[Written] Darkraken: Shark returns! (6/6)

[Dova]

 

Darkraken

 

DARK Sea Serpents, summoned via "Rank-Up Magic Depth Force", using those Xyz monsters that our favourite Barian Emperor loves so much! These guys have a bit of Raidraptor syndrome, in that they gain a special OPT effect when they have a WATER Xyz Monster attached as material. They lack S/T support beyond their Rank-Up, but that's OK, because their own effects are good for countering your opponent's Spells and Traps. Still, use them sparingly, because while they are powerful, they're also resource-consuming, so being prepared for a counter-attack is a good idea.

 

 

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[spoiler=Design Notes]Why does this follow an AGM prompt without AGM in the title? Well, Numbers aren't allowed into the AGM, so these Ranked-Up versions of mostly Numbers aren't allowed. Anyway, I spent time into making these, and want to get them off my cardmaker document, so I'm posting them anyway.

 

The Xyz Monsters are based on Number 101, Number 71 (which Shark never used but I thought would fit), Number 32, Bahamut Shark (which is used by him in the manga), and Submersible Carrier Aero Shark respectively. That's really it in terms of flavour, although I tried to expand their effects to more generic so the series worked.

 

I also wanted to make most of these cards semi-viable in other Decks, with Barian Servant being the only real card that needs to be played within the series (because it searches Rank-Ups) and Depth-Charge, which works to an extent with Fish/Sea Serpents in general. Their effects are, of course, upgraded versions of their basic ones, with each of them having Xyz Material detaching effects regardless of how they were Summoned; I am of the opinion that all Rank-Up-ed monsters should be at least semi-useful even when not summoned correctly.

 

In terms of brokeness, the only real effect I am worrying about is Servant, as it is once per turn Rank-Up-Magic searching...but considering you already need the Rank-Up-Magic to Summon it, it should be fine. And that's...about it, really.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Xyz Monsters: (5)]

Darkraken ARK

DARK - ✪✪✪✪✪ - Sea Serpent/Xyz/Effect - 2700/1600

3 Level 5 monsters

While this card has a material attached to it, it cannot be destroyed or banished. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can detach 2 materials from this card, then target 1 face-up card your opponent controls; negate its effects until the end of this turn. If this card has a WATER Xyz Monster attached to it as a material, it gains this effect.

● Once per turn: You can discard 1 card, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; attach it to this card as a material.

 

Darkraken Barian Servant

DARK - ✪✪✪✪ - Sea Serpent/Xyz/Effect - 600/2600

3 Level 4 monsters

Once per turn: You can target 1 WATER Xyz monster in your GY; Special Summon it, and if you do, attach 1 material from this card to that target. If this card has a WATER Xyz Monster attached to it as a material, it gains this effect.

● Once per turn: You can discard 1 card, then send 1 “Number” monster from your Extra Deck to the GY; add 1 “Rank-Up-Magic” Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.

 

Darkraken Depths Drake

DARK - ✪✪✪✪✪ - Sea Serpent/Xyz/Effect - 3200/2700

4 Level 5 DARK monsters

Once per turn, if this card destroys an opponent’s monster (by battle or its effect) and sends it to the GY: You can detach 1 material from this card; Special Summon that opponent’s monster to their side of the field in Attack Position, but its effects are negated, also its ATK and DEF become 0, and if you Special Summon a monster this way during the Battle Phase, this card can make an additional attack during this Battle Phase. If this card has a WATER Xyz Monster attached to it as a material, it gains this effect.

● Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can send 1 card from your side of the field to the GY, then target 1 face-up card your opponent controls; destroy it.

 

Darkraken of Bahamut

DARK - ✪✪✪✪✪ - Sea Serpent/Xyz/Effect - 2500/2700

3 Level 5 Sea Serpent monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Special Summon 1 Rank 4 or lower WATER monster from your Extra Deck or GY. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon.) If this card has a WATER Xyz Monster attached to it as a material, it gains this effect.

● Once per turn: You can banish 1 card from your GY, then target 1 card in your GY; attach it to another face-up Xyz Monster you control as a material.

 

Darkraken Depth-Charge Transporter

DARK - ✪✪✪✪✪ - Sea Serpent/Xyz/Effect - 3400/2700

3 Level 4 monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card; add 1 Fish or Sea Serpent monster from your Deck to your hand whose Level is less than or equal to the number of your banished monsters. If this card has a WATER Xyz Monster attached to it as a material, it gains this effect.

● Once per turn: You can banish 1 Level 3 WATER monster from your Deck; inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monsters ATK or DEF (whichever is higher).

 

 

[spoiler=Rank-Up-Magic]

Rank-Up-Magic Depth Force

Normal Spell

Target 1 face-up Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 “Darkraken” Xyz Monster that is 1 Rank higher than that target, by using that target as the material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Materials attached to that target also become materials on the Summoned monster.) If this card was not sent to the GY this turn: You can banish this card from the GY, then target 1 WATER Xyz Monster in your GY; Special Summon it, then if it was Fish or Sea Serpent monster, you can attach the top 2 cards of your Deck to that monster as materials.

 

 

 

 

Not expecting many comments on these, but please feel free to say anything on them (within the Advanced Clause, of course), whether I went the wrong direction, made bad design decisions, or just did a good.

[Dova]

Bump.

[Darj]

Your big mistake is not making maindeck monsters for them :v

Sucks that the RUM cannot attach materials to a S.H.Ark. You may want to put a hard OPT to the GY effect just in case someone is bold enough to build a deck based on Summoning 3 WATER Xyz ASAP and milling 3 copies of this. 2 WATERs can be generated at once with Freezerdon --> Armored Crystal Zero Lancer.

Even if you send a WATER Xyz from the ED to the GY for Barian Servant's effect, AFAIK you won't be ale to revive it with the Bahamut since it still wasn't summoned properly, the "ignoring summoning conditions" only allows to bypass nomi clauses. Dunno if that was your intention, though.

 

Anyway, these look actually good enough. Darkraken Transporter is solid as a searcher. The Barian is nasty because it bring back regular Bahamut and further follow up with Toadally, etc. as long as enough marked MM Zones are provided, of course. IMO it outshines the Darkraken Bahamut. The ARK has an strong offense, and the protection makes it harder for the opponent to get rid of it. Overall, I feel the Bahamut and Depths Drake are the weakest of the set, although they do have their uses, the former for Rank-Up plays, and the latter for finishing games.

 

EDIT:

Actually, Barian and Bahamut can combo with each other to use the effect of regular Bahamut twice in the same turn:

1. Go for Barian

2. Revive a Bahamut Shark and attach

3. Summon Toadally #1 with Bahamut

4. Grab RUM Depth Force with Barian's gained effect

5. Rank-up regular Bahamut into Darkraken Bahamut with the RUM

6. If there is a target for DARK Bahamut in the GY, activate its detach effect to detach reg. Bahamut but Special Summon that same Bahamut anyway.

7. Use the gained effect of DARK Bahamut to attach a monster to reg. Bahamut

8. Summon Toadally #2 with reg. Bahamut.

 

Note that you would need some GY setup, and at least 3 marked MM Zones if you use Barian for a Link monster before dropping the 2nd Toadally.