Notes & Combos

Been about 6 months since my last Madolche post, so feels right to be posting it again by now. Man, what a weird ladder. If this is what every KC is gonna be like from now on then I guess I'll be uploading Madolche a lot more frequently, but it feels like a lot less of an accomplishment.

I've been keeping an eye on EX Code "Infinite Impermanence" since it released, but have only decided to try using it now. Why? Basically, EX Code lets Madolche end on a whopping ONE disruption, which is potentially more than the literally nothing it has without it. Compared to my usual being Defying Fate, the latter has more going first consistency, which was more valuable for the longest time, but has literally no endboard.

Going second is about comparable though, as while Fate has a higher ceiling, EX Code is way more consistent here since there's more chances to find a starter (or rather, just Magileine), and you can actually shuffle back The Garnets™. And we can't consider Precious Cards of the Earth because it doesn't exist; no nice things for Madolche, ever.

The other big reason to use this Skill is that powercreep since the Madolche Xyz released has gotten to the point where their garbage ahh endboard straight up loses to the free bonuses at the start of the opponent's turn, like Quazar or Subversion + Silvera, so no weakness is as desperate for a fix as this endboard one. We'll still usually lose anyway, but it's better than nothing, and still makes things way better against the random off meta matchups. Also the funniest reason is that it makes Ghost Gal more optimal for Madolche than Altergeists lmao

Anyway time to complain; Seventh Tachyon getting hit was complete bullshit, random FTK's had other more egregious things that deserved hits (even its only playable searcher, Primal, is more egregious), both Tachyon and R8NK Dragluxion slop have already been hit, and so has sh*t like Necrovalley being searched off it through Commandant. If unhitting it somehow isn't an option, they could at least release Seventh Ascension for fair decks still willing to spend their Limit 1 slot on Tachyon.

Because of this, Madolche has somehow managed to catch a banlist stray and now we have to go back to the shittier Small World and the clown squad of 1-ofs taking up space that could have gone toward things like Trunade, Droplet or even more Veilers for that going first gameplay. Since last time I used Small World, Belle fills the same bridges that were otherwise filled by Roze, and also does it a little better. It's one more card that insta-kills against us added to the game though, so it's hard to call it a buff, and Baaple could have also filled the same gap if we were desperate for it. Silver lining though, at least Small World doesn't Xyz lock; it does matter going first.

For gameplay, bro this ladder is so full of literally nothing that Madolche of all decks managed a 17-win streak before DLv. 19, although life got a fair bit worse around then, not helped by the fact that I was super rusty and kept misplaying like a dumbass. Unsuprisingly I lost practically every game versus every viable deck for the simple reason that they're all running a shitton of handtraps. Doesn't matter how well you navigate a Branded board if they just drop a Veiler from the uninteractable zone on your stupid Magileine the second it leaves your hand. Is there any other non-FTK deck running around at this point that completely folds to a single disruption?

Honestly, thinking about Madolche in the current landscape of Duel Links is just depressing. It used to be more interesting, there were cool lines using stuff like Ticket, Cruffssant, Nights, even Puddingcess's battle effect. Nowadays it's just boiled down to Magileine combo or die, because anything else is far too weak. The majority of archetypes released around Madolche's time have had more or all of their support released by now, h*ll, its fellow Mini Box archetype Rokket has received several waves, but Madolche really has just been completely forgotten.

Did you know it's about one week away from being the 2-year anniversary of when I had written up my old Madolche guide? I don't think there's a single other Madolche player left at this point 🙁