Steve.dek

[ragda]

Here's to the re-emergence of Lswarms, specifically Steevilswarm, or Steve for short.


Obviously the side isn't an actual side but ideas to bounce around with.

[BurnForGame]

I've used a somewhat similar deck in the past, so I can tell you that Masked Chameleon is a crazy fun card to tune with the Steelswarm side of things while not removing your Xyz access. I suppose Soul Charge also gives you recursion, but it can't give you a Synchro as this deck is built now.

[ragda]

In a more pure Steelswarm build, Masked Chameleon and Druid make appearances. This is basically playing Evilswarms with Steelswarm shenanigans. Though... when I put it that way, it kinda does feel like I am playing a subpar Evilswarm deck, so that's why I'm still working at it. It's not my fault Steelswarm support aren't forward compatible and that only Evilswarms ARE reverse compatible (what with saying Lswarm for all their effects).

[BurnForGame]

Fair enough. That is also my lament regarding the hybrid. The two archetypes are truly opposites in strategy, though. If they all worked together, Girastag would be one amazing card. It's good as is, but being as awesome as that would mean even more when Masked Chameleon would turn a spent one into Star Eater!

[Yoh Komori]

I could almost build this. im short a Kerkyon and soul charge...

[bystander]

The deck is fun to play against.

[ragda]

This may eventually split into their respective "Pure" forms. The mashup has its strengths, but the weaknesses are amplified more than I'd like to admit.

[Drillwarrior]

The weaknesses being?

[ragda]

How Girastag conflicts with typical Evilswarm plays in that it requires specific Steelswarm Tribute Materials. It'd feel rather underwhelming if I make a Castor play into Steelswarm Roach, for example. Optimally, I'd go into Ophion, grab a Pandemic, set up a backrow, and hold on to Gira until it's needed. Otherwise, I dig out/draw into Infestation Infection to swap it out, usually for a Kerykeion.

The Steelswarm Lv4s themselves are lackluster monsters on their own. Sting occasionally helps depending on the matchup. Caller is obviously best with Girastag somewhere in the picture. It's really hard to set up those two separate summons outside of Soul Charge. Usually, the newly summoned monster then gets overlayed with another Lv4 cover that weakness. More Steelswarm monsters make some specifical cards more live/powerful. Recurring Nightmare ideally picks up a Steelswarm Cell with a Tribute. Masked Chameleon would wish basically any monster to hit the gy to be compatible with it so it's more live earlier the game. Secret Sect Druid Dru has the same, even stricter preference. Evilswarms do not play along with any of those at all.

Also, there are ways to make use of the Steelswarm levels beyond Chameleon. Illusory Snatcher helps make Rank 6, 7 etc. Xyz Monsters. Girastag pairs up nicely with Gorz and Dark Armed Dragon for Level 7, as well as Sacred Sword of Seven Stars. More Steelswarm Tribute Monsters means it may be feasible to run the other Infestation cards meant for them (First Step and that one Trap card, basically the other half of this "Gemini Spark"). I can also use Monarch support cards with greater mileage, and it'll only get better as more sets come out with them. Sadly, most Steelswarm easy-tribute materials like Cell and Scout don't allow their use for anything but to Tribute Summon Steelswarms.

I don't really need to go into the Evilswarms part because that's a bit more mainstream, so you may already know the problems with trying too much with Evilswarms, like playing too many, or even any, non-Evilswarm monsters for tech (hand traps, Rai-Oh, etc.)