Synchron Extreme Structure Deck: A Review

The Synchron Extreme Structure Deck is released in the TCG on 28th October 2015, focussing on Synchro Summoning and bringing a total of ten brand-new cards, along with several important reprints! This article will discuss the most notable cards in the set, the new cards, and how well it can play out of the box.

New Cards

When we examine the contents of the deck, it is worth having a look at the brand new ‘Ace’ card! Stardust Warrior is a level 10 Synchro which needs to be formed using a Tuner Synchro monster and a non-Tuner Synchro monster. This would often be a hefty cost, but as Synchron decks usually use Synchro monsters as stepping stones to larger threats, it is not outside of the deck’s capabilities. For this investment, you receive a monster which can Tribute itself whenever your opponent would Special Summon a monster to negate the summon, and then return to the field during the End Phase. Further, if this card is destroyed by battle or leaves the field by an opponent’s card effect (while still in your possession), you may summon a level 8 or lower ‘Warrior’ Synchro Monster from the Extra Deck. This can include cards such as Drill Warrior, Junk Warrior, Road Warrior or the new Jet Warrior, all of whom work extremely well in Synchron Decks. As Synchron decks are often very monster-heavy to aid consistent summoning, Stardust Warrior offers the chance to control the game on the opponent’s turn while also, ideally, replacing itself with Road Warrior (who can summon level 2 monsters from the deck for free) to help the player recover should it be removed.

The Structure Deck also introduces a new pair of cards: Jet Synchron and Jet Warrior (pictured). Jet Synchron (a level 1 Tuner) is very good for aiding the deck’s consistency, as, when it is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro material, you can add one Junk monster from the deck to the hand. Further, you can send one card from your hand to your graveyard to Special Summon it from the Graveyard, but banish it when it leaves the field. This can easily aid summoning larger monsters, and an easily accessible Special Summon is especially useful in this deck. Its Warrior form, Jet Warrior, requires Jet Synchron as its Tuner, bringing with it some very good effects. When it is Synchro Summoned, you can target one card your opponent controls and return it to their hand.  Synchron decks often consolidate into level 5 Synchros before moving up into the higher levels, and as this has an effect on summon, it is a very good option despite having specific requirements. What really helps this card is the ability to Special Summon it from the Graveyard by Tributing a level 2 or lower monster (although it will be banished when it leaves the field). This easily allows it to add levels to future Synchro Summons, especially since the deck revolves so heavily around level 2 monsters.

Accel Synchron (pictured) is another good level 5 monster. It is a Synchro Tuner monster, and can only be Synchro Summoned once per turn (for good reason). It can be used to Synchro Summon during the opponent’s Main Phase in a similar way to Formula Synchron. However, it also has the ability to send a Synchron monster from the deck to the Graveyard to either increase or decrease its level by the level of the sent monster. This easily allows it to tailor its level to be used to summon any monster, even becoming level 10 with ease (using Quickdraw Synchron). Its low stats cement it as a combo card, although its flexibility means it will find a home in any Synchron deck.

Synchron Carrier (pictured)  is a level 2 non-tuner with a pair of useful effects. During your Main Phase, it allows you to Normal Summon a ‘Synchron’ monster in addition to your Normal Summon or Set. Further, it can summon a level 2 token once per turn when a ‘Synchron’ monster is sent to the Graveyard for the summon of a Warrior or Machine Type Synchro Monster. This allows it to serve a variety of purposes: you can Normal Summon this, then use your additional Normal Summon for Junk Synchron. Junk Synchron then can summon any level 2 monster and be used to summon Accel Synchron. This then causes Synchron Carrier to spawn a token, granting you access to any level 7 or 9 Synchro monster even without using Accel Synchron’s effect. This card really can help set up combos with ridiculous ease, and should be seen as a staple in the deck.

Reprints

The deck includes many ‘obvious’ reprints such as Quickdraw Synchron, Tuningware, Quillbolt Hedgehog, Level Eater, Unknown Synchron, Tuning and Doppelwarrior. These have always been mainstays of any ‘Synchro Spam’ deck, and their easy access is surely very useful to all would-be players of the deck. Players will be certainly excited for another reprint of One For One, whose utility has made it a key card in many decks. In a Structure Deck where most of the key cards have been included at one copy, this card really helps consistency – further, the discard cost is actually useful, as it can help set up the Graveyard with cards to Summon using Junk Synchron or with Quillbolt Hedgehogs to summon themselves.

Imperial Iron Wall is an interesting addition, especially considering it is usually seen as a Side Deck card. It has been included in this deck for its synergy with cards such as Quillbolt Hedgehog, Jet Synchron and Jet Warrior, so that they are returned to the Graveyard as opposed to being banished, allowing them to continuously use their effects. The deck also includes a copy of Solemn Warning, which is often considered to be a ‘Staple’ trap card and is useful in virtually every deck. It has been reprinted quite a few times since its original release, but as the demand for it continues to be high, it is good to see its inclusion here.

Reinforcement of the Army and The Warrior Returning Alive also come with this set, and help increase the power of the deck further. As the deck contains so many important Warrior Type monsters (such as Junk Synchron or Doppelwarrior), these cards increase its consistency nicely. We also see the very ‘splashable’ Tuners of Plaguespreader Zombie and Genex Ally Birdman included in this set. They fit the theme nicely and also work very well in other decks. The addition of Effect Veiler, a card which is extremely useful in this deck (both to use for disruption and as a target for cards such as Junk Synchron) also makes the deck very good value in terms of staples.

How to improve the deck

The deck functions moderately well on its own, but can easily be improved. The best way to make the deck better is to buy a second copy of the Structure deck and merge them together – this allows you to easily gain more copies of the most important combo cards and fill your Extra Deck, while also providing some copies of Limited cards for other decks. There are, however, some easy ‘singles’ which should be added to really make the deck effective.

No Synchro deck could be complete without T.G. Hyper Librarian. This card is one of the most important tools in the Synchro arsenal, especially in a deck which Synchro summons as much as this Structure Deck does. It is extremely easy to summon in the deck, granting it consistency even past the first wave of summons and it shines when combined with cards such as De-Synchro or Tuningware. Further, when it has done its job, it can be used to help produce higher-level Synchro monsters, meaning that you definitely need to run the one copy you’re allowed!

Formula Synchron is another card which really benefits the deck to an absurd degree. As soon as it is Synchro Summoned, you can draw a card, while the fact that it is a Synchro/Tuner monster means that it can be used to help create difficult creatures like Stardust Warrior or Shooting Quasar Dragon. This works very well when summoned after T.G. Hyper Librarian, or as a target for use with De-Synchro. Further, the ability to Synchro Summon during the opponent’s turn allows the user to easily use board wipes like Black Rose Dragon to respond to their threats. It is well worth using at least one copy of this card, depending on how you focus your build.

Theoretically, the Extra Deck now consists of eleven cards. I would fill out the remaining spaces with a single copy of Black Rose Dragon; a Stardust Dragon; a Mist Wurm or Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier (budget dependant); a Shooting Star Dragon and a Shooting Quasar Dragon. For players new to the deck, this grants a variety of levels and effects which can be accessed before they move into a more specialised build, such as Quasar Turbo. In terms of cards to add to the Main Deck, a copy of Foolish Burial is very good, as it allows the user to help add cards such as Quillbolt Hedgehog to the Grave, while some copies of Machine Duplication can help to get more bodies onto the field (especially effective with Tuningware). This should create a nicely focussed build with some very strong combination plays.

My Rating

I give this deck an easy 8/10 – the introduction of ten unique cards means that it is worth purchasing even for experienced players, while the reprints of staple cards such as Effect Veiler and One for One mean that it has great value even when dismantled for other decks. This seems to be one of the better Structure Decks to start playing with, as buying two copies will create an efficient deck and a half-full Extra Deck, while working out the possible ‘combos’ will be a good exercise for experts and new players alike. The only thing that stopped me from rating it higher is the surprising lack of Formula Synchron, as it would have been a perfect fit for the deck, both in theme and play-style. This is well worth picking up!

Synchron Extreme Structure Decks are available from Big Orbit Games.