Introduction to Vaylantz

Published on November 30th, 2022 by

Updated on August 24th, 2023

Introduction

Vaylantz is a Pendulum-based archetype from the Battle Trajectory selection pack. While this archetype hasn't been very successful in both the OCG and the TCG since its launch, the deck is very unique in how it plays the game in that its playstyle is closer to a board game than a YuGiOh deck.

The archetype is based on a board game, something akin to the Warhammer game. Most Monsters are split into two factions, WATER Spellcasters and FIRE Machines, with Loading... from a third DLC faction. All of the Monsters can Summon themselves from the Pendulum Zone and have effects facilitating the movement of Monsters from one zone to another or profiting off of being moved, which is the main gimmick of the deck.

Vaylantz Cards

Main Deck Monsters

All of the main deck Monsters have these traits.

An ignition effect you can activate during the Main Phase and a trigger effect that activates when the card gets moved.
The Level 2s and 4s can Summon themselves from the Pendulum Zone, but restrict you into Extra Deck Monsters and Vaylantz Monsters for the rest of the turn.
The Level 6s and 8s can Summon themselves without xeno-locking the player, but require a Monster of the same type and attribute on the field or a specific Field Spell to be in either Field Spell Zone.

WATER Spellcasters

LV2 Shinonome

The "one-card" starter and searcher for the deck. Her ignition effect searches for a Vaylantz Spell (generally Loading... ). Her trigger effect searches for a Vaylantz Monster. This is the card that generates the most advantage and is your main playmaker, so you’d want to run as many copies as you can. You even run cards that are practically extra copies of her.

FIRE Machines

LV2 Baron

One of your movers. Its ignition effect moves a Vaylantz Monster horizontally, while its trigger moves a Monster from the Pendulum Zone to an adjacent S/T Zone. Played at lower copes because it it generally does not start plays and is a searchable extender, while its second effect will almost never comes up.

LV4 Saion

Both of this Monster’s effects are coinflip-based and deal with removal. Its ignition effect targets an opponent's Effect Monster and either negates or halves its ATK, while its trigger effect either destroys or bounces to hand a targeted card. Generally, you wouldn’t want to open this too much, but comes up when going second and is useful to break boards Do note that it is a level 4, opening up access to the rank 4 toolbox.

Note: The coin flip occurs during effect resolution, so the opponent would also have to guess what it lands on, similar to Loading... .

LV4 Viscount

Part of your recursion and extension. The ignition effect places a Vaylantz Monster from the face-up Extra Deck to a S/T Zone. While its trigger places a Vaylantz Monster straight to your Pendulum Zone. It can place higher scales (like Grand Duke) into your Pendulum Zone and is easily Summonable.

Note: Placing a Monster into your far left/right S/T Zone will not place them in the Pendulum Zone. It is easy to mess up your combos with this Monster, so be careful running it if you believe you are not as familiar with the deck.

From this point on, the main deck monsters require a monster from their respective faction, or their Field Spell, to be on the board to sumon themselves, but do not restrict you.

LV6 Nazuki

This ninja moves a lot. Its ignition effect allows you to move any targeted Monster horizontally to an adjacent Monster Zone, while its trigger lets you vertically move a Monster up by Summoning it from the S/T Zone into a Monster Zone. Pretty much a better Buster Baron, it has the caveat of being a higher level Vaylantz and requires for conditions to be met for its own Special Summon. While one of the better extenders of the deck, it may also act as a sort of disruption or board breaking to certain decks that use mechanics such as Link monsters that rely on positioning (in the rare very case that this does come up).

Funnily enough, the card has ninja in its name so it’s technically a part of the Ninja archetype.

LV6 Marquess

The dice roll Monster of the archetype. Its ignition effect excavates for a Vaylantz card based on the dice roll. Its trigger effect allows you to Summon a Monster from the S/T to the same column, as long as you don’t roll 1 or 6. Your only other Monster searcher. If running a higher number of Vaylantz cards, Marquess can boost consistency and advantage. How much you run generally depends on how big your main Vaylantz engine is.

LV8 Hojo

This Monster’s effects are a bit niche. Its ignition effect lets you return to hand a face-up S/T, useful for temporary removal or resetting your Senet Switch to use it again. The trigger effect lets you fuse into a Vaylantz Monster using Monsters on your field, Pendulum Zones, or hand, and is usually your only way to get to Mamonaka. Run at 1 and is pretty much the first Monster to be fully cut out if needing more space.

Note that bouncing Senet Switch lets its effect be reused once reactivated. Unlike all of the Vaylantz cards’ effects, Senet Switch is not a hard once per turn and can be reused.

LV8 Dominator Duke

A useful board breaker and can be set up as a vital piece of interruption. Its ignition effect seals a set S/T, forcing the opponent to activate it right then or forgo it this turn. Its trigger effect steals an opponent’s Monster and treats it as a Vaylantz Monster. Activating both of this Monster and Hojo’s trigger effects with Loading... can act as a pseudo-Super-poly, while using the effect on your turn can let you steal a Monster to turn it into a Grand Duke or Arktos.

Extra Deck

All of the Extra Deck Vaylantz have the Pendulum effect to either Summon themselves from the Pendulum Zone or move a Monster you control. These Monsters are the only high scales in the archetype, with Mamonaka and Grand Duke being scale 10, and Arktos XII a scale 12.

LV10 Mamonaka

The boss of the WATER Spellcasters. This has a quick effect to place an opponent Monster on the S/T Zone as removal. It doesn’t negate any effect however and does require 3 Vaylantz to Fusion Summon, so it would be hard to do so. Is the first to be cut out if needing more utility spots in the Extra Deck.

LV10 Grand Duke

The boss of the FIRE Machines. This one is a lot easier to get out from face-down, as it only requires you to tribute a Level 5 or higher main deck Vaylantz Monster in the columns with Extra Monster Zones, or just by Fusion Summoning it with two Vaylantz monsters. On Summon, it bounces an opponent’s Monster in the S/T Zone to their hand, burns them, and gains ATK. One of two ways to access a high scale (with the other being Beyond the Pendulum).

Note: this burn effect and ATK gain will only resolve properly if the target Monster card is actually returned to the hand, not if the Monster card is returned to the Extra Deck, shuffled into the deck, or banished due to some other effect. The burn will still apply if the card is returned to your hand (like returning a lava golem or kaiju).