Maelstrom

Blue Storm Supreme Dragon, Glory Maelstrom (V Series)

Maelstrom (メイルストローム Meirusutorōmu) is a set of Tear Dragon cards that include "Maelstrom" in their card names exclusive to the Aqua Force clan, introduced in Booster Set 8: Blue Storm Armada.

All of the members of this archetype are also members of the Blue Storm sub-clan.

Known/Notable Cardfighters

• Jillian Chen
• Leon Soryu
• Leon Soryu (V Series)
• Sharlene Chen

Playstyle

This archetype's playstyle is notable for introducing the guard restriction preventing your opponent from calling grade 1 or greater cards from their hand to the guardian circle. Later forms of Maelstrom have effects that blend retiring, guard restriction, and drawing cards. As the second iteration of Maelstrom is a Cross Ride, the later forms also have a focus of requiring Maelstrom to be in the soul, up until G Booster Set 13: Ultimate Stride, where it became the main focus of the support to put as many Maelstroms in your soul as possible.

In the V Series, the guard restriction trend continued slightly, while the archetype also makes use of Imaginary Gift:Accel, and powering up your units in the front row.

Design

Maelstrom himself is the second admiral of Aqua Force, taking charge of the clan after his predecessor turned evil, until he too succumbed to evil. Despite this, he is shown to be a strong and caring leader. His appearance is that of a centaur-like dragon, equipped with a multitude of cannons in the shape of wings. This centaur-like design may be inspired by the Greco-Roman gods Neptune and Poseidon, who are said to be the gods of the sea, storms, and horses. In pop culture, Neptune and Poseidon are sometimes depicted as having their lower halves being that of a sea creature's, such as tentacles or fish tails. The dragon admirals of Aqua Force are said to be giant in size as well, giving them a god-like appearance. Maelstrom himself is named after the phenomena of the same name, which is a large, powerful whirlpool.

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