[Leaderboard] Striker vs Toyo

[Nathanael D. Striker]

Rules:
All Leaderboard rules apply.
PM the card to me.
Cards due 48 hours after acceptance.
First to 3 votes or most votes by 4:05pm 7/20 PDT wins.
All voters must elaborate on their votes.
My opponent and I have the right to refuse votes, but must explain why we don't accept it.
Written cards are allowed. (Must be in written format, cards with blank pictures are not acceptable)
Create an EARTH monster that supports other EARTH monsters.

Rewards:
The winner gets a rep from the loser.
All voters get a rep for voting.

Card A

Once per turn, if you control another EARTH monster: You can target 1 monster you control: This turn, the level of all face-up monsters on the field becomes equal to the level of that target +1 or -1. During the turn this effect is activated, you cannot Synchro or Xyz Summon, except EARTH Synchro or Xyz monsters whose original Level/Rank is equal to or lower than 7.

Card B
Noble Stone Guardian

EARTH

****

Rock/Effect

1500/1800

If an EARTH monster you control would be targeted by an opponent's card (either by card effect or for an attack): You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, this card becomes the new target. While this card is in the Graveyard, if an opponent's card would activate that would target an EARTH monster you control: You can banish this card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it. You can only use 1 "Noble Stone Guardian" effect per turn, and only once that turn. 

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

sure

[Nathanael D. Striker]

sure

Now this should be interesting. Accepted.

 

Also, cards are due 7:43pm 7/19 PDT.

[Nathanael D. Striker]

Cards are up. Let's get this show on the road.

[Nathanael D. Striker]

Looks like we get overtime.

[Flash Flyer - Sakura]

I might as well vote, but given that card A has Toyo's name on it [set ID-wise]; going to be pretty obvious whose card is which.

 

Card A is nice for modulating the Levels of monsters to get appropriate Levels for Synchro/Xyz Summons; although you have to choose either higher/lower than whatever monster you choose. 

That, and the restriction does hurt in whatever Decks this'd get run in.

 

Granted, there are a decent amount of Level/Rank 7 and under Synchro/Xyz monsters that can fit underneath the restrictions, but not too many of them can really benefit here due to either being unusable outside of their own Deck, or certain materials.

 

You can probably use this with Geargias or some other Deck so they have the ability to make higher Rank Xyz than they'd normally do, but their options in that department are severely limited.

Same goes for Synchros, although given that all monsters you have will be same Level; whatever Synchro you decide to make will have to be even-Leveled.

 

That, and the available card pool isn't really great; outside of Archetypal stuff that this card probably won't fit into anyway for usage.

 

While yes, it's not restricted to just EARTH monsters in terms of triggering the Level changing effect, there isn't much room for this card.

I suppose Sylvans can run this for Synchro plays they normally don't do, but that isn't really ideal. That, and because Alsei/Oreia are non-EARTH and/or are above the threshold, you cannot summon them. At best, probably Ingunar/Meliae.

 

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Card B can protect other EARTH monsters for attack or card effects (either from the hand or banished in the Graveyard).

SS from the hand blocks Castel and other targeting threats that exist nowadays, which is a plus.

 

Graveyard one is negation and also gets rid of said monster.

 

While yes, it cannot block Raigeki and other sweep removal effects, there is merit in this card providing EARTH monsters with support they can use; mostly with taking hits that would normally screw them over. Most stuff like Fiendish and a lot of other stuff indeed targets, so it helps with this card's cause.

 

In the long run, I feel this card followed the theme more than card A did + has better usability for EARTH Decks as a whole.

 

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In conclusion, I vote for B given usage factors and how it contributed to the theme as a whole.

Card A is usable, but the restrictions placed on it makes it difficult to run a Deck around; given the current pool.

[Nathanael D. Striker]

If Toyo has no objections, 0-1 Striker is the final score.