Harpie Support (yet again)

[Dramatic Crossroad]

I'm still a huge fan of the archetype, even if it's not extremely popular or viable by meta point of view. The cards from "Sisters of the Rose" were a move in the right direction, as well as the Synchro "boss" monster that is Cyber Slash Harpie Lady. 
I wanted to explore and see what Harpies lack and made proxies, tested Master Duel a few months back and did a bit of "casual research", as well as other concepts (might have accidentally borrowed a few names as well, or come up with the same name of a card and found out someone used it in the past).

TL:DR: I like Harpies, these are the cards I came up with, that can remedy their consistency problems (too few searches that are too slow and lack of quick and reliable special summons and extra deck monsters providing more utility and monsters to end on)

1. The most important question - which one of the basic "Harpie Lady" to play. Here is my answer:


Harpie Diva [WIND] Level 4 [Winged Beast/Effect] ATK/1400 DEF/1300
(This card's name is always treated as "Harpie Lady".)
You can discard 1 card; Special Summon this card (from your hand).
You can return 1 "Harpie Lady" with a different original name from this card you control to the hand; Special Summon this card (from the GY).
You can only use 1 "Harpie Diva" effect per turn and only once that turn.

(artwork is the official artwork of Harpie Regina, but recolored.)

Purpose: Have "Harpie Lady" as the most versatile and useful part of an engine. She can be called via Elegant Egotist, be it returned to the hand or sent to the GY, she can still provide support. Also discarding is a safe way to send your "Hysteric Sign" or "Harpie Harpist" to the GY and trigger their fetch effects


2. What to do about "Harpie Lady Sisters" being clunky and a "brick" in hand, yet referenced in so many Harpie support cards?! Make a new version! 



Harpie Twins [WIND] Level 4 [Winged Beast/Effect] ATK/1450 DEF/1600
(This card's name is always treated as "Harpie Lady Sisters".)
If you control no monsters and/or your opponent controls more monsters than yo do; You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) as a Level 5 monster.
You can return this face-up card you control to the hand; Special Summon 1 Level 4 "Harpie Lady" from your GY.
You can only use each effect of "Harpie Twins" once per turn.

(artwork is Harpie Carla, but I've made a recolored "twin" of hers and blended them together)

Purpose: Fill-in for Harpie Lady Sisters and be a searchable and easy to summon monster with its offset being its lower ATK. Twins can provide an easy way to meet the "Level 5 or higher" requirement for the newer support (Perfumer, Oracle, Feather Rest) while also being a toolboxer herself, bringing you access to revival of your main deck Harpies from the GY that Diva and Channeler might needed to discard. 


3. An even cooler Field Spell that pitches in as a searcher for the unsearchable.

 

Harpies' Hexing Ground [SPELL] (Field Spell Card)
(This card's name is always treated as "Harpies' Hunting Ground".)
When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Hysteric" Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand.
Special Summoned "Harpie" monsters you control gain 500 ATK/DEF during the Battle Phase.
If this card with a Hex Counter on it would be destroyed; Remove 1 Hex Counter from this card instead.
If your Normal Summon or Special Summon a "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters": 
(1) If there is no Hex Counter on this card; Put 1 Hex Counter on this card (max.1).
(2) If there is already 1 Hex Counter on this card: Target 1 Spell/Trap on the field; Destroy the target.

(artwork: I've used a mirror image of "Harpies' Hunting Ground" and overlayed "Harpie's Feather Tempest" on top of it.)

Purpose: As mentioned earlier - some important cards, like "Hysteric Sign" are currently unsearchable - they don't mention "Harpie Lady Sister", nor include "Harpie" in their title. Some goes for "Hysteric Party", which is very risky and costly to use, but deserves legacy support nevertheless. The other aspect of this card, making it similar to Hunting Ground, but not quite is the Counter mechanic. You are no longer required to self-destruct your field if you overextend on summons. It needs 1 extra summon to get its destruction effect going (build 1 counter), but it's worth the protection as an option to clear its counter instead of destroying it.




4. Exploring the "return to hand" thematic and giving it the "Level 5 or higher" requirement.

 
Elegant Imposter [SPELL] (Quick-Play Spell Card)
Only if you control a "Harpie" card, activate 1 of the following:
(1) Send 1 "Harpie" monster from yur Deck to the GY.
(2) Return 1 "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" you control to the hand; Special Summon 1 Level 4 Winged Beast "Harpie" monster from your Deck with a different original name from the monster returned.
If you controlled a Level 5 or higher "Harpie" monster when you activated this card, you can activate both effects instead.
This card's name in the GY is treated as "Elegant Egotist"
You can activate each effect of "Elegant Imposter" only once per turn.


Purpose: I wanted to give a more relevant option for Perfumer to grab a card from the Deck. Mirror Split and Feather Rest are fine, but they don't move the game state all that much, Elegance is nice, but being a trap makes has its own issues. "Elegant Imposter" can be a "Foolish Burial" or an alternative to "Swallow's Nest" that plays into Harpie Conductor and is a fair trade whichever effect you use. Searchable with Hysteric Sign while in the GY and yet another good target for Oracle as well. 


5. Even more "tech" for when you really need a high-Level monster or a "Sisters" substitute.

 

Hysteric Harpie [WIND] Level 5 [Winged Beast/Effect] ATK/1900 DEF/800
If you control a "Harpie Lady": You can discard 1 "Elegant Egotist"; Special Summon this card (from your Extra Deck or GY.)
You can only use this effect of "Hysteric Harpie" once per turn.
This card's name is treated as "Harpie Lady Sisters" while on the field and in the GY.
Once while face-up: You can target 1 Spell/Trap on the field; Destroy the target.
This card can make a second attack during each Battle Phase.

(artwork - Splendid Slash flipped horizontally and recolored hair)

Purpose: When you really need a Lv5 to trigger Perfumer or want to swarm with Oracles. Or maybe you want to recycle some cards with Feather Rest?
This is a quick way to substitute "Harpie Twins" who only boost their Level to 5 when summoned via their own effect. Easy to splash with "Instant Fusion". Easy 1-use Spell/Trap removal when you don't have a Field spell to clear back row. Also you can combo with "Harpie Lady Elegance" to use both of the trap effects for extra value. Being able to be Summoned from the GY means you only need 1 copy of it in the Extra Deck. Harpie Diva sacrificed her composure, traded 500 DEF for 500 ATK and is now on a rampage - attacking twice and destroying Spells/Traps in a hysteric fit or rage.



6. A Harpie Pet that is even more useful. "Fearsome Fire Blast" was a step in the right direction, but too small of a step.


 Harpie's Pet Phantasm [WIND] Level 1 [Dragon/Tuner/Effect] ATK/0 DEF/500
If you control no monsters or control only "Harpie" monsters, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand).
You can Special Summon "Haprie's Pet Phantasm" only once per turn.
Up to twice while face-up: You can pay 500 LP; This card gains 1000 ATK/DEF and its Level is increased by 3.
A "Harpie" monster Summoned from your Extra Deck using "Harpie's Pet Phantasm" as one of its materials gains the following effect:
(1) This card gains 600 ATK and cannot be Tributed or banished.

(artwork: sorry, I could not find the author credits, the pixiv link i used was broken somehow)

Purpose: Even more swarming power. You can easily summon this card as a Level 1 Tuner, or Level 4 Tuner (to use for a 3200 ATK Cyber Slash Harpie Lady) or a 2500 ATK Harpie Conductor, or as a Level 7 body on the field - cover the 5+ Level requirements for effects, access Level 12 Synchros or a Rank 7 Xyz with Harpie Channeler. It is not searchable so easily as the other Harpie monsters, but is worth it, as a great Extra Deck extender making your monster immune to the more tricky removal options.



7. A Boss alternative! Link monsters with their inherent immunity to being Set, Battle Positions and Level Restrictions are a blessing in many cases (like facing Towers).


 Harpie Matriarch [WIND] Link 4 [Winged Beast/Effect] ATK/1400          Arrows: Left, Right, Bottom-Left, Bottom-Right
2+ monsters except Tokens, including at least 1 "Harpie" monster
Gains 500 ATK and an effect (of your choice) for each "Harpie" monster with a different original name used as material to Link Summon this card:
(1) Unaffected by your opponent's monster effects.
(2) Once per turn, If this card would be destroyed; You can destroy 1 other face-up "Harpie" monster you control instead.
(3) Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 card on the field; Return the target to the hand.
(4) Cannot be destroyed by battle.

(artwork by Xia Chenjie)

Purpose: After making so many cards that allow swarming the field, I wanted to give Harpies a boss of their own that would hinder opponents, be unique and not-very-splashable in other decks as well as a nice strong monster with field presence and protection. I tried to balance it around the inherent restrictions on it gaining its effects and ATK to survive. Both non-continuous effects are soft once per turns, but I cannot decide if they are too weak or strong, considering how much resources the actual summon drains. 




I've put a lot of time and effort in these (not only looking for cool artworks this time). Thinking of various combos, interactions, limitations to respect and to cross over. Any and all feedback is welcome, if you keep it respectful :) I have not posted in a reaaaaaly long time, I hope i'm not too out of touch with the game.

[Jordan Ashwood]

I'm not too familiar with the current state of the game, but these cards seem like an awesome extension of an already-versatile engine! They complement the themes that Harpies already have, while extending them into making new power plays (both with their own cards and extending into generic bosses). I think you've done a great job!

 

...Also, this is my first post ever on this forum