An Experiment in Boardwipes (Temporal Distortion)

[Trebuchet MS]

[spoiler Card Text, current]At the start of your Main Phase 1: Shuffle all monsters on the field into the Deck. During the turn this card is activated, you cannot Summon or Set monsters, also you can only activate or Set 1 other Spell/Trap Card.[/spoiler]

[spoiler Card Text, 1st draft]At the start of your Main Phase 1: Shuffle all monsters on the field into the Deck. You cannot Summon or Set monsters the turn you activate this card.[/spoiler]

 

Indestructibility and immunity to targeting (aka hexproofing) are two common forms of monster self-protection. But when they are lumped together, it becomes one hell of a problem. Many things that don't target often destroy, and vice-versa. The few leftovers that do neither tend to not be generic. Hence an attempt to create a generic boardwipe that bypasses both indestructibility and hexproofing.

 

But the fact that it bypasses indestructibility already makes it superior to Dark Hole, so we have to keep that in mind. With such a potent boardwipe it's nearly guaranteed that you will get a clear shot at the opponent's LP, barring any S/Ts or hand traps they might have, and even if you were denied a Battle Phase it makes it easier to set up and make it difficult for the opponent to reverse the situation. Then again, if your turn ends the moment you play this card, it renders you almost defenseless, putting this card on the opposite spectrum of useability. Yet in a Deck that spams S/T defenses to hell and back, it becomes a godsend, setting the opponent back and allowing them to check the field again with a thick defensive array. Hence, you can't put monsters on the field the turn you use this boardwipe, nor can you prepare too a defense too thick to penetrate.

 

What alternative drawbacks or restrictions can be safely implemented? What if this card returned all monsters to the hand instead of shuffling them into the Deck?

[The15thWing]

This will certainly take some effort, to make a balanced field wipe, I mean, but you made a great start to a concept I can enjoy.

 

First, this card can be used to wipe out your opponent's field even if you have nothing. This wouldn't normally be a big thing, but the fact that the only drawback for shuffling the Monster Zones is the inability to Summon/Set. This card becomes a Burn/Stall card with massive implications. The sheer magnitude of shuffling your opponents field, including any Synchro or Xyz, and being nearly unavoidable, aside from the card itself being negated, means you can severely hamper your opponent with this 1 card. Yes, you can't summon, but that isn't really much of a cost. Let's not forget, Spell/Traps are still able to be played freely in the midst of this card, so this thing can be played to reset the Monster Zones, and then you can set things like Torrential or Solemn, and stop the next wave of summons. The same could be said about Dark Hole, but Dark Hole is much easier to get around nowadays, with the aforementioned protection.

 

I would add a single restriction to this card, which I think would make it much more balanced:

"During the turn this card was activated, you may only Activate/Set 1 Spell/Trap card."

 

My OCG is probably horrid, forgive me, but I think this makes it more forgiving on the player getting hurt, by lowering the amount of defenses the turn player can set up. This doesn't make it much weaker, though, since the player who Swarmed, most likely lost hand advantage from it, meaning that one Trap/Spell might be enough.

 

Of course, these are just my thoughts, but this is a pretty good idea, as I see it. Also, this card is pretty great VS Qliphort. If they didn't get out/run Killer, at least.

[Kivoxo]

This IS Giant Trunade for monsters. It would never fly. Balancing this would need for it to be either archetype specific or something extreme like immediately ending your turn after resolution.

[Trebuchet MS]

Bumping for more opinions.

[Neutrality Man]

Perhaps it could require being the first card you play in Main Phase 1, and immediately end your turn? Shuffling is arguably the worst thing for a monster not named Madolche [Foodpun].

[Trebuchet MS]

Perhaps it could require being the first card you play in Main Phase 1, and immediately end your turn? Shuffling is arguably the worst thing for a monster not named Madolche [Foodpun].

"At the start of your Main Phase 1" already means that you have to activate it as the very first action you do in the Main Phase 1. Set a S/T? Nope, you don't get to play it this turn. I'm not a large fan of this ending your turn immediately afterwards, since it means you're utterly defenseless barring S/Ts from earlier turns, and can't get a chance to prepare other things.