Must Keep Swimming… Or there’ll be BLOOD!
Replays:
Strategic Summary:
Today’s CDP features a rather straightforward CDP featuring the new Shark support cards in the upcoming Rage of the Abyss core set, set to debut in the OCG later next month. With this new support, Shark officially becomes an archetype, but there’s been plenty of Sharks in the cardpool for quite some time now. Unofficially, the Sharks are a collection of WATER/Fish monsters that all aim to Xyz Summon, often between Ranks 3-5, but to support this gameplan, many Sharks carry an effect to Special Summon. For example, Abyss Shark gets to Special Summon itself while you control all WATER monsters, plus it tutors a Level 3, 4, or 5 Fish for your trouble. Buzzsaw Shark is the starter of this theme, able to target a WATER monster you control, then Special Summon any Fish that shares its level but not its name. For the new support, the best new card that meets this mold is Surfacing Big Jaws (YGOrg Translation), a Level 4 Fish that can Special Summon itself from the hand as long as a Spell Card has been activated in the turn. When summoned, it even tutors a new Fish Shark monster!
While this theme does have a solid monster lineup, where it truly shines is the diversity of WATER boss Xyz monsters available at its disposal. For example, Bahamut Shark can be used to Special Summon a R3NK or lower WATER Xyz from your Extra Deck such as Toadally Awesome. Or, you can turn to the new support in Levirtue Dragon (YGOrg Translation), a Sea Serpent that tutors Virtue Stream (YGOrg Translation) on summon while carrying an effect to recover a Fish monster from your GY. Before I get away from Virtue, it can target a Fish/Aqua/Sea Serpent and 2 cards your opponent controls, destroying all of them on resolution… talk about solving the issues of ye-ole Icarus Attack. Back on the topic of WATERy bosses, amongst the R4NK monsters, this deck also has access to Number 4: Stealth Kragen, which turns all monsters WATER with a Quick Effect to destroy a WATER monster your opponent controls while burning them for their trouble. Or, you can turn to the first Shark boss, Number 32: Shark Drake. This 3-material Xyz may not be much on its own, but with the new Drake Shark (YGOrg Translation) to treat itself as 2 materials, that’s nothing to bring out! Plus, it even has a new upgraded form in Number C32: Shark Drake Leviathan (YGOrg Translation), which serves as the cover card of the new set.
Beyond all of these bosses, there’s one other key aspect to this new support – it works extremely well with Armored Xyz support cards. Xyz Armor Torpedo is first, the R3NK, which can detach 2 material to draw a card. Next, Xyz Armor Fortress can be summoned on top of any R3NK or R4NK Xyz Monster, detaching up to 2 materials to tutor the same number Armored Xyz cards. From there, you can Xyz Summon Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer, negate all monsters your opponent controls, then Xyz Summon Full Armored Dark Knight Lancer. Oh, and did I mention, either of the first two cards can be equipped to your Xyz Monsters via Armored Xyz or Full-Armored Xyz, giving a powerful boost as you aim to end the game. The last new card that gives a bit of extra ‘splash’ to this deck is Xyz Poseidon Splash (YGOrg Translation), a Normal Trap that can destroy all monsters on the field of a selected Attribute, except equipped monsters. It’s even searachble with Generation Force, or if you’re feeling so inclined, the TCG World Premiere Xyz Force! Take to the Surface with the new and improved Shark strategy, empowered by ROTA!
Provided Decklist:
Monsters: 21
||| Abyss Shark
| Crystal Shark
| Gazer Shark
| Dream Shark
| Cutter Shark
||| Surfacing Big Jaws
||| Buzzsaw Shark
| Lantern Shark
| Minairuka
| Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti
|| Drake Shark
| Xyz Remora
| Armored Shark
| Beautunaful PrincessSpells: 13
|| White Mirror
| Xyz Force
|| Pot of Avarice
| Armored Xyz
| Xyz Entrust
|| Generation Force
|| Surface Aqua Jet
| Whitefish Salvage
| Reincarnate Unveil MailTraps: 7
| Xyz Revive Splash
| Full-Armored Xyz
|| Virtue Stream
||| Xyz Poseidon SplashExtra Deck:
| Full Armored Dark Knight Lancer
| Full Armored Crystalzero Lancer
| Number C32: Shark Drake Leviathan
| Number C101: Silent Honor DARK
| Xyz Armor Fortress
| Valiant Shark Lancer
| Number 32: Shark Drake
| Bahamut Shark
| Full Armored Utopic Ray Lancer
| Number 101: Silent Honor ARK
| Number 4: Stealth Kragen
| Abyss Dweller
| Xyz Armor Torpedo
| Levirtue Dragon
| Toadally Awesome
Note: This is continuing the style of Creative Deck Profile articles, designed to showcase a build through replays and an attached summary. If you wish to see a CDP for an archetype, theme, or strategy you love, feel free to private message me on the YGOrg Discord server, the comments section of any of my YouTube videos, or just post a comment in response to this article on our Facebook page or through the site with your ideas for me to keep under consideration! On most YGO-related communities my username is Quincymccoy, so feel free to reach out. Current pending requested profiles include: Fluffal, Valkyrie, Lunalight, Illusion, Clear World, FA, Dragunity,
Coming Soon:
8 Comments
You can also use the mask change 2 engine to get Masked Hero acid, to wipe all ur opponents s/t.
While the deck greatly counters monsters it doesn’t do too much against s/t
MC2 also can help dodge card destruction and imperm/veiler
MC2 engine works as well, but in here, it conflicts with the Xyz lock that some of the monsters bring.
Just realized we’re getting this new Shark support the year of Jaws (the book) 50th anniversary. And in the same month as Shark Week. It all begins to make sense.
Sadly famous actor and surfer Tamayo Perry was attacked by a shark a few days ago.
Huh? No Deep sea diva? Not the build I was expecting, but okay…
I actually don’t see how Diva would work with these Fish, since Diva mostly supports Sea Serpents and Synchro summoning. But I’m open to ideas if you have them on how it fits in!
Thanks
Rip Tamayo Perry