Tributing 1 "Deadman" monster you control and removing all Trigger Counters from all cards your opponent controls. The effects of your "Deadman" monsters cannot be activated in response to this effect." That would provide an incentive to run him without fear of clogging.

Deadmansion

This is probably my favorite card, alongside Raze. It introduces a brilliant twist: placing Trigger Counters on your own monsters with the effects of Torch and Arrival instead of your opponent's cards. Balanced versatility of advantage, that's what this is. Suddenly there is an intriguing choice of strategies for the player, fluid workarounds to many technical problems introduced by the nature of Counters. Very well done.

Deadman Switch

Although a very interesting concept, it would be very difficult to work around the rules on this one. Here would be my rendition: "If a "Deadman" monster you control is removed from the field while it has a Trigger Counter(s) on it: Until the End Phase, this card's effect becomes the effects of that monster. Then place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 card your opponent controls." This would play along with Deadmansion, Arrival, and Torch very well, constructing an alternative strategy.

 

Overall, I've really enjoyed seeing an archetype based upon Counters and the fascinating effects to be conjured about their nature. Despite the blandness generated by repetition of several cards, some cleanup could turn this into an efficient, balanced, and fun archetype. Keep up the work!

[Adak33]

Alright, it took a while to get around to it, but I finally made some of those changes you recommended. Thanks a ton for the feedback, it was really helpful/ The OP now contains the altered cards.

 

There were, however, two cards that I didn't feel comfortable putting up there just yet. The first is the altered version of Deadman Break:

 

When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 Trigger Counter on 1 set card your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate that card in response to this effect. If that card is activated and it is a trap card, negate its effect and destroy it.

 

And the second is an alternate solution for how to get the tribute Deadman Monsters on the field more easily:

 

When tribute summoning a "Deadman" or Triggerman" Monster, you may remove 3 Trigger Counters from the field in place of one tribute. This effect may not be applied twice to the same Tribute Summon.

 

So, thoughts?