yugioh A guide to making custom archetypes

[WhiteThunder777]

Keep in mind that Battle Phase related effects are weak in terms of the meta, so you could use those in custom cards, whether to make a focus on it or not is your choice. These effects don't make a custom archetype overpowered, and even if it was a part of the end board, it's a weak component. 

Combination Attack is a Battle Phase related support for Unions, but it's very weak in terms of usage and is very situational.  Even if it had a HOPT slapped onto it, people would rarely use this card.   

Edited January 27, 2022 by Surge77754
grammar check

[WhiteThunder777]

In the case where you want to make a custom archetype that relies on the GY, ask yourself, do you want cards whose effects activate in the GY? Do you want to banish from the GY for Fusion Summoning or something?

In that case, you can use cards likes Lightsworns that self mill your Deck at the End Phase.  Or you can use stuff that discards from hand for cost, or a mixture of the two.  If you want to use the GY to banish monsters as part of a Fusion Summoning, you also need cards like Burial From a Different Dimension to return the banished monsters to the GY.  

Always think of a clear cut goal before making a custom archetype.  It doesn't have to be complex though.

Do NOT use floodgates as a means to design your custom archetype, as that is no fun if you are playing against your opponent. 
 

NOT every archetype has their own Ultimate Conductor Tyranno, which is literally the king of ALL going 2nd decks. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Now we need to talk about effects that you should watch out for when designing (i.e. other custom card pitfalls)

Consider an effect that says based on Miscellaneousaurus 

During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your hand to the GY; during this Main Phase, Dinosaur monsters you control are unaffected by your opponent's activated effects. You can only use this effect of "X" once per turn.

Now consider this.  
During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your hand to the GY and declare 1 monster Type; during this Main Phase,  monsters you control of the Type your declared are unaffected by your opponent's activated effects. You can only use this effect of "X" once per turn.

In terms of the meta that would be literally unhealthy even if it were meant to protect your archetype monsters from being Ash Blossom.  It would cause Dragon Link to go to absurd power levels, even Swordsoul would benefit from this as well.  Even though the effect has a HOPT, no one wants to play against you.  This is a generic card that powercreeps Miscellaneousaurus to very unhealthy levels hence it is unbalanced. 

 

[WhiteThunder777]

There are some custom archetypes that work best going 1st (e.g. Trap based Decks like Altergeists and Paleo Frogs) and some that that work going 2nd (e.g Gren Maju Di Eiza and Appliancer Kaiju, Crusadia Kaiju, Mekk-Knights).  However do NOT be frightened if your custom archetype has BOTH going 1st and 2nd components (i.e. can play 1st and 2nd), as this is NOT a way of saying your custom archetype is broken.  

[WhiteThunder777]

Now a going 2nd stuff has lots of things such as United we stand, Mage Power, attacking directly, and multiple attackers with the intent of finishing the opponent off in one hit (hence the term OTK).  They have some board breaking stuff in there. 

Now a going 1st deck has disruptions to try to stop  the opponent with their end board with their disruptive effects. 

A very versatile custom archetype can do both going 1st and going 2nd stuff.  

 

 

 

[WhiteThunder777]

For example, if someone's custom idea was Dinos that aggro, they should ask themselves if they want Ultimate Conductor Tyranno since UCT is the king of all going 2nd decks and design accordingly to their answer.  Plus not every deck has a UCT, nor every boss monster is a UCT (i.e. a UCT for their archetype).

  

 

[WhiteThunder777]

Generic means a card that can be put in ANY deck - be careful with these as you may end up being drunk with power if you aren't.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Some people have other ways to make a custom archetype.  Here's a summary of how to do it.  

1. Find what inspires you.
2. Use your inspiration to come up with an idea.
3. Ask yourself, do you want your custom archetype to perform best going 1st, 2nd, or a mixture of both? Keep in mind going 1st focuses on making an enboard and "controlling" what the opponent does.  Going 2nd has a lot of board breakers (i.e. given an opponent's endboard, can your custom archetype break it?).  This is called making a gameplan.  
4. Implement your deck according to your inspiration and gameplan.  Test on DuelingBook.

 

 

[WhiteThunder777]

If you want a custom archetype that doesn't require the Extra Deck, look at Monarchs and True Dracos for guidance.  In that case, Pot of Extravagance will be a tech card as it provides draw advantage.  

Or if your archetype's idea is "If you have less cards in your Extra Deck than your opponent, your monsters get stronger" Extravagance is a good tech card for it. 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Notice how archetypes normally have 7 to 22 cards? This is indeed true for custom card archetypes as well, as this is how Konami intended to design archetypes.  If you start out with a very simple idea as a gimmick, you can expand on it very easily (e.g. Union monsters).  

Here's an example of this: 
https://www.duelingbook.com/deck?id=10613319 

Notice how the archetype has only 17 cards, and not only that, if you read the cards together, they form a very simple, yet strong cohesive concept of equipping/unequipping, and not to mention, this archetype has Marincess behaviour as well.  Keep in mind how the Spell/Traps support the theme of the archetype as a whole.  

If you want to design support for an existing archetype, keep in mind the number of cards in the original archetype.  You do NOT want to over-bloat as a result.  

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Trap based archetype are strictly designed to go 1st (e.g Counter Fairies, Allergist, and Labyrynth - which is about momentum).  You can design that is focused on going 2nd rather than 1st but you would have to find a way to activate the Trap cards from hand on the opponent's turn.

 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Try to thing of something very unique that does not break the game as a whole.  This process is easier said than done.  Look at what Konami has done and try to see something that you like.  For example, Morphtronics are very easy to understand.  

Try to put a spin on things when making custom cards.  For example, the deck below puts a spin on the way Unions are designed, and capitalizes on the concept of build your own boss monster.  This is because the monster can go up to very high attack very easily due to their stat gain.  

Example: https://www.duelingbook.com/deck?id=10613319

The way custom cards should be designed is thinking of putting yourself in an experimental lab and not something that should be rushed.

 

[WhiteThunder777]

Trap monsters are a weird case.  Though you can play around with the idea to make a workable archetype.  

For example, want to Link Summon using Cont. Trap monsters? Be my guest, as Paleos did that.  Or even fusion Summon with them?  Go right ahead.  There's literally nothing stopping you from experimenting with the idea to make a cohesive archetype.

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Be very cohesive when making your archetype.  What the word cohesive means when it comes to archetype design is that if you pick 4 or more cards and look at them, you can see what the archetype itself as a whole is trying to do.  If others can't see a clear picture of what the archetype itself it trying to do, the archetype itself isn't cohesive. 

If an archetype isn't cohesive, then it's hard to determine what the cards themselves want to do, as their effects are all over the place. 

All the cards when looked at, should arrive at a mechanic (or goal) of what the archetype itself is trying to do. 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

In some cases where your archetype does not have a mechanic, as yourself, what is it that you want your archetype to do as a whole?  In this case, you want to figure out a goal for your archetype and then work backwards from there.  

 

 

[WhiteThunder777]

The simpler your idea is when making an archetype, the easier it will be for your cards to design.

 

 

 

[Chu The Shooting star]

heh

[WhiteThunder777]

4 hours ago, Beau the shooting star said:

heh

Yup - the thing is with archetypes, its about thinking about what you want your cards as a whole to do and work from there.

[WhiteThunder777]

Try to make something that will not end up on the TCG banlist.  Cards get put on there for a very good reason, they have very strong effects that may put the opponent at a disadvantage, and if these cards were ever made, you'd only make customs to win, which isn't the point of making custom cards.  

 

 

[Lone mouse]

why is heavy storm banned but not harpies feather duster? heavy destroys all spell/trap so isn't it less powerful

[Xkira1994]

46 minutes ago, Lone mouse said:

why is heavy storm banned but not harpies feather duster? heavy destroys all spell/trap so isn't it less powerful

Unchained exist, in a game that not actual resources exist such thing could have negative impact. 

Imagine that if you dont have spell l/Traps on your field work the same way as harpies. But also you could set ones that you want to get in GY. For their GY effect and get both destroy oponent your spell Trap GY effects, or Just set yours to destroy then etc 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Xkira1994

[Lone mouse]

Yeah Unchains would be very good with heavy storm

[Xkira1994]

2 hours ago, Lone mouse said:

Yeah Unchains would be very good with heavy storm

Artifacts also exist. Anyway there would be multiple choises that would do heavy storm better option that harpies feather. Also then you would have both heavy storm and harpies feather Just in case 

[Lone mouse]

dark hole, ragaki is the same but for monsters

[WhiteThunder777]

Examples of Gimmicks

Morphtronics gimmick is dependent on their Battle Position, as in, if in Attack Position do X, and in Defense Position, do Y, where X and Y are two distinct effects.

Appliancers gimmick is that their effects are dependent if they are co-linked or not, as in, if co-linked do X, but if not co-linked, do Y.  As aforementioned, X and Y are 2 different effects.  And not to mention, they are best going second.  

 

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by Surge77754