Mind Readers! A Guide to the Psychics!
Today, I'm going to be taking a look at the Psychic-type monsters, showing their strengths and weaknesses, and will be making up a deck featuring them in all their green glory (the background of every Psychic monster is green if you check it out). Psychic-type monsters are 1 of the only types that basically are made to support each other. They are also a bit of an oxymoronic type, with some requiring huge quantities of LP to activate insane effects, while others go back and heal your LP. Trying to balance the give and take of LP effects is part of what makes Psychic-type monsters such a difficult genre to work with.
Well, let's start this off 1st by introducing you all to some of the key cards in this genre.
Armored Psychicker
If you control a face-up Psychic-Type monster, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributes. If this card destroys a monster by battle, take damage equal to half the ATK of the destroyed monster, and then you can Special Summon 1 monster from your Graveyard with an ATK lower than the damage you took.
This guy is a free normal summon of a 2200 ATK beatstick, while also allowing you to summon a monster with up to 1000 ATK depending on what he managed to destroy. This is an example of a card that is perhaps too situational to find a large amount of use in today's meta, but as an easily summoned 2200 ATK beatstick who can work well with a level 2 tuner to summon a level 8 Synchro monster, he does still have his uses and may deserve a place in the deck. Summon Krebons with Emergency Teleport and then summon this bad boy to synchro for Colossal Fighter, Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend, or Thought Ruler Archfiend.
Destructotron
If you notice, Destructotron does not say his effect is "once per turn". Therefore, if you're willing to pay up the Life Points, you can easily use this 1 card to clear your opponent's back row! Great if you're aiming for an OTK for the turn, and unlike Breaker the Magical Warrior, you can call priority for his effect when summoning this monster. Very handy if you can afford the loss of LP.
Doctor Cranium
The thing that makes this card more interesting than most searchers is the fact that he does not have any requirements on which monster you are allowed to search for other than it being a Psychic-type monster. This allows him to make your deck very versatile so you can find your healers when you need them, or your field-clearing effects as needed.
Krebons
This little fellow is 1 of the more well-known monsters in the genre due to how well he worked in the famous September ban list TeleDAD decks. Even with Emergency Teleport limited, this little guy is still very useful as a stalling tuner who also has enough ATK to deal some actual damage when needed.
Master Gig
Here's a high level monster with a field clearing effect that you'll probably find very useful. The only catch is finding a way to Special Summon him since you probably don't want to pay the 2 tributes in order to Advance Summon him. =/
Mind Master
Again, the catch here is that Mind Master's effect is not a "once per turn" effect so you can effectively, and for a fairly cheap price, load up your grave while flipping through Psychic monsters to get the effects you want, and then use him as a tuner to synchro for a lower level Synchro monster like Magical Android.
Mind Protector
This is just a solid defense who can be easily special summoned by many cards and who doesn't have a very high LP cost to keep in the land of the living. Definitely a useful monster.
Overdrive Teleporter
Now we are starting to get into the realm of absolutely awesome effects that simply require a ton of LP to use. Summon Mind Protector and Psychic Commander and sync them for Goyo Guardian. Just 1 of many possibilities this card presents, along with the simple face of, for the cost of 2000 LP, giving you a 2 card advantage. This is not a bad deal if you can afford the LP.
Psychic Commander
The 3rd Psychic tuner monster we've seen. This guy also ranks up there by basically giving your opponent a good reason not to attack your monsters. He's level 3 which means Dark Strike Fighter fodder, and most level 4 monsters still can't beat him in battle! Good stuff.
Psychic Snail
Have you been waiting for a primary beatstick? Here he is! 1900 ATK and an effect worth using if you have a high level monster on the field. This guy is an obvious pick.
Reinforced Human Psychic Borg
And here is beatstick #2! So what you're telling me, is that in a deck that can easily send monsters to the grave, all I have to do is remove from play 2 Psychic monsters in my grave to immediately have a 2500 ATK beatstick? Oh, and please notice how it's not an "until the end of the turn" effect. Keep him alive a 2nd turn, and you can watch him boost himself up to 3500 ATK!! Best of all, no LP cost! =)
Telekinetic Shocker
Okay, maybe he's not as great a beatstick as the last 2 monster we looked at, but when you get those Synchros onto the field, this guy can always be there to save them.
Magical Android
Already a popular Synchro simply due to having 2400 ATK for 5 stars, but in a Psychic deck this card is a life saver! After using up a bunch of LP, it is nice to be able to gain back an extra 1200 or 1800 LP at the end of your turn. If you can get 2 of these on the field you're regaining a minimum of 2400 LP every turn. Good stuff.
Psychic Lifetrancer
Another useful Synchro. 2400 ATK and a nearly free 1200 extra LP which you can even call priority to obtain. The healing is needed in a Psychic deck.
Thought Ruler Archfiend
Are you beginning to see a trend? Use up your LP with your regular monsters, and then use the Synchro monsters to restore your LP! Again, a useful card and its 2nd effect will make sure that it stays alive long enough to abuse the LP gains thoroughly.
Hyper Psychic Blaster
Guess what? It's another tuner who increases your LP! 3000 ATK also gives him enough firepower to swing over most cards. The only downside is that he's level 9 so you will either need a level 3 and a level 6 monster, or a level 2 and level 7 monster in order to bring him out . . . and I'm not sure I would part with Thought Ruler Archfiend just to bring this guy out. =/
Well, we've just spent some time looking at the candidates for the monster lineup. The general trend seems to be that you want to summon a bunch of monsters with very powerful effects who may use up most a good chunk of your LP, and then synchro into Synchro monsters who can help you regain at least a portion of that LP back. Now let's take a look at some of the important support cards that will be available for use in this deck!
Brain Exploitation Research Lab
Once per turn, you can Normal Summon 1 Psychic-Type monster in addition to your Normal Summon for the turn. When a Psychic-Type monster is Normal Summoned this way place 1 Psychic Counter on this card. Also, if you would pay Life Points in order to activate the effect of a Psychic-Type monster you control, you can place 1 Psychic Counter on this card instead. When this card is removed from the field, its controller takes damage equal to the number of Psychic Counters that were on it × 1000.
Remember all those complaints about having to pay LP immediately? How about if you are just low in the LP department? Not only does this card allow you to establish a stronger field presence, thus getting your Synchro monsters out more quickly, it also will save you when you are low on LP so that you can basically use those ultra powerful effects for free! Useful. Combo this with Prime Material Dragon and you've got love in the air.
Emergency Teleport
This card, along with Krebons, is part of what made TeleDAD the awesome deck that it was. Even though it is now limited, that 1 copy is a must-have, as the card is even more versatile in an a deck dedicated to Psychics.
Psychic Path
What's that you say? A free 1? You don't say? Sounds good to me. Let the free 1's come!! 800 LP is nothing for that sort of easy card advantage!
Psychokinesis
For those who thought that clearing the field was pain . . . it isn't. Pay 1000 LP to destroy any card on the field. Great for clearing before an OTK and extremely versatile way of getting rid of problem cards.
Telekinetic Charging Cell
Let me get this straight. I can equip this little trinket to Destructotron or Mind Master in order to have massive abuse of ridiculous effects? Broken much? In a world where Equip cards tend to suck beyond a reasonable doubt, this card stands out as the shining savior of all Equip cards. It is Harpie's Feather Duster. It is a summoning and graveyard filling machine. It is both abusable and reusable. Cha-Ching!
Mind Over Matter
With Solemn Judgment being unusable in a Psychic deck due to how low your LP is already going to be, this card can take its place to provide you with the necessary control over your opponent as well as being a Synchro stopper.
Psychic Overload
Eh? Yet another free 1? Why thank you very much I'd be glad to take it! Basically, its a Pot of Avarice, but it only requires 3 monsters be in the grave rather than 5. Much easier.
Psychic Trigger
Well, maybe this card is slightly situational, but chances are most of the time your LP is going to be lower than the opponent's when you're playing with Psychics. Getting rid of 2 Psychic in your graveyard isn't too terrible a price either in order to get yet another 1 card advantage. Due to being situational, it's probably not usable in 3's, but it still shouldn't be entirely ignored either.
Telepathic Power
Again, this is a slightly situational card, but it is 1 for 1 destruction that also gratefully restores some LP which is so sorely needed to help out these Psychic monster effects. Not usable in 3's, but again having a copy or 2 is probably not going to hurt you.
Now, after looking at both the monsters and their supports we can see that Psychic monsters have a tremendous number of ways to create field presence, clear the field, and create card advantage. The only trick is to not allow your LP to drop too low in the process. With that information in hand, let's make a deck.
~Your Mind is an Open Book~
Monsters(21):
1x Armored Psychicker
2x Destructotron
2x Doctor Cranium
2x Krebons
1x Master Gig
2x Mind Master
1x Mind Protector
1x Overdrive Teleporter
2x Psychic Commander
3x Psychic Snail
2x Reinforced Human Psychic Borg
1x Telekinetic Shocker
1x Prime Material Dragon
Spells(12):
1x Monster Reborn
1x Heavy Storm
2x Mind Control
2x Brain Exploitation Research Lab
1x Emergency Teleport
1x Psychic Path
2x Psychokinesis
2x Telekinetic Charging Cell
Traps(7):
3x Mind Over Matter
1x Psychic Overload
1x Psychic Trigger
2x Telepathic Power
Extra(15):
2x Magical Android
1x Psychic Lifetrancer
2x Thought Ruler Archfiend
1x Hyper Psychic Blaster
2x Stardust Dragon
2x Colossal Fighter
1x Red Dragon Archfiend
2x Dark Strike Fighter
1x Goyo Guardian
1x Black Rose Dragon
Side(15):
2x Prohibition
3x Threatening Roar
2x Light-Imprisoning Mirror
2x Royal Oppression
2x Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror
1x Prime Material Dragon
3x Pulling the Rug[/color]
Aside from the cards already discussed in the deck, 1 extra card that I've added here is Prime Material Dragon. Note that Prime Material Dragon doesn't work when you pay LP as a cost, but for cards like Brain Exploitation Lab and Psychokinesis you can actually end up gaining quite a bit of LP while getting to use awesome effects. This, along with the fact that he adds some much needed control to the deck makes him a good choice. Fool around with having more than 1 copy of him in the main deck, although I placed an extra copy in the side deck for any occassion where you feel your LP may be in more of a pinch than normal. The Extra deck is has fairly standard monsters in it, including the few special Psychic Synchro monsters that will help you gain back all the LP you're probably going to lose. The side deck is less focused on making a theme change and more focused on simply protecting yourself against some of the meta decks snooping around right now.
I hope you enjoyed this article, and remember to give your input in the stickied thread for more articles you'd like to see from me! ^_^
Last edited by nekofjung on Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
Today, I'm going to be taking a look at the Psychic-type monsters, showing their strengths and weaknesses, and will be making up a deck featuring them in all their green glory (the background of every Psychic monster is green if you check it out). Psychic-type monsters are 1 of the only types that basically are made to support each other. They are also a bit of an oxymoronic type, with some requiring huge quantities of LP to activate insane effects, while others go back and heal your LP. Trying to balance the give and take of LP effects is part of what makes Psychic-type monsters such a difficult genre to work with.
Well, let's start this off 1st by introducing you all to some of the key cards in this genre.
Armored Psychicker
If you control a face-up Psychic-Type monster, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributes. If this card destroys a monster by battle, take damage equal to half the ATK of the destroyed monster, and then you can Special Summon 1 monster from your Graveyard with an ATK lower than the damage you took.
This guy is a free normal summon of a 2200 ATK beatstick, while also allowing you to summon a monster with up to 1000 ATK depending on what he managed to destroy. This is an example of a card that is perhaps too situational to find a large amount of use in today's meta, but as an easily summoned 2200 ATK beatstick who can work well with a level 2 tuner to summon a level 8 Synchro monster, he does still have his uses and may deserve a place in the deck. Summon Krebons with Emergency Teleport and then summon this bad boy to synchro for Colossal Fighter, Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend, or Thought Ruler Archfiend.
Destructotron
If you notice, Destructotron does not say his effect is "once per turn". Therefore, if you're willing to pay up the Life Points, you can easily use this 1 card to clear your opponent's back row! Great if you're aiming for an OTK for the turn, and unlike Breaker the Magical Warrior, you can call priority for his effect when summoning this monster. Very handy if you can afford the loss of LP.
Doctor Cranium
The thing that makes this card more interesting than most searchers is the fact that he does not have any requirements on which monster you are allowed to search for other than it being a Psychic-type monster. This allows him to make your deck very versatile so you can find your healers when you need them, or your field-clearing effects as needed.
Krebons
This little fellow is 1 of the more well-known monsters in the genre due to how well he worked in the famous September ban list TeleDAD decks. Even with Emergency Teleport limited, this little guy is still very useful as a stalling tuner who also has enough ATK to deal some actual damage when needed.
Master Gig
Here's a high level monster with a field clearing effect that you'll probably find very useful. The only catch is finding a way to Special Summon him since you probably don't want to pay the 2 tributes in order to Advance Summon him. =/
Mind Master
Again, the catch here is that Mind Master's effect is not a "once per turn" effect so you can effectively, and for a fairly cheap price, load up your grave while flipping through Psychic monsters to get the effects you want, and then use him as a tuner to synchro for a lower level Synchro monster like Magical Android.
Mind Protector
This is just a solid defense who can be easily special summoned by many cards and who doesn't have a very high LP cost to keep in the land of the living. Definitely a useful monster.
Overdrive Teleporter
Now we are starting to get into the realm of absolutely awesome effects that simply require a ton of LP to use. Summon Mind Protector and Psychic Commander and sync them for Goyo Guardian. Just 1 of many possibilities this card presents, along with the simple face of, for the cost of 2000 LP, giving you a 2 card advantage. This is not a bad deal if you can afford the LP.
Psychic Commander
The 3rd Psychic tuner monster we've seen. This guy also ranks up there by basically giving your opponent a good reason not to attack your monsters. He's level 3 which means Dark Strike Fighter fodder, and most level 4 monsters still can't beat him in battle! Good stuff.
Psychic Snail
Have you been waiting for a primary beatstick? Here he is! 1900 ATK and an effect worth using if you have a high level monster on the field. This guy is an obvious pick.
Reinforced Human Psychic Borg
And here is beatstick #2! So what you're telling me, is that in a deck that can easily send monsters to the grave, all I have to do is remove from play 2 Psychic monsters in my grave to immediately have a 2500 ATK beatstick? Oh, and please notice how it's not an "until the end of the turn" effect. Keep him alive a 2nd turn, and you can watch him boost himself up to 3500 ATK!! Best of all, no LP cost! =)
Telekinetic Shocker
Okay, maybe he's not as great a beatstick as the last 2 monster we looked at, but when you get those Synchros onto the field, this guy can always be there to save them.
Magical Android
Already a popular Synchro simply due to having 2400 ATK for 5 stars, but in a Psychic deck this card is a life saver! After using up a bunch of LP, it is nice to be able to gain back an extra 1200 or 1800 LP at the end of your turn. If you can get 2 of these on the field you're regaining a minimum of 2400 LP every turn. Good stuff.
Psychic Lifetrancer
Another useful Synchro. 2400 ATK and a nearly free 1200 extra LP which you can even call priority to obtain. The healing is needed in a Psychic deck.
Thought Ruler Archfiend
Are you beginning to see a trend? Use up your LP with your regular monsters, and then use the Synchro monsters to restore your LP! Again, a useful card and its 2nd effect will make sure that it stays alive long enough to abuse the LP gains thoroughly.
Hyper Psychic Blaster
Guess what? It's another tuner who increases your LP! 3000 ATK also gives him enough firepower to swing over most cards. The only downside is that he's level 9 so you will either need a level 3 and a level 6 monster, or a level 2 and level 7 monster in order to bring him out . . . and I'm not sure I would part with Thought Ruler Archfiend just to bring this guy out. =/
Well, we've just spent some time looking at the candidates for the monster lineup. The general trend seems to be that you want to summon a bunch of monsters with very powerful effects who may use up most a good chunk of your LP, and then synchro into Synchro monsters who can help you regain at least a portion of that LP back. Now let's take a look at some of the important support cards that will be available for use in this deck!
Brain Exploitation Research Lab
Once per turn, you can Normal Summon 1 Psychic-Type monster in addition to your Normal Summon for the turn. When a Psychic-Type monster is Normal Summoned this way place 1 Psychic Counter on this card. Also, if you would pay Life Points in order to activate the effect of a Psychic-Type monster you control, you can place 1 Psychic Counter on this card instead. When this card is removed from the field, its controller takes damage equal to the number of Psychic Counters that were on it × 1000.
Remember all those complaints about having to pay LP immediately? How about if you are just low in the LP department? Not only does this card allow you to establish a stronger field presence, thus getting your Synchro monsters out more quickly, it also will save you when you are low on LP so that you can basically use those ultra powerful effects for free! Useful. Combo this with Prime Material Dragon and you've got love in the air.
Emergency Teleport
This card, along with Krebons, is part of what made TeleDAD the awesome deck that it was. Even though it is now limited, that 1 copy is a must-have, as the card is even more versatile in an a deck dedicated to Psychics.
Psychic Path
What's that you say? A free 1? You don't say? Sounds good to me. Let the free 1's come!! 800 LP is nothing for that sort of easy card advantage!
Psychokinesis
For those who thought that clearing the field was pain . . . it isn't. Pay 1000 LP to destroy any card on the field. Great for clearing before an OTK and extremely versatile way of getting rid of problem cards.
Telekinetic Charging Cell
Let me get this straight. I can equip this little trinket to Destructotron or Mind Master in order to have massive abuse of ridiculous effects? Broken much? In a world where Equip cards tend to suck beyond a reasonable doubt, this card stands out as the shining savior of all Equip cards. It is Harpie's Feather Duster. It is a summoning and graveyard filling machine. It is both abusable and reusable. Cha-Ching!
Mind Over Matter
With Solemn Judgment being unusable in a Psychic deck due to how low your LP is already going to be, this card can take its place to provide you with the necessary control over your opponent as well as being a Synchro stopper.
Psychic Overload
Eh? Yet another free 1? Why thank you very much I'd be glad to take it! Basically, its a Pot of Avarice, but it only requires 3 monsters be in the grave rather than 5. Much easier.
Psychic Trigger
Well, maybe this card is slightly situational, but chances are most of the time your LP is going to be lower than the opponent's when you're playing with Psychics. Getting rid of 2 Psychic in your graveyard isn't too terrible a price either in order to get yet another 1 card advantage. Due to being situational, it's probably not usable in 3's, but it still shouldn't be entirely ignored either.
Telepathic Power
Again, this is a slightly situational card, but it is 1 for 1 destruction that also gratefully restores some LP which is so sorely needed to help out these Psychic monster effects. Not usable in 3's, but again having a copy or 2 is probably not going to hurt you.
Now, after looking at both the monsters and their supports we can see that Psychic monsters have a tremendous number of ways to create field presence, clear the field, and create card advantage. The only trick is to not allow your LP to drop too low in the process. With that information in hand, let's make a deck.
~Your Mind is an Open Book~
Monsters(21):
1x Armored Psychicker
2x Destructotron
2x Doctor Cranium
2x Krebons
1x Master Gig
2x Mind Master
1x Mind Protector
1x Overdrive Teleporter
2x Psychic Commander
3x Psychic Snail
2x Reinforced Human Psychic Borg
1x Telekinetic Shocker
1x Prime Material Dragon
Spells(12):
1x Monster Reborn
1x Heavy Storm
2x Mind Control
2x Brain Exploitation Research Lab
1x Emergency Teleport
1x Psychic Path
2x Psychokinesis
2x Telekinetic Charging Cell
Traps(7):
3x Mind Over Matter
1x Psychic Overload
1x Psychic Trigger
2x Telepathic Power
Extra(15):
2x Magical Android
1x Psychic Lifetrancer
2x Thought Ruler Archfiend
1x Hyper Psychic Blaster
2x Stardust Dragon
2x Colossal Fighter
1x Red Dragon Archfiend
2x Dark Strike Fighter
1x Goyo Guardian
1x Black Rose Dragon
Side(15):
2x Prohibition
3x Threatening Roar
2x Light-Imprisoning Mirror
2x Royal Oppression
2x Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror
1x Prime Material Dragon
3x Pulling the Rug[/color]
Aside from the cards already discussed in the deck, 1 extra card that I've added here is Prime Material Dragon. Note that Prime Material Dragon doesn't work when you pay LP as a cost, but for cards like Brain Exploitation Lab and Psychokinesis you can actually end up gaining quite a bit of LP while getting to use awesome effects. This, along with the fact that he adds some much needed control to the deck makes him a good choice. Fool around with having more than 1 copy of him in the main deck, although I placed an extra copy in the side deck for any occassion where you feel your LP may be in more of a pinch than normal. The Extra deck is has fairly standard monsters in it, including the few special Psychic Synchro monsters that will help you gain back all the LP you're probably going to lose. The side deck is less focused on making a theme change and more focused on simply protecting yourself against some of the meta decks snooping around right now.
I hope you enjoyed this article, and remember to give your input in the stickied thread for more articles you'd like to see from me! ^_^
Last edited by nekofjung on Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
