A Guide To Crystal Beasts
Index:
Chapter 1: Intro
Chapter 2: The monsters
Chapter 3: The support
Chapter 4: The decks
Chapter 5: The weaknesses
Chapter 6: The combos.
Chapter 1: Intro
Index:
Chapter 1: Intro
Chapter 2: The monsters
Chapter 3: The support
Chapter 4: The decks
Chapter 5: The weaknesses
Chapter 6: The combos.
Chapter 1: Intro
Hello to you, the reader of this article. You're about to read an article on one of the most underestimated decks in all of Yu-Gi-Oh history. This article is about the deck that has been around since the GX days. I welcome you to read on to learn all you want to know about... Crystal Beasts.
What the deck does:
Crystals Beats are an archetype based on getting monster cards into the backrow via the effects of the monsters, the spells, the traps and just getting straight up destroyed thanks to your opponent. Random duelist 1: How does this help the deck? You're not going to be able to use staples like reborn or heavy storm. It sounds stupid to me.
Well my very close minded friend, what if I tell you crystal beasts don't need reborn. That's right, they focus on having Crystal Beasts in their spell zone so do you think they wouldn't have something to make up for not being able to use staples such as Monster Reborn?
Random duelist 2: Oh? explain more please.
Well it's pretty simple really. The archetype "Crystal Beast" uses the Crystal Beasts in the backrow to give you the edge. (P.S. This edge is usually spamming a lot of Crystal Beast monsters and other monsters, we'll get to that later)
Anyway, without dragging on, (Probably too late...), I'll move swiftly onto the actual article.
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Chapter 2: The monsters
The Crystal Beasts :
Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus:
Spoiler :
effect: When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
This is the main searcher for the Crystal Beast deck. It's effect speaks for itself really, not to mention the decent stats. This is just as important to "Crystal Beasts" as Rescue Rabbit is to "Dino Rabbit". Always run at 3, no exceptions. Ever.
Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle:
Spoiler :
effect: When this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon as many "Crystal Beast" cards as possible from your Spell & Trap Card Zone. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
This is the main spammer of Crystal Beasts. I know it seems really weak and small, but trust me, this little thing packs a punch that will send you flying further than a punch from Mike Tyson. Whenever it's special summoned it summons all the Crystal Beasts currently in your backrow. Crystal Beasts usually have 3-5 Crystal Beasts in the backrow, meaning you will more often than not gain a lot of advantage with Carbuncle. Merge with Pegasus and you get a lot of search and summoning power. Run at 2-3, it can be a dead draw too don't forget.
Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger:
Spoiler :
effect:If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 400 ATK during the Damage Step only. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard
The muscle of the Crystal Beasts, this kitty will rip you limb from limb if you're not careful. 1600 isn't much but 2000 after it's boost is more than frightening for a level 4 monster. Run at 3.
Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth:
Spoiler :
effect:When another face-up "Crystal Beast" monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can make this card the attack target instead. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
It's really just a possible save for your Crystal Beasts and a search for Pegasus. Run at 1-2. Not much to say about it.
Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat:
Spoiler :
effect:This card can attack your opponent directly, but when it uses this effect, any Battle Damage it inflicts to your opponent is halved. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
Bad effect and stats, not really anything special. Run 0 for normal builds. Run 1 if you're running Rainbow Dragon.
Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle:
Spoiler :
effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up "Crystal Beast" card you control; return that target to the top of the Deck. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
Same as Cat.
Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise:
Spoiler :
effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster you control that attacked this turn; change that target to Defense Position. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
This is really just a wall of high defense if you need it, but you really don't because it's really slow, not something that Crystal Beasts need at all. Run 0 in normal builds. Run 1 if using Rainbow Dragon.
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Chapter 3: The support.
Support cards:
Now to move on. We've seen the monsters, but now it's time to see the cards that make the deck run so good when used properly. These are the Crystal Beasts own support cards.
Rare Value :
Spoiler :
effect:If there are 2 or more face-up "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone: Your opponent chooses 1 "Crystal Beast" card in your Spell & Trap Card Zone and sends it to the Graveyard, then you draw 2 cards.
ditch some Crystals in your spell zone you don't need, draw 2 cards to get some playable cards into your hand, not a bad effect, good card. run at 2 I'd say.
Crystal Promise:
Spoiler :
effect:Target 1 "Crystal Beast" card in your Spell & Trap Card Zone; Special Summon that target.
This card isn't that bad but it's not really awesome. It gives you a nice 2 card draw to help speed up the deck a little, but you have to get rid of a Crystal Beast which isn't really a great thing. Run at 1-2.
Crystal Beacon:
Spoiler :
effect:Special Summon 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your Deck. You must have 2 or more "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone to activate and to resolve this effect.
Great card and can make great plays with Carbuncle and Pegasus, it speeds to deck up a lot and is really never dead. Run at 3 always.
Crystal Abundance:
Spoiler :
effect:Send 4 "Crystal Beast" cards from your Spell & Trap Card Zone to the Graveyard; send all cards on the field to the Graveyard, then Special Summon as many "Crystal Beast" monsters as possible from your Graveyard, up to the number of cards your opponent controlled that were sent to the Graveyard by this card's effect.
Abundance can be really OP if you're a skilled Crystal Beast player and set up properly. It can't be stopped by Stardust, Starlight Road or any card like that. It "sends to the grave", meaning it DOESN'T destroy. Thanks to this nice little wording it means abundance can take care of some of the most annoying cards you've ever known. Don't forget it gives you Crystal Beasts back also! This can be a great plus machine when used correctly. Run at 1-2, it can be a dead draw remember.
Ancient city - Rainbow ruins.
Spoiler :
effect:You must have this many "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone to activate and resolve these effects: ? 1+: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. ? 2+: Once per turn, you can halve the Battle Damage you take. ? 3+: When a Spell/Trap Card is activated: You can send 1 "Crystal Beast" monster you control to the Graveyard; negate the activation and destroy it. ? 4+: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can draw 1 card. ? 5+: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can target 1 "Crystal Beast" card in your Spell & Trap Card Zone; Special Summon that target
This card is really awesome. With just one (1) Crystal Beast card in your backrow it saves itself from cards like MST. With two (2) you can save your ass from taking mass amounts of damage. With three (3) you can stop yourself getting screwed by Dark Hole, Monster Reborn, Torrential Tribute, ETC. With four (4) you can draw one (1) time from your deck for nothing at all. With five (5) you can get any Crystal Beast back to your monster zone... Carbuncle spam!
Crystal Release:
Spoiler :
effect:Equip only to a "Crystal Beast" monster. It gains 800 ATK. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can place 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your Deck face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card.
This is an mediocre card. It makes beaters if Crystal Beasts need to run something over, and it gains a search. But it's slow, really slow. Run 1-2.
Crystal Blessing:
Spoiler :
effect:Target up to 2 "Crystal Beast" monsters in your Graveyard; place those targets face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as Continuous Spell Cards.
This is a staple in Crystal Beasts. There's many backrow hate cards everywhere in mostly every format, you need something to get back those lost Crystal Beasts. This is the perfect card. Run at 2.
Crystal Tree:
Spoiler :
effect:Each time a "Crystal Beast" monster(s) is placed in either player's Spell & Trap Card Zone: Place 1 Crystal Counter on this card. You can send this card to the Graveyard; take a number of "Crystal Beast" monsters from your Deck equal to the number of Crystal Counters that were on this card, then place those monsters face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as Continuous Spell Cards.
It's a good draw when you have combo's waiting, but it's not something you want late game when you're losing hand fast. It can be really dead. Run 1.
Dragon Queen Of Tragic Ending
Spoiler :
effect:This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by controlling 3 or more face-up Continuous Spell Cards. When this attacking card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, your opponent selects and sends 1 card from their hand to the Graveyard, and you draw 1 card. During your Standby Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard and was sent there from the field, you can send 1 face-up Continuous Spell Card you control to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card from the Graveyard.
The only exception to not wanting to lose Crystal Beasts, this is a very good card with alright stats and a good effect. Not to mention it can revive itself. Run at 2.
Summoner Monk
Spoiler :
effect:This card cannot be Tributed. When this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: Change this card to Defense Position. Once per turn: You can discard 1 Spell Card; Special Summon 1 Level 4 monster from your Deck. It cannot attack this turn.
It's a good card and can ditch dead cards like Crystal Tree, Abundance, Blessing, ETC. Then it can summon Pegasus and search or Tiger and beat or Mammoth and overlay. Run at 2.
Hamon, Lord Of Striking Thunder
Spoiler :
effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by sending 3 face-up Continuous Spell Cards you control to the Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. While this card is in face-up Defense Position, your opponent cannot target other monsters for attacks.
Big stats which can deal huge amounts of damage. It can also stall a little as long as your opponent doesn't draw one of many cards that can easily destroy it... Yea... Run at 0-1.
Rainbow Dragon
Spoiler :
effect:Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by having 7 "Crystal Beast" cards with different names on your field or in your Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card cannot activate its effects the turn it is Special Summoned. ? During either player's turn: You can send all "Crystal Beast" monsters you control to the Graveyard; this card gains 1000 ATK for each card sent. ? You can banish all "Crystal Beast" monsters in your Graveyard; shuffle all cards on the field into the Decks.
It's a really dead card that isn't consistent what so ever. The effect aren't worth it at all. Run at 0 unless you're using a fun build, then run at 1.
Destiny HERO Diamond Dude
Spoiler :
effect: Once per turn: You can reveal the top card of your Deck, and if it is a Normal Spell Card, send it to the Graveyard, otherwise place it on the bottom of your Deck. During the Main Phase of your next turn, you can activate the effect of that Spell Card in your Graveyard (even if you no longer control this face-up card).
This is a really good card since Crystal Beasts use a lot of spell cards. Also you don't pay costs with Diamond Dude so Abundance is going to make your opponent really mad with Diamond Dude. Run 2
Horn Of The Phantom Beast
Spoiler :
effect: Target 1 Beast-Type or Beast-Warrior-Type monster you control; equip this card to that target. It gains 800 ATK. When that target destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Draw 1 card.
You can equip it to Pegasus, Tiger, Mammoth or Cat and give them a 800 attack boost and the possibility to give you a lot of draws if kept on the field long enough.
XYZ cards:
The Crystal Beasts main support is all the rank 4 XYZ cards, with the amount of spam these guys can pull off XYZ's are a must in the deck to give you the advantage. You can even pull off some rank 3 XYZ's.
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Chapter 4: The decks
Different variants of decks:
Rainbow Dragon Crystal Beasts:
This deck is really bad and isn't at all consistant. It's made for fun play, not ever to be used as a competitive deck. If you must play it, here's some cards you better think about using to help:
Rainbow Gravity- http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Rainbow_Gravity
Rainbow Path- http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Rainbow_Path
Here's a deck list for you to use as a base for your own. Extra and side aren't included.
https://i.imgur.com/t5BEo.jpg
XYZ Crystal Beasts:
This deck focuses on using all you have to get Crystal Beasts into your backrow so you can special summon Carbuncle, spam, and XYZ like mad. Simple yet really effective. Here's a base for you to use:
https://i.imgur.com/htmMD.jpg
Advanced Dark Crystal Beasts:
The newest deck in the Crystal Beast archtype. It focuses really on Rainbow Dragons cousin, who is much more consistent:
Rainbow Dark Dragon:
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Rainbow_Dark_Dragon
This is quite easy to summon compared to it's cousin and it can be a really good card, you should run it in this deck as a test. Run 1.
Dark Armed Dragon:
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Armed_Dragon
We all know and love/hate this guy, but Advanced Dark Crystal Beasts just give it another easy way to be summoned. Run it.
Malefic Stardust and Cyber End Dragon-
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Malefic_Stardust_Dragon
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Malefic_Cyber_End_Dragon
Really good cards since they're easy to summon with the deck, both beat sticks. Stardust also saves your Advanced Dark if you need it.
Run 2 Stardust, 1 Malefic Cyber End.
The Dark Creator-
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/The_Dark_Creator
It's an alright card that can make good plays if you get it at the right moment, but it can be a dead draw. Run 0-1.
it's a new but nice deck in the Crystal beast archtype, I'd suggest testing it out to see if you like it.
Here's how it looks - https://i.imgur.com/G09S0iX.png
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Chapter 5: The weaknesses.
Your worst enemies:
Crystal Beasts aren't big in the meta because they have too many cards in the meta game that screw them over so easily. Because of this Crystal Beasts will forever be a low tier deck unless something changes big time. Here's some of the cards:
Skill Drain - http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Skill_Drain
Konami has said Crystal Beasts activate on the field, meaning skill drain will negate their effect and stop them from ever being put in the backrow... Not something you'd like.
Bottomless Trap Hole-
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Bottomless_Trap_Hole
Bottomless Trap Hole removes the Crystal Beasts from play, meaning not ever blessing can help them. This sucks for us Crystal Beast players because we don't want to lose our limited resources to spam.
Cards that take Crystal Beast cards away from your field.
Mind Control or Enemy controller screw with Crystal Beasts because the player who has the Crystal Beast at time of destruction gets to choose if they're sent to the grave, or the backrow. If they choose backrow it goes to their own also, not yours.
Book Of Moon- http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Book_of_Moon
Crystal Beasts won't work facedown, their effect to put themselves in the backrow won't work meaning you really are helpless when your opponent plays Book Of Moon.
Heavy Storm-
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Heavy_Storm
Guess this yourself, come on, it's pretty simple.
Mystical Space Typhoon-
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Mystical_Space_Typhoon
You don't want to be losing Crystal Beasts even if you do have Blessing, it's just annoying.
Dust Tornado-
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Dust_Tornado
Read the above.
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Chapter 6: The combo's and Rulings.
Here's the rulings that you need to know before you ever start playing a Crystal Beast deck. Please, take your time to read through the page and get to know the decks rulings inside and out.
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Card_Rulings:Crystal_Beast
Here's a few combo's you should always know when you play a Crystal Beast deck.
Combo's:
Combo one: Pegasus in a Tree.
Play Crystal Tree, play Pegasus, search out a Crystal Beast, (Carbuncle usually), 1 counter on tree. Now do what you want for a turn. Pegasus will most likely get destroyed giving you 2 counters. Play Tree's effect, search out Tiger and another Pegasus usually, now you've opened up Abundance, Beacon, Value, Ancient City up to effect 4, promise for Ruby spam and you did all this with just 2 cards.
Combo 2: Ruby has a promise to Pegasus.
Summon Pegasus, search ruby, play promise, spam if you have other CB's in your zone. Simple combo but effective.
Combo 3: Summoner horse.
Play monk, discard a dead spell to activate it's effect.(Abundance, Blessing, ETC.) Grab Pegasus, search a Crystal Beast and then overlay. You can even use the promise combo above.
Combo 4: A Beacons Blessing.
Well it's obvious to be honest. Just go Blessing into Beacon, then you can search for your Peagasus and search some more. This sets up big plays.
Combo 5: A Ruins last hope
This combo is pretty easy to set up if you draw right and can play your cards perfectly. All you need is Ancient Ruins on the field with 5 Crystal Beasts in your backrow. Play ruins 4th effect to draw once, then play the 5th to special summon a Crystal Beasts. You now have 2 options.
.If that Crystal Beast was Carbuncle you can spam the rest of your backrow and then overlay to spam XYZ cards, you will probably also get a few searches with Pegasus.
.You can now play Abundance to wipe out your opponents field and then spam your own if you sent enough of your opponents cards to the grave. This is really awesome to do and will probably win you the game in the long run.
This is all for now, I hope you guys enjoyed the article and would like to see more. Please tell me if this helped you by a comment/reply to this topic and tell me if I persuaded you to play the deck. I hope you guys enjoyed.
Yours sincerely
Sparda/bakura normal.
