Overview
Please ignore the vanillas - just there due to YGOPRODECK limitations - please view the actual deck down the bottom.
I thought the whole Dandan format for MTG was really neat, so I gave a go at doing something similar for YGO.
The game is meant to be played with one deck and one graveyard, shared between both players.
Could be a good bit of fun, maybe even skillfull. I encourage you all to play around with card choices / ratios / rules and let me know what you think / develop it further yourselves if you so desire.
I have looked into Diamond Dude as another really interesting card for the format - just requires some more normal spells to be used more consistently, it certainly benefits from stacking. Duality looked neat, but it was basically free card draw, although at the cost of using Treeborn which is neat. Ancient Telescope could also be a neat card - but rules about public information would have to be refined to ensure that this format's whole thing of best possible play with maximum information is maintained.
This format cannot really be played via any simulators, automated at least. Would recommend that if you do play - do so IRL (Dueling Book would be a real hassle for this), and make sure to take a look at my ratios at the bottom / mess around with the deck / rules for yourself.
Card Choice Explanations
- Raiza the Storm Monarch | Raiza is meant to be both a removal option, and the only real means of damage in the format. Raiza is your main tribute / body outlet with the Treeborn frog in circulation. Raiza allows you to stack the deck in your favour / your opponents [opposite of favour], just like other cards in the format, but also allows for removal of monsters such as Ghost Belle or a Treeborn Frog on the field via battle, either removing them from the game, setting up plays with Treeborn, or putting something into the GY for Cyber Valley to recycle. It takes four hits from Raiza to close out the game, 8000 > 5600 > 3200 > 800 > 0, with ample opportunities for counter-play, either with another Raiza, or Back to Square One / Phoenix Wing Wind Blast.
- Treeborn Frog | Essential card for this format. With one GY, this card is basically exchanged each turn - meaning if you tribute it off on your side for a Raiza, suddenly your opponent has both free defense, and tribute fodder that next turn. Removal of TF from the GY means both players suddenly lose a resource, emphasising smart timing and careful planning / strategy. TF has multiple options of removal from the GY as discussed later on - all which play into this strategic resource loop between players. Treeborn's 100 ATK / DEF means it cannot get over itself, a set D.D Crow, or a Ghost Belle (in which case you would take damage).
- Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion | One of the two hand traps in this format, Ghost Belle is a means to stop a Treeborn from going off, negate a D.D. Crow or Called By The Grave use, or rendering Cyber Valley a trade for normal summon Treeborn. Ghost Belle's 1800 DEF makes it the only real defensive body of the format that ALSO deals damage, pushing your opponent over that 800LP margin and opening them up for game in only three hits with Raiza. Ghost Belle can in turn be negated by Called By The Grave.
- D.D. Crow | Crow is basically Ghost Belle but it can be used in a more interesting scenario - banishing a TF after you have just used it, taking it out of the game for your opponent. Crow can thus also stop a TF, or even mess up a Cyber Valley. Crow, as a handtrap, can thus also lose to Clled By.
- Cyber Valley | Cyber Valley is one of the most premium resources here, offering real versatility in use. It can be a way to delay the game from a loss, a way to draw into whatever you just stacked, or a way to recycle cards your opponent or yourself have used to either give them a poor draw, or give you something quite useful later down the track. Valley is the only card draw in this format, and thus costs between itself as a body, or another monster, for you to gain that card draw - requiring some degree of pre-planning to use it.
- Back to Square One / Phoenix Wing Wind Blast | A normal spell and a trap, respectively, which both allow for a discard and a stack of the deck. This either means removal in the case of Wind Blast, or removal / stacking of any monster via Square. Wind Blast has the trade-off of having to wait a turn, but allows for greater versatility in the form of removing your opponent's spells / traps in addition to monsters, although losing the ability to stack your cards onto the deck. Thus, Wind Blast's only out other than Raiza, is itself, turning it into a card with a lot of weight on its shoulders and a degree of risk. Both of these cards, requiring a discard, can thus also put Treeborn Frog into rotation. Wind Blast can thus ensure you get its first revival - sending TF on your opponent's turn, awaiting your standby phase. Back to Square One requires you have some kind of negation such as Ghost Belle to ensure that your opponent cannot make use of it during their standby phase after you sent it.
- Spellbook Organization / Fruits of Kozaky's Studies | Basically the same card, but required. Both of these cards allow for either counterplay to deck stacking, either giving you a draw you stacked further down, bricking your opponent, preventing your opponent from getting something they stacked, or preventing your opponent from bricking you. Nothing much else of note, they do not achieve card advantage, but they do allow for more stacking strategy.
- Called By The Grave | This is your out to Cyber Valley, Treeborn Frog, Raiza, and Ghost Belle all in one. It does thus come at the cost of stopping you from using those cards that turn, the hand traps in particular, but it allows you to either insulate your plays, stop your opponent from interrupting your plays, preventing a Treeborn Frog from going off, or acting as basically a free negate. Called By's banish also means that anything banished, either a Treeborn Frog or anything Cyber Valley may want to stack, are no longer in the game - gone, banished, exiled, zero'd, thus also requiring smart use, or you may be putting yourself at risk. Called By in of itself loses to Ghost Belle.
Correct Ratios (due to YGOPRODECK limitations)
Due to YGOPRODECK's limitations, the ratios I have built the deck with are not displayed. Please ignore the random vanilla monsters, just there to satisfy YGOPRODECK's 40-card minimum. The correct deck ratios are as follows:
- 6x Raiza
- 6x Treeborn
- 3x Belle
- 3x D.D. Crow
- 2x Cyber Valley
- 4x Back to Square One
- 4x Phoenix Wing Wind Blast
- 4x Spellbook Organization
- 4x Fruits of Kozaky's Studies
- 4x Called By The Grave