December 2007

Gladiator Beast Deck - Jeffo

Once I bought the first package of Gladiators Assault, I clearly wanted to have Gladiator Beasts. They looked cool and they have good effects. Though, it can be somewhat difficult to activate their effects, seeming they aren't the strongest monsters I have seen. Your opponent can easily knock them out, and make sure they get into the grave instead of to your deck. Deck? Yes deck. Gladiator Beast cards can be returned to the deck to allow you to special summon another, stronger Gladiator. For example:
 
You have Gladiator Beast Dimacari on the field after your opponents turn. Dimacari has 1600 attack. If the opponent has a face down monster on the field, then attack that monster. It is most likely to be a 2000 defence monster in order tribute it in the next turn, or make a defencive wall to set up. So, you just attack. You will lose 400 LP, but that's just a small investment. End your Battle Phase. Then, you can Special summon any other Gladiator Beast you have in your deck, but there are exeptions! Dimacari can special summon all but Spartacus. Spartacus can only be special summoned by the effect of Hoplomus, which I will explain later. You can summon the following for strategy usage:
 
1. Murmillo: Murmillo can destroy one face up monster your opponent controls. So your opponent loses his defence and the chance to tribute it for a stronger monster. The downside is, that Murmillo only has 800 attack. You could fix that by special summoning Test Tiger from your hand, Tribute it, and put Murmillo back into the deck. Then Special Summon a stronger Gladiator Beast. Thanks to Test Tiger, the new Gladiator Beast on the field get's his effect too. You might wanna special summon Octavius to destroy a possible Magic/Trap card. Plus he has 2500, so that's a nice addition.
2. Alexander: Alexander can only be special summoned by the effect of Dimacari. Alexander is unaffected by any spell card if it's special summoned this way. Plus he has 2400, which is good.
3. Hoplomus: Hoplumus is the shield of the crew. He normally has 2100 Defence, but if he's special summoned by a Gladiator Beast, his defence becomes 2400! Let your opponent try to get pass that!
 
But what if my opponent has a strong monster that will send my Gladiators to the grave? Well, simple. Either use Waboku (you can use the Gladiator Beast's effect, since it was attacked, only it didn't got destroyed) or the Trap card Defencive Tactics. Defencive Tactics works the same as Waboku. Only this card protects your Gladiator Beasts only, and after usage, it is send to the bottom of your deck, instead of the grave. And your deck is constandly shuffled thanks to your gladiators, it get's mixed up in the deck, and you might draw it faster to use it again! Here is an example for you:
 
Your opponent has, let's keep it simple, Blue Eyes White Dragon on the field. It want's to attack your, for example, Hoplomus. Activate Defencive Tactics, and your Hoplomus will stay on the field. Stick it back on the bottom of your deck. Your opponent has nothing to do but to end their battle phase. Since Gladiator Beast's effect also count on your opponent's end of the battle phase, you can stick Hoplomus back into your deck to special summon Spartacus or Murmillo. Spartacus has 2200 but can get a gladiator equip card to your hand. So it's your turn, after you've shuffled, draw, and purhaps get a lucky draw and get Defencive Tactics again.
 
Cons about the Gladiators:
Most of them have a poor attack and defence stat. That makes them weak and most vulnerable. Also, you don't want to have the good Gladiator Beasts in your hand. There is one condition, though. If you have the Traps Disarm or Parry, things are quite different. Parry makes sure traps get cancelled, but you'll be needing to send one Gladiator Beast from your hand to the deck. That's good if you have Alexander or Spartacus. Send them back to the deck, attack with Dimacari/ Hoplomus and special summon from the deck.
 
Fusions:
The Gladiator Beasts so far have 2 fusions. That's Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz and Gladiator Beast Heraklinos. I'll give you their discriptions:
 
Gaiodiaz:
"Gladiator Beast Spartacus" + 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster
This card can only be Special Summoned from the Fusion Deck by returning the above Fusion Material Monsters from the field to the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization"). When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the DEF of the destroyed monster. If this card battles, by returning it from the field to the Fusion Deck at the end of the Battle Phase, Special Summon 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Spartacus".
 
Heraklinos:
"Gladiator Beast Laquari" + 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters
This card can only be Special Summoned from your fusion deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck (You do not use "Polymerization"). You can discard 1 card from your hand to negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. You can use this effect during either player's turn.
 
You can see that Heraklinos can't be send back to the fusion deck in order to special summon other Gladiator Beasts. Though, it's effect is amazing!
 
Well, all in all, this is just a basic tip. I'm still only testing it much, and I don't even have all those cards yet. Though, in my opinion, this would be a suitable deck for Gladiators:
 
Fusions:
Gaiodiaz (2x)
Heraklinos
 
Monsters:
Gladiator Beast Octavius (2x) <--- 2500, and gets rid of the background Trap/Magic cards of your opponent if special summoned by Gladiator Beasts
Gladiator Beast Alexander <--- 2400 and uneffected by any spell cards if special summoned by Gladiator Beast Dimacari
Gladiator Beast Spartacus (3x) <--- 2200 and get a Gladiator Beast equip card from your deck if special summoned by a Gladiator Beast
Gladiator Beast Laquari (3x) <--- Attack becomes 2100 if it's special summoned by a Gladiator Beast
Gladiator Beast Dimacari (2x) <--- Can attack twice with 1600 attack
Gladiator Beast Bestiari (2x) <--- 1500, same effect as Octavius
Gladiator Beast Murmillo (2x) <--- 800, but can destroy opponents face up monster.
Gladiator Beast Hoplomus (3x) <--- 2400 Defence if special summoned by Gladiator Beast
Gladiator Beast Secutor (2x) <--- 400, but can get 2 Gladiator Beasts from your deck.
Test Tiger (3x) <--- Very handy into gringing out effects of Gladiator Beasts
Test Ape (2x) <--- Special summons Gladiator Beasts from deck, only without effect, AND he must be destroyed as a result of battle.
Witch Doctor of Sparta (3x) <--- 2000 defence, and inflicts 500 damage to your opponent if a monster is special summoned from the deck.
 
Spells:
Gladiator Beast Battle Halbert (2x) <--- If Gladiator Beast equipped with this card attacks, you can destroy one Magic/Trap card. Returns back to hand if the equipped Gladiator Beast is send back into the deck.
Gladiator Beast Battle Gladius (2x) <--- Gladiator Beast equipped with this card gains 300 attack. Returns to your hand if Gladiator Beast is send back into the deck.
Gladiator Beast Respite (3x) <--- Return 2 Gladiator Beasts from your hand to your deck then draw 3 cards.
Gladiator Beast Battle Manica (2x) <--- Gladiator Beast equipped with this card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. Returns to your hand if Gladiator Beast is send back into the deck.
Gladiator's Return <--- Return 3 Gladiator Beasts from your grave to your deck then draw a card.
Mystical Space Typhoon <--- Fits in any deck.
 
Traps:
Waboku
Defencive Tactics
Good Goblins housekeeping (3x) Draw 1 card + 1 times the amount of GGH's in your grave. Send back Alexander or Spartacus back to the bottom of the deck.
Disarm (2x)
Parry (2x)
Trap Hole (2x) <--- Get rid of the strong monsters your opponent summons
Curse of Aging
Draining Shield (2x) <--- Really need those, since you lose a lot of LP with Gladiator Beasts
 
This is a little basic deck, which can be used by anyone who has a basic knowlage of the Gladiator Beasts. Then, lastly, I want to show you their fieldspell.
 
Colluseum - Cage Of The Gladiator Beast (3x)
Place 1 Counter on this card each time a monster is Special Summoned from either player's Deck. All "Gladiator Beast" monsters gain 100 ATK and DEF for each of these counters on this card. If this card would be destroyed by a card effect, you can discard 1 "Colosseum - Cage of the Gladiator Beasts" to prevent this card from being destroyed.
 
Simple combo to boost up the power: Secutor got a lucky break and managed to survive an attack. special summon 2 Gladiator Beasts from your deck. 2 counters added. Then special summon 2 Test Tigers from your hand. Tribute both to send back the 2 Gladiator Beast you summoned for 2 others. 4 counters on it, so 400 extra att and def.
 
Well, I hope you all liked it. It's a simple idea how to play these cards correctly. If you find out a good strategy, then that's good for you! Nobody will ever know, unless it's one from the Gladiator book :P
 
~ Jeffo