User blog:Dm geovanie/"Ability Spam" Dragon World Deck

"I place my trust in my Dragon Knight allies as we explore a new frontier, Luminize! Sky Fall Calamity!"

The "Ability Spam" deck is a deck that focuses on spamming on enter or [Rest] abilities. I'd like to make this blog, and potentially page, an authoritative resource for creating the most optimal deck around, in particular, Dragon Knight's Tap and On-Enter abilities. Please comment any recommendations as well as reasoning behind that recommendation. I'd like to eventually include a strategy section, which can teach a player how to steer the deck before getting behind the wheel. For now, however, I'm focusing on ensuring the card selection is as optimal as possible.

Change Log

 * Version 1.0
 * Very raw version. Will likely cycle through many iterations.

Buddy Monster
I chose Dragon Knight, Calamity Jane as my buddy because she symbolizes the entire purpose of the deck, tapping a card ability for effect. I also like her art, the spirit of her card, and her historical origin. Plus, as soon as I saw her I knew that I wanted to make a deck like this. But there are three ways you could go in this deck for Buddy choice:
 * Calamity Jane - Her tap ability allows you to control your opponents options by draining their gauge
 * Ryoma - His ability to send a card back to hand allows you to recycle on-enter or tap abilities
 * Slayman - Aesthetically, he would be an attractive buddy; functionally, he can be called any time there's an opening, unlike Jane or Ryoma

Monsters
Napoleon creates the main offensive push of the deck, allowing a triple formation totaling size 5. The 3 Gauge cost shouldn't be too expensive when setting up for a mid- or end-game push, and combined with Iwamoto, you could open your opponent up for real damage. Jane is the main size 2 as she allows you to set up a field and start draining your opponent's gauge. The rest of the size 2s have utility effects that you would spam, then return to hand, then set up a stronger field. Iwamoto > Ryoma > Rudel > Wittmann would allow you to, for 3 Gauge and 1 card, destroy an opponent's monster and deal 4 damage before the attack phase. You can then cast Force Return and set up an optimal field that can deal up to 7 damage. Then cast Ultimate Smash to deal an additional 4, or Dual Movingforce to deal 2 and heal 2, for a total potential of 15 damage in a single turn. It requires a lot of cards for the combo, but that's why the draw engine is in place. Ryoma is the main size 1 as he allows you to bounce a used card back to hand. The best target here would obviously be Jane, since you don't really want to attack with her. But bringing Iwamoto back into hand allows you to take advantage of his ability, and his 3 criticals. Maximilian helps you design your hand, and Tomoe helps you get hand, so they have great synergy together. Slayman can turn any dual formation into a triple formation. He's also important for maximizing the gauge drain before returning cards to hand. When times are tough, he can also allow you to reach 4 attacks if you can cast The Skies in your Hand.
 * Size 3
 * 2x Dragon Knight, Napoleon
 * Size 2
 * 4x Dragon Knight, Calamity Jane
 * 3x Dragon Knight, Iwamoto
 * 3x Dragon Knight, Rudel
 * 2x Dragon Knight, Wittmann
 * Size 1
 * 4x Dragon Knight, Ryoma
 * 3x Dragon Knight, Tomoe
 * 3x Dragon Knight, Maximilian
 * Size 0
 * 4x Dragon Knight, Slayman

Spells
The Skies in your Hand and Force Return are your primary spells. You want to make sure you preserve them so you can spam your abilities and be able to clear your field.
 * 4x The Skies in your Hand
 * 4x Force Return
 * 3x Red Dragon Shield
 * 3x Blue Dragon Shield
 * 3x Dragon Barrier

The Dragon Shields are to protect you, since your offensive output might not be all the best. And Dragon Barrier allows you to avoid shenanigans when you call Jane and your opponent tries to zap her.

Items
This "weapon" allows you to become a Dragon Knight.
 * 4x Cavalry Dragon, Hyperion

I'd love to stop explaining there, but, to cover functionality, it's a great card. It allows you to gauge just for hitting something, and with 7,000 attack there's plenty it can hit alone. Dependent on the variant you want to play, running a backup weapon like Steel Fist, Dragoknuckle is also possible. You'll want to nix Napoleon, and drop Hyperion to 3, to run 3 of the alternate weapon, to keep the total at 6 (pretty standard ratio).

Impacts
The objective is to have as much gauge as possible to continually pay for effects. The reason for so many impacts is so that you have a lot of options for what you can do with your gauge. Plus, since they're fairly cheap, you can cast more than one during an End Phase you find you're behind but have a lot of gauge.
 * 2x Dragon Strike Arts, Dual Movingforce
 * 2x Dragon Cavalry Arts, The Glorious Legacy
 * 2x Dragon Cavalry Arts, Ultimate Smash

Side Deck Description
The side deck expands the deck's Spell game. Because the deck focuses on the abilities of your monsters, there isn't much need to spells. In the end, the side deck just offers more ways of protecting yourself, and utilyzing the gauge to increase hand options.

Knight Counter however, is a great counter to decks that rely on field formation, such as Purgatory Knights, Heroes, and Adventurers. Running 2 - 3 should hopefully ensure you get it into hand right as your opponent has their optimal field and are ready to shenanigan.