Volcanic Support

This pastebin gives you some in-dept overview on Volcanic-related cards and the issues they face from the scope of someone who played Volcanics for over a year and a half none-stop on Master Duel. I will focus on the Volcanic aspect, purposefully not synergize generic Pyro/FIRE support. They will however be put into consideration for their overall viability or potential for abuse.
Abbreviations:
BA: Blaze Accelerator
VBA: Volcanic Blaze Accelerator
Reload: Blaze Accelerator Reload
Volcanic monster names will be shortened (Volcanic 'Emperor' , Volcanic 'Doomfire', Volcanic 'Queen', Volcanic 'Rocket', Volcanic 'Trooper', Volcanic 'Shell', Volcanic 'Scattershot', Volcanic 'Rimfire'.)


Current struggels of Volcanic / Blaze Accelerator cards:
Cards with consistency issues:
- Wild Fire
=> Add more BA uptime, perhaps also a searcher.
- Blaze Accelerator Reload
Does more in GY than on field, while being difficult to put face-up turn 1 (needed for Doomfire to be summoned). Only if you draw Scattershot could this serve as an interrupt, otherwise it draws 1. Pairs well with Wild Fire for a double Raigeki.
=> Higher consistency to put it up + enable Rocket to search and subsequently discard it
- Volcanic Inferno / Volcanic Recharge
=> 1 more searcher or setter. Though Recharge needs more to be of value. It's sole purpose in modern YuGiOh would be to recycle Scattershot on the opponents turn, so you can use a second Reload from GY that same turn. The deck can't even consistently get Reload in GY as is.

Combo issues:
- Normal summoned Volcanic Shell / Volcanic Scattershot
=> There are currently only 2 solutions to YuGiOh's inherent probem of powercrept old cards:
1) Retrains: risk fully eclipsing the base card.
2) Link-1/1-card contact fusion: upgrades any usable base. Risks enabling a free +1.
Shell/Scattershot have unique and niche effects, even as of today. As such, I will explore the Link-1 idea first.
- Volcanic Rocket
=> More ways to special summon it (currently it searches VBA. VBA is the only card that lets you Special Summon in Volcanics). More ways to extend with the card you search. Higher consistency to discard Reload archetypically.

Borderline useless:
- Volcanic Queen
=> More searchers. More cards to avoid having to Normal Summon Volcanics.
- Volcanic Doomfire
=> Higher Reload access. 1 more way to summon it ignoring its summoning condition.
- Tri-Blaze Accelerator
=> Because of the narrow remaining utility between Reload and Volcanic Blaze Accelerator: if the opportunity cost is near 0, only then could this brick see usage as a none-once-per removal tool that lets you discard any Pyro.
- Volcanic Blaster / Slicer / Counter / Hammer
=> Too weak effects to matter in Modern YuGiOh.
- Rat
=> Konami's Normal Monster support has to improve this, not me.

Lacks targets:
- Fire Ejection
=> 1 more Volcanic with a GY effect and/or ways to improve Shell

Sum of bad 2-card combos, not counting duplicates:
Shell + Scattershot
Shell + Fire Ejection / Emperor / VBA
Scattershot + Rocket
Going first only: Volcanic Rocket + VBA

Summary;
- Another Volcanic Monster with a GY effect
- An effect to special summon a Volcanic or generic Pyro from hand/deck, preferably ignoring summoning condition.
- An effect to place Reload and Tri-Blaze Accelerator face-up  /  More Blaze Accelerator uptime
- An effect to search, set, or place a Volcanic trap.
- A searcher for Volcanic Doomfire and Volcanic Queen
- A link-1 / contact fusion or retrain.

Additional lacking aspects:
- Spell/Trap removal.
- Turn 0 interaction (like any old deck)

Now what else does the deck *want*?
- Even more Burn
- More Pyros in GY for the Emperor.
- More summons to the opponents field


All this said, what does that support look like in as few as possible cards?

1st card:
- Another Volcanic Monster with a GY effect
- An effect to special summon a Volcanic or generic Pyro from hand/deck, preferably ignoring summoning condition.
- An effect to place more BA's face-up turn 1
- Turn 0 plays
Name: Volcanic Deployer;
Level 4; FIRE/Pyro; 1000-2000 ATK/1000 DEF
(Quick Effect) You can discard this card from your hand: then you can place 1 "Blaze Accelerator" Continuous Spell/Trap card from your hand or Deck face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone. Also for the rest of the turn, each time a Pyro-Type monster is send to the GY using a "Blaze Accelerator" card or effect; inflict 500 damage to your opponent’s LP.
If this card is in your GY: Immediately after this effect resolves, Special Summon a Pyro-type monster from your hand ignoring its special summoning condition.
*You can only use each effect of "Volcanic Deployer" once per turn.
=>
- Accounts for Special Summon-only utilities for Volcanic Queen with its GY effect and by putting VBA up.
- Turns Fire Eject into an extender to unbrick Queen, Emperor, and Doomfire. In addition to any Pyro Pile names.
- Not a starter by itself. Always needs a second card or for the opponent to control a monster to be a starter, making it explicitly stronger when going second.
- The continuous effect accounts for BA, Tri-Blaze, Reload, and VBA's activations.
- The continuous effect adds a Burn effect to satisfy the design criteria fully.
- Turn 0 plays by putting Reload face-up to draw 1 or to Raigeki if you opened Scattershot + Deployer. Puts Reload up for Doomfire turn 1. Puts VBA for extension turn 2 if you don't believe in draw 1 or have no Volcanics in hand.

This effect alone would make Volcanics competitive and provide further usage of Volcanic cards in Pyro oriented decks. And while the second effect sounds like it opens a can of worms, it has no targets better than Volcanics, Radiant Typhoon Fonix, and bad burn cards like Mars (worse Emperor).




2nd card:
- A searcher for Wild Fire, Doomfire, and Queen... well 2/3.
- A link-1 / contact fusion or retrain.
Name: Volcanic Tracer
Level 2; FIRE/Pyro; 350 ATK/0 DEF
Material: 2 Pyros
Must be either Fusion Summoned, or Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by Tributing 1 Level 4 or lower Pyro-Type monster while a Blaze Accelerator card is in your field, GY, or your hand (reveal it).
You can only Special Summon "Volcanic Tracer" once per turn this way.
Discard a card, and if you do, you can add a "Volcanic" Monster from deck to your hand. If you activated the effect of a Pyro-type monster in GY this turn, you can instead add a card that mentions a "Blaze Accelerator" from deck to your hand.
=>
- Summon condition based off 'Fallen Angel of the Golden Land'.
- The handreveal makes it so Rocket can search Reload and still go into this.
- The discard cost is a cost for all except Rocket, where it instead an enabler for 1-card Quick Effect Raigeki.

Changes I could make:
1) BUFF. Move the discard to be an on-summon mandatory discard effect with some additional effect. Example: 'If this card is Special Summoned using a "Volcanic" Monster, you can discard a card: send a "Volcanic Shell" from deck to GY.' . It could be this is the right answer, but I am not mentally prepared to accept a +2 going link-1 is the solution.
2) BUFF. Not require a GY activation. Majorly buffs Normal Summon Rocket, but enables Trooper and Snake-Eyes.
3) NERF. Remove the more custom summon by revealing a BA from hand: I really would prefer to keep it in order to custom buff Rocket, as it is the sole way I see the deck could have future proofed wiggle room off established cards.

Challenges:
- If I made the search effect be the discard currently on the summon condition, there are issues. The condition is still generic enough for decks like Snake-Eye, and a little more restrictive on Volcanics in its GY activation requirement, forcing the inclusion of at least VBA and Trooper into SE decks.
- Adjusting the summon condition to Volcanics and dropping the GY activation could make it easier on Volcanics, but removes any inclusion potential off Snake-Eyes or Laval.
- Ideally, it is a Link monster, preventing it from being a potential body for Greater Inari Fire. I already made it level 2 so it can't go into Relinquished Anima but it can still be the other summon cost. But, this is a GX deck still without a summon mechanic. The current summon condition fixes the issues, while being on-par with 'Fallen Angel of the Golden Land', and a novelty for Link-monsters.

- The current suggested effect(s) don't fix the following:
The fusion is primarily off a Normal Summon. So it doesn't directly improve Volcanic Queen. This card is only accessible IF hard drawing VBA + a small Volcanic (~50% odds in a 5 card opening hand: 1/6 + 1/15 in 40 for 5 card hand), or other BA + Eject + a small Volcanic (~5.5%: 1/2 + 1/15 + 1/3 in 40 for 5 card hand). Normal summoning either Trooper or Rocket wouldn't allow for it. Both those lines also need the following card to allow, or up the odds to that number:


So what do both Tracer and Deployer change by existing:
Must:
- Volcanic Rocket.

Good:
- Fire Ejection. Amazing 2-card combo with any VBA access.
- Reload. Still relies on getting Wild Fire, Doomfire, or Queen of the Blazing Domain to get it off field/hand into GY, but hey, viable 2-card combo with Deployer to either summon it + have reload active, or to send and hope to draw something better. Off Normal Rocket -> Tracer; you have many choices.
- Shell. 100% optimum. Now represents 50% of all utility in 2-card combo's of Eject + VBA/Rocket/Trooper/Deployer. Previously only specifically Trooper + Eject or as generic reusable fodder.
- Scattershot. 100% optimum. Deployer is an amazing (but ashable) handtrap alongside this. In the past you had 2 fringe lines.

Improved but potentially still lacking:
- Volcanic Queen. ~90% optimum. For what 1-card can do. Deployer does most of it. More VBA off Deployer to avoid normal summoning. Ways to Deployer a Reload and send Reload using Queens for 1K burn + priming Reload. Fire Eject can special her.
- Wild Fire. ~50-75% optimum. Without a searcher, it still requires to be hard drawn.
- Volcanic Doomfire. ~100% optimum. Now cheatable in 2 ways, Deployer lets you instantly summon it out using various 2-card hands. This is the best it could get as a 1-off OTK tool. Dated for modern standards thanks to Fire Links and the decks native burn + Emperor, but the best I could make this.
- Tri-Blaze Accelerator. ~100% optimum. Can be cheated out. It's 3 pops off Deployer + any small name (-> Tracer search Shell).
- Volcanic Slicer / Hammer / Rat / Blaster / Counter. There was never a reason to use them, but they are now a tiny bit better.
- Wild Fire is searchable, but mostly the weaker of the 2 searches as it only exists in a win-more scenario.

Nothing changed:
- Volcanic Inferno/Recharge.

Summary of remaining issues:
- A card to set a "Volcanic" Trap from deck.



Opening hand: Rocket
1) Normal Summon Rocket. Search Reload
2) Make Tracer off Rocket by revealing Reload.
3) Discard Reload.
=> Raigeki.



Trooper can directly search Deployer, and with Trooper -> Tracer, you can use the searched VBA to do as you please.

Normal summon Shell + Reload in hand: worst case scenario:
1) Normal Shell
2) Make Tracer, discard Reload or any other card: add Deployer.
3) Discard Deployer putting VBA (whichever you lack).
4) Activate Shell form the GY to add another Shell
5) Special Summon Shell.
6) Link off Shell for Linkuriboh.
7) Activate Shell to add the last Shell
8) Activate the GY effect of Deployer to normal the last Shell
9) Link all 3 off for Princess.
10) Either resummon a Shell to make Amblo + Reload in GY and pass; or Banish Reload for Trooper / Rocket to then summon Trooper / Rocket.

If I zoom out for FTK;
on the Shell off VBA summon, you can make Relinquished Anima. But despite searching Fire Art, you need to have also hard drawn Emperor, and would only Burn 1500 (emperor summon) + 1550 (Emission on Emperor) + 3100 (Kurenai on Emperor); aka 6150. You are 1850 short. Aka 3 Special Summons vs Emperor before lethal. Even if I imply Reload is in GY, you are 150 above the 3x Scattershot from winning the moment you Normal Summon.


The only hands that could brick (end on a link-2) include:
2-3 Rimfire / Fire Ejection
2-3 Shell / Fire Ejection
2-3 Scattershot / Fire Ejection
Drawing any of Rocket / Trooper / Deployer fixes these 3 hands.

Deck: 0-3 Shell, 2-3 Rimfire, 3 Scattershot, 2-3 Trooper, 3 Rocket, 3 Deployer, 0-1 Queen, 0-1 Doomfire, 1-2 Emperor, 2-3 Fire Ejection, 3 Bonfire, 0-2 Wild Fire, 1 BA, 2-3 VBA, 1-2 Reload, 1 Emission, 0-1 Eruption.
Extra deck: 2 Volcanic Tracer
That's 24 - 38 main deck archetypical cards. Very reasonable for a coherent decklist such as this one.



From here I delve purely into the territory of entirely new cards;
You can argue that each volcanic support wave should make a new Blaze Accelerator. The above also leads to a good chance to surplus access to BA cards compared to the number of options (BA, Tri-Blaze, Reload, VBA; 2 are good). Imply we retain GY reliance and add a control focus instead of combo. Rocket -> Tracer is a real play vs Fuwa, especially with hard drawn Wild Fire/Emission/Eruption. Same for existent Rimfire + VBA -> make Emperor burn 500, set Emission turn 2 summon a 2nd Emperor. It wouldn't make thematic sense to give them a Martha/Battlin' Boxer Promoter or a Level 5-6 fusion that extends.

Because the deck is from GX, I will imply the deck to get a fusion summon if any summon mechanic. However, I then must ask "Who is this for". Volcanics are generic Pyro support that have an archetypical focus around Burn and Blaze Accelerator cards (Monster removal).
A Volcanic Polymerization + Fusion monster would:
1) Supply any Pyro centric deck with a Fusion monster. Making any Pyro deck that doesn't summon mechanism lock the audience: Snake-Eyes, Centurion, Laval, and a little bit Hazy Flame. Ashened locks to Pyro. Ryzeal would be the sole exclusion in this aspect.
2) Aid them in the mechanics of the fusion summoning process (ex. sending a Pyro to GY for cost). Depends on the mechanic, but Lavals would want specific Pyros send to the GY from deck.
3) Summon target for Fusioning. Currently only Ashened is a Fusion centric Pyro deck that would consider bringing out a none-specified Pyro-type fusion monster.

1st point is a none-issue. Pyro decks could already opt to use Volcanic cards, if it's not deemed worth, they don't use it. A fusion boss in Volcanics toolkit would only make themselves more appealing.

2nd point is easy. All good Fusion spells allow you to cheat material in some capacity. You are never summoning out Volcanic Tracer with a regular Pyro polymerization (even in Ashened that would be questionable). Which means we take inspiration off of established good Fusion cards who all send Monsters from main deck to GY for cost. Among these Shaddoll Fusion is the most logical to design after, as Volcanics work around the opponent controlling a monster:

Name: Blaze Accelerator Melt-Out
Continuous Spell
Fusion Summon 1 Pyro-type Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Material.
If your opponent controls a monster, you can also use monsters in your Deck as Fusion Material including a "Volcanic" monster.
During the End Phase, if a Blaze Accelerator card is banished this turn; add 1 Pyro-Type monster from GY or Banishment to your hand.
You can only use the effect of "Blaze Accelerator Melt-Out" once per turn.

=>
We can debate on the balacing. As it stands, Volcanics are most likely to give the opponent a monster, thans to Fire Ejection. I would not be opposed to the idea of say 3 Fire Ejection + 1 Rimfire or Emperor + 3 BAMO in other Pyro decks... but Fire Ejection's best use right now is to pop a poplar in S/T zone or to set up for Princess to resummon whatever was send....

Lets first discuss the second effect. Volcanics have a good few End Phase cards, so logically I want another such effect for consistency. While the first effect + it's searchability is plenty to justify its use, the second gives it an archetypical spin that possitively reinforces its gameplay. Possitively implying you use Rimnfire on a BA, and summon Emperor using a BA banish. By making it *any* end phase, this also provides utility alongside Reload's GY effect. (and also by sending Rimfire to GY, which Reload's on field effect could do). That's perfect archetypical gameplay reinforcement. This rounds out Inferno's second effect to retrieve all 3 Scattershots.
Being a BA, it is searchable using Rocket, Deployer, and by cycling a BA with Rimfire.

For the first effect: The Volcanic requirement filters out the only Pyro-Fusion that isn't Pyro centric, namely Prank-Kids (The Pyro Ritual beast can't be fusion summoned). Otherwise this becomes a generic starter for them. That leaves Blaze Fenix, a Pyro HERO, and Ashened.

3rd point. What Volcanics want most in a boss is a Quick Effect Spell/Trap removal to pair with their various Monster removals. This happens to be very similar to Veidos the Dragon of Endless Darkness. With the previous suggested fusion spell, the new Volcanic Boss 1:1 competes with Veidos, especially so if on a Trap/Quick-Play.
To keep Veidos considerable but not overshadowed, grouped the last issues that happen to work together:
- Properly incorporating Wild Fire
- More ways to get Inferno / Recharge (or intercharge Emission's set by Emperor).
- More ways to bring out Doomfire / Emperor.
- Make multiple Reload a viable option (which indirectly makes Recharge plausible to consider)

As a result I ended up with the following card:
Name: Volcanic Ruler
Level 8-10; FIRE/Pyro; 2600-3400 ATK / 2000-3000 DEF
Material: 2-3 Pyro-type monsters
If this card is Fusion Summoned: Set from deck to your field, 1 "Volcanic" Spell/Trap or a Spell/Trap that mentions a "Blaze Accelerator" card.
Each time your opponent activates a Spell/Trap card; inflict 1000 damage to their LP.
If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher "Volcanic" monster from GY or deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions, but return it to the hand during the End Phase.

=>
Similar to Emperor, except no on-summon burn. Can set Wild Fire or any BA. The tax effect is mirrored to Spells/Traps, and doubled to account the lower activation compared to monsters. On destruction, including from resolving Wild Fire, it floats into Emperor, even one destroyed by the same Wild Fire. +End phase effect that Emission, Inferno, and Cyclone (Anime card) have.

Endboard upgrades:
Emperor can set any Volcanic Trap (Emission, Eruption, and Recharge). This in combination with the fusion spell's effect and Wild Fire; the deck can now consistently end on Wild Fire + Reload + Volcanic Emission / Inferno.
Depending on which ones were drawn into, or if Reload was put by Rimfire / Deployer; any combination is now viable.


All said and done; an idealistic Volcanic endboard now looks like;
2000 inflicted burn,
Volcanic Emperor + Volcanic Ruler + a Link-2 (example Flame Tongue)
Reload face-up, Wild Fire, and Emission / Inferno.
If you opened Rocket/Bonfire + 2 of Deployer/Trooper/Shell, then a Reload could be in GY as well. In which case the last trap can be Recharge for a greedy 3rd board wipe.

1-3 Dark Hole / Raigeki's
2-3 Tax dragons, 1-2 Special summon, 1 Spell/Trap activation. (Though, the current order implies summoning the second Emperor only after using Wild Fire.)
1 negate
2000 pre-emptive Burn.

With Flametongue protecting the backrow or Amblowhale summoning back I:P Masquerena, this is a VERY resilliant board.
Against Mulcharmy's simplified boards:
Opening hand: Trooper / Bonfire + BA Melt-Out or Deployer / Rocket + Fire Ejection
Board: Emperor, Ruler, Emission, Inferno, 500 pre-burn, and a remaining Deployer/Rocket/Trooper body.
That's only 1 draw for each Mulcharmy (of any type), and 3 draws for Maxx "C". If it's "C"; Normal Rocket, search Reload, summon Tracer and send Reload. GY Raigeki; 1900 body on field, and accepting they went neutral and turn skipped you. Any of the hard drawn endpiece s/t's, and none-engine handtraps can make that passable.

Total deck summary:
Deck: 0-3 Shell, 2-3 Rimfire, 3 Scattershot, 1-3 Trooper, 1-3 Rocket, 3 Deployer, 0-1 Queen, 0-1 Doomfire, 1-2 Emperor, 0-3 Fire Ejection, 3 Bonfire, 1-2 Wild Fire, 1 BA, 2-3 VBA, 1-3 BA Melt-Out, 1-2 Reload, 1 Emission, 0-1 Eruption, 0-1 Recharge.
Extra deck: 2 Tracer, 1-2 Ruler
That's 24 - 42 archetypical main deck cards; 2-4 Extra deck cards.
Personally, I would advice the following main deck:
2 Rimfire, 3 Scattershot, 3 Trooper, 2 Rocket, 3 Deployer, 2 Emperor, 3 Fire Ejection, 3 Bonfire, 1 Wild Fire, 1 BA, 2 VBA, 1 BA-MO, 1 Emission. 27 Maindeck, a solid 13 / 40 left to run none-engine like Dominus Impulse, Imperm, Mulcharmy's, Called By, Triple Tac, Forbidden Droplet / Crown, and Ash Blossom.
Shell is equally valid for more Link plays at cost of some none-engine. Greater Inari / Fire Art for FTK enabling. More BA's and Queens for go-second or general odds when being forced to go second. 2 Wild Fire / Reload is the fun kind of greedy, but most probably won't give the competitive edge in the end. Trooper is listed at 2 for sake of '5 prefered Normal Summons is ideal', make it 3 otherwise.

For ideal archetype mixing; 9 Diabell/Snake-Eye/Sinful cards will give it plenty synergies to go from one into the other. That's 1 Poplar, Ash, Oak, Flamberge, 1 Sinful, and 4 of Diabell/WANTED. Can be expanded with a second Poplar, a temple, more Ash, or more Diabell/WANTED. With all none-engine accounted for, you can even add in That Grass Looks Greener and Fire Recovery to reach 60.











Second plausibility: no link-1/contact fusion. Instead retraining the worst Volcanic cards:

Name: Volcanic Fulljack
Level 1 ; FIRE/Pyro; 500/0
If this card is send to the GY: you can add a "Volcanic Fulljack" from deck to your hand, then, if it was send by the effect of a "Tri-Blaze Accelerator", you can destroy all monsters your opponent controls.
If this card is Normal Summoned: add from deck to your hand a card that mentions a "Blaze Accelerator" card.
You can use each effect of "Volcanic Fulljack" once per turn.
=>
- Not infinite, unlike Shell, but still lets you add 1 for extension (only Emperor / Shell could do such a thing from GY)
- Avoids GY Reload abuse. Scattershot retains that upside as well as providing 3 Pyros. Also does not copy the 500 burn on being send. But you do copy Scattershots Raigeki effect if Reload (or Tri-Blaze Accelerator) is face-up on field.

Name: Rekindled Blaze Accelerator
Continuous Spell
(This card is always treated as "Blaze Accelerator".)
You can target 1 card your opponent controls; send 1 Level 4 or lower Pyro-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard, and if you do, destroy it, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the original ATK of the send monster.
If this card is send to the GY: you can send a "Volcanic" monster from deck to your GY.
You can only use this each effect of "Rekindled Blaze Accelerator" once per turn.
=>
- First effect upgrades the OG BA in cost (but not all the way), lets it target any card, and has a burn effect to boot. Also got rid of the battle effect restriction, this is 2026 not 2007.
- Second effect lets you extend using Fulljack, Shell, or Emperor.
Assured 1-off. Heavily considerable as a 2-off if you run various GY send effects alongside Volcanics.

Decision now is 2-3 VBA + 1-2 RBA + 0-1 Reload; contrast to 3 VBA + 1 BA + 1 BA/Reload. 3 copies of Fulljack replace 3 Shell and 3 Scattershot.
Reducing up to 5 cards and reworking at least 4 copies.

Name: Volcanic Blast Fire
Quick-Play Spell
Destroy a face-up "Blaze Accelerator" card you control or in your hand, then destroy all Spell/Traps on field.
Then, Special Summon "Bomb Token"s (FIRE/Pyro/Level 1/ATK 1000/DEF 1000) to either field, in Attack Position, up to the number of Spell/Traps destroyed by this effect.
Each time a "Bomb Token" is destroyed, its controller takes 500 damage.
=>
- Searchable
- Synergizes even with Reload on your first turn
- Far greater going-second potential than Wild Fire thanks to summoning more tokens to your field, and by not costing the battle phase.
- Still lets you summon Bomb Tokens to the opponents field.
- Serves as a way to send Volcanics from field to the GY. (Even outside of Genesys, we can't always do that)

What would a decklist look like with this:

Deck: 3 Fulljack, 2 Rimfire, 3 Trooper, 3 Rocket, 1 Emperor, 3 Bonfire, 2 Volcanic Blast Fire, 2 RBA, 3 VBA, 1 Emission.
Down to 23 cards for main deck.