Invited Author: Alvin Tan
Country: Brunei
Introduction
Good Days Digi Tamers!
First of all, I would like to thanks “Digimon Meta” for giving me opportunities to write this article.
I am Alvin Tan coming from a small country located in South East Asia name Brunei Darussalam. Recently joined Digimon Tourney at local store in my country named Gamer’s Tavern with a total of 24 players participating and won the tournament using Royal Knight deck.
I made this deck days ago and thinking of piloting in at the first event after BT13 release.
I personally like multiple color decks. I start Digimon since BT01 as an “aggro player” and slowly turn out to play midrange & control through the journey.
I personally used to brick a lot since the journey begin which I belief most of us as well. I am not a lucky guy as no mulligan rules in Japan format which makes me no choices and starting BT03 release until today make me go into the path of playing toolbox and zoo kind of deck.
Let’s start talking about the deck.
The deck I used during the event is the Royal Knight Deck which mostly focus on Royal Knights Digimon card. I plan to build this deck when my friends tell me about the card Yggdrasil.
In here I will talk some advantages, disadvantages and how the deck works.
Let’s talk about the build
In the build personally I didn’t include in any Tamers as BlackWarGreymon and some Tamer destruction card still exist in my country environment. By doing this I reduce the chances of card get destroy by my opponent and giving more slots to play Digimon as well less target for opponent to hard cast Dexmon and less value for Quartzmon.
I add in a lot of random pieces of Royal Knight Digimon as for me I belief more option = Options.
For playing this version of deck main focus is to put as much card under King Drasil as possible reduce hand size and disturb opponent board state.
There are also many disadvantages. If opponent plays a Digimon with effect cannot reduce play cost it may shutdown the deck but what is the odds.
Probability the chances is about 4/50 if opponent play 4 pcs. And if they play this will need to sacrifice slots for it.
Most people might think this kind of deck will gives a lot of memory to opponent perhaps it’s not. Digimon is a fair game all player has 10 memories for use and the more you use you will give more to your opponent. This deck play style is one for one. Once you can one for two or more its time you win the game.
Over all this deck major focus is on reduces play cost and call big Digimon with on play effects out to settle with opponent board state build up Digitama source and final call BT13-112 SEC Omegamon retrieve all Royal Knight out from Digitama and swing for the win. There is as well other winning method. As I say this is a toolbox kind of deck. There is randomness and solutions.
Below will talk about some of the Royal Knights cards and why I choose to use them.
Yggdrasil, It a good Digitama as 1st turn it reduces 4 play cost to play Royal Knights and every subsequent turn after for every source reduce play cost by 1. I think of playing a Mother digitama in it but thinking about consistency it may slow me down for 1 turn which by not using it.
It comes with ESS which play options with RK traits reduce play cost by 1. At the start of next turn as well can flip card on Digitama and place card to the bottom of the Digitama.
On 1st turn allows you to play 14 cost Digimon card. It gives extra 4 more memory. Which allows to play mostly all card in the deck except the EX3-074 SEC Examon which is 15 costs which I choose to play only 1 copy in this deck. Your Digimon can as well been safe for future use as for current there is no card to destroy Digi egg.
Option Purge of the Royal Knights: For me this is also a 4 off in the deck as I no play other Royal Knight option from ST Jesmon.
In this version I play only 4 option cards as need to save more slots to play Royal knights.
This card allows to draw one and place a Royal Knight card under the Digitama as source.
As well for the delay effect it allows to play a royal knight in breeding area & give rush but there is drawback as on play effect won’t trigger which make me think of adding in Digimon with static effect or on attacking effect.
SEC Omnimon: This is another a must 4 card pieces in the deck as this is one of the key cards of the deck. By playing a playset increase the chances to draw into it.
It’s a good end game card as its 2nd on play ability allow you to call all different name Royal Knights out and give them Rush as well all of their on play abilities will trigger.
If too much in hand at early game can be uses as a source of discard. It can be retrive back to hand by other Royal Knight unit from trash such as LordKnightmon if cannot find in later draw.
Normally when this card is out its game deciding already.
BT13 Jesmon: This card "on play" ability helps in clearing some/all opponent's on field Digimon.
It can destroy any amount of creature up to 6K DP and additional of 2K for each other of your Digimon and it 2nd ability pumps up your Digimon DP for each Sistermon & Royal Knight on field. It’s gives good power boost in offensive and defensive purpose.
BT13 Leopard: I play 3 copies of this card in the deck, another card which can safe you at bad situation.
Although this card has no "on play" ability nor on attacking ability but have static effect when you play another Digimon all royal knight and green Digimon gain blocker until end of opponent turn which create a wall of defense.
If with Sistermon Ciel in play after attack all Royal knight on field as well gain reboot which gives you enough blocker if cannot finish opponent in this turn
BT13 Dynasmon: This is another playset of card in the deck. One of the key cards of the deck which allow you to take up to 2 Royal Knight from the top 4 card of the deck.
Its 2nd ability as well helps a lot in the deck by play another Royal Knight down it destroys all opponent level 4 or lower Digimon.
ST12 Sistermon Blanc: For this card I only play 3 copies in the deck as not enough slots and it can be retrieve back from trash by other Royal Knight such as Gankoomon. I sacrifices 1 slot for another Royal Knights.
This card is good to have in opening hand as by discard one card it allows to draw 2. It also a decoy card to red/black Digimon.
BT13 Omekamon: This is another playset card use in the deck as its one of the of the engines which on play allow you to draw 1 card and when on deletion allow you to put 1 Royal Knight traits Digimon to the bottom source of King Drasil which allow 1 more cost reduction.
A good card for opening hand as well in trash it can act as a source for your BT13 Alphamon and can be return to deck again ltr for deck out prevention.
This deck uses many different Royal Knights and each has its own role for defence or offence purposes. It does not feel bored as a deck like Mother Reaper since there are different effects for you to choose once the game comes to difficult phase. There are some old cards like BT6 Alphamon or BT3 Craniamon would give the opponent some surprises as they are all good to protect the board.
Matchups
After small introduction about the cards and why I choose to use them. Below allows me to talk how this Royal Knight deck perform during the tournament
The tourney that I joined recently at Gamers Tavern Brunei Darussalam, It’s based on Swiss 5 matches (30 min/game).
During this tourney I'm not sure if I have been unlucky when I got paired up 3 match-up against ShineGreymon.
Decks Distribution during the event: (24 players)
2 R.K Yggdrasil 1 Dorbrick
1 Red Hybrid
1 R/B WargeyX 1 R/B Gaio
6 R/Y Shinegrey
2 Blue Miragegaoga
1 Y/P SecCon
1 G/B Examon
1 Green Bloom/Hydra 1 Green Diarbbitmon 1 Green Rosemon
1 Purple Ravemon
1 Purple BeelzeX
1 Black Galactic
1 Black Alphamon
1 B/Y Monkey King!!
My game result on first attempt using this new Royal Knight deck. ( 5 – 0 )
Against BoomLordmon and ShineGreymon deck is a tough match as they can swing and finish the game fast before I can stabilize.
I played against ShineGreymon deck before BT13 and knows how the deck works. This BT13 set make it more aggressive than before.
For my 1st game against ShineGreymon
I try to maintain board state using Jesmon and Gallantmon destroying and kill all in play Digimon and use Gankoomon and Craniamon on field to maintain the tempo later on slowly build up the King Drasil and prop Omegamon call out Royal Knights and swing for the win.
For my 2nd game against ShineGreymon
I play like 1st game but this turn during first few turn I unable to find Omegamon for first 10 turn. In between the turn I call out Dynasmon to draw and use Gankoomon to calling Sistermon from trash to draw as well use Lordknightmon to recycle option from my trash to reuse. Finally take down the game in 29 min swing with 7 Royal Knights for the win.
For the 3rd game against Galacticmon
I play slowly set up King Drasil. For the turn call out Jesmon and kill Vemmon maintain opponent board state slowly and luring my opponent slowly to play Galacticmon After that kill the Galacticmon by calling out BT13 Gallantmon on play and when attack destroy 2 times to maintain board state. Later on, Omegamon for the win calling out Royal knight to swing with Jesmon in play.
For the 4th match against ShineGreymon
I used the same tactic build up King Drasil, destroying opponent field and slowly poke opponent security. Opponent called out Ruin mode to buy turns which it’s a good target I call out new BT13 Gallantmon destroy it. I prolong the games until I have enough Royal Knights in King Drasil. Play Omegamon and opponent scope while having full board of Royal Knights with rush on my field.
For the 5th match against BoomLordmon
I have old Examon on my opening hand. On first turn I early game setup old Examon into King Drasil and called out Alphamon on field. Opponent have Hydramon in play but manage to keep Alphamon and place it on digi source in King Drasil.
I call out old Examon slowly destroy and disturb the field. Opponent is very aggressive which manage to reduce my security to 0 make me no choice but to prop King Drasil early calling Omegamon with 5 Royal Knights with blocker and high power on field. Opponent scop for the game.
If using this to playing against other deck such as
MirageGaogamon, my tactic is to play slow and try to reduce hand size either by aggressively placing resource under Digitama and destroy its board state waiting enough Royal Knights in King Drasil prop Omegamon and swing for the win.
BlackWargreymon / Gaiomon
Got cards like Alphamon and Craniamon helps to slow down their tempo.
Against other high power OTK deck can call out card like BT13 Gallantmon to destroy them.
Major ways of using this deck is to maintain the tempo, control the board state and swing with swarm of Royal Knights.
For me the method to pilot this deck is by maintain board state and swing with multiple big Digimon for the win or slowly poke opponent with big Digimon. For me the key of this deck is all the Royal Knight cards. They synergize well together.
1 Royal Knight power is limited but if they team together miracle will happens. There are also weaknesses.
The major weakness of this deck is that it may die off or get shut down to some card that prevent play cost reduction or prevent play Digimon by effect cards.
I belief some other player will play card to destroy those but in here I am not playing. I rather stick to big creatures and improve the deck synergies.
What are the odds that meet up with those deck playing those cards.
Conclusion
Zoo is a toolbox kind of deck which allow player to have a wide variety of choices of cards. It’s consider as a midrange or control type of deck which counters 1 for 1 what your opponent play which by when the time reach when you can 1 for 2 or more its time you win the game. Thus, it sets itself apart from other aggressive decks. Zoo decks general aim is to flood the board with big creatures, overwhelming the opponent and achieving victory through board control.
Hope you all enjoy the game.
Digital Gate Open.