TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST
YCS Austin
As YCS Austin was held a few weeks ago now, I don't want to numb your minds with a drab and dreary meta-analysis (which by now you have probably read elsewhere). Instead I would like to discuss one of the rogue decks of the format, Frog Monarchs, which despite the onslaught of Mermail decks managed to sneak a top 4 finish.
So why Frog Monarchs?
Good question! For those interested, here is the Frog Monarch decklist that made the top 4 of YCS Austin. Equally impressive to the top 4 finish is that it did so with what I feel was a sub-par extra deck, lacking Daigusto Phoenix, which in combination with Raiza the Storm Monarch can deal a nifty 6300 damage.
Part of Frog Monarchs' success comes down to its favorable match-up with Merlanteans which boasted a strong showing, and ultimately won the event. One of Merlanteans greatest strengths is the ability to OTK, which Frog Monarchs can deal with clinically through the main-decked Battle Faders, Gorz and Tragoedia. The single Dark Dust Spirit in the Frog Monarch Decklist could then nuke the field the following turn, with the Merlantean player having committed heavily to the board. Personally I would have played a second Dark Dust Spirit in place of the lone Jinzo, especially if the rising popularity of Karakuri OTK is to be taken into consideration.
Furthermore, Merlanteans' reliance on the graveyard reduces the possibility of a Frog Monarch player running into Macro Cosmos when pitted against Merlanteans. With a lack of real, effective side deck options for Merlanteans, Frog Monarchs could use the frog engine with relatively little interruption in all 3 duels.
Fire Fist's ability to side into Dimensional Fissure against Frog Monarchs should have caused issues for Frog Monarchs; however, the top 4 Frog Monarch decklist provided a natural resistance to this troublesome card to overcome. First and foremost, the decision to run 3 Treeborn Frog meant that if you already had a Treeborn Frog in your graveyard before Dimensional Fissure hit the field, you could afford to summon it and banish it for Caius the Shadow Monarch because the removal of Treeborn Frog doesn't spell the end of your tribute engine with two more Treeborn Frogs still to play with. As mentioned previously, the inclusion of Battle Fader, Gorz and Tragoedia not only provide defence, but can also serve as emergency tribute fodders should the Frog Monarch player wish to keep Treeborn Frog in the graveyard and not have it banished.
Decks that can provide a measure control to the game do often find success near the beginning of formats, and naturally Frog Monarchs fit the bill, being able to slow the game down with numerous hand traps and utilize the powerful and desired one-for-one spot removal cards such as Raiza and Caius. Lastly, Light and Darkness Dragon's presence in Frog Monarchs should not be underestimated. Merlanteans struggle against the card due to it negating the the effects of Megalo and Dragoons which tend to create the pluses for the Merlantean player. Comparably, Fire Fists have an easier job of removing Ladd due to their larger trap count, but they do lack the natural beaters to overcome the all-negating dragon king.
So why is this remotely related to Frog Monarchs? It turns out that the Elemental Dragons are based around... well the four elements - earth, fire, wind and WATER. By coincidence, Tidal, Elemental Dragon of Cascades has remarkable synergy with Frog Monarchs. Take a look below:
Part of Frog Monarchs' success comes down to its favorable match-up with Merlanteans which boasted a strong showing, and ultimately won the event. One of Merlanteans greatest strengths is the ability to OTK, which Frog Monarchs can deal with clinically through the main-decked Battle Faders, Gorz and Tragoedia. The single Dark Dust Spirit in the Frog Monarch Decklist could then nuke the field the following turn, with the Merlantean player having committed heavily to the board. Personally I would have played a second Dark Dust Spirit in place of the lone Jinzo, especially if the rising popularity of Karakuri OTK is to be taken into consideration.
Furthermore, Merlanteans' reliance on the graveyard reduces the possibility of a Frog Monarch player running into Macro Cosmos when pitted against Merlanteans. With a lack of real, effective side deck options for Merlanteans, Frog Monarchs could use the frog engine with relatively little interruption in all 3 duels.
Fire Fist's ability to side into Dimensional Fissure against Frog Monarchs should have caused issues for Frog Monarchs; however, the top 4 Frog Monarch decklist provided a natural resistance to this troublesome card to overcome. First and foremost, the decision to run 3 Treeborn Frog meant that if you already had a Treeborn Frog in your graveyard before Dimensional Fissure hit the field, you could afford to summon it and banish it for Caius the Shadow Monarch because the removal of Treeborn Frog doesn't spell the end of your tribute engine with two more Treeborn Frogs still to play with. As mentioned previously, the inclusion of Battle Fader, Gorz and Tragoedia not only provide defence, but can also serve as emergency tribute fodders should the Frog Monarch player wish to keep Treeborn Frog in the graveyard and not have it banished.
Decks that can provide a measure control to the game do often find success near the beginning of formats, and naturally Frog Monarchs fit the bill, being able to slow the game down with numerous hand traps and utilize the powerful and desired one-for-one spot removal cards such as Raiza and Caius. Lastly, Light and Darkness Dragon's presence in Frog Monarchs should not be underestimated. Merlanteans struggle against the card due to it negating the the effects of Megalo and Dragoons which tend to create the pluses for the Merlantean player. Comparably, Fire Fists have an easier job of removing Ladd due to their larger trap count, but they do lack the natural beaters to overcome the all-negating dragon king.
Looking into the Future
What future lies ahead for Frog Monarchs? Short answer: a good one. The next set, Lord of the Tachyon Galaxy, is set for release in mid-May, and within the set a powerful new archtype shall be released - the Elemental Dragons.So why is this remotely related to Frog Monarchs? It turns out that the Elemental Dragons are based around... well the four elements - earth, fire, wind and WATER. By coincidence, Tidal, Elemental Dragon of Cascades has remarkable synergy with Frog Monarchs. Take a look below:
"You can banish 2 Dragon-Type and/or WATER monsters from your hand or Graveyard, except this card; Special Summon this card from your hand or Graveyard. During your opponent's End Phase, if this card was Special Summoned: Return it to the hand. You can discard this card and 1 other WATER monster to the Graveyard; send 1 monster from your deck to the Graveyard. If this card is banished: You can add 1 WATER Dragon-Type monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use 1 "Tidal, Elemental Dragon of Cascades" effect per turn, and only once that turn."
This card gives Frog Monarchs several reasons to get excited. By discarding itself and one other water monster, you can send one monster from your deck to the graveyard. This results in Tidal acting as extra copies of Foolish Burial, allowing Treeborn Frog to be dumped to the graveyard quicker and more consistently than before. Tidal also has some nice synergy with Swap Frog. With Tidal being a water attribute, you can discard it to special summon Swap Frog from the hand.
In emergency situations Tidal can also be tributed and summoned as a 2600 attack beatstick, although this is rarely the case. A more important point is that Tidal can be special summoned from the hand or graveyard with its own effect. This adds something that was previously missing from Frog Monarchs' arsenal - the ability to push for game when your opponent is lacking defence. Gone are the days of summoning Raiza or Caius, destroying the opponents monster and then attacking for 2400 damage. With the addition of Tidal a player can deal a lot of damage with relative ease, which is likely to surprise opponents who consider Frog Monarchs to be a slow paced, control style deck.
Another fascinating option that Tidal gives to Frog Monarchs is the ability to use Rank 7s, notably Number 11: Big Eye. Utilizing Tidal with Gorz and Tragoedia allows Frog Monarch players to get out of tricky situations if they are lacking a Monarch in hand.
Overall, Tidal will bring some new nifty tricks to Frog Monarchs. It will be interesting to see in the future what impact they will make on the meta. With the imminent release of Evilswarms in the coming months it could be a time for Frog Monarchs to shine as they are less affected than the current big player, Merlanteans, and the up and coming deck, Spellbooks.
Thanks for reading!
