Paleozoic

For the archetype of the same name related to the "Fossil" archetype, see "Paleozoic (anime)".

Paleozoic
"Paleozoic Anomalocaris"
Japanese	バージェストマ Bājesutoma (romanized) Burgesstoma (translated)
French	Paléozoïque
German	Paläozoisch
Italian	Paleozoica
Korean	버제스토마 Beojeseutoma (romanized) Burgesstoma (translated)
Portuguese	Paleozoico
Spanish	Paleozoico
Sets Lightning Overdrive TCG The Dark Illusion Invasion: Vengeance 2017 Mega-Tin Mega Pack OTS Tournament Pack 6 OTS Tournament Pack 7 Structure Deck: Cyber Strike Structure Deck: Dark World OCG Extra Pack 2016 Tournament Pack 2019 Vol.4 Rarity Collection Premium Gold Edition Structure Deck: Cyber Style's Successor Structure Deck R: Devil's Gate Korean Clash of Rebellions Dimension of Chaos
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"Paleozoic", known as "Burgesstoma" (バージェストマ Bājesutoma, 버제스토마 Beojeseutoma) in the OCG, is an archetype of mostly Level 2 WATER Aqua Normal Pseudo-Trap Monsters with 1200 ATK and 0 DEF, introduced as Korean exclusives in Clash of Rebellions.

Design

Appearance

The archetype's cards are based on animals from the Cambrian Period, specifically those found in the Burgess Shale Formation, a fossil field in Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada.

Origin

The archetype's OCG name, "バージェストマ" (Burgesstoma), is derived from the Burgess Shale, where the animals the archetype derived its appearance from were found. Its TCG name, "Paleozoic", is derived from the Paleozoic Era, the first geological period of which is the Cambrian Period.

Members

Card Type	Name	Origin	Effect
Xyz Monster	Anomalocaris	Anomalocaris	Excavates the top card of the Deck when a Spell/Trap Card is sent from the Spell/Trap Zone to the Graveyard and adds any Trap Card that was excavated; otherwise it is sent to the Graveyard. Targets and destroys a card on the field, provided it has a Trap Card as an Xyz Material.
	Opabinia	Opabinia	Allows its controller to activate "Paleozoic" Trap Cards from the hand. Searches a "Paleozoic" Trap Card, provided it has a Trap Card as an Xyz Material.
Link Monster	Cambroraster	Cambroraster	Sends a Set card in the Spell/Trap Zone to the GY to Set a "Paleozoic" Trap Card from the controller's Deck. It can be activated the turn it was Set this way. Banishes itself from the field or GY to prevent the destruction of the controller's Set card(s).
Trap Monster	Canadia	Canadia	Changes a targeted opposing monster to face-down Defense Position.
	Dinomischus	Dinomischus	Banishes a targeted face-up card.
	Eldonia	Eldonia	Increases a targeted face-up monster's ATK and DEF by 500 until the end of the turn.
	Hallucigenia	Hallucigenia	Halves a targeted monster's ATK and DEF until the end of the turn.
	Leanchoilia	Leanchoilia	Returns a targeted banished card to the Graveyard.
	Marrella	Marrella	Sends a Trap Card from the controller's Deck to the Graveyard.
	Olenoides	Olenoides	Destroys a targeted Spell/Trap Card.
	Pikaia	Pikaia	The controller discards a "Paleozoic" card to draw 2 cards.

Playing style

The "Paleozoic" archetype is mainly composed of Normal Trap Cards. Each one have its particular effect but they have in common the capacity of Special Summoning themselves from the Graveyard as a Level 2 WATER Aqua Normal Monster with 1200 ATK and 0 DEF whenever a Trap Card is activated, thus allowing them to quickly swarm the field through normal usage of their own Trap Effects. The archetype's ace cards are their Xyz monsters, namely "Paleozoic Anomalocaris" and "Paleozoic Opabinia".

"Anomalocaris" helps to maintain hand advantage by excavating the Deck and adding an excavated Trap Card to the hand (be it a "Paleozoic" Card or not); this effect triggers when a Trap Card is sent from the Spell/Trap Zone to the Graveyard. "Opabinia" speeds up the Deck's strategy, by allowing "Paleozoic" cards from being activated directly from the hand. Both of them are unaffected by other monster's effects and have an additional effect that basically rewards their owner for using them in a dedicated "Paleozoic" Deck, by either destroying a troublesome card on the field or fetching a "Paleozoic" Card from the Deck.

The archetype's Trap Cards banish themselves when they leaves the field after being Summoned from the Graveyard by their own effects, which can be avoided by using them as Xyz Materials. Thus, the archetype also benefits from utilizing other Rank 2 Xyz Monsters such as "Armored Kappa" and "Sky Cavalry Centaurea" in concert with "Anomalocaris" and "Opabinia". As the archetype's Trap Cards are all Level 2 WATER Aqua monsters while they are treated as monsters, "Wetlands" can be included in the Deck to give these cards a much needed power boost, as they all have low ATK, which can raise issues regarding their ability to survive on the field.

The Deck itself also has amazing synergy with the Frog engine, mainly "Swap Frog", "Dupe Frog" and "Ronintoadin" since they are also Level 2 Aqua monsters. Due to this, and the fact that the Paleozoic cards themselves are treated as Aqua monsters while on the field, they can play the Rank 2 Xyz "Toadally Awesome".

Due to their capability of accumulating chain, you can also consider adding some cards like "Accumulated Fortune" and "Miraculous Rebirth". While somewhat slow, "Mask of Darkness " can still be used to recycle some Paleozoic cards and in a bigger extent, also be used as a Xyz Material."Magical Hats" will search 2 Paleozoic cards from your Deck while letting you Summon another from your GY. "Justi-Break" will protect your Paleozoic cards and potentially clean the field while letting you summon another Paleozoic card from your GY.

Recommended cards

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Labrynth Archfiend Lady Labrynth of the Silver Castle Laundry Dragonmaid Lord of the Heavenly Prison Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle Soldier Dragons Tuner monsters Ret-time Reviver Emit-ter Ringowurm, the Dragon Guarding the Hundred Apples Spell Cards Normal Spells Card of Demise Foolish Burial Goods Reasoning Traptantalizing Tune Field Spells Flawless Perfection of the Tenyi Wetlands Continuous Spells Piercing the Darkness Supernatural Danger Zone Temple of the Kings Trap Cards Normal Traps Paleozoic Canadia Paleozoic Dinomischus Paleozoic Eldonia Paleozoic Hallucigenia Paleozoic Leanchoilia Paleozoic Marrella Paleozoic Olenoides Paleozoic Pikaia Back to the Front/Xyz Reborn Breakthrough Skill/Lost Wind Needlebug Nest Reckless Greed Rise to Full Height The Phantom Knights of Lost Vambrace Threatening Roar/Waboku/Aegis of the Ocean Dragon Lord Farewelcome Labrynth/Welcome Labrynth (with "Labrynth" monsters) Transaction Rollback Elemental Burst Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga Trap Tracks/Trap Trick White Howling Counter Traps Fists of the Unrivaled Tenyi Continuous Traps Anti-Spell Fragrance Imperial Iron Wall Imperial Order (OCG or Traditional Format only) Mistake Extra Deck Synchro Monsters Herald of the Arc Light Xyz Monsters Paleozoic Anomalocaris Paleozoic Opabinia Armored Kappa Cat Shark Daigusto Phoenix Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder Downerd Magician Gigantic Spright Herald of Pure Light Number F0: Utopic Draco Future Number F0: Utopic Future Number 45: Crumble Logos the Prophet of Demolition Sky Cavalry Centaurea The Phantom Knights of Cursed Javelin Toadally Awesome Link Monsters Paleozoic Cambroraster Eria the Water Charmer, Gentle Infinitrack Fortress Megaclops Mistar Boy Link Spider

Weaknesses

This archetype is mainly dependent on activating Set Trap Cards to trigger their "Paleozoic" Traps' effects to Special Summon themselves from the Graveyard. "Legacy of the Duelist" can force the opponent to only Set 1 Trap Card per turn, while "Denko Sekka" and "Jinzo" can completely prevent Set Trap Cards from being activated (with the effect of "Paleozoic Opabinia" only circumventing "Denko Sekka"). The effects of cards such as "Necrovalley", "Royal Prison", and "The End of Anubis" can prevent the "Paleozoic" Duelist from Special Summoning any "Paleozoic" Trap from the Graveyard, while the banishing effects of cards like "Antihuman Intelligence ME-PSY-YA", "Banisher of the Radiance", and "Macro Cosmos" can prevent the "Paleozoic" Duelist from loading up their Graveyard with "Paleozoic" Traps. However, these cards can still be dealt with by the effects of "Paleozoic Olenoides" and "Paleozoic Dinomischus", among other generic options, while the banishing card effects can be specifically countered via "Imperial Iron Wall", which also addresses the archetype's self-banishing weakness.

Most importantly, almost any Deck has the potential to disrupt this archetype's strategy, simply by Chaining a Spell or monster effect to the activation of any of the "Paleozoic" Duelist's Trap Cards. By doing do, this will prevent the "Paleozoic" Duelist from activating the effect of any of their "Paleozoic" Traps in the Graveyard at the time, and that player will need to activate another Trap Card in order to gain the opportunity to Special Summon again.

Due to their Traps' self-banishing effects, this archetype is best suited for Xyz Summoning, in order to avoid the banishing downside and use the Traps' Graveyard effects again. While this self-inflicted weakness can be addressed by using "Imperial Iron Wall" (preventing all banishing), and "Paleozoic Leanchoilia" to a lesser extent (returning 1 banished card to the Graveyard), an opponent can specifically target the Xyz Summoning aspect with "And the Band Played On".