[OOC] Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Next Gen

[Birdboy]

Dang, I should have stayed vigilante, super bummed I missed this.

[Ryik]

@Squashedquatch
@Birdboy

One of our players has decided to bow out, so we've got an opening for a male obelisk blue character, if either of you are still interested.

[Birdboy]

I'd love that! Let me see if I can make something good!

[Scarifar]

It's been ages since I've seen a Yugioh rp. Gonna put down some tentative interest here.

[Ryik]

@Scarifar You're welcome to join. A new "episode" just started, so knowledge of previous events isn't necessary.

I've been pairing up player characters with NPCs in order to drag them off into plots, if needed. While this arrangement isn't mandatory, the open slots/freed up NPCs, from players who have left the RP, include:

• Sina (Slifer Red female)
• Miles (Ra Yellow male)
• Jon (Obelisk Blue male)
• Caleb (Obelisk Blue male)

Tentatively, Chris (Ra Yellow male) is also available (in that @WXer hasn't been online in a month) though I'll wait on @SSW's response before declaring Melony (Obelisk Blue female) freed up. I contacted them both on our Discord just now and am waiting to hear back.

Players can choose which NPC they want as their roommate, or just go without a roommate. No other player character is available as a roommate currently, so that's unfortunately not an option.

You're also welcome to join the discord if you wanna discuss your character and their deck.

[Scarifar]

Hector Aristaios

Theme

An optional section for a character theme song. As in, background music that would play while dueling your character, e.g.

It's mostly just for fun, though it can indirectly describe the vibe your character gives off during a duel as well.

Name: Hector Aristaios

Gender: ♂

Dorm: Obelisk Blue.

Personality: Hector is typically seen as a laidback, cheerful guy, often willing to just go with the flow. He's friendly to anyone When it comes to Duel Monsters, he is a bonafide fanatic. He possesses plenty of basic knowledge regarding the game's many mechanics, and is always eager to learn more about the various archetypes that make up Duel Monsters. He even keeps a personal notebook detailing information of what he's learned so far about Duel Monsters.

History: Hector was only 6 years old when his father gave him his first Duel Monsters deck. It was simple, but Hector was enamored by each card's artwork. Then his father taught him how to play the game, and from then on Hector knew what he wanted to do in life. He began poring over the books about Duel Monsters in his spare time, and even spent time making sketches and drawings of various Duel Monster cards, often putting his own spin on them such as making his own poses or having them interact in various ways.

Hector's love for the game never wavered over the years. He entered local card shop tournaments, made friends with other enthusiasts and hobbygoers, and overall had a good time. In all his time playing the game, though, he never formed a deck around a singular archetype, believing that Duel Monsters was just too large to limit himself to only one archetype. As a result, his win-loss ratio was varied. It didn't matter to him, though; he just wanted to have fun.

Then he discovered the existence of Duel Academy: a place where those who went in became professional duelists when they came out. Seeing his chance, he begged his parents to let him enroll into the deck. Of course, they had to see if he was capable of succeeding, and what better way to do that than through a Duel? At first, it seemed Hector was on the ropes, and his father spoke harshly, telling him that while Hector's love for Duel Monsters was true, the world of Duel Monsters was not so kind. And in order to succeed, he would need to do more than just love it; he needed to have the desire to win.

At that moment, something ignited in Hector. When he drew his next card, he found the path to victory, and immediately turned the tables, resulting in victory. Defeated, his father deemed him ready for Duel Academy. As a parting gift, he lent Hector his ace monster: Arcanite Magician. He told Hector that the spirit inside the card would watch over him and guide him to victory. Hector, thinking he meant figuratively, thanked him regardless and accepted the card. Hector would then spend many a day and night putting his deckbuilding skills to the test, all while putting his own spin to the deck.

At the applicational exams, Hector aced the theoreticals. The practicals were more complicated, but Hector eventually managed to win the Duel against the proctor. All in all, it was a great learning experience as he was able to see cards he hadn't seen before in action, and couldn't wait to learn more about Duel Monsters.

Spirituality: Unfortunately has absolutely no sense for it.

Spirit Partner: Arcanite Magician

Ace Card: Arcanite Magician

Waifu/Husbando: None

Deck(s): 40 (/Assault of Endymion)

Deck

Monsters (19)
Arcanite Magician/Assault Mode x 2
Assault Sentinel x 3
Assault Beast x 1
Arcane Apprentice x 2
Psi-Reflector x 3
Robes of the Arcanite* x 3
Servant of Endymion x 1
Reflection of Endymion x 2
Magister of Endymion x 2

Spells (16)
Magical Citadel of Endymion x 3
Terraforming x 1
Assault Mode Zero x 1
Assault Teleport x 2
Assault Overload x 1
Spell Power Mastery x 2
Spell Power Grasp x 3
Endymion's Lab x 3

Traps (5)
Assault Mode Activate x 3
Assault Counter x 2

Extra Deck (9)
Arcanite Magician x 3
Explosive Magician x 1
Defender, the Magical Guardian* x 1
Endymion, Master of Magic* x 1
High Priestess Cheyanne* x 1
Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians x 1
Day-Breaker the Shining Magical Warrior x 1

Custom Cards:
Robes of the Arcanite
Level 5
LIGHT / Spellcaster / Effect
You can remove 1 Spell Counter from your field; Special Summon this card (from your hand). If Summoned this way, you can treat 1 other Spellcaster monster you control as a Tuner monster for the Synchro Summon of a Spellcaster Synchro monster. You can only use this effect of "Robes of the Arcanite" once per turn.
ATK 1400 / DEF 1400

Defender, the Magical Guardian
Level 6
LIGHT / Spellcaster / Synchro / Effect
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Summoned: Place 2 Spell Counters on it, or if this card is Synchro Summoned, place 3 Spell Counters on it instead. This card gains 300 DEF for each Spell Counter on it. Once per turn, if a Spellcaster monster(s) you control would be destroyed, you can remove 2 Spell Counters from your field for each of those monsters instead.
ATK 1600 / DEF 2000

Endymion, Master of Magic
Level 8
DARK / Spellcaster / Synchro / Pendulum / Effect
Scale: 8
Pendulum Effect:
You can remove 6 Spell Counters from your field; Special Summon this card from the Pendulum Zone, then you can add 1 Spell Card from your GY to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Endymion, Master of Magic" once per turn.
Monster Effect:
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Spellcaster monsters
Each time a Spell Card is activated, place 1 Spell Counter on this card when that Spell resolves. You can remove 3 Spell Counters from this card; add 1 Normal Spell from your Deck to your hand, then you can destroy 1 card your opponent controls. You can only use this effect of "Endymion, Master of Magic" once per turn. If this card in the Monster Zone is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can place this card in your Pendulum Zone.
ATK 2700 / DEF 1700

High Priestess Cheyanne
Level 9
LIGHT / Spellcaster / Synchro / Effect
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Spellcaster monsters
Each time a Spell Card is activated, place 2 Spell Counters on this card when that Spell resolves. You can remove any number of Spell Counters from this card; Special Summon 1 monster from your GY whose Level is equal to the number of Spell Counters you removed. You can only use this effect of "High Priestess Cheyanne" once per turn.
ATK 2600 / DEF 2900

[Goose]

Hey there @Ryik!

Looks like you're accepting applications to join and I'm interested; I love the campy feel of the school setting and am intrigued by the use of full deck lists for each character. However, I do have a couple of questions:

Are you running these games on Discord over some online program? Do you intend to? And are the decks expected to be competitive in that regard, or are the lists just for the sake of the characters having a gimmick?

(In other words, do I need to learn what Xyz, Link and Tuner cards are?)

EDIT: Whatever, here's hoping! ~

Character Sheet

Appearance/Face Claim

Name: Lupe Chong
Gender: Male
Dorm: Ra Yellow

Theme

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Personality:

Guadalupe is a little bit of a country bumpkin. Even in this day and age, he spent the majority of his time as a kid playing outside, helping his grandfather and uncles out in the ranch, corralling animals, running around, and wrestling the neighborhood kids. He is an honest boy, and religious even if mischievous, he tends to handle his business straightforward and that same approach can be seen in his dueling style, which is also earnest and straightforward.

History:

As mentioned above, Lupe spent most of his childhood outside and away from the computer, so it might come across as a bit of a surprise that he is in Duel Academy at this junction of his life. He knew of Yu-Gi-Oh! through friends who played the game and he bought some Warrior packs. Eventually, he had accumulated enough “cool” cards to try his hand at a local tournament… and he won. He kept entering tournaments and winning, the prize money made accruing stronger cards and duplicates a triviality. Within a year, Lupe win streak as he tore through the local card circuit got the attention of the right people and he received a scholarship and an offer to enter Duel Academy, however, there is added pressure now.

Spirituality:

Guadalupe has constant and consistent communication (mostly in dreams) with his Spirit Partner and his deck in general. However, he is completely oblivious to his intuition and would denounce anyone calling him “spiritual” or “attuned” as dumb or irrational.

Spirit Partner: Battleguard Cadet

Ace Card: Battleguard King

Deck List

Horde of the Battleguard King
- a classic Earth Warrior beatdown deck

Monsters: 20

Battleguard Cadet x3
Lava Battleguard x3
Swamp Battleguard x3
Battleguard King x2
Gaia the Fierce Knight Origin x3
Rookie Warrior Lady x3
Puppet Pawn x3

Spells: 14

Feast of the Wild LV5 x3
The Warrior Returning Alive
Battle Royal Mode - Joining
Moon Mirror Shield
Power of the Guardians
United We Stand
Mage Power
Archfiend’s Staff of Despair
Butterfly Dagger - Elma
Promotion x3

Traps: 6

Battleguard Howling x2
Battleguard Rage x2
Armory Call x2

Extra Deck: 6

Ferocious Flame Swordsman
Missus Radiant
Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights x2
Aussa the Earth Charmer, Immovable
Gouki the Powerload Ogre

[King Cosmos]

Are you running these games on Discord over some online program? Do you intend to? And are the decks expected to be competitive in that regard, or are the lists just for the sake of the characters having a gimmick?

@Goose

Duels are taking place on Discord and can be done either over an online simulator, or on Discord itself; if you choose the latter then either Ryik of myself will tell you what your draw is for each turn and you will play it out like a real duel. In other words, duels are not scripted and it is expected that you will make your deck good enough to at least be able to compete with other players' decks.

We're not making modern, meta decks though. You don't need to make it super competitive, but it does help to make a deck that is consistent enough to work in a real game.

(In other words, do I need to learn what Xyz, Link and Tuner cards are?)

@Goose

You don't have to use any mechanics you don't want to use, but other players are using these types of cards so it would help to know how they work for when you duel against them. If you have any questions around rulings or things like that then I can help with that.

[Goose]

Hey @King Cosmos, thanks for the responses. Would you mind taking a quick look at my deck and letting me know whether the Side Deck seems "good enough"? Like I said, I'm not sure how those work, and I do know Battleguard isn't exactly intended to be a competitive archetype, but I'd be happy to play some duels!

EDIT: Also, what simulator do you use?

[King Cosmos]

Would you mind taking a quick look at my deck and letting me know whether the Side Deck seems "good enough"? Like I said, I'm not sure how those work, and I do know Battleguard isn't exactly intended to be a competitive archetype, but I'd be happy to play some duels!

@Goose

Do you mean extra deck? Side decks are a different thing, that we aren't using.

It seems fine. It works for what you're going for, which is just Earth Warrior beat-down. I would say to take out Powerload Ogre because it being unaffected by card effects is above the power level we are going for. I will say that it is expected that people's decks will get stronger as the RP progresses, so it would be good if you had an idea in mind for how to build off of this; or just another deck you can switch to at a later point.

EDIT: Also, what simulator do you use?

@Goose

Dueling Nexus mostly, but if there's another one that you would prefer then we can use that instead.

[Ryik]

@Goose Looks good. I agree that Powerload Ogre's gotta go - after that, you can drop them in the character's tab.

I've never really explained it on the forums before so our main two benchmarks for balance are:

1. Set normal monster > pass on turn 1 (usually) won't immediately lose you the game (though it's not necessarily a good play) - mainly just something to measure a deck's immediate swarm against. A lot of the decks in the RP rely on slow starts when they can't draw their combo pieces, and while they're expected to draw them quickly/put up some kind of defense or lose, being able to stall a little helps.

2. Nothing is super difficult to remove; if it's unaffected by card effects, for example, then its attack should be moderately low, and the deck shouldn't be capable of buffing it. Crooked Cook and Libromancer Firestarter are about the upper limit for this, and cards like Left-Hand Shark or I:P Masquerena would require you to limit the contents of your extra deck accordingly. Once-per-turn negates aren't as bad, unless they are also omninegates, in which case they may need the same restrictions. Naturally, other aspects of the deck can easily push them off the table entirely. For example, Libromancer Firestarter, Libromancer Bonded and Libromancer Fireburst aren't allowed in the same deck, since Fireburst would be able to achieve immunity to destruction by battle or card effect, as well as immunity to banishment. I don't want everyone to be forced to run Lava Golem/Kaijus/Effect Veiler/etc. to deal with particularly ornery monsters.

The rest is mostly balancing guesswork.

e.g.

The Libromancer archetype is used in an NPC deck if it wasn't obvious by now. As a modern archetype, it's quite capable of swarming the field. I decided to take out the Libromancer field spell- (among other support cards - amusingly the really good continuous spell was taken out simply because it was making Fireburst hit too hard) -to slow down how much the deck can throw out its ritual monsters, since the rest are generally non-threatening. This wasn't strictly necessary, and I might go with other workarounds if I think of them so I can take out bonded and put Firestarter back in, (relying on several different generic ritual spells is awful) but for now it hit the otherwise fairly modern deck pretty hard and brought it down to a decent level.

Nobody has submitted an anti-fun deck (e.g. burn/mill/exodia) yet but we'd probably be harsher with them, such as Fonda Fontaine's nurse burn deck that doesn't actually have a lot of burn or control cards.

Jon in the NPCs is a temporary exception to these rules mainly because it ties into his character arc, his deck is a (very inflexible) gimmick I really like, and because I thought it'd be cool if there was an unreasonably strong NPC available to duel against. Nobody has dueled against him yet though, so maybe I thought wrong.

[Goose]

@Ryik Sweet!

I’ve gone ahead and posted my character sheet as is, with the Powerload Ogre removed from the Extra Deck. Am I supposed to be looking for some Discord invite link now?