Help! I've Been Assaulted!!
Howdy everyone and welcome to my newest article on how to make an Assault Mode deck! Let's head right into the carnage!
The 1st problem being faced in making an Assault Mode deck is that Assault Mode Activate! requires that the monster be in the deck for you to Special Summon it. Since Assault Mode Activate! is the only way to summon an Assault Mode monster, this means a few things:
1. We can't have more than 2-3 Assault Mode monsters in the deck
2. We have to have ways of returning Assault Mode monsters to the deck
3. We have to have ways of searching out Assault Mode Activate!
4. Because we are only able to have 2-3 Assault Mode monsters in the deck, we have to chooses only 1 or 2 Assault Mode monsters to use in the 1st place.
5. Because Assault Mode Activate! requires you to have the appropriate Synchro monster on the field, we need an ample number of ways to summon that monster.
So, before we do anything, we need to figure out what Assault Mode monsters we want to have in the deck. If you want 2 different monsters in the deck then I suggest at least making sure their Synchro monsters have the same star level so you have easier ways of choosing which 1 to summon depending on the situation. The available Assault Mode monsters are for:
Arcanite Magician:
pros - awesome effect. summon Arcanite, clear the field. summon his assault mode, clear more of the field. assault mode gets destroyed, resummon Arcanite, clear the field again.
cons - both monsters have very low ATK if you use up their spell counters. Arcanite requires a Spellcaster to summon him and he is level 7 so he can't be used well with any other assault mode monsters.
Colossal Fighter:
pros - huge ATK while also making opponent's monsters weaker and setting up for the Synchro monster's return very nicely. The synchro itself is a very good card that shuts down Honest and Kalut. The synchro is 8 stars, so it can work with Stardust and Red Dragon.
cons - the assault mode actually seems like a weaker card than its synchro counterpart in some situations. You really need a lot of Warrior-type monsters in your deck to get the full benefit of summoning the Assault Mode monster.
Doomkaiser Dragon:
pros - sick swarming effect. Use him to bring back Plaguespreader and sync with the monsters that will be destroyed at the end phase anyway, or just swarm with a bunch of beatstick to go for an OTK.
cons - requires a Zombie deck. The synchro is level 6 and requires Plaguespreader Zombie. The synchro is not exactly the most awesome card around unless for some insane reason you are playing a Zombie/Zombie mirror match.
Hyper Psychic Blaster:
pros - high ATK and a good Burn effect.
cons - requires a dedicated Psychic deck just to bring out the 9 star Synchro monster who is very difficult to work a strategy around summoning.
Red Dragon Archfiend:
pros - high ATK, can clear away all of your opponent's monsters, and the Synchro is level 8 and easy to summon and the Synchro itself is also very good.
cons - destroys your own monsters too. =(
Stardust Dragon:
pros - a broken effect. seriously, completely insane effect that allows you to negate any spell, trap, or monster effect once per turn. The synchro monster also provides some insane control during a duel and the Synchro and Assault Mode monsters compliment each other very well. Just for another bit of niceness, 8 star Synchros are fairly easy to summon.
cons - opponent may cause physical damage to you outside of the duel if you summon this guy. XD
So, based on my choice, I will be concentrating on Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend for this Assault Mode deck. 1 copy of Red Dragon and 2 copies of Stardust Assault Modes are gonna be added, because I feel that Stardust can be used in more situations. Red Dragon is mostly good when you're opponent has swarmed you and you want a quick and easy out.
So we've now made a decision as to what monsters we want the deck to focus on. Next, how do we search out and re-use Assault Mode Activate!? Lucky for us, there are 2 cards who are made just for this purpose:
Assault Beast is this deck's Zeradius, and since he even has 1900 ATK he's very useful as a beatstick even if we don't have anymore copies of Assault Mode Activate! left in the deck. Assault Mercenary, on the other hand, compliments Assault Beast while also helping us clear the opponent's back row by re-using a spent Assault Mode Activate! from our graveyard. Good stuff. There is also 1 more card at our disposal for searching out Assault Mode Activate:
This little guy has a great effect. Sync him with a level 6 monster (such as Destiny Hero - Malicious) to summon an appropriate Synchro monster and then his effect will drop Assault Mode Activate! in your lap just when most need it! That's good stuff right there. Another interesting card that I won't be using but that you can use is Night Wing Sorceress. She let's you play Assault Mode Activate! right away, but you have to take the time to summon her in order for this to happen.
On to the next question! What do we do when we accidentally draw an Assault Mode monster into our hand? Also, what if 1 gets sent to the grave? Lucky us again that there are 2 cards who help answer these questions as well:
Both of these cards not only put Assault Mode monsters back where we want them, they also additionally create extra draw engine to help further speed up the deck. More draw engines are always good stuff as long as they support your overall strategy.
Time for the last question! How do we summon those gosh darn Synchro monsters? The 2 easiest ways to summon an 8 star Synchro monster are:
1. level 2 tuner level 6 non-tuner
2. level 4 tuner level 4 non-tuner
Note specifically that for the 1st case, Synchro monsters are considered non-tuner monsters, so if you wind up with 2 level 2 tuners and a level 4 non-tuner monster, you can always summon a level 6 Synchro monster, and then sync it with your other level 2 tuner to obtain the desired level 8 Synchro monster. ;D
For the level 6 monster there is 1 obvious choice: Destiny Hero - Malicious. He works with Crush Card Virus (CCV), can Special Summon a copy of himself if there is a copy in the grave and 1 in the deck, and he works well in the Destiny Heroes draw engine along with Elemental Hero - Stratos (4 star who can search out D Heroes), and Destiny Hero - Defender (4 star, usable with CCV, and 2700 DEF untouched by Honest due to his only 100 ATK).
Of course, with all these Dark monsters and all this graveyard control adding in a copy of Dark Armed Dragon and 2 copies of Allure is a must too. =3
Now, what to use for our tuner monsters? Well, we already decided to use Arcane Apprentice, but that's not nearly enough so let's also add in the level 2 tuner Krebons and the level 4 tuner Rose, Warrior of Revenge! Krebons can be special summoned by Emergency Teleport and also has an excellent stalling effect with good ATK for a level 2 monster. Rose is 1 of only a handful of level 4 tuner monsters and she is the only 1 with decent stats who also has no restrictions on whom you must use him with. The only other monsters who meet those requirements are Hyper Synchron and Trap Eater. Trap Eater, however, can be difficult to summon (but good to have in the side deck). Hyper Synchron gives the synchro monster some extra ATK, but we're planning on tributing that Synchro anyway, and meanwhile if you can't summon a Synchro Rose will do more damage than Hyper Synchron.
The last monster I'm going to mention adding is Sangan, simply because he can search out Arcane Apprentice, Krebons, Malicious, and Defender, allowing you to get the monster you want when you want it.
Now, before we finally get to the deck, there are 2 more cards worth mentioning. Why should we use only our own monsters to perform the synchro summons? Use the opponent's monsters as well by adding in Mind Control and Brain Control! Synchro summoning does not "tribute" monsters, so Mind Control will let you take Ryko, flip it up to use its effect, then summon a tuner and sync it. Better yet, take any of your opponent's level 4 monsters, summon Rose, and sync immediately for Stardust or Red Dragon Archfiend! It's all good stuff. :3
So without further ado, the main deck will look like this:
Monsters(20):
2x Stardust Dragon-Assault Mode
1x Red Dragon Archfiend-Assault Mode
3x Assault Beast
2x Assault Mercenary
1x Arcane Apprentice
2x Krebons
1x Sangan
2x Destiny Hero - Malicious
1x Elemental Hero Stratos
2x Destiny Hero - Defender
1x Dark Armed Dragon
2x Rose, Warrior of Revenge
Spells(14):
2x Allure of Darkness
2x Destiny Draw
1x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Heavy Storm
1x Monster Reborn
3x Mind Control
1x Emergency Teleport
2x Assault Teleport
1x Brain Control
Traps(6):
3x Solemn Judgment
2x Assault Mode Activate
1x Crush Card Virus
Extra(15):
3x Stardust Dragon
1x Red Dragon Archfiend
1x Goyo Guardian
1x Colossal Fighter
1x Thought Ruler Archfiend
2x Magical Android
1x Dark Strike Fighter
1x Blackwing Armor Master
1x Black Rose Dragon
1x Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth
1x Chimeratech Fortress Dragon
1x Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
So, just to hit you with some quick facts:
1. There are 15 cards in the deck that either search out other cards or that in some way create a draw engine. That is nearly half of the deck!
2. There are 5 tuners, and 11 usable non-tuner monsters who can sync into the level 8 synchros we want. In addition to these are the copies of Mind Control and Brain Control in the deck.
3. Since you could technically take over 5 monsters on your opponent's field/graveyard (3x Mind Control, 1x Brain Control, 1x Monster Reborn), Gyzarus and Armor Master are in the Extra deck in case you are facing GB's or BW's. Haven't you always wanted to hit your GB-using opponent with a taste of his own medicine?
So, there is only 1 thing left to do, and that is to make the side deck. Side decks determine the winners of duels. Good side decking is what makes a champion. I say this in pretty much all of my articles because I want to beat it into everyone who is even slightly doubtful of this fact.
GOOD SIDE DECKING WINS DUELS!!!
So let's see, what decks do we need to side against? Well, LS is always a nuisance, so let's make sure we include Light-Imprisoning Mirror (LIM) and Royal Oppression (RO). Gladiator Beasts (GB's) are still being run in many places, so we will probably want Threatening Roar. Blackwings (BW) are popular right now, so let's add a couple copies of Sirocco. Why? Read his effect. Wait for the opponent to swarm the field with BW's, then summon your Sirocco and use his effect. He will have attack equal to ALL BW'S ON THE FIELD, not just the ones you control! This means without any tribute at all, you can easily summon a 6000 ATK monster!! Sick? I think so. Synchro Cat is winning tournies left and right, so we'll need copies of Mirror of Oaths in order to shut it down (these can also be used to wreck GB's). Lastly, to counter both Honest and Kalut from LS and BW's, we can include Mind Crush and Waboku. Both of these cards can be played when your opponent uses a low ATK monster to attack your big strong monster, and they will punish your opponent for relying on Honest and Kalut!! So here's what I've come up with for the side deck:
Side(15):
2x Light-Imprisoning Mirror
2x Royal Oppression
2x Mind Crush
2x Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn
3x Mirror of Oaths
2x Threatening Roar
2x Waboku
That should mostly take care of the 4 biggest annoyances in the current meta.
I hope you've enjoyed reading the article and look forward to my next article! Good luck with your duels! Peace and out!
Howdy everyone and welcome to my newest article on how to make an Assault Mode deck! Let's head right into the carnage!
The 1st problem being faced in making an Assault Mode deck is that Assault Mode Activate! requires that the monster be in the deck for you to Special Summon it. Since Assault Mode Activate! is the only way to summon an Assault Mode monster, this means a few things:
1. We can't have more than 2-3 Assault Mode monsters in the deck
2. We have to have ways of returning Assault Mode monsters to the deck
3. We have to have ways of searching out Assault Mode Activate!
4. Because we are only able to have 2-3 Assault Mode monsters in the deck, we have to chooses only 1 or 2 Assault Mode monsters to use in the 1st place.
5. Because Assault Mode Activate! requires you to have the appropriate Synchro monster on the field, we need an ample number of ways to summon that monster.
So, before we do anything, we need to figure out what Assault Mode monsters we want to have in the deck. If you want 2 different monsters in the deck then I suggest at least making sure their Synchro monsters have the same star level so you have easier ways of choosing which 1 to summon depending on the situation. The available Assault Mode monsters are for:
Arcanite Magician:
pros - awesome effect. summon Arcanite, clear the field. summon his assault mode, clear more of the field. assault mode gets destroyed, resummon Arcanite, clear the field again.
cons - both monsters have very low ATK if you use up their spell counters. Arcanite requires a Spellcaster to summon him and he is level 7 so he can't be used well with any other assault mode monsters.
Colossal Fighter:
pros - huge ATK while also making opponent's monsters weaker and setting up for the Synchro monster's return very nicely. The synchro itself is a very good card that shuts down Honest and Kalut. The synchro is 8 stars, so it can work with Stardust and Red Dragon.
cons - the assault mode actually seems like a weaker card than its synchro counterpart in some situations. You really need a lot of Warrior-type monsters in your deck to get the full benefit of summoning the Assault Mode monster.
Doomkaiser Dragon:
pros - sick swarming effect. Use him to bring back Plaguespreader and sync with the monsters that will be destroyed at the end phase anyway, or just swarm with a bunch of beatstick to go for an OTK.
cons - requires a Zombie deck. The synchro is level 6 and requires Plaguespreader Zombie. The synchro is not exactly the most awesome card around unless for some insane reason you are playing a Zombie/Zombie mirror match.
Hyper Psychic Blaster:
pros - high ATK and a good Burn effect.
cons - requires a dedicated Psychic deck just to bring out the 9 star Synchro monster who is very difficult to work a strategy around summoning.
Red Dragon Archfiend:
pros - high ATK, can clear away all of your opponent's monsters, and the Synchro is level 8 and easy to summon and the Synchro itself is also very good.
cons - destroys your own monsters too. =(
Stardust Dragon:
pros - a broken effect. seriously, completely insane effect that allows you to negate any spell, trap, or monster effect once per turn. The synchro monster also provides some insane control during a duel and the Synchro and Assault Mode monsters compliment each other very well. Just for another bit of niceness, 8 star Synchros are fairly easy to summon.
cons - opponent may cause physical damage to you outside of the duel if you summon this guy. XD
So, based on my choice, I will be concentrating on Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend for this Assault Mode deck. 1 copy of Red Dragon and 2 copies of Stardust Assault Modes are gonna be added, because I feel that Stardust can be used in more situations. Red Dragon is mostly good when you're opponent has swarmed you and you want a quick and easy out.
So we've now made a decision as to what monsters we want the deck to focus on. Next, how do we search out and re-use Assault Mode Activate!? Lucky for us, there are 2 cards who are made just for this purpose:
Assault Beast is this deck's Zeradius, and since he even has 1900 ATK he's very useful as a beatstick even if we don't have anymore copies of Assault Mode Activate! left in the deck. Assault Mercenary, on the other hand, compliments Assault Beast while also helping us clear the opponent's back row by re-using a spent Assault Mode Activate! from our graveyard. Good stuff. There is also 1 more card at our disposal for searching out Assault Mode Activate:
This little guy has a great effect. Sync him with a level 6 monster (such as Destiny Hero - Malicious) to summon an appropriate Synchro monster and then his effect will drop Assault Mode Activate! in your lap just when most need it! That's good stuff right there. Another interesting card that I won't be using but that you can use is Night Wing Sorceress. She let's you play Assault Mode Activate! right away, but you have to take the time to summon her in order for this to happen.
On to the next question! What do we do when we accidentally draw an Assault Mode monster into our hand? Also, what if 1 gets sent to the grave? Lucky us again that there are 2 cards who help answer these questions as well:
Both of these cards not only put Assault Mode monsters back where we want them, they also additionally create extra draw engine to help further speed up the deck. More draw engines are always good stuff as long as they support your overall strategy.
Time for the last question! How do we summon those gosh darn Synchro monsters? The 2 easiest ways to summon an 8 star Synchro monster are:
1. level 2 tuner level 6 non-tuner
2. level 4 tuner level 4 non-tuner
Note specifically that for the 1st case, Synchro monsters are considered non-tuner monsters, so if you wind up with 2 level 2 tuners and a level 4 non-tuner monster, you can always summon a level 6 Synchro monster, and then sync it with your other level 2 tuner to obtain the desired level 8 Synchro monster. ;D
For the level 6 monster there is 1 obvious choice: Destiny Hero - Malicious. He works with Crush Card Virus (CCV), can Special Summon a copy of himself if there is a copy in the grave and 1 in the deck, and he works well in the Destiny Heroes draw engine along with Elemental Hero - Stratos (4 star who can search out D Heroes), and Destiny Hero - Defender (4 star, usable with CCV, and 2700 DEF untouched by Honest due to his only 100 ATK).
Of course, with all these Dark monsters and all this graveyard control adding in a copy of Dark Armed Dragon and 2 copies of Allure is a must too. =3
Now, what to use for our tuner monsters? Well, we already decided to use Arcane Apprentice, but that's not nearly enough so let's also add in the level 2 tuner Krebons and the level 4 tuner Rose, Warrior of Revenge! Krebons can be special summoned by Emergency Teleport and also has an excellent stalling effect with good ATK for a level 2 monster. Rose is 1 of only a handful of level 4 tuner monsters and she is the only 1 with decent stats who also has no restrictions on whom you must use him with. The only other monsters who meet those requirements are Hyper Synchron and Trap Eater. Trap Eater, however, can be difficult to summon (but good to have in the side deck). Hyper Synchron gives the synchro monster some extra ATK, but we're planning on tributing that Synchro anyway, and meanwhile if you can't summon a Synchro Rose will do more damage than Hyper Synchron.
The last monster I'm going to mention adding is Sangan, simply because he can search out Arcane Apprentice, Krebons, Malicious, and Defender, allowing you to get the monster you want when you want it.
Now, before we finally get to the deck, there are 2 more cards worth mentioning. Why should we use only our own monsters to perform the synchro summons? Use the opponent's monsters as well by adding in Mind Control and Brain Control! Synchro summoning does not "tribute" monsters, so Mind Control will let you take Ryko, flip it up to use its effect, then summon a tuner and sync it. Better yet, take any of your opponent's level 4 monsters, summon Rose, and sync immediately for Stardust or Red Dragon Archfiend! It's all good stuff. :3
So without further ado, the main deck will look like this:
Monsters(20):
2x Stardust Dragon-Assault Mode
1x Red Dragon Archfiend-Assault Mode
3x Assault Beast
2x Assault Mercenary
1x Arcane Apprentice
2x Krebons
1x Sangan
2x Destiny Hero - Malicious
1x Elemental Hero Stratos
2x Destiny Hero - Defender
1x Dark Armed Dragon
2x Rose, Warrior of Revenge
Spells(14):
2x Allure of Darkness
2x Destiny Draw
1x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Heavy Storm
1x Monster Reborn
3x Mind Control
1x Emergency Teleport
2x Assault Teleport
1x Brain Control
Traps(6):
3x Solemn Judgment
2x Assault Mode Activate
1x Crush Card Virus
Extra(15):
3x Stardust Dragon
1x Red Dragon Archfiend
1x Goyo Guardian
1x Colossal Fighter
1x Thought Ruler Archfiend
2x Magical Android
1x Dark Strike Fighter
1x Blackwing Armor Master
1x Black Rose Dragon
1x Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth
1x Chimeratech Fortress Dragon
1x Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
So, just to hit you with some quick facts:
1. There are 15 cards in the deck that either search out other cards or that in some way create a draw engine. That is nearly half of the deck!
2. There are 5 tuners, and 11 usable non-tuner monsters who can sync into the level 8 synchros we want. In addition to these are the copies of Mind Control and Brain Control in the deck.
3. Since you could technically take over 5 monsters on your opponent's field/graveyard (3x Mind Control, 1x Brain Control, 1x Monster Reborn), Gyzarus and Armor Master are in the Extra deck in case you are facing GB's or BW's. Haven't you always wanted to hit your GB-using opponent with a taste of his own medicine?
So, there is only 1 thing left to do, and that is to make the side deck. Side decks determine the winners of duels. Good side decking is what makes a champion. I say this in pretty much all of my articles because I want to beat it into everyone who is even slightly doubtful of this fact.
GOOD SIDE DECKING WINS DUELS!!!
So let's see, what decks do we need to side against? Well, LS is always a nuisance, so let's make sure we include Light-Imprisoning Mirror (LIM) and Royal Oppression (RO). Gladiator Beasts (GB's) are still being run in many places, so we will probably want Threatening Roar. Blackwings (BW) are popular right now, so let's add a couple copies of Sirocco. Why? Read his effect. Wait for the opponent to swarm the field with BW's, then summon your Sirocco and use his effect. He will have attack equal to ALL BW'S ON THE FIELD, not just the ones you control! This means without any tribute at all, you can easily summon a 6000 ATK monster!! Sick? I think so. Synchro Cat is winning tournies left and right, so we'll need copies of Mirror of Oaths in order to shut it down (these can also be used to wreck GB's). Lastly, to counter both Honest and Kalut from LS and BW's, we can include Mind Crush and Waboku. Both of these cards can be played when your opponent uses a low ATK monster to attack your big strong monster, and they will punish your opponent for relying on Honest and Kalut!! So here's what I've come up with for the side deck:
Side(15):
2x Light-Imprisoning Mirror
2x Royal Oppression
2x Mind Crush
2x Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn
3x Mirror of Oaths
2x Threatening Roar
2x Waboku
That should mostly take care of the 4 biggest annoyances in the current meta.
I hope you've enjoyed reading the article and look forward to my next article! Good luck with your duels! Peace and out!
