What happens when you get Phantom of Chaos copying Norelas' effect in the graveyard? Your opponent gets handlooped, starting off their duel with a single card, while you combat them with your set-up GY and army of Chimera monsters!
This particularly nasty "FTK" (technically not an FTK, more like a handloop 🤓☝️) is made possible with the combined might of Chimera, Yubel and Fiendsmith to bring this particular set-up to a consistent, safe and predictable outcome when you go first. Even if the FTK combo is interrupted, this deck can easily and effortlessly pivot to more standard gameplay, functioning like a regular Chimera deck with a ton of power and gas!
The credit for this combo and deckbuild largely go to TCGplayer's Hanko Chow - the galaxy brain mad scientist behind this handloop FTK! I suggest you check out his article that inspired my guide/video!
Want to see the deck in action? Scroll to the very bottom for the Youtube video!
ARCHETYPES AND DECKBUILDING
Just like its name, Chimera Norelas FTK is a "chimera" of many archetypes combined together to make this FTK as consistent and protected as possible.
CHIMERA is fusion oriented deck core that generates a ton of resources with just 1 card. This version of Chimera plays normally, until Berfomet is summoned - when Berfomet is summoned, you send to the GY either Phantom of Chaos or Norelas. Also, with the combo lines with this version of Chimera, you don't summon Big-Winged Berfomet in the initial FTK combo since it locks you only into fusion monsters - you summon Gazelle the King of the Mythical Beasts instead. It is composed of x3 Coatl, x3 Mirror Swordknight, x2 Berfomet, x2 Gazelle and x3 Chimera Fusion.
YUBEL is a small package composed of x1 Terraforming, x3 Nightmare Throne, x1 Spirit of Yubel and x1 Yubel. You either search for Phantom of Chaos (to send to the GY or use as fusion material) or if you already have access to Phantom of Chaos, you can search Yubel instead. Searching for Yubel would eventually make Phantom of Yubel so you can isolate your FTK combo from handtraps like Nibiru or Droll.
The FRIGHTFUR cards are a mini package in this deck to further enable fusion plays and to assist with card advantage. The strategy needs ample amounts of resources in hand for discard fodder and fusion material, and the package provides ample resources specifically for those uses.
The FIENDSMITH package is unfortunately a must-have for this deck to function, as it's main purpose is to summon Aerial Eater so it can send to GY either Phantom of Chaos or Norelas. It is composed of x3 Engraver, x3 Tract, and x1 Lurrie.
STAPLES in this deck are minimal, since this deck is full of engine to fulfill its FTK. Only 4 staple cards are maindecked, and they are x1 Called By the Grave and x3 Triple Tactics Talent. Don't let the lack of staples fool you into thinking this deck sucks, all the engine cards in this deck has so much gas it can usually break through established boards by itself!
In the SIDE DECK, all the cards are dedicated to boardbreaking - after you FTK your opponent going first, the boardbreaks should help you pierce through your opponent's defenses going second. Coupled with the immense "gas" this strategy has, Chimera can power through almost through any board. The SIDING PATTERN for this deck is removing the entire Yubel package (3 Nightmare Throne, 1 Yubel, 1 Spirit of Yubel), Phantom of Chaos and Norleras for an additional 7 cards from your Side Deck. If you need additional space, you can remove 1 Edge Imp Chain and 1 Frightfur Patchwork.
COMBOS AND GAMEPLAN
Chimera Norleras FTK's win condition is resolving Phantom of Chaos copying Norelas in the GY, then using the handloop effect while the Chimera player has a set-up graveyard. This is done by sending Phantom of Chaos and Norleras through various means to the GY, then reviving Phantom of Chaos from the GY with Muckraker of the Underworld! Both fiends are sent to the GY with Berfomet The Mythical King of Phantom Beasts (Chimera combo line), Aerial Eater (Fiendsmith combo line), and Nightmare Throne (Searches Phantom of Chaos).
Here is an example combo for the FTK with a set-up graveyard:
Cornfield Coatl + Any Fiend + Fiendsmith Engraver + 2 discards = Berfomet the Mythical King of Phantom Beasts + 1 hand-rip + monster negate (Swordknight in GY) + targeting protection (Cornfield Coatl in GY).
Discard Cornfield Coatl to search for Mirror Swordknight from deck.
Normal summon Mirror Swordknight. Activate Mirror Swordknight's effect to summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws from deck.
On summon, Gazelle searches for Chimera Fusion.
Activate Chimera Fusion to fusion summon Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts using Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws + Any Fiend.
CL1 Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws to search from deck Nightmare Apprentice and CL2 Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts to send a random card from opponent's hand to the GY in the End Phase.
Activate Chimera Fusion in the GY to add it to your hand.
Summon Nightmare Apprentice by discard 1 card.
Activate Nightmare Apprentice's on-summon effect to search from deck any illusion monster.
Activate Chimera Fusion to fusion summon Berfomet the Mythical King of Phantom Beasts by fusing Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts + the illusion monster you just searched in your hand.
On summon, Berfomet the Mythical King of Phantom Beasts sends to GY either Phantom of Chaos or Norleras.
(THE FOLLOWING IS THE FIENDSMITH LINE) Activate Fiendsmith Engraver to search for Fiendsmith Tract from deck.
Activate Fiendsmith Tract to add Fabled Lurrie to hand then discarding it.
Activate Fabled Lurrie's effect in the GY to summon itself.
Link away Fabled Lurrie to summon Fiendsmith's Requiem.
Tribute Requiem to summon from deck Engraver.
Activate Requiem's effect in the GY to equip itself to Engraver.
Contact fuse Engraver + the equipped Requiem to summon Necroquip Princess.
Summon Engraver from the GY by shuffling back Lurrie.
Link summon Fiendsmith's Sequence using Necroquip + Engraver.
Activate Sequence's effect to fusion summon Aerial Eater, shuffling from GY back into the deck Engraver + Requiem.
Activate Aerial Eater's effect to send to GY either Phantom of Chaos or Norleras (whichever one you're missing).
Link summon Muckraker of the Underworld using Aerial Eater + Sequence.
Activate Muckraker of the Underworld's effect discarding 1 card to summon from GY Phantom of Chaos.
Activate Phantom of Chao's effect targeting Norleras in the GY to copy its effect.
Activate Phantom of Chao's effect (effectively Norleras at this point) to send all cards in the field and in both players hands to the GY and you draw 1 card.
- During your end phase, resolve Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts' effect to send 1 random card for your opponent's hand to the GY (if they have any!).
During your opponent's draw phase (or whenever you feel like it's best), banish Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts' effect to summon Nightmare Apprentice from the GY. Nightmare Apprentice will search for Chimera follow-up for your next turn. Also, during the Draw Phase, banish Berfomet the Mythical King of Phantom Beasts to summon from Banishment Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts. This will turn on your negations in the GY (Coatl and Mirror Swordknight).
While your opponent has their singular card in hand, you have a ton of follow-up resources (Nightmare Apprentice search, Engraver in GY and Chimera Fusion), and negates (Mirror Swordknight/Coatl). This doesn't sound much, but compared to your opponent, they typically only have 1 card in their hand that they drew for turn!
Even if you don't get to resolve the FTK handloop combo, you can play Chimera regularly to end on a board composed at minimum Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts. With extenders and the right cards you can also end on a Magnum the Reliever, Phantom of Yubel and a D/D/D Wave High King Caesar! This strategy has an immense amount of gas available, with every starter capable of extending a lot.
When your opponent forces you to go second, you can side in many boardbreakers by taking out the Yubel package, Phantom of Chaos and Norleras. After simplifying your opponent's gamestate with boardbreakers, you can out-resource them with the immense grindgame of Chimera and Fiendsmith!
GENERAL TIPS
Your siding patten for this deck is removing the entire Yubel package (3 Nightmare Throne, 1 Yubel, 1 Spirit of Yubel), Phantom of Chaos and Norleras for an additional 7 cards from your Side Deck. If you need additional space, you can remove 1 Edge Imp Chain and 1 Frightfur Patchwork.
If you're planning to FTK, don't summon Big-Winged Berfomet in the initial FTK combo since it locks you only into fusion monsters - you summon Gazelle the King of the Mythical Beasts instead. Berfomet is usually only summoned when you're planning to OTK your opponent going second, or as part of your next turn follow-up search during your opponent's turn.
An excellent "Ash bait" is activating Nightmare Throne. The card isn't necessarily needed to resolve to complete the FTK. It also misleads the opponent into thinking you're playing Yubel.
Chimera Fusion can help your on-field monsters dodge targeting interruption like Imperm, Effect Veiler, or fieldwide floodgates like Skill Drain or Rivalry of Warlords. Keep this in mind when activating effects!
Summon your Illusion monsters in defense position. Since they all have the effect "cannot be destroyed by battle" except Diabellze, they form a robust defensive wall, especially against Tenpai.
Droll and Lockbird usually stops this strategy since it needs multiple searches per turn. Shifter also severely limits what the deck can do as well.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
I think that the Chimera Norleras Handloop FTK has been the most viable way to reliably FTK in years! Protection from monster handtraps with Phantom of Yubel, protection from Nibiru with High Wave King Caesar, and an immense amount of gas gives this handloop an extremely high chance of resolving! If you're going first with Chimera FTK, you're likely to win. The incredible thing with this deck is that it can pivot to regular gameplay as if nothing happened! Watch your opponent stare in despair as they have 1 card to your GY jammed with follow-up/negates, field full of Chimeras, and your multiple searches during their turn!
GLHF Duelists!
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