JAELOVE's Smooth Journey

Article 21: Constructing A Legendary Ocean Deck

12.08.04  Back from Gencon and raring to go with your next reader poll submission, A Legendary Ocean. JAELOVE at your service here, constructing one of the most popular deck-types out there, the Water deck bolstered by Umi, or A Legendary Ocean. Unfortunately, water deck users have suffered for a long time, waiting for cards to be added that would make them playable. Things began taking a turn for the better with the advent of Invasion of Chaos and Levia Dragon Daedalus, now we have Mobius the Frost Monarch and Abyss Soldier thrown into the pile. The Legendary Ocean deck has the potential to be fearsome indeed!

PURPOSE OF A LEGENDARY OCEAN DECK:

The glue of this deck is A Legendary Ocean, of course, because it is a field spell with an two benefits. Getting it out is the main key; supporting it and defending the field at all costs after it is played is also crucial.

STRENGTHS:

Using A Legendary Ocean's secondary effect, the player can normal summon five star tribute monsters at no cost, unloading 2650 threats such as Giga Gagagigo on the hapless opponent. This type of field domination is unprecedented in the environment. Ironically, water decks become bigger beatdown forces than actual beatdown itself!

WEAKNESSES:

Like any deck revolving around the use of a field spell (think Necrovalley or Sanctuary in the Sky), this one can run into quite a few problems. The 5 star Giga Gagagigo and 7 star Levia Dragon grow far more unappetizing when requiring the full summon cost; this can often clog your hand and end duels before they even really start.

CLENCHING THE "JAWS" OF VICTORY

Monsters in this deck are variegated and versatile, aimed at achieving numerous ends. 

Levia-Dragon- Daedalus - Sea Serpent/Effect/7/2600/1500

Send "Umi" on your side of the field to the Graveyard to destroy all cards on the field except this card.

+ Provides Field Control, Flip Effect Management, On-Field Removal, Removal (Spell/Trap), Counter-Disruption, Energy

-- Weakens On-Field Presence, Resource Replenishment.

Levia-Dragon- Daedalus is named (for whatever reason) after the great Greek thinker who was cooped up in the labyrinth by evil King Minos. Why this has any relevance I do not know, but nevertheless this monster is a very, very strong threat. By merely discarding your ocean, you will destroy every card on the opponent's field. Use this effect correctly and you should get 2-3 cards of advantage and a clear shot at your opponent's lp.

Unfortunately, there's a drawback to his use; without A Legendary Ocean, he becomes a cumbersome 7 star monster, requiring two tributes and ruining your hand. Also, if you use his effect, you'll expend plenty of your own resources as well.

Giga Gagagigo- Reptile/Normal/5/2450/1500

+ Provides Field Control
-- Weakens On-Field Presence

Imagine being able to normal summon this guy. Wow, what a stud. Once he's out on the field, there is no chance for your opponent to take him down with anything, so they'll have to resort to monster removal or very defensive play.

Abyss Soldier- Aqua/Effect/4/1800/1300

Discard 1 water monster from your hand to the graveyard. Return 1 card on the field to the owner's hand. You can only use this effect once per turn, during your main phase.

+ Provides Field Control, Flip Effect Management, On-Field Removal, Removal (Spell/Trap), Counter-Disruption, Enemy-Disruption
- Weakens Resource Replenishment

Abyss Soldier is a card that can blow up in your face if not used correctly. This probably means you should only run one to two, at most, unless you're going for a weird Water deck with Night Assailants (don't even think about it). In this rather small capacity, however, he has the potential to wreak havoc with your opponent's plans.

Gagagigo-       Reptile/Normal/4/1850/1000

+ Provides Field Control

It's a good thing Marauding Captain saved his life, or you wouldn't have a beatstick for your water deck! (ignore obscure joke) One of the problems that water deck users always have is their insistence on running only cards that combo with ALO effectively; obviously, this strategy tends to fail when ALO is not on the field.

Gagagigo is great because he can function quite well on his own in this deck; he doesn't need the 200 attack bonus to take over the game necessarily, so he's a good, consistent draw in this deck.

---        It is at this point that the Water deck can diverge into separate options. You can go the Orca Megafortress route (after all, you'll be able to normal summon him as well). Unfortunately, this will clog up your hands with worthless Cannonball Spears and Torpedo Fish.
---        You can add cards that are great with ALO on the field but worthless without, such as Mermaid Knight and Amphibious Bugroth MK-3.
---        Or, you can limit your intake of those worthless cards and instead focus on rounding out the monster line-up with cards that address the sore needs of this deck: resource replenishment and presence. After all, you're going to need some help while you wait for the Legendary Oceans, right? My suggestion is Nightmare Penguin, a new card from Rise of Destiny.

Nightmare Penguin--  Aqua/Effect/4/900/1800

When this card is flipped face-up, return 1 card on your opponent's side of the field to the owner's hand. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, increase the ATK of all WATER monsters on your side of the field by 200 points.

+ Provides Field Control, On-Field Removal, On-Field Presence.

Obviously this card is great in numerous situations, namely because it can work on both your opponent’s spells and monsters. It also works as a mini-Umi of its own! Great way to help that On-Field Presence me thinks!

Water-themed cards that were not included because they're so mainstream:

Tribe-Infecting Virus, Sinister Serpent, and Mobius the Frost Monarch obviously belong in this deck.

Now, onward to the spells and traps!

SUPPORT YOUR WATERWORLD (DON'T BE LIKE KEVIN COSTNER!)

-- The deck needs to thin down both tribute monsters and make optimum use of resources; add Pot of Greed and Painful Choice.
-- A Legendary Ocean must be run in 3's. A good number of Terraformings to have rests anywhere from 1 to 3. We'll go with 2, since some monsters are not very dependent on it.
-- Lots of tribute monsters means Snatch Steal and Change of Heart are necessary.
-- Mystical Space Typhoon is needed primarily as spell/trap removal.
-- Premature Burial will work to bring out the monsters.
-- Card Destruction will work to dump extra tributes and find the oceans faster.
-- A Smashing Ground will protect you from unwanted incursions.
-- A few Scapegoat will provide bait for your Oceans and also help out your presence.
-- Two Nobleman of Crossout will take care of Flips and help you maintain control once the beatsticks enter the field.
-- As for traps, much of our primary removal and defense will have to come from this section.
We’ll start off with 1 Dust Tornado which are great spell/trap removers.
-- We’ll also need a Call of the Haunted that will really help with the tribute monsters.
-- Add 3 Magic Drain to add multi-purpose counters to your deck.
-- A Ring of Destruction and two Sakuretsu Armor will fill out the rest of the defense.

FORCE PRESENTS A LEGENDARY OCEAN DECK:

Once again, for those who want to follow along at home, here is the legend:

F- Field Control                      f- Flip-Effect Management
O- On-field Removal             o- On-field Presence
R- Removal (Spell/Trap)       r- Resource Replenishment
C- Counter-Defense              c- Counter-Disruption
E- Enemy Disruption e- Energy

Every card in the arsenal corresponds to a certain (or several) aspects of the FORCE system (in my 18^th article if you haven’t read it yet). This is a decklist with an analysis of its components.

1. Levia Dragon- Daedalus               + F f O R c e/  - o r
2. Mobius the Frost Monarch           + F R c /          - o
2. Giga Gagagigo                               + F       /           - o
1. Abyss Soldier                                 + F f O R c E/ - r
1. Tribe-Infecting Virus                     + F O E /         - r
1. Sinister Serpent                             + o r C /           - F
3. Gagagigo                                        + F      
2. Nightmare Penguin                        + F O o C E   
1, Morphing Jar                                 + r
1. Breaker the Magical Warrior       + F R c
1. Mermaid Knight                            - F
1. Pot of Greed                                   + r
1. Painful Choice                                + r
1. Change of Heart                            + f c E e /        -r
1. Snatch Steal                                   + F O o E /      -e
1. Heavy Storm                                  + R c E
1. Mystical Space Typhoon               + R c E
2. Nobleman of Crossout                   + f O E
1. Premature Burial                           + F o    /           -e
2. Scapegoat                                       + o C e            /          -r
1. Smashing Ground                           + F O
3. A Legendary Ocean                       + F o  
2. Terraforming                                  + F o
1. Card Destruction                           + r       /           - r
1. Call of the Haunted                        + F o
1. Ring of Destruction                       + F O C E
2. Sakuretsu Armor                           + O o E
2. Magic Drain                                   + c E
2. Dust Tornado                                 + R c E

This deck should work out fabulously; most of its early game problems have been rectified and it’s ready to play with the big boys.

As always, send me an e-mail at JAELOVE@gmail.com for anything Yu-Gi-Oh related.