Teching in Technology

por **dracofu** Qui 12 Jan 2012, 17:22

Or,
to be blunt, using Machines in other decks. While I use a lot of
Machine decks, it's clear that quite a few of the cards have uses in a
lot of decks - of course, expect me to refer back to my Machines a lot,
haha.

Genex Ally Birdman

I'm
sure several of you have already noted this card. Basically, Level 3
Tuner with an effect that bounces your own monster back to your hand to
summon it. It's not really that great, you may think.

If
you do, two words: Six Samurai. You can use this card on
Kizan/Grandmaster with pretty much no negative consequences;
furthermore, if you've got Gateway/United/other
Bushido-Counte-generators, Birdman gets you a few more of those. Plus,
he's a Tuner, so you can go into Level Sixes (Mizuho/Shinai/Kageki -
Level Nine if you've got two of them), Level Sevens (Kizan/LSS - Enishi)
or Level Eights (Grandmaster). He can't go for Shi En, certainly, but
he's a Bushido Counter assistant and generally good card.

Of
course, he works with other stuff just as well - anything that's good
at swarming and would like a Tuner can use it. He's good in, for
example, Chaos decks - he restocks your Breaker, and can be tuned with
Chaos Sorcerer for Locomotion R-Genex.

Genex Ally Duradark

This
is a surprisingly underrated card, which may be past it's prime. Level 4
DARK Machine, 1800/1200. Once per turn, it can forfeit it's attacking
rights to destroy a monster with the same attribute as it, provided it's
on the opponent's side of the field and in attack position. Instant +1.

First
point of interest. DARK Machine, and thus Black Salvo bait. Second, at
1800, it can contend with Shura, should Blackwings remain viable. But it
doesn't need to contend with Shura; for no cost, it can just destroy
it. And it can do the same to Dark Armed Dragon, Chaos Sorcerer and
Malefics, should they see use. Basically, it punches out a lot of DARK
beatsticks with it's effect.

Now,
to me, the most obvious use is against Blackwings... but they took a
hit in the banlist, so nobody loves them any more. Sirocco, Shura,
Armour Master... basically, everything in the deck is vulnerable to it,
with the possible exception of a Spirit Reaper/Greenkappa. Dark Armed
Dragon can be easily taken down; but he can be used in the SalvoDAD
decks as well!

I
mainly considered it in the context of Black Salvo. Thanks to Salvo, it
can simply destroy a DARK monster and then be tuned into a Level 7
Synchro. For me, this'll tend to be a Karakuri. The monster removal is a
handy bonus, wouldn't you say?

Nevertheless,
the main use of Duradark is a handy little stab at DARK monsters, while
working in synergy with them. With Chaos Sorcerer breezing in, this
guy'll be a good way to take them out if you can't overpower them.

Meklord Emperor Grannel

This
does, I admit, stretch the definition of "tech" a little; Grannel's
strong enough to be the base of a deck. There's been Scrap Grannel decks
in the OCG for some time; as the Scraps routinely destroy each other,
getting a Grannel or two on the field is no trouble.

Anyway.
Level 1 Machina, zero attack and zero defence. It can only be summoned
from the hand when your face-up monster is destroyed by a card effect.
It gains attack/defence equal to half of your life-points. Once per
turn, it can equip an opponent's Synchro monster to itself as an Equip
card and gains it's attack. Once per turn, it can put an equipped
Synchro onto the field onto your field in defence position.

But
he can work fine as a common-or-garden tech. Play a monster, activate
Torrential Tribute. Or, better still, let your opponent do the same.
Whether by Mirror Force, Torrential, Bottomless, it's all the same to
Grannel. It can then steal your opponent's Synchros and put them on your
field - thanks for that Brionac/Goyo/Stardust!

While
it depends on the deck in question, Grannel could be worth using in a
lot of decks, even as a simple tech choice. The main issue is, of
course, his attack score. Basically, Warning/Judgement saps his attack
strength by a lot, meaning you'll have to play quite conservatively, or
try to go into him early in the game - a double-edged sword indeed.

Meklord Emperor Wisel

Let's
try this again. Wisel is much like Grannel: it can only be summoned
when a card effect destroys a face-up monster, and it can "absorb"
Synchros. The difference is that Wisel cannot "dispense" them like
Grannel can; when Wisel's in play, only it can attack and once per turn,
it can negate a Spell. It's also got a fixed attack of 2500.

First
point: no playing conservatively. You can use those two Solemn
Warnings, both Seven Tools and your Solemn Judgement, putting you on a
princely 1000LP (unless you used Judgement first, then it's -2000. Which
is a sign that you're doing it wrong)... and Wisel still has
2500ATK. Secondly, that tantalising effect to negate spells is great;
negate Dark Hole and Monster Reborn away, and force your opponent to
waste spells trying to make you use that negation at the wrong time. At
the very least, they're dropping a spell to bluff you; all the better if
it's something like Dark Hole, which has a hefty opportunity cost
strapped on to it, thanks to the Limit. If they have to drop their only Book of Moon/Dark Hole to stop one monster... you're doing well.

The
issue of only being able to attack with it are it's biggest problem; it
makes big pushes quite difficult, outside of Scraps, where they simply
call on Scrap Dragon to destroy Wisel for you. While it's got a potent
effect, not all decks can readily get it off the field; and not all can
summon it consistently in the first place.

Card Trooper

That's right, it's this guy. Going up to two per deck, let's do what we can while we have it.

For
the uneducated: EARTH Machine, 400/400. You can send up to three cards
from your deck to the grave to increase Card Trooper's attack by five
hundred per card until the End Phase and upon destruction, you draw a
card.

The
benefits here should be obvious. It thins the deck by four simply by
having it on the field for one turn. 1900ATK (it's total after it mills
three cards) is plentiful for destroying many common threats. While it's
a sitting deck on your opponent's turn, with only 400ATK, the
destruction of Card Trooper lets you draw an additional card, so even
it's destruction gives you advantage.

Depending
on the deck, the milling could be either positive or negative. Decks
which use Debris Dragon can resurrect Card Trooper, thin the deck, and
then explode the field - it would help to get that one Dandylion into
the graveyard, where Debris Dragon can abuse it more.

Cyber Dragon and Chimeratech Fortress Dragon

There's
so little difference between them, that I may as well lump them
together. These two cards should be a regular sight to Machine duelists;
and to non-Machine duelists also. I won't go on for ages about these,
as readers should be quite familiar with them.

These
two cards are the most handy anti-Machine cards you could ask for. Not
only do you wipe the field of a Machine-player, you get a beatstick
who's strength rises with the card advantage it gives. If it's a +1,
2000. A +2, 3000. Cyber Dragon by itself is no slouch, being able to
pummel a lot of common cards away with it's effect... but that runs the
risk of your opponent making their own Chimeratech off it.

In
short, Chimeratech is a fantastic anti-Machine card, and almost
certainly the reason why most Machine decks these days tend to gravitate
towards OTK standards - Chimeratech is just too much of a threat to
allow it to go unimpeded.