Paleozoic

"Paleozoic", known as "Burgesstoma" (バージェストマ Bājesutoma, 버제스토마 Beojeseutoma) in the OCG, is an archetype of mostly Level 2 WATER Aqua 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 type fauna, a fossil field in Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, Canada.

Origin
The archetype's OCG name, "バージェストマ" (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
The "Paleozoic" archetype is mainly composed of Normal Trap Cards. Each one have its particular effect but they have in common the capacity of Special Summoning themselves from the Graveyard as a Level 2 WATER Aqua 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 Effects. When they are summoned they are no longer counted as Traps. The archetype's ace cards are their Xyz monsters, namely "Paleozoic Anomalocaris" and "Paleozoic Opabinia".

"Anomalocaris" helps to maintain hand advantage by excavating the Deck and adding an excavated Trap Card to the hand (be it a "Paleozoic" Card or not); this effect triggers when a Trap Card is sent from the Spell/Trap Zone to the Graveyard. "Opabinia" speeds up the Deck's strategy, by allowing "Paleozoic" cards from being activated directly from the hand. Both of them are unaffected by other monster's effects and have an additional effect that basically rewards their owner for using them in a dedicated "Paleozoic" Deck, by either destroying a troublesome card on the field or fetching a "Paleozoic" Card from the Deck.

The archetype's Trap Cards banish themselves when they leave the field after being Summoned from the Graveyard by 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 "Cat Shark" and "Sky Cavalry Centaurea" in concert with "Anomalocaris" and "Opabinia". As the archetype's Trap Cards are all Level 2 WATER Aqua 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.

The deck itself also has amazing synergy with the Frog engine, mainly "Swap Frog", "Dupe Frog" and "Ronintoadin" since they are also Level 2 Aqua monsters. Due to this, and the fact that the Paleozoic cards themselves are treated as Aqua monsters while on the field, they can play the Rank 2 Xyz "Toadally Awesome". Due to their capability of accumulating chain, you can also consider adding some cards like "Reckless Greed" and "Waboku". "Mirror Force" will protect your Paleozoic cards and potentially clean the field while letting you summon another Paleozoic card from your GY.

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. The effect of "Paleozoic Leanchoilia" can also be used to return banished "Paleozoic" Trap Cards to the Graveyard for later re-use. This weakness can, however, be mitigated through the use of "Imperial Iron Wall" to keep the Trap Cards from banishing themselves, however, you then cannot use Dinomischus since it banishes a card nor Leanchoilia since cards cannot be banished anyway.

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 "Necrovalley" can also inhibit the Trap Cards' re-usability, but they can be cleared away with the effects of "Paleozoic Olenoides" and "Paleozoic Dinomischus".

Also, any card that can lower or raise their level can cause a hindrance because of their need to Xyz Summon. this also includes A Legendary Ocean which is supposed to help water monsters.