Subject: An in-depth analysis of Warriors - Trinam

Alright ladies and gentlemen, this is Trinam, and do go easy on me, as this is my first-ever tip/review/whatever it is.

My topic for today, is a type that everyone seems to have heard of, but few know how to run effectively. That type is of course, the few, the proud, the warriors. In a metagame run mostly by beatdowns, Warrior decks are becoming increasingly more common, as the new sets add monsters and ways to trick your opponents into submission with every play. Warrior decks rely upon three basic principles, which one hoping to play a deck of this type should always remember. Firstly, each warrior is more than just another high-attack monster. Every one of them holds a unique purpose, uniting with the others to become a flawless team. Knowing when to play any given monster, magic, or trap is possibly more important here than in any other deck type. The second rule, is to always remember that powerups are good. A Warrior deck cannot feasibly function at a tournament level without at least a United We Stand, and probably a Gaia Power. The third idea put into making a good Warrior deck, is remembering the true theory behind warriors. In a single sentence, this is basically, "Summon a whole bunch of monsters all at once and slash your opponent to smithereens really quick." Remember these three rules while building your warrior deck.

Alright, now for the nitty gritty: The cards that make up a warrior deck.

Time to do something that I may not be too good at: Rating cards you should consider on this scale: Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent, and Staple. Poor is the worst, and Staple, of course, means if you're not using it, you should. So, onto the cards.

MRL-002 Axe of Despair (Equip Magic) - A monster equiped with this card increases its ATK by 1000 points. When this card is sent from the Field to the Graveyard, you can offer 1 monster from the field as a Tribute to place it on top of your Deck - Ultra Rare What more is there to say? Add 1000 to one creature, lethal with Hayabusa.

Run at least two of them. You're playing relatively weak monsters here, so these are quite vital.

Rating: Staple

  MRL-096 Gaia Power (Field Magic) - Increases the ATK of all EARTH monsters by 500 points and decreases their DEF by 400 points. - Common This card seems superfluous, until you consider that most good Warriors are Earth-types. Thus, this card can be a major help, especially when you need your Freed to take out that Summoned Skull.

Rating: Good

PSV-050 Buster Blader (Earth/Warrior) 2600/2300 7 - The ATK of this card increases by 500 points for every Dragon-Type monster on your opponent's side of the field and Graveyard. - Ultra Rare Some people like this card, for its high attack power, and general coolness.

I personally find it a bit too slow for my style, but a deck in need of a little extra power could find this bad boy a go-to guy in case of trouble.

Unfortunately, he requires two tributes.

Rating: Good

PSV-086 Hayabusa Knight (Earth/Warrior) 1000/700 3 - This monster can attack twice during the same Battle Phase - Rare At first glance, this card seems good. However, upon repeated use, I have found it to be nigh-on indispensable. Given even a small amount of powerup, and a pinch of strategy for a direct attack, Hayabua can reak untold havoc upon your opponent's life points. Not QUITE essential, but close.

Rating: Excellent

PSV-094 Goblin Attack Force (Earth/Warrior) 2300/0 4 - When this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase.

This position cannot be changed during your next turn. - Ultra Rare This guy is basically your big beatstick. Used in conjunction with Marauding Captain, you have some chance of attacking more than once. Play two or three of these, if you have them. If you don't, I know how you feel.

Rating: Excellent

PSV-101 Gearfried The Iron Knight (Earth/Warrior) 1800/1600 4 - Any Equip Card this card is equipped with is automatically destroyed. - Super Rare/Common This card has relatively low purpose in a deck, except to bash through opponent's monsters. I personally play only one of these, but two or three may be a better way to go.

Rating: Fair

LON-049 United We Stand (Equip Magic) - For every face-up monster you control, increase the ATK and DEF of the equipped monster by 800 points You are running a Warrior deck. They focus on pulling lots of monsters at once. Do I need to say more?

Rating: Staple

LOD-016 Freed The Matchless General (Earth/Warrior) 2300/1700 5 - Negate the effect of a Magic Card that specifically designates this card as a target and destroy it. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, you can add 1 Warrior-Type monster from your Deck to your hand per turn instead of drawing 1 card during your Draw Phase. Your Deck is then shuffled. - Ultra Rare Alrighty, Freed. If he's not a staple, he's damn close. I understand not every deck needs this guy, but he's still damn good for getting out whatever you need, whenever you need it. I call him my 'legal deckstacker.'

Rating: Excellent

LOD-018 Marauding Captain (Earth/Warrior) 1200/400 3 - As long as this monster remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot select another Warrior-Type monster on your side of the field as an attack target. When this monster is Normal Summoned successfully, you can Special Summon 1 Level

4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from your hand. - Ultra Rare Two Words: Marauding Lock. Totally lock down your opponent by playing two of these guys. It's like, mean, even. Note that this guy, not Freed, is the true conerstone of the Warrior deck.

Rating: Staple

LOD-023 Exiled Force (Earth/Warrior) 1000/1000 4 - Offer this face-up card on your side of the field as a Tribute to destroy 1 monster on the field. If this card is used for a Tribute Summon or this card is offered as a Tribute due to other cards' effects, this card's effect is not activated. - Super Rare Just use one.

Rating: Staple

LOD-028 Reinforcement of The Army (Normal Magic) - Move one Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from your Deck to your hand. Your Deck is then shuffled. - Super Rare This is another biggie to a warrior deck. Like Freed, only as a m/t. Use this when you need that one particular monster to help you finish off your opponent.

Rating: Staple

LOD-030 The Warrior Returning Alive (Normal Magic) - Select 1 Warrior-Type monster in your Graveyard and return it to your hand. - Rare Quick, easy recursion, to get multiple Exildings, or Marauding-summons. Run at least two.

Rating: Excellent

PGD-015 Sasuke Samurai (Wind/Warrior) 500/800 2 -  When this monster attacks a face-down Defense Position monster, destroy the face-down monster immediately with this card's effect without flipping it face-up or damage calculation. - Super Rare This man is crucial to any deck involving warriors. His OHKO move is really, really nasty for any deck that runs set monsters. Especially mean when you have a stron monster out too. Just make sure to protect him.

Rating: Staple

That does it for all the Warriors I have run in a deck, and gotten to get a good view on. Now, for the part you've all been waiting for. The deck idea.

Now, I know several of you are immediately going to e-mail me, telling me my deck has to suck because it doesn't have Ring of Destruction, or Jinzo, or Yata-Garasu. That's because it's basically out-and-out warriors. Note that this is my ideal, meaning I'm putting in a couple cards I want, and taking out a couple I don't. >< Monsters

1 Tribe-Infecting Virus

1 Sangan

1 Witch of the Black Forest

3 Hayabusa Knight

1 Magician of Faith

1 D.D. Warrior Girl

2 Goblin Attack Force

1 Sasuke Samurai

1 Gearfried the Iron Knight

2 Marauding Captain

1 Exiled Force

1 Sinister Serpent

1 Cyber Jar

2 Freed the Matchless General

Magic

1 United We Stand

2 Axe of Despair

1 Premature Burial

1 Pot of Greed

1 Graceful Charity

1 Gaia Power

2 Reinforcement of the Army

3 Mystical Space Typhoon

2 The Warrior Returning Alive

1 Riryoku

1 Monster Reborn

1 Dark Hole

1 Harpie's Feather Duster

1 Heavy Storm

1 Change of Heart

1 Swords of Revealing Light

1 Raigeki

1 Snatch Steal

Traps

1 Call of the Haunted

1 Mirror Force

1 Spell Shield Type-8

3 Waboku

1 Imperial Order

1 Dust Tornado

Well that's it for my first review. 'Til nextime, Ciao! ;D ___________ kwikkidus@knology.net E-mail me with questions, comments, ideas for what to rate nextime, and feedback in general! Just please, no spam.