The Gadgets support the numerous concepts that this column has discussed. Reading Jason Grabher-Meyer’s excellent article on the new Structure Deck inspired me to write something about everybody’s favorite set of monsters as well.
The Gadgets have achieved incredible success in the Japanese metagame, and are the most hotly anticipated cards and archetype in the history of the game. The reasons for this are quite simple. Like it or not, the average Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG player is into winning. Any time an established, winning strategy is introduced, it tends to be adopted quite readily. Gadgets are unquestionably among the best of the different, varied archetypes available to the savvy deckbuilder. Let’s assess their powers and discuss some optimal strategies for exploiting the group’s advantages.
Gadget Strength One: Card Advantage
Different articles written by Metagame.com writers have assessed the floater mechanic in different ways. Sure, we may refer to the idea of a “free” monster in different ways, but the general consensus is that such monsters are incredibly powerful. Any monster that has flipped for a card (such as Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive), or replaced itself when destroyed (such as Sangan or Treeborn Frog) is very costly for the opponent to get rid of. Once the monster has replaced itself, any card used to remove the monster puts the opponent at a disadvantage.
The Gadgets are the perfect example of a self-replacing monster. In fact, the extremely powerful and potent nature of their effects suggests a sharp experiment by the designers. I can imagine a designer in the lab wondering, “Does a monster replacing itself in its owner’s hand counterbalance weak ATK and DEF and a lack of field control?” The answer is a resounding yes.
Imagine this scenario: you have a face-down Dekoichi, while your opponent has a Sakuretsu Armor. One versus one right? What happens if you flip Dekoichi with both of you at 8000 life points? In this case, your opponent might be willing to take 1400 damage a turn until he or she can draw a monster to sweep Dekoichi off the field. Otherwise, the threat of losing a card in a simplified game state is too much to bear.
The Gadgets exploit that attitude through their effect. Upon summoning one, you add another from your deck to your hand. This essentially makes the one on the field free, at least in terms of cards expended (since you’ve already replaced it with one in hand). The problem for the opponent is that you can then summon the next one for another free monster, and so on.
Of course their relatively weak ATK and DEF make them difficult to support on the field. Monsters that put special summons onto the field (like Cyber Dragon, Gravekeeper’s Spy, and Hydrogeddon) can cause trouble for the Gadget player. So let’s analyze the second part of the equation that makes Gadgets so powerful.
Gadget Strength Two: Forcing Simplification
The 5th Gadget build that Jason references actually operates on a key principle. It packs multiple copies of card-for-card trades (such as Solemn Judgment, Smashing Ground, and Sakuretsu Armor) to simplify the game state. For every such trade you make, you further amplify the advantage that the Gadgets create! After all, a swarm of low ATK monsters is far more powerful against a top-decking opponent (with no cards on the field) than one who has a stable set-up with a few solid monsters and a few spell or trap cards for defense.
The best type of Gadget decks seem to be those that run multiple copies of cards that simplify the game. You can see examples of this build in the Shonen Jump Orlando coverage, where both Chris Evans and John Brewer opted to add copies of cards previously regarded as “substandard,” such as Fissure and Hammer Shot. Also, take a look at some of their monster choices. Cards like Snipe Hunter, Chiron the Mage, and Exiled Force are also intended for use in simplifying the game state. All of these monsters provide stable trades that convert the excess Gadgets you may have in hand to field control.
Analyzing the Impact of Gadgets on the Environment
To be honest, Gadgets are a deck type that can jump all over the unprepared opponent. When you start using three to four cards in hand to reduce your opponent’s presence, then start summoning self-replacing monsters each turn (which can push for damage), it becomes very difficult to mount any sort of counter-offensive. Let’s do some theorizing for a bit on different matchups.
There are a few weaknesses to the Gadget archetype. The first is actually tied to the key concept of forced simplification. The deck struggles against self-replacing monsters that your opponents control! Monsters such as a flipped Dekoichi, a Breaker the Magical Warrior that has used its counter, a summoned Hydrogeddon or Gravekeeper’s Spy, or even a Monarch that was tributed for something like Sangan or Treeborn Frog, is very difficult for the Gadget player to deal with. Since his or her only source of monster removal is a trade through a defensive trap or spell card, that player will lose out when having to make that trade. The swarm of Gadget monsters hates to see an opponent’s solid field set-up, since the lower ATK totals for the Gadget monsters will then lead to problems pushing through damage.
Other strategies that involve putting special summons or floaters on the field work as well. Using D.D. Survivor in conjunction with Dimensional Fissure to essentially nullify the oodles of monster removal in the Gadget deck is a great idea. While it did not work out too well at Shonen Jump Orlando, the concept is sound. As the field develops and more players turn to better crafted Gadget builds, we’ll see more counter-tech like this emerge.
Remember that Gadgets like pushing across open fields. The Gadget strategy makes it almost necessary to push into any face-down monster the opponent may have to try to force simplification. When I have a few Gadgets in hand and see a face-down monster, I’m certainly not going to set one! I’ll summon and then attack. Imagine the fun of pushing straight into a Legendary Jujitsu Master or Gravekeeper’s Spy! Just one of those errant attacks alone can swing the whole matchup!
In light of all that, an interesting split of sorts has developed. The skilled Gadget player will seek to construct a deck that forces simplification at every angle. Numerous pieces of monster removal, spell or trap removal, and easy search opportunities that lead to one-for-one trades, will be explored. Countering that are the strategies of solid deckbuilders that seek to stop the Machine flow. You’ll need to put solid monsters in your deck that can be special summoned and are a pain to remove. Monsters like Hydrogeddon, backed up by spell or trap removal, are incredibly difficult for the Gadget player to deal with.
Watch for your metagame to develop the ways to counter this new beast. If you’re going to be playing the Gadget deck, remember that forced simplification is the key to success.