The Volcanic Engine

Back in 2007 the metagame was saturated with Monarch decks. They came in many different shapes and sizes, and all with varying strategies. One successful version used Volcanics, an archetype that sees almost no play these days. I started looking at Volcanic cards about a year ago and I was very impressed at what a few of the cards were able to accomplish. It is a bit surprising that they see so little play these days. Yes, the engine fills a niche role in some anti-monster strategies, but it can be so much more than that if players are willing to experiment with it a bit. Let's take a look at what makes the Volcanic engine worth playing.

Proactive Removal

No term better describes what the Volcanic engine does. It is a combination of cards that attempts to ensure that the opponent runs out of monsters long before you do. With this in mind, we'll check out the pieces that compose the engine.

Blaze Accelerator $1.03 $0.22 $0.05 Set Force of the Breaker Number FOTB-EN040 Type Continuous Spell Attribute SPELL Rarity Common Card Text You can send 1 Pyro-Type monster with 500 or less ATK from your hand to the Graveyard to destroy 1 monster your opponent controls, but you cannot declare an attack during this turn if you do.

Store Condition Qty Avail Price MajesticTreasuresTCG Near Mint Unlimited 1 $0.05 xdorknightx Near Mint Unlimited 1 $0.07 Yugi trading Lightly Played Unlimited 1 $0.08 MajesticTreasuresTCG Near Mint 1st Edition 1 $0.08 Supreme Duelists Near Mint 1st Edition 3 $0.08 IDeal808 Near Mint Unlimited 48 $0.08 Delta Cards Near Mint 1st Edition 1 $0.08 Delta Cards Near Mint Unlimited 1 $0.09 Cupcakecharlie Near Mint 1st Edition 27 $0.09 xdorknightx Near Mint 1st Edition 1 $0.09



As far as monster removal goes, As far as monster removal goes, Blaze Accelerator is a very effective card. It can turn big field setups into a filled graveyard with very little warning. The fact that it is a continuous spell is something of a double edged sword. While that makes it very usable and fast to play, Mystical Space Typhoon is a constant threat. Thankfully if Blaze Accelerator is destroyed, you won't have to discard your monster. Still, MST presents a threat that is hard to ignore. Generally if your opponent is using their Spell and Trap removal to take out Accelerator, then you are saving your more dangerous backrow cards from the same fate. At the same time it can really be a pain when you

need

Accelerator to resolve.

Volcanic Shell $4.99 $0.94 $0.08 Set Gold Series 2009 Number GLD2-EN024 Level 1 Type Effect Monster Monster Pyro Attribute FIRE A / D 100 / 0 Rarity Common Card Text Once per turn, while this card is in the Graveyard you can pay 500 Life Points to add 1 Volcanic Shell from your Deck to your hand.

Store Condition Qty Avail Price Zergling Cards Lightly Played Limited 1 $0.08 Gamescape Lightly Played Limited 1 $0.14 MegaSpeedyStore Moderately Played Limited 1 $0.17 King Fandom Lightly Played Limited 1 $0.20 OptimalGames Lightly Played Limited 3 $0.22 CardsandBoardgames Near Mint Limited 1 $0.30 FourOhOneCards Near Mint Limited 2 $0.30 TacoQuestGaming Near Mint Limited 1 $0.30 Frogtown Hobbies Near Mint Limited 2 $0.30 XtremeGames Moderately Played Limited 1 $0.42



Clearly we need something to feed Clearly we need something to feed Blaze Accelerator , and Volcanic Shell could not be better suited for the job. Shell provides three salvos for Accelerator in one turn thanks to it being searchable. It helps to thin the deck and load the graveyard for Pot of Avarice . While it can be a bit of a dead draw (as can Accelerator) Shell is simply a better option compared to Volcanic Scattershot , and it goes without saying that running three is a must.

With these two cards in tow we now have a way to take out as many as six monsters...for free. Assuming you play Pot of Avarice , of course. Still, there are a number of consistency issues here, and just running these two cards would be pointless without some backup. Pot of Duality and Sangan can both grab the necessary combo pieces here, but there is one more very important card to include in this engine.

Volcanic Rocket $34.99 $9.21 $4.67 Set Gold Series 2009 Number GLD2-EN023 Level 4 Type Effect Monster Monster Pyro Attribute FIRE A / D 1900 / 1400 Rarity Ultra Rare Card Text When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, you can add 1 Blaze Accelerator card from your Deck or your Graveyard to your hand.

Store Condition Qty Avail Price Steel City CCG Moderately Played Limited 1 $2.49 Collector Store LLC Moderately Played Limited 1 $2.49 CardsandBoardgames Moderately Played Limited 1 $2.49 JakePCollectibles Near Mint Limited 1 $4.67 Card Cardtel Near Mint Limited 1 $4.69 Otakuygotcg Heavily Played Limited 1 $4.75 WalkerTR Lightly Played Limited 1 $4.99 SilverYGO Near Mint Limited 1 $5.00 The Game Company Near Mint Limited 1 $5.68 Pozjoker Games Near Mint Limited 1 $5.94



Rocket is a great example of how TCG exclusive cards should be made. They support an archetype that, on its own, would not be that great. It also fills a very important role here by providing a way to search Rocket is a great example of how TCG exclusive cards should be made. They support an archetype that, on its own, would not be that great. It also fills a very important role here by providing a way to search Blaze Accelerator from the deck OR graveyard. Rocket is an amazing card not only because it is a +1 upon summon, but because it is very well designed. 1900 attack gives it some teeth against a large number of other cards being played, and even lets it clash with Rai-Oh in a pinch. Further, Rocket's effect will activate regardless of how it is summoned, opening up some very interesting strategies. Lastly, searching Accelerator from the deck is nice, but grabbing it from the graveyard is a huge bonus. This means that as long as you have a Rocket, you'll almost always have quick access to Accelerator.

Running the Numbers

It would be easy to just throw a set of Volcanic Shell s, Rockets, and two Blaze Accelerator s together and call it a day, but that sets us up for some trouble down the road. Three copies of Volcanic Shell is a must since it is so vital for fueling Blaze Accelerator , even if you'll end up having more than one in hand at times. You can manipulate the numbers a bit more with Rocket and Accelerator though. How many of each you run will depend on both the specific deck that the engine is being played in, and the current metagame. Right now, the biggest threats to Volcanics are Thunder King Rai-Oh and Effect Veiler . Rai-Oh shuts down Shell, Rocket, and Duality, and Veiler also stops Rocket.

Generally this engine works best as three copies of Volcanic Shell and a pair each of Volcanic Rocket and Blaze Accelerator . There are reasons to run an extra Rocket or one less Accelerator, but you should be able to discover that on your own very quickly. There is one last card that I want to mention, even if it is not part of the theme.

Summoning up the Inferno



There is a lot to talk about concerning There is a lot to talk about concerning Summoner Monk in this engine. It is a near-perfect fit for the Volcanic engine for a couple of reasons, and has only become better with the introduction of Xyz monsters. First of all, Summoner Monk 's primary use is to summon Volcanic Rocket , which will then trigger its effect and allow you to add a Blaze Accelerator to your hand. This is great, because it not only gives you a +1 after you tossed a spell, but it also gives you a new spell to toss for its effect. This is the basis for older strategies like ALICE (A Lesson In Controlling Everything) or other similar variants that also abused Sacred Crane and Icarus Attack . Accelerator becomes food for latter Monk plays, or turns a dead Mystical Space Typhoon s into field-clearing plays.

Of course, discarding a Blaze Accelerator , and then reclaiming that same card is simply too cute of a combo to pass up. It not only gives you a free Xyz monster, but it sets up the engine for most plays. Summoning Steelswarm Roach or Utopia after wiping out the opposing field is a strong and game-changing play. The best way to play this situation is not yet legal in the TCG unfortunately. Daigusto Emeral is an amazing card that turns a Summoner Monk play into huge pluses. Emeral's first effect lets you Recycle three monsters in the graveyard, shuffle them into the deck, and draw one card. I should not even have to point out the obvious combos with Volcanic Shell . Simply put: Emeral makes the engine not only absurdly consistent, but also incredibly broken. Summoner Monk might not be that great right now with Effect Veiler and Maxx “C” flying everywhere, but it is going to be hard to pass up when Emeral hits the TCG.

Taking Advantage of Volcanics

Besides Monarchs, Volcanics have seen most of their play in anti-monster builds that utilize Black Garden . It's a tough deck to master, but it is also extremely rewarding. Again, the Volcanic engine is a bit of a niche engine that serves a very specific purpose, but it is one that a lot of different strategies can take advantage of. The primary reason that I am writing this is for those instances when you sit down with a pile of cards and say, “what can I build now?” It is moments like that where theory, knowledge, and experience can create something amazing.

Volcanics help in two common situations: one, where the opponent is constantly playing high-attack monsters, and two, where the opponent is playing monsters that are not easily replaceable. In the first case some decks struggle to get over huge beaters consistently. Agents and Darkworlds can keep 2700 attackers on the field without much issue, causing a problem for strategies that run monsters with lower attack power. Blaze Accelerator evens the playing field and keeps Hyperion and Grapha in the graveyard instead of on the field. Those monsters that resist destruction like Archlord Kristya Stardust Dragon , and Prime Material Dragon are still vulnerable to Dimensional Prison . By pairing these two cards together you can make your board control less threatened by sheer attack points.

The second situation that Volcanics are effective in is where the opponent is running a number of monsters that either do not float, or are not very searchable. Anti-Meta/Monster builds are a good example of this, or Gladiator Beast decks that are not playing Proving Ground. Given that these decks have difficulty finding extra monsters if their cards get destroyed, Blaze Accelerator can make it hard for them to set up any plays. By the mid-game the Volcanic engine might have rid them of all of their accessible monsters and essentially won you the game. Of course, this illustrates a major flaw with the strategy. If the opponent does have easily replaceable monsters then it becomes almost pointless to destroy them. Think T.G., where Blaze Accelerator merely means more searches.

The Volcanic engine is definitely something that you should consider when constructing a new strategy, and especially at the start of the next format. Again, it is pretty easy to add into existing decks even if it eats up about seven or eight slots. I highly recommend giving the engine a shot, and if you do (or you already are playing it) let me know how it is working for you. Until next time then.

2/7/2012 10:44:00 AM