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GeneralZorpa on Yugioh
Gladiator Beast War Ape?
October 13, 2008

Go Monkey! Go!
 
Well, it is no secret that I love Gladiator Beasts. I stopped playing them only because I was bored of playing the deck. It was stale to play and I knew it wouldn't hold up against a Synchro based deck. Well after the last couple of Shonen Jumps with decks with 500+ value making the top 8, I thought it was time to dust off a rather old Gladiator Beast strategy, but one that has so much explosive power that it is only fair to call it unfair.
 
Major Swapage
 
Monsters-21
 
3x Test Ape
3x Test Tiger
3x Gladiator Beast Laquari
3x Gladiator Beast Bestiari
2x Gladiator Beast Darius
2x Giant Rat
2x Rescue Cat
1x Gladiator Beast Equeste
1x Gladiator Beast Murmillo
1x Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest
 
Spells-9
 
3x Creature Swap
2x Cold Wave
1x Gladiator Proving Ground
1x Heavy Storm
1x Giant Trunade
1x Monster Reborn
 
Traps-10
 
3x Gladiator Beast War Chariot
3x Solemn Judgment
2x Compulsory Evacuation Device
1x Torrential Tribute
1x Mirror Force
 
Extra Deck-15
 
3x Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
2x Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
2x Goyo Guardian
2x Stardust Dragon
2x Thought Ruler Archfiend
2x Magical Android
1x Red Dragon Archfiend
1x Colossal Fighter
 
Blue Monkey! Blue Monkey!
 
Well this deck is FUN. It is almost an OTK deck by all rights. It combines the explosiveness of Jason Holloway's Zombie/Beast deck with the consistent destruction engine of the Gladiator Beasts. In fact it is so explosive that it will often take out 2/3 of your opponent's lifepoints with only two cards on the first turn and/or make them waste a couple of cards to stop it.
 
When you consider the best opening for many decks, it involves summoning Elemental Hero Stratos, searching for Heroes, and then setting a defensive card. Sometimes, no play is even made to back Stratos up. Your starting hand all you need is Rescue Cat and Creature Swap. You summon Rescue Cat, then Tribute it for 2 Test Apes. You activate Creature Swap, trading Stratos for an Ape. You then ram the 2 Apes together, Special Summoning 2 big ATK Gladiators from your deck and attack for massive damage.
 
This play is so good opening play, that even a set Solemn will end with a similar bad result, with the only good play being to Solemn the Swap, in which case you can still hit for damage and control the field and you still have your defensive cards like Compulsory Evacuation Device to play.
 
Giant Rat searches out Test Ape, Test Tiger and Rescue Cat, allowing you a toolbox like access to these otherwise unsearchable cards. Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest is here in case things go badly. If you can ad him into that opening play where you crash the Apes together, you win the game. Basically he is a crutch, as opposing strategies have little to no way of dealing with him.
 
Quit Monkeying Around And Get Over Here!
 
The spells are actually fairly straightforward. Cold Wave, Giant Trunade and Heavy Storm prevent opposing spell and traps from being a problem for your Gyzarus plays as well as anything you wouldn't like in general. creature Swap is the star of the spell lineup, useful with Test Ape, Giant Rat and a low ATK monster and able to counter threats that would otherwise cripple Gladiator Beasts, like Vanity's fiend and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo.
 
The traps are very anti-Synchro oriented. Gladiator Beast War Chariot stops all of any other deck's big plays while you have a Gladiator on the field, which is great as this deck actually plays a TON of Gladiator Beasts. Compulsory Evacuation Device is quickly becoming the primary answer to synchros. It is cheap, inexpensive, chainable and disruptive, all things that we really want in a trap card.
 
Solemn Judgment has been a staple for a while, and negates anything that gets through your net of defense. Torrential Tribute and Mirror Force round out the traps, allowing massive swings in advantage an opponent is not likely expecting, especially from a Gladiator Beast deck.
 
I Am Invincible!
 
Well I am going to be a little arrogant and say that the deck has just one bad matchup, Lightsworn. Celestia, Judgment Dragon and Honest destroy all of the advantage that you have built up with your beasts. However,that is what a side is for, and sided Light Imprisoning and Shadow Imprisoning Mirrors will solve a large portion of your matchup problems.
 
Teledad just likes to think it has beaten Gladiator BEasts, but this opening is so explosive, it might not even matter if they get out 5 Synchros on the first turn, you can just swipe them, and Dark Armed Dragon is only dangerous in topdecking. Teledad is faster than this deck, just by virtue of having draw spells, however, you will be surprised at how quickly Rescue Cat, Test Ape and Giant Rat thin your deck, especially when paired with Creatur Swap.
 
The deck does rely on it's monsters, but more on their ATK than their field effects. AN opposing Skill Drain is almost a minor nuisance, as all of your beast's effects activate in the graveyard. You do have a problem with your Gladiators being locked down by the card, but with BOTH Heavy Storm and Giant Trunade in the deck, it is rather easy to counter.
 
Let Sleeping Monkeys Lie
 
There are a few cards that I have left out of the deck in the interest of creativity and space. Here is a short list of what I came up with as you might want to play these cards in your version's main or side deck.
 
-Neo Spacien Grand Mole
-Sangan
-Elemental Hero Prisma
-Elemental Hero Stratos
-Phoenix Wing Wind Blast
-D.D. Crow
-Bottomless Trap Hole
-Brain Control
 
well that is it for this article, email me at raptor1k@hotmail.com for any questions, ideas or comments on this or anything else related to Yu-Gi-Oh! So if you want my super-secret-without-fail way to get a date, you're out of luck!
 
Thanx for reading!
GZ