The Crimson King Jack Atlas has received two new toys from Battles of Legend: Terminal Revenge - Shining Star Dragon and Red Lotus King!
First of all, Shining Star Dragon grants the deck access to a monster boardwipe during your opponent's Main Phase! Using Shining Star Dragon to "quick-synch" into the generically accessible Centur-Ion Auxilia (which happens to be a dark dragon monster) fulfills Scarred Dragon Archfiend's conditional fieldwipe!
Red Lotus King, Flame Crime acts as an additional extender for the strategy, allowing Red Dragon to play past the handtraps that are all too common in this format. It also sends any normal trap from deck to GY, allowing Red Dragon to finally easily access its power array of trap cards like Red Reign (field wipe) and Time to Stand Up! (monster negate).
Red Dragon Archfiend has 12 one card combos, and several ways to two-card combo, making the deck extremely consistent - on par with other synchro strategies like Swordsoul and P.U.N.K. This allows the strategy to fit in a whopping 18+ non-engine cards and still be playable! As a result, this deck can confidently play through minor handtraps like Ash Blossom and Impermanence while having enough gas to power through interruption.
The deck also works and melds incredibly well with Bystials very much like Dragonlink or Branded, netting you additional resources, interruption, extenders, beatsticks and combo pieces.
BE THE CRIMSON KING WITH RED DRAGON ARCHFIEND! ABSOLUTE POWERFORCE!!! SYNNKRROOOO SHOOOKKAAAAANNNNN!!!
Want to see the deck in action? Scroll to the very bottom for the Youtube video!
ARCHETYPES, ENGINES AND DECKBUILDING
This decklist is almost identical to my previous TCG Red Dragon lists - I basically made room to add in the new toys from BLTR like Shining Star Dragon and Red Lotus King. This strategy is paired up with the Bystial cards, since they support each other exceptionally well.
The RED DRAGON ARCHFIEND cards comprise the main core of this deck, being 18 cards. Your 13 one card combo starters are x3 Stone Sweeper, x3 Soul Resonator, x3 Resonator Call, x3 Crimson Gaia and x1 Foolish Burial (Send Vision Resonator, search Crimson Gaia). You have 6 conditional two card combo starters and they are x3 Vision Resonator (has to be sent to GY to search Crimson Gaia, starting combo) and x3 Bone Archfiend (sends to GY Vision Resonator, searching Crimson Gaia, starting combo).
The BYSTIAL cards are added as a support archetype for this strategy and they are composed of 8 cards. The Bystial cards fulfill many functions - they are resource generation, interruption, extenders, beatsticks and combo pieces. Branded Regained is also an amazing card to have in the backrow and have inherent synergy with Red Dragon Archfiend synchro monsters. In the sidedeck, you have a searchable floodgate Branded Etude which acts as a "Macro Cosmos," banishing your opponent's material for an Extra Deck/Ritual summon - this card in particular hardcounters GY centric decks like Fiendsmith and Snake-Eyes.
The rest of the cards are STAPLE cards. x3 Crossout Designator is used along with its targets since Red Dragon Archfiend's vulnerability to handtraps - especially high impact ones like Nibiru and Droll.
In the SIDE DECK there are many hand trapslike Droll, Ash, Imperm and Nibiru that can be sided in depending on the matchup. Archfiend Eccentrick is searchable S/T destruction with Soul Resonator, and it's best sided in when you anticipate your opponent will play floodgates when going 1st. The best cards to side out are x3 Shining Star Dragon, x3 Red Lotus King and x1 Red Reign.
COMBOS AND GAMEPLAN
Being a synchro deck, Red Dragon Archfiend is inherently combo-focused while being a highly aggressive beatdown strategy. With only one card, Red Dragon Archfiend can set up gigantic boards with many interruptions or generate massive ATK with board clearing potential to OTK your opponent. This strategy features several combos, they are resilient and can pivot to another direction depending on the gamestate and available extenders (For example, this deck can play through high impact handtraps like Nibiru, or if certain chokepoints like Red Rising Dragon and Crimson Resonator are negated/interrupted).
With the new cards like Shining Star Dragon and Red Lotus King, the combos remain the same - the only difference is that this deck now has additional extenders to power through plays since thats what the new BLTR cards are, extenders.
This strategy has many combos, but I'll just feature the three I like to use.
Here is the deck's bread-and-butter 1 card combo:
Crimson Gaia = Bystial Dispater (Monster negate or destroy) + Hot Red Dragon Archfiend (Omni-negate any card on opponent's field) + Red Zone (Targeted destuction, summons Dark Dragon Synchro from banished) + Crimson Gaia (follow-up search and summons Red Dragon Archfiend if a monster is destroyed) + Soul Resonator in GY (destruction protection) + Bone Archfiend in GY (follow-up) + Synkron Resonator (follow-up).
- Activate Crimson Gaia. Search Soul Resonator.
- Normal summon Soul Resonator. Search Bone Archfiend.
- Special summon Bone Archfiend from hand by sending a card from hand/field to GY. (For a true 1 card combo, you'd send Crimson Gaia, but typically you have other cards in hand to send since it is ideal to keep Crimson Gaia on field).
- Activate Bone Archfiend's level modification effect targeting Soul Resonator reducing it's level by 1 making level 2. Send from deck to GY Crimson Resonator. (If Crimson Resonator is already in GY, send Uvualoop instead).
- Synchro summon Red Rising Dragon using Bone Archfiend + Soul Resonator.
- Red Rising Dragon summons from GY Crimson Resonator.
- Activate Crimson Resonator's effect to summon Vision Resonator and Synkron Resonator from deck.
- Synchro summon Scarred Dragon Archfiend using Crimson Resonator + Red Rising Dragon.
- Synchro summon Bystial Dispater using Scarred Dragon Archfiend + Vision Resonator.
- CL1 Vision Resonator to search Red Zone, CL2 Scarred Dragon Archfiend to special summon (counts as synchro summon) Red Dragon Archfiend from Extra Deck.
- Synchro summon Hot Red Dragon Archfiend using Red Dragon Archfiend + Synkron Resonator.
- Activate Synkron Resonator's effect to add from GY a resonator from GY (Soul Resonator for follow-up next turn or Vision Resonator tuner extender).
- Summon any other extenders, summon additional Dark Synchro Dragon monsters (Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend can negate S/T during battle phase, like Evenly Matched or summon another Scarred Dragon since it floats and is "Red Dragon Archfiend" on the field turning on Red Zone). Set your spells/traps, especially Red Zone.
Even if your opponent manages to clear your entire field, your GY is set up with Bone Archfiend and your hand has Soul Resonator + more so you can repeat the same thing next turn. I'd say this deck's combo potential, resource generation and explosive power is comparable to Dragonlink!
Here is what to do if you've been Nibiru'd. This requires extenders in the form of Bone Archfiend and any Bystial.
HELP! (I'VE BEEN NIBIRU'D!) Crimson Gaia + Bystial + Bone Archfiend = Bystial Dispater (Monster negate or destroy) + Scarred Dragon Archfiend (Presence on-field turns on Red Zone, floats into OG Red Dragon Archfiend), Red Zone (Targeted destuction, summons Dark Dragon Synchro from banished) + Crimson Gaia (follow-up search and summons Red Dragon Archfiend if a monster is destroyed) + Soul Resonator in GY (destruction protection) + Bone Archfiend in GY (follow-up) + Synkron Resonator (follow-up).
- Activate Crimson Gaia. Search Soul Resonator.
- Normal summon Soul Resonator. Search Obsessive Uvualoop.
- Special summon Bone Archfiend from hand by sending a card from hand/field to GY. (For a true 1 card combo, you'd send Crimson Gaia, but typically you have other cards in hand to send since it is ideal to keep Crimson Gaia on field).
- Activate Bone Archfiend's level modification effect targeting Soul Resonator reducing it's level by 1 making level 2. Send from deck to GY Crimson Resonator. (If Crimson Resonator is already in GY, send Uvualoop instead).
- Synchro summon Red Rising Dragon using Bone Archfiend + Soul Resonator.
- Red Rising Dragon summons from GY Crimson Resonator.
- Activate Crimson Resonator's effect to summon Vision Resonator and Synkron Resonator from deck. (AT THIS POINT, TYPICALLY OPPONENTS NIBIRU SINCE THIS IS THE 5TH SUMMON)
- CL1 Synkron Resonator to add Vision Resonator back to hand, CL2 Vision Resonator to search Red Zone.
- Special summon Bystial, banishing Crimson Resonator from GY.
- Special summon Vision Resonator from hand, since you control a level 5 or higher monster (the Bystial).
- Special summon Uvualoop from hand, banishing Red Rising Dragon in GY.
- Synchro summon Bystial Dis Pater using Bystial + Uvualoop.
- Activate Bystial Dis Pater's effect to special summon from banished Red Rising Dragon.
- Synchro summon Scarred Dragon Archfiend using Vision Resonator + Red Rising Dragon.
- Summon any other extenders, summon additional Dark Synchro Dragon monsters (Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend can negate S/T during battle phase, like Evenly Matched or summon another Scarred Dragon since it floats and is "Red Dragon Archfiend" on the field turning on Red Zone). Set your spells/traps, especially Red Zone.
The endboard isn't as good as the first combo since you've been interrupted by Nibiru, but it's more or less the same! Everything is present except for Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's on-field omni-negate.
One of the best endboards, featuring Bystial Lubellion and the one card combo:
Bystial Lubellion + Crimson Gaia = Bystial Dispater (Monster negate or destroy) + Hot Red Dragon Archfiend (Omni-negate any card on opponent's field) + Scarred Dragon Archfiend (Presence on-field turns on Red Zone, floats into OG Red Dragon Archfiend) + Red Zone (Targeted destuction, summons Dark Dragon Synchro from banished) + Crimson Gaia (follow-up search and summons Red Dragon Archfiend if a monster is destroyed) + Soul Resonator in GY (destruction protection) + Bone Archfiend in GY (follow-up) + Synkron Resonator (follow-up) + Branded Beast (Targeted destruction) + Branded Regained (+1 draw when a card is banished, summon Bystial from GY).
- Activate Crimson Gaia. Search Soul Resonator.
- Normal summon Soul Resonator. Search Bone Archfiend.
- Special summon Bone Archfiend from hand by sending a card from hand/field to GY. (For a true 1 card combo, you'd send Crimson Gaia, but typically you have other cards in hand to send since it is ideal to keep Crimson Gaia on field).
- Activate Bone Archfiend's level modification effect targeting Soul Resonator reducing it's level by 1 making level 2. Send from deck to GY Crimson Resonator. (If Crimson Resonator is already in GY, send Uvualoop instead).
- Synchro summon Red Rising Dragon using Bone Archfiend + Soul Resonator.
- Red Rising Dragon summons from GY Crimson Resonator.
- Activate Crimson Resonator's effect to summon Vision Resonator and Synkron Resonator from deck.
- Synchro summon Scarred Dragon Archfiend using Crimson Resonator + Red Rising Dragon.
- Activate Bystial Lubellion's effect to search for Bystial Saronir.
- Activate Bystial Saronir's effect to summon itself banishing Crimson Resonator from GY.
- Summon Lubellion from GY tributing Scarred Dragon Archfiend.
- Activate Scarred Dragon Archfriend's effect to special summon (counts as synchro summon) Red Dragon Archfiend from Extra Deck.
- Activate Lubellion's effect to place Branded Beast on your backrow.
- Synchro summon Bystial Dispater using Bystial Lubellion + Vision Resonator.
- Vision Resonator searches Red Zone since it was sent to GY.
- Synchro summon Hot Red Dragon Archfiend using Red Dragon Archfiend + Synkron Resonator.
- Activate Synkron Resonator's effect to add from GY a resonator from GY (Soul Resonator for follow-up next turn or Vision Resonator tuner extender).
- Synchro summon a second Scarred Dragon Archfiend using Bystial Saronir + Crimson Resonator.
- Activate Saronir's effect in the GY since it left the field. Send Branded Regained to the GY.
- Summon any other extenders, summon additional Dark Synchro Dragon monsters (Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend can negate S/T during battle phase, like Evenly Matched or summon another Scarred Dragon since it floats and is "Red Dragon Archfiend" on the field turning on Red Zone). Set your spells/traps, especially Red Zone.
- In the End Phase, Branded Beast places Branded Regained on your backrow.
As you can see, there are many combos and variants in the Red Dragon Archfiend deck. There are more combos than listed in this strategy guide, but I only featured three. I suggest you check out other Youtube videos, practice for yourself, and cook your own playstyles! There is so much complexity and potential that this powerful strategy can now do!
GENERAL TIPS
- Good cards to consider for the side deck that this deck can abuse is Eradicator Epidemic Virus (and the other virus cards), since it's an insta-win vs. certain decks.
- Red Dragon Archfiend's usual endboard can negate Dark Ruler No More and Forbidden Droplet (if they didn't send a trap)! When your opponent activates Dark Ruler/Droplet, CL2 Red Zone to pop a card, then CL3 Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's effect to negate the card. Pretty snazzy eh? Not every deck can use a monster to negate Dark Ruler/Droplet!
- Try to leave Soul Resonator in the GY after your combo, it is destruction protection while you control any synchro monster that mentions Red Dragon Archfiend!
Try to set up Banishement with a card so that Bystial Dispater can at least use it's destruction effect! Sometimes depending on your cards Bystial Dispater's destroy/negation effect won't be live. The best cards to set up the banished piles are Bystials and Obsessive Uvualoop.
Obsessive Uvualoop is an incredible extender in this deck. It's also searchable as part of this deck's combo (for example, if you already have Crimson Resonator, you can search for Uvualoop). This card can banish multiple synchro monsters at the end of the regular combo so that Dispater can summon them from the banished pile, while setting up Dispater's destroy/negation!
Red Dragon Archfiend is a surprisingly grindy deck. If your opponent manages to clear your entire field, you can easily recover your set-up given that your GY, banished pile and hand still remain after your initial combo lines. Red Zone summons Dark Dragon Synchros from Banishment (even Dis Pater!) Dis Pater also summons from Banishment. Bone Archfiend will be in the GY to kickstart your combo again. Obsessive Uvualoop summons itself by banishing synchros. Branded Regained summons Bystials from the GY.
When siding out in games 2/3, take out varying quantities of Shining Star Dragon and Red Lotus King as needed.
You have searchable spell/trap destruction in your Side Deck - Archfiend Eccentric. Side it in if you think your opponent will play floodgates with your normal summoned Soul Resonator!
Want to see the deck in action? Scroll to the very bottom for the Youtube video!
CONCLUDING COMMENTARY
Honestly, Battles of Legend Terminal Revenge didn't really change much for Red Dragon Archfiend. All Shining Star Dragon and Red Lotus King add to the strategy are strong but niche powerups to the deck. The strategy remains the same - a few negates, mass fieldwipes, and gigantic dragon bodies that are easily accessible and summonable (honestly that's how I like it anyways)! I just wanted an excuse to make another video and guide for this extremely fun combo synchro strategy for one of my favourite Yugioh characters - the "Crimson King" Jack Atlas!
WIELD ABSOLUTE POWERFORCE, BE THE CRIMSON KING AND SYYNNKRRROOOO SHOOOKAAANN!!!
GLHF Duelists!
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