Rekindling the FIRE

After the banlist previously posted here was confirmed official, people can expect less from handless decks like HERO and Infernity and a little more from any other deck not harmed with new limitations. But there is a deck that it hasn't shown much but it's still quite powerful, even by the fact that the banlist didn't affected it at all. We're talking about Lavals.

As many other archetypes, Laval's Synchros are well worth to take most space in the Extra Deck, rather than regular Synchros and XYZ. Their affinity to the Flamvell archetype is also useful as many Laval monsters are FIRE with 200 Defense points. Which makes them perfect for the massive summoning Spell Card ever existed:

Almost after the Flamvell archetype was released, the Synchro monsters were being used massively in mill decks, such as Lightsworns. They were mixed with some Flamvell monsters to make this card worth 2 Synchro monsters by one card. Sometimes, this spell came back when an even more powerful Synchro was released, such as Shooting Star Dragon or Red Nova Dragon. We never saw this spell again.

Why is that? Well, Solemn Warning and Bottomless Trap Hole helped a lot to shut down that tactic. And milling strategies became weaker in comparison to new ones that came after that deck. But why Laval would be different? The answer is: "Less risk and more options".

By "Less risk", we're just pointing out that it's milling is not like Twilight decks are. By sending just one Laval  Volcano Handmaiden to the grave (along with another Laval) with Sweltering Heat Transmission Field it can result in another 3 monsters in your graveyard. 5 Cards for the price of one, almost like Future Fusion is (or at some point will not be anymore) for Chaos Dragons. Even if the choices for the graveyard won't be wide, it cannot be negated by Solemn Warning.

Another point for Lavals is that they got a Synchro monster that can be revived by Rekindling! Laval Dual Slasher, easy to pull off by using Flamvell Firedog and searching Laval Volcano Handmaiden (although it would make miss the timing and not send another Laval to the grave). Actually, just like the old Flamvellsworn decks, the Tuners are the only monsters affected by Bottomless Trap Hole. But what Laval got to deal with these traps?

Removing itself plus another Laval to destroy a face-down card. Practically a cost-less, unpredictable and almost unstoppable card. Just by using correctly Sweltering Heat Transmission Field is already enough to use this card effect. And if it wasn't enough, it can combo with another Laval monster:

Being one of the few non-Synchro monsters without 200 DEF, this card is the only hard to search from your deck, forcing you to use Reinforcement of the Army. But even with this trouble, special summoning a Laval monster removed from the game is well worth. It can be a Synchro monster as well, no restrictions there. Dual Slasher, Stennon, the Greater, Dragon or Dragun are all benefited from this Warrior.

Speaking of it, since this deck performs a good Handless strategy, you might as well add an Elemental HERO Bubbleman. Along with Cannon, this HERO can pull off a Blade Armor Ninja or Heroic Champion - Excalibur. Feel free to add a Miracle Fusion if you want, as Nova Master makes great draws.

Although many decks from Duel Terminal won't likely get new support cards in the future, there are fewer decks with more monsters than spell and traps, which means more targets to perform this deck's combo. However, there are decks that can counter Laval, such as Gravekeeper with their Necrovalley and Six Samurai and Karakuri, with their Synchros that can negate spells.

See'ya all next time, when will talk about a different archetype. And remember: Play with your brain, not with your money.