Digimon TCG: Deck Tech - How To Play Data Squad (BT25)

Data Squad is an interesting topic in the Digimon TCG community, as many fans love it and many hate it. There are many "Marcus Damons" in Digimon TCG, most notably Tamers that attack the opponent. The new support cards in ST24 made this idea a bit more coherent, combining the classic ShineGreymon kit with a unique mechanic: feeding Tamers with face-down cards.

In today's article, we'll explore a Data Squad list that plays a few new cards from Starter Deck 24 and some recent support cards that fit this game plan really well. You'll build a board full of Tamers that can all progress your main strategy.

The list we'll see today got 1st place at a Bandai event that welcomed 123 players. As usual, this doesn't represent the format as a whole, but it's a good starting point for us to understand how this archetype is seeing play now that we have ST24 to work with.

This deck is, at its core, a new version of ShineGreymon. The difference is that now it centers around the Data Squad trait and plays several face-down cards below its Tamers. They work as a sort of toolbox and can discount costs, protect your cards, or trigger effects an extra time.

Here it is:

Digi-Eggs

The Digi-Egg this list plays is Koromon BT14-001, which usually sees play in ShineGreymon strategies. Its Inherited effect draws a card once per turn when a card leaves the opponent's Security. It doesn't do anything too complex, but it plays an important role in the main game plan. This deck needs to find Tamers, Digivolution pieces, and ShineGreymon pieces, so each card you draw matters a lot. With this card, you'll never run out of gas in the first few turns.

Rookies

The level 3 base isn't very big, but it plays its role well. Agumon ST24-04 is the most important piece in this group because, when it enters or when it goes to the breeding area, it reveals the top 3 cards in your deck, then lets you pick a Data Squad card among them and put it in your hand. Finally, you can then put another Data Squad card underneath one of your Tamers, face-down. Like so, it is both a searcher and a way to refill the resources the rest of the deck needs to work.

You'll also find Ukkomon BT16-082, which doesn't fit the Data Squad kit directly but is still one of the best cards to get ahead early on. When one of your Digimon leaves the breeding area, this card reveals 3 cards, lets you get a Digimon or Tamer, and also sets up another Digi-Egg. Considering this deck is all about putting pressure on the opponent and setting up new strategies as fast as possible, this effect is great.

Gotsumon BT14-009 is a floodgate. It prevents players from putting Digimon in play through effects, which can disrupt a few opponents considerably. But you must also be careful with it. This list puts many cards in play for free, so you must use Gotsumon as a way to disrupt the opponent, not as a valuable body on the board.

Level 4 Digimon - Sunflowmon

This list only plays a few level 4 Digimon, which shows how much you can rely on alternative ways to progress your main game plan. Sunflowmon ST24-09 is the only card in this group. When it enters play or Digivolves, it suspends an enemy Digimon or Tamer, then puts the top card in your deck face-down beneath a Data Squad Tamer.

This effect seems simple, but it interacts with nearly everything in this list. Suspending enemy Tamers or Digimon will open a way so you can attack, while feeding your Tamers will set up Lilamon, RizeGreymon, and Inherited effects. Furthermore, Sunflowmon ST24-09's Inherited effect gives you +1000 DP every turn. It's a small bonus, but it could matter for attacks with Alliance or other difficult battles.

Level 5 Digimon

These level 5 Digimon are the most critical part of this deck. RizeGreymon ST24-06 gives an enemy Digimon -5000 DP when it enters, Digivolves or attacks, once per turn. Then, after you trash two face-down cards from below your Tamers, you can play or use a Data Squad card that costs 5 or less from your hand for free. Like so, you can turn your resources into immediate action.

RizeGreymon ST24-06's Inherited effect is also pretty important because it protects a Data Squad/ShineGreymon Digimon when it would leave the battle area, as long as you trash a face-down card from below one of your Tamers. Like so, your biggest stacks will be more difficult to answer, particularly when you get to the top of your curve.

Lilamon ST24-10 is perhaps the most curious card in this list because it is part of the green side of this strategy but doesn't pull the focus away from ShineGreymon. It suspends an enemy Digimon or Tamer and prevents the opponent from untapping this card until the end of their turn. Afterward, if you trash two cards from below your Tamers, you may Digivolve a Data Squad Digimon from your hand for free. Like so, you can go from a level 5 Digimon to a ShineGreymon without spending any Memory, all while you also lock down an important enemy piece.

As for RizeGreymon BT21-044, it is quite different. It turns one of your Marcus Damon into a 3000 DP Digimon with Rush and Alliance, then lets you attack with one of your Digimon. This effect is one of the ways you can turn your Tamers into damage. Just like it happens in the animated show, Marcus is not just a support character. Instead, he takes part in combat, which really fits this archetype.

ShineGreymon

The first truly expensive card in this list is ShineGreymon ST24-07, one of the brand new DUAL cards that are both Digimon and Options. As a Digimon, it has Raid, Piercing, and Security Attack +1 and also lets you play a Tamer that costs 5 or less from your hand or your trash when it Digivolves or attacks. After that, it nerfs an enemy Digimon by giving it -9000 DP. It puts pressure on the opponent, removes cards, and extends your Tamer board, all at the same time.

Its Option side, GeoGrey Sword ST24-07, is also quite relevant. It gives an enemy Digimon -6000 DP, then deletes a Digimon with 7000 DP or less. As it has Arts Digivolve, you can tap ShineGreymon instead of sending it to the trash. This flexibility is one of the reasons why this list uses 4 copies of it. It is great when you need to answer the board and when you want to progress your game plan.

ShineGreymon AD1-016 is another critical top-of-the-curve card. It has Alliance and Blocker, and, when it Digivolves or attacks, you may play a Marcus Damon from your hand or trash for free. Afterward, it gives an enemy Digimon -3000 DP for each Digimon and Tamer you control. Considering this list is full of Tamers, this number will grow quite fast, and, as such, ShineGreymon will be able to remove big bodies outside of combat.

The most important line, however, is its "in each turn" effect. When a Marcus Damon enters play or is suspended, ShineGreymon AD1-016 lets you delete an enemy Digimon with the same amount of DP as it or less. As this deck has many ways to play, suspend, and turn Marcus into an attacker, this ability will be available throughout the entire game.

Ruin Mode

The most expensive cards in this list are the four copies of ShineGreymon Ruin Mode EX4-074, which says a lot about what this list wants to do in long matches. When it Digivolves or is deleted, it gives all enemy Digimon -5000 DP until the end of the opponent's next turn. This effect, by itself, already completely changes how the opponent can develop the board. You'll often gain a free turn because of it.

Please note that ShineGreymon Ruin Mode EX4-074 also deletes itself at the end of the attack, deletes an enemy Digimon, activates Recovery +1, and can also set up a Digi-Egg if you have a Tamer. Usually, losing your most expensive card would be too costly, but this interacts with Analog Youth EX1-066. Most notably, with the idea of interacting with Digi-Eggs and playing and keeping Tamers on the board.

Tamers and Options

The Tamer base is one of the most important parts of this deck. Marcus Damon & Agumon AD1-021 draws a card when it is suspended and also lets you Digivolve a Digimon into a yellow Greymon Digimon from your hand for 3 less Memory. At the end of the turn, if you control a yellow Agumon or Greymon Digimon, you can turn a Marcus Damon into a Digimon with 6000 DP and Rush and also attack again.

Marcus Damon & Thomas H. Norstein ST24-13 and Yoshino Fujieda & Keenan Crier ST24-14 make this entire thing work. Both put face-down cards beneath themselves and give you Memory if the opponent has a Digimon in play. The difference is that Marcus and Thomas give Jamming to a Data Squad card when cards beneath them are trashed. Meanwhile, Yoshino and Keenan suspend an enemy Digimon. One lets you attack safely, and the other expands your control over the board.

Data Squad is a good option if you enjoy the animated show, if you want to play your Starter Deck 24, or if you want to see DATS in Digimon TCG. This deck rewards you for knowing when to use the cards beneath your Tamers, when to turn Marcus into an attacker, and how to use each ShineGreymon card at the right time. It plays pretty complex effects, but it rewards you considerably for knowing how to use them.

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!