Hamsters: A Look At An OCG/TCG Hybrid Deck

I will write the requested analysis of Disaster Dragon soon enough, and also cover Geminis, but I'll take a brief breather from that to look at a purely theoretical (and very fun) decktype which synthesizes a TCG exclusive from Absolute Powerforce with several OCG (Asian) Synchros and Fusions. My friend from Pojo, Liling Po, was kind enough to supply the deck list. Presenting, Hamster Heroes:

Maindeck (40 cards):

3 Super-Nimble Mega Hamster
3 X-Saber Airbellum
2 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
2 Elemental Hero Wildheart
1 Elemental Hero Stratos
1 Elemental Hero Bladedge
1 Elemental Hero Prisma
1 Rescue Cat
1 Tree Otter
1 Sea Koala
1 Summoner Monk
1 Hane Hane

2 Gold Sarcophagus
2 E - Emergency Call
2 Miracle Fusion
2 Book of Moon
1 Future Fusion
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Brain Control

2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Waboku
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Call of the Haunted

Extra Deck:

2 Lightning Warrior
2 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Elemental Hero The Great Tornado
1 Elemental Hero Absolute Zero
1 Elemental Hero Gaia
1 Elemental Hero The Shining
1 Elemental Hero Wildege
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Naturia Beast
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Koalaccoala

This deck functions in some sense like the classic Cat Synchro deck from previous formats. It features the one allowed copied of Rescue Cat to fetch Level 3 and lower Beast-type monsters from the deck, and supplements them with 3 copies of the new Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, which draws from the same range of targets, except in face-down defense position. With this wealth of search power, the deck can easily toolbox its way into a variety of different Synchros and attribute-specific Elemental Hero Fusions. It has WATER (Tree Otter) for Absolute Zero, WIND (Stratos) for the Great Tornado, EARTH (Cat, Hamster, Hane Hane, Airbellum, Wildheart, Bladedge) for Gaia, and LIGHT (Ryko, Prisma) for The Shining. Airbellum + Ryko is an instant LV5 generic Synchro, Airbellum + Koala brings out the fearsome Spell-negating Naturia Beast, and, most vitally, the deck can bring out the LV9 Trishula with ease by simply resolving a Hamster (LV4) into Airbellum (LV3) and following it up with a LV2 monster (likely Ryko) next turn. Even a simple Hamster + Airbellum lets you bring out the potentially game-ending, Dark Strike Fighter Lite of Lightning Warrior.

Since some of these OCG cards are obscure, I'll post their effects for reference:

Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
WATER/Dragon/Synchro/Effect/LV9/2700/2000

1 Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner monsters

When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can remove from play 1 card each from your opponent's field, hand, and Graveyard.

Naturia Beast
EARTH/Beast/Synchro/Effect/LV5/2200/1700

1 EARTH Tuner + 1 or more EARTH non-Tuner monsters

During either player's turn, you may send the top 2 cards of your deck to the Graveyard to negate the activation of a Spell Card and destroy it.

Lightning Warrior
LIGHT/Warrior/Synchro/Effect/LV7/2400/1200

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's level x 300.

Elemental Hero The Shining
LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/LV8/2600/2100

1 "Elemental Hero" monster + 1 LIGHT monster

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. The card gains ATK equal to the number of your removed from play "Elemental Hero" monster x 300. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can add up to 2 of your removed from play "Elemental Hero" monsters to your hand.

Elemental Hero The Great Tornado
WIND/Warrior/Fusion/Effect/LV8/2800/2200

1 "Elemental Hero" monster + 1 WIND monster

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. When this card is Special Summoned, halve the ATK and DEF of all face-up monsters your opponent controls.

Every one of these monsters has a massively powerful, broken effect (especially Trishula), and this deck can exploit the whole gamut through its rapid access to Beasts and Warriors of different attributes. Trishula followed up by Absolute Zero can break the back of numerous decks, by shredding field presence, in-hand options, and Graveyard resources all at once, then creating a removal deterrent/defense with Zero. The crippling effect of Trishula is further supplemented by the hand destruction of X-Saber Airbellum, long one of the more overlooked aspects of any Cat-based deck's power. Stripping in-hand cards with Trishula and Airbellum, while amassing further advantage down the road with your Elemental Hero Fusions, puts you in a position of firm card advantage and constant aggression. Even your non-Extra Deck monsters, like Cat, Stratos, and Hamster, manufacture basic card advantage which becoms an avalanche as the game progresses.

This is not my deck or idea, and I'm going to avoid making full-fledged fixes, but I think the above deck could enhance its strength with a copy of Sangan for searching Cat, Monk, and Hamster, as well as a Pot of Avarice and/or 3rd Miracle Fusion. I think these changes would help the deck to gets it engine online more quickly, and to recycle key cards in order to maintain pressure and recover from disruption.

I think that Cat-based strategies as a whole will be a strong pick for the new format now that Hamster is legal for play. Whether as a Synchro engine or advantageous tribute bait for Monarchs etc., Hamster is sure to be a major player in the coming months.