So, Welcome back to the true Episode 1 of How to make "Your Deck" Relevant". To start off this series of unnatural machinations, let me start off with an archetype that I actually have been having a bit of fun with recently and a great example of an underdog archetype perfect for the format of this series. The unnatural Systemics!
Explanation
Systemics are an archetype that started in H-BT02: Galaxy Burst, but its` origins were from the original Dragon World Trial Deck. Systemics throughout the entirety of what I am calling the "Gao" era (At the time of Writing this, Buddyfight Ace was just announced yesterday and specifying to make sure I date this blog as much as possible) were kind of mish-mashed parts with no real focus and just seemed more of an evolutionary path of the original Systemic Dagger Dragon (Ignoring Systemic Sword because I have no idea what went wrong in the genetic pool), until a certain card made in X-BT01A: Crossing Generations made the scrap of cards into a pretty fun and interesting archetype with not only a clear image, but a nice flexibility. Time to explain the Key Pieces of the Archetype before we explain their winning image.
The Four Dragon-things of the Archetype
We are just looking at the original card just because in the overall archetype image, he still has some uses. The original Systemic Dagger Dragon is a Size 1
Armordragon with 3/2/3 Base stats that does NOTHING ELSE! The card is a Vanilla from the first trial deck so it has very terrible base stats. Most people just chose Thousand Rapier for the added power since an extra two thousand power didn't do as much as it did originally back in the day. Still is used in the deck for name and for being a free attacker in a deck with some [Call Cost]s. Use 2 to 3 copies in your deck in order to get 1 into the drop zone for our decks strategy and then 2 on hand for a free monster, once the deck has its pieces set, a free 3000/2 is a very nice beat-stick once it becomes mid to late game.
Released in H-BT02 was Systemic Dagger, "Black Edge", A size 1 3/2/3 Armordragon/Hundred Demons with a 1 gauge [Call Cost]. His ability is an [Act] which lets you pop a "Systemic" on your field to give it a critical and [Double Attack]. For the time, a Size 1 Double Attacking 3 crit was actually threatening, if you could keep it around for long. His weak stats made is susceptible to Counter Destruction, and at the time, killing off one other card just to fuel another card was a bit too much of a cost. If it was a [Counter] [Act], then it would be so much more usable in that once niche of making a closed to open center formation. Another issue is that the best targets for this at the time was himself...and the original Systemic Dagger, so no good Size 0 options to tag with a Size 2 buddy to get past walls. That was the one big issue with it, It is a Size 1 that needed another Size 1 in a time when we still had more bulk then 3000 Defense. Armordragons never used it, Hundred Demons sure would never use it. It was just a gimmick of its time and would certainly not be usable in two years. Nope, Absolutely not. Give me a good card Bushi.
Ha...Hahahahahha, Good one Bushiroad. This is not real. You totally could not have made one of the most well designed cards ever made...Whisper Whisper Wait...this is before the new director? Whisper Whisper This is...real...◉_◉. So Blue Sky Knights, Perfect Card Dragon. A Size 1 2/2/1 with the ability that once per turn, when a "Blue Sky Knights" or a "Systemic" entered the field after it, gain a life and draw a card. At first you see it as some form of Blue Sky Knights Flarefang clone, seeing as it draws a card and a resource when a deck type is involved. What makes this more amazing then the Flarefang is its condition. In the Buddyfight Competitive scene (Joel don't kill me), this is referred to as a "Soft" Once Per Turn. A Soft Once Per Turn is different then other Once Per Turns as it does not specify an ability that is unable to be used like how Flarefang does, meaning that the specific action of the life and draw is locked to that specific card of Systemic Dagger, meaning that if you were able to say...bounce the card back over and over, you could re-use the card over and over, since each time it is called, it is treated a fresh new Systemic Dagger.
I remember the day this card came out, that night people were awe-struck about it, it showed a bright future of support for the deck, and while it never happened, this card basically JUMPED Blue Sky Knights from a literal joke to an actual deck to take a bit seriously. Here is a screenshot of Former World Champion Austin Somers, and how much life he got in one game (The Original Systemic Dagger is in place of BSK for testing)
So Systemic Commander Dragon is a Size 1 3/2/3 Armordragon with a gauge [Call Cost]. He gives all Systemic "Cards" [Penetrate] and then for each different Systemic "Card" in the drop zone, all monsters get +1/+1 for each. Let me just say that this was such a fun card to see. In such a polarizing Dragon World Booster, seeing a card creating basically an archetype is fun in and of itself. He synergizes so much with Black Edge and his ability to power up all Systemics just helps so much to get past walls as well as make defensive plays by having it go +6/+6 on a size 1. This makes OG Systemic a free 9/2/9 free wall breaker, it makes Black Edge a 9/3/9 Double Attacking Penetrater. Even Commander becomes a 9/2/9. He is necessary as the buddy in the deck. He is why the deck is what it is today and his future proofing further shows how much thought was put into the card.
How come Systemic is only a meme?
Two words my friends. DRAGON WORLD. Dragon World is known for being the best and for being the biggest deck to casual players and by that I mean VERY CASUAL PLAYERS. The set it came out in was basically a glorified Gao booster, so Gao fans went for the TE, SunDrag, and Drum stuff. While all the other stuff was just seen as booster filler. However, I do not know if this was made by the original director or the new director, but if it was the original, he clearly had a passion for Systemics and this was a fun final piece before he left. If it was the new guy, then this card shows more his ability to make quality legacy and casual cards. The new directors power-creep was not the best for the game, but this card (if made by him) was a preview of why the company likely chose him to be the director and saw his potential. He just needed some refinement before making a full blown deck made just for a more casual environment Cough Cough Shadow Dragons Cough Cough. It also kinda fell into a spot of "Wrong Place, Wrong Time". If this was released maybe D-BT03 or D-BT04, I can see the deck taking off as a very budget-friendly Dragon World Deck that can be fun to play in casual or semi-competitive play, but this was X season, it was the start of an unnatural amount of power creep that would heavily divide the game forever. In this case however, we have a lot to work with, but more in a clear way. The deck most of all is using drop zone manipulation in order to put the specific Systemics into the drop to pump up the powers on these guys. A Systemic Item would fit right into the deck, seeing as how Commander would give the item [Penetrate]. The deck mostly needs what Dragon World originally lacked (UNTIL THUNDER EMPIRE CAME IN), Draw Power. A nice way to filter the hand for gauge to call said Systemics, as well as get said draw power, would be very helpful for the deck as well as give Systemics a nice edge when dealing with link situations and keeping penetrate damage on field. So, submitted by Buddyfight Wikia user Guardian Fira, he shows off an idea he had on a fitting weapon for the archetype. An actual "Systemic Dagger".
One thing that would genuinely help the deck get a lot of power is a retrain of the original "Black Edge". If instead of having an [Act] it had the ability to [Counter] [Act], then the deck can do a nice Size 1 Closed to Open Center formation from attacking with the center monster, popping it with the new Black Edge for pressure, then Commander and your dagger does their own damage. One final thing the deck can also use is a way to filter the drop zone. Dragon World is listed as a world for Guardians so Dragon World has amazing spells that needs a small drop zone. Since Systemics also are drop zone focused while lacking on the defense, a combination of defense, filtering, and versatility could be something that pushes this deck back into players hands, so my suggestion is.
In Systemics...I mean Conclusion
Systemics have a long way to go before reaching relevant status, a few more filter pieces, and a way in order to use Dragon Worlds diverse resources will allow the deck to stand out. Maybe when the Yuga Era starts, legacy support can become a nice factor, since any Systemic card is better then nothing. Also can hope that the card with Systemic Dagger in the art for Final Chief is a Systemic card. All we can do is pray, or pretend everything past X-BT02 didn't happen. Ignorance is bliss as they say. So in terms of viability in a casual setting, I would highly recommend playing it as it is. It is still something budget friendly, and it has that same sort of feel when you play Shadow Dragons, a sense of fun and simple game play for everyone. So on the next episode of "Why am I reading this?" We are about to get...Political.
Make sure to comment below and tell me what you think. Join the TCG Buzz Discord and send your ideas for fanon cards in the #fancards section. Please have a nice day and remember
Chaos was a mistake.
Explanation
Systemics are an archetype that started in H-BT02: Galaxy Burst, but its` origins were from the original Dragon World Trial Deck. Systemics throughout the entirety of what I am calling the "Gao" era (At the time of Writing this, Buddyfight Ace was just announced yesterday and specifying to make sure I date this blog as much as possible) were kind of mish-mashed parts with no real focus and just seemed more of an evolutionary path of the original Systemic Dagger Dragon (Ignoring Systemic Sword because I have no idea what went wrong in the genetic pool), until a certain card made in X-BT01A: Crossing Generations made the scrap of cards into a pretty fun and interesting archetype with not only a clear image, but a nice flexibility. Time to explain the Key Pieces of the Archetype before we explain their winning image.
The Four Dragon-things of the Archetype
We are just looking at the original card just because in the overall archetype image, he still has some uses. The original Systemic Dagger Dragon is a Size 1
Armordragon with 3/2/3 Base stats that does NOTHING ELSE! The card is a Vanilla from the first trial deck so it has very terrible base stats. Most people just chose Thousand Rapier for the added power since an extra two thousand power didn't do as much as it did originally back in the day. Still is used in the deck for name and for being a free attacker in a deck with some [Call Cost]s. Use 2 to 3 copies in your deck in order to get 1 into the drop zone for our decks strategy and then 2 on hand for a free monster, once the deck has its pieces set, a free 3000/2 is a very nice beat-stick once it becomes mid to late game.
Ha...Hahahahahha, Good one Bushiroad. This is not real. You totally could not have made one of the most well designed cards ever made...Whisper Whisper Wait...this is before the new director? Whisper Whisper This is...real...◉_◉. So Blue Sky Knights, Perfect Card Dragon. A Size 1 2/2/1 with the ability that once per turn, when a "Blue Sky Knights" or a "Systemic" entered the field after it, gain a life and draw a card. At first you see it as some form of Blue Sky Knights Flarefang clone, seeing as it draws a card and a resource when a deck type is involved. What makes this more amazing then the Flarefang is its condition. In the Buddyfight Competitive scene (Joel don't kill me), this is referred to as a "Soft" Once Per Turn. A Soft Once Per Turn is different then other Once Per Turns as it does not specify an ability that is unable to be used like how Flarefang does, meaning that the specific action of the life and draw is locked to that specific card of Systemic Dagger, meaning that if you were able to say...bounce the card back over and over, you could re-use the card over and over, since each time it is called, it is treated a fresh new Systemic Dagger.I remember the day this card came out, that night people were awe-struck about it, it showed a bright future of support for the deck, and while it never happened, this card basically JUMPED Blue Sky Knights from a literal joke to an actual deck to take a bit seriously. Here is a screenshot of Former World Champion Austin Somers, and how much life he got in one game (The Original Systemic Dagger is in place of BSK for testing)
 |
| Jesus...In just one night... |
He was able to get to over 50 life in a separate game, but you see my point. This was before the Errata`s on some of the Return Spells like Force Return and The Skies in Your Hands, so they were so splashable inside the deck. This was an instant 4 of in both Blue Sky Knights and in Systemics, where it became an excellent fodder for Black Edge, as well as giving it a nice bit of draw power. All the deck was missing was a boss, a figure head to give all the cards true synergy and purpose. A Commander if you will.
So Systemic Commander Dragon is a Size 1 3/2/3 Armordragon with a gauge [Call Cost]. He gives all Systemic "Cards" [Penetrate] and then for each different Systemic "Card" in the drop zone, all monsters get +1/+1 for each. Let me just say that this was such a fun card to see. In such a polarizing Dragon World Booster, seeing a card creating basically an archetype is fun in and of itself. He synergizes so much with Black Edge and his ability to power up all Systemics just helps so much to get past walls as well as make defensive plays by having it go +6/+6 on a size 1. This makes OG Systemic a free 9/2/9 free wall breaker, it makes Black Edge a 9/3/9 Double Attacking Penetrater. Even Commander becomes a 9/2/9. He is necessary as the buddy in the deck. He is why the deck is what it is today and his future proofing further shows how much thought was put into the card.
How come Systemic is only a meme?
Two words my friends. DRAGON WORLD. Dragon World is known for being the best and for being the biggest deck to casual players and by that I mean VERY CASUAL PLAYERS. The set it came out in was basically a glorified Gao booster, so Gao fans went for the TE, SunDrag, and Drum stuff. While all the other stuff was just seen as booster filler. However, I do not know if this was made by the original director or the new director, but if it was the original, he clearly had a passion for Systemics and this was a fun final piece before he left. If it was the new guy, then this card shows more his ability to make quality legacy and casual cards. The new directors power-creep was not the best for the game, but this card (if made by him) was a preview of why the company likely chose him to be the director and saw his potential. He just needed some refinement before making a full blown deck made just for a more casual environment Cough Cough Shadow Dragons Cough Cough. It also kinda fell into a spot of "Wrong Place, Wrong Time". If this was released maybe D-BT03 or D-BT04, I can see the deck taking off as a very budget-friendly Dragon World Deck that can be fun to play in casual or semi-competitive play, but this was X season, it was the start of an unnatural amount of power creep that would heavily divide the game forever. In this case however, we have a lot to work with, but more in a clear way. The deck most of all is using drop zone manipulation in order to put the specific Systemics into the drop to pump up the powers on these guys. A Systemic Item would fit right into the deck, seeing as how Commander would give the item [Penetrate]. The deck mostly needs what Dragon World originally lacked (UNTIL THUNDER EMPIRE CAME IN), Draw Power. A nice way to filter the hand for gauge to call said Systemics, as well as get said draw power, would be very helpful for the deck as well as give Systemics a nice edge when dealing with link situations and keeping penetrate damage on field. So, submitted by Buddyfight Wikia user Guardian Fira, he shows off an idea he had on a fitting weapon for the archetype. An actual "Systemic Dagger".
While the low stats seem to balance the card out. The items mill and discard cost would seem like a massive detriment for a simple charge and draw, but since the deck focuses on having a set drop zone, the cost balances out because you are still exchanging a card from hand for a once per turn gauge and draw. While it will not get the power boost from Commander, the online Penetrate helps when link attacking since hitting 10K Walls with a link would certainly help.
In order to filter the drop zone to be only Systemics, a way to filter out cards would be necessary, and since Sky Dragon Divinity is amazing but hard to use in this deck. This card fixes a bunch of problems as well for Guardians, making them able to survive rush a lot better. Systemics as they are size 1`s are heavily susceptible to Counter Destruction, which while it has not been as effective due to Batzz and Athora, still is something to have in mind when some bosses now have built in monster nukes. It makes a great target for a better Black Edge retrain, as well as being a free beat stick for the deck, bringing the Systemic Count in drop higher for Commander to plus off.
Systemics have a long way to go before reaching relevant status, a few more filter pieces, and a way in order to use Dragon Worlds diverse resources will allow the deck to stand out. Maybe when the Yuga Era starts, legacy support can become a nice factor, since any Systemic card is better then nothing. Also can hope that the card with Systemic Dagger in the art for Final Chief is a Systemic card. All we can do is pray, or pretend everything past X-BT02 didn't happen. Ignorance is bliss as they say. So in terms of viability in a casual setting, I would highly recommend playing it as it is. It is still something budget friendly, and it has that same sort of feel when you play Shadow Dragons, a sense of fun and simple game play for everyone. So on the next episode of "Why am I reading this?" We are about to get...Political.
Make sure to comment below and tell me what you think. Join the TCG Buzz Discord and send your ideas for fanon cards in the #fancards section. Please have a nice day and remember
Chaos was a mistake.
