[AGM, Written] Emberwurms: Yang Zing, except...milling, I guess? (7/7)

[Dova]

[spoiler=Prompt: (Darj)]Archetype of FIRE Wyrm Tuners whose main gimmick is floating when they are sent to the grave by a card effect. However, rather than a self-sufficient archetype, they are more designed to be adapted as engines in other decks that can make use of their floating effects; for instance, using them as fodder for Ritual or Fusion Summons, or tech them in milling decks. For this reason, their float effects can be rather generic, like a Wulf-like self-revival effect, for example. Still, one may give a try at building a mostly-Emberwurm deck by mix & matching them with other engines or cards, namely Invokeds and the FIRE True Kings, and since they are all Tuners, even if they lack an archetype boss, they can access Synchros.

Moreover, their on-field effects, as well as some of the float effects, revolve more around support for either FIRE Wyrms, or Wyrm Tuners, further emphasising their engine theme.

[spoiler=Monsters: (6)]Emberwurm Huohua
FIRE - ✪ - Wyrm/Tuner - 400/200
If this card is sent to the GY by a card effect: You can Special Summon 1 other “Emberwurm” monster from your GY.  If you Special Summon a FIRE Wyrm monster(s): You can add 1 Level 4 or lower Wyrm Tuner from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of this card’s name once per turn.

Emberwurm Yujin
FIRE - ✪✪ - Wyrm/Tuner - 500/1600
If this card is sent to the GY by a card effect: You can send 1 monster you control or in your hand to the GY, and if you do, Special Summon this card. When a FIRE Wyrm monster(s) you possess is sent to the GY : You can Special Summon 1 of those monsters. You can only use 1 effect of this card’s name per turn, and only once that turn.

Emberwurm Guang
FIRE - ✪✪✪ - Wyrm/Tuner - 900/1500
When this card is Summoned: You can add 1 Level 4 or lower FIRE Wyrm monster from your Deck to your hand. If this card is sent to the GY by a card effect: Send 1 "Emberwurm" monster from the deck to the GY. You can only use this effect of this card's name once per turn. You can only use 1 effect of this card’s name per turn, and only once that turn.

Emberwurm Dianran
FIRE - ✪✪✪ - Wyrm/Tuner - 1200/0
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 FIRE Wyrm monster from your Deck to your hand. If this card is sent to the GY by a card effect: You can Special Summon this card. You can only use 1 effect of this card’s name per turn, and only once that turn.

Emberwurm Angran
FIRE - ✪✪✪✪ - Wyrm/Tuner - 1600/300
If this card is sent to the GY by a card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your GY. You can only use this effect of this card’s name once per turn.When this card is Summoned: Wyrm Tuner monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects until the end of this turn.

Emberwurm Huo
FIRE - ✪✪✪✪ - Wyrm/Tuner - 0/2200
You can target 1 Wyrm monster in your GY; send 1 card from your hand to the GY, also Special Summon that card. You can only use this effect of this card's name once per turn. Other FIRE Wyrm monsters you control cannot be targeted for attacks or card effects.

 

[spoiler=Spell/Traps: (1)]Emberwurm Spring
Normal Spell
Send 1 card from your hand to the GY, and if you do, send 1 FIRE Wyrm monster from your Deck to your GY. You can only activate 1 card with this card’s name per turn. If this card was not sent to the GY this turn: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 “Emberwurm” monster in your GY; add it to your hand.

 

 

 

These were surprisingly difficult to make, as I have never made an engine before. Simple effects and theme, true, but it was hard to make them interesting, and not to make them too OP. I think I probably could've somehow done better with their flavour, but pretty sure this is a decent job as it stands. I also tried to make them each able to carry on the chain of the archetype's Summoning spree at different points within the game. Have now transitioned to a little less of an engine, and more of a splashable archetype, but quite possibly an absurd combo ready to be reckoned with somewhere, which is why I would really like some CnC!

[Darj]

Hey, glad to see this archetype was chosen to be developed. When I made the prompt I thought it would be interesting to see what they could do considering they would indirectly support a couple of Yang Zings, as well as Agnimazud and Ignis Heat.

However, I feel you ended up too repetitive there. I see the "send 1 card from your hand/you control to the GY, and if you do, [effect]" in too many of them. IMO you can spice them more a bit without repeating the template. In fact, I dare say this only makes them more unwieldy, since you may not always have a card on hand or board that you want to send to the GY, making their effects undesirable at that time. Thus, I would say this makes them harder to splash as one would think. On the other hand, by disposing of floaters, there is the potential of leading to overpowering plays, and that may be an issue balance-wise.  Also I noticed some of them support either FIRE, Tuners, or Wyrms, when the prompt was more focused towards FIRE Wyrms or Tuner Wyrms.

Therefore, I suggest to step back a bit from this "get rid of 1 card, and if you do, get another one" gimmick and take a more simple approach. It would take a look at Shaddolls for inspiration, but replacing the Flip effects with some on-field effects that support FIRE Wyrms or Tuner Wyrms. One of these effects, for example, could be a cookie-cutter "When Normal Summoned: Add 1 Level 4 or lower FIRE Wyrm from Deck to hand", while another one could grab a Level4 or lower Wyrm Tuner instead. Of course, for balance purposes, you may want to add a Dragon Ruler-style hard OPT.

[Dova]

Hey, glad to see this archetype was chosen to be developed. When I made the prompt I thought it would be interesting to see what they could do considering they would indirectly support a couple of Yang Zings, as well as Agnimazud and Ignis Heat.

However, I feel you ended up too repetitive there. I see the "send 1 card from your hand/you control to the GY, and if you do, [effect]" in too many of them. IMO you can spice them more a bit without repeating the template. In fact, I dare say this only makes them more unwieldy, since you may not always have a card on hand or board that you want to send to the GY, making their effects undesirable at that time. Thus, I would say this makes them harder to splash as one would think. On the other hand, by disposing of floaters, there is the potential of leading to overpowering plays, and that may be an issue balance-wise.  Also I noticed some of them support either FIRE, Tuners, or Wyrms, when the prompt was more focused towards FIRE Wyrms or Tuner Wyrms.

Therefore, I suggest to step back a bit from this "get rid of 1 card, and if you do, get another one" gimmick and take a more simple approach. It would take a look at Shaddolls for inspiration, but replacing the Flip effects with some on-field effects that support FIRE Wyrms or Tuner Wyrms. One of these effects, for example, could be a cookie-cutter "When Normal Summoned: Add 1 Level 4 or lower FIRE Wyrm from Deck to hand", while another one could grab a Level4 or lower Wyrm Tuner instead. Of course, for balance purposes, you may want to add a Dragon Ruler-style hard OPT.

 

Heh. Clearly not one of my better sets. Apologies all round!

 

Thanks for the comments; I notice I am slipping back into one of my old habits by "theming" too strongly and creating the archetype to be very supportive, but not interesting. Updates will be made shortly.

[Dova]

Update! Most cards reworked/rewritten.

[Dova]

Bahmp.