[Leaderboard] Aqua vs Simon Blackquill

[-Noel-]

Rules

• All Leaderboard rules apply.
• First to 3 votes or most votes by the deadline wins.
• The winner gets a rep from the loser.
• Voters are to explain their reasoning. Better-explained thought processes will receive reps.
• Written cards are allowed. (Must be in written format, cards with blank pictures are not acceptable)
• Remove any evidence of the card being made by you to ensure anonymity.
• In case a downtime happens, the deadlines may be extended.

Deadlines

• PM your cards within 48 hours after I accept the challenge.
• Voters have 72 hours to vote once the cards are posted up.

Requirements

• ​​A non-generic Rank 4 Xyz Monster, also it mustn't belong to any existed archetype

[spoiler='Card A']

 

2 Level 4 FIRE monsters

While you control only FIRE monsters, this card cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 card on the field; destroy it. Once, while this card is face-up on the field: You can banish 1 FIRE monsters from your Graveyard; attach 1 FIRE monster from your Graveyard to this card as an Xyz Material.

[/spoiler]

 

[spoiler='Card B']

 

 

2 Level 4 Non-Effect monsters
If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field; Return it to its owner's deck. While this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot target non-Effect monsters you control with card effects.

[/spoiler]

[Northern Sage]

Let's go.

[-Noel-]

Alright, accepted.

[Northern Sage]

Card sent.

[-Noel-]

Cards are up.

[Atypical-Abbie]

Card A:

So, no targeting it for effects, but it's limited to when you only have FIRE monsters, so that's not so bad with 1400 ATK. Quick Effect destroy effect...eh, I dislike that, it seems too easy to pull off, but then again, 1400 ATK, so you can easily run over it. You can attach one material to it again, well, most of the time I would believe it would die before you can do that, but there are still protection cards you can use, and you could Safe Zone it.  Another problem is that you can Special Summon it again from the Graveyard with various different things.

 

Card B:

Non-Effect monsters requirements, so Gemini, Trap Monster, Noble, Pendulum Normal, as well as anything that still plays Rescue Rabbit can play it, which isn't really a lot, but it seems decent enough for those kinds of Decks. A simple shuffle effect on battle, it doesn't detach any Xyz Material for it though, which is kind of stange, but I guess that it can survive longer that way. Strangely another card that prevents targeting, though this isn't for itself, but for all other non-Effect Monsterrs, which is pretty decent, though as it doesn't have any build in protection for itself, that does hurt a bit. 2400 ATK is decent enough though, and any Deck that can run it probably have no reason not to, though it doens't really add all that much to them either I feel.

 

Well, this is tough, since Card A does have things I dislike, though it isn't the most broken card ever either, and Card B is just alright. I'll go for Card B, since I am more for balance than usability.

[Northern Sage]

1-0 Card B

Thanks for voting.

[Darj]

Card A:

It has low stats for a Rank4 and its built-in protection won't help it against attacks. At this point the card appears to be weak... until you read its main effect. From what I have learned about Card Making here in YCM, Quick Effects are slippery slopes and often end up as unfair because of their disruptive capabilities that can behave as "you can't play Yugioh" effects, which are unhealthy for the game. For this reason, cards such as Pleaides are considered unfair. And Card A is not too different to Pleiades: It might not bounce, but it still remove cards during either player's turn and disrupts the opponent's plays. Granted, unlike Pleiades it comes with low stats which in theory should make it easier to remove, but on the other hand it has that protection against targeting, which raises its survivavility and with it its chances of destroying at least 2 cards before it is eventually removed. Then with the last effect it gets to destroy 1 additional card provided it survives the opponent's turn; you don't even have to worry about not having enough FIREs in the grave at that point: you can simply banish 1 of the former materials to re-attach the other one.

 

Finally, I noticed it has 200 DEF, most likely intended to get Rekindling support, which is cute considering that its last effect allows it to attach itself a material for a card pop.

 

Card B:

It looks fine. It spins Spell/Traps but requires it to destroy a monster by battle, which makes the effect slow. Plus nowadays destruction by battle is somewhat of a difficult condition to fulfill; and even if it wasn't, the card is playable only in few decks or splashed along Rabbit so it will be hardly abused. The protection effect for other Normal monsters you control is nice. In addition, it has a respectable 2400 ATK that helps with triggering its effect, but considering it requires specific materials, I think it whould have been fine if it had been given +100, if not +150, more ATK.

 

 

I vote for Card B because it feels more balanced.

[Northern Sage]

2-0 Card B

Thanks for voting.

[Duel Emperor]

I vote for card A. Normally, if I see the card that got 2 votes and none to another card, I'd also vote for that card without thinking much, but when I was going to praise card B, what I could said was only wait wtf, it's an Xyz Monster and yet has 0 interaction with Xyz Materials? Then it has a slow spin that only works on Spell/Trap and a hexproof but not for itself...

Uh what exactly do I get from wasting 2 Level 4 monsters again?

As for the problematic card A, it's a weaker Pleiades in both ATK and removal type. 1400 is not just weak, but very weak, and I love that it's the first FIRE exclusive Rank 4 and its hexproof only applied in the deck that focused around said Attribute. So, yeah. It has a quick removal, but on a 1400 body that made of 2 Level 4 non-spamming Attribute monsters, sounds not so terrible for me, and while I've seen card C votes before, I think card A is not that bad.

[Northern Sage]

2-1 Card B

Thanks for voting.

[Rera]

I vote Card A. I don't understand why Card B has no detaching effect despite being an Xyz Monster, in addition it doesn't generate an obvious plus, or at least can't ensure it like Card A, which make it not just subpar, but a weak card since Xyz Summon is theoretically -1 from the start. Card A is just better, I don't think the quick pop would do much nowadays, and its cute body already balance that a lot, even considerably weak if it doesn't have that conditional hexproof, more importantly, the art is damn cute <3

[Northern Sage]

2-2 Tie

Thanks for voting.

[Qliphort Tool]

I can't believe both of these cards were made by the 2 of you who always beat me every season O.o One being a quick Delteros while another has nothing but a mediocre stat?

 

Cannoneer's destruction as a quick effect along with Hexproof is definitely broken if it wasn't for that low stat (still OP or at least borderline though). That last effect is obviously for Rekindling.

 

But honestly, any card should have won that quick Delteros easily if your card was not so bad, but whoever (the art style of you guys already told everyone though) that made Card B should at least go to DN immediately. This card is nowhere near useful or decent in the current format. You have to defeat a monster to spin something and yet you could only spin a Spell/Trap? The last effect is probably the only nice thing here (in both cards), but you could only protect Vanilla and let yourself being targeted helplessly? Stat should be at least 2600+ or having an effect that let you detach for something in any shape or form and it would at least deserve a vote.

 

I understand what people are saying about balance over usefulness, but in this case the balanced one did not make it good enough, and since some OP cardmaker at least had a common sense to not give it a 1800+ stat, I'll go with Card A.

[-Noel-]

Wow, this is so close. My card won 3-2 unless Simon has any objection