The Shmod Forum

Aarikku · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 3:08 pm Post subject: How to Make a Decktype

Yo. I'ma show you my thought process when I design a decktype for Shmod, so hopefully we'll get some amazing ones soon.

STEP ONE: The Scope of your Decktype

Do you want your decktype to be a 'partial decktype' or a 'full decktype'? Partial decktypes are like the Noble Dragon series - you can't build a full Noble Dragon deck, but you can mix it with either the themeless Dragons of Shmod or the themeless Fire monsters. Full decktypes are like the Desert or Solar Lizard theme. You should have no trouble building a whole Desert deck.

STEP TWO: What will your Decktype be?

Now - what creatures are you basing your decktype around? Let's face it, probably no one's going to want a 'Living Trash' deck. But what Naardaas did - creating a series of partially-cyborg alchemic dragons? That's cool!

This is the place to use Shmod's 'Category' space. If you're making, say, a Hydra deck, call all your creatures Hydra category monsters. That way, when you refer to your creatures later, you can just say "A Hydra" or "Hydra monsters" or "3 Hydras".

STEP THREE: What will your Decktype do?

This is the most important stage. Your decktype needs some stuff to keep all the cards together - lest one or two cards meet the same fate as Yugioh's Treeborn Frog. Let's check out some of my decktypes:

-Desert: All the cards focus around the one field spell, [Barren Desert].
-Solar Lizard: Each creature searches out the next stage.
-BlastBlaze Crew: All the creatures focus around the one monster, [The BlastBlaze].
-Element: Every monster fuses with each other. The more you use, the more you can create.

STEP FOUR: Design your first few cards

This is a fun stage. Determine what out of the 8 types (Fire, Water, Storm, Earth, Light, Dark, Metal, Colourless) your decktype is best suited for. Then, type up a card or two and see how it looks.

Note that Colourless is exactly that - Colourless. It's not a type intended to be mixed with other types. So if your creatures would be Colourless/Fire, just make 'em Fire - they'll work just as well.

STEP FIVE: "It's over Nine Thousaaaand!!!"

We all like cards to be powerful. Nothing's more fun than summoning some ridiculously big monster and bashing your opponent to tiny oatmeal-flavoured bits with said monster. But your theme can't be ALL big monsters. Make sure that a deck based on your decktype will be able to play cards on every turn, and will have more Low-Level monsters than High-Level monsters.

*Coughnaardaascough*

Making a Really Quick Decktype

-Pick an inanimate animal-shaped object
-Make up three Level Ones, three Level Two/Threes and one Boss card based on a Dragon
-Make up some support
-You're done! (This gets really old really quickly, though)

And, with some help from people on the boards, as well as just going back and checking everything, you're done.

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The Decktype Guide

Pyrah · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:23 pm Post subject:

This should definitely help when making a new deck.
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I am the Chronicler of the Silvarians. I know no bounds.

Naardaas · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:18 am Post subject:

A few things to add.

1) It's alright for a Decktype to include multiple Types. Insectoids use 2, and both Elements and Elemental Assassins use all of them (for the former, even all on one card).

2) Don't be afraid to salvage old cards for your Archetype - provided you get permission from its creator(s), of course.

3) Your Decktype has a few niches to fill, unless it's of a certain type. Pretty much all themes can benefit from a beatstick(s), a boss card, and a lot of themes benefit from Arena Spells (MetaDragons, Virtuals, Frogs, Skeletons, Dragons....).
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:45 am Post subject:

I don't think you ever got permission for the Rootwaters.

And your list of niches is a bad plan. If every theme has the same sort of stuff, they're way too similar.
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The Decktype Guide

Naardaas · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:56 am Post subject:

The three niches I listed should be fine. Every theme should have a boss card, and almost every theme benefits from the other two.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Pyrah · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:08 am Post subject:

I agree with everything stated above.
_________________
I am the Chronicler of the Silvarians. I know no bounds.

Naardaas · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:10 am Post subject:

What he said, what I said, or both? Your comment is kinda ambiguous.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Pyrah · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:12 am Post subject:

I'm leaning towards your comment more than his at the moment.
_________________
I am the Chronicler of the Silvarians. I know no bounds.

Naardaas · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:14 am Post subject:

Thank you.

Since I posted additional ideas for Archetypes, it's only fair you get to do the same. If you want.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Pyrah · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:16 am Post subject:

You're welcome.
_________________
I am the Chronicler of the Silvarians. I know no bounds.

Naardaas · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:18 am Post subject:

Oh, one more thing.

4) A great card is wasted if the art is sub-par. If you plan to make your own card art, put real effort into it, perhaps even some soul. Don't end up like Bryan.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Pyrah · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:23 am Post subject:

Actually, Bryan did try to draw to the best of his ability, he just doesn't practice enough or want to become an artist that's well known.
_________________
I am the Chronicler of the Silvarians. I know no bounds.

Naardaas · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:25 am Post subject:

I'm not holding anything against him. I probably worded that poorly. And you've high-lighted something about my comment; sometimes it's good to take a few tries to get to a good piece.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:06 am Post subject:

Naardaas · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:42 am Post subject:

I never specified a 1900 Beatstick. Leric or Dragon-Infused Leric fit the bill; they start at 1700 and 2200 respectively, but increase to 2000+ and 2500+, and any creature with large power for its size is a beatstick. Whether they have an effect to get them there or not.

And I've always said that every rule has an exception (ironic given that this phrase is a rule), so if a few themes lack those things, that's fine.

Lastly, I said for beatstick and Arena that they were benefitial, not mandatory.
_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject: