Saber - Artoria

[weeb]

I am a fan of the Fate anime series, so I made several Fate themed cards. Here is one of them: 

 

 

(Artwork is from Official Fate/Stay Night material)

 

Saber - Artoria

Level 7 | Warrior/Effect | LIGHT

ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000

 

Effect:

During either player's Main Phase: Tribute 1 Warrior-type monster you control (Quick Effect); Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this card attacks a monster with an ATK higher than this card’s ATK: This card gains 100 ATK for every Warrior-Type monster in any Graveyard during the Damage step only.

 

Design notes: The "Saber -" part of her name isn't really intended to indicate an archetype per se (and I have not designed any support for a "Saber -" archetype anyway), so don't worry about that at this time.

 

That aside, what I really like about this design is, as far as I know, there isn't a monster that allows itself to basically be "Tribute" Summoned during either player's turn. In that manner, this card almost functions like a hand trap; your opponent targets a Warrior monster you control (let's say with something like, Compulsory Evacuation Device, idk), and since Saber's effect is Spell Speed 2, you can chain this card to that effect. Then, your targeted card is Tributed, and you Special Summon Saber, and your opponent wasted a card. That's just one example. I think it could also get over Bottomless as well during your turn (you summon a Warrior, your opponent activates Bottomless, you chain Saber and summon it). 

 

And that's the core of this card. In general, when you Tribute summon, it causes you to minus, so I feel like for a tribute monster to be viable there has to be some "special feature" built in, either to make it easier to summon in some other way, or to make its tribute worth it (like with monarchs). When I was designing my Fate themed cards, I tried to keep this in mind. I think Saber's unique special summoning ability (well, it's unique as far as I know) makes her a two-tribute monster worth playing, because if you put her in the right deck you won't ever use two tributes to summon this card anyway. 

 

And on top of that, Saber gains ATK for each Warrior in either player's grave, so this card is also a beatstick once it is out on the field. 

 

Since she is an anime character, her effect was also influenced by that. The reason why she gains ATK when she attacks (and only when she is attacking a monster with an ATK higher than hers) is both for in-game balance reasons, and also a reference to the fact that in the Anime she uses magic to turn her sword invisible. So, her card effect is kinda like she's keeping her true ATK power "hidden." Her special summon ability is also intended to symbolize how she heroically charges into battle, as well as the scenes where she uses magic to teleport. The reason why her Base ATK is 2500 is also a reference to how in YuGiOh, the protagonist's key monster (Dark Magician, Neos, Stardust Dragon etc) always has 2500 ATK. Since Saber fights on behalf of the main character in Fate, I gave her 2500 ATK accordingly. 

 

So: what do you all think of this card's design? Like I said, I have other Fate-themed cards, but I wanted to start with this one because Saber is one of my favorite characters. 

[Darj]

Actually, there is already a card that can Tribute Summon itself as a Quick Effect during the opponent's turn, Ehther the Heavenly Monarch. Although, unlike this card, it can only do so during the opponent's turn.

 

Dropping a text fix:

During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 Warrior monster you control; Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card attacks a monster with a higher ATK, this card gains 100 ATK for each Warrior monster in the GYs during the Damage Step only.

 

 

Anyway, looks quite tame to me. Beaters don't get you too far nowadays, and dropping it during the opponent's turn, well, it's good to dodge 1 removal as you stated, but again, as a mere beater it won't do much. The fact that it needs Warriors in the GYs to become big works against it too, since that makes it require setup. Really, you could allow the card gain ATK also when it's also attacked by a bigger monster and it would still be acceptable, IMO.

[weeb]

Actually, there is already a card that can Tribute Summon itself as a Quick Effect during the opponent's turn, Ehther the Heavenly Monarch. Although, unlike this card, it can only do so during the opponent's turn.

 

Dropping a text fix:

During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 Warrior monster you control; Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card attacks a monster with a higher ATK, this card gains 100 ATK for each Warrior monster in the GYs during the Damage Step only.

 

 

 

Thanks for the text fix - I haven't kept up with YuGiOh in a while so I'm still getting used to the new Problem Solving Card Text. I can read it just fine (it's definitely an improvement on how text used to be), but writing it... So as I understand it: since it is specified as a Quick Effect, that implies it can be activated during either player's turn, therefore making the "During either player's main phase" in my original text unnecessary.   

 

Anyways, I also didn't know about that Monarch card; that's pretty cool. I knew they had an upgraded Earth monarch, but that's it.  

 

Anyway, looks quite tame to me. Beaters don't get you too far nowadays, and dropping it during the opponent's turn, well, it's good to dodge 1 removal as you stated, but again, as a mere beater it won't do much. The fact that it needs Warriors in the GYs to become big works against it too, since that makes it require setup. Really, you could allow the card gain ATK also when it's also attacked by a bigger monster and it would still be acceptable, IMO.

 

Yeah, I feel like some of the cards I've made are like relics of a past era lol. They would've been decent in my time, but now it's a different game altogether. I actually thought originally of adding to its effect: "...Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, target one card your Opponent Controls: Destroy it" to beef it up a bit and offset the minus 1 for its effect, but then I dialed it back. I thought "Wait, you get a 2500 ATK monster, and you Destroy an opponent's card!?" That was probably a mistake on my part, I should make a Draft 2 and un-nerf it. 

 

Thank you for your feedback. 

[Archtoddler]

While I am pretty much like you (a player that basically just returned to Yugioh), so I am not particularly good with evaluating a card's balance, I do know the fate series. Since the expert says that maybe the card could be stronger, here are a couple suggestions for things that could maybe inspire a new effect or two:

 

*Excalibur: As in "excalibuuuuuuuuuuuuur!" , you know? I'm not sure if your attacking ability doesn't already pretty much translate that, but...

 

*Avalon: Even if you don't make an effect out of it, maybe giving equipment-type spell cards that syngergize with this card could make it overall more powerful without changing the card itself

 

*The command seals

[Darj]

Yeah, I feel like some of the cards I've made are like relics of a past era lol. They would've been decent in my time, but now it's a different game altogether. I actually thought originally of adding to its effect: "...Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, target one card your Opponent Controls: Destroy it" to beef it up a bit and offset the minus 1 for its effect, but then I dialed it back. I thought "Wait, you get a 2500 ATK monster, and you Destroy an opponent's card!?" That was probably a mistake on my part, I should make a Draft 2 and un-nerf it. 

 

Thank you for your feedback. 

 

Yeah, I did get the old school vibe from the card. It would have been great... years ago, maybe in the times Cyber Dragon was Limited xD

If it destroys a monster when it's Summoned, then you would be onto something and certainly would be a big power boost that I dare say would make it relevant, since it becomes a disruptive hand-trap for Warriors with a big body. Think of a Pankratops that gets to stay on the field, but it's limited to destroying monsters, and Pankratops is currently relevant as a side deck or match-up call. Although to be fair, unlike Pankratops this would require you to spend a Warrior for its Summon. Also it's important to keep in mind that there are Warriors that would benefit from being sent to the GY during the opponent's turn, namely Shadow Mist and any Gouki.

 

I'm debating if this change would be fair enough, since it could get a bit insane considering the current presence of Gouki Extra-Link decks in the meta, and I think HEROes are not too far behind, either. Then again, it can become a cloggy draw, and for the purposes of Extra-Link combo, it has little uses beyond making a Gouki float. Hmm... it's card that I think would need some testing to see if it would be a problem or not.

[Archtoddler]

@@Darj This is the casual card design subforum, right? Wasn't this supposed to be one where the current meta isn't really a topic for the review? Or am I just making a huge misunderstanding of the rules...

[Darj]

@@Darj This is the casual card design subforum, right? Wasn't this supposed to be one where the current meta isn't really a topic for the review? Or am I just making a huge misunderstanding of the rules...

 

I find this a bit tough to explain. As I see it, this section is to post cards at a casual level and that wouldn't have enough power to make any impact in the meta. So in that sense you are right, and one shouldn't bring up the meta to evaluate it or otherwise would be deemed as lackluster.

 

However, that wouldn't be the case with this card, as its existence could potentially have an impact in the aforementioned Gouki and HERO decks. So, IMO I consider important to bring metagame talk to the table in order to evaluate if the card would be fair for the game. Otherwise, well, I can't speak for the card creator but I believe he/she wouldn't like to have a card that, for example, it's broken when it's not intended to be that way.

 

Also, this is more of a thing I do, but I like to bring metagame perspective to either sections, since I do find some gems here every now and then worthy of being in Advanced section either on their own, or with little changes.

 

Note that this is just how I see it, and it's a thing I personally do. Other users may handle the sections in different ways.

[Archtoddler]

I find this a bit tough to explain. As I see it, this section is to post cards at a casual level and that wouldn't have enough power to make any impact in the meta. So in that sense you are right, and one shouldn't bring up the meta to evaluate it or otherwise would be deemed as lackluster.

 

However, that wouldn't be the case with this card, as its existence could potentially have an impact in the aforementioned Gouki and HERO decks. So, IMO I consider important to bring metagame talk to the table in order to evaluate if the card would be fair for the game. Otherwise, well, I can't speak for the card creator but I believe he/she wouldn't like to have a card that, for example, it's broken when it's not intended to be that way.

 

Also, this is more of a thing I do, but I like to bring metagame perspective to either sections, since I do find some gems here every now and then worthy of being in Advanced section either on their own, or with little changes.

 

Note that this is just how I see it, and it's a thing I personally do. Other users may handle the sections in different ways.

 

Well, you have been around longer than I have, so you're probably right. Sorry to bother you

[Darj]

Well, you have been around longer than I have, so you're probably right. Sorry to bother you

 

Not a bother, it's all cool.

To be fair, the guidelines on Casual and Advanced Sections are kinda blurry. That's just my personal approach to it.

[weeb]

While I am pretty much like you (a player that basically just returned to Yugioh), so I am not particularly good with evaluating a card's balance, I do know the fate series. Since the expert says that maybe the card could be stronger, here are a couple suggestions for things that could maybe inspire a new effect or two:

 

*Excalibur: As in "excalibuuuuuuuuuuuuur!" , you know? I'm not sure if your attacking ability doesn't already pretty much translate that, but...

 

*Avalon: Even if you don't make an effect out of it, maybe giving equipment-type spell cards that syngergize with this card could make it overall more powerful without changing the card itself

 

*The command seals

 

Cool, a fellow Fate fan. Yeah, after making some cards of the Servants I thought about making a spell card called "Command Seal" or something, but I haven't got around to it. That said, Saber's Special Summon ability was kinda inspired by how you can use a Command Seal to teleport her wherever she is. If I remember right, Shirou uses it when another Servant is attacking him, so Saber comes in and saves him. 

 

Yeah, I did get the old school vibe from the card. It would have been great... years ago, maybe in the times Cyber Dragon was Limited xD

If it destroys a monster when it's Summoned, then you would be onto something and certainly would be a big power boost that I dare say would make it relevant, since it becomes a disruptive hand-trap for Warriors with a big body. Think of a Pankratops that gets to stay on the field, but it's limited to destroying monsters, and Pankratops is currently relevant as a side deck or match-up call. Although to be fair, unlike Pankratops this would require you to spend a Warrior for its Summon. Also it's important to keep in mind that there are Warriors that would benefit from being sent to the GY during the opponent's turn, namely Shadow Mist and any Gouki.

 

I'm debating if this change would be fair enough, since it could get a bit insane considering the current presence of Gouki Extra-Link decks in the meta, and I think HEROes are not too far behind, either. Then again, it can become a cloggy draw, and for the purposes of Extra-Link combo, it has little uses beyond making a Gouki float. Hmm... it's card that I think would need some testing to see if it would be a problem or not.

However, that wouldn't be the case with this card, as its existence could potentially have an impact in the aforementioned Gouki and HERO decks. So, IMO I consider important to bring metagame talk to the table in order to evaluate if the card would be fair for the game. Otherwise, well, I can't speak for the card creator but I believe he/she wouldn't like to have a card that, for example, it's broken when it's not intended to be that way.

 

Also, this is more of a thing I do, but I like to bring metagame perspective to either sections, since I do find some gems here every now and then worthy of being in Advanced section either on their own, or with little changes.

 

 

I personally do like the metagame discussion, I enjoy reading about how a card I designed would interact with what's out there now and how people might incorporate it into their deck. I'm not too familiar with the competitive scene right now, so I mainly think of "fun" and "balance" when designing a card, but the thought of "How would this card do in Competitive play?" is something I always wonder about too.  So, I appreciate everything you wrote. 

 

Also, it's cool to hear that heroes are still around. I remember back on Dueling Network I'd occasionally use an E-Hero deck mainly using Super Polymerization and those E-Hero + (Insert ATTRIBUTE here)  Fusions.