Paleozoic

"Paleozoic", known as "Burgesstoma" (버제스토마 Beojeseutoma) in Korea, is an archetype of mostly Level 2 WATER Aqua-Type Normal Pseudo-Trap Monsters with 1200 ATK and 0 DEF, introduced as Korean exclusives in Clash of Rebellions.

Appearance
The archetype's cards are based on animals from the Cambrian Period, specifically those found in the Burgess Shale Formation, a fossil field in Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada.

Origin
The archetype's OCG name, "Burgesstoma", is derived from the Burgess Shale, where the animals the archetype derived its appearance from were found. Its TCG name, "Paleozoic", is derived from the Paleozoic Era, the first geological period of which is the Cambrian Period.

Playing style
With the exception of the Xyz Monsters "Paleozoic Anomalocaris" and "PaleozoicOpabinia", the "Paleozoic" archetype is composed of Trap Cards that in addition to having unique effects upon activation, each also has the common effect of being able to Special Summon itself from the Graveyard as a Level 2 WATER Aqua-Type Normal Monster with 1200 ATK and 0 DEF whenever a Trap Card is activated, thus allowing them to quickly swarm the field through normal usage of their own Trap Cards for their unique Trap effects. The archetype also focuses upon placing its Trap Cards in the Graveyard through the detach effects of its Xyz Monsters, as well as the effects of "Paleozoic Marrella" and "Paleozoic Pikaia", to be Special Summoned later. The latter two, through normal use, will contribute 2 such cards to the Graveyard (themselves and the one they send through their effect). "Pikaia" also helps the archetype maintain hand advantage with its draw effect.

The archetype's speed allows them to easily amass Xyz Materials for the Xyz Summon of "Anomalocaris", who helps to maintain hand advantage and give access to the archetype's other cards by excavating the Deck when a Trap Card is sent from the Spell & Trap Zone to the Graveyard, and then adding any excavated Trap Cards to the hand. "Anomalocaris's" detach effect also helps the controller remove problematic cards on the field by destroying them if it has a Trap Card as an Xyz Material, a feat easily accomplished through normal play of the archetype.

The archetype's Trap Cards banish themselves when they leave the field after being Summoned from the Graveyard via their own effects, which can be avoided by using them as Xyz Materials. Thus, the archetype also benefits from utilizing other Rank 2 Xyz Monsters such as "Armored Kappa" and "Sky Cavalry Centaurea" in concert with "Anomalocaris". As the archetype's Trap Cards are all Level 2 WATER Aqua-Type monsters while they are treated as monsters, "Wetlands" can be included in the Deck to give these cards a much needed power boost, as they all have low ATK, which can raise issues regarding their ability to survive on the field.

Weaknesses
Due to their own self-banishing effect, which can serve as a deterrent from using the archetype's cards for any purpose other than Xyz Summon (such as Tribute or Synchro Summons), this archetype is best suited only for Xyz Summoning Rank 2 Xyz Monsters, which can prove to be inflexible, given the low number of different Rank 2 Xyz Monsters in the game. This weakness can, however, be mitigated through the use of "Imperial Iron Wall" to keep the Trap Cards from banishing themselves. The effect of "Paleozoic Leanchoilia" can also be used to return banished "Paleozoic" Trap Cards to the Graveyard for later re-use.

Additionally, as the archetype is dependent on activating Set Trap Cards to trigger their effects to Special Summon themselves from the Graveyard, "Denko Sekka" and, to a lesser extent, "Jinzo" are capable of easily locking them down, preventing the Set Trap Cards from even activating, as well as additional Trap Cards from being Set in the case of the former. Cards such as "Royal Prison" and "Vanity's Emptiness" can also inhibit the Trap Cards' re-usability, but they can be cleared away with the effects of "Paleozoic Olenoides" and "Paleozoic Dinomischus".