Baldur, Lord of the Aesir

[Dainsleif]

 

Baldur, Lord of the Aesir

Level 10

LIGHT/Warrior/Synchro

3000 ATK/4000 DEF

1 "Nordic Martyrs" Tuner + 2+ non-Tuner monster

Once per turn, when this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, both players take damage equal to the combined attack of all monsters they controlled when this card left the field. Once per turn, if this face-up card was destroyed by a card effect and sent to the graveyard this turn: You can banish 1 "Nordic Martyrs" Tuner from your GY; Special Summon this card. When Summoned this way: You can target 1 "Nordic" Monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your side of the Field.

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Well, as my first design, here he is, Baldur. As a big fan of the Nordic archetype, I was happy to see the support they've gotten recently, but I'm sad because the older cards still aren't good. Baldur here is going to be the start(and star) of a new branch of the "Nordic" archetype, the "Nordic Martyrs". 

[Flash Flyer - Sakura]

At the moment, since we don't have any Nordic Martyrs Tuners to gauge this card with (or the archetype in general), it's kinda hard to visualize this card's usage without using Vanadis as a replacement for now.

 

I suppose you do have Alviss to help get it out in the meantime, but that's really it.

 

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But that aside, I have some concern about this card essentially leading to massive damage if setups are high (but guess treat it as punishing for overextension and power plays). The SS thing is fine though (would've been nice if it revived an Aesir too, considering MR4, but might be pushing the bar).

[Dainsleif]

At the moment, since we don't have any Nordic Martyrs Tuners to gauge this card with (or the archetype in general), it's kinda hard to visualize this card's usage without using Vanadis as a replacement for now.

 

I suppose you do have Alviss to help get it out in the meantime, but that's really it.

 

===

But that aside, I have some concern about this card essentially leading to massive damage if setups are high (but guess treat it as punishing for overextension and power plays). The SS thing is fine though (would've been nice if it revived an Aesir too, considering MR4, but might be pushing the bar).

Thanks for your input. I mainly designed Baldur with intent on punishing flood decks, which traditional Nordic decks tend to have issues dealing with, especially nowadays with things like Knightmare extralink decks. However, I share your concern, especially since, after thinking about it some, this card is broken AF with Gotterdammerung, which if this card was ever made real Gotterdammerung would likely end up getting limited, if not out-right banned. On the flip side, decks that don't get a lot of monsters out aren't really too frightened by Baldur, and he hurts you as well. As for your comment about the tuners, I'm currently working on the design for the "Nordic Martyrs" as a sub-archetype, and all of them trigger when you take damage(most likely from Baldur going off). I'll likely post them in Multiples. As for the theme for the Archetype, all of them are lesser Norse gods who ended up suffering in one way or another due to Baldur's death.

[Dokutah]

I think this could to work with fenrir and jormungandr burn style strategy in which making it usable is nice and all but i think the burn effect is way to easy to be triggered since it active by any form of sending including used as summon fooder . Float effect is really nice for big greedy monsters like this

[Darj]

I don't like the card. Regardless of the missing Nordic Martyrs, since this card can still be accessed through Alviss and Vanadis, this card screams of FTK or forced-draw tactics by spamming the opponent's board with big monsters (e.g. Grinder Golem, the Nordic Fenrir and Jormungand) and burning both players, and such playstyles are frowned upon due to their lack of player interaction. Or, if you are playing this just for the burn, you most likely are better with more reliable burn decks. IDK what to suggest since it seems this card and the Martyrs revolve around the burn effect, but that's an unreliable effect to hold onto.

[Dainsleif]

I don't like the card. Regardless of the missing Nordic Martyrs, since this card can still be accessed through Alviss and Vanadis, this card screams of FTK or forced-draw tactics by spamming the opponent's board with big monsters (e.g. Grinder Golem, the Nordic Fenrir and Jormungand) and burning both players, and such playstyles are frowned upon due to their lack of player interaction. Or, if you are playing this just for the burn, you most likely are better with more reliable burn decks. IDK what to suggest since it seems this card and the Martyrs revolve around the burn effect, but that's an unreliable effect to hold onto.

Bear in mind, like the other non-Loki Aesir, the only way to get Baldur out quickly is to use Gullveig, which costs you three cards. Also, Baldur's effect can backfire if it is sent to the graveyard without destroying it, and since it's effect is based on what was on the field at the time it left the field, your opponent could easily make you take more than him simply by using Kaijus, assuming you went first and summoned Baldur with Gullveig and didn't use Gotterdammerung.

[Darj]

Oh right, Gullveig is also an option. Even without any Martyr Tuners revealed, Vanadis can still be used as substitute.

Well, that's why I stated it would be used for FTKs/OTKs, so the opponent doesn't have any chance to Kaiju it, and ideally you would be destroying it yourself, something easy to do with "destruction engines" like Metalfoes, Draconic Diagram, etc.

I wouldn't worry about Gotterdammerung at all: it is not searchable, and it gives the window to the opponent for removing it through a non-destructive method, including using it as Link material.

[Dainsleif]

Oh right, Gullveig is also an option. Even without any Martyr Tuners revealed, Vanadis can still be used as substitute.

Well, that's why I stated it would be used for FTKs/OTKs, so the opponent doesn't have any chance to Kaiju it, and ideally you would be destroying it yourself, something easy to do with "destruction engines" like Metalfoes, Draconic Diagram, etc.

I wouldn't worry about Gotterdammerung at all: it is not searchable, and it gives the window to the opponent for removing it through a non-destructive method, including using it as Link material.

However, the wording of the card prevents that, since each player only takes damage equal to the combined attack of all monsters "they control". Baldur cannot FTK, and if you use Gullveig to summon it, you are left with one card in your hand, which doesn't leave you a lot of options unless your playing a no banlist match and that card happens to be Pot of Greed.

[Darj]

However, the wording of the card prevents that, since each player only takes damage equal to the combined attack of all monsters "they control". Baldur cannot FTK, and if you use Gullveig to summon it, you are left with one card in your hand, which doesn't leave you a lot of options unless your playing a no banlist match and that card happens to be Pot of Greed.

 

That, or Pot of Desires, or stack the deck with draw power like the Bamboo Swords so you assemble the combo pieces. I do agree it would be tough even with all the combo pieces, as you would require to Summon this, give the opponent enough monsters to reach 8000+ ATK total, so that's at least 2 Nordic Fenrir, and a card to destroy your own Baldur.

Anyway, I'm just speculating that it could easily be distorted into an FTK/OTK instead of being played in a more conventional way because, frankly, I see little reasons to play this in another way. If the idea is to punish the opponent for controlling a lot of monsters, or a handful of big ones, chances are he/she established a board that won't let you Summon this card in the first place. Or if the plan is to drop this and beat the opponent until Baldur is destroyed, then it is open to, as you say, being removed through non-destructive methods like a Kaiju. Your best match-up is vs. Blue-Eyes really, since they do drop big monsters, and would have to go out of their way to remove Baldur without destroying it.

[Dainsleif]

Here is the link to the Sub-Archetype to go with Baldur: The Nordic Martyrs

[Horu]

I do like this card and while it would do good against a traditional Blue-Eyes deck, I have run a Blue-Eyes deck where Blue-Eyes could literally be swapped for anything. Besides, the biggest problem with counting on somebody using Blue-Eyes to attack or hitting it with Burst Stream is likely just as slim.

[Dainsleif]

I do like this card and while it would do good against a traditional Blue-Eyes deck, I have run a Blue-Eyes deck where Blue-Eyes could literally be swapped for anything. Besides, the biggest problem with counting on somebody using Blue-Eyes to attack or hitting it with Burst Stream is likely just as slim.

I also designed it to work against Decks that focus heavily on SS flooding and Extra Link, since it's damage ability adds up the attack of all monsters a player controls. However, the counterbalance is that Baldur is not hard to work around, and offensively he is the weakest of the Aesir.

[krisanderson]

Honestly I'd make him summon summonable (probably not a word but works lol) with like any of the tuners or using like one of the older ones? Maybe?

[Flash Flyer - Sakura]

Honestly I'd make him summon summonable (probably not a word but works lol) with like any of the tuners or using like one of the older ones? Maybe?

 

Well, you can already use Vanadis if you really don't want to run the Martyr ones (which he linked to a while back, though they suffer similar issues to the older Tuners). Might want to look at them for yourself.

 

Making this summonable with any Nordic Tuner would make the old ones suck less (comparatively), but then we have some issues that were pointed out above (albeit more with member preference on card design overall).