[Post Contest Tune-up] Ally Snare

[Trebuchet MS]

Original contest here.

 

[spoiler Current Revision]When this card is activated: Negate the effects of all LIGHT monsters currently on the field, also add 1 "Ally of Justice" or "Genex Ally" monster from your Deck to your hand. Monsters your opponent controls and in your opponent's Graveyard become LIGHT. You can only control 1 face-up "Ally Snare".[/spoiler]

[spoiler Revision 1]Monsters your opponent controls and in your opponent's Graveyard also become LIGHT. Once per turn, during the Damage Step, if an "Ally of Justice" or "Genex Ally" monster destroys a LIGHT monster by battle: You can target 1 "Ally of Justice" or "Genex Ally" monster from your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Defense Position. You can only control 1 face-up "Ally Snare".[/spoiler]

[spoiler Original Draft]Monsters your opponent controls and in your opponent's Graveyard become LIGHT. Once per turn, during either player's turn, when a LIGHT monster's effect is activated: You can banish 1 "Ally of Justice" or "Genex Ally" monster from your Graveyard; negate that activation, and if you do, destroy it. You can only control 1 face-up "Ally Snare".[/spoiler]

 

The 1v1 condition was to create a card to support an old DT archetype. I decided to pick AOJ to try and help out the poor overspecialized archetype.

 

AOJs are so gimmicky - they only tend to hit opposing LIGHT monsters, barring Catastor which has been seen as the only playable AOJ card, plus they don't have any S/T support to their name. Hence I started with a S/T that helps them operate in nearly any matchup, creating a one-sided DNA Transplant that also affects the Graveyard to enable other AOJ anti-LIGHT Graveyard gimmicks. Attribute-based shenanigans on the opponent's end are also stifled.

 

But that didn't feel like it did enough, so I followed up with something befitting of the image I picked, and gave it a negation effect. Clearly I've forgotten that Light-Imprisoning Mirror existed which, when combined with this card, effectively stifles the opponent's plays, among the other things signature of a floodgate. The results of the 1v1 went predictably south.

 

So I've decided to slightly tweak the card's effect. It now negates all LIGHT Monsters currently on the field when it's activated, working alongside its LIGHT-tweaking effect in order to not be a total game-stopper, while tutoring an Ally monster akin to Tenki. "Also" has been added into the first sentence so that the opponent's monsters retain their original Attribute to still allow them to play, while still gaining the LIGHT Attribute to let AOJs play at their fullest.

 

CnC greatly appreciated.

[Trebuchet MS]

Bump.

[Trebuchet MS]

Bump again.

[Darj]

I think the second effect could be better. Special Summoning from the grave AND requiring a destruction by battle makes the card slow, too situational and impractical.

The contest didn't allow for card searching, but this card is not bound to that restriction anymore so I think you could go for such effect. For instance, instead of a Shura effect, how about a "Black Whirlwind"-ish effect? That would add fair speed to AoJs/Genex Allies. And considering that BWs have it a 3 and are far from being top tier, I doubt it would turn Allies suddenly overpowered.

 

Or if you don't want to go too far, you could stick with a Tenki-ish effect: A Continuous Spell that adds an "Ally" monster from deck to hand on activation, and retains the "turn your opponent's monsters into LIGHTs" effect.

 

When this card is activated: Add 1 "Ally" monster from your Deck to your hand. Monsters your opponent controls and in your opponent's Graveyard also become LIGHT. You can only activate 1 "Ally Snare" per turn.

[Trebuchet MS]

Revised.

 

Card now Tenkis on activation, and has a watered down monster negation effect, blocking out effects of LIGHT monsters that were around when it was activated.

[Darj]

The only issue I see in this last version is that the last clause will turn any other copies of "Ally Snare" in your hand dead until the 1st one is removed from the field. The obvious suggestion would be to remove said clause and go for a hard OPT clause instead, but then it would make this card's first effect stronger: Activate Ally Snare #1, then whenever you activate Ally Snare #2, it will essentially negate the effects of all of your opponent's monsters since they are treated as LIGHTs by Snare #1. You may want to fix or nerf that, although a full-field BTS wouldn't be that much of a broken play in my opinion, and it could be even considered a "reward" or bonus for playing an Ally deck or engine (just like Tiger King is exclusive to Beast-Warrior Rank4 decks). Besides, the combo would be somewhat situational since it requires you to get/draw 2+ Ally Snares first.