Monday 12 September 2016

Intro to Kozmo Part 1

Hello Dam Son here and giving another 'Intro To' Article. This time featuring Kozmos, the infamous deck dominating the TCG format. Kozmo was a TCG exclusive archetype, similar to Kaiju which comprises of LIGHT/DARK Psychic Type 'Humans/Pilots' and LIGHT/DARK Machine Type 'Space Ships'.

The Psychic Type Kozmos have a Quick Effect to banish themselves to special summon any Kozmo from the hand with a higher level, while the Machine Type Kozmos have the ability to banish themselves upon destruction to special summon or add to hand any Kozmo monster from the deck with a lower level. This effect is normally called "tagging out".

I will now go through the effects of the Kozmos cards but do note that I will only go through their unique effects. (Not the effects that they all share, like the 'Tagging out' effect stated above). Here is a little disclaimer, I'm new to Kozmo and have only recently checked up on the archetype. As always, comment if I have missed anything and bear with my inexperience with Kozmo. This effect is normally called "floating into".

Kozmo Pilot/Human

Kozmo Tincan

During the End Phase, Tincan can reveal 3 different Kozmo card from the deck and your opponent selects 1 randomly for your deck while the rest are sent to the graveyard at a cost of 500 LP.

Tincan is a very solid (geddit? solid tin?) card as it allows you to add cards like Dark Destroyer and the other Space Ships to your hand for you to special summon during your opponent's turn. The milling also sets up for future plays.


Kozmo Strawman

Once per turn you can pay 500 LP to special summon 1 banished Kozmo monster. That monster's effect is negated and is destroyed during the end phase.

Good late game card and is used for a combo with Dark Destroyer. Summon any SpaceShip card and it will be destroyed during the End Phase and that will trigger its effect.

We always joke that this card resembles GeoTheBacon since he is too, tall and skinny.


Kozmo Scaredy Lion
Once per turn you can pay 500 LP to return up to 3 Kozmo from the banish zone to the graveyard and burn 500 LP to your opponent your each card returned.

Hmm the Barbar (of Burning Abyss) of Kozmos. You would normally OTK your opponent and returning your banished cards severely hurts the deck as you already have Strawman and Kozmotown for retrieval. In my opinion? Not worth a slot now. Perhaps in the future, when Kozmos get hit by the list. (Dark Destroyer to 1 anyone?)



Kozmo Farmgirl

When this card inflicts Damage to your opponent, Pay 500 LP to add any Kozmo card from your deck to your hand.

Hey there Dorothy. Farmgirl can add any Kozmo card including Kozmotown but its low ATK hurts but Farmgirl is necessary for combos and OTK plays. The searched card can always be special summoned in the same battle phase it was searched, for another attack. Making Farmgirl the optimum choice if your opponent is vulnerable to a direct attack. I personally don't think you need to run three in the deck, but do at least reserve a slot in the Main Deck for one.


Kozmo Soartroopers

Once per turn you can pay 1000 LP to special summon 1 Kozmo monster from the graveyard.

Soartroopers is the card that allows Kozmo to summon Cyber Dragon Infinity through Rank 3 Xyz plays to Leviair. More info on the combo will be shown in the next Part.



Kozmo Goodwitch

Once per turn you can pay 500 LP to flip an opponent's monster to face down defense mode.

Goodwitch is can be played to remove floodgate threats or bait out cards like an opposing Cyber Dragon Infinity. It is the key card that lets you escape monsters like Kycoo, the Ghost Destroyer or Chaos Hunter, both of which could stop you from extending your field setup or plays.


Kozmo Wickedwitch

Once per turn, during either player's turn, you can pay 1000 LP to give this card invulnerability from destruction.

I personally find this is a bad card, but I will admit its utility in stalling the game, allowing the Kozmo player to draw into combo pieces. Alongside Vanity's Emptiness, in the absence of spell/trap removal, it will be quite hard for your opponent to get rid of Vanity's Emptiness.

And boy does she have a scary looking artwork. Just look at her eyes....


Kozmo Dark Lady

Once per turn, during either player's turn, you can pay 1000 LP to negate and destroy a monster's effect.

Wow. Just wow and walking Solemn Strike, but of course, you can't negate a summon like Strike does. Imagine this card paired with Cyber Dragon Infinity. But who needs Infinity now? Metalfoes are even teching in this card for the negating ability.


Kozmo Space Ship

Kozmo Delta Shuttle

Once per turn you can mill a Kozmo card to decrease a monster's ATK by the milled monster's level times 100.

Delta Shuttle is used to mill you Strawman to perform the Kozmo Infinity Combo. Delta Shuttle is also used as a material, as it is a level 5 Machine, for an xyz summon of Cyber Dragon Nova and into Infnity.


Kozmo Sliprider

When summoned, you can destroy a Spell/Trap card on the field.

Sliprider is used to remove backrow threats, destroy pendulum scales and to pop Fire King's Island. (For combo purposes) Sliprider is also another level 5 Machine which is used for Cyber Dragon Nova's summon. It will also be your non-spell backrow removal, which can destroy cards like Imperial Iron Wall. (If it is summoned via Reasoning). It's Level 5 status also makes it bypass Grave of the Super Ancient Organism, making that floodgate threat diminishing in usefulness against the Kozmo archetype.


Kozmo DOG Fighter

Once per turn during the standby phase, you can summon a DOG Fighter Token (Level 6 2000 ATK/2400 DEF)

DOG Fighter is a very slow card as you have to wait till the standby phase for its effect. But you never know, token decks might be meta someday. If that someday is light years away...


Kozmo Landwalker

When a Kozmo card were to be destroyed, you can substitute it's destruction with another Kozmo monster.

Landwalker made it sound like Kozmo being destroyed is a bad thing. Which it isn't. You really want your Kozmo to get destroyed. So my opinion: useless, just useless.


Kozmo Forerunner

Cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effect. During the standby phase, gain 1000 LP.

While the LP gaining effect is essential but slow, it is compensated by its Hex-Proof effect. Its ATK stat is also the one of the best among the large planes, but losing to the boss monster - Dark Destroyer. Also, look at SlipRider just passing by in the artwork. (#Trivia!)



Kozmo Dark Destroyer

When summoned, you can destroy a monster on the field. Dark Destroyer cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effect.

Dark Destroyer is a massive threat to your opponent. Having 3000 ATK with hex-proof and the ability to pop a monster during your opponent's turn. Dark Destroyer also can pop himself to activate his destruction ability for combo plays.


Kozmo Dark Eclipser

Cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effect. When a trap card is activated, you can banish a Kozmo monster in your graveyard to negate and destroy it.

Dark Eclipser is bad as most traps used in this Meta is counter traps and Dark Eclipser is too slow to negate it. Also, it is unable to float into another monster, to keep your field advantage intact. Eclipser elicits a 'add to hand' instead of a special summon, upon being destroyed.


Kozmo Dark Planet

Dark Planet can only be special summoned from your hand by banishing Kozmo monsters from your hand whose level equals to 10 or more. Cannot be targeted by your opponent card effects. During either players's turn you can banish a Kozmo monster from the graveyard to negate and destroy a spell card.

Dark Planet is not played due to its steep summoning cost although its spell negation ability is unparalleled, not being limited to a 'Once per turn' clause.

Kozmo Spell/Traps


Kozmotown

Once per turn you can add 1 banished Kozmo monster to your hand. If you do, you lose 100 LP times the level of the monster.
Once per turn you can reveal and shuffle any number of Kozmo monsters into the deck and draw the same amount.
If this card on the field is destroyed, you can add 1 Kozmo card from your deck to your hand.

Kozmotown has a Salvage effect for banished cards, Magical Mallet effect and a searcher upon destruction. Kozmo Sliprider can also help for the destruction of Kozmotown. I don't see why you will not max out on Kozmotown.
Do note that placing Kozmotown to destroy Kozmotown via game mechanic will not spark a search effect. Kozmotown can only search upon destruction via card effects.


Kozmo Lightsword

Equip only to a Psychic Kozmo. It gains 500 ATK and DEF and can attack 2 monsters per Battle Phase. That monster also deals piercing damage. When Lightsword is sent to the graveyard, you can pay 800 LP to add it back to your hand.

A very bad card as it can only be used on the Psychic Pilots. Since you can only attack 2 monsters and not twice, it does not contribute to the deck's OTK potential.


Kozmojo
Target 1 Kozmo you control, destroyed it and if you do banish one card in your opponent's field or graveyard.

Kozmojo is an efficient removal card that works wonders against the Meta due to graveyard/field reliant cards like ABC-Dragon Buster and Blue-Eyes. It also doesn't target, making Kirin a more manageable threat for the archetype.


Kozmourning
Monster's destroyed by battle by your Kozmo monsters are shuffles to the deck instead. You can banish this card from your graveyard and for the next battle damage you receive, you will gain LP equal to that damage instead.
Kozmourning at the moment does not do much due to Kozmo's OTK nature. However Kozmourning do help against decks with floaters and stop Metalfoe Counter from activating. At the moment, I see no viable use in this fast-paced format.

Trivia: Card artwork seems to suggest that Farmgirl is related to Darklady, similar to how Luke Skywalker is to the defeated Darth Vader



Conclusion

Kozmo being recently released in the OCG heavily changes the game's metagame due to its success in the TCG format. No doubt it will create waves in the OCG.

However decks like Blue-Eyes may start playing Koa'ki Meiru Drago combat the threat of Kozmo, proving that Kozmo isn't really overpowered.

  Once again I am Dam Son, do stay tuned for the next episode featuring combos with the Kozmo Archetype.



























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