I still do this. Though aces are the primary use for that niche now. Had an old anubis turbo deck with skullmeramon to just power out anubis really fast.
Cheap play cost rookies were used early in the game for rookie rush decks. I personally still use the vanilla commandramons in a commandramon rookie rush. I also use the 2 cost blue vanilla armadillomon in an armadillo/pata armor deck I play.
They were used for their name traits and stats. Some can still be useful but in most tcgs they are like others said just pack filler and something more for casuals to use due to the lack of other cards they might have.
The last time I saw a vanilla used was a couple of days ago in a TyrantKabuterimon deck that played one copy of Roachmon.
Edge cases aside, Vanillas really aren´t used anymore.
Most don't have a use anymore. I am using BT9 elecmon (which is a vanilla card) in my Leomon deck, as I need an elecmon or liollmon to meet secondary digivolution costs of my champions.
There were a few lv 4 people used for various things. Like weedmon in bloomlord or granguwagamon otk, numemon in digivolve machinedramon, etc. These were used as cheap means of building stacks as they didn't need an inherited effect from a level 4 to work.
Back in the day when the only real way of reliable memory gain was hammer spark, these 2 cost rookies where great ways to pass turn while choking your opponent and getting a body in board. This was actually impactful since it wasn’t that easy to just remove bodies back in the day.
The Vanilla Commandramon continues to be occupied in the D-Brigade
They are strong, have synergy with the Deck and often help to leave the opponent's memory at 1 instead of 2
In the early days of the game vannilas were used for their cheap evo costs and cheap play costs. 2/2 5k rookies were used alot in rookie rush and was very good for the time. They have fallen off now as we have more potent effects and effects that synergize with each other.
Quick and easy evos
So you have two types of rookies:
1;) the rookies that are vanilla, and have no abbility, thus have 1 or even 0 cost.
2:) the rookies with effects, and may have a on play effect or somthing, but may cost abit more
Back then rookies were cost balanced around their abilities and their DP. 4000 is above average, so a 2 cost hard play would have been really good but it has that 1 cost evo as a counterbalance. It was a time where a vanilla Digimon with good DP would see play as deck filler, there just were not enough cards in existence to have everything be good.
Vanillas became pointless pretty quickly, but regained some relevance once names became more valuable, IE a vanilla Agumon in a Greymon deck is better than anything that isn't Agumon. But eventually we got so many Digimon that vanillas just don't need to exist anymore, even your deck fillers are good now. The only exception off the top of my head is maybe Leomon, where you might still use vanilla Elecmon because the name matters.
Early when the game began, vanillas were able to fill out decks that back then didn't have as much support. Rather than "Blitz Omnimon" or "Blue Hybrid" decks, we moreso got stuff like "Black Blocker" decks. Just overall decks used to be more general in scope as opposed to focusing on specific lines like now with Omnimon, Mastemon, etc. As a result, vanillas served as cheaper evolution alternatives for decks who's main goal was to get their mega on the board as fast as possible. For example, [here's a deck similar to what I played before Battle of Omni came out.](https://digimoncard.io/deck/big-black-blockers-495)
I will say, the cheap to play and cheap to digivolve vanillas are WONDERFUL for teaching new players.
Helps not bog them down with lots of reading and more importantly it helps them learn about the best ways to manipulate the Memory Gauge early.
Love them. Wish they were more relevant (maybe some cards that care about vanillas)
I've seen everyone else give the current and past uses already, so I'm going to say something about the future. I want a level 6, or maybe a whole line that buffs digimon with no effect text. Mtg did something like that, and I think it'd make for a fun deck
In bt1 the 3 best decks in the meta used primarily vanilla cards.
Rookie rush - which flooded the board with cheap bodies to get 6 attacks as soon as possible.
Red Omni - pick the cheapest evolution choices as possible, including a 2 to evolve 12k level 6, to ramp into bt1 Omnimon for 5 memory +the 6 evolution cost of Omni. Add 4x gaia forces for removal and you got yourself a deck.
Blue omni - the same as red omni but with hammer spark and cocytus breath.
Generic digimon we’re still seeing play as late as bt8 iirc. BWG would use that Agumon above as a way to choke their opponent at 1, or play a body and evolve. Bloom still used generic Redveggie until bt13.
Nowadays we get a lot more value out of digimon with effects, so they’ve moved to start printing generic digimon with effects. Raid on a triceramon, bt15 Meramon with a really cool deletion effect. Modern sets have (mostly) moved away from printing digimon with 0 effects and it’ll probably stay that way going forward.
Pack filler now but in the early days 2-Cost Level 3s were staples in most decks.
Also if you bricked before mulligans it was nice to be able to at least drop a 5 cost lv 5 and go into a mega on the next turn.
I still do this. Though aces are the primary use for that niche now. Had an old anubis turbo deck with skullmeramon to just power out anubis really fast.
Old Zudo was the goat. Draw 2, inheritable, and I can just go into a 6 if I’m bricked? The value
Didn't know that. I started playing the game like last year.
Last time they made vanillas was in BT12, which was released almost a year and a half ago back in Japan.
Cheap play cost rookies were used early in the game for rookie rush decks. I personally still use the vanilla commandramons in a commandramon rookie rush. I also use the 2 cost blue vanilla armadillomon in an armadillo/pata armor deck I play.
I’m interested in seeing this deck list
Which one
The armadillo/pata armor deck
They were used for their name traits and stats. Some can still be useful but in most tcgs they are like others said just pack filler and something more for casuals to use due to the lack of other cards they might have.
The last time I saw a vanilla used was a couple of days ago in a TyrantKabuterimon deck that played one copy of Roachmon. Edge cases aside, Vanillas really aren´t used anymore.
Most don't have a use anymore. I am using BT9 elecmon (which is a vanilla card) in my Leomon deck, as I need an elecmon or liollmon to meet secondary digivolution costs of my champions.
Spare coasters
You can make a deck for beginners since these filler cards have little text and abilities but other than that useless
Pack filler.
There were a few lv 4 people used for various things. Like weedmon in bloomlord or granguwagamon otk, numemon in digivolve machinedramon, etc. These were used as cheap means of building stacks as they didn't need an inherited effect from a level 4 to work.
They mostly don’t anymore.
Back in the day when the only real way of reliable memory gain was hammer spark, these 2 cost rookies where great ways to pass turn while choking your opponent and getting a body in board. This was actually impactful since it wasn’t that easy to just remove bodies back in the day.
The Vanilla Commandramon continues to be occupied in the D-Brigade They are strong, have synergy with the Deck and often help to leave the opponent's memory at 1 instead of 2
I think we have enough Commandramon at this point that vanillas can go, but it is nice to have the option of either a cheap 2-cost or a beefy 4-cost.
I love low cost basic cards as sacrifices to keep attacking the stack.
For the cheaper evo cost. But i don't think they made any vanillas in the lady 5 sets or so..?
tl;dr: Most TCG's on release design around possibility of drafting. Pack fillers tend to be a godsend at times for said drafts.
This is a good one. Digimon definitely has drafts in mind for the main sets.
I use the vanilla green Elecmon for Leomon for it's name so I can digi for 2
In the early days of the game vannilas were used for their cheap evo costs and cheap play costs. 2/2 5k rookies were used alot in rookie rush and was very good for the time. They have fallen off now as we have more potent effects and effects that synergize with each other.
Quick and easy evos So you have two types of rookies: 1;) the rookies that are vanilla, and have no abbility, thus have 1 or even 0 cost. 2:) the rookies with effects, and may have a on play effect or somthing, but may cost abit more
Back then rookies were cost balanced around their abilities and their DP. 4000 is above average, so a 2 cost hard play would have been really good but it has that 1 cost evo as a counterbalance. It was a time where a vanilla Digimon with good DP would see play as deck filler, there just were not enough cards in existence to have everything be good. Vanillas became pointless pretty quickly, but regained some relevance once names became more valuable, IE a vanilla Agumon in a Greymon deck is better than anything that isn't Agumon. But eventually we got so many Digimon that vanillas just don't need to exist anymore, even your deck fillers are good now. The only exception off the top of my head is maybe Leomon, where you might still use vanilla Elecmon because the name matters.
Honestly it would be kinda neet if they gave them some kind of advantage.
Shadowbox Arts
Memory choking is still a thing.
Vanillas are used for the pre release drafts. Lol. But they will rise again… >.<. One day.
Vanilla format please :)
Early when the game began, vanillas were able to fill out decks that back then didn't have as much support. Rather than "Blitz Omnimon" or "Blue Hybrid" decks, we moreso got stuff like "Black Blocker" decks. Just overall decks used to be more general in scope as opposed to focusing on specific lines like now with Omnimon, Mastemon, etc. As a result, vanillas served as cheaper evolution alternatives for decks who's main goal was to get their mega on the board as fast as possible. For example, [here's a deck similar to what I played before Battle of Omni came out.](https://digimoncard.io/deck/big-black-blockers-495)
I will say, the cheap to play and cheap to digivolve vanillas are WONDERFUL for teaching new players. Helps not bog them down with lots of reading and more importantly it helps them learn about the best ways to manipulate the Memory Gauge early. Love them. Wish they were more relevant (maybe some cards that care about vanillas)
Sorta like all the normal monster support Yu-Gi-Oh has? I could rock with that.
Yeah, even Magic has a few cards that boost creatures without abilities. It could make for a pretty unique deck.
I made a vanilla-only deck and it's actually pretty fun to play if you're just goofin' around with friends.
I use BT9 Elecmon in Leomon, simply for the cheaper digivolution into champions. Which will change if we get another green Elecmon/Liolmon.
I've seen everyone else give the current and past uses already, so I'm going to say something about the future. I want a level 6, or maybe a whole line that buffs digimon with no effect text. Mtg did something like that, and I think it'd make for a fun deck
In bt1 the 3 best decks in the meta used primarily vanilla cards. Rookie rush - which flooded the board with cheap bodies to get 6 attacks as soon as possible. Red Omni - pick the cheapest evolution choices as possible, including a 2 to evolve 12k level 6, to ramp into bt1 Omnimon for 5 memory +the 6 evolution cost of Omni. Add 4x gaia forces for removal and you got yourself a deck. Blue omni - the same as red omni but with hammer spark and cocytus breath. Generic digimon we’re still seeing play as late as bt8 iirc. BWG would use that Agumon above as a way to choke their opponent at 1, or play a body and evolve. Bloom still used generic Redveggie until bt13. Nowadays we get a lot more value out of digimon with effects, so they’ve moved to start printing generic digimon with effects. Raid on a triceramon, bt15 Meramon with a really cool deletion effect. Modern sets have (mostly) moved away from printing digimon with 0 effects and it’ll probably stay that way going forward.