Make My Monster Grow! #1: Staying in Character

WELCOME! To the first issue of Make My Monster Grow!  We're going to discuss different elements of the game, decklists, and ideas we've pulled together here at the Command Center.  Stay tuned, as I will begin to release this regularly!


Staying in Character
-Richard Manzo


    As long as I've played card games, I've loved decks that have a specific storyline element or theme they keep to. With Naruto, I loved the Akatsuki decks. The feeling of using the coolest villains from Naruto to fight against some of the most used heroes was incredible!.  Unfortunately, themes never work out as well as they should though, and usually get defeated by decks that have less of a theme, and more of a “goal” in mind. I feel like this idea can be applied, to the Power Rangers ACG.

    My favorite Ranger series of all time, and I'm sure many other users', is the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.  Playing a strictly Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger deck leaves a lot to be desired, though. You can get your hands on the San Diego Comic Con Promos and set your deck up with a lot of juicy Ultra Rares from Rise of Heroes, but the deck still just feels like it doesn't quite get there. It loses quickly to Samurai and Villain decks, and its endgame in the form of the Dino Megazord is lackluster. Having a big training area for a big swing of damage is rare, and the Training Area of a well-set-up Mighty Morphin' deck is around five at the best. How did I fix this problem? I added in some flavor. It's no longer a Mighty Morphin' deck, it's an Ally deck now. And that's the trick! Keeping to a rigid theme makes it much more difficult to be successful with, versus a deck utilizing a particular game element, such as Ally.

Here's the decklist:

0-Cost
[3]-Red Lightspeed Rescue Ranger
[2]-Yellow Lightspeed Rescue Ranger
[3]-Green Lightspeed Rescue Ranger
[2]-Pink Lightspeed Rescue Ranger
[3]-Red RPM Ranger

1-Cost
[3]-Green Mighty Morphin' Ranger
[2]-Yellow Mighty Morphin' Ranger
[2]-Black Mighty Morphin' Ranger
[1]-Green Mighty Morphin' Ranger

2-Cost
[3]-White Mighty Morphin' Ranger

5-Cost
[3]-Dino Megazord

7-Cost
[3]-Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers


    So as you can see, there's a bulk of Mighty Morphin' cards with Lightspeed Rescue to support them. Then there's that random RPM guy hanging out in there. This deck shows you can enjoy your favorite characters, but you have to make sacrifices. I sacrificed the entire 0-cost Mighty Morphin' lineup for some awesome combos! Using the effects of the 1-Cost Mighty Morphin' Rangers to put the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers into your Training Area, then on the following turn Lightspeed Rescue'ing that team into the battle is game-breaking! You can even use that random RPM guy to put the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers back into your Training Area to do it again! The deck consistently does what it needs to do. You never have to pay the cost for the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, as they only are in the deck to be grabbed back by the 1-Cost Rangers, so you're hand doesn't suffer from that 7-Cost they have.  And IF they even happen to lose, they give your hand a 6 card boost!

    This is just one of the many examples I could provide to make your deck a little more consistent! Consistency is key in card games, and it has always held true in all the ones I have played. You should always enjoy the deck you're playing no matter what, but if you're getting sick of your deck not working, or its not doing what you want it to, maybe you should revisit your theme. Is it worth it to run all those 0-Cost Mighty Morphin' cards cause they look cool? Or can I make some stronger, more damaging plays by adding in those Lightspeed Rescue Rangers?

Lightspeed it is.


Till next time!
-Richard