Sceptyr's Support (Allies of Justice) (8/8)

[Black D'Sceptyr]

See, when it comes to realigning monsters into somewhat usable tech-engines, I tend to have a habit of going overboard with the effects-running them into essay length brouhahas that cover all bases in order to fully work them into usability no matter how badly strategy is abandoned or flow is disrupted.

 

And with most Archetypes/series that I do this for., that comes to bite me eventually.

 

BUT THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT, ON ACCOUNT OF IT BEING ALL-AROUND SUCK-A$$ (well except for the Level 5 Catastrophe Cataract oh I'll get it right later) 

 

Strap in buckos, this'll be a long-branch overhaul.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Monsters]

 

DARK/Machine-Type Effect Monster/Level 7/2450 ATK/0 DEF

 

Lore: If there is exactly 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster on the field (Quick Effect): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. While all face-up monsters you control are DARK, all face-up monsters your opponent controls become LIGHT. Once per turn, if the effect of a face-up LIGHT monster on the field is activated (Quick Effect); Negate that effect, and if you do, change that monster to face-up or face-down Defense Position.

 

 

DARK/Machine-Type Synchro Effect Monster/Level 6/1600 ATK/1200 DEF

 

Lore: 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner DARK monsters

When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can take 1 "of Justice" Spell/Trap from your Deck, and either activate it or add it to your hand. If this card and a LIGHT monster are face-up on the field, this card's original ATK becomes twice its original ATK. Once per turn, during your opponent's turn; You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; change it to face-down Defense Position, and if you do, the original Attribute of all other face-up monsters your opponent controls with a lower Level than that monster become LIGHT until your next turn's End Phase (this is a Quick Effect).

 

 

DARK/Machine-Type Synchro Effect Monster/Level 7/2700 ATK/1000 DEF

 

Lore: 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters

Must be Synchro Summoned. Your opponent cannot Special Summon LIGHT monsters in Attack Position. This card gains the effects of each different name among the Level 4 or lower "Ally of Justice" monsters you control or that are in your GY.

 

 

[spoiler=Spells]

 

Equip Spell Card

 

Lore: Equip only to a DARK Machine monster. It gains 300 ATK and DEF for each DARK monster you control, also all monsters your opponent controls with less ATK than the equipped monster's ATK become LIGHT. (Quick Effect, except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 face-up card you control, except the equipped monster: destroy it, then you can Special Summon 1 "Ally" monster from your hand or GY. You can only use this effect of "Arms of Justice" once while it is face-up on the field. You can only control 1 "Arms of Justice".

 

 

Continuous Spell Card

 

Lore: During your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon 1 DARK Machine monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.) You can only use 1 of these "Arbiter of Justice" effects per turn, and only once that turn. 

• If this face-up card on the field is destroyed: You can Special Summon 1 "Ally Token" (Machine/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1300). 

• You can banish this card from your GY: add 1 "Ally" monster from your Deck to your hand, then you can add 1 "A.I. of Justice" from your Deck to your hand.

 

 

Field Spell Card

 

Lore: When this card is activated, or if a Level 5 or higher DARK "Ally" monster(s) in your possession is sent to the GY: You can add 1 "of Justice" card from your Deck to your hand, except "A.I. of Justice". You can only use this effect of "A.I. of Justice" once per turn. While you control a DARK Machine monster, the Attribute of all monsters in your opponent's GY becomes LIGHT. Your opponent cannot banish or Tribute LIGHT monsters in their possession. All face-up DARK Machine monsters you control are unaffected by the effects of LIGHT monsters your opponent controls or in their hand.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Traps]

 

Normal Trap Card

 

 

Lore: Target 1 "Ally of Justice" monster in your GY and 1 monster on the field with 1500 or less ATK; equip it with that monster in the GY, and if you do, it gains ATK equal to the equipped monster's original ATK, also it gains the effects of the equipped monster. During your Main Phase, if this card is in the GY: You can target 1 Machine Synchro Monster in your GY; banish it, and if you do, Special Summon this card as a Normal Monster (Machine/DARK/Tuner/ATK 2400/DEF 1200) with a Level equal to the banished monster's Level -1. You can only use each effect of "Ally Icon" once per turn.

 

 

 

Continuous Trap Card

 

Lore: Your opponent cannot activate the effects of their Set Spell/Trap Cards while you control a Level 5 or higher "Ally" monster. Once per turn: You can target 1 Level 2 or higher "Ally" Tuner you control: it loses 1 Level, then you can make the ATK of 1 monster your opponent controls equal to that monster's ATK or DEF (whichever is lower). Immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster, using monsters you control (this is a Quick Effect). You can only control 1 "Relic of Justice".

 

 

 

 

Lemme know if they hit the bar. I'll be back on Singles on Tuesday to make hay with another underserved Synchro Archetype of Duelist past.

 

BDS, signing off.

[The Nyx Avatar]

Dusk Driver: I like its negation effect, but I feel that their being EXACTLY 1 LIGHT and DARK monster to Summon it is excessive, and would hinder this card's use.

 

Limit Buster: Effect is fine. Adding effect is solid. However, I feel the materials could be 1 or more non-Tuner DARK monsters, as there are lower Level Ally of Justice monsters.

 

Avalon: Same thing in regards to materials (should be 1 or more). I also think you could make its effect apply to all "Ally of Justice" monsters (or at least non-Synchro), as opposed to Level 4 or lower. This is because none of them have really dangerous effects (Omni-Weapon at best).

 

Arms of Justice: I like it. Can be added by Hidden Armory, treats stuff as LIGHT to fuel the archetype's gimmick, but most importantly, it Special Summons.

 

Arbiter of Justice: Awesome. It gives you more Ally of Justice monsters and even some of Bandit Keith's Machines and retrains. Graveyard effects should be fine, given the current state of the archetype.

 

A.I. of Justice: Terraforming target, and search effect is something the archetype could desperately use. Other effects are fine, helping fuel the archetype's gimmick.

 

Ally Icon: Not that impressive. Mostly due to the restriction of 1500 or less ATK. "1 monster you control" would be fine, considering you are using "Ally of Justice" monsters. Self-Summoning effect is fine.

 

Relic of Justice: It's fine. The Set card effect is nice, rewarding you (or should I say punishing your opponent) for having a high Level "Ally of Justice" monster. Synchro Summoning effect is cute.

 

 

Overall, this support gives this archetype WAY more love than the original creators ever did. Well done!

[Dova]

Oh, I know all about Ally of Justice! #KillAllMistValley amirite? No, but seriously, rarely played these, but almost got into them when I discovered Genex was also a thing...for some reason. Duel Terminal fantasy period, you know? But will do my best to critique these.

 

Opens up with a beautiful support in the archetype. Not only does Dusk Driver enable most cards in the archetype (RIP LIGHT monsters in the GY though :( ), but provides a nice beatstick and negator. Really like the face-down defense position bit, ties into Worms and the archetype's own theme of focusing on them. Bad Summoning conditions, mayhaps? Your Limit Buster, a nice callback to Unlimiter, allows you to activate the very supportive Court of Justice, finally providing support for the archetype's wide array of S/T (Yes, I know you made some actual ones later). Searching is always great, and more LIGHT changing along with flipping is just completely supportive. Not 100% on the rulings regarding Avalon regarding whether your opponent cannot Summon ANY monster if all monsters they control turn out to be LIGHT. If it does, it means your opponent cannot Link Summon. Regardless, absorbing all effects and locking down your opponent? Please. Pretty sure it could just do with the last effect, considering how easy it is to get out.

 

Arbiter provides speed, and the Equip joining the theme of battle related with more LIGHT anti-support. Said card also provides an extra mechanic in terms of self-destruction. AI though...beautiful. Combos with Foolish and practically any sort of field loss, more blanket LIGHT enabling AND ITS FINALLY FOR THE GY YAY. It also ties into the Tribute/banishing prevention effect, which not only hits the face-up monsters your other monsters have turned LIGHT, but prevents GY effects and tagging out effect (also RIP Kozmo). And to top it all off, blanket protection from LIGHT effects? Hm. Considering it requires enabling first, and it doesn't work with monsters in the GY, I guess that field's fine.

 

Icon is flavourful af, and really just a lovely card in general. I have no qualms there, especially with that Tuner substitution. Relic is a little more on the assisting side rather than flavour, although I guess locking Set cards ties into their anti-Worm theme extending to S/T? But this one I feel does actually do a bit too much, doing that, non-targeting ATK lowering AND basically infinite Quick-Effect Synchro Summoning (i.e. not able to be Warning'd or Strike'd)? But. you can only control one, so maybe just giving the Synchro Summoning normal OPT, and it'll survive. Again, hopefully you'll get an external opinion on that. I think it'll be fine for now.

 

Above and beyond, BDS. Getting me to review these forced me to look into AoJ playstyle and skills, and I believe for the most part, you've met the challenge of buffing them. I think you've brought them to the level your other support series' adds to various other archetypes, and you've kept them tied to the lore. I'm glad you're not making more cards though, as these could be pretty dangerous. But with a such a bad base, it's difficult to make them too OP.