El Shaddoll Egrystal

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

 

FIRE/Rock/Fusion/Level 7/2450 ATK/1950 DEF
1 "Shaddoll" monster + 1 FIRE monster
Must first be Fusion Summoned. When your opponent would Special Summon a monster(s), if you have a "Shaddoll" card in your hand: You can negate the Summon, and if you do, destroy it, then send 1 "Shaddoll" card from your hand to the Graveyard. You can only use this effect of "El Shaddoll Egrystal" once per turn. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 "Shaddoll" Spell/Trap Card in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand.

 

What's the best way to get this guy out in Shaddolls, besides simply using him as a counter for Fire Fists/Fire Kings?

Is there any monster they can tech into the deck, save for Shaddoll Roots?

[Lonk]

Shadollroots, but people say that it's not worth the space.

 

Fire King/Fire Fist counter is always good though.

[Blake]

Shadollroots, but people say that it's not worth the space.
 
Fire King/Fire Fist counter is always good though.

Who the hell would say Roots isn't worth space, it's one of the better cards in the deck ._.

Roots is the only thing, but tbh I'm not sure I want to main it.

[Jirachibi]

I have a weird cosmic dragon/shadoll mix thing so i use the fire cosmic dragon for this. But when i use pure Shaddolls, i use Volcanic Shell for this.

[heraldry_lord]

I have a weird cosmic dragon/shadoll mix thing so i use the fire cosmic dragon for this. But when i use pure Shaddolls, i use Volcanic Shell for this.

 

 Volcanic Shell is still one of the best Pyro-Type monsters in the game (IMO) for sheer fodder utility.

[Blake]

I have a weird cosmic dragon/shadoll mix thing so i use the fire cosmic dragon for this. But when i use pure Shaddolls, i use Volcanic Shell for this.

Volcanic Shell is still one of the best Pyro-Type monsters in the game (IMO) for sheer fodder utility.

Yay dead draws that make a subpar and fairly easy to outplay card...?

Like, Grystal's not bad at all, but if it's not worth maining LIGHT for the purpose of making Nephilim live, it is most certainly not worth maining FIRE to make Egrystal live. It's a worse attribute with worse cards to make it.

I mean there's Black Rose Dragon and Shaddollroots, but it's not worth running Volcanic Shell for by any means. Too many decent tech choices to use before a totally dead draw.

[Greiga]

Can't Shells still be used for Change Second/Super Poly/idk wtf else are you running that needs a discard?

But yeah Grystal is 1-of imo, although I've been lazy in playing online ygo lately.

Shell would be better if Grystal told you to send any card instead of a Doll.

[Blake]

Can't Shells still be used for Change Second/Super Poly/idk wtf else are you running that needs a discard?

But yeah Grystal is 1-of imo, although I've been lazy in playing online ygo lately.

Shell would be better if Grystal told you to send any card instead of a Doll.

Change: Yes, but that's a 1-of, imo, so planning for a 1-of is bad.
Super Poly: why are you maining super poly atm
Fusion: Just makes Egrysta
Nothing else: Nothing else

[JustAnotherDuelist]

Use Volca?

Idk.

[Greiga]

Use Volca?

Idk.

My favorite main deck.

If dolls got a Miracle Fusion (lol) you COULD use Chain.

[Ultravires]

Just use Roots. Roots is already a 2 or 3-of in the deck and easily recycled, and pitching off a Lizard or Nephilim for the instant Fusion set-up next turn is an incredibly limiting play as it forces the opponent to make a decision to commit to the board to get over your boss or alter their responses. Egrystal is a one-of at best; it's only used to interrupt inherent summons. Roots gets even better post-NECH, as Roots + El Shaddoll Fusion into Midrash or Egrystal is a very real interrupt.

Unrelated but somewhat relevant to the use of multiple Roots; Too many OCG players are going for gimmicks like Sephylon, Creator and Chaos variants. Consistency isn't a huge part of the OCG mindset, where turbo builds, unusual tech choices and unpredictability are typically the name of the game.

[Blake]

Just use Roots. Roots is already a 2 or 3-of in the deck and easily recycled, and pitching off a Lizard or Nephilim for the instant Fusion set-up next turn is an incredibly limiting play as it forces the opponent to make a decision to commit to the board to get over your boss or alter their responses. Egrystal is a one-of at best; it's only used to interrupt inherent summons. Roots gets even better post-NECH, as Roots + El Shaddoll Fusion into Midrash or Egrystal is a very real interrupt.

Unrelated but somewhat relevant to the use of multiple Roots; Too many OCG players are going for gimmicks like Sephylon, Creator and Chaos variants. Consistency isn't a huge part of the OCG mindset, where turbo builds, unusual tech choices and unpredictability are typically the name of the game.

Just want to go on with this.

 

Chaos and Sephylon take care of themselves as arguments, as you're running cards that ignore consistency for the sake of power plays, but the Creator example is different.

 

The Dark Creator is a decent 1-of, IMO. I know the OCG likes it, but it's only really good late game and/or if you BRD Nuke, and is a rather dead draw outside of sealing the game. It's pretty winmoar, and I think I'd actually rather run 1-2 Caius and 1-2 Majesty's Fiend (1 of one, 2 of the other) before running Dark Creator, especially above 1.

 

I just don't think that Creator does enough, overall, when its best targets are Midrash, Falcon, and Beast which means it likely won't be a problem solver on its own.

[Ultravires]

Just want to go on with this.

 

Chaos and Sephylon take care of themselves as arguments, as you're running cards that ignore consistency for the sake of power plays, but the Creator example is different.

 

The Dark Creator is a decent 1-of, IMO. I know the OCG likes it, but it's only really good late game and/or if you BRD Nuke, and is a rather dead draw outside of sealing the game. It's pretty winmoar, and I think I'd actually rather run 1-2 Caius and 1-2 Majesty's Fiend (1 of one, 2 of the other) before running Dark Creator, especially above 1.

 

I just don't think that Creator does enough, overall, when its best targets are Midrash, Falcon, and Beast which means it likely won't be a problem solver on its own.

 

I agree entirely. The main problem with the Creator build is that they're running Creator as a 2 or 3-of. Caius and Fiend are legit tech cards, there's no faulting the OCG for taking advantage of them, but Creator is just a gimmick to create plus from the massive amount of mill they're getting from Needlebug/Bandit, and to set up the grave for their double DAD plays. Testing under the TCG list, that build just can't cut it, as the game is made both slower and faster in different aspects due to our lack of double DAD, strong backrow and Shocklock.

Another big thing is that Japanese players like to sit on Midrash and Creator. You don't see this at the non-Japanese ACS in OCG regions where there is a heavy TCG influence like Singapore; for example, Nephilim was/is widely considered the better extension due to it giving you instant plus/recycle when you go into it and the fact that it forces an opponent to respond to it immediately or suffer the consequences.

This all gets flipped on its head once we get NECH, though, since El Shaddoll Fusion speeds interrupt plays on the opponent's turn, Egrystal gives you an extra NO button to R4.deks if you think they can possibly get over your Midrash and the Field Spell actually becomes good from having access to the rainbow on the opponent's turn. Granted, the latter will rely on the EARTH/WIND/WATER Fusions' playability. I'll stop here before I go off on another tangent; as you can tell I have strong opinions about how the deck should be run under different hypothetical formats and metas.

[Blake]

I agree entirely. The main problem with the Creator build is that they're running Creator as a 2 or 3-of. Caius and Fiend are legit tech cards, there's no faulting the OCG for taking advantage of them, but Creator is just a gimmick to create plus from the massive amount of mill they're getting from Needlebug/Bandit, and to set up the grave for their double DAD plays. Testing under the TCG list, that build just can't cut it, as the game is made both slower and faster in different aspects due to our lack of double DAD, strong backrow and Shocklock.

Another big thing is that Japanese players like to sit on Midrash and Creator. You don't see this at the non-Japanese ACS in OCG regions where there is a heavy TCG influence like Singapore; for example, Nephilim was/is widely considered the better extension due to it giving you instant plus/recycle when you go into it and the fact that it forces an opponent to respond to it immediately or suffer the consequences.

This all gets flipped on its head once we get NECH, though, since El Shaddoll Fusion speeds interrupt plays on the opponent's turn, Egrystal gives you an extra NO button to R4.deks if you think they can possibly get over your Midrash and the Field Spell actually becomes good from having access to the rainbow on the opponent's turn. Granted, the latter will rely on the EARTH/WIND/WATER Fusions' playability. I'll stop here before I go off on another tangent; as you can tell I have strong opinions about how the deck should be run under different hypothetical formats and metas.

Exactly. And on the topic of Kuribandit, could not stand it. It was a worse Normal Summon than Arma Knight/setting a Doll almost all the time because of how randomly it mills. I understand it an nuthand and win, but when I want to set a decent amount/NS for a specific mill, I don't see why I'd rather the random mill that may or may not set me up.

 

Yeah, Midrash alone's not raelly a good standalone in my experience, after T4 or so, if even then. It's not bad, but you really want a backup plan and something else to support her; examples include Dark Law, Majesty's, Neph, or Egrystal. Breakthrough being run at 2-3 in testing has also caused Midrash alone to feel rather useless and vulnerable.

 

Neph is indeed much better to sit on, due to the inherent + nature, but I still feel like devoting the main to it in a way that isn't Majesty's Fiend/other half decent tech isn't worth it. Needs to do something on it's own or it's just a mediocre draw. I wanna run 2-3 of her, but I feel like I can barely fit 2.

 

Personally haven't had a chance to test Egrystal. Everytime I'm in a situation to make it (read: Roots, ofc), I always want to make Nephilim or Midrash instead. So I can't really speak to its usability, but I can say that it's definitely not worth running Main Deck FIREs for, because Roots is a card, as you said. The best generic FIRE I could find was either Fire Hand, which isn't time yet because Water has no place, and Horus Lv. 6/8, which is so matchup dependent. Doesn't even seem really side worthy because you can't grab it on demand like Drulers could in their prime, but it could be a neat side tech.

 

The one card I really want to look at come EARTH, which is also supposed to be in NECH, is Mathemetician. It's extra/alternate Armageddon Knights that set up the same way and aren't as awkward to leave on the board. Granted, this depends on the usability of the EARTH fusion, but it does fit the criteria of a target that can also DO something on its own.

 

Also, opinions on Monster Ratios? I know 3/3 Hedge and Falc, and 2-3, msotly 3, Lizard, but I want your thoughts on Beast and Dragon. I've seen some people say that Dragon should be run at 1 and Beast at 3, others Beast at 1 and Drag at 3, and others say 2-2, and others still say 3 Beast 2 Drag.

 

And opinions on Mask Change Second/Dark Law? Personally in testing, it's been a bit less than totally consistent, but... when it works I just win. Also DevPro has it miscoded so that it doesn't set main deck dolls off, so probably has to do with why it's felt not as consistent as I would like.

 

Though, on Dark Law, I must say ditching Fusion from hand to ditch Midrash for it feels dirty. Still a -1, but puts the opp in a serious bind.

 

El-Shaddoll Fusion is also something that grabs my attention. It actually feels better than Shaddoll Fusion a lot of times. I know it's not, due to just how absurd the double foolish Fusion is, but when the opp is playing smart against 'Dolls, El-Shadoll has put in more work. More just a theory point because not maxing on Shaddoll Fusion seems terrible. 

 

And between MC2/El-Shaddoll, the deck can actually just s*** out OTKs a lot. Not enough to build with that in mind, IMO, but enough to consider it a very real option to look for.

[Delibirb]

I've found beast is the mvp bar falcon in the main deck. I prefer him at 3 and dragon at 2. Both of beasts effects are excellent and I gotta say, it's very satisfying to end phase Facing a beast to flip falcon, draw a card, and get back beast to be flipped next turn. Not to mention just fusing him to make Nephilim a super +.
I just think beast is underappreciated far too much.