Icejade Guide
Deep below the Swordsoul Summit, exist the Icejade.
Where am I? What are Icejades?
Icejades are a series of WATER attribute monsters whose main goal is to NOT blow up. They support a slower, controlling style of play while attempting to maintain a solitary but debilitating board presence. They accomplish this through a combination of powerful bosses, simple yet dangerous spells, and numerous forms of revival.
What are we working with?
Icejade consists of 5 moving parts: the smaller icejade monsters, the spells, the larger creations, Kosmochlor, and Every Single Iteration of Aegirine.
The smaller Icejade monsters
Icejade Acti
The least impactful of the three, Acti draws one card when summoned in exchange for discarding one WATER monster to the graveyard. Like the other two, she can summon any Icejade monster from your hand/graveyard when a WATER monster you control is destroyed, except for herself.
Icejade Tinola
Tinola's effect seems somewhat roundabout and is very niche, but can be very effective is some builds when paired with monsters that either want to be in the grave or trigger when sent there for cost. She can also be useful for reviving Gymir, as the opponent may not rely on banishing, making Gymir's inherent revival pointless. Like the other two, she can summon any Icejade monster from your hand/graveyard when a WATER monster you control is destroyed, except for herself.
Icejade Tremora
Of the three, this one is the most generally useful. She provides a free special summon for any WATER-based deck, making her an invaluable asset. Like the other two, she can summon any Icejade monster from your hand/graveyard when a WATER monster you control is destroyed, except for herself.
While the effect to summon any Icejade monster may seem simple, it is deceptively strong in the Battle Phase; the effect to banish and then summon occurs in the damage step (albeit at the very end), meaning it can only be negated by cards that negate activations, and counter traps. Additionally, if the card summoned has on-summon effects, they are also protected by damage step rules, so while searches can be stopped by activation negation, they can not be stopped by Loading... .
Spells, and the trap
The deck employs the use of 2 normal spells, a field spell, a continuous spell, and one trap.
Icejade Cradle
Arguably the most important spell in the deck, Loading... allows the user to add any icejade monster from their deck to their hand, provided there is not already one with the same name on the field or in the graveyard. The most important part of this is that it is not once per turn, so hands that open with multiple copies allow you to tailor them to your liking. This is also great bait for Ash Blossom, due to its non-once-per-turn nature.
Icejade Manifestation
Our only other Normal Spell in the archetype, Loading... alleviates the pressure that comes with going second while also summoning any icejade from the deck should you get hit by a handtrap going first. The card has another effect while in the graveyard; removing an Icejade from the field in any way that doesn't destroy it allows us to target and banish any one card from the opponent's field. Due to the card's writing, this not only includes removal via banishment like from Mirrorjade but also from any kaiju-like effect including Underworld Goddess.
This card is always a valuable part of any Icejade deck. It especially excels in formats where monster handtraps run rampant, as they help to fulfill the activation requirements of this card incredibly easily. The opposite is true when board breakers are more prevalent.
Icejade Cenote Enion Cradle
This is one of the more important cards for traditional Icejade play, as well as their home. Hopefully nothing bad happens here.
On activation, this adds to hand any Icejade monster that is currently banished or in the graveyard. This is especially useful for returning spent revival, so that those monsters may be reused. While the attack reduction effect can be used to make it more difficult to battle over your monsters as intended, it can also be triggered to target Kosmochlor when she is summoned to instantly summon Loading... , as she will then fit the requirements for its alternate summoning condition.
As the effect to reduce the attack of your opponent's monsters at the cost of one of your monsters is on the summon of any monster, the field can be activated prior to summoning Aegirine so that you can chain block her search; this way Loading... can not stop her search.
Icejade Curse
Something bad happened at the cradle.
Together with the field spell and any Icejade monster, this makes it very difficult for monster-focused decks with little backrow removal to build a board quickly, as they can not activate on field immediately, and must wait a full turn.
Curse's effect to burn allows for a playstyle akin to Mikanko, that wants the other player to control bigger monsters; with them on field, we can shrink their attack via the effect of the Enion Cradle and further with Kosmochlor, and then beat over them, burning the opponent an amount equal to the destroyed monster's original attack. This can also target our own monsters, but the burn damage is not as impactful due to Icejades' lower attack stats. In combination with Enion Cradle and any Icejade monster, monsters the opponent controls cannot activate their effects the turn they are summoned; this is functionally Loading... . This is more commonly referred to as a Curse Lock.
Icejade Erosion
Likely the card most commonly searched off of Aegirine's effect, this card's negation effect can target any card your opponent controls, making it especially useful in just about any matchup. Can also be flipped in response to any kaiju-like effect to activate its second effect and summon an Icejade from the deck.
The Big Monsters
Icejade Creations
The older of the two creations.
This monster is most suited for Kosmochlor, as she benefits most from this monster's effect to allow her to attack in defense. it further synergizes with Loading... , as Gameciel can be used as a spot removal tool once every turn after being returned to the hand.
Icejade Creation Aegirocassis
The result of rage.
This card is well suited for giving any Icejade monster a boost during the battle phase, especially when the attack has already been declared. Because Aegirocassis has to choose between both effects each turn, equipping it at the end of your opponent's turn to summon it during yours is advised.