Mindmelders - The New Fusion! [WIP - 24/28]

[Draconus297]

Because ideas for Fusion won't leave me alone, I give you the brainchild I've concocted- literally just Fusion spam central, with a neat effect-for-Fusion gimmick.

 

You see, I always liked the idea of Attribute Fusions like Invoked, Shaddolls, and omni-HEROs. However, they never seemed to stand as Decks with variety in the way their Fusions worked- Invoked became too centered around Mechaba, 'dolls clustered around Construct, and HEROs loved their Ab0 and Shining a bit too much (before Masked HERO came along and the entire Deck became "make Dark Law ASAP", that is). Part of this comes from there being overcentralization on LIGHT and DARK monsters in general, but I do think that part of it comes from built-in flaws in the way that these archetypes are constructed, that force one boss because it is unquestionably your best option in most situations. This goes a long way towards limiting the design flexibility of a Deck built with a given Fusion archetype in mind- can you imagine what interesting Deck builds we could have seen if, say, Anoyatyllis had as much utility as Construct, or if Purgatrio had been the best Invoked monster?

 

My idea with Mindmelders was to bridge the gap- by including Main Deck members of every Attribute and giving them effects that trigger upon being used for Fusion, slight variations on the scale of the effect quality of the bosses themselves can be made up for by the argument that it's a natural choice thanks to the Main Deck member of its corresponding Attribute.

 

Tl;dr: By incentivizing all of the Main Deck dudes simultaneously, I encourage a greater representation of the Fusions.

 

[spoiler=Main Deck monsters]

Mindmelder Avatar

EARTH - Level 2 - Psychic/Tuner/Effect- 400/800

You can Tribute this card to target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls: Return that target to the top of its owner's Deck. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your Deck (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). If this card is used as Material for a Fusion Summon: You can reduce the ATK of all monsters your opponent controls by 800.

 

Mindmelder Breezeus

WIND - Level 4 - Psychic/Effect - 1800/1000

If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Mindmelder" monster in your Graveyard: Special Summon that target (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). At the start of the Damage Step, if this card attacks, you can target 1 Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls: Return that target to its owner's hand. If this card is used as Material for a Fusion Summon: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your Deck to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Inferna

FIRE - Level 4 - Psychic/Effect - 1600/1300

If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Polymerization" card from your Deck to your hand (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). During each Standby Phase, inflict 200 damage to your opponent for each "Mindmelder" monster you control. If this card is used as Material for a Fusion Summon: You can draw 1 card, and if the drawn card was a "Mindmelder" monster, you can reveal it to your opponent; inflict 500 damage to your opponent.

 

Mindmelder Voidess

DARK - Level 4 - Psychic/Effect- 1200/1800

If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). Your opponent cannot target "Mindmelder" monsters you control for attacks or effects, except this one. If this card is used as Material for a Fusion Summon: Increase the ATK of the Fusion Summoned monster(s) by 1000.

 

Mindmelder Adepth

WATER - Level 4 - Psychic/Effect - 1700/1600

If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls: Add 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand of the same Attribute as that target (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). While you control another face-up "Mindmelder" monster: This card can attack your opponent directly. If this card is used as Material for a Fusion Summon: You can discard 1 card from your opponent's hand at random.

 

Mindmelder Terra

EARTH - Level 4 - Psychic/Effect - 1500/2000

If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your hand (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). If your opponent activates a card or effect that should destroy a face-up "Mindmelder" card(s) you control, you can send this card from your hand or face-up from your field to the Graveyard: No cards you control are destroyed by that card/effect. If this card is used as Material for a Fusion Summon: You can send 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard, then add 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your Graveyard to your hand, except "Mindmelder Terra".

 

Mindmelder Sol

LIGHT - Level 4 - Psychic/Effect - 1900/500

If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can Set 1 "Mindmelder" Spell/Trap Card directly from your Graveyard (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). Once per turn, you can send 1 Level 4 "Mindmelder" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard, except "Mindmelder Sol", then target 1 "Mindmelder" monster in your Graveyard: This card's Attribute becomes the same as that target's. If this card is used as Material for a Fusion Summon: You can destroy 1 card on the field.

 

 

[spoiler=Spells/Traps]

Mindmelder Mindmeeting

Field Spell

Once per turn, you can target 1 Level 4 "Mindmelder" monster in your Graveyard: Special Summon that target. Your opponent cannot negate the Summon of a "Mindmelder" monster, or activate effects in response to a Fusion Summon. If this card you control is destroyed or banished by your opponent: You can Fusion Summon 1 "Mindmelder" Fusion monster, using monsters from your hand or Deck as Material.

 

Mindmelder Formation "M" - Polymerization

Quick-Play Spell

Fusion Summon 1 "Mindmelder" Fusion monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters you control or in your hand as Material. A monster Fusion Summoned using this card cannot be targeted by your opponent's cards or effects.

 

Mindmelder Formation "I" - Annihilation

Quick-Play Spell

Target a number of Spell/Trap Cards on the field up to the number of "Mindmelder" monsters you control: Destroy that target(s), then all "Mindmelder" monsters you control gain 200 ATK for each card destroyed this way, until the End Phase. If this card is activated in response to your opponent's attack, the attacking monster's ATK is halved at the start of the Damage Step.

 

Mindmelder Formation "N" - Revenge

Quick-Play Spell

Target 1 non-Fusion "Mindmelder" monster in your Graveyard: Special Summon that target. Once during the turn this card was activated, even if its effect was negated, if exactly 1 "Mindmelder" monster would be destroyed (by battle or card effect): That monster is not destroyed, also inflict 500 damage to your opponent.

 

Mindmelder Formation "D" - Guard

Counter Trap

If your opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your hand or Graveyard of the same Attribute as the attacking monster; negate that attack, and if you do, destroy all monsters your opponent controls, except monsters whose DEF is higher than the Summoned monster's ATK.

 

Mindmelder Origin

Normal Trap

If a card(s) you control is destroyed, except this card: Special Summon 1 "Mindmelder Avatar" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard. If this card is destroyed by your opponent's card effect: You can Special Summon up to 3 "Mindmelder" monsters from your Graveyard.

 

Mindmelder Brainwave

Quick-Play Spell

Target 1 face-up "Mindmelder" monster you control: Send that target to the Graveyard, and apply the appropriate effect:

●If the sent monster was not a Fusion monster: Special Summon 1 Level 6 "Mindmelder" Fusion monster of the same Attribute as the sent monster, using only the sent monster as Fusion Material (this is treated as a Fusion Summon).

●If the sent monster was a Fusion monster: Special Summon 1 "Mindmelder" Fusion monster from your Graveyard or Extra Deck whose Level is less than or equal to the sent monster's, except a monster with the same Attribute as the sent monster.

 

Mindmelder Fusion

Normal Spell

Fusion Summon 2 "Mindmelder" Fusion monsters with different names that can both be Summoned using Materials in your hand or face-up on your field, using those monsters as Material.

 

Mind Meld Polymerization

Normal Spell

Fusion Summon 1 "Mindmelder" Fusion monster by banishing appropriate Materials from your field or Graveyard. You can banish this card from your Graveyard, except during the turn it was sent there: Fusion Summon 1 "Mindmelder" Fusion monster by shuffling appropriate Materials from your Banished Zone into your Deck. If your opponent activates a card or effect that adds a card(s) to their hand: You can add this card from your Banished Zone to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Return

Continuous Trap

Target 1 "Mindmelder" monster in your Graveyard: Special Summon that target. If the target leaves the field, destroy this card. If this card leaves the field, destroy the target. If the target attacks your opponent's monster: Your attacking monster gains 1000 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Fusion]

Mindmelder Shadowthought

DARK - Level 6 - Psychic/Fusion/Effect - 1800/2200

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 DARK monster

This card gains 200 ATK for each "Mindmelder" monster in your Graveyard. If this card destroys your opponent's monster by battle: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Mindmelder" monster from your hand or Graveyard, and if the Summoned monster is the same Attribute as the destroyed monster; apply 1 of the following effects during your opponent's next turn:

●Your opponent can only Special Summon a monster(s) once this turn.

●Your opponent can only activate 1 Spell/Trap Card or effect this turn.

If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" or "Polymerization" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Gleamoral

LIGHT - Level 6 - Psychic/Fusion/Effect - 2300/1000

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 LIGHT monster

Once per turn, you can banish 1 card from your opponent's Graveyard. Once per turn, if you Normal or Flip Summon a "Mindmelder" monster, you can target 1 monster your opponent controls: Return that target to its original owner's hand, then, if the returned monster was the same Attribute as the Summoned monster; you can excavate the top 3 cards of your Deck, add 1 excavated card from among them to your hand and shuffle the rest back into your Deck. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" or "Polymerization" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Burninspiration

FIRE - Level 6 - Psychic/Fusion/Effect - 2500/200

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 FIRE monster

Once per turn, during either player's turn, if a "Mindmelder" card is added to your hand by a card's effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your Graveyard. If your opponent adds a card(s) from their Deck to their hand by a card's effect while they control a monster, and you control a monster of the same Attribute as that monster: You can Tribute 1 "Mindmelder" monster you control; your opponent must discard cards from their hand equal to the number of cards added, then, if the Tributed monster was the only monster you controlled of its Attribute, you can draw 1 card (you can only activate this effect of this card's name once per turn). If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" or "Polymerization" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Flowish

WATER - Level 6 - Psychic/Fusion/Effect - 1400/2500

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 WATER monster

If a "Mindmelder" monster inflicts damage to your opponent: You can increase this card's ATK by half the amount of damage inflicted, until your next Standby Phase. If a "Mindmelder" monster you control battles your opponent's monster of the same Attribute as itself: Your battling monster gains ATK equal to half the opposing monster's ATK, also your opponent cannot activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" or "Polymerization" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Sandream

EARTH - Level 6 - Psychic/Fusion/Effect - 2000/2000

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 EARTH monster

During your Standby Phase, you can shuffle 1 "Mindmelder" card from your Graveyard into your Deck: Add 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your Deck to your hand, except a card with the same name as the shuffled card. Once per turn, during either player's turn, if your opponent activates a monster's effect, you can send 1 "Mindmelder" monster from your hand or face-up from your field to the Graveyard: Destroy 1 card your opponent controls, except the card whose effect was activated, and if the sent monster had the same Attribute as the monster whose effect was activated; negate that effect. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" or "Polymerization" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Cycloncept

WIND - Level 6 - Psychic/Fusion/Effect - 100/1800

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 WIND monster

When this card is Fusion Summoned, you can target 1 "Mindmelder" monster in your Graveyard that was sent there as Material for a Fusion Summon: This card gains ATK equal to that target's. Once per turn, during either player's turn, you can discard 1 "Mindmelder" card: Destroy up to 2 Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls, and if the discarded card was a monster of the same Attribute as the monster your opponent controls with the highest ATK (your choice, if tied); that monster's ATK becomes 0. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" or "Polymerization" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

 

Mindmelder Steamemory

FIRE - Level 8 - Psychic/Fusion/Effect - 3200/2600

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 FIRE monster + 1 WATER monster

Must first be Fusion Summoned using the above Materials. Once per turn: You can discard 1 random card from your opponent's hand, then, if the discarded card was a monster of the same Attribute as a face-up "Mindmelder" monster you control; you can draw 1 card. If a "Mindmelder" card is added to your hand by a card's effect, you can reveal the added card: This card gains 300 ATK and DEF. Once per turn: You can destroy 1 monster your opponent controls whose ATK is less than or equal to this card's DEF, and if you do; gain LP equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Mindmelder" or "Polymerization" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

 

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 EARTH monster + 1 WIND monster

 

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 DARK monster + 1 LIGHT monster

 

3 "Mindmelder" monsters

 

1 "Mindmelder" monster + 1 Fusion monster

 

 

 

[Draconus297]

Update for the first triple-Fusion.

[Dova]

Avatar is spicy. E-Tele target and can SS a copy of itself, along with amazing generic removal; a nice 3 of engine in Psychic Decks. I know what I'm going to be adding to my Mekk-Knights. Also, it technically has 2 effects when being used as a Fusion Material, meaning it's a definite must-have in the Deck. Better than Terra? Well, it's hard to tell. A Fusion Recycler is good, and while you don't normally care about field presence in a Fusion Deck, this one can make easy use of Ultimate Poly, by recycling those no HOPT on-Fusion effects. So, on the whole, Avatar is the better card, but Terra isn't bad at all. Aside from that and mayhaps Adepth (loving the names btw) it seems you hit the sweet spot of making them all the same power level and all justifiable, rather than simply making the good fusions have bad monsters as materials and so on and so forth.

 

Like the "MIND" spelling you have going on, akin to the "HERO" variant. Let's be real for a second thought; your opponent is never going to think of banishing or destroying your Spell. Not with such a potent second effect. Might as well put "send all cards on your opponent's side of the field to the GY". Can't even get around it by negating its effects with a niche monster or using a Counter Trap on it, as A) they tend not to work on Spell/Trap effects and B) chaining it to activation just destroys it/banishes it anyway. I mean, my Shinobirds wouldn't care, but that's just one archetype, and shuffling/bouncing is barely a thing. I thought you might be doing a thing by having a monster called Avatar while having a seperate EARTH monster that fits into this archetype's gimmick more, but having 1 Trap that takes advantage of it, and again, a Trap at that (Summoning a monster with a SS1 effect), certainly doesn't necessitate it. Only real other complaints here are on your Poly and Return. The latter is just unneeded with all of your GY play and other means of SSing, so you can definitely just drop it, whereas the former just seems to do much. It Fusion Summons, then Fusion Summons with the next turns with the materials it just used, netting you their effects twice, and then re-adds itself? That's two-upping both Metalfoes and Gem-Knights.

 

First thing that comes to mind with the Fusions is the Burnspiration/Terra loop. Fusion Summon Burnspiration with a FIRE monster + Terra, then use Terra to mill another Terra than add itself, then use Burnspiration's effect to SS the other Terra. If you have another Fusion Spell/effect, the Loop is now set:

 

1) Fusion Summon Burnspiration #2 using Terra #1 in hand.

2) Burnspiration #1 GY effect, add your Fusion Spell from your GY to your hand

3) Terra #1 mills any monster of your choice, then adds Burnspiration from your GY to your ED.

4) Fusion Summon Burnspiration #1 using Terra #2 on your field.

5) Burnspiration #2 GY effect, add your Fusion Spell from your GY to your hand

6) Terra #2 mills any monster of your choice, adding Terra #1 from your GY to your hand.

7) Burnspiration #1 field effect, SS Terra #2 from your GY.

 

You're now at the same point you were at before, with another monster in your GY. Repeat ad infinitum. Even if you fixed Burnspiration to just work on effects that added to the hand, you'd still have a loop with Breezeus. I actually just thought that one up now, and it's much simpler and plusses you more, although you run out of Burnspirations eventually. All you need is a FIRE monster + Breezeus and 2 Fusion Spells, and the game's done:

 

1) Fusion Summon Burnspiration #1

2) Breezeus search, add any monster.

3) Burnspiration #1 field effect, SS Breezeus from your GY.

4) Same as before, except using Burnspiration as material so it gets you a search

 

Hey, combine the two combos if you wish. Nothing stopping you.

 

The issue doesn't just lie in the respect MD monster or your Fusion; it's the lack of HOPT in general that's the problem. Not only is it hard to discern where it is (sorry Draconus, but that bracket thing is confusing, at least for me) but the first loop I mentioned is possible with any of the aforementioned monsters, as they all have those on-sent-to-the-GY effect; you just won't plus.

 

Really abusable at the moment with the combination of the ED + MD, but really, in isolation, I love the monsters and their creative effects. I just think they could've been a bit less gimmicky. I know I'm one to talk, with Murine and similar archetypes under my sleeve, but outside of the Spells and Avatar, the Main Deck Monsters aren't really that interesting. Am really looking forward to seeing where this goes; just really balance issues at the moment.

[Draconus297]

Let's address your complaints one at a time.

 

The Field is actually that way to punish backrow/full field nukes, because those are disgustingly common in the AGM in a way that makes me uncomfortable. Mindlessly clearing everything needs to have a punishment that actually matters, and the best thing I could think of was from-Deck Fusion.

 

The interesting thing about Poly is that, as a Normal Spell, the first two effects can only be activated during your Main Phases, meaning that you effectively have to wait three turns to get off the recoup (way too slow to matter), and given the prevalence of hand control in among AGM archetypes, most notably involving names, it's very simple for your opponent to make sure that they have the appropriate removal method on hand to snipe Fusion when your Banished Zone doesn't have any useful Mindmelders in it.

 

That is a loop, yes . . . but what does it accomplish? You send most of your Deck to the Graveyard, and you repeatedly Fusion Summon using the same monster as Material over and over. Once you finish your loop, you'll have a set up Graveyard with nothing to show for it unless you had another playmaker on hand (which breaks your loop anyway). I noticed it in the design phase, but besides looking flashy nothing gets accomplished. It's not like the Flint Lock loop, where you gain LP and make it harder for your opponent to kill you, and it's not like any FTK burn loop. You just bring out Burninspuration over and over, throwing a Deck that doesn't benefit from being in the Graveyard on its own into the Graveyard. Breezeus is slightly more intimidating in this respect by getting off a few searches, but as stated you can only actually do it 3 times before you run out of Burninspiration in your ED. The Main Deck kids' effects trigger on use as Material, not on being sent to the Graveyard, keep in mind- I made sure that you have to do what the Deck wants before the Main Deck pays dividends, so dumping doesn't accomplish anything for you besides thinning, and the Fusions just set up your ability to Fusion again. That said, I should probably cut out Terra's ability to re-add itself.

 

Each Main Deck kid's on-Summon effect is the one that's HOPT. The bracket spells this out very, very easily, so I rarely don't know what the issue is.

 

Oh yeah- flavor-wise, each Main Deck Mindmelder takes effect inspiration from one each of a HERO and a Shaddoll monster of the appropriate Attribute, with the exception of Adepth abd Voidess. You see, Shaddolls take a basis in various monsters from the DT storyline, so they represent most Attributes in the game pre-dollification- Inferna, for example, is both Blazeman and Hedgehog (originally Neo Flamvell Hedgehog), and Breezeus is both Stratos and Falco (originally Gusto Falco). However, 'dolls did not consume a DARK or WATER monster in their Main Deck, so I took liberties with the second source for each.

[Dova]

That is a loop, yes . . . but what does it accomplish? You send most of your Deck to the Graveyard, and you repeatedly Fusion Summon using the same monster as Material over and over. Once you finish your loop, you'll have a set up Graveyard with nothing to show for it unless you had another playmaker on hand (which breaks your loop anyway). I noticed it in the design phase, but besides looking flashy nothing gets accomplished.

 

I mean, you are setting up your GY with all that sending, as this archetype has a lot of GY Summoning, and it sets up for the Fusion Spell which in turn triggers the GY effects of your choice. But, it was more a future-proofing change; I don't think loops of any sort should be encouraged, as eventually a card will come up that can benefit of that.

 

Didn't realize we had so many backrow nukers in the AGM. Certainly adds an element of strategy to the affair.

[Draconus297]

Mostly because a lot of us went to the GX school of cards design when we first joined- every older archetype has at least one way to deal with backrow, some more powerful than others. Not only that, I think that one archetype (either one of Eshai's or one of MetalSonic's) has basically a searchable archetypal HFD, so that is kinda ridiculous. The only thing keeping Heavy Storm and HFD out at this point is a sense of restraint from overkill.

 

Well, Terra has been edited to be unable to grab copies if herself back, making the loop considerably harder

[Dova]

Hey, mind if I ask what the deal was with Avatar? It stands out among the rest of the monsters like a sore thumb, and with only one card granting it support, it seems like it was intended to be some sort of Prisma or something but just ended up being another EARTH material.

[Draconus297]

Funny you should ask about Avatar- you're absolutely right. In an earlier draft, it was Prisma-esque, until I went with the HEROdoll flavor for the Main Deck. Since literally the only good LIGHT Main Deck HERO is Prisma, Sol took that effect, and Avatar became an Exiled Force/Lonefire combo monster, in place of a ripoff of A Hero Lives.