Budget Beasts

Unleash the beast with Gladiator Beasts on a budget! The aim of the game is summoning Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor, and there are multiple ways to do this.

[Before talking strategy, I'd like to get this out of the way first: This is by no means an optimal build, missing most pricey staples/techs currently available in the modern TCG. Funny enough, after not having played the TCG for maybe a decade, I had finally gotten around to selling my entire collection (except for my GBs and a few staples for nostalgia's sake) last year, but the successful marketing campaign that is Master Duel (and my success in Platinum Ranked using GBs with their new support) rekindled the heart of the cards in me. However, I was not looking to start throwing large sums of money at the TCG,  Therefore, no single card in the deck is valued above $6, and almost 80% of all cards used are below $2.]

Disclaimer now out of the way, let's talk about Tamer Editor. This fantastic fusion monster, requiring 2 LV5+ GBs, has a *soft* 1/turn effect to summon any GB fusion monster from the ED, allowing you to quickly stack your field with big bodies that can either pop or negate your opponent's cards. The particularly helpful part of this effect is being able to summon Dominitianus and Heraklinos without the need for 3 GBs. In fact, the deck doesn't even run Vespasius or Laquari, the GBs normally needed to summon them, freeing up space in the deck for more cards that add support or consistency to achieving our main goal of summoning Tamer Editor.

You'll normally summon Tamer Editor with Augustus (field) + Augustus/Noxious/Attorix, but Augustus + Attorix is by far the easiest way, Attorix being searchable with Test Panther (2), Tenki (1), Proving Ground (3), and Rejection (3). The Tamer Editor flowchart normally starts with a field consisting of Test Panther and any GB (except for Augustus), and x1 Augustus/Noxious/Attorix in hand, though it can be done without Panther if you draw into Test Tiger.

STEP 1
The many ways to summon Test Panther + 1 GB:
- Rescue Cat/Rabbit: Summon Samnite+TestTiger or x2 Andal, link into Test Panther, Panther searches GB Comeback to summon any non-Beast GB from hand or GY (non-Beast because Comeback can only summon a GB of a type not already face-up on your field, and Panther is a Beast, so make sure if you use Samnite that you have a different GB in hand).
- Rescue Cat + Rescue Rabbit: SUMMON CAT FIRST, summon Ferrijit with Samnite+TT, Ferrijit summons Rabbit into Andal x2, 1st Andal+Ferrijit summons Test Panther alongside the 2nd Andal.
- Andal x2 (inhand): 1st Andal links into Link Spider, Spider summons 2nd Andal from hand, link to Test Panther, search Comeback to revive Andal.
- Unexpected Dai + Andal (in hand): Achieves the previous option before even normal summoning, allowing you to normal summon a GB alongside your Panther and save Comeback for a follow-up play, or search GB Charge/WarChariot/United for defense, or search Augustus/Noxious/Attorix if you don't have a LV5+ GB in hand (normally you'll want either Noxious/Attorix, but Augustus in hand can extend plays even further if you have Darius/Equeste/Bestiari in hand).
- Mind Control + 1 GB: Steals an opponent's monster to use alongside 1 GB to summon Test Panther, since Panther is a Link2 requiring min. 1 GB. Panther searches Comeback, revives your GB.
- Gladiator Rejection + RescueCat/RescueRabbit/UnexpectedDai/TestTiger+1GB: Free summon of an additional GB from deck whose type isn't face-up on your field when resolving when a GB is summoned from deck, and the main deck contains 11 cards that facilitate this alongside Rejection, in additional to GB tag-in/out effects (but the aim is to be able to summon Tamer Editor BEFORE the battle phase whenever possible).
- Any 2 GB + Comeback: Summon 1st GB, Comeback summons 2nd GB, link into Panther, searches 2nd Comeback to revive either GB.

STEP 2
Use Panther + 1 GB on field and Augustus/Noxious/Attorix in hand to summon Tamer Editor:
- Attorix/Tenki/ProvingGround: Draw or search Atttorix, Panther tags out the GB on field to summon Augustus from deck, summoning Attorix from hand, Attorix sends Augustus/Noxious from deck to GY to gain their LV, fuse Augustus+Attorix into Tamer Editor.
- Noxious: Panther tags out the GB on field to summon Augustus from deck, summoning Noxious from hand, Noxious sends Bestiari from deck to GY (for follow-up Gyzarus plays using Darius/GBUnited), fuse Augustus+Noxious into Tamer Editor.
- Augustus: Panther tags out the GB on field to summon Augustus from deck, summoning a 2nd Augustus from hand, fuse Augustus+Augustus into Tamer Editor. If you have another GB in hand, you can use the 2nd Augustus to summon it, potentially extending your combo (Darius to revive a GB, Equeste to recover Comeback, Bestiari to pop a S/T and/or fuse into Gyzarus for more pops).
- Test Panther: Searches Augustus/Noxious/Attorix if you don't have it in hand by drawing or other means and already have Panther + 1 GB on field without the need to search Comeback.

STEP 3
Use Tamer Editor's effect:
- Summon Domitianus: This is almost always your #1 pick. Soft 1/turn monster effect negate+destroy, PLUS you choose your opponent's attack targets on their Battle Phase, a useful effect used to protect your weaker cards like Panther. So many players DON'T READ this part of Domi's effects, leading them to accidentally attacking into your heavy hitters instead. #imagineduelistsactuallyreadingcardeffects
- Summon Heraklinos: Can discard 1 to negate+destroy any S/T. Only summon with min. 1 card in hand. Remember that Darius/Equeste can help recycle your discarded GB cards (Remember that Equeste CANNOT recover Proving Ground or Rejection). Great for protecting your monsters from stuff like Raigeki / Lightning Storm or backrow-heavy decks in general.
- Summon Gyzarus: A free pop 2 anywhere on the field. Great for dealing with high ATK targets, or pesky backrow.

Congrats! You now likely have a field of Test Panther, Tamer Editor and Domitianus. But why stop there? If you managed to conserve your GB Comeback, Link Tamer Editor and Test Panther into any Link 2 or 3, revive Tamer Editor with Comeback and activate its effect again, summoning either a 2nd Domi for more effect negation, Heraklinos to also gain protection from S/T, or Gyzarus to pop and clear the way to victory. Domitianus (3500) + Tamer Editor (2400) + Gyzarus (2400) = 8300 damage. That's lethal without even taking into account the ATK power of the Link Monster.

STEP 4 (optional)
Link summon using Tamer Editor + Test Panther, revive Tamer Editor with Comeback to use its effect a 2nd time on the same turn:
- Knightmare Unicorn: Your only way of non-destruction removal in the deck besides Tri-Brigade Shuraig. Alongside Gyzarus summoned by your revived Tamer Editor, you can remove up to 3 obstacles in your way before the Battle Phase. Up to 4, technically, since you can further Link Summon with Tamer Editor + Unicorn into Shuraig for a 1/turn non-targetting banish. Borrelsword Dragon is also a viable candidate for running over opposing heavy hitters.
- Cross-Sheep/Ferrijit: These let you summon an extra monster from hand (Ferrijit) or GY (Cross-Sheep). If using Cross-Sheep, make sure you can summon Tamer Editor from GY to a zone Cross-Sheep points to to get its effect off. From here, you can further Link Summon with Tamer Editor + CrossSheep/Ferrijit + the extra monster into either Tri-Brigade Shuraig or Borrelsword Dragon. Borrelsword is usually for Turn 1 plays, to add an additional layer of defense to your field. Summoning Shuraig Turn 1 is not recommended, as you may lose it before ever getting to use its removal effect.

Notes on other main deck cards:
- Gladiator Beast United: This searchable quickplay spell requires a bit of set-up, but is a great way to disrupt your opponent's plays on their turn. With Bestiari in hand, field or GY (usually put in GY by Noxious) and any other 1 GB in hand, field or GY, you can summon Gyzarus and pop 2. If you already have Bestiari + 1 GB + United on Turn 2 going 2nd, you can simply enter BP and summon Gyzarus to clear your opponent's field and attack, tagging out into setting up your Tamer Editor combo in MP2.
- Gladiator Beast Charge: Effectively Gyzarus in searchable trap form. Lets you pop up to 1/GB with different names face-up on your field.
- Gladiator Beast War Chariot: Searchable monster effect negation, for when Domitianus isn't enough.
- Effect Veiler: Probably one of the best cheap hand traps. Interchangeable with Kaijus or other available had traps like Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit. However, Veiler (and other monster HTs like Ghost Ogre) has the added bonus of being able to normal summon it alongside a special summoned GB to go into Test Panther if necessary.

Side Deck:
- Skull Meister and GB Retiari: For GY-heavy decks.
- Gameciel: The Kaiju of choice, being the only one Tamer Editor and Gyzarus can run over.
- Dimensional Barrier: For shutting down decks that focus heavily on ED monsters, especially those that use mostly a single type.
- Royal Decree: For those nasty trap-heavy decks and Skill Drain. The deck doesn't really suffer by removing its 2 GB traps.
- GB Charge: For decks that use a lot of continuous S/T, and an alternative out to Skill Drain. Looking at you, Eldlich players.

Other decent+cheap side deck options:
- Twister / Twin Twister: For more S/T removal. Twister only works for face-up S/T but doesn't require a discard. You want your hand for Heraklinos and Unicorn, but remember you can recycle with Equeste.
- Ghost Belle & Snow Rabbit: Generic hand-trap destruction effect. Potential alternative to Veiler.
- Dark Ruler No More: Another out to problematic monsters that are indestructible or have negation effects. Potential alternative to Gameciel.

Fun fact about GBs and Skill Drain interractions:
- You can still tag in/out a GB under Skill Drain, because returning to deck is the cost, but the summoned GB will obviously not get its effect.

Main deck card options for those with a bigger budget or who already have some modern staples/techs:
- Evenly Matched:  I love using this card in Master Duel with GBs. Summon a GB, attack, tag out (returns GB to deck as cost), chain link 2 Evenly Match, wipe your opponent's field, tag in to new GB. Fun fact about GB Comeback, the monster summoned by it is indestructible by battle, which is helpful if you have EM and a GB that can't attack over anything on your opponent's field.
- Accesscode Talker: Another great finisher with high attack and a removal effect. Would probably replace Shuraig or Borrelsword (should probably keep for Turn 1 plays) with it.
- Obviously stuff like Ash Blossom, Nibiru, Crossout, Droplets, Impermanence, etc.

Final Notes:
This deck is a lot of fun and surprisingly consistent. Great for casual play with friends, or catching players off-guard at locals, but likely not big-tournament viable. Still, a great option for nostalgic players returning to the game on a budget.