The New Challengers – New Archetypes, New Support and Sleeper Cards

With the new set coming out we wanted to start a small discussion on what could be good and terrible.

New Archetypes

As for the new archetypes coming out there are “Deskbot“, “Frightfur“, “Fluffal” and “Qliphort“. Hands down the only good archetype out of those 4 is Qliphorts.

Deskbots are just a low level machine support that requires them being special summoned or to be special summoned when multiple machines are special summoned. Not really that good but if some support comes out in the future they could be fun to play around with.

Secondly, for this next archetype I want to premise it with: Konami sometimes makes the weirdest decisions when it comes to translations and artwork modifications. The formally known Furnimal and Des Toy now being called Frightfur and Fluffal archetype are fusion tactic based. They search out Polymerization out of the deck while recycling used ones in the graveyard. Fusing “Edge Imp Sabres” with a Fluffal monster summons these somewhat brooding but adorable monsters from your extra deck like Frightfur Bear and Frightfur Wolf. Unfortunately, while transitioning over from OCG to TCG Konami of America thought the children of america would have the urge to run with scissors so they made everything that had scissors in its name or images of scissors turn into lasers or something less frighting.

Qliphorts are possibly going to be meta once they are released due to their overwhelming power and capability to swarm the field. Due to fact that all of the monsters are pendulum monsters. Most of the monsters have effects that will trigger if they are tribute summoned or tributed as well.

Here is a small exerpt from the Yugioh Wikia to get an idea for what all of the Qliphort monsters do. (2)
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With the exception of “Qliphort Tool“, all “Qliphort” Pendulum monsters revealed so far have 2400/2800 ATK and 1000 DEF (“Tool” has 1000 ATK and 2800 DEF), like the “Monarchs“, and possess the following effects:

• Pendulum Effect: You cannot Special Summon any monsters, except “Qliphort” monsters (this effect cannot be negated).

• Monster Effect: You can Normal Summon this card without Tributing. If this card was Special Summoned or Normal Summoned without Tributing, its Level becomes 4 and its original ATK becomes 1800. If this card was Normal Summoned, this card is unaffected by effects activated by monsters whose original Level or Rank is lower than this card’s Level.

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Using Qliphort Tool you pay 800 life points when he is in a pendulum zone and you will search your deck for a “Qli” card from your deck and add it to your hand.

The other pendulum monsters each have a scale of 1 or 9. 1’s give 300 attack boost to all Qliphort monsters and the 9’s reduce all of your opponents monsters by 300 attack.

Another great tech for this deck coming out of this set is Performapal Trampolynx. Allowing you to bounce Tool back to your hand giving you the option to go into Xyzs and/or utilizing tool twice in a turn.

Archetype Support

As most of you know there is plenty of archetype support littered throughout the set for “Fusion“, “Goblin“, “Machina“, “Melodious“, “Naturia“, “Number“, “Performapal“, “Shaddoll“, “Superheavy Samurai“, “tellarknight“, “Xyz” and “Yang Zing” archetypes, as well as the “Herald“, “Monarch“, “Mystical Beast of the Forest“, “Rescue” and “Solemn” series. As well as support for the TCG exclusive archetypes “Burning Abyss“, “CXyz“, “Dododo“, “Shogi“, “U.A.” and “ZW“.

Out of all of the new supports the most notable are Burning Abyss, Shaddolls, tellarknights, and Yang Zing. I won’t go into extreme detail on why each archetype are getting better but the support makes the already good meta decks even more meta than before. Yang Zings get dark support. Burning Abyss get more monsters to discard, essentially getting their own Effect Veiler, a set Spell or Trap card compulsory, a tuner to synchro into Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss and Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss – which is a Icarus for this archetype. Shaddolls get El Shaddoll Fusion so they can fusion summon on their opponents turn and two new Fusion boss monsters that require a fire or an earth monster to summon. Tellarknights get three new monsters, one being a Pot of Avarice for Tellarknights with legs, and a field spell that boosts attack by 200 and you can negate attacks by discarding tellarknights from your hand.

Sleeper Cards

Out of all of those types there are plenty of cards that I feel don’t have much recognition as they should right now.

My favorite card out of the set has to be “Edge Imp Sabres“.

He is a level three effect monster with the ability to send one card from your hand back to the top of your deck and special summon him onto your field into defense position. If you have a deck that is a rank three toolbox he will be an excellent addition to the deck. Also he makes a very powerful card playable if you draw it turn one. Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One becomes a very viable tool because Edge Imp Sabres will send it back to the top of your deck allowing you to draw it next turn. Allowing for Masquerade plays that could set your opponents back half their life points.

Another card that intrigues me is Denko Sekka.

Her effect is interesting. She cannot be special summoned and while you control no set spell or trap cards, neither player can set or activate spell and trap cards that are set on the field. I would love to see a stun deck utilizing her to put a foot down on trap heavy meta decks like Burning Abyss. Since she is a Thunder type I get feeling that this would be a great addition into a Hunder deck. Stunning your opponent is going to feel fantastic.

Additionally these new support cards for the U.A. Archetype gives them more consistency.

This archetype is a about hand/field rotation and special summoning U. A.s. Using Midfielder’s effect you could reuse a effect monster or tribute effect monsters effect again if it's a summoning effect. IE: Raiza the Storm Monarch or keep bringing out Goalkeeper during your opponents turn so you have a 2800 defense monster that cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects if you use the effect on itself. I could see this archetype see some play at our locals more once this set comes out.

Those are just a some cards that I think are sleeper cards of the set. What are your thoughts on this new set? Any cards out of this set that you think are under appreciated? Did we miss anything that your looking forward to? Just let us know in the comments section.

Sources:

(1) http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/The_New_Challengers
(2) http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Qliphort
(3) Images from /dng/ on 4chan’s /vg/