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Carrotizer on YuGiOh
What Does FISH Stand For?
May 25, 2008

After swallowing 2 Tums, (yes, SWALLOW) and surviving the consequences (“almost” choked), I observed that Dark Armed Dragon was dominating yet again.  With my thin wallet and broke(n)ness, there was no way that I could even get a single DAD (funny acronym…who’s your daddy?), let alone 3 copies,  so I had to find a way to build a cheap, decent deck for local tournaments.

Two formats before, I was using Fifth Gadgets.  They just fit me too well.  Although drawing 2 Gadgets in the opening hand was occurring more often than not, I could play around it with relative ease.  However, with both Smashing Ground and Fissure at one, I did not find enough interesting cards for the Gadgets.  Sure, Hammer Shot works.  However, Marshmallon and Spirit Reaper really posed a threat by allowing my opponent stall an extra turn or two, enough time for a big Dimension Fusion to play to take the game.  And…my wallet was even too “transparent” to get 3 Soul Takers. 

So, ditching my DAD- and D-Draw-less “RaiDa” (I really do not get how Light and Darkness Dragon becomes THAT), I thought for a bit.  There was no way for me to get a playset of Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, so Six Samurai was not an option.  In the end, I had to decide for a deck I could make with some commons and rares.  Actually, the deck itself was not so bad at all.  Heraklinos is probably the hardest to get.

Monsters:

1 Gladiator Beast Secutor

2 Gladiator Beast Murmillo

2 Gladiator Beast Laquari

2 Gladiator Beast Hoplomus

2 Gladiator Beast Beastiari

2 Gladiator Beast Darius

3 Test Tiger

1 Test Ape

3 Rescue Cat

2 Giant Rat

Spells:

1 Heavy Storm

1 Monster Reborn

2 Pot of Avarice

1 Premature Burial

2 Cold Wave

1 Giant Trunade

2 Shrink

1 Gladiator Beast’s Battle Archfiend Shield

Traps:

1 Trap Dustshoot

1 Mind Crush

3 Waboku

3 Solemn Judgment

1 Ojama Trio

1 Mirror Force

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Defensive Tactics

    The basic skeleton of the deck is based on Jake McNeely’s build.  Rescue Cat is very crucial to the deck’s success because first, it searches out Test Tigers or Test Ape directly from the deck, and Test Ape in certain situations can be a help.  Second, it is +1.  It can turn any Gladiator Beast into any form of removal.

    3 copies of Rescue Cat and 2 of Giant Rat ensure that I will always gain that +1, a very important one, both for speed and advantage.  Giant Rat allows me to fuel the graveyard for Pot of Avarice, bring out Hoplomus if I need a Gladiator Beast, and bring out Rescue Cat to be used.  It also serves as a wall for a turn – having the choice of pulling out another defender or Rescue Cat to use next turn is really useful.  Furthermore, since Rescue Cat usually puts 3 monsters in the Graveyard, Giant Rat often fills up that 4^th/5^th monster. 

    Thus, I find Gladiator’s Proving Ground rather useless because Gladiator Beast should stay in the deck.  Of course, drawing multiple Gladiator Beast in the opening hand is rather painful, but 3 Wabokus and a Defensive Tactics, as well as 2 Shrinks will cycle Gladiator Beast.

    Ojama Trio slows down the opponent well.  For Gadgets and other agro decks, 3 Monster Zones full of useless tokens are really some pain.  Gladiator Beast needs some time to set up, and total aggression can ruin the theme.  Also, while I can stop big Return from the Different Dimension and Dimension Fusion plays, the Ojamas also provide a 1000 DEF wall that I can ram Gladiator Beasts.

     While Rescue Cat is the key, Gladiator Beast Secutor is the lock that Rescue Cat opens.  Instead of using Gladiator Beast’s Battle Manica/Mist Body, I decided to use Gladiator Beast’s Battle Archfiend Shield.  First, it has a cooler name and picture.  Those are the really reasons.  Just kidding!  The Archfiend Shield is an Archfiend too!  Well, it protects any Gladiator Beast from Mirror Force, Torrential Tribute (even your own), and from battle as well.  Even though Battle Manica provides unlimited immunity to battle, timely Sakuretsu Armor could ruin everything.

…(Time is passing)

…(Time has passed)

    Darn.  So after Crush Card Virus has been reprinted, and after I resumed writing, Paul Levitin drove his Gladiator Beast to the top finish.  *Scratches head in vain*   So…all the stuff that you just read is…pointless…oops.

    Well, I’ll just have to take a shot at something else that I always wanted to build.  Please bear with me.  XD

    Who remembers Dark Paladin?  He had the built-in Magic Jammer effect, with the ability to negate any Spell at the cost of a card in hand.  He was good, but Traps easily destroyed him.  A lot of cards in hand also became frequently useless, either due to the absence of Dark Paladin or the absence of a key card.

    Gladiator Beast Heraklinos is a stronger, better, faster, and smarter version (and daft!) of Dark Paladin.  With relatively useful materials and ability to Contact Fusion, Heraklinos could do what Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8 and Royal Decree could do combined.

    Now, Light of Destruction will present us with another Gladiator Beast that rivals our Heraklinos.  Here is the text from Metagame.com.

Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
Winged Beast / Fusion
Dark / Level 6
2400 / 1500
Fusion Of: Gladiator Beast Bestiari + 1 "Gladiator Beast" Monster

Gyzarus can only be special summoned from your fusion deck by returning the above cards you control to the deck (don’t use Polymerization). When Gyzarus is special summoned, you can destroy up to two cards on the field. At the end of the battle phase, if Gyzarus attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the fusion deck to special summon two "Gladiator Beast" monsters from your deck, except Gladiator Beast Bestiari.

    Obviously, the ability to destroy 2 cards on the field is…Mobius and Zaborg on crack, to put bluntly.  2 Gladiator Beasts that would be brought out after the initial onslaught will guarantee the game, when Heraklinos can be brought out after nuking about 3-4 cards.

    Gyzarus is unique in that Monster Reborn and Premature Burial will trigger his effect (similar to Dark Nephthys).  Unfortunately, Gyzarus cannot be brought out by Future Fusion or Polymerization (it IS intant double nuke)…so…how could we…abuse this?

    Well, Gyzarus helps the deck that I always wanted to make for Heraklinos.  Remember “Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth?”  Read Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Gladiator Beast Torax again.  Now, read Heraklinos and Gyzarus again.  Yes.  True.

Monsters: 24

2 Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth

1 Elemental Hero Stratos

2 Elemental Hero Prisma

1 Golden Flying Fish

1 Gladiator Beast Laquari

2 Gladiator Beast Beatiari

2 Gladiator Beast Darius

3 Gladiator Beast Murmillo

2 Warrior of Atlantis

3 Ocean’s Keeper

1 Cranium Fish

3 Test Tiger

1 Gladiator Beast Secutor

Spells: 11

2 A Legendary Ocean

1 Monster Reborn

1 Premature Burial

1 Heavy Storm

1 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Brain Control

1 Reinforcement of the Army

1 Scapegoat

1 Pot of Avarice

1 Enemy Controller

Traps: 7

1 Mirror Force

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Mind Crush

1 Trap Dustshoot

1 The Transmigration Prophecy

2 Waboku

    There are a lot of decent Fish-Type monsters now.  Golden Flying Fish gives straight 1-for-1 removal, and Cranium Fish can also do similar things, with 700 more ATK.  Because Coelacanth’s minions’ effects are only negated on the field, Ocean’s Keeper and Gladiator Beast fishes will activate and resolve properly (sending back the Gladiator Beast is a cost).

    While Torax cannot activate its effect through the King Fish (very creative, I know), Murmillo can, and will, activate the effect with some help of Waboku.  Then, Laquari or Beatiari can be brought out to become their broken fusions.  Interestingly, their effects both compliment their fusions very well.  Laquari can negate any Spell or Trap after killing a monster (most likely, with its 2100 ATK), and Beatiari will ensure that Gyzarus will be able to attack directly and switch back to two fusions.  With the Coelacanth on the field, there is not a lot of cards that can stop Coelacanth and Heraklinos (and even more with Prime Material Dragon).

    Of couse, Darius became good from really good with Gyzarus.  Heraklinos can immediately brought out after destroying 2 cards (and possibly more).  With 3 copies of Solemn Judgment, it will be quite difficult to do anything but summon a monster, only to be destroyed later.

    Heedless opponents might attempt to destroy Superancient Coelacanth with Dark Armed Dragon or Exiled Force.  Having Murmillo on your side, even if it is brought out by the Coelacanth’s effect, will allow you to tribute it to protect a 3000 ATK beast, and possibly bring out Heraklinos or Gyzarus later on more freely with Darius.  A better part of the deal is that Dimensional Prison is used over Widespread Ruin because it denies the monster in the Graveyard.  And if that monster was the 3^rd DARK one, that could mean some serious pain.  Fortunately, “D-Prison” targets and Coelacanth will be able to negate it.

    Ha, fish…

    6^th and last AP test tomorrow…

    Ha.  Fish.   Enjoy fish!

     Carrotizer @ paulyeem@gmail.com