Ursarctic
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"Ursarctic", known as "Bearcti" (ベアルクティ Bearukuti) in the OCG, is an archetype of WATER Beast/Beast-Warrior monsters with 700 ATK/DEF introduced in Deck Build Pack: Ancient Guardians. They received cross-archetype support with "Drytron" in Burst of Destiny.
Contents
Lore[edit]
Design[edit]
The archetype is heavily inspired by the Big Dipper, which lies in the constellation of Ursa Major, and have a strong "7" motif as a result; all of the monsters have either 700 ATK or DEF, many of them are Level 7 and the Main Deck monsters can all be Special Summoned by Tributing a Level 7 or higher monster in the player's hand. Some of their Spell/Trap support also mentions the number "7" as part of their effects.
The requirement of high Level Tuners to Summon lower Level Synchro Monsters is a spin on one of the most basic concepts of Synchro Summoning, in a similar manner as the "Drytron" archetype distorts the basal notion of Ritual Summoning by using the ATK value of the Tributes instead of their Levels, which allows Xyz and Link monsters to be Tributed for a Ritual Summon. Both themes are also similar in the constellation-inspired mecha design and in the fact both were announced as part of a Deck Build Pack in the OCG. Both also had one Field Spell, and two boss monsters during their initial releases. Lastly, the boss monsters for both archetypes use equal (=) signs to separate the two parts of their individual names.
Appearance[edit]
The "Ursarctic" monsters resemble bear mechanoids, with the Beasts being more bestial, and the Beast-Warriors being more humanoid. With the exception of "Ursarctic Polari", the Synchro Monsters of this archetype appear to be a combination of their Main Deck members.
Etymology[edit]
This archetype's name is a portmanteau of "Bear"/"Ursa" + "Arctic". The names of the Main Deck monsters are a combination of the scientific names of the bear they are based on and either "Micro" or "Mega", depending on if they are a non-Tuner Level 7 Beast or a Level 8 Beast-Warrior Tuner respectively; the names of the Level 7 Synchro Monsters are based on names of the Big Dipper.
Playing style[edit]
The "Ursarctic" archetype focuses on using high-level monsters with Quick Effects to Special Summon themselves from the hand, and Special Summoning their archetypal Synchro Monsters through an unusual mechanism that uses the level difference between Tuner and non-Tuner monsters; this resembles the anime and video game-only Dark Synchro Summon, but is not an exact replica of it.
The Main Deck monsters are comprised of Level 7 Beast non-Tuner monsters and Level 8 Beast-Warrior Tuner monsters that share the following effect:
During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 other Level 7 or higher monster in your hand; Special Summon this card from your hand, also you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except monsters that have a Level.
Each Main Deck "Ursarctic" monster also has a trigger effect can be activated if they're Special Summoned: the Beast monsters' effects generate advantage, while the Beast-Warrior monsters' effects disrupt the opponent. The Beast-Warrior monsters additionally require another "Ursarctic" to be present on the field when they're Special Summoned to activate their trigger effects.
| Ursarctic | Type | Trigger Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Mikbilis | Beast | Special Summon 1 "Ursarctic" monster from the hand, except "Mikbilis". |
| Mikpolar | Add 1 "Ursarctic" monster from the Deck to the hand, except "Mikpolar". | |
| Miktanus | Add 1 "Ursarctic" monster from the GY to the hand, except "Miktanus". | |
| Megabilis | Beast-Warrior | Banish 1 card in the opponent's GY. |
| Megapolar | Destroy 1 opposing Spell/Trap. | |
| Megatanus | Flip 1 opposing monster face-down. |
The archetype has three Synchro Monsters: the Level 1 "Ursarctic Polari", the first ever Level 1 Synchro Monster in the game, and the Level 7 "Ursarctic Septentrion" and "Ursarctic Grand Chariot". None of them can be Synchro Summoned; instead, they must be Special Summoned by sending two monsters the player controls with a level difference equal to their Levels, rather than their sum.
The specified "Synchro Materials" are 1 Tuner and 1 non-Tuner for "Polari", and 1 Level 8 or higher Tuner and 1 non-Tuner Synchro Monster for "Septentrion" and "Grand Chariot"; this means that "Septentrion" and "Grand Chariot" can only be reliably Special Summoned using a Level 8 "Ursarctic" Tuner and "Polari". In terms of individual effects, "Polari" generates advantage, while "Septentrion" and "Grand Chariot" are boss monsters with field holding effects.
In terms of supportive Spell/Traps, "Ursarctic Big Dipper" alleviates the cost of "Ursarctic" monsters by once per turn allowing the player to banish 1 Level 7 or higher "Ursarctic" from the Graveyard instead of Tributing it. It also capitalizes on the Deck's ability to Special Summon many times per turn, by amassing counters to eventually take control of an opponent's monster. "Ursarctic Departure", in its turn, gives consistency to the Deck, by searching 2 "Ursarctic" monsters and also being able to neutralize the cost of a Special Summon. "Ursarctic Quint Charge" can Special Summon "Ursarctic" Synchro Monsters on the opponent's turn, recover "Ursarctic" monsters in the GY, and force the opponent to return cards from their field, hand, and GY back into the Deck if an "Ursarctic" Synchro Monster is destroyed by their attack.
The only restriction the theme truly imposes is regarding Xyz and Link monsters, as after resolving the first effect of the Main Deck monsters, the player is unable to Special Summon those types of monsters for the rest of the turn. Therefore, generic support cards for WATER, Beast and/or Beast-Warrior monsters may be useful to the strategy, such as "Crystal Girl", "Alpha, the Master of Beasts", "Ayers Rock Sunrise", "Jabbing Panda", "Moray of Greed", "High Tide on Fire Island" and "Three Trolling Trolls". As "Polari" is a pivotal card for the strategy, not just for its effects but because it is indispensable for the Special Summon of the other Synchro Monsters, the Deck may also use any generic combo capable of putting 2 monsters on the field, provided they are a Tuner and a non-Tuner with one Level of difference. Examples like "Righty" and "Lefty Driver" or "Draconnet" and "Galaxy Serpent" can be used to set up its Special Summon as soon as possible. The "Deep Sea Diva"-into-"Neptabyss" engine gives more consistency to the Deck, as "Neptabyss" can send "Atlantean Dragoons" in order to search "Poseidra, the Atlantean Dragon", which in turn can be used as fodder to Special Summon an "Ursartic" monster. "Neptabyss" and "Dragoons" are potentially dead draws, but in a pinch they can be Tributed by "Ursarctic Grand Chariot" and have their effects triggered in the process.
Recommended cards[edit]
Trivia[edit]
- This archetype's cross-support with the "Drytron" 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 "Drytron" archetype:
- Both debuted in a Deck Build Pack.
- All of its members are based on the stars of/or a constellation itself.
- All of its members are mecha-like in appearance.
- Each archetype introduces a twist on an already existing type of Special Summon.
