Wow it's funny how time flies, isn't it? I glance away from my calendar, and I suddenly have twenty-seven hours left to post my entry(s) for the Alter Reality Games writing contest; something I have been putting off since day one. I suppose it's time to overcome the procrastination, and present an entry.
Not too long ago, the effect of the long anticipated Slifer the Sky Dragon was released to the public; perhaps the most powerful effect of all the Gods released. his effect reads as such:
Slifer the Sky Dragon
Level: 10
Attribute: Divine
Type: Divine Beast
You must Tribute 3 monsters to Normal Summon this card (you cannot Set this card). The Normal Summon of this card cannot benegated. When this card is Normal Summoned, cards and effects cannot be activated. If this card is Special Summoned: Send it to the Graveyard during the End Phase. This card gains 1000 ATK and DEF for each card in your hand. When your opponent Normal or Special Summons a monster(s) in face-up Attack Position: That monster loses 2000 ATK, and if its ATK becomes 0 by this card's effect, destroy that monster.
Now, in the current state of the game, nearly every monster that is summoned will be well below the mark of 2000, and as such, will be destroyed by Slifer's effect. However, as is the problem with all Gods, summoning him can prove to be problematic; he requires a great deal of field presence to be sacrificed, and the exchange was typically not worth it. Obelisk could previously be splashed into Frogs, but, while his inability to be targeted was potent and his destruction effect was powerful, it required an even greater sacrifice of field presence.
Slifer, quite to the contrary, requires no further commitment beyond his initial summon. After that, while he has no built in protection, in a format driven by the effects of monsters smaller than 2000 to summon monsters larger than that, he will typically be able to stick around for quite some time. However, he still requires the initial 3 cards to be tributed for his summon which can prove to be a problem.
However, after extensive research, the Heralds of the God of the Sky have been found; the brothers step forward from their humble roots, and provide the energy needed to call forth the great beast. I present to you, the deck list for those Heralds:
Monsters: 20
2 Slifer the Sky Dragon
3 Tour Guide From the Underworld
1 Sangan
1 Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning
Spells: 16
3 Ojamagic
Traps: 4
Extra: 15
3 Wind-Up Zenmaines
3 Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
It all makes sense now, doesn't it? The Ojama brothers have simply been patiently awaiting their moment to call forth the God of the Sky to smite all who should oppose them. With his vengeance, the brothers will reign supreme over all the land! But all jokes aside.
This is the initial draft that I decided to work with for this build; the Ojamas seemed a perfect fit with Slifer, as they have easy access to exactly what he needs to fuel his effect; they have a card that can special summon all three of the brothers from the graveyard, netting you an easy +2, and a card that can be destroyed either in your hand or on the field, and net you up to a +3 to the hand, which will continue to increase Slifer to monstrous attack levels.
The deck works in a simple manner; it focuses on using Rescue Rabbit and Tour Guide shenanigans to pull the Ojamas out of the deck for a bunch of simple +1's to my field that, in theory, will make Slifer live much more quickly. Furthermore, both Rabbit and Tour Guide form Xyz monsters who are greatly beneficial to keeping monsters on the field.
Rescue Rabbit will be used to grab the Ojama brothers out of the deck, who will either be sent to the graveyard to fuel Tri-Wight for later plays, or much more likely be used in the Xyz summon of Gachi Gachi Gantetsu. Being a 2200 defender, he will likely stay on the field for several turns, and provide Slifer with an easy piece of tribute fodder. Furthermore, he increases the attack and defense of other monsters you will likely summon, making it more difficult for your opponent to destroy them, and further supporting the theme of keeping your monsters on board.
Tour Guide is a girl who can serve a lot of purposes, as most of us know. She can go into Leviair the Sea Dragon, who produces outstanding combos with Rescue Rabbit, to form a field full of monsters, however the other monster she brings out may be even more important than Leviair. Wind-Up Zenmaines is quite possibly the best card to sit behind, as once it is summoned, it can detatch materials to avoid destruction. However, perhaps even more importantly than Gachi Gachi's own effect, the additional ability to control the board may be even more game breaking, as he is able to pick off additional cards, while forcing the opponent to waste resources to destroy him.
Snipe Hunter provides you with something that no other deck would need; a discard outlet for one of the biggest pluses in the deck. By discarding Ojamagic, you can load up your hand, and create an Ojamachinegun for Snipe to use. He destroys cards on the opponent's field, clearing the way for big pushes, and with Gachi Gachi on the board, he trades blows with Thunder King, and runs over Tengu. He also provides a dark for the decks other primary win condition; Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning.
The spells here are focus on setting up your combos for the most part; getting Slifer to the hand, or getting cards on board so to fulfill the tribute for him to be summoned. Gold Sarc can fulfill both of those purposes, as it provides easy access to both Slifer and Rescue Rabbit for shenanigans with Tour Guide. Alternatively, if you already have the pieces needed in hand, then Tri-Wight and the always popular Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning are great searches as well.
The only really techy card in the build is the Ojama Delta Hurricane; however, I find that the card is too good not to run. You'll be loading up your Graveyard with Ojamas, and pulling this off can easily mean winning the game in conjunction with Tri-Wight.
In conclusion, let me state that this deck is meant to be a rough draft. It's a combination of theories that were left rattling around in my head, that I felt would blend well together. Certainly, a great many changes can be made to the deck that may increase consistency, speed, or sheer power of the build, but this was where I concluded the list should go. Any criticism is more than welcome, simply leave it in the comments below, and I'll likely reply.
Latest posts by Joseph Capozzi (see all)
- The Heralds of the Gods - January 3, 2012
Get
Connected