With the release of Duel Overload, the Simorgh archetype received its final wave of support in the form of Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty. We can currently consider the archetype complete and for that occasion, let's have a look at what makes these birds tick.

March of the Simorghs

The very first Simorgh monster, Simorgh, Bird of Divinity was released in 2006! Requiring two WIND tributes and sporting a very niche burn effect this card understandably did not see widespread play. It did, however, set the tone for the rest of the archetype which would be completed some 13 years later.

It did so through its effect, which sees both players take 1000 points of damage during their End Phases. This damage is reduced by 500 points for every Spell/Trap card under that player's control. This interaction with Spell/Traps would become the lynchpin of the entire Simorgh archetype.

Come 2008 and 2009, we saw Simorgh, Bird of Ancestry and Dark Simorgh get released. Fans of the artwork began to see a series of cards but could not hope to build a deck truly centered around their feathery friends until the release of Rising Rampage in 2019.

With that set came several archetypal spell, trap, and monster cards that really gave it an identity. Simorgh was reimagined as an archetype focusing on multiple Normal summons, Tribute summoning and spell/trap interaction.

Where Simorghs dare

Starters

The archetype was boosted by the release of four low level monsters, each bringing their own unique effect upon Normal summon. Aside from this, they each share graveyard recursion as long as the opponent has no cards in their spell/trap zones.

With Simorgh, Bird of Beginning, Bird of Bringing, Bird of Calamity and Bird of Protection the archetype gains access to additional Normal summons, archetype searches, foolish burials, and quick spell and trap removal. Practically speaking, it allows them to go off with very limited resources in hand. Bird of Beginning and any other bird is a gamestarter. Bird of Calamity can reach a Link 3 all on his own and Bird of Bringing nets you the valuable Field spell search. In short, plenty of opportunities to start a game.

Spells & Traps

No archetype (well, almost no archetype) is complete without a supporting roster of spell and trap cards. With Simorgh Onslaught and Simorgh Repulsion we gain monster search and mass spell/trap removal at the cost of a discard. Simorgh Sky Battle provides our birds with an extra layer of protection as well as an often overlooked removal and burn effect. Granted, its activation requirements are steep, but nothing is funnier than waiting until just the right time to catch your opponent off guard with a timely 3000 damage burn for game.

Special honours go to the Field spell, however. Elborz, the Sacred Lands of Simorgh is what makes this whole deck go into sixth gear. The card warms up with a nice 300 ATK/DEF point boost to all WIND Winged Beast monsters, but turns it up a notch with two activated effects. If played correctly, the Field spell allows you to get an additional Normal summon for one less Tribute than required. For a deck that relies on Tribute summoning big birds as its bread and butter, this card is invaluable.

Boss monsters

Big birds, you say? Indeed. The original three Simorgh monsters received reinforcements. Simorgh of Darkness and Simorgh, Lord of the Storm round out the team. Bringing high numbers, spell/trap negation, non-destruction removal and graveyard recursion, these are staples in any self-respecting avian deck.

With a cherry on top

Attentive readers will remember Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty from the introduction. Indeed, this card is perhaps the single most powerful card in the entire archetype and without it our birds' viability would take a nosedive.

As its first effect, Bird of Sovereignty provides targeting protection for itself and any Winged Beast monster it points to. A nice 3 Link arrows pointing at your own zones make this valuable blanket protection. On top of this, should the opponent go for the tried-and-true hit'em in the face strategy, you can select another Simorgh card to destroy instead. Note the two key points: it specifies a Simorgh card (so you could nuke your own Field spell or continuous trap) and it does not have a once per turn clause. All in all, your opponent will have to find non-targetting removal or manage to beat over 2700 ATK (if the Field spell is live) multiple times.

Perhaps its most valuable effect is its final one. Once per turn (yours and your opponent's) you can Special summon a Winged Beast monster from your deck or hand. The level of monster you can fetch depends on the amount of free spell/trap slots left on the board. With this effect, it becomes extremely easy to tutor out valuable effects.

How can we use this effect?
- Mist Valley Apex Avian can be fetched from the deck for a free once-per-turn negate (it can bounce itself). If you manage to Tribute summon it next turn, it will also trigger Simorgh of Darkness' revive effect.
- Barrier Statue of the Stormwinds can provide a valuable summoning floodgate against a lot of decks. With luck, your opponent cannot punch over it with any of their starting cards and at worst they must use valuable removal or their battle phase to out it.
- Alector, Sovereign of Birds comes with an Infinite Impermanence effect and brings a respectable 2400 ATK body along with it.

To kill a Simorgh

Naturally, no archetype is without its flaws. So too for our feathery friends. There are a few surefire ways to pluck these chickens.

All four of the smaller birds share a graveyard recursion effect. However, it is entirely dependant on there being no spells and traps placed on the field. A single set card could completely cripple your opponent's ability to recur them and use them for fuel to reach Bird of Sovereignty.

On top of this, Bird of Sovereignty's Special summon effect is dependant on how many open slots there are in the spell/trap zones. Three facedown cards will immediately lock away the higher level bird monster. For backrow decks out there, managing up to five will limit your opponent to summoning only the small birds, whose effects only activate on a Normal summon.

Tying into that, the deck is highly reliant on Normal summons for its effects. Stop the first and you usually stop the next. And if you can't do that, consider getting rid of the Field spell as a way to put the brakes on them.

Finally, depending on the hand they opened with, getting out Bird of Sovereignty can cost a lot of resources. A well-timed Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring could leave them with little more than a 2400 body with no protection.

That's a wrap

So, Simorgh, what have we learnt.

The archetype has a clear identity and knows exactly what it wants to do. It has the potential to kick off combos and build decent boards. It can be combined with a bunch of out-of-archetype cards to boost its effectiveness (The Monarchs Stormforth, anyone?). Finally, it has the potential to win games through sheer power and tenacity.

Unfortunately, it comes with some easy to exploit weaknesses. Ironically, despite sporting many ways to bounce backrow cards, it's almost crippled if they can't be removed. There is also no protection in the archetype that will save it from a well-aimed Lightning Storm. On top of this, a poor opening hand could cause it to have a slow start. An experienced player can and will capitalize on that.

All-in-all, I personally enjoy the archetype quite a lot and and am intending to build it physically. Its artwork is gorgeous and if the engine is running, it runs really well. I mucked about with infinite negate boards using Union Carrier and Mist Valley Thunderbird but ultimately moved away from them as I didn't enjoy them quite as much.

Definitely give this archetype a try if you feel like playing a beautiful deck with a strong identity, but be realistic as to your expectations. Barring any genius intervention on your part, I don't foresee it making any huge splashes.