Hope for Exodia Guide/Article

1. What is Hope for Exodia?
2. The Monsters
3. The Spells.
4. The Traps
5. Side Decking
6. Deck lists and skeletons

Exodia The Forbidden One
Spellcaster/Dark/3/1000/1000

When you have "Right Leg of the Forbidden One", "Left Leg of the Forbidden One", "Right Arm of the Forbidden One", and "Left Arm of the Forbidden One", in addition to this card in your hand, you win the Duel.

Left Arm of the Forbidden one
Right Arm of the Forbidden one
Left Leg of the Forbidden one
Right Leg of the Forbidden one

Spellcaster/Dark/3/200/300

You can't have an Exodia deck without Exodia. Get all 5 pieces in your hand, and you win the duel. Run 1 of each piece, obviously.

Cardcar D
Machine/Earth/2/800/400

Cannot be Special Summoned. During your Main Phase 1, if this card was Normal Summoned this turn: You can Tribute this card; draw 2 cards, then it becomes the End Phase of this turn. You cannot Special Summon during the turn you activate this effect.

Cardcar D is wonderful in this deck. You're pretty much never normal summoning anything other than itself, you set all the time, and it gives you 2 cards. Just be wary of effect veiler. Run 3.

Swift Scarecrow
Machine/Earth/1/0/0

When your opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can discard this card; negate that attack, then end the Battle Phase (this is a Quick Effect).

Swift Scarecrow is 100% mandatory in here. You need to keep yourself alive, and scarecrow helps with that quite perfectly. Unlike Battle Fader, Swift Scarecrow can not be stopped be Solemn Warning, making it much more reliable, and the life points your opponent will pay with Solemn Warning will make it harder to pull off a huge Hope For Escape. Run 3.

Mystic Piper
Spellcaster/Light/1/0/0
You can Tribute this card to draw and reveal 1 card. If that card is a Level 1 Monster Card, draw 1 more card. The effect of "Mystic Piper" can only be activated once per turn.

Piper works like Cardcar in here. Summon, tribute, draw. Cardcar D is honestly better tho, Cardcar D gives you two cards instead of one, and Piper will only give you two cards if you draw a level one monster. Piper has the advantage of not forcing you into the End Phase, thus allowing you to set the card you drew. Run 0-2, but make sure you max out on Cardcar D before considering Piper.

Battle Fader
Fiend/Dark/1/0/0

When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, then end the Battle Phase. If this card is Special Summoned with this effect, banish it when it leaves the field.

Battle Fader is a lot like Swift Scarecrow, protecting your Life Points. Battle Faders only advantage over Scarecrow tho is that it summons itself, which is honestly more of a bad thing than a good thing. Battle Fader can be negated by Solemn Warning, which will you find happening quite often. This will leave you open to be defeated this turn, and if not, your opponent reduced their life points, making your Hope For Escape set up harder. Run 0, unless you really need more protection.

Sangan
Field/Dark/3/1000/600

When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: Add 1 monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck to your hand.

Searches for Exodia pieces, Swift Scarecrow, and Cardcar D. Run 0 or 1.

Mask of Darkness
Fiend/Dark/2/900/400
FLIP: Select 1 Trap Card from your Graveyard. Add it to your hand.

Recycles used Trap cards, which can be quite effective. Run 0-2.

One Day of Peace
Spell/Normal

Each player draws 1 card, and neither player takes damage until the end of the opponent's next turn.

Draws a card, and protects your life points, not only from battle damage, but from rare effect damage too. Run 3.

Pot of Duality
Spell/Normal

Reveal the top 3 cards of your Deck, add 1 of them to your hand, then shuffle the rest back into your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Pot of Duality" per turn. You cannot Special Summon a monster(s) during the turn you activate this card.

Thins the deck, giving you one the top 3 cards of your deck, which will either be a card to protect your life points with, a draw card, Gift Card to set up Hope for Escape, or even an Exodia piece. Run the 2 you're allowed.

Upstart Goblin

Draw 1 card, then your opponent gains 1000 Life Points.

Increases your opponents life points, setting up for Hope For Escape, and draws you a card. Perfect. Run 3.

Gold Sarcophagus
Spell/Normal

Banish 1 card from your Deck, face-up. During your second Standby Phase after this card's activation, add that card to your hand.

Searches for Hope For Escape, and Exodia pieces. Just be careful that your opponent doesn't summon Leviair The Sea Dragon and summon your Exodia. If that happens, you're screwed, so you should mainly search for Hope For Escape with this card. Run 0-2.

Hope For Escape
Trap/Normal

Activate only if your opponents Life Points are at least 1000 higher than yours. Pay 1000 Life Points. Draw 1 card for every 2000 points difference between your Life Points and your opponents.

Best card for setting up Hope for Escape. Run 3.

Reckless Greed
Trap/Normal

Draw 2 cards and skip your next 2 Draw Phases.

One of the best drawing drawing trap cards in the game. The skipped draw phases aren't much of a problem, with all the draw and stall cards you run. Run 3.

Jar of Greed
Trap/Normal

Draw 1 card from your deck.

Draws you a card. Nothing more needs to be said. Run 3.

Legacy of Yata-Garasu

Select and activate 1 of these effects:
● Draw 1 card.
● Activate only when a Spirit monster is face-up on your opponent's side of the field. Draw 2 cards.

Same as Jar of Greed, except that you get 2 cards instead of one if your opponent has a Spirit monster on their field, which is highly unlikely. Run 3.

Threatening Roar
Trap/Normal

Your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn.

Stalls for a turn. Run 3.

Frozen Soul
Trap/Normal

You can only activate this card when your Life Points are at least 2000 lower than your opponent's. Skip your opponent's next Battle Phase.

Similar to Threatening Roar, however this card skips the opponents next battle phase, instead of simply preventing them from attacking. What that means is that you can use this card in your turn, and your opponents next battle phase will be skipped. It can also be done in your opponents main phase 2. Only drawback is that you need a 2000 life point difference with your opponents, but in this deck, that's piss easy. Threatening Roar should be the only stall trap you need tho. Run 0-2, make sure you max out on Threatening Roar before considering this card.

Self-Destruct Button
Trap/Normal

You can only activate this card when your Life Points are lower than your opponent's Life Points and the difference is 7000 points or more. Both player's Life Points become 0.

Ever been in a situation where you feel like you just can't continue? Your opponent has overwhelmed you, you're at a loss in card advantage? Nothing you can do? Press the Self-Destruct Button, and explode the battle field! This card is amazing for forcing a draw in a situation where you would lose. 3 Gift Card, Upstart, and Hope For Escape make it easy to have 7000 lp gap, and if your opponent is attacking you for game, you can just let them keep attacking you until you can use this card. Run 1, you need no more than 1.

Accumulated Fortune
Normal/Trap

Activate only as Chain Link 4 or higher. Draw 2 cards. You cannot activate this card if multiple cards/effects with the same name are in that chain.

Drawing 2 cards is nice, but this card has tough a tough activation cost. It needs to be used as chain link 4 or higher, and there can be no cards of the same name in the chain. Keep in mind that you can chain Accumulated fortune to another copy of itself tho. Run 0-2

Solemn Judgment
Trap/Counter

When a monster would be Summoned, OR a Spell/Trap Card is activated: Pay half your Life Points; negate the Summon or activation, and if you do, destroy that card.

Drops your life points by half, which sets up for Hope For Escape, and negates something used by your opponent. Run the 1 you're allowed.

Gemini Imps
Fiend/Dark/4/1000/1000

During either player's turn, when your opponent activates a Spell Card, Trap Card, or monster effect that could make you discard when it resolves: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it. Then draw 1 card.

Cards that discard from your hand are a huge threat to his deck (looking at you, Dark Worlds), so Gemini Imps is 100% necessary in the side, negating cards like Card Destruction, and Dark World Dealings, and then giving you a drawn card in return. Side 3.

Maxx “C”
Insect/Earth/2/500/500

During either player's turn: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; this turn, each time your opponent Special Summons a monster(s), immediately draw 1 card. You can only use 1 "Maxx "C"" per turn.

A very good side against decks like Mermails and Wind-Ups, which love to Special Summon as much as they can. Maxx “C” will keep drawing you a card until they are done Special Summoning. Once they decide to stop, you'll probably have drawn into more Exodia pieces, or be able to pull of Hope For Escape. Side 2.

Mystical Space Typhoon
Spell/Quick-Play

Target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field; destroy that target.

It's pretty clear that Royal Decree is a huge threat to to this deck, about half your deck being Trap Cards, you simply must be prepared to deal with sided in Royal Decree. It's also good against the rare chain burn, which is a very hard match for this deck. Side 3. You might even want to main a few.

Twister
Spell/Quick-Play

Pay 500 Life Points. Destroy 1 face-up Spell or Trap card.

Sometimes Mystical Space Typhoon just isn't enough to get rid of Royal Decree, as your opponent can draw it before you get your Mystical Space Typhoons. Twister is also handy for getting rid of common continuous spells/traps, like Fire Formation-Tenki, Abyss-Sphere, Gates of the Dark World, Wind-Up Factory, etc. Side 1-2.

Des Wombat
Beast/Earth/3/1600/300

As long as this card remains face-up on the field, any damage to you from a card effect becomes 0.

It may be rare, but if you aren't prepared, Chain Burn can and will beat you any time. Side 2.

Macro Cosmos
Trap/Continuous

When this card resolves: You can Special Summon 1 "Helios - The Primordial Sun" from your hand or Deck. While this card is face-up on the field, any card sent to the Graveyard is banished instead.

Dark World might just be this decks worst match up, aside from Chain Burn, so you must be prepared. Macro Cosmos will completely screw over them, and is also a good side against other common decks like Mermails and Fire Kings. Side 2.

Seven Tools of the Bandit
Trap/Counter

When a Trap Card is activated: Pay 1000 Life Points; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.

Pretty good card to side in here. It can negate Royal Decree, as well as trap stun. It can also negate other annoying trap cards, like Solemn Judgment and Solemn Warning, and is good against chain burn due to stopping their chains. Side 0-2

D.D. Crow
Winged-Beast/Dark/1/100/100

During either player's turn: You can discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard to target 1 card in your opponent's Graveyard; banish that target.

A good side against grave reliant decks, although you have Macro Cosmos for that, this card can still come in handy. Just note that if you use it on a Dark World monster, it's effect will still resolve. Side 0-2.

Now this is a nice article.

Very nice article. Keep it up :D

Interesting... very interesting

You're welcome.

Watch DN getting spammed with Exodia lol

Good job N

Meh i dont like exodia but the article is pro

Thank you, you're welcome.

Very Informative, although Exodia Dragon FTK works better, since this deck requires too much set up.

Jar 0f Greed wrote:

Very Informative, although Exodia Dragon FTK works better, since this deck requires too much set up.

Actually, this deck is much more consistent than the Dragon FTK which usually just goes like... Discard this, get this back, discard it again, get Blue Eyes from deck, discard Blue Eyes, get Blue Eyes back, discard it again, use this, then use Super Rejuvenation and hope I don't deck out.

On topic, LT, nice work there.

Looking forwards to seeing your next article.
And my next article as well ;o

Jar 0f Greed wrote:

Very Informative, although Exodia Dragon FTK works better, since this deck requires too much set up.

Exodia Dragon FTK is ridiculously inconsistent. This deck beats opponents not maining decree, or cards to make you discard 90% of the time game 1.

In Dragon Exodia the noob running it ends up decking out by using Super rejuv, trust me I follow admins around all the time, thats the main call problem

Whenever I face a dragon exodia deck, they fail to pull off the ftk and rage.

current problem Sangan is banned and One Day of Peace is limited

Look at when the article was written... And nice article btw. Though I hate Exodia. <.<

I did which is why I said "current" problem not "the" problem

The deck can still work, although less powerful than before.

ik I actually run a Self-Destruct Button deck with a bit of a similar build only I pay more life points and give my opponent more life points its fun :3

Here's my current build if you're interested. https://i.imgur.com/2g1d9p0.png