And so we reach the end of the new support in the [Legendary Duelists] booster set - there are still a number of cards in the set, but they were mostly some of the more used cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links mobile game, or so says the [OCG card list]. And what a way to go out; not with a bang, but with a groan of disappointment. The poorly named [Chemical] series of cards used by Misawa Bastion in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX finally got some more cards to fill out his deck; after nearly 15 years after their last support card - [Hyozanryu] counts for the archetype, apparently - we finally receive more support for Misawa’s [Water Dragon] deck, and no, it wasn’t that [mysterious fire dragon that was seen in the opening]. Were the cards released any good, and does it make the Water Dragon worth summoning? If you read how I felt about it from the paragraph, its pretty obvious its a big fat no - regardless, lets look at the last archetype support in the Legendary Duelists booster.
CHEMICAL
As a recap of the deck’s history, it barely has any to go off of -" Water Dragon"'s specific requirements to summon it limited its usage and flexibility and the materials needed for it - [Hydrogeddon] and [Oxygeddon] - were either unremarkable or awful (“Oxygeddon”'s effect is situational due to it listing a Pyro-type monster destroying it, as well as the effect burning both players a whooping 800 Life Points). The Spell card [Bonding - H2O] was for the longest time the only way of bringing out Misawa’s monster, and it was very rare to ever reach the requirements before your opponent destroyed your field, even back in the day. There are no records in recent time of them being splashed into a deck and the new cards themselves have been glanced over for the more fleshed out archetypes included - shadowed by its GX companions, the [Vehicroid]s and [Cyberdark]s. There aren’t a lot of great things to say about this deck, which hurts because I, someone who liked the deck idea and monster designs, really hoped playing this deck would be a whole lot more enjoyable. What we got isn’t awful, but it still has more to work upon to even be considered a deck - if there is more support in the future, I’m all for it.
To add to the small periodic table, [Duoterion] appears to search the deck for lab equipment as well as bring out the ingredients for your monstrous concoctions. Its a Level 5 WATER Dinosaur-type monster that has a set of effects that require some work to activate together - it can discard itself from the the hand to add a “Bonding” Spell or Trap card from the Deck, and Special Summon any “Hydrogeddon” or “Oxygeddon” from the GY when its either Normal or Special Summoned. The addition of “Bonding” cards helps play into summoning their new boss monster, as well as provide the GY for plays with their new Trap Card. Likewise, the ability to Special Summon the other “Chemical” monsters upon its own summon helps refuel the field for “Water Dragon” or for an XYZ summon of something more threatening, like [Evolzar Laggia]. A Level 5 wasn’t what this deck needed, but the effects it brings to the table desperately is - a necessary evil at 3.
So instead of the unnamed, unreleased fire dragon that Misawa used during his time on GX, another Water Dragon was created in a new form that actually generates enough power for additional plays. The improved [Water Dragon Cluster] is a Level 10 WATER Sea Serpent-Type monster that still requires a “Bonding” card to bring it onto the field, but the effects are what makes it a miracle of science, at least in today’s standards. Upon its Special Summon, it shuts down all Effect Monsters your opponent controls, dropping their attack points to 0 and negating their effects until the end of the turn. As if that weren’t enough, it has a Quick Effect - it splits itself apart and summons two “Water Dragons” from the hand or Deck in defense mode, ignoring their requirement of being summoned by a “Bonding” card entirely. Thankfully, the ability to bring out two Level 8’s fairly quickly once it appears on the field opens up some more deck strategies, effectively allowing them access into the Rank 8 toolbox, namely cards like [Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy] and [Number 23: Lancelot, Dark Knight of the Underworld]. Running 3 gets cloggy, but 2 seems just fine, considering the Spells and Traps can return it from the GY.
With the introduction of Duoterion into their chemistry set, a new set of “Bonding” cards were created specifically to fit them into the equation, with the first being [Bonding - D2O] to help form “Water Dragon Cluster.” By simply Tributing two “Duoterion” and an “Oxygeddon” from either the hand or the field, you can Special Summon “Water Dragon” or “Water Dragon Cluster” from the hand, Deck, or GY, cutting down a lot of time setting up your field and bringing out the stars of this deck in a more effective way. What’s great is that if there’s a “Water Dragon” in the GY while this card’s sitting there with it, you can return the Spell card back to your hand to summon out the “Water Dragon” later. While the effect looks great (even amazing for the “Chemical” standards), it still requires for all the materials in the right places - after some time reviewing and play-testing the deck, I’ve come to the realization that the “Chemical” archetype behaves like a Ritual deck, but without the Ritual monster. It makes summoning the Water Dragons incredibly easier to summon when compared to “Bonding - H2O,” it’d be a mistake not running it.
Of course, with the introduction of a new element, another combination was created to support the deck - [Bonding - DHO]! It shuffles a “Duoterion,” “Hydrogeddon,” and “Oxygeddon” back from the GY to the Deck to Special Summon a “Water Dragon Cluster” from your hand or GY. It also banishes itself from the GY to add a “Water Dragon” or “Water Dragon Cluster” to your hand, whether from the Deck or GY. Considering the Summoning Conditions stated on the Trap card, Bonding - DHO a bit easier than the Spell counterpart, having to rely on one of each of the “Chemical” monsters rather than two of Duoterion and a Oxygeddon, as well as refilling your deck with the material rather than requiring the monsters in your hand or on your field. No question, you’ll need to run this card in the new “Chemical” deck.
For an archetype who received their last card of support in the [Spell Ruler] booster pack, there wasn’t a lot of expectations for these new cards to bring the “Chemical” deck up to par with some of the lesser played archetypes in our current times, like [Triamid] or [Chemicritter]. Despite being enthusiastic about the cards packaged - talking about how it finally has a searcher for the “Bonding” Spells and Traps, as well as having the means of returning the original “Chemical” monsters for future plays - even I can see that the “Chemical” deck needs to go back to the lab and rethink the formula.