[Finished][YDF] Designer Contest Series 1 - The Army's Commander [Finished]

[-Griffin]

Welcome to the Designer Contest Series, the Card Contest segment of the Yugioh Designer Format. For more general info & such about the YDF, look here.

 

Task

Create a level 7 or 8 Monster that supports Warrior-Type monsters. It should not be a Ritual, Synchro, Pendulum, or Fusion monster as those are yet to be introduced to the format. It does not have to be a Warrior-Type Monster, though that would make sense.

 

Entry Requirements

There are no entry requirements, but the card will be judged based on how it would act in the YDF, not the TCG, so you should look over the current card set, here.

 

Deadline

This is intended to be a fairly short contest. It will close when I wake up on Sunday morning and make the closing post. Cards can be changed until that post.

 

Entry Fee

None, the objective of this is to make an awesome game format, not shuffle about silly internet points.

 

Prizes

The top card will get into the YDF. Other cards might in a modified form or in a future set, if we really like them.

 

Judging Criteria

The main criteria are Design Philosophy and Balance, with bonus points for Flavour and Clarity. There will be no numerical scores. The judging process will be that the submitted cards are posted to the main YDF topic & skype chat, we discuss the cards, and I will make the final verdict for the winner based on that discussion. I'll post some general comments on things that stuck out, but will give more detailed feedback on individual cards if requested.

 

Since I'm going to be playing and designing in the format with this card, I want them to be as good as possible, so I will give feedback asking for clarifications or pointing out major flaws in any cards I see before the deadline so they can be changed. Post your cards sooner rather than later - can only help them score higher with a bit of feedback. 

 

 

Notes on YDF Design:

Removal in general is much weaker. For high-level monsters especially, removing them can be quite costly and usually involves modifying things ATK/DEF to punch them. A new keyword/mechanic we have for this is sunder: Sunder <target> by X - {Reduce the ATK and DEF of target by X. If the DEF of the target is 0 after this effect, destroy the target.} Sunder can be used on targets with 0 ATK &/or DEF. If used on a target with 0 ATK, DEF is still reduced. If used on a target with 0 DEF it will be destroyed.

 

Drawing, Summoning non-specific cards, and Searching typically come with restrictions to avoid it enabling more of those and spiralling a turn into a silly instant-board-fill-combo. Because of this, searchers/consistency-boosters are less dangerous to the format, but should also follow these limits. 

 

Look at the current cards - there aren't that many yet so what's there will be very important. 

[-Noel-]

[spoiler='Entry']

You can also Tribute Summon this card by Tributing 1 Warrior-Type monster. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 Equip Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can shuffle 1 Equip Spell Card from your Graveyard or that is banished into the Deck, then target 1 face-up Warrior-Type monster you control; it gains 600 ATK until the end of this turn.

[/spoiler]
Also just went through the entire project and it sounds interesting. It'd be great if you could add me to this Skype group of yours, even though I'm kinda... not so active there XD

[Tesability Black]

Name: Tactical Soothsayer

Level: 7

Attribute: LIGHT

Type: Psychic/Effect

Effect: If this card is Tribute Summoned or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. Whenever a Warrior monster you control attacks, Sunder the defending monster by 100 x its Level/Rank.

ATK: 1200

DEF: 2700

 

Not all monsters must have complicated effects.

 

 

[Sleepy]

[spoiler=Entry]

Galardoun the Tempest Wall

WIND [Warrior/Effect]

Level 8     2400/2000

 

Can be Normal Summoned with less Tributes by banishing that many Warrior-Type monsters in your Graveyard. Once per turn during either player's turn, except during the Main phase: You can target 1 other monster you control that would be destroyed; it is not destroyed.

 

[/spoiler]

 

 

Trying to unify Warriors as a single strategy a little bit more because to be honest, their synergy needs it. We so far have:
A wall that redirects 1 attack per turn

An Exiled Force for Spell/Trap Cards

An ATK boost that asks for setup and destroys the monster

A monster that copies its own Sunder/boost into another monster

Plus imports: Necro Gardna, Little Wingard, Zombire, Dark Blade, Max Warrior.

 

The flavor is that the commander does what he can to keep his numbers high and so as long as his soldiers abide by his strategy and heed his orders/instructions, their chances of surviving the war are higher. This line is pretty much inspired by a part of the song "I'll make a man out of you".

 

-It prevents the End Phase destruction of Drillmaster Xanian's boost, protects the monster Summoned by Rallying Horn, makes Shield-Bearer Tonli annoying, and overall helps keep field presence.

-The effects only works on 1 OTHER monster and only once per turn, and is not live during the Main Phase so the typical spell speed 1 removal effects all bypass it, but it can protect any monster (not just Warriors). However you do need a Warrior-related setup to be able to Summon it Tributeless.

-Yes, if it would be destroyed simultaneously with the monster it is trying to protect, it does die but it does protect the other monster.

-Can it protect from Sunder destruction? If X Sunder effect is done during the Main Phase: No, otherwise yes.

-It is somewhat weak for a Level 8, but it can also be a very cheap 2400 ATK beater so it is hopefully still respectable enough.

[-Griffin]

Some general feedback: 

 

Alicia seems solid.

 

Soothsayer doesn't feel like he fits as a boss monster, he's not worth Normal Summoning since the effect isn't huge and you'd only play it to search with Shining Angel.

 

I like Sleepy's explanation/justification text. I basically try and do that in my head for all cards, but if you catch something cool & I don't, it'd hurt the cards chances compared to telling me.

[Cool Girl]

I'm in!

">http://

 

This card can only be Special Summoned by removing from play 1 WATER Attribute Warrior-Type Monster. Once per turn, during either player's turn (except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 face-up Warrior monster card you control; once during this turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. During the End Phase, tribute 1 Warrior monster or destroy this card.

[-Griffin]

I'm not sure what an Aqua-Warrior Type Monster is. If you meant a WATER Attribute Warrior-Type Monster, try not to be any more specific than Warrior-Type, as the card pool is still fairly restricted.

[Cool Girl]

Ok! Yeah, that's what I meant! I'll fix that right away!

[-Griffin]

It feels like the only reason you'd use the effect is if the opponent has a wall you cannot run over, which means something with at minimum 2600 ATK/DEF, and you'd have trouble justifying this in a Deck over removal/ect, unless there becomes a serious floater meta.

[-Griffin]

Last day of the contest.

[Zeaux]

 

You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by tributing 1 face-up Warrior-Type monster you control equipped with a Equip Spell Card. When Summoned this way: Target 1 Equip Spell Card in your Graveyard and 1 appropriate monster on the field; equip that Equip Spell Card to that appropriate monster. Once per turn, during your opponent's turn: You can destroy 1 face-up Equip Spell Card you control, and if you do, Warrior-Type monsters you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's cards this turn. You can only control 1 "Chevalier Lieutenant".

 

The text became too long but the effect is pretty much only two. A part of it is how it can be Summoned with ease: tribute 1 warrior equipped with a equip. You lose 2 to summon 1, but his makes up for it: just target 1 equip in your graveyard (even the one that got destroyed) and equip it to one appropriate monster you want to.

FLAVOR:

To support the warriors, here is why he is the Chevalier Lieutenant: He gives up his armament (Destroy 1 Equip Spell Card) to protect his comrades (Warrior-Type monsters cannot be destroyed by your opponent's cards this turn).

[-Griffin]

Since we have very few non-destruction removals, and also quite a small number of destruction trap/quick effects, I'm concerned about how powerful cannot be destroyed is for an entire field when it applies to both battle and card effects.

[-Griffin]

Contest closed for submissions. Judging time.

[-Griffin]

After a bit of feedback, I've decided that -Noel-'s Alicia the Sword Princess will win this one. Warriors have some nice interaction with Equips, and its power level feels just right to help shape the Deck.

 

Sleepy's Galardoun was a close second with its thought-out interactions, but Alicia happens to have a lot of great interactions after giving it thought, and I liked how it could search Equips if a Deck was really desperate for it even without Warriors.