Deck Spotlight: Pocket Dragons

[UberTrainerMinusInfinity]

POCKET DRAGONS
https://www.duelingbook.com/deck?id=11174190
Year of Origin: 1989, but this deck uses their designs from Pocket Dragon Adventures, released in 1998.
Is it real?: Yes
Ace Monster: The Wizard, Summoned By The Pocket Dragons
The Main Races: Dragon
The Main Attributes: DARK
Extra Monsters: Xyz
Attack: 1/5
Defence: 3/5
Strategy: 1/5
Intellect: 4/5
Luck: 1/5
THE STORY:
A group of small dragons who live in the pocket of a friendly wizard. Together, they go on many adventures, as brave as they can be!
STRATEGY?:
The Pocket Dragons specialize in removing face-up Traps, such as Continuous Trap cards and Trap monsters. All Pocket Dragons can destroy an enemy face-up Trap card to bring themselves out from the hand!
They also are very good at disrupting their opponent: A Pocketful Of Pocket Dragons can force your opponent to refresh their hand, Roll Over, Here Come The Pocket Dragons basically makes it so your Pocket Dragons won't get touched by enemy attacks, and A Plan For The Pocket Dragons gets rid of all Trap cards from the enemy hand!
The Pocket Dragon Xyz monsters can absorb Trap cards from your opponent's GY when they're summoned, which they can use to fuel their effects: More noteworthy, The Wizard, Summoned By The Pocket Dragons can detach 15 Trap cards from him to instantly win the duel!
KILLER COMBOS???:
Unfortunately, outside of Cuddles The Pocket Dragon being able to Special Summon a level 5 Pocket Dragon, and Zoom-Zoom The Pocket Dragon being able to revive whoever is tributed for his summon, the Pocket Dragons don't really fare that well against opponents who don't use face-up Trap cards.....
OVERALL:
Yeah, they're definitely gonna need a rework. Their toughest card at the moment is the single Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!

[Christen57]

Recommend these changes to this archetype's main deck monsters to fix PSCT issues and improve readability.

Binky The Pocket Dragon
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up Trap; destroy it, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position. When you Summon a "Pocket Dragon" monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position, and if you do, you can increase this card's Level by up to 4 (until the end of this turn), and if you do that, you can shuffle 4 cards (2 "Pocket Dragon" cards and 2 DARK Dragon monsters) from your GY into the Deck. If this card is sent to the GY as Fusion Material for, or to activate the effect of, a DARK Dragon monster: Inflict 1200 damage to your opponent unless they send 1 Trap from their hand or Deck to the GY to negate this effect.

Cuddles The Pocket Dragon
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up Trap; destroy it, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position. When this card is Summoned: You can add to your hand or Special Summon 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster (except "Cuddles The Pocket Dragon") from your Deck or GY. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up Trap or Set Spell/Trap; destroy it.

Filbert The Pocket Dragon
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up Trap; destroy it, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position. You can banish 1 Trap from the GY or face-up field; Special Summon up to 2 DARK Dragon monsters from your hand in Attack Position, including this card. If this card is Summoned: Destroy all your opponent's Set Spells/Traps.

Scribbles The Pocket Dragon
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up Trap; destroy it, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position. When this card is Summoned: You can Set 1 "Pocket Dragon" Spell/Trap from your Deck or GY, and if you do, you can shuffle 4 cards (2 "Pocket Dragon" cards and 2 DARK Dragon monsters) from your GY into the Deck. When a Trap Card or effect is activated (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 DARK Dragon monster; destroy 1 face-up card.

Specs The Pocket Dragon
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up Trap; destroy it, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position. When this card is Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 DARK Dragon monster from your hand in Attack Position, but if you do, you cannot Special Summon from the Extra Deck for the rest of this turn, except Level/Rank 8 or lower DARK Dragon monsters.

Zoom-Zoom The Pocket Dragon
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up Trap; destroy it, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon in Attack Position 1 DARK Dragon monster from your hand, Deck, or GY, but if you do, you cannot Special Summon from the Extra Deck for the rest of this turn, except Level/Rank 8 or lower DARK Dragon monsters. Once per turn: You can target 1 DARK Dragon monster you control and declare a Level from 1 to 5; it becomes that Level (until the end of this turn), and if it does, you can shuffle 4 cards (2 "Pocket Dragon" cards and 2 DARK Dragon monsters) from your GY into the Deck.

A Pocketful Of Pocket Dragons's effect can be buffed from:
Add 1 ''Pocket Dragon'' card, or 1 card those card text mentions ''Pocket Dragon'', from your deck to your hand, except this card. Then, if your opponent's GY has 5 or more Trap cards, you may activate this effect: Your opponent shuffles their hand into their deck, then draws cards equal to the number of Trap cards in their GY.
to:
Add 1 "Pocket Dragon" card from your Deck or GY to your hand, except "A Pocketful Of Pocket Dragons", then if a Trap is in a GY, you can look at your opponent's hand, and if you do, you can shuffle their hand into the Deck, and if you do that, they draw 5 cards, and if they do, you can shuffle 4 cards (2 "Pocket Dragon" cards and 2 DARK Dragon monsters) from your GY into the Deck.

A Smashing Time For The Pocket Dragons's effect can be buffed from:
If you control a ''Pocket Dragon'' monster: destroy all Face-Up Trap cards on the field, then look at all face-down Spell/Trap cards on the field, any destroy all Traps revealed this way. If you control a ''Pocket Dragon'' Xyz monster, you can attach any cards destroyed this way to that monster as material instead. Your opponent takes no damage the turn you activate this card, and it can only be activated once per turn.
to:
If you control another "Pocket Dragon" card: Activate 1 of these effects.
● Destroy as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible, and if you do, destroy any Traps revealed this way.
● Target 1 DARK Dragon Xyz Monster on the field: Attach as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible to that target, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible, and if you do, attach any Traps revealed this way to that target.

Pocket Dragon Adventures's effect can be buffed from:
All DARK Dragon monsters gain 400 ATK/DEF. At the start of each player's turn: The turn player must send 1 Trap card from their deck to their GY. If they cannot, you may target 1 ''Pocket Dragon'' monster in your hand, deck, or GY: Special Summon it, then it's level becomes 8 if it was summoned this way during your turn.
to:
During the Standby Phase: Target 1 card in your GY; your opponent can send 1 Trap from their hand or Deck to the GY to negate this effect, otherwise add to your hand or shuffle into the Deck that target. You can only use this effect of "Pocket Dragon Adventures" once per turn. Once per turn: You can target 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster you control and declare a Level from 1 to 5; this turn, it becomes that Level.

The random ATK increase isn't necessary, and the effect needs to activate during a specific phase instead of at the beginning of a turn. To compensate for these nerfs, the field spell can now add potentially any card instead of just its archetype's cards, and can also recycle cards.

A Plan For The Pocket Dragons should be deleted, as these kinds of chainable cards that just discard out the opponent's hand are too easy to abuse with stuff like Droll & Lock Bird to keep the opponent from re-drawing new cards. Plus, deleting this will make room for staple cards this archetype can use.

Pulling For The Pocket Dragons's effect can be shortened from:
Banish 1 Trap card from either GY, then target 1 card on the field: flip 3 coins, or 1 if you control a face-up ''Pocket Dragon'' monster. If all of them land on heads, destroy that card, also if you destroyed a Trap card this way, destroy all Spell/Trap cards your opponent controls. Otherwise, flip this back face-down.
to:
If a "Pocket Dragon" monster is on your field or GY: Banish 1 Trap from either GY, then target 2 cards; destroy them.

Having to flip coins is just too weird for this archetype to be doing, and because coin flipping animations are slow on duelingbook, coin flip effects should be kept to a minimum to avoid slowing down games unless the archetype in question specifically revolves around it.

Roll Over, Here Come The Pocket Dragons! is also too gimmicky and weird, and also should be deleted to make room for staples.

Library Cat, Summoned By The Pocket Dragons's effect can be shortened from:
2 level 1 DARK monsters
Cannot be used as Link Material. When this attacks or activates an effect, non-''Pocket Dragon'' Trap cards cannot be activated until that effect/attack has resolved. When this is Xyz Summoned using only ''Pocket Dragon'' monsters as material: you can attach any number of Trap cards in your opponent's GY to this card as material. Gains 100 ATK for each material attached to it. Cannot be destroyed by battle while it has material. When this is attacked, detach 1 material from this card. If you would take damage; (Quick Effect) You can detach 1 material from this card: gain 800 LP first.
to:
2 level 1 DARK Dragon monsters
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. Gains 200 ATK for each material attached to it. Cannot be destroyed by battle while it has material. Once per turn, if this card has a "Pocket Dragon" monster, and no non-"Pocket Dragon" cards, as material: You can attach all Traps from your opponent's GY to it. If an attack is declared involving this card: Detach 1 material from it; gain 1000 LP.

I think it's better to, sort of, merge the two detaching effects. Also, its listed materials should include Dragon to match the other xyz monsters'.

Sir Nigel, Summoned By The Pocket Dragon's effect can be shortened from:
2 level 2 DARK Dragon monsters
Cannot be used as Link Material. When this attacks or activates an effect, non-''Pocket Dragon'' Trap cards cannot be activated until that effect/attack has resolved. When this is Xyz Summoned using only ''Pocket Dragon'' monsters as material: you can attach any number of Trap cards in your opponent's GY to this card as material. Gains 100 ATK for each material attached to it. At the start of your turn, you may detach 1 material from this card: your opponent must send 1 Trap card from their deck to their GY. If they cannot, double this monster's ATK. Once per turn, you can detach 1 Material from this card, and banish 1 Trap card from either GY; (Quick Effect) Flip a coin, and if the result is heads: target 1 card on the field, and destroy it. If the result is tails, reset this once per turn effect.
to:
2 Level 2 DARK Dragon monsters
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. Once per turn, if this card has a "Pocket Dragon" monster, and no non-"Pocket Dragon" cards, as material: You can attach all Traps from your opponent's GY to it. Once per turn, during the Main or Battle Phase (except the Damage Step) (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 DARK Dragon monster you control; your opponent can send 1 Trap from their hand or Deck to the GY to negate this effect, otherwise double that target's ATK until the end of this turn, then if your opponent owned the detached material, you can destroy 1 card they control.

Resetting effects isn't an official term, and the other xyz already has an effect multiplying ATK based on number of materials.

The Wizard, Summoned By The Pocket Dragons's effect can be shortened from:
2 level 5 Dragon monsters
Cannot be used as Link Material. When this attacks or activates an effect, non-''Pocket Dragon'' Trap cards cannot be activated until that effect/attack has resolved. When this is Xyz Summoned using only ''Pocket Dragon'' monsters as material: you can attach any number of Trap cards in your opponent's GY to this card as material. Gains 100 ATK for each material attached to it. Once per turn; (Quick Effect) You can detach 1 material from this card: your ''Pocket Dragon'' monsters cannot be destroyed by card effects this turn, also the next time you pay LP to activate this card's effects, you gain LP instead. At the start of your turn, you may pay 500 LP any number of times: Attach 1 Trap card from either GY to this card as material, OR pay 500 more LP to attach a Trap card from your deck. Once per turn, except on the turn this was summoned, you can detach 15 materials that were originally Trap cards from this card: immediately after this effect resolves, you win the duel.
to:
2 Level 5 DARK Dragon monsters
Cannot be used as Link Material. Non-"Pocket Dragon" Trap Cards and effects cannot be activated during your Battle Phase or in response to your DARK Dragon monster effect activations. Cannot be destroyed by effects while it has material. Once per turn, if this card has a "Pocket Dragon" monster, and no non-"Pocket Dragon" cards, as material: You can attach all Traps from your opponent's GY to it. During each Standby Phase: You can attach up to 1 Trap each from your Deck and opponent's GY to this card, and if you do, you can shuffle 4 cards (2 "Pocket Dragon" cards and 2 DARK Dragon monsters) from your GY into the Deck. If this card has 15 or more Traps as material, you win the Duel.

Since the other xyz has a continuous battle protection, this xyz monster can compliment that with a continuous effect destruction protection. Also, the duel winning effect should be continuous instead of having to activate.

[UberTrainerMinusInfinity]

Christen57's changes are now live on Dueling Book! Hopefully, this will allow the Pocket Dragons to thrive even against opponents who don't use face-up Trap cards.....especially when they only have one Trap card themselves now!

[Christen57]

Christen57's changes are now live on Dueling Book! Hopefully, this will allow the Pocket Dragons to thrive even against opponents who don't use face-up Trap cards.....especially when they only have one Trap card themselves now!

Hold on. I just realized I made some incorrect suggestions.

When I suggested that A Smashing Time For The Pocket Dragons's effect gets shortened to:
If you control another "Pocket Dragon" card: Activate 1 of these effects.
● Destroy as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible, and if you do, destroy any Traps revealed this way.
● Target 1 DARK Dragon Xyz Monster on the field: Attach as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible to that target, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible, and if you do, attach any Traps revealed this way to that target.

it should've actually been shortened further than that, to:
Activate 1 of these effects.
● Destroy as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible and destroy any Traps revealed this way.
● Target 1 DARK Dragon Xyz Monster on the field; attach as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible to that target, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible and attach any Traps revealed this way to that target.

Also, the part of Binky the Pocket Dragon's effect that says:
If this card is sent to the GY as Fusion Material for, or to activate the effect of, a DARK Dragon monster
should actually be:
If this card is sent to the GY to activate the effect of, or as Fusion Material for, a DARK Dragon monster

so it'll be less confusing.

[UberTrainerMinusInfinity]

These two changes are now live, thus making A Smashing Time For The Pocket Dragons basically a glorified Heavy Storm that doesn't affect face-down spell cards and has a bonus effect for DARK Dragon Xyz monsters. Which deck will Christen57 strike next?

[Christen57]

These two changes are now live, thus making A Smashing Time For The Pocket Dragons basically a glorified Heavy Storm that doesn't affect face-down spell cards and has a bonus effect for DARK Dragon Xyz monsters. Which deck will Christen57 strike next?

You forgot to delete "A Plan For The Pocket Dragons" and "Roll Over, Here Come The Pocket Dragons!".

Also, I want to try something. I think the field spell second activated effect can be buffed from:
Once per turn: You can target 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster you control and declare a Level from 1 to 5; this turn, it becomes that Level.
to:
Once per turn: You can target 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster you control and declare a Level from 1 to 5; it becomes that Level (until the end of this turn), and if it does, you can Fusion Summon 1 Level 8 or lower DARK Dragon monster from your Extra Deck, using only DARK Dragon monsters from your hand or Deck.

Also, replace every instance of:
4 cards (2 "Pocket Dragon" cards and 2 DARK Dragon monsters)
with:
3 Traps and/or DARK Dragon monsters

Also, for Library Cat, Summoned By The Pocket Dragons, the "level" in "2 level 1 DARK Dragon monsters" should be capitalized. I forgot to tell you that earlier. You always capitalize Level, Rank, and Link Rating.

Also, Cuddles the Pocket Dragon's effect that says:
When this card is Summoned: You can add to your hand or Special Summon 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster (except "Cuddles The Pocket Dragon") from your Deck or GY.
can be buffed to:
When this card is Summoned: You can add to your hand or Special Summon 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster (except "Cuddles The Pocket Dragon") from your Deck or GY, and if you do, you can shuffle 3 Traps and/or DARK Dragon monsters from your GY into the Deck.

Also, Filbert the Pocket Dragon's effect that says:
You can banish 1 Trap from the GY or face-up field; Special Summon up to 2 DARK Dragon monsters from your hand in Attack Position, including this card.
can be nerfed to:
You can banish 1 Trap from the GY or face-up field; Special Summon 2 DARK Dragon monsters from your hand in Attack Position, including this card, and if you do, you can shuffle 3 Traps and/or DARK Dragon monsters from your GY into the Deck.

Also, A Smashing Time For The Pocket Dragons's effect should be nerfed from:
Activate 1 of these effects.
● Destroy as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible and destroy any Traps revealed this way.
● Target 1 DARK Dragon Xyz Monster on the field; attach as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible to that target, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible and attach any Traps revealed this way to that target.
to:
Activate 1 of these effects.
● Destroy as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible and destroy any Traps revealed this way.
● Target 1 Rank 8 or lower DARK Dragon monster on the field; attach as many face-up Spells/Traps as possible to that target, then if there are any Set cards, reveal as many Set cards as possible and attach any Traps revealed this way to that target.
You cannot Special Summon from the Extra Deck the turn you activate this card, except Level/Rank 8 or lower DARK Dragon monsters.

[UberTrainerMinusInfinity]

Christen57's second changes are now live, and thus the Pocket Dragons gain access to Fusion Summoning! To make sure they can do this without relying on other DARK Dragon Fusion monsters, Roll Over, Here Come The Pocket Dragons has been repurposed into a powerful Fusion monster that has not just it's original ability of weakening anyone who attacks a Pocket Dragon monster, but also a handy removal option and a deadly anti-Special Summon effect. A Plan For The Pocket Dragons has also been redone, serving as a Face-Up Trap card that the Pocket Dragons can use for themselves, just like Roll Over, Here Come The Pocket Dragon's original form!

[Christen57]

Christen57's second changes are now live, and thus the Pocket Dragons gain access to Fusion Summoning! To make sure they can do this without relying on other DARK Dragon Fusion monsters, Roll Over, Here Come The Pocket Dragons has been repurposed into a powerful Fusion monster that has not just it's original ability of weakening anyone who attacks a Pocket Dragon monster, but also a handy removal option and a deadly anti-Special Summon effect. A Plan For The Pocket Dragons has also been redone, serving as a Face-Up Trap card that the Pocket Dragons can use for themselves, just like Roll Over, Here Come The Pocket Dragon's original form!

I didn't realize letting you use an unlimited amount of fusion materials with the field spell could allow you to dump infinite dark dragons for Alba-Lenatus the Abyss Dragon, so the field spell's fusion summoning effect needs to be nerfed to:
Once per turn: You can target 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster you control and declare a Level from 1 to 5; it becomes that Level (until the end of this turn), and if it does, you can Fusion Summon 1 Level 8 or lower DARK Dragon monster from your Extra Deck, using only DARK Dragon monsters from your hand or Deck.
to:
Once per turn: You can target 1 "Pocket Dragon" monster you control and declare a Level from 1 to 5; it becomes that Level (until the end of this turn), and if it does, you can Fusion Summon 1 Level 8 or lower DARK Dragon monster from your Extra Deck, using 2 monsters from your hand or Deck.

Also, the new fusion monster's name and text seem too long. It's name should be shortened to just "Here Come the Pocket Dragons!" and its effect can be shortened from:
2 DARK Dragon monsters
When this card is Fusion Summoned using only ''Pocket Dragon'' monsters as material, you can target cards on the field, up to the number of face-up Traps on the field: negate their effects, then destroy them. Whenever a monster attacks a ''Pocket Dragon'' monster, during damage calculation, that monster's ATK becomes 1000 until the end of this turn. If your opponent would Special Summon a monster(s), you can destroy 1 face-up Trap; (Quick Effect) Negate the summon, and destroy those monster(s), then you can Special Summon, in Attack Position, 1 ''Pocket Dragon'' monster from your hand/deck to either side of the field. You can only activate this effect once per turn.
to:
1 "Pocket Dragon" monster + 1 DARK Dragon monster
When this card is Fusion Summoned using only ''Pocket Dragon'' monsters: You can target face-up cards up to the number of face-up Traps on the field; negate their effects, then destroy them. Once per turn, if an opponent's monster declares an attack: Its ATK/DEF become 0 until the end of the next turn. Once per turn, when your opponent would Special Summon a monster(s) (Quick Effect): You can destroy 2 face-up Traps, and if you do, negate the Summon, and if you do that, destroy that monster(s), then you can Special Summon in Attack Position 1 DARK Dragon monster from your hand or Deck.

Remember that you can't destroy as part of costs, and that when you're targeting, you use semi-colons which look like this ;
not the regular colons that look like this :

A Plan For The Pocket Dragons's effect can be buffed from:
All Dragon monsters gain 500 ATK/DEF. If this is destroyed by the effect of a ''Pocket Dragon'' card: You can return this from your GY to your hand. If there is a face-up Trap card on the field, this can be activated the turn it was set.
to:
Once per turn: You can target 3 Traps and/or DARK Dragon monsters in your GY and/or face-up field; shuffle them into the Deck, then draw cards equal to the number of monsters that left the field this way. If this card is sent from the field to the GY by monster effect: You can Set it. If you control more Spells/Traps than your opponent does, you can activate this card the turn it was Set. You cannot Special Summon from the Extra Deck the turn you activate this card, except Level/Rank 8 or lower DARK Dragon monsters.

I think the stat increasing effect should be replaced with a more useful recycling effect.

[UberTrainerMinusInfinity]

These changes are now live, and boy, that's the quickest I've ever seen a card get noticed and changed! It seems like Christen57 didn't approve of summoning Pocket Dragons to your opponent's field as easy attack targets, then.....