Aura Monsters

[o_smily from YCM 11]

Now, hello there, and welcome to my introduction! NEW: This was originally from the YCM, but there was a problem with the spoilers that no one seems to be able to fix. I've also edited the monster mechanics as well, so it should be playable.

What I have right here is a new sub-type of monster—or more officially known as monsters with an ability—that I have been working on for the past week. I've always enjoyed the roles and mechanics of the different abilities found in YGO, and I've always pondered on how to make a new, effective, and overall acceptable addition to the different sub-types. So, I've crept into the darkest parts of my mind, conjuring up an idea for an ability with these 3 main thoughts in mind:

● Will this new sub-type: be consistent with other monsters that share that ability?

● Will this new sub-type: have good, strong effects in compensation or result of a different effect mechanic?

● Will this new sub-type: actually be worth giving an ability, or simply keeping it as an effect monster?

After considering all of these factors, and silently listening, waiting for an idea to come up, I imagined this and that mechanic, continuously thinking and trashing ideas, until, not long ago, I thought of this mechanic, and not trashing it immediately, I thought up my mechanic. Once I had refined the idea in my head, I began to run drafts and examples, and soon, after some mind-based and OCG work, I had completed my first, prototype text effect for Aura monsters.

Aura monsters are a sub-type that possess a "lingering" effect, which manifests itself in the form of an Aura Spell Card, a type of Spell Card that is made through an Aura monster's effect. If an Aura monster would be sent from the Monster Zone to the GY, it is instead placed and activated in the Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card. This card, while treated as an Aura Spell Card, remains face-up on the field. When a certain requirement or condition is met, the card's controller, either by choosing to do so or by requirement, applies the Aura Spell Card with a following effect afterward. Once that has been said and done, the card is then sent to the GY.

Sometimes, an Aura monster may have a normal monster effect, but mostly, for balancing purposes, most of my examples will only contain Aura Spell Card effects. Higher Level monsters may have a higher chance for a monster effect.

The Aura monster universal card text (subject to change

[...] If this card in the Monster Zone would be sent to the GY: You can place it in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card instead. [Activation requirements, Spell Speed, etc.]: You can apply this Aura Spell Card with the following effect:

● [Effect]

 

As of now, for simplicity's sake, most of my Aura monsters for now will be Spell Cards that resolve during the Standby Phase of a certain player's turn, with little other conditions and effects.

 

Examples & Support:

Bonfire Wendigo - Aura monster

Spoiler

Bonfire Wendigo
FIRE
Beast / Aura / Effect
Level 4 - 1700 / 1900
If this card in the Monster Zone would be sent to the GY: You can place it in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card instead. During your Standby Phase: You can apply this Aura Spell Card with the following effect:
● Target 1 card on the field; destroy it, then you can draw 1 card.

Mekk-Knight Light Arc - Aura monster

Spoiler

Mekk-Knight Light Arc
LIGHT
Psychic / Aura / Effect
Level 3 - 1100 / 1000
If this card in the Monster Zone would be sent to the GY: You can place it in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card instead. During your Standby Phase: You can apply this Aura Spell Card with the following effect:
● Set 1 Spell/Trap Card from your opponent's Deck onto the field, also you can target 1 monster your opponent controls; move that target to another of your opponent's Monster Zones.

Puny Prune - Aura monster

Spoiler

Puny Prune
EARTH
Plant / Aura / Effect
Level 1 - 400 / 400
If this card in the Monster Zone would be sent to the GY: You can place it in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card instead. During your Standby Phase: You can apply this Aura Spell Card with the following effect:
● Target 1 Level 1 monster in your GY; Special Summon it, also add 1 Level 1 monster with a different name from your Deck to your hand.

Black Tar Concoction - Aura monster

Spoiler

Black Tar Concoction
DARK
Fiend / Aura / Effect
Level 3 - 1400 / 300
If this card in the Monster Zone would be sent to the GY: You can place it in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card instead. During your opponent's Standby Phase: You can apply this Aura Spell Card with the following effect:
● This turn, whenever your opponent Special Summons a monster(s), you can have that monster(s) lose 500 ATK and DEF.

Unihorn - Aura monster

Spoiler

Unihorn
LIGHT
Winged Beast / Aura / Effect
Level 6 - 2250 / 2250
If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage. If this card in the Monster Zone would be sent to the GY: You can place it in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card instead. During your Standby Phase: You can apply this Aura Spell Card with the following effect:
● This turn, when an Aura monster you control attacks, any battle damage your opponent takes is doubled.

Fragrant Oak & Sacred Spirit - Aura monster

Spoiler

Fragrant Oak & Sacred Spirit
EARTH
Plant / Aura / Effect
Level 9 - 2700 / 2500
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand or GY) by Tributing 2 Aura Spell Cards. Once per turn: You can gain 1000 LP. If this card in the Monster Zone would be sent to the GY: You can place it in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card instead. During your Standby Phase: You can apply this Aura Spell Card with the following effect:
● Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.

Mystical Magi - Aura monster support

Spoiler

Mystical Magi
WIND
Fairy / Effect
Level 4 - 1500 / 1800
Aura monsters you control gain 300 ATK/DEF. Gains 100 ATK for each Aura monster on the field. Once per turn, if there is an Aura monster in your hand or GY: You can place that Aura monster in your Spell & Trap Zone as an Aura Spell Card, and if you do, this card gain 400 ATK until the end of the turn.

Silent Highland - Aura monster support

Spoiler

Silent Highland
Continuous Spell Card
Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to your Aura Spell Card activations. Once per turn, if there is a Level 4 or lower Aura monster in your GY: You can Special Summon that monster, but destroy it during the End Phase.

Staff of Release - Aura monster support

Spoiler

Staff of Release
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to an Aura monster. It gain 600 ATK and DEF. If the equipped monster is moved from the Monster Zone to the Spell & Trap Zone: You can return this card to your hand; Special Summon 1 "Aura Token" (Fairy/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 500). You can only activate this effect of "Staff of Release" once per turn.

 

I hope to create more examples and support later on, hopefully with more fleshed out ideas and variety, and perhaps edit preexisting cards for balance.

The idea, mechanic, and texts/wording with these new Aura monsters may bring confusion to some people, or perhaps some have genuine questions about how these abilities work, in regarded to ruling, effectiveness, and so on and so forth. In order to bring this topic to the utmost highest quality, I will attempt to answer potential questions:

 

Q: Why don't you just have them become Continuous Spell Cards?

A: A good person suggested to me to have them become Aura Spell Cards, instead of unspecified Spell Cards (which was my original design), reason being so that it would be shorter and easier to write texts and effects. The reason I made Aura monsters this way is because I just wanted them to be that much more unique.

 

Q: When Aura monsters activate as Spell Cards, does that mean I must chain potential cards or effects to that action, and can I not activate them in response to your Spell Card's resolving?

A: If you want to negate or chain my Spell Card's activation in any way, then yes, you must activate cards or effects in response to my Aura monster becoming a Spell Card, and not in response to my Spell Card's resolution.

 

Q: How effective or useful would you expect these monsters to be?

A: I try my very best to make my cards balanced, effective, consistent, useful, and worthy as possible, and even more so with these monsters, which I have made with my own mind and shown in this long topic, so I would say that these monsters, at the very least, to be balanced and fair.

 

Q: What brought you to make this monster ability?

A: As stated before, I enjoyed the idea of a monster sub-type and I wanted to make one myself. Even if my monster sub-type were to fail, I would not regret ever thinking of these cards or writing this topic. So, the reason I made these was because it was an enjoyable experience.

 

That is all that I have to say. If you read all of my introduction, ideas, explanations, examples, and such, then I thank you very much for doing so. (This topic, obviously long, was written on an older computer with the constant risk of accidentally canceling everything I've written.) If you have any questions, please do ask. If you have any ideas, please do suggest. If you have any advice, please do criticize. Finally, if you have any cards of your own, then please do submit. This has been a very enjoyable process, and I hope that you just had as good of a time.

Edited February 1, 2019 by o_smily from YCM