“Monarch” monsters are high level monsters with effects that activate when they are tribute summoned. While it may sound slow, the addition of Lightsworn engine and Simorgh enables you to do the combos faster and safer, while also giving some additional plays because of the tuners.
[Skill] description | User |
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Destiny Draw Can be used when your Life Points decrease by 2000. In the Draw Phase, instead of conducting your normal draw, draw a card of your choice. This Skill can only be used one per Duel. | Yami Yugi |
Caius the Shadow Monarch | DARK Fiend ★6 ATK 2400 / DEF 1000 |
Shining Hope [UR] | |
If this card is Tribute Summoned: Target 1 card on the field; banish that target, and if you do, inflict 1000 damage to your opponent if it is a DARK monster. |
Caius is often the go-to monarch to use. It's a good removal effect and it banishes instead of destroy, making it quite powerful in addition to being versatile.
Lastly, by banishing a DARK monster, you're able to deal a significant amount of burn damage. This is situationally useful to finish off low LP opponents, especially since you can even banish your own monster, which are mostly DARK, to deal some damage.
Erebus the Underworld Monarch | DARK Zombie ★8 ATK 2800 / DEF 1000 |
Aerial Assault [SR] | |
You can Tribute Summon this card by Tributing 1 Tribute Summoned monster. If this card is Tribute Summoned: You can send 2 "Monarch" Spell/Trap Cards with different names from your hand and/or Deck to the Graveyard, and if you do, shuffle 1 card from your opponent's hand (at random), Graveyard, or their side of the field into the Deck. Once per turn, during either player's Main Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard: You can discard 1 "Monarch" Spell/Trap Card, then target 1 monster in your Graveyard with 2400 or more ATK and 1000 DEF; add it to your hand. |
Erebus has a very powerful removal effect that does not target, does not destroy, and shuffles the opponent's card into the deck. These factors make the removal hard to counter while bypassing most floating effects. Also, returning your opponent's card to the deck prevents them from recycling it. Being able to remove a card from your opponent's hand lets Erebus reduce your opponent's resources even on the first turn, and returning a card from their graveyard to the deck lets you get rid of graveyard effects like Shiranui Spectralsword.
Erebus' graveyard effect allows you to recover Monarchs from your graveyard while also letting you put the Prime Monarch in the graveyard for their graveyard effects. This graveyard recovery is what allows Erebus to work well with the Lightsworn mill engine because a milled Erebus can just recover himself or any Monarch in your graveyard.
Erebus sending 2 Monarch Spell/Trap cards from your deck to the graveyard upon summoning helps thin your deck and ready graveyard effects like The Prime Monarch.
Simorgh of Darkness | DARK Winged Beast ★8 ATK 2900 / DEF 2000 |
Infernity Destruction [UR] | |
While face-up on the field, this card is also WIND-Attribute. You can only use each of the following effects of "Simorgh of Darkness" once per turn. ● If you Tribute Summon a DARK or WIND monster: You can Special Summon this card from the GY (if it was there when the monster was Tribute Summoned) or hand (even if not). ● When a Spell/Trap Card or effect is activated (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 WIND Winged Beast monster; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card. |
Very easily special summoned from the hand or graveyard since monarchs are all about tribute summoning. It has high attack but it's primarily used to negate your opponent's spell/trap by tributing itself to stop your opponent's plays, or to attack safely.
Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn | LIGHT Warrior ★4 ATK 1700 / DEF 1000 |
Judgement Force [SR] | |
During your Main Phase: You can send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard, then if any "Lightsworn" monsters were sent to the Graveyard by this effect, this card gains 200 ATK until the end of your opponent's turn. You can only use this effect of "Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn" once per turn. Once per turn, during your End Phase: Send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. |
If there's one thing Lightsworns are known for it's milling. Raiden is unique among Lightsworn monsters because of his ability to mill during the Main Phase. This is quicker than other Lightsworns that only mill during the End Phase, letting you get your graveyard effects ready sooner. Plaguespreader Zombie, Frost Blast, and Prime Monarch are examples of graveyard effects you can make use of during your Main Phase.
Charge of the Light Brigade | Normal Spell |
Judgement Force [SR] | |
Send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard; add 1 Level 4 or lower "Lightsworn" monster from your Deck to your hand. |
Charge of the Light Brigade and Solar Recharge are both used to cycle your resources and mill your deck. Using these cards provide a quicker mill engine than just relying on Lightsworn monsters to mill during the End Phase.
With Charge of the Light Brigade, you want to search Raiden early game for graveyard setup.
Run Tuners with Graveyard effects to give this Deck some Synchro capabilites. When milled by your Lightsworn Engine, these can be revived practically anytime you want to make a Synchro play.
Jet Synchron | FIRE Machine ★1 ATK 500 / DEF 0 |
Aerial Assault [UR] | |
If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material: You can add 1 "Junk" monster from your Deck to your hand. If this card is in your Graveyard: You can send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard; Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use 1 "Jet Synchron" effect per turn, and only once that turn. |
Discard The Prime Monarch as Jet Synchron's revival cost. Then revive The Prime Monarch and pair it with Jet Synchron for a Level-6 Synchro.
Glow-Up Bulb | EARTH Plant ★1 ATK 100 / DEF 100 |
Judgement Force [UR] | |
If this card is in the Graveyard: You can send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard, and if you do, Special Summon this card. You can only use this effect of "Glow-Up Bulb" once per Duel. |
Glow-Up Bulb's revival cost is effectively free and even extends your Deck milling.
Restoration of the Monarchs | Equip Spell |
Aerial Assault [N] | |
Activate this card by targeting 1 monster in your GY with 2400 ATK/1000 DEF, or 2800 ATK/1000 DEF; Special Summon it in Defense Position, but negate its effects, also equip it with this card. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. The equipped monster can be treated as 2 Tributes for a Tribute Summon. You can only activate 1 "Restoration of the Monarchs" per turn. |
Using this is a faster way of getting something on the field to use for tribute compared to a trap card. Since the deck will be milling often from the lightsworn engine, you'll be able to use this quite often.
The First Monarch | Continuous Trap |
Solemn Odion Roaming Event [SR] | |
Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 1000/DEF 2400). (This card is also still a Trap Card.) If Summoned this way: You can discard 1 card, then declare 1 Attribute; this card becomes that Attribute, and can be treated as 2 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a monster with the same Attribute as this card. If this card was Summoned this way, you cannot Special Summon monsters, except monsters with this card's Attribute. |
The First Monarch summons itself as a monster to use for your Tribute Summons. Always choose the DARK attribute because only Erebus will benefit from it being treated as 2 tributes. Aside from summoning Erebus, you can disregard The First Monarch's attribute changing effect unless you want to use it as a way to discard and ready a graveyard effect.
The First Monarch does not really do anything while in the graveyard, so feel free to use it as a cost for The Prime Monarch or Frost Blast.
The Prime Monarch | Continuous Trap |
Solemn Odion Roaming Event [SR] | |
Once per turn: You can target 2 "Monarch" Spell/Trap Cards in your Graveyard; shuffle them into the Deck, then draw 1 card. If this card is in your Graveyard: You can banish 1 other "Monarch" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard; Special Summon this card in Defense Position as a Normal Monster (Fairy-Type/LIGHT/Level 5/ATK 1000/DEF 2400). (This card is NOT treated as a Trap Card.) You can only use this effect of "The Prime Monarch" once per turn. |
The Lightsworn mill engine works well to fuel The Prime Monarch and also get it in the graveyard. You only really need one The Prime Monarch in your graveyard at any given time, so use the rest as effect cost for a Prime Monarch's draw effect, Prime Monarch's Special Summoning, or Frost Blast.
Returning Monarch Spell/Traps to your deck can help slow down your deck out. And returning The First Monarch or Restoration of the Monarchs to the deck gives you more chances to summon your Monarchs, especially Erebus.
Vermillion Dragon Mech | FIRE Machine ★9 ATK 2700 / DEF 1800 |
Blazing Rose [UR] | |
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters Once per turn: You can banish 1 Tuner from your hand, field, or Graveyard, then target 1 card on the field; destroy it. If this Synchro Summoned card is destroyed by card effect and sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 of your banished Tuners; add it to your hand. |
Arguably the best generic Level-9 Synchro. Vermillion Dragon Mech comes with a decent ATK stat and versatile cost-effective removal.
Both Simorgh and Erebus are the level 8s to go into Vermillion, but Erebus has no on field effects after it's summoned, so you're better off using Erebus instead of Simorgh to synchro. Using Simorgh is worth it if you can do another tribute summon, which will end up re-summoning the Simorgh.
Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier | WATER Sea Serpent ★6 ATK 2300 / DEF 1400 |
Aerial Assault [UR] Selection Box Vol.04 [UR] | |
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters You can discard any number of cards to the GY, then target the same number of cards your opponent controls; return those cards to the hand. You can only use this effect of "Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier" once per turn. |
Brionac lets you get rid of multiple enemy cards by also discarding as many cards as cost. This effect can even be used to clear your opponent's entire field.
Follow up Caius' effect by special summoning a tuner from the grave to synchro into Brionac.
Coral Dragon | WATER Dragon ★6 ATK 2400 / DEF 500 |
Chronicle of Glory [UR] | |
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters Once per turn: You can discard 1 card, then target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy it. If this Synchro Summoned card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can draw 1 card. You can only use this effect of "Coral Dragon" once per turn. |
Coral Dragon is a generally a good Synchro monster to make. Its one-for-one removal effect is a fairly good control effect matching this Deck's playstyle, and has pretty good ATK. Plus you get to draw a card to help you replenish your resources when Coral Dragon is removed.
Black Rose Dragon | FIRE Dragon ★7 ATK 2400 / DEF 1800 |
Blazing Rose [UR] | |
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can destroy all cards on the field. Once per turn: You can banish 1 Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard, then target 1 Defense Position monster your opponent controls; change that target to face-up Attack Position, and if you do, its ATK becomes 0 until the end of this turn. |
A decent follow-up if your Caius isn't enough. After the board wipe, you can special summon Prime Monarch from the grave to not leave you defenseless.
Constellar Ptolemy M7 | LIGHT Machine ★6 ATK 2700 / DEF 2000 |
Infinite Ray [UR] | |
2 Level 6 monsters You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Constellar" Xyz Monster you control as the Xyz Material, other than "Constellar Ptolemy M7". (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) If Summoned this way, the following effect cannot be activated this turn. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 monster on the field or in either player's Graveyard; return that target to the hand. |
Cauis is effectively just a beater while it stays on the field. Any combination of Cauis and The First Monarch can make Ptolemy M7 for its removal effect which also doubles as a recovery effect.
Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon | DARK Fiend ★5 ATK 2600 / DEF 1700 |
Shark Fang [SR] | |
2 Level 5 monsters Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target 1 face-up card your opponent controls; destroy it. |
Summon Adreus with two The Prime Monarch as material. Andreus provides a decent ATK stat and a simple targeted removal effect.
Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner | LIGHT Spellcaster ★3 ATK 1000 / DEF 1000 |
Judgement Force [R] | |
Once per turn: You can discard 1 card, then target 1 Level 4 or lower "Lightsworn" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target. During each of your End Phases: Send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. |
Lumina has the standard Lightsworn effect of milling your deck during the End Phase to help with graveyard setup. You can use her to revive a Raiden in your graveyard and use both monsters to make an easy level-7 Synchro. The discard cost for her effect lets you load monsters that can get stuck in your hand, like Bacon Saver, into the graveyard.
With enough graveyard setup you can combo Lumina into making Crystron Quariongandrax.
Solar Recharge | Normal Spell |
Judgement Force [R] | |
Discard 1 "Lightsworn" monster; draw 2 cards, then send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. |
Like Lumina's effect cost, Solar Recharge can get a card stuck in your hand into the graveyard where it can activate its effect. Lastly, these cards do not have any restrictions on how many times they can be used per turn, so drawing multiples can be quite advantageous.
Mobius the Frost Monarch | WATER Aqua ★6 ATK 2400 / DEF 1000 |
Warriors Unite [UR] | |
When this card is Tribute Summoned: You can target up to 2 Spell/Trap Cards on the field; destroy those targets. |
Zaborg the Thunder Monarch | LIGHT Thunder ★5 ATK 2400 / DEF 1000 |
Empire of Scarlet [SR] | |
If this card is Tribute Summoned: Target 1 monster on the field; destroy that target. |
Simple yet effective, Tribute Summon Monarchs to activate their removal effects and get a good beater onboard. The problem is getting tribute fodder on the field can be slow and costly. For this, Monarch support such as The First Monarch and The Prime Monarch have effects that put them on the field as monsters you can use for your Monarch's tribute summon.
Plaguespreader Zombie | DARK Zombie ★2 ATK 400 / DEF 200 |
Curse of Dread [UR] | |
If this card is in your Graveyard: You can place 1 card from your hand on the top of the Deck; Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. |
Plaguespreader Zombie can be used for many purposes in this deck, and its low cost revival effect contributes to its versatility. Plaguespreader Zombie will usually be put in your graveyard with the Lightsworn mill engine, where you are free to revive it anytime. Revive Plaguespreader Zombie as a synchro material to make Quariongandrax when combined with Lumina and Raiden, make any level-7 Synchro when paired with Zaborg, or make Vermillion Mech Dragon when synchro climbing with a level-7 Synchro. Plaguespreader Zombie's easy self revival also makes it good as tribute fodder for Tribute Summoning Monarchs.
Since Plaguespreader Zombie can be used much more efficiently when in the graveyard, you usually don't want to keep him in your hand. Therefore it is best to use him as discard cost and load him into your graveyard.
Sphere Kuriboh | DARK Fiend ★1 ATK 300 / DEF 200 |
The Ultimate Rising [UR] | |
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; change the attacking monster to Defense Position. When you Ritual Summon a monster, you can banish this card from your Graveyard as 1 of the monsters required for the Ritual Summon. |
Kiteroid | WIND Machine ★1 ATK 200 / DEF 400 |
Card Trader [SR] | |
Activate when you discard this card from your hand during damage calculation after a direct attack. Any Battle Damage you would receive from that direct attack becomes 0. Only once, if you remove this card from the game when it is in your Graveyard, any Battle Damage you would receive from a direct attack becomes 0. |
Bacon Saver | DARK Zombie ★2 ATK 700 / DEF 600 |
Generation Next [R] | |
During either player's Battle Step, while an attack is occurring: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; negate the attack. You can only use the effect of "Bacon Saver" once per Duel. |
Kiteroid and Bacon Saver are mostly used to stop OTKs. Kiteroid can be used from your hand and graveyard, making him not as bricky as drawing Bacon Saver. A single Kiteroid can let you stop up to 2 lethal attacks, letting you live through most enemy boards. Bacon Saver can only be used from your graveyard but aside from stopping direct attacks can also stop your opponent from attacking your monsters.
Both these monsters have graveyard effects so milling them with Lightsworns is a good way to prepare them.
Frost Blast of the Monarchs | Normal Spell |
Crusaders Battleground [N] | |
If you control a monster with 2400 or more ATK and 1000 DEF: Target 1 Set card on the field; destroy it. You can banish this card and 1 "Monarch" Spell/Trap Card from your Graveyard, then target 1 Set card on the field; destroy it. |
Frost Blast is a costless removal effect you can use when you control a Monarch. Destroying a set card will usually mean getting rid of an opponent's set Spell/Trap, specifically battle traps and backrow that cannot be chained to Frost Blast's activation. But can sometimes let you destroy a set monster when your opponent is on the defensive, letting you push more damage.
Having your monster already on the field before using your backrow removal, leaves the monster susceptible to cards like Raigeki Break and Karma Cut. This is why Frost Blast's graveyard effect is arguably better than its first effect, and why we want to mill it with the Lightsworn Engine.
Samurai Destroyer | EARTH Machine ★7 ATK 2600 / DEF 1400 |
Dark Dimension [R] | |
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters If this card battles an opponent's monster, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step, also that opponent's monster has its effects negated during the Battle Phase only. If this face-up card in its owner's control leaves the field because of an opponent's card effect: You can target 1 Machine monster in your GY; Special Summon it. |
Among Level-7 Synchros, Samurai Destroyer is arguably the best generic beater. The inherent protection from all effects during battle is great, and negating the enemy monster's effect during battle prevents most floating effects from activating.
Altergeist Marionetter | LIGHT Spellcaster ★4 ATK 1600 / DEF 1700 |
Witchs Sorcery [SR] | |
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Set 1 "Altergeist" Trap directly from your Deck to your Spell & Trap Zone. You can target 1 "Altergeist" card you control and 1 "Altergeist" monster in your GY; send that card on the field to the GY, and if you do, Special Summon that other monster from your GY. You can only use this effect of "Altergeist Marionetter" once per turn. |
Marionetter fetches Emulatelf from your Deck which you can later use as tribute fodder.
Altergeist Emulatelf | Continuous Trap |
Witchs Sorcery [N] | |
Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster (Spellcaster-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1800). (This card is also still a Trap.) If Summoned this way, while it is in the Monster Zone, other "Altergeist" Traps you control cannot be destroyed by card effects, also neither player can target them with card effects. |
When summoned, Emulatelf is basically just a monster with below average stats. The reason it is worth running is due to Marionetter's search effect making Emulatelf effectively a free body on board.
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