Custom Archetype "Clocktower": Place Counters on your target(s), then eliminate them

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Saraak
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Custom Archetype "Clocktower": Place Counters on your target(s), then eliminate them

Post #1 by Saraak » Mon Apr 17, 2023 3:04 am

No this is not a Destiny Hero Support Archetype. This is based on the Nasuverse organization; the Clocktower. Think of it as a governing body relating to all things magecraft related. A big function of theirs is labeling troublesome magi as Sealing Designates. They will basically hunt them down for various reasons, mainly as either research material or to keep magecraft safely hidden.

This Custom Archetype's main game plan reflects that. They mainly apply a Sealing Counter on the opponent's card(s) and activate effects based on that. And of course, because the organization is riddled with inter-politicking, I made the Continuous Spell/Traps that represent the factions unable to coexist on the field. However, other than this manufactured weakness, because all of their disruptions are based on placing a Sealing Counter, they have a natural weakness to effects that activate in the hand or GY.

Art Sources (includes Artist Twitter if possible):

Cards: https://www.duelingbook.com/deck?id=12891446

Sample Deck: https://www.duelingbook.com/deck?id=9837389

Staple Combo Replays (Reines is not a Tuner and Gray is a Tuner in these replays, but it shouldn't matter. The Art for some cards is also different):

Some Notes:
  • I only made one of the monsters a Tuner to enable Synchro plays if the player wants to. I could add another ED monster, but I'm not really sure if I want 12 cards. I feel like 11 is already pushing it.
  • In the case of GY weakness, I made two of their monsters Level 4 mostly for either Dweller or Synchro 8/10/11/12 plays.
  • The lack of Spellcaster searchers makes the Deck reliant on opening either Reines, The Field Spell, or Aristocratic Faction, in order to start their plays.
  • Because of their lack of a Normal Summon reliance (unless they only open Reines), you can pretty much run regular extenders like Zoroa, Spellbook Draw 2, or even Aleister (but I haven't tested that out.)
  • Only the Spell/Traps, the ED monsters, and Grand Magus can place these Sealing Counters, which makes getting them onto the field a priority. You can't have multiple Continuous Spells face-up, but you can alleviate this with Reines' secondary effect to essentially 'Swap' the cards. If you use her effect on the opponent's turn, you can essentially recycle the Counter placing effect on the Continuous Trap Card, because it's a soft once per turn.

There are a few cards I'm iffy about, but I'm relatively satisfied with their current state. Not sure if there are broken synergies though.
An aggregate of all my Custom Cards: https://forum.duelingbook.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=14930
I'm open to being criticized. I'm not a perfect human being who knows when or where he fucked up, but truly willing to learn.

Rocket2
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Post #2 by Rocket2 » Fri Apr 21, 2023 5:37 pm

Here is my review, but it is harsh and long, so be prepare. Also, it is not in any proper order too.
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The archetype is boring, and seem to be created in a hurry. You don’t seem to cross-reference existing cards for their PSCT like you used to. The most noticeable one is the Fusion Monster. Lack of testing & brainstorming.

You can save 1 or 2 words space by using the standard HOPT each on the bottom of the cards, because we are not using “the following”.

The archetype is weak against 2900 ATK or higher opponent’s monsters. Lack effects that modifier ATK/DEF, lacking in original ATK/DEF with high stats, or something that beat unaffected monsters. Yes, I saw standard removals, however, placing counter is an effect, so we can’t utilize Marshal as a removal.

Wizard Marshal
PSCT= 1 "Clocktower" monster + 1 monster with a Sealing Counter(s)
What is the method to use the monster as materials? Pick your poison: Tributing, banishing, send to the GY, or shuffle to Deck. Normally, bosses don’t give counters to the opp’s cards and then does something. That’s the jobs for starters, or Continuous S/T activations. I will give him something else to do, but not a strong effect, bec of his already powerful contact fusion using the opp’s monster, and especially not another Quick Effect to a Chimeratech like boss (always hate using the opponent's monster as material for an easy self-Summon ED boss). Also, lower its ATK/DEF, at least the DEF. Too high for a dumb boss.

The drama with the Continuous S/T is funny. For a control archetype, funny there is only 1 Trap, and the S/T just hate each other. Haven’t test the deck myself (and probably won’t), but I will probably build a deck only use 1 of their Continuous S/T, and its Anti Clocktower, 2 or 3 copies. Omit out some monsters, or play fewer of them.

You miss a lot of (except during the Damage Step) in your trigger effects. Or you can buff those effects that only give counter by stating, even during the Damage Step. Although you might want to keep in mind of the Damage Step rules when going this route, because Quick-Effect that give counter, by default, cannot be activate in that window (unless stated otherwise).

For the placing counter effect, I think giving them all a soft OPT is just fine. Some might even have no OPT, or a mandatory too.

I would remove the 2 HOPTs-like in those Continuous S/T for just “control only 1”, so use soft OPT, or change some effects to something else.

I would also change some of the monster effects to utilize a Set Continuous S/T, or in the hand for cost, trade-off, or something.

Reines
Really? A tuner with 2 effects that get something from the Deck, and 1 of them is a Quick Effect too (although it is a breakeven). I know she want to utilize the S/T, however, I would prefer if the effect change to cost like "send 1 "Clocktower" card from your hand or face-up field to the GY". If we mentioned cost from hand & field, then it can be a hidden info (not sure why Konami doesn't allow named Set card as cost.). Her original eff is an effect that need to verify a specific card into order to be destroyed, so it must be face-up on the field.

Depend on the combo and your priority, it might be better to buff the effect to "place face-up in your S&T Zone". That way, we can utilize the Trap effects immediately. As long as it wasn't the "When this card is activated". Although this will leave out the Field Spell search, so that's an issue.

Gray
The “draw 1 card for each counter that was placed.” is slightly confusing too. Since nearly all your placing counter is 1 per card (except the Link), then that is draw 1. Or do you mean draw equal to the number of counters on the target. Still, I will nerf it to just said “draw 1 card” only. Don’t want more than +1 to a card that already give you +2 by her 1st effect (herself reborn & +1 any add from GY). Really Saraak. Have you lost your sense in balancing. In fact, just change all her effects.

Association
Why such a severe drawback for just a standard +1 search from Deck. Also, you didn’t mention how long is the drawback, for the rest of the turn, or was it suppose to be a Continuous eff? Remove this huge drawback. Let the user at least SS something from the hand, like Nibiru or Bystial. What cards are you worried about, Eldlich?

I would also prefer if the counters did something interesting. Now counters don’t do anything by themselves, because that is the rule, but you can have an effect that place the counters with a follow up effect, like with the Cubic archetypes (yes, I saw Marshal, but its forgettable). Maybe not an activation effect that both place a counter & negative eff, but instead, you can leaves that to your Field or/and Continuous S/T as a Continuous Effect. Maybe this is the prefer place for the Field Spell’s drawback, instead of the standard +1 add. Since they are magicians with various magics, have some fun with the Continuous Effects (or activation trigger when the counter is placed). The most boring cards are the S/T. Redesign them all.

Touko
What was your plan with her CL3 & above, and non-activation negate effects? Kind of confusing to read. I think you are missing activation or resolve, like with Magician's Right Hand, or Grand Spiritual Art - Ichiri. You can’t place counters on another card (especially your opponent’s) that doesn’t start a chain. The only card that can SS her is Democratic. Why? Might as well just said “Must be special summoned with "Democratic ….”. But that is still bad. I won’t even play 1 copy if I build the Deck.

Anti
PSCT= “Once per turn: You can….”, and “….is destroyed and sent to the GY: Place 1 Sealing Counter ….”.

Maybe you can change some Continuous Spells to Traps. Its a control archetype right. Plus, since we can only have 1 face-up, might as well take advantage of "Magic Planter". Or not, as True Draco's fodder.

El-Melloi II
PSCT= We don’t need to said anywhere on the field with counter in this context. You can target 1 card with a Sealing Counter(s); ....

Remove them? Who is them, the counter or the card with the counter? And just for +1, not an interruption or state eff? I prefer he done something that is not combo enable for a LV 6 monster. Always hate seeing 2 or more Quick Effects in a monster. I will change 1 of them completely. You can also make his 1st self-SS activation eff also treat it as a Tuner. Or, give Melloi a Tuner ability but also a continuous effect that can treat itself as a non-Tuner too.

Lorelei
PSCT= Remove anywhere, and the HOPT should be “You can only use each of the following effects of XXX once per turn”.

Same with El-Melloi II, hate seeing 2 or more Quick Effects. Where did you get her 2nd effect PSCT? I read it wrong a few times, thinking it was NEGATE like “Called by the Grave”. Hell, maybe you thought it was too. But from what I read, it is just a prevention to activate cards or effects. If they already activate it, then it will resolve with effect.

Aristocratic
Don’t leave out Equip Spell. They need some love too. I will let Normal Trap that become an Equip Card a pass, since “Aristocratic” is trigger based on S/T CARD activation, not card or effect, which make sense especially if it is their float effects. Although it is better if you write it like this below, and I think it is fine if this part of the effect doesn't have soft or hard OPT (and maybe even a mandatory effect), because it is going after very specific S/T.
If your opponent activates a Field Spell Card, Continuous Spell/Trap Card, or Equip Spell Card

Fraga
Don’t you think it is better if Fraga is a Level 5 Main Deck monster or a Synchro? You do miss a Level 5, so I will pick this instead. Not all archetypes have to get 1 Link Monster, especially one that strangely got a Tuner (but no Synchro), and a Fusion Monster (without using any Fusion Spell or Contact Fusion theme). I do not know the lore behind her being an ED monster along with the Marshal, but try to fit her as either a Synchro or a Level 5 Main Deck monster.

In fact, you can make some monsters have the same Level. Like you'd made 2 Level 4 for Rank 4. So, depending your preference Xyz, you can made Fraga & El-Melloi II to have the same Level for either Rank 5 or 6. The same go with Lorelei & Touko as either Level 6, 7, or 8. Oh right, and Synchro too. Try 1 Spellcaster Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters. I saw you'd played Magistus Zoroa, Baronne, & Punisher.
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Conclusion
Overall the mechanic of placing counters and by which cards are out of sync, poor psct, and a boring archetype, especially to a control deck. The only good things about them: no wall of texts, and no very small font-size words. You gotten keep in mind of the common or side cards that will deal with them easy, such as Evenly Match, Forbidden Droplet, Unending Nightmare, Skill Drain, etc.

Hmm, I'm trying to understand what I read from these 2 rulings. Your Sealing Counters won't disappear if Skill Drain is on the field, because it is an activation effect that can place on another card, and not cards that are meant to hold a specific counter. So, if Marshal (maybe) and Association placed a Sealing Counter on themselves, it won't disappear if they got negated face-up later. (Slow head shake.) Thanks a lot Konami for the confusion.
https://db.ygorganization.com/qa#13177
https://db.ygorganization.com/qa#23486

Have some look at Konami's Spellcasters, EARTH, and their supports to get some inspirations for what Main Deck cards to play with. Not just handtraps or going 2nd cards only. I'm thinking True King Lithosagym, or The Possessed - Nefariouser (who know, maybe you can change some monsters' DEF to 1500 to utilize Possessed S/T. I saw gray's DEF and Attribute, and the idea popped in my head).

Encourage creative deck building. I saw 1 Normal Spell you just recently made to help get a Spellcaster. However, we got plenty of cards that can do something similar, like Small World (you can change more monsters' ATK/DEF for this Spell to search out, although I see some kind of lore to some monsters' stats; like Gray, Reines, & Melloi, and maybe Lorelei & Touko), and Magicians’ Souls.

Hmm, how about changing that dumb Fusion boss to a Synchro too? If you do, might as well turn Melloi a Tuner (it make the most sense as the 2nd Tuner). Depend on the new design (changing some Main Monsters' Level), Fraga could be a Level 8 Synchro (Reines Tuner+Gray), Marshal as Level 10 (Reines Tuner+Melloi, or Melloi Tuner+Gray, or Reines Tuner+Lorelei Level 6), but allow some room in the ED for the same Level Synchros like Savage, Baronne, Punisher (maybe Reines Tuner+Touko Level 7), and Sigma (Melloi Tuner+Lorelei or Bystial Level 6).

If you got lots of free time, then redo them all. Or just abandon them. There're much works to be done.


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