New TCG Mechanic: Excavate

I read the news today, oh boy. https://yugiohblog.konami.com/articles/?p=5738
Specifically:

Quote :

Plants get another “Princess” monster, Chirubimé, Princess of Autumn Leaves. But the big boost for Plants comes from the New “Sylvan” monster theme. Sylvans will also pioneer a new game term: Excavate. You’ll start seeing “excavate” used on cards beginning with War of the Giants: Round 2, but this new mechanic really takes off with the Sylvan monsters in Legacy of the Valiant.

So looks like they're making up a new official term, just like how they did with "banish" and "piercing". The fact that they're starting this on Battle Pack Round 2, which is a reprint set, makes me think they're going to start errata'ing cards all over again. When will you ever quit, TCG?

What do you all think this term could possibly mean?

When I here the term 'Excavate' and think of dueling, the first thing that comes to my mind is searching the deck, like the effects of Familiar-Possessed Dharc, Gishki Ariel/Shadow/Vision, ect.

That may have something to do with it, but considering over half the cards in the game nowadays require you to search your deck, I'm thinking it may be a bit more specific.

I looked at the plant monsters in question, and they seem to share an effect with revealing cards off the top of your deck and sending some to the graveyard. Don't really see how that can be worded any easier, but maybe there's something I'm missing?

Hm... then maybe it's more like Big Eye's effect 'look at the top five cards of your deck and put them back in any order'
You check ahead in your deck and place them in an order that suits you.

Hippocampus wrote:

What do you all think this term could possibly mean?

I'm guessing it probably has something to do with revealing card(s) on top of the deck. Sylvan monsters, Magical Merchant, Morphing Jar #2, probably could fall into this category.

Hippocampus wrote:

I looked at the plant monsters in question, and they seem to share an effect with revealing cards off the top of your deck and sending some to the graveyard. Don't really see how that can be worded any easier, but maybe there's something I'm missing?

I actually see some people in DN misplayed Sylvan due to confusion of their effect. They use LS monsters to mill the Sylvan to activate their effect, whereas LS monsters actually won't trigger any of Sylvan's effect because they directly send them to grave, whereas Sylvans need to be "revealed" before they sent to grave.

Eria wrote:

I actually see some people in DN misplayed Sylvan due to confusion of their effect. They use LS monsters to mill the Sylvan to activate their effect, whereas LS monsters actually won't trigger any of Sylvan's effect because they directly send them to grave, whereas Sylvans need to be "revealed" before they sent to grave.

Ooh, that is a good point. I can see how some noobs get that mixed up lol

On a semi-related note, you've actually played against this new deck, Eria? How does it run?

Hippocampus wrote:

On a semi-related note, you've actually played against this new deck, Eria? How does it run?

I tried the deck myself, and the deck actually fun to use, but need some skill. Basically you should know what Sylvan you want to stack on top of the deck using Sylvan's card effect, and then mill it to grave via another Sylvan card's effect. The field spell card allow you to search a Sylvan and put it on top of the deck, and summoning a Sylvan will send the stacked card to grave and activate their effect.

Example, there's Lonefire in your grave. You can use the Sylvan's field to stack Sylvan Peaskeeper on top of your deck, then summon any random Sylvan from your hand to send Peaskeeper to grave. This will activate Peaskeeper's effect (summon Lv 4 or lower Plant - Lonefire from grave). Then you use Lonefire to summon Sylvan Spiritree Regia to start getting plus.

You can also destroy a card on your opponent's field by stacking Sylvan's Leaflow (destroys a monster) or Sylvan Stoolhouette (destroys a s/t). The deck itself has so many options on what action you should take that can either cost you the game or win you the game. But, if you get a godhand, like Lonefire, One for One (to summon Spore), Dandylion, then you can pretty much do things like generic plant stuff, like summoning Shooting Star with ease.

Deck pretty much revolving around stacking card, reveal it, send them to grave. Probably this kind of new gameplay that makes Konami decides to make term Excavate.

I have the video uploaded on Youtube on how the deck plays, but the deck is kinda outdated now:

Spoiler:

Eria plays YGO?

I kinda figured you just paid attention to the art and terminology and such, and not the actual game mechanics. Due to the fact that you never seem to post much regarding the actual game itself.

ΛΔ wrote:

Eria plays YGO?

I kinda figured you just paid attention to the art and terminology and such, and not the actual game mechanics. Due to the fact that you never seem to post much regarding the actual game itself.

LOL you obviously haven't read the first DN Tournament thread... Eria actually was the first dueling champion on this forum!

Anyway, awesome video, Eria. That deck does look pretty fun. I wish Lonefire was at 3 again

As for the excavate term, that does make sense. Right now I'm trying to think of any cards that could use this term in the battle pack, and the only thing I can think of as a possibility are Duality and Reasoning. Magical Merchant does need a reprint, but it's probably not going to be in there unfortunately.

forum search system is awful so that gives me zero reason to want to look back at forum history anything

no offense

ΛΔ wrote:

Eria plays YGO?

I kinda figured you just paid attention to the art and terminology and such, and not the actual game mechanics. Due to the fact that you never seem to post much regarding the actual game itself.

I don't play YGO as much as in the past and now I'm more interested about those things you mentioned above. Glad you paid attention to my posts. It's true that I almost never post about the YGO gameplay nowadays.   

Hippocampus wrote:

Anyway, awesome video, Eria. That deck does look pretty fun. I wish Lonefire was at 3 again

As for the excavate term, that does make sense. Right now I'm trying to think of any cards that could use this term in the battle pack, and the only thing I can think of as a possibility are Duality and Reasoning. Magical Merchant does need a reprint, but it's probably not going to be in there unfortunately.

As much as I also wish Lonefire to 3, the existence of Dandylion and Spore probably won't make it happen. Dandylion and Spore both are cheap Synchro engine, if they're non existant I personally think 3 Lonefire is fine.
Something like:
- One for One discard Dandy, summon Spore
- Summon 2 tokens, Spore synchro with token, summon Formula Synchron, draw 1.
- Normal Summon Lv 4 from hand, banish Dandy, summon Spore from grave (Lv4)
- Synchro Lv 4 with Spore, summon Stardust.
- Synchro Stardust with Formula Synchron, summon Shooting Star Dragon.
More Lonefire and Shooting Star will appear even more easily in a duel due to its ability to search the key cards (Dandy & Spore). And this example is when you don't have any set up on field and grave, meaning if you already have some set up like some monsters on field, or Spore in grave, it'll be easier to pull even without the limited card One for One.

ΛΔ wrote:

forum search system is awful so that gives me zero reason to want to look back at forum history anything

no offense

Yes, unfortunately this is true. Currently there's no way to make the search system any easier. Its just doesn't want to show all thread/posts with corresponded keywords there.

http://ygorganization.com/tcg-legacy-of-the-valiant-sneak-preview-promo/#more-3138

Eria was right Eria was right Eria was right

ΛΔ wrote:

http://ygorganization.com/tcg-legacy-of-the-valiant-sneak-preview-promo/#more-3138

Eria was right Eria was right Eria was right

....Aaaaaaand there it is. So basically, from my understanding, "excavate" means to just reveal from the top of the deck and have the card(s) go into limbo. Again, sounds silly and nitpicky, but it does make sense I guess.

That being said, expect Painful Choice reprint XD

Quote :

Excavate 5 cards from your Deck. Your opponent targets 1 of the excavated cards; add that target to your hand and discard the other cards.

https://yugiohblog.konami.com/articles/?p=5771

rulebook changes with exact info on "Excavate"

Eria was right