An Introduction into Lost Sanctuary R
Lost Sanctuary R is the OCG's 12th Structure Deck in their R series. The R Structure Decks are a series that attempts to modernize and improve Structure Decks of the past. This deck is based off of the original Lost Sanctuary Structure Deck released back in 2011. In this deck, we find new cards that support Agents, Hyperion, and The Sanctuary in the Sky. In late 2011, Agent variants were a solid contender in a meta where Synchros were dominant. Though today's metagame is nothing like 2011, in this article, we'll be taking a look at the new cards from Lost Sanctuary R and see if they can take Agents out of the shadows and return them to the meta picture. After all, it happened 10 years ago, maybe it can happen again.
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh12qlrU9XA
New Cards
Master Flare Hyperion
Master Flare Hyperion is Agent's new Level 10 Synchro Boss Monster. It's a retrain of the original Master Hyperion and has strong stats with 2 equally strong effects.
Flare's 1st effect mills an Agent monster or a monster that specifies The Sanctuary in the Sky to copy its name and effects. This effect is not limited to the main deck and can also mill monsters from the Extra Deck. One good Extra Deck monster to mill is Celestial Knightlord Parshath. This lets Flare access Parshath's utility effect without going through the trouble of summoning it. This effect is also good for stockpiling FAIRYs in the GY. Because Agents is an archetype that needs fuel in the GY, loading it up is almost never a bad thing. Some monsters like Majesty Hyperion, Neptune and Pluto also want to be in the GY.
Flare's 2nd effect is a banish that activates when your opponent activates a card or effect. While this effect is reactive, it's great for disrupting your opponent and making them think twice before they play a card. This effect also requires you to banish a FAIRY from your hand or GY, so make sure you have enough FAIRYs available for this effect.
Overall, Flare is a solid Synchro that gives you a bit of everything. While it's not the strongest boss monster in the game, it's easy to summon and is quite flexible. It can also be revived through Neptune if you have The Sanctuary in the Sky on the field or in the GY.
The Executor of Hades - Pluto
The Executor of Hades - Pluto is Agent's new Level 5 Synchro. It has a Book of Moon effect when it's on the field and can add The Sanctuary in the Sky to your hand if it's in the GY.
Pluto's 1st effect changes an Effect monster to face-down DEF position by banishing a monster from your GY. If you have The Sanctuary in the Sky on the field or in the GY, this becomes a Quick effect. This effect provides decent disruption. It can be strong against decks like Virtual World and Dragon Link which need their monsters face-up in order to extend play. In some cases, this can even be more effective than removing a monster from the board. For example, against Salamangreat, Flame Bufferlo will get its effect regardless of how its removed from the field. But if it's flipped face-down, it can be difficult for Salamangreat to continue play and you also prevent Bufferlo from activating.
Pluto's 2nd effect lets you banish it from the GY to add The Sanctuary in the Sky from your deck or GY to your hand. This effect will mainly be used to recycle Sanctuary since searching it with Neptune is more optimal. You can also use Flare to mill Pluto and then banish the Pluto you milled if necessary.
Overall, Pluto is a decent Synchro but not something you'll summon a lot normally. Since 5 is an awkward level for Agents to make, Pluto will usually come from the effect of Crystron Halqifibrax. This is convenient since Halqifibrax is easy to summon and now transitions into a disruption on your opponent's turn.
Guard of the Agents - Moon
Guard of the Agents - Moon is Agent's new Link-2 monster. It's another Extra Deck monster that provides utility with a bit of removal.
Moon's 1st effect mills a card that specifies The Sanctuary in the Sky if Link summoned. It can also add Earth to your hand if Sanctuary is already present on the field or in the GY. This effect is useful for sending Majesty Hyperion or Neptune to the GY. Searching Earth is also nice but won't come up too often since Moon is usually summoned after you've already used your normal summon.
Moon's 2nd effect tributes 1 FAIRY monster to target and destroy 1 card your opponent controls. Like Flare, this is a straightforward effect that simplifies the game-state. It's also worth mentioning that Moon can tribute itself for this effect.
Overall, Moon is a decent Link that you use to setup your play. It doesn't do anything crazy but is a good transition card before summoning your Link-3 Parshath. Being able to pop a card is also nice since Agents thrive in simple positions.
Majesty Hyperion
Majesty Hyperion is a new DARK FAIRY and the cover card of Lost Sanctuary R. It has the inverted stats of Master Hyperion and has an effect that disrupts the GY.
Like Master, Majesty is also summoned by banishing 1 Agent monster from your hand, field, or GY. But unlike Master, Majesty can also summon itself from the GY this way. This makes it easy to summon since you don't need to search or draw it. It's also worth noting that this is a summon that does not start a chain. That means if met with a negation like Solemn Judgment, you can attempt to summon Majesty again.
Majesty's 1st effect is a continuous effect that makes all battle damage you take involving your FAIRYs also becomes inflicted to your opponent. This effect is one many players will forget and disregard so it may be possible to steal some wins if your opponent is low on LP.
Majesty's 2nd effect banishes 1 FAIRY from your hand or GY to banish 1 card in either GY. If The Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field or in the GY, you can use this effect twice per turn. This effect is strong against decks that use their GY as a resource such as Sky Striker, Eldlich, and etc. This effect is also good for controlling the number of FAIRYs in your own GY, which is useful when trying to summon Archlord Kristya.
Majesty serves the role of both a utility card and a pseudo-extender. It's great to mill off Moon and provides an extra monster each turn as long as you have enough Agents to banish. Majesty can also be used to Synchro with Earth or Diviner of the Herald for an easy Level 10 Synchro.
The Agent of Life - Neptune
The Agent of Life - Neptune is a new Agent that is an extender and a The Sanctuary in the Sky searcher. It's also an important part of most of your modern Agent combos.
Neptune's 1st effect special summons 1 Agent monster from your hand or GY by discarding itself. If Sanctuary is on the field or in the GY, you can special summon 1 Hyperion monster instead. The monster summoned also cannot be tributed until the end of your opponent's turn. This effect is great because it helps build your board while getting an Agent in the GY. In the early-game, Earth can search Neptune and use it to extend your play. In the mid-game, Neptune can revive a Hyperion monster which is usually quite powerful. Furthermore, since the monster summoned by Neptune has tribute protection, it dodges cards like Kaijus and Nibiru. Just be careful since this means you can't tribute the monster for Moon's effect either.
Neptune's 2nd effect searches for The Sanctuary in the Sky if its banished. This effect synergizes with your Hyperion monsters, Eva, and Lost Sanctuary since they all need to banish FAIRYs for their costs. The only issue with this effect is that in order to use it, you need to play The Sanctuary in the Sky. While Sanctuary does provide extra effects to your other cards, many consider it a brick since it doesn't do anything on its own. Therefore, it's up to the player's preference whether they want to play Sanctuary or not.
Overall, Neptune is a good extender that is useful during all points of the game. It makes Earth a 1 card Crystron Halqifibrax and accessing Sanctuary more available. The only flaw is that it doesn't do anything if you don't see another Agent.
The Sacred Water of the Sky
The Sacred Water of the Sky is your standard ROTA-type card to search for cards that specify The Sanctuary in the Sky. It also has a protection effect while in the GY and a life-gaining effect if Sanctuary is present on the field or in the GY.
Water's 1st effect activates The Sanctuary in the Sky from your deck or search a monster that lists it in its text. If Sanctuary is already present in the field or GY, Water also lets you gain 500 LP for each Hyperion or Agent monster you control. There isn't too much to talk about here, Water is your generic archetypal search card that most archetypes have. The extra life gain is nice but won't come up too often as Water will usually be your play starter.
Water's 2nd effect lets you banish it from the GY to protect a monster that specifies The Sanctuary in the Sky from battle. This effect is nice but also won't be relevant too often. The problem with this effect is that it's too niche. This effect would be much more useful if it protected from card effects, or if it could be used to protect any FAIRY. Still, the effect is just extra, so you can't complain too much about something free.
Overall, Water is a search card with some nice bonus effects. Though both bonus effects will rarely come up, it doesn't matter since you'd play Water even if it didn't have these effects.
Chorus in the Sky
Chorus in the Sky is a spell that recurs FAIRY monsters from your GY. If The Sanctuary in the Sky is present on the field or in the GY, it also adds an additional card from banished as well.
Chorus is used as a way to recycle FAIRYs from your GY. It's great in the mid-game, as that's when you'll have the best targets to add back. Strong monsters for this effect are Diviner of the Herald and Herald of Orange Light. Chorus's 2nd effect is good for recycling cards that specify The Sanctuary in the Sky. This effect will primarily recycle Agent and Hyperion monsters but can also recycle your S/T if they're banished.
Overall, Chorus is a nice way to recycle cards you otherwise would have trouble seeing again. The bonus effect to recycle from banished is also nice since Hyperion monsters banish for their summon and effects quite often.
Lost Sanctuary
Lost Sanctuary is a Continuous Trap that provides setup and disruption. Its name also becomes The Sanctuary in the Sky while it's on the field or in the GY.
Lost Sanctuary is a powerful trap that does a lot for the Agent/Hyperion archetype. For starters, it sets Sanctuary or a S/T that lists it upon activation. This is great for setting up Sacred Water, Chorus or Divine Punishment. Lost Sanctuary also provides a monster effect negate by banishing a FAIRY from your GY. This effect serves a double purpose as it provides disruption and a way to control your GY. This can come in handy when trying to summon Archlord Kristya or to banish Neptune for its effect. Lastly, Lost Sanctuary's effect to count as Sanctuary is also nice for triggering the bonus effects on some of your cards. While it's uncommon for you to not have the Sanctuary already, it does happen and Lost Sanctuary is great for those situations.
Lost Sanctuary is a great card that does many of the things the deck wants. It can also be searched with Celestial Parshath and added back with Chorus if it happens to be met with Cosmic Cyclone.
Overall Thoughts
With this new wave of support, Agents/Hyperion receive a big buff to both their floor and ceiling. Being a Synchro-based archetype, they also benefit from the abundance of new Synchro support released in the recent years. They can also easily summon Level 10 Synchros using their Level 2 Tuners and Level 8 Hyperion monsters. This lets them play powerful Synchros like Cheng Ying, the Xiangjian Grand Duke and Baroness de Fleur. Furthermore, they're also able to take advantage of powerful generic FAIRY support such as Diviner of the Herald, Herald of Orange Light, and Archlord Kristya. This makes them a powerful foe as they're able to play going both 1st and 2nd.
While the new support doesn't propel the archetype back into the top tier of the meta, Agents can still be a surprisingly dangerous opponent. While the archetype has its weaknesses, it also has its strengths. Their play going 2nd isn't bad and their opening field can end with Kristya and that's usually good enough. After all, Archlord Kristya is still a huge threat in the meta and can be very difficult to deal with.
