Vanilla is a slang term used by players in various trading card games to refer to a creatures or cards that have "no abilities".
They are also referred to as either "vanilla creatures" or "vanilla cards".
Details
A typical vanilla card would be a creature such as Burning Mane.
This is a Game Original Card. |
Burning Mane | |
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Civilization(s): | Nature |
Card Type: | Creature |
Mana Cost: | 2 |
Race: | Beast Folk |
Flavor Text: | It pulled up a young tree by its roots, swinging it over its head as though it were a twig. (DM-01) |
Power: | 2000 |
Mana Number | 1 |
Artist: | Sansyu |
Due to their lack of abilities they are often shunned and dismissed in many decks. However, due to their usual stable and balanced power to cost ratio (1 mana for 1000 power) they are often seen as decent creatures to evolve onto depending on their race(s).
While they might seem as "boring" or "useless" they can be useful to teach new players how to play Duel Masters without complications during creature attacks and are often featured in starter decks due to this fact not to confuse players that are new to the game.
Creatures such as Zagaan, Knight of Darkness can be be close to be considered as a vanilla creature due to its "Double breaker" ability that is seen as easy to understand and something basic that many higher power creatures have. It is often called a "french vanilla" (or even "quasi-vanilla") due to this, a card that is seemingly vanilla other than a small standard ability such as Double breaker or Shield Trigger (such as Amber Grass).
A few vanilla creatures even feature no flavor text (in the OCG) such as Skeleton Soldier, the Defiled or Alpaca Hammer. However, the opposite is also true on cards such as the Parlock line of cards or cards such as Rhapsody, Guard of Hope which feature more flavor text than other cards due to not being restricted by their effect text.
Although any of the creatures stay at a ratio of 1 mana for 1000 power, there are many exceptions such as Tulk, the Oracle (1 for 500), Lazerion, Light Attack Soldier (3 for 3500) and Dunas, Spirit Knight (3 for 4000).
DMR-07 introduced a new creature Vanilla Giant (named after this slang term) that is a Nature creature with 4 for 5000 power. The set also introduced card draw and cost reduction capabilities for when vanilla creatures are played, which is the first form of support given to them 11 years after Duel Masters began. Whether future support will be released in upcoming sets is currently unknown.
While most Vanilla creatures are between the mana costs of 1 to 4, some exist at 5 and 6 mana as well. The strongest Vanilla creature currently in the game is Raging Dragon Lord in the Fire Civilization which costs 7 mana and has 25000 power. In DMR-10, a vanilla creature, Cobra, Snake Man Show, is introduced with a power of 2013 to commemorate the 13 years of Duel Masters which sparks interest in vanilla decks among players.
Support
Support Creature: | Card Effect: |
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Aqua Teacher | When you summon a creature that has no abilities, you may draw a card. |
Sandpit Man | When you put this creature into the battle zone, you may put 2 creatures that have no abilities from your graveyard into the battle zone. |
Delacroix, Heroine of Liberation | When your creatures that have no abilities attack, that creature gets +6000 power and breaks an additional shield. |
Matsurida Wasshoi | Your creatures that cost 3 or more that have no abilities cost 2 less to summon. However, they can't cost less than 1. |
Wendigo Apache, Izanai's Blank | When you put this creature into the battle zone, search your deck. You may put a creature that costs 4 or less from among it that has no abilities into the battle zone. Then shuffle your deck. |
Parlock, Sacred Prayer | When you put this creature into the battle zone, reveal cards from your deck until you reveal a card that has abilities, and put that card into your hand. Then, put the rest of the revealed cards into the battle zone. |
When you put this creature into the battle zone, this turn, your creatures in the battle zone that have no abilities get +5000 power and break an additional shield. | |
Reveal the top 5 cards of your deck. From among them, put any creatures that have no abilities into your hand, and put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order. |
Deck Types
List of Vanilla creatures
- Amarin, Electro Star Tree Q
- Ballas, Vizier of Electrons
- Baruasatte, Vizier of Electronics
- Conight, the Oracle
- Jetta, Scar Guardian
- Kehai Lurking at Night
- Keylock, Strange Stone
- Maritebanas, the Oracle
- Merkin, Twin Ball
- Pure Trotter, the Thunder
- Razenki, the Explorer
- Reusol, the Oracle
- Venileo, White Strike Wings
- Willow Tree
- Dorura, Model Dragon Enforcer
- Effia, White Knight Oracle
- Electro Explorer Syrion
- Iconic Man
- Iere, Vizier of Bullets
- Lazerion, Light Attack Soldier
- Lightning Grass
- March
- Nicolaus, the Spydroid
- Rahars, Spirit Knight
- Reso Pacos, Clear Sky Guardian
- Shinburu, Beginning of the Definite
- Spectral Horn Glitalis
- Vinci, Pure White Will
- Vuanie, Guarding Wings
- Vuotaru, Red Attack Silver
- A Zarashi
- Amarin, Electro Star Tree Q
- Aqua Vehicle
- Clio Neck
- Cute Whisper
- Cyclone Clear, Clothing Cleaner
- Dionefish
- Dueman
- Formal Heart
- Fuuma Folgarol
- Guguppi, Next Generation Champion
- Lantern Cluster
- Major Cluster
- Namakoko, Shell Beast
- Parlock ~Final Voyage~
- Poison Fish
- Steam Star
- Zolul, Aqua Combatant
- Ameizinger, Heaven Armored Equipment
- Aqua Blade, Blue Wolf
- Assembler
- Electro Explorer Syrion
- Iconic Man
- Isorock, Aqua Captain
- Lady Parlock, Pirate Shaman
- Orbicular Helmet, the Spherical
- Parlock Junior / A New Departure
- Promephius Q
- Railgun, Akashic Force
- Rambo Mambo
- Sea Mutant Dormel
- Spu Moni
- TV-30, Moral
- Tansanman, Invader
- Tragic Iolite
- Treasure Discovery! Parlock Junior
- Acme, First Seed
- Bonedance, Invader
- Chouba Pias
- Darkness Leohl
- Darkness Yagijou
- February
- Fuuma Rerajes
- Janeer, Parasite of Decay
- Jobseeking Man
- Junkatz, Rabid Doll
- Kehai Lurking at Night
- Paper Scrap Man
- Sand Playing Man
- Tentaic Worm, Plague Worm
- The Black Box
- Vorg, Brawler of Hell
- Writhing Bone Ghoul
- Acme, First Seed
- Benbe, Major Star
- Bulldog, New Year Starter
- Cobra, Snake Man Show
- Dalmoa, Explosive Heat Blade
- Demon Armed Soldier Zugon
- Donsucurry Panpan
- Gonta, the Warrior Savage
- Immortal Baron, Vorg
- Les's Wrench
- Meteor, Explosive Doctor
- Noppi Lupia
- Onimane, Cosplayer
- Peugeot, Theater Star
- Picora's Wrench
- Pontiac, Firestarter
- Tsukkomi Panda Deis
- Vinja, Fighter of the Whirlwind
- Vorg, Brawler of Hell
- Antarios, Spirit Knight
- Bearkodash, Bears Style
- Botegutta, Shiguta
- Burning Mane
- Chictac Kyun, Spirit Beast
- Chimpanjy
- Gonta, the Warrior Savage
- Nigawarai
- Scowling Tomato
- Shenometh, Gambling Society
- Slumber Shell
- Snow Shunfist, Savage Faerie
- Stick, Snow Faerie
- The Pakomen
- Tsukkomi Panda Deis
- Yuuki, the Invoked
- Alpaca Hammer
- Alpaca Hammer / Command of the Gang Leader
- Bunilla
- Buzz Betocchi
- Dunas, Spirit Knight
- Fear Fang
- Iconic Man
- Illusory Berry
- Kirin Twain, Jungle Adventurer
- Mask-do Cherry
- Night Owl Meisama
- Nyanjiro, Treasure Cat
- Parlock Junior / A New Departure
- Pottsun
- Rabbicellon, Pure Eyes
- Ranivu, Pure Style
- Rendan, Gentleman Faerie
- Spectral Horn Glitalis
- Wairabi Fourth
Zero Cards
Rulings
This can include any card without effect text, this includes such things as multicolored cards that are put tapped into your mana zone. Due to this, cards such Gonta, the Warrior Savage are not considered to be true Vanilla creatures.
A creature such as Cute Whisper or Necrodragon Tsukuyomi are supported by cards that care for vanilla creatures, as "Soul" is not considered to be an ability.
A card such as Promephius Q is considered to be a vanilla creature, due to it featuring no text in its effect box. While a survivor creature often gets the abilities shared to it by other survivors, it is considered to be a vanilla creature in its hand or battle zone by itself.
A card is still be considered vanilla for just including Flavor Text, as it does not influence gameplay in any form and is not considered to be an ability.