yugioh A guide to making custom archetypes

[WhiteThunder777]

For alternate win condition custom archetypes, you would want to ask yourself how you would win the game besides reducing your opponent's LP to 0.  Alternate win conditions should NOT be very easy to achieve.  The original alternate win condition was Exodia, where you'd need to have the 5 pieces of Exodia in hand to win the Duel.  

Another way to pull off an alternate win condition is to deck out the opponent from 40 (or 60 cards) to 0 cards.   Here, a lot of the cards used will be focused on milling the opponent's deck.  However keep in mind that the opponent will use this to their advantage, depending on the situation.  Mill decks nowadays are rarely played, except for Runick.  Try to make something that isn't like Runick.  

 

Destiny Board is another example of an alternate win condition.  

When making an alt win condition for your archetype, it is best to ask yourself how you want to win besides reducing your opponent's LP to 0 and focus on that.  

 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Try to take existing mechanics and put a spin on them to make your own custom archetype.  You can also use stuff that has been lost to the history of yugioh.  

 

 

[Lone mouse]

generation fish!

[WhiteThunder777]

On 10/30/2022 at 10:09 AM, Lone mouse said:

generation fish!

That's one of them.  Plus Unions are also lost.  They used to be playable but not right now. 

Stuff that is lost to history can help with custom card design.  You could also take advantage of the Linked system and Link monsters to help create something cohesive by saying "If linked, do effect A, otherwise do effect B." 

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

If a custom archetype is linear, it has a specific way of playing it, and not to mention that the end board that it makes, is constant.  Linear archetypes have a very specific gameplay.  

Non-linear custom archetypes tend to focus on versatility and other fun interactions.  Hence there is no specific way to play the archetype.  They still have an end board though, it's just that they are more interactive than linear archetypes.

Edited November 3, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

A way to help you fine tune your archetype would be the following:

1. Find what your archetype wants to do, whether it be a mechanic or a goal.  
2. Make every card in the archetype focus on said goal in 1. 
3. Try to find other fun interactions in the archetype as you go along.  
4. While doing 3, keep in mind of the effects that you make.

 

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Keep in mind that you want your opponent to play against you, despite the fact that the TCG Meta is about not making your opponent play Yugioh.

Avoid floodgates - keep in mind that Mask of Restrict and Iron Wall are the weakest ones.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Keep in mind that making custom cards is about experimentation and having fun with your cards.  

[WhiteThunder777]

It's always a good idea to plan out what you want your cards in your archetype to do and then use that plan.  It it does not work try another.  Destroying stuff could bring some Fire King and Rocket vibes. 

 

Do NOT make effects that are all over the place, as that shows the archetype has no identity whatsoever.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

In a custom archetype keep in mind that there will be 1 or 2 cards in there that you will run 3 copies of.  These card(s) work together to set up your field, and not to mention search your Deck for the right resources.  The other cards are ran at less than 3 copies (or 3) depending on how they assist your archetype. 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

An example of a mechanic that is very easy to understand is Morphtronics.  Its mechanic is "In Attack Position, do A, but in Defence Position do B." where A and B are two different actions on the same card. If one wanted to make their custom archetype like Morphtronics, they could go for the OTK variant or equip spell variant.  

 

[WhiteThunder777]

Try to avoid players that make unbalanced custom cards on DuelingBook if you want to test your custom archetype.  These people only make custom cards to win.  

Edited November 8, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

It is ill advised to copy the TCG meta and use that to make your custom cards.  This is because by copying the TCG Meta, you are making cards solely to win.  

The TCG Meta makes it so that you are playing solitaire against the opponent. As said before, the TCG Meta is like stale bread right now because there's not a lot of variety of decks that can be played competitively.

Avoid the following when making customs:

• making 3+ negate end boards (these make the player want to surrender against you or at best, give you a Kaiju or Ra - Sphere Mode)
• floodgate cards that deny the opponent to do certain actions
• cards that cheat out powerful boss monsters. (e.g. 1 cards that can cheat out an "X" Link 6 monster, where X is the name of your custom archetype) 
• tower like bosses with absurd protection - these will force the opponent to draw the Kaiju or lose.  

 

 

 

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Also, try to not copy existing TCG archetypes and use them in your customs.  You could put your own spin on them for example.  Copying the existing archetypes show that you have little to no creativity.  

You can also use ideas that are never before seen - for example, Insects that have effects when banished, or Insects that protect each other upon linked with other Insect Link monsters.  

 

[WhiteThunder777]

To wrap what was said before all up and keep it simple

1. Think of an idea that you really like and implement it into a mechanic (or goal)
2. Make other card(s) that support the idea/mechanic (or goal) that your archetype wants to accomplish.
3. Be wary of the effects you make on your cards, and also keep in mind that generic cards should have less power because they can be put into ANY deck.

 

 

 

 

 

[WhiteThunder777]

Custom cards are about your imagination.  Bring them to reality and let your idea flourish!!! 

[WhiteThunder777]

Linear archetypes are those that have a specific combo and it can be easy to figure out where to correctly hand trap the opponent.  Non-linear archetypes focus on versatility and has ways to extend to deal with pesky hand traps making them harder to interrupt than linear archetypes, or even bait the opponent into wasting their negate.  

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Ash Blossom is a good hand trap, but sometimes it can be seen as a brick when put into your custom archetype.  Same thing goes with Imperm.  

Also keep in mind, if it's something Konami would not make, don't make it into your custom archetype. 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

If we look at Forbidden Droplet in terms of card advantage, you would have to go a -3 at best to optimize the card.  You'd have to send 1 card of each type (Monster, Spell, and Trap) from your hand/field to the GY to make this card able to go through without any interruptions.  Although this is a high risk, the the high reward is that you have 3 cards in your GY that can be used as a second hand if your custom archetype can use the GY as a second hand or activate some GY effects.

Same thing applies with Twin Twisters, you pitch 1 card from your hand to set up your GY to make an attempt to pop up to 2 of your opponent's back row.  In terms of card advantage, it is a -2 (-1 for activating the card, and another -1 for the discard).

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

If cards are all over the place, it is impossible to tell what you want your archetype to do.  

A linear strategy has 1 set pattern and its combos are constant and can be figured out easily where to drop the hand trap.  A non-linear deck has versatility in order to adapt to the opponent's cards making it harder for the opponent to drop the hand trap.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Negations and Quick Effect (QE) disruptions are an example of going 1st strategies as they try to hinder you from advancing your game plan.  But keep in mind that 1 negate/disruption is NOT strong enough to stop the opponent. 

Going 2nd cards are called board breakers as they turn off the opponent's going 1st board in order for you to advance your plays (tho going 1st decks can still stop you from going 2nd).  The following are examples of going 2nd cards 

• multiple attackers
• direct attacks
• massive boosts from Mage Power and United We Stand 
• Preventing an opponent's Set Card from being responded to upon activation
• Lightning Storm, MST, Twin Twisters, Harpie's Feather Duster and Raigeki
• turning off the opponent's field via Dark Ruler no More
• Trap Eater (tho that is for formats where Cont. Traps run rampant)
• Forbidden Droplet 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WhiteThunder777]

An archetype that focuses on checking the opponent's Set back row and forcing their activations a la Bait Doll is strictly going second.  

Also one that equips your opponent's monsters is going second.  You can't activate their effects going first.

Mekk-Knights is strictly going second because to summon them, you'd need to know the positions of your opponent's monsters. Which is why they mesh with Invoked to have a chance going first.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Sometimes you'd want to make cards in the archetype and introduce them so you can make support for your custom archetype later.  

[WhiteThunder777]

For example, I could take Morphtronics and make them Cyberse but I use Fusion Summon instead of Synchro Summon.

Mekk-Knights are the very first example of column manipulation and a progenitor to column based strategies in general.  Though Senet Switch is the very first example of a card to move monster cards into different monster zones.  

Edited November 30, 2022 by Surge77754

[WhiteThunder777]

Also as to wrap up everything here that was said before, as this part 1 comes to an end.  

To recap, do the following

1. Find an idea that isn't focused on too much and use it to make your archetype.  You can also use an archetype whose mechanic has been lost to history such as Morphtronics and implement them.  Like an archetype that sends 1 "X" monster equipped with an "X" Equip Spell for a contact fusion of an "X" monster.  
2. Make sure that your effects are reasonable and balanced when designing your custom archetype.  Should others deem your archetype weak (something like a yugioh custom card server on disboard), that's alright because you can make support for them as long as the support for it is not bonkers.  
3. Be warned, if it's something Konami wouldn't make, then do not make it.  
4. When archetype locking your cards to your archetype, make sure it doesn't end up like Dogmatika effect.
5. An archetype can be cohesive and bad, but there is literally nothing wrong with making support for a bad custom archetype.

Now onto part 2 - cohesiveness of an archetype!! 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Surge77754