Zoodiac Package
It has been 2 months since the debut of Zoodiac and their playstyle have changed slightly since the previous Zoodiac article.
We will revisit the Zoodiac core combo, and also explore the various hybrid builds that have benefited from the Zoodiac package.
Zoodiac Standard Combo
The whole Zoodiac combo revolves around using just 1 Zoodiac Ratpier, to bring out another 2 Zoodiac Ratpier for making a Rank 4 Xyz Monster, and to add a Beast-Warrior Monster to hand through Zoodiac Broadbull.
The following will be a breakdown on some of the more popular Rank 4 Xyz Monsters to be summoned with the 2 Zoodiac Ratpier, and some popular Beast-Warrior Monsters to be fetched with Zoodiac Broadbull.
Daigusto Emeral
Daigusto Emeral returns 2 Zoodiac Ratpier and a Zoodiac Xyz Monster to the deck to draw a card. On the following turn, when the 3rd Ratpier is detached from Daigusto Emeral, any Zoodiac monster can be used to Xyz Summon Zoodiac Tigermortar. Using Zoodiac Tigermortar‘s effect will attached Ratpier as an Xyz Material, thus setting up the combo to bring out 2 Zoodiac Ratpier again.
From just 1 Ratpier, this gives you 1 card draw, 1 Beast-Warrior Monster from Broadbull, with Daigusto Emeral and Zoodiac Drident on the field. This is essentially a +3, while still having 2 Ratpier in deck ready to be brought out again on the next turn.
Although this combo generates much lesser card advantage compared to Coach King Giantrainer, it makes Zoodiac much more resilient against board wipes since they now have the resources to rebuild instantly on the next turn.
Recycling Ratpier has become such a core strategy that most Zoodiac decks are running 2 copies of Daigusto Emeral.
Bujintei Kagutsuchi
Bujintei Kagutsuchi requires 2 Level 4 Beast-Warrior monsters, and that is easily satisfied with 2 Zoodiac Ratpier.
Bujintei Kagutsuchi‘s effect will send the top 5 cards from the deck to the graveyard, filling the graveyard for Infernoid, Lightsworn, Shiranui, ABC, Shaddoll.
To further extend the combo, add Bujin Hiruko through Zoodiac Broadbull‘s effect. Using Bujin Hiruko‘s Pendulum Effect, Bujintei Kagutsuchi will be used to Special Summon Bujintei Tsukuyomi or Bujinki Amaterasu.
This combo at the minimal is a +1 with Zoodiac Drident and a Bujin Xyz Monster, but potentially a lot more from the cards sent to the graveyard by Kagutsuchi, as well as the pluses from Tsukuyomi or Amaterasu.
Dragoons of Draconia, Performapal King Bear
Zoodiac improves the consistency of Pendulum decks through Zoodiac Broadbull‘s effect to add Beast-Warrior Pendulum Monsters from Deck to Hand.
The 2 Ratpier can be used to Xyz Summon a 2nd Zoodiac Broadbull. Activating the effect of the 1st Zoodiac Broadbull will add Dragoons of Draconia, and then the effect of the 2nd Zoodiac Broadbull will add Performapal King Bear.
This is essentially a 1-card combo to set up Pendulum Scales of 2 to 7.
This combo is a +3, consisting of 2 Beast-Warrior Pendulum Monster, with Zoodiac Broadbull and Zoodiac Drident on the field.
Lunalight Black Sheep
Zoodiac Broadbull can fetch Lunalight Black Sheep, which in turn adds Polymerization to hand.
This is useful for Fusion archetypes such as Fluffal, Shaddoll, Invoked.
Similarly, the 2 Ratpier will be used for Daigusto Emeral, making the combo a +3.
Conclusion
Zoodiac synergizes with many different archetypes through the various Beast-Warrior Monsters that complement with the archetype’s strategy.
Even without any synergy, Zoodiac Ratpier gives a +2 (via Daigusto Emeral), and Zoodiac Broadbull gives a +1.
Starting with +3 and the threat of a Zoodiac Drident puts Zoodiac miles ahead of the other archetypes.
As a result, many decks are incorporating the Zoodiac package simply to keep up in card advantage.
I wonder how they’re going to nerf these plays… R2 Marmorat seems to be the softest fix, just like with D-hero Malicious and Reborn Tengu.
The problem with comparing the two older cards to Molmrat is that both those older cards can do fine with just 2 copies as they serve a purpose at even 2 sincw you usually use them for synchro or xyz plays. Molmrat is an @3 or @0 type of card. More than likely one of the 3 missing Zoodiacs we havent had reeleased yet will essentially act as an alternate form of Molmrat with a different on summon effect.
It really depends on how konami sees this problem. they can take out any way to recycle marmorat like emeral and pot of avarice to make sure the deck doesnt recover one you break their field. they can semi-restrict marmorat also to force the use of a second card (normal summoning a level 4 or a tuner) to xyz or synchro summon. the harshest move they can make is either restrict terrortop or ban m-x saber invoker then semi restrict marmorat and restrict elemental triangle. I wonder if they’re still worth some space in decks a move were done.
I feel that Terrortop now really deserve the limited, and i would also put Elemental Triangle to 1, i guess this would be still fair and would slow them down a little bit.
Ban Elemental Triangle and ban Speedroid Taketomborg.
Taketomborg enables the free R3.
Elemental Triangle is what really, outright busts open Molmorat combo. The problem with Molmorat comes from being able to make this without needing Rat in hand, or without using Normal Summon.