[Striker] Weekend Contest #7

[Nathanael D. Striker]

Note that my knowledge of the current meta is quite limited, so consider the grading from a casual perspective at this point. If I did miss things, feel free to let me know. Also, apologies in advance for not thinking of suitable Decks for use, so speak up with ideas that I missed.

[spoiler=Kid Gambino]

Nu - The Primordial Waters

DARK - ✪

Aqua/Effect

Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by shuffling all monsters in each GY into their respective Deck, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card gains 200 ATK and DEF for each monster returned to the Deck by this card effect. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed: You can excavate the top card of your Deck, and if it's a Monster Card, this card is not destroyed.

[?/?]

When your notes said “another effect that allows it to become indestructible if luck is on your side (unless your entire deck is monsters then lol)”, I immediate thought of the Gallis FTK Deck. Then, I took a more in depth look on how the Gallis FTK Deck plays, and Nu would simply serve as a reset if the FTK was prevented somehow (e.g. Birdman is interfered with for example given its Limited status). However, that possibility of a reset would be limited depending on the makeup of the Deck itself (e.g. all monsters or some Spells/Traps included). In general, this card would be best served in a monster heavy deck to fully utilize it, yet I can’t really think of any other decks that this could fit in with.

As for the card itself, it’s main strength happens in the mid-late parts of a duel where both sides have gone through a fair amount of their monsters. Now if I recall correctly, duels don’t tend to go that far anymore, which would imply that this card wouldn’t be able to reach its full potential. I can reasonably expect this card to reach around 1400-2000 ATK given a good set-up, so I don’t really expect it to be a beater unless you are extremely luck for a duel to last a while. So on one hand, it gives you a valuable reset. On the other hand, it won’t serve as that effective of a beater. What to do, what to do.

Balance: 19.5/25

Playability: 9/15

Creativity: 8.5/10

Total: 37/50

[spoiler=Azure Wolf]

I’m really tempted to say that this can be teched with Mermails.given its first effect. The first effect pretty much guarantees at least 1 monster will have its effects negated, which I think is alright for banishing 1 card. As I don’t think you’d have the possibility of negating a lot of monster’s effects with this card, it seems pretty balanced to me. The second effect reminds me of One Day of Peace (its first effect), which is pretty nifty. Interesting way to getting some draw power, and having your opponent draw to does add a little risk to it, especially since it is a mandatory effect. Very interesting. Aside from Mermails, I’m drawing blanks on where this could be used in.

Balance: 24/25

Playability: 11/15

Creativity: 9/10

Total: 44/50

[spoiler=Eshai]

Star Under the Sea

FIRE - Level 4 - Aqua/Fusion/Effect - 300 ATK/200 DEF

2+ Pyro monsters + 1+ Aqua monsters

Can be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by Tributing the above cards you control (in which case you do not use "Polymerization"). This card can attack directly. This card gains 300 ATK for each Pyro monster in your GY. This card's maximum number of attacks per Battle Phase equals the number of Aqua monsters used for this card’s Fusion Summon. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 Pyro monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only control 1 “Star Under the Sea”.

This card does scream “make a deck based on me”, which helps with its playability as it doesn’t go for the “let me see what I can work with” route. However, I’m not a fan of purposely making a card that can OTK; however, your notes did hint at a late game maneuver, which I can see based on how it gains ATK.. I’m also intrigued how while the ATK can fluctuate after this card is Summoned, the number of attacks cannot, which does say something about the creativity behind it. The last effect is a decent consolation prize for losing a resource intensive monster, I guess (Instant Fusion does say something different I think). Now I come to think of it, Instant Fusion could help this go into another one of these depending how your field is set up, which is very interesting to say the least.

Balance: 22/25

Playability: 13/15

Creativity: 10/10

Total: 45/50

[spoiler=BatMed]

Name: Spirit Mermaid of the Oceans

WATER | Aqua / Union / Tuner / Effect

Level: ✪1 | ATK 0 / DEF 500

 

Effect:

You can either: Equip this card from your hand or your side of the field to a WATER monster you control as an Equip Card, OR: Unequip this card and Special Summon it. If the equipped monster battles an opponent's monster, during damage calculation: You can send 1 WATER monster from your Deck to the GY, the equipped monster gains 1000 ATK, until the End of the Battle Phase. If the equipped monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead. You can only use each effect of "Spirit Mermaid of the Oceans" once per turn.

Union Tuner Monster: very creative given the current environment. Also, that combination does give this card different ways to be utilized, which I like. Yay for flexibility. Standard protection effect for Unions to protect the equipped monster, so nothing special there. I’m very iffy on the ATK gain effect though. I say that because more often than not, you’ll use it, gain the ATK for the Battle Phase, and set up a future play to boot. I’m tempted to say it does a bit too much, and would have probably done hand to GY instead of Deck to GY to balance it out a bit. That’s just my thought on that though. As for Decks this could be used in, any Water based Deck could work as well as a Deck that techs some Waters that could allow this to be utilized as a Union. I think Ice Barriers would like this given its Tuner status as well. Hmm…

Balance: 20.5/25

Playability: 13.5/15

Creativity: 10/10

Total: 44/50

[spoiler=Dtwist11]

Oh look, a Giant Trunade on steroids in Monster form. That first clause doesn’t mean anything, assuming I’m reading things right, because I could just discard this, it gets banished, and then I could just Special Summon it for 800 LP. But why would I do that? I know LP doesn’t matter that much, but all I’d get is an 800 ATK monster by itself (monster-wise, not entire field-wise) that I paid 1800 LP for (Special Summon from Banished and second effect). Solemn Warning is a better investment, and that costs 2000 LP. I can see what you are trying to do, but I don’t think this card is worth use even with its second effect, unless you were going for game and had the LP to spare.

Balance: 15/20

Playability: 8/15

Creativity: 7/10

Total: 30/50

[spoiler=Jack Frost]

Okay, you are probably going to have to help me out and point me to Decks this can be used in. From what I can gather, it works alright in Decks that like to Tribute Summon. Monarchs, perhaps? Also, I’m curious of the 2-for-1 Tribute effect would work if this card was Tributed while face-down. I’m leaning towards yes, which is okay for me. If no, then that’s just an extra step that decreases this card’s use. It’s simple, but a good little card that could go a long way. Also, props for the Monarch help.

Balance: 24/25

Playability: 11.5/15

Creativity: 9.5/10

Total: 45/50

So currently,

1st: Jack Frost and Eshai (45/50)

3rd: Batmed and Azure Wolf (44/50)

5th: Kid Gambino (37/50)

6th: Dtwist11 (30/50)

If there are any issues with grading, please speak up now. I’m trying to get back into the groove of things, so let me have it.

[Eshai]

HOLY TIE SHENANIGANS. 

 

Me and Jack Frost  tied for first, and then Batmed and Azure Wolf tied but only by being a single point behind. 

 

Is there going to be a tie breaker or are we just splitting the points. If Jack Frost is up for it we could do a 1v1 for 1st place.

[Nathanael D. Striker]

HOLY TIE SHENANIGANS. 

 

Me and Jack Frost  tied for first, and then Batmed and Azure Wolf tied but only by being a single point behind. 

 

Is there going to be a tie breaker or are we just splitting the points. If Jack Frost is up for it we could do a 1v1 for 1st place.

 

I'm a generous person in terms of prizes, and I admit I graded a bit generously this time around (that's what I get for picking a requirement I wasn't fully knowledgeable on). So, the tie for 1st gets the entire prize for 1st and the tie for 3rd gets the entire prize for 3rd (i.e. 5 SP, 2 Reps, and 2,000 points each for Eshai and Jack Frost and 1 SP and 500 points each for BatMed and Azure Wolf). So assuming there are no objections, the current standings are as followed:

 

1. Jack Frost (5)

Eshai (5)

3. BatMed (1)

Azure Wolf (1)

5. Kid Gambino (0)

Dtwist (0)

[Nathanael D. Striker]

I'm going to keep this open until Friday for those who wish to object. Prizes will be awarded then.