"Monolith" -- Level Boosting Rock Archetype

[Adak33]

You know, there really aren't that many Rock type monsters, are there. Let's fix that, shall we?

 

This archetype, "Monolith," is focused around rock monsters that have no attack and increasingly massive effects. Many of them have effects that increase their own level while on the field, and there are also cards that inflict damage to your opponent based on the level of your Monolith Monsters. Additionally, the archetype has two "end game" Monsters that turn the normally defensive monsters in this archetype into attackers.

 

Let's start with the lower leveled Monsters in this archetype.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. This Monster cannot be destroyed in battle.

 

In addition to being able to more easily stay on the field and build up levels thanks to its effect, this card is also necessary to bring out one of the archetype's "end game" monsters, Sublime Monolith.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. Increase this Monster's level by one every time a Monster you control is sent to the Graveyard.

 

This is the first one with an effect that boosts its own level. It has less survivability than Basic Monolith, though.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. Every time your opponent summons a Monster, increase this Monster's level by one.

 

Not much to say on this one.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. If a monster with "Monolith" in its name is switched into attack position by another card's effect, destroy it it and inflict damage to your opponent's life points equal to its level multiplied by 200.

 

There's plenty to say on this one, though. It's ability is essential to protect one of this archetype's main weaknesses, the 0 attack possessed by every monster in it. You can also deliberately trigger its effect to damage your opponent, though there are better ways of doing that.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. As long as this Monster remains face-up on the field, the Level of all Monsters with "Monolith" in their name increases by 1 during each of your Standby phases.

 

And here's the first big way to increase the levels of all your Monoliths at once instead of just individually. It requires a tribute though.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. Each time you set a card, increase this Monster's level by 1. Every time you flip Summon a "Monolith" Monster, decrease this Monster's level by 1 and increase the flip summoned Monster's level by 1.

 

This way is slower and less effective than Relay Monolith, but it boosts its own level rather quickly.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. So long as this monster remains face up on the field, no Monster with 2000 or less defense may be attacked.

 

The Archetype's first two tribute monster, and it's just a way to keep the no tribute monsters alive.

 

When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. Once per turn during your battle phase, you may offer one of your Monsters with "Monolith" in its name as tribute to deal 300 damage to your opponent's life points for every level possessed by the sacrificed monster.

 

The Final tribute-summonable monster in the archetype. It's basically an easier way to damage your opponent using Monolith monster levels, but it also has a very respectable 4000 defense (perhaps a bit too respectable; I'm considering either lowering its defense to 3000 and giving it 1000 attack, or adding to the text that it can't be special summoned from your hand or deck, or saying it can only be summoned by the effect of Monolithic Retrofit, or something like that).

 

 

So that's the basic monsters. There's also some magic support:

 

Destroy 1 Monolith Monster. If the destroyed Monolith was level 8 or higher, special summon up to 2 level 4 or lower Monoliths from your hand.

 

Basically a way to get more low-level Monoliths on the field, at the cost of a Monolith that's had its level artificially boosted to 8. You can also just use it to feed Graveyard Monolith's effect, or destroy a Monolith your opponent switched to their side of the field.

 

 

During your standby phase, inflict direct damage to your opponents life points equal to the combined level of all "Monolith" cards you control, multiplied by 100. Then select a "Monolith" Monster with a level higher than is what is listed on its card and return the card to its original level. If you cannot, this card is destroyed.

 

Another way to weaponize the boosted levels of your Monoliths. I'm not sure if the cost for using it is appropriate, however (And I may change it to a regular spell instead of continuous).

 

Increase the level of all Monsters with "Monolith" in their names by two for every attribute of Monster on your side of the field.

 

A decent way to boost the levels of your Monoliths, and also the reason why all of the attributes are represented by the archetype.

 

 

Sacrifice a Monster with "Monolith" in its name, then search your deck for a Monster of the same level with "Monolith" in its name and special summon it in face-up defense position.

 

A different way to use the boosted levels: exchanging Monoliths on the field for different ones in your deck.

 

Until your next standby phase, the Defense of all "Monolith" Monsters on your side of the field becomes 800 x the number of "Monolith" monsters you control.

 

That covers the support magic; now for the part you wanted to see: end game monsters. The first one is a ritual monster, and arguably the less useful of the two.

 

This card is used to ritual summon "Monolith Core."  You must also Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal 1 or more.

 

 

This Monster's Level is equal to the level of the monsters tributed to Ritual Summon it. All Monolith monsters on your side of the field other than "Monolith Core" reduce their defense to 0 and increase their attack 300 x this Monster's level so long as it is on the field. You may tribute 1 Monolith Monster during your Main Phase to increase this card's level by the level of the Monster tributed.

 

Yeah. You can boost Monoliths into pretty decent attackers with this one.

 

 

Next up is the Synchro monster, pretty much only summonable through level boosting:

 

 

1 "Basic Monolith" + 1 or more non-tuner "Monolith" Monsters

Main Phase: you may select 1 Monster other than this card that has a level higher than what is listed on the card. Change that Monster's level to what is listed on its card, and switch its attack and defense until your end phase.

 

...Yeah. Turns those Monoliths from heavy defenders to heavy attackers.

 

I have also, on Chaos Affinity's advice, made some xyz Monsters:

 

 

 

I'll be adding the lore on these ones in a little while.

So, what do you think? I appreciate comments of any sort, no matter how inane. Personally I think it's a bit overpowered, but eh.

[Amanea]

Well, aside from all of the official wordings being off and that 6000 DEF, I think this is very original and refreshing. A few suggestions, if I may. ^^

 

"Forge Core" should act as a normal Ritual Spell Card, stating that you must offer monsters as Tributes whose total Level is 1 or more. That would loosen up "Monolith Core" into a much more playable boss monster. I think that "Monolith Core" itself should have 4000 DEF. And due to the wording of his effect, "Monolith" monsters will not be able to gain more ATK once their DEF reaches 0. Similarly to "Light and Darkness Dragon", if one effect cannot be fulfilled, then the subsequent ones are prevented from being fulfilled as well. You should have it read: "While you control this face-up card: Increase the Level of all "Monolith" monsters you control except "Monolith Core" by this card's Level x300, also their DEF becomes 0." That balances him out, I think.

 

I'm not a fan of the Synchros save "Sublime Monolith". They are all extremely redundant of the one before them, and they really don't contribute much at all to the archetype. Also, Synchro Monsters require a Tuner and at least one Synchro Material by their nature. Have the Synchro monsters read: ""Basic Monolith" + 1 or more non-Tuner "Monolith" monsters". Again, that makes them a little less painstaking to get out. Back to "Sublime Monolith", that 6000 DEF is unrealistic. There's a clear boundary of 5000 for any stat, shown by Dragon Master Knight, Five Headed Dragon, etc. There's no need for 6000 DEF. What would be interesting ... is if it had 0 original DEF but came with an effect that read: "This card gains 10000 DEF during your opponent's Battle Phase only," or something equally hilarious yet somewhat fair. A nice way to slip around the rules. c: And plus, massive DEF is not nearly as broken as massive ATK. If you are inventive enough to craft a means of converting that monstrous DEF into ATK, then it's well-deserved.

 

To the Spells ... I feel that "Network" is a bit redundant of "Heterodyne" and overall unneeded. "Heterodyne" will work better in nearly every case. "Broadcast" is a little bit problematic. To begin with, its effect is mandatory. Secondly, you're paying Life Points to reduce your opponent's Life Points. That's like paying twenty dollars for a twenty dollar bill. It's not really doing you that much good. I mean, it might give you the edge in a close battle while you maintain field advantage, but it's a tad bland. A simple fix would be to alter the cost to something along the lines of discarding a "Monolith" from the hand. Or ... you could make it a Normal Spell Card with no initial cost, perhaps bolster the damage dealt to x200, then return all "Monolith" monsters you control to their original Levels. That would give it more of a last stand feel, and I'm not sure if that's what you're aiming for. Also, I love "Retrofit". It's a fantastic way of creating a sense of teamwork within the deck, very well thought out.

 

Here is an idea for the monster portion of the archetype as a whole (or at least the lower Level ones). Have them all read: "When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position." That would majorly speed up the deck and cover the glaring weaknesses of 0 ATK without pushing it. These are all just my observation and suggestions. This is one of the most unique archetypes that I've seen. Can't wait for more!

 

P.S. You need Xyz monsters. Lots.

[Adak33]

Alright, I incorporated your excellent advice. Thank you, that was a lot better than most advice I've gotten on sites like this, please keep up the good work.

 

I also came up with two different version of Monolith Network. Please tell me what you think:

 

Until your next standby phase, the Defense of all "Monolith" Monsters on your side of the field becomes 800 x the number of "Monolith" monsters you control.

 

If the combined level of all "Monolith" monsters on your side of the field is 20 or greater, you may decrease a Monolith's level by 4 to inflict 1200 direct damage to your opponent's life points. If this would reduce the Monolith's level to below what is listed on the card, it is destroyed and you take 500 direct damage.

 

They're two very different effects, but both in the spirit of the card's intention, I think. Though I think the second one's a bit clumsy.

 

Do you have any more advice to give (On either Broadcast or the changes)?

[Amanea]

I like the idea of the first version of Monolith Network, except I think it would be a more effective defensive/flexible card if it were a Quick-Play Spell. That would make it not only effectively OTK material in combination with Sublime Monolith but also a "trap" that can be activated during the Damage Step of your opponent's turn to retain field advantage. Also, I love the Xyz monsters, a huge improvement from the Synchro monsters. There is something I should point out though, just along the lines of OCG: Xyz monsters have Ranks not Levels. But that should not be a big problem. You could just change the wording accordingly. And for OCG again, Sublime can't be Normal Summoned anyways, so he doesn't need the Defense Position clause. ^^ Also, since you have quite a few high Level monsters, I would suggest interjecting a few ways of Special Summoning lower Level Monolith monsters. Either that, or you could make your current lower Level monsters more durable, namely Graveyard Monolith and Sentry Monolith. I'm sure that the Xyz monsters can keep your field alive once they've been Summoned, but you're open to a slow start.

[Adak33]

I made the changes that you suggested (Except for the xyz Monsters. Editing them is a pain-and-a-half). As for increasing survivability, I came up with this:

 

If a Level 4 or lower Rock-Type Monster would be destroyed: The Monster's controller may decrease the level of any "Monolith" Monster by 1 to prevent the Monster's destruction.

 

I'm not so sure about this one though. I'll see if I can come up with anything else.

[Amanea]

That awkward moment when you realize

 

that two of your favorite archetypes are made by the same person.

 

And that's some serious defense for a Field Spell! o: I like....

[Zappahcracker]

This archetype is fantastic. I really like the theming. Just the flavour by itself makes this a complete win for me. Couple that with some pretty unique effects and you've got a beastly set.

 

I love the fact that they just 'grow' taller and then when they get to a monolithic stature you break them down to do some badass things to your opponent. It is almost cruel! 

 

My favorite card in the set is easily the Heterodyne. First of all the flavour is just flippin' sweet. Secondly the effect is pretty awesome, considering these things are all different attributes. I just like the thing.

 

Might I suggest a support card? Something that switches a Monolith into attack mode, swaps the ATK and DEF of it, and then in the End Phase switches it back to defense and resets its level. This kind of thing could help take out an opponent's monster if your DEF is high enough, or coupled with Ravager, forces you into attack, triggering his effect for some damage. If his effect didn't destroy the monster it could even be used on itself.

 

This archetype is wonderfully designed in my opinion, and I'd totally run it given the opportunity, if only for the sheer awesome of it.

[Blacklion65]

I love these cards but I see one problem with you xyz monsters, xyz monsters have ranks not levels!