Hi amigos, today we got 2 more cards that support Maelstrom! Let’s dive into it!
New Support
[CONT][:RC:]: During the fourth battle of your turn or more, all of your units in the same column as this unit get [Power]+5000.
Right: Shoreline Rays Dragon
[AUTO][:RC:]:When this unit attacks, if it is the fourth battle of this turn or more, and your Order Zone has a Blue Storm Armada, this unit gets [Power]+10000 until end of that battle, and at the end of that battle, put this unit into your soul. (This effect is mandatory)
Both are RGs that we can use for our arsenal! Brave Shooter brings a unique skill where it can give itself and another card in the same column +5k each. It is 4th battle or more, restricted, so it may be best to save him as a booster for those last few battles. What’s really nice is that if your column is already hitting 13k+, the power-up will help you get through a damage-checked trigger such as 23k.
Reference the prior article for Maelstrom, other units’ skills, and other plays.
Personally may be worth trying out 1-2 copies since it’s only really applicable 4th battle or more. Also, if you swap it with Wheel Assault, it can be a 13k attacker on its own too.
Shoreline I’m more excited for! Since Theo guarantees the search for a Blue Storm Armada Set Order, Shoreline will always be live. It’s inherently a 13k, so it becomes 23k which makes for that threshold once more. Remember the skill is free, we just have to make 4th battle at least. This can easily be a Wheel Assault target as well.
AUTO: When this unit is rode upon by a unit with only <Aqua Force> for its clan, look at the top seven cards of your deck, choose up to one card with only <Aqua Force> for its clan or a <Tear Dragon> card from among them, call it to RC, and shuffle your deck.
AUTO(RC): When this unit attacks, if it is the fourth battle of that turn or more, and you have a grade 3 or greater vanguard with “Maelstrom” in its card name, until end of that battle, this unit gets Power +5000, and
"AUTO(RC): When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, draw a card.".Right: Blue Storm Dragon, Maelstrom
ACT(VC)[1/Turn]: COST[Discard a card from your hand], choose a card from your soul with only <Aqua Force> for its clan or a <Tear Dragon> card, call it to RC, and until end of turn, it gets
"AUTO(RC): When this unit attacks, if your opponent's vanguard is grade 3 or greater, and it is the first battle of that turn, COST[CB1], and Stand this unit.". At the end of that turn, put that unit into your soul.AUTO(VC): When this unit attacks a vanguard, if it is the fourth battle of that turn or more, draw a card, choose one of your opponent’s rear-guards, and retire it.
The synergy goes more though. Algos and Maelstrom can call it to RC since it’s a Tear Dragon! Furthermore, at the end of the battle its skill was used, it goes into the Soul. At first, it may seem like a -1, but because it goes into the Soul it can be a restander target for Maelstrom’s 1st skill!
The timing is important too. Since it’ll gain the restand skill from Maelstrom, the 1st battle with it is a vanilla 13k attack only. It will stay on RC because you haven’t reached 4th battle yet to activate the skill. So then it can attack the 2nd time for the 4th battle or more to gain the 10k and then go into Soul.
Shoreline will be a great addition alongside with Inlet Pulse! Both are great Tear Dragon targets and both go into Soul to become reusable when needed! Shoreline reminds me a bit of Coral Assault since it gains power when a condition is met. Shoreline will help in making those threshold numbers for our attack patterns.
I would say 2-3 copies of Shoreline is worth testing out alongside with Inlet. If you don’t have any Inlets, it may be worth bumping to 4 for the meantime. We do rely on Inlet to help carry the deck in terms of creating Soul and hand advantage. I also talk about it in my recent Alpha deck profile of Maelstrom.
Premium Impact?
Brave Shooter gives the other unit in the same column +5k. Restanders really appreciate it! It may be worth trying out in decks like Blue Wave, Thavas, etc. Foivos won’t see it on the 3rd Wave, but the 4th battle it will and a 13k booster make the column hit 29k.
Thavas and potentially Tidal Assault can gain the +5k when it attacks twice. Especially if you already have your Accel circles filled up.
Cards that Rest or call as Rested, like Pursuit and Genbold respectively, can still benefit the +5k from Brave Shooter. It’s often that Genbold builds a field and hit 4th battles. Just some ideas.
Unfortunately, with Shoreline, it’s restricted to seeing a Blue Storm Armada Set Order in play. Currently, our only one is Judgement Maelstrom which requires the Vanguard to have the Maelstrom name. So it’s restricted in use. Tough to say if it will see any use in Premium. Remember we have cards like Coral Assault that is better, generic, and easy to use.
Without our guaranteed Ride Line mechanic, we can’t always ride Theo to always search for the Judgement Maelstrom Order. Perhaps cards like Beragios and Disaster Maelstrom can help search for it. But it may not be worth it still.
Final Thoughts
In Standard, these are welcomed additions that are worth play-testing! I’m excited to see the impact these cards can have on the deck. What are your thoughts? Are you excited?
Also, I recently made a new Discord community server. Commander Jaime’s Armada! Feel free to join and get the latest content news!
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mcptf2ee6a
Rogue of the Seven Seas 