Drytron

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Drytron
"Drytron Meteonis Draconids" in the artwork of "Meteonis Drytron"
Japanese
  • ドライトロン
  • Doraitoron (romanized)
Simplified Chinese
  • 龙机巧
French
  • Drytron
German
  • Drytron
Italian
  • Drytron
Korean
  • 드라이트론
Portuguese
  • Drytron
Spanish
  • Drytron
Sets
TCG
OCG
Lists

Memories sleeping in asterisms, it's time to awaken...

— The archetype's tagline in promotional material

"Drytron" (ドライトロン Doraitoron) is an archetype of LIGHT Machine Special Summon Monsters, focused on Ritual Summon, which debuted in Deck Build Pack: Genesis Impactors. They received cross-archetype support with "Ursarctic" in Burst of Destiny.

Lore

Etymology

"Drytron" in the original Japanese is likely a portmanteau of "Draco", "light/bright" or "rite", and "-tron". The word "Meteonis", used in the names of "Drytron" Ritual Spell and Monsters, is a portmanteau of "meteor" and "Draconis", the genitive case of "Draco". The kanji names of the "Drytron" non-Ritual monsters use the kanji 「竜輝巧」 (normally read as Ryūkikō), which literally means "Draconic Bright Machine"; 「輝巧」 is a play on the homophonous 「機巧」 (Kikō), meaning "machine" or "mechanism". The Ritual Monsters use the near-homophonous 「竜儀巧」 (normally Ryūgikō); 儀 (gi) appropriately means "rite", and also happens to be the ending character of the Japanese name of the Quadrant astronomical instrument (either しょうげん Shōgenki or ぶん Shibungi), which reflects their appearances being based on it.

The Simplified Chinese name of "Drytron" is “龙机巧” (Lóng jī qiǎo), the Chinese equivalent of 「竜機巧」 (Ryūkikō, "Draconic Machine"), the string that both Japanese kanji names are based on. The characters “辉” (huī) and “仪” (), counterparts to the Japanese 「輝」 and 「儀」, are prefixed in front of the archetype name in their corresponding monster cards: “辉龙机巧” ("Bright Draconic Machine") for non-Ritual monsters, “仪龙机巧” ("Rite Draconic Machine") for Ritual Monsters. Simplified Chinese also translates all cases of "Meteonis" as “降星” (Jiàng xīng, lit. "falling star").

Design

The archetype is themed around the constellation of Draco, with the Main Deck monsters named after its stars (and featuring their namesake highlighted within the constellation in their artwork's background, similarly to the "Constellar" and "Tellarknight" monsters), the Ritual Monsters referencing meteor showers with points of origin in the same area, and the full constellation being visible in "Meteonis Drytron". Most of the Spell/Traps are named after general stellar phenomena.

Drytron Name origin
Alpha Thuban Thuban (α Draconis)
Beta Rastaban Rastaban (β Draconis)
Gamma Eltanin Eltanin (γ Draconis)
Delta Altais Altais (δ Draconis)
Zeta Aldhibah Aldhibah (ζ Draconis)
Nu2 𝜈2 Draconis
Meteonis Draconids Draconids (DRA)
Meteonis Quadrantids Quadrantids (QUA)
Meteonis Alpha Draconids December Alpha Draconids
(DAD)
Fafnir Fafnir (Norse mythology)
Fafnir (42 Draconis)
Mu Beta Fafnir
Asterism Asterism
Eclipse Eclipse
Meteor Shower Meteor shower
Nova Nova
Meteoaurora Aurora borealis

Concept-wise, the archetype introduces a new way of Ritual Summoning, as it considers the ATK of the monsters used for the Ritual Summons instead of their Levels. This makes it possible for the player to use (Machine) Xyz and Link monsters as Tributes, something with no precedent in the game's history. The theme may somehow be related to the "Ursarctic" archetype, as both of them break the basic rules of their respective central Summoning mechanic, are based on constellations and were introduced in a Deck Build Pack in the OCG.

Playing style

The "Drytron" archetype revolves around Ritual Summoning Ritual Monsters with their unique archetypal Ritual Spell, "Meteonis Drytron". "Meteonis Drytron" Tributes monsters to reach a target ATK instead of a target Level, while all non-Ritual "Drytron" monsters have a high ATK of 2000 (and a low Level of 1) and the ability to Special Summon themselves to search for Ritual resources – combining these traits allows high-Level Ritual Monsters to be easily Summoned with just 1 or 2 "Drytron" Tributes. Importantly, because "Meteonis Drytron" can Ritual Summon any Ritual Monster (not just "Drytron" monsters), the archetype can be used as an engine to easily Ritual Summon almost all Ritual Monsters in the game.

All non-Ritual Main Deck monsters are Nomi monsters that must be Special Summoned with a "Drytron" card's effect. They each share the following once per turn effect to Special Summon themselves, and then performing an additional action to generate card advantage and facilitate Ritual Summons:

"You can Tribute 1 other "Drytron" monster or 1 Ritual Monster from your hand or field; Special Summon this card from your hand or GY in Defense Position, then you can [Additional Effect]."

Drytron Additional effect
Alpha Thuban Add 1 Ritual Monster from your Deck to your hand.
Beta Rastaban Return 1 of your banished "Drytron" monsters to the GY.
Gamma Eltanin Special Summon 1 "Drytron" monster with 2000 ATK from your GY, except "Drytron Gamma Eltanin".
Delta Altais Reveal 1 Ritual Monster or 1 Ritual Spell in your hand, and if you do, draw 1 card.
Zeta Aldhibah Add 1 Ritual Spell from your Deck to your hand.

The two key "Drytron" monsters are "Alpha Thuban" and "Zeta Aldibah", which search a Ritual Monster and Spell when Special Summoned by their own effects, respectively. "Gamma Eltanin" and "Delta Altais" are helpful as extenders. "Beta Rastaban" only tends to be useful in edge cases, and is often omitted from builds. "Ultimate Bright Knight Ursatron Alpha" is a new cross-archetypal addition, which can search "Drytron" Spell/Traps (particularly Drytron Fafnir", which in turn searches "Drytron Nova"), but can occasionally conflict with the rest of the engine due to being a Level 7 WATER monster, and not being able to Special Summon itself from the Graveyard.

The archetype's Ritual Monsters, "Meteonis Draconids" and "Meteonis Quadrantids", have 4000 ATK and powerful board wipe effects, as well as targeting protection from monster and Spell/Trap effects, respectively. They both gain an effect if Ritual Summoned using monsters whose total Levels do not exceed 2 – in other words, if Ritual Summoned in the intended way, with "Meteonis Drytron" Tributing 2 Level 1 Drytron" monsters.

All "Drytron" Special Summon effects, including "Drytron Nova", shares the same restrictive condition that the player cannot Special Summon monsters the turn they activate this effect, except those that cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. This condition greatly restricts the kinds of cards "Drytron" can work with – Extra Deck monsters, Ritual Monsters, Nomi monsters, and Special Summon-only monsters can still be Special Summoned, the player can still Normal Summon/Set, but the vast majority of Main Deck monsters become unavailable to be Special Summoned.

"Drytron Mu Beta Fafnir", the sole "Drytron" Extra Deck monster, is a huge consistency booster. Upon Summon, it can send any "Drytron" card from the Deck to the Graveyard, effectively functioning as a search (since "Drytron" monsters can be Special Summoned from the Graveyard) for any missing combo piece. While Xyz Summoning it using "Drytron" monsters as material would otherwise lose bodies to Tribute with "Meteonis Drytron", its effect allows those Xyz Materials to be Tributed for Ritual Summons too – meaning it provides an extra 2000 ATK body itself, without losing the 2 used to Xyz Summon it. In addition, it has a conditional Spell/Trap negate alongside a Machine Ritual Monster, usually the "Drytron" Ritual Monsters.

The "Drytron" archetype is especially synergistic with the "Cyber Angel" archetype, primarily due to "Cyber Angel Benten". "Benten" can (with no once-per-turn restrictions) search a LIGHT Fairy monster from the Deck when Tributed, allowing any "Drytron" Special Summon that Tributes "Benten" a +1 in card advantage. The most common target for "Benten" is the powerful Ritual support monster "Diviner of the Herald", who can in turn send "Herald of the Arc Light" to search out more Ritual cards. Additionally, it can be overlayed with "Benten" (after raising its own Level to 6) for Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal.

As a result, "Drytron" decks are often built with the "Herald" monsters as end boards. "Herald of Ultimateness" or "Herald of Perfection" can be easily Ritual Summoned through the "Drytron" engine, and several Fairy monsters can be gathered in hand with the Fairy support. In OCG or Traditional Format, a powerful combo with "Beatrice" and "Eva" allows at least 4 Fairy monsters to be searched before the opponent's turn if going first – once on the player's turn and once at the start of the opponent's.

Recommended cards

Recommended cards

Trivia

  • This archetype's cross-support with the "Ursarctic" archetype released in Burst of Destiny references the fact that from the 4th to 2nd millennium BCE, Thuban was the polar star, while in modern times that distinction is now given to Polaris. Additionally, this archetype shares many similarities with the "Ursarctic" archetype:
    • Both debuted in a Deck Build Pack.
    • All of its members are based on the stars in a constellation, or the constellation itself.
    • All of its members are mecha-like in appearance.
    • Both theme involves an unconventional twist in summoning their themed monsters (using ATK rather than Level for Ritual Summon in the case of "Drytron", and "subtracting" the level of Tuner monster using non-Tuners to summon their Synchro Monster in the case of "Ursarctic").