Xtreme Evolvers

Xtreme Evolvers (XEs) are a set of cards created by DinoFlame (and Theo), inspired by the Jurassic Park CamoXtreme toyline and intended to act as an inbetween of ZD935's Chaos Effect and cards such as Donte'.

Summary
The idea for Xtreme Evolvers were originally conceived by DinoFlame as a response to the Chaos Effect cards, and to create more cards akin to Donte'. They are elementally-charged prehistoric creatures, inspired by the Jurassic Park CamoXtreme toyline. All of the XE cards are made by DinoFlame, and the artwork for them is made by Altaria. As of Wave 3 there is a total of 85 XE cards.

XEs can only be played via use of move cards called "Evolvers". Each elemental archetype has its own Evolver to summon its cards, such as Desert Evolver for Desert XEs, and Volcanic Evolver for Volcanic XEs. These Evolvers can only be used by Prehistoric cards. When an Evolver is used, the card using it is destroyed, and an XE of the appropriate archetype whose first attribute -or first two attributes if it has three- is the same as the destroyed card can be summoned. The summoned XE's HP is then determined by adding the HP listed on it to that of the destroyed card. In addition, the XE also gets the attacks and abilities of the card destroyed in order to play it. This in effect makes the XE like a power-up for the defeated card as much as anything else. After all of that, the Evolver is then returned to its owner's hand, allowing for repeated uses of it.

In comparison to Chaos Effect cards, XEs have both advantages and disadvantages. While CE cards require two cards on your field to be played, XEs are fully usable in single battles. Reversely, while CE cards can "stack", XEs cannot on account of not being Prehistoric cards. The fact that XEs can only be summoned with Prehistoic cards limits them even more compared to CE cards, but gives them far more use than Donte'. Also, like CE cards, XEs have the downside of eating away at your card total because to the multiple cards needed to play them. However, XEs are still without question powerful cards, both in brute force and strategy.

Wave 1: Xtreme Evolvers
The first wave of Xtreme Evolvers was released on December 24th, 2012. It contained a total of 28 cards and introduced the Arctic, Desert, Jungle, Mountain, Storm, Toxic, and Volcanic XE archetypes.

Arctic XEs
Arctic Acrocanthosaurus

Arctic Concavenator

Arctic Evolver

Arctic Stegosaurus

Desert XEs
Desert Evolver

Desert Hatzegopteryx

Desert Megalania

Desert Spinosaurus

Jungle XEs
Jungle Carnotaurus

Jungle Euphoberia

Jungle Evolver

Jungle Saichania

Mountain XEs
Mountain Elmisaurus

Mountain Evolver

Mountain Pachycephalosaurus

Mountain Shastasaurus

Storm XEs
Storm Evolver

Storm Psittacosaurus

Storm Quetzalcoatlus

Storm Therizinosaurus

Toxic XEs
Toxic Arthropleura

Toxic Bradycneme

Toxic Eocarcharia

Toxic Evolver

Volcanic XEs
Volcanic Cameroceras

Volcanic Evolver

Volcanic Javan Giant Pangolin

Volcanic Parasaurolophus

Wave 2: Black & White Versions
The second wave of XEs introduced another 28 cards and was released on Feburary 8th, 2013. It featured Storm Amphicoelias and Volcanic Bruhathkayosaurus, which acted as mascots for the wave, appearing on the release banner in parody of the Pokemon Zekrom and Reshiram.

Arctic XEs
Arctic Doedicurus

Arctic Herrerasaurus

Arctic Ornithocheirus

Arctic Segnosaurus

Desert XEs
Desert Cracharodontosaurus

Desert Charonosaurus

Desert Gallimimus

Desert Stupendemys

Jungle XEs
Jungle Koolasuchus

Jungle Staurikosaurus

Jungle Tyrannosaurus

Jungle Utahraptor

Mountain XEs
Mountain Amargasaurus

Mountain Andrewsarchus

Mountain Costoroides

Mountain Paleoparadoxia

Storm XEs
Storm Amphicoelias

Storm Baryonyx

Storm Bullockornis

Storm Pelagornis

Toxic XEs
Toxic Aerosteon

Toxic Elasmosaurus

Toxic Gastonia

Toxic Megaraptor

Volcanic XEs
Volcanic Bruhathkayosaurus

Volcanic Dsungaripterus

Volcanic Homalocephale

Volcanic Liopleurodon

Wave 3: Night of the Living Dodo: The Freezing Death
On March 28th, 2013, DinoFlame and Theo revealed that wave 3 would contain XEs for Amurosaurus, Basilosaurus, and Spinophorosaurus. On April 7th, 2013, DinoFlame posted a teaser that hinted at various upcoming XEs, including a head-shot and eye-shot of two of them. The teaser also announced the release date of April 9, 2013.

On April 9, 2013, the wave was released with a total of 29 cards and introduced the Wasteland archetype. Included in it were Arctic Breviparopus and Wasteland Albertosaurus.

Arctic XEs
Arctic Breviparopus

Arctic Spinophorosaurus

Desert XEs
Desert Aardonyx

Desert Deinocheirus

Jungle XEs
Jungle American Lion

Jungle Sinocalliopteryx

Mountain XEs
Mountain Abelisaurus

Mountain Gigantspinosaurus

Storm XEs
Storm Amurosaurus

Storm Ekrixinatosaurus

Toxic XEs
Toxic Anomalocaris

Toxic Parapuzosia

Volcanic XEs
Volcanic Citipati

Volcanic Pulmonoscorpius

Wasteland XEs
Wasteland Albertosaurus

Wasteland Argentavis

Wasteland Basilosaurus

Wasteland Ceolophysis

Wasteland Dodo

Wasteland Edmontosaurus

Wasteland Evolver

Wasteland Falcarius

Wasteland Fasolasuchus

Wasteland Gasosaurus

Wasteland Moschops

Wasteland Ramphosuchus

Wasteland Shuuvuia

Wasteland Stygimoloch

Wasteland Woolly Mammoth

Using XEs
When using XEs it's important to try and get as much as you can out of them to make up for the room they take up in your hand. To this end, you need to consider and take into account the combinations made between the XE and the card used to summon it. It is also good to take note to protecting your XEs, particularly from cheap tricks such as Gasosaurus.

Though XEs are powerful, you should be cautious of using a purely XE deck. It will limit your selection of cards and leave you wide open to the faults that XEs face. A better option than going the purely XE route is to throw in some other cards that can cover their weaknesses. If you insist on a pure XE deck however, it had best be with a fair bit of both power and strategy in order to overcome both your weaknesses and your opponent's.

Another way to get the most out of your XEs and their combinations is to make use of Chaos Effect cards. Combining an XE with another card as part of a CE card can result in some powerful tactics and strategies. However, keep in mind that doing such and "putting your eggs all in one basket", as the saying goes, will only make the fall harder if your opponent manages to counter your strategy.

A somewhat risky technique is to wait until the card you intend to use for your XE summon gets low on HP. Since the HP of your XE is based on base HP, this will in effect heal your card while also giving it a boost. The obvious risk however is that if you wait too long, your opponent can defeat your card before you can bring out you XE.

In the event you get stuck with an XE you are unable to summon, you can still make use of it by using cards the involve discarding a card to activate and effect, such as Spark Lit Blast or Desert Charonosaurus.

Defending against XEs
In general, there are a few ways to go about taking out XEs. You can use the abilities cards like Gasosaurus or Quetzalcoatlus to destroy and/or prevent the XE from doing anything, rendering your opponent effectively out not one but two cards. Alternatively, you can prevent the XE from being summoned in the first place with status and by destroying the card that would be used to summon the XE. Similarly, you can attempt to destroy your opponent's Evolver. If you leave your opponent unable to summon their XE, either by lack of Evolver or card to summon it with, the XE will be little more than dead weight.

Trivia

 * Many XEs make references to or are inspired by other things such as Fossil Fighters, Pokemon, and the (work in progress) Card Battles MMOG.


 * DinoFlame, after much encouragement, has made an RP based on the teaser for wave 3.