Pure Aliens

Aliens.... Hey I said ALIENS! Not really a Word Yugioh players fear. Sadly Aliens never got the Spotlight they deserved and that's why it's time to change that with this Decklist. Let's see the Details:

Enter the A-Zone and meet the Slicer

It's obvious that the Link-3 Boss Cosmic Slicer Zer'oll is the go to card to make in this Deck. He's Mystic Mine on legs (Just a little different) and is an additional Normal Summon and an on summon search for A-Counter related cards. This card alone wins you a Duel if played right and it's something Aliens desperately needed to be somewhat relevant again.

Alien Overlord , Alien Dog and Alien Ammonite are the Monsters which give you the summon power to reach Zer'oll. In certain going 2nd instances Invasive Alien Species - I.A.S will be of great assistance too. "A" Cell Recombination Device with Mysterious Triangle and Code A Ancient Ruins combined are the Spells and Traps who enable a easier summon for Zer'oll too. 

Together with Alien Kid and/or Planet Pollutant Virus (Both searchable through Zer'oll) every Monster from the opponent will receive A-Counters and Monsters with A-Counters are changed to defense position and can't activate their effects thanks to Zer'olls effect. 

This kinda replaces both Alien Mars and Alien Psychic who negate Effects and prevent Attacks from Monsters with A-Counters. This effect applies to both players which happens to be pretty bad while Cosmic Slicer Zer'oll is one sided which makes him even better. 

If the Cards fall right he's on Board as early as turn one and ready to be destroyed by Lightning Storm. 

The Fortress from Neo Space arrives

Aliens other big boy the Synchro Level 5 Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar is the other Key Card which enables a near endless swarming and removal loop if combined with Code A Ancient Ruins. Alien Ammonite is the easy one Card Combo to make him. Due to the soft once per Turn Nature of every older Alien card you can easily loop Code A Ancient Ruins with Gol'gars Spell & Trap bounce effect to summon Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar 3 times in one round and some other Alien guys on top of that. In theory you can get up to 12 Monster Reborn effects in one turn for Alien Monsters specifically which is broken indeed. 

With all that you have an easy OTK line ready at any time, waiting to be deployed and waiting to be removed by Nibiru, the Primal Being Mid combo. 

The hidden forces within the A-Zone

I didn't even really mention the A-Counters in all of this. A-Counters when combined with certain Alien Monsters decrease the opponents ATK and DFF by 300 for every A-Counter and every Monster with said effect. Breaking big Tower Monsters (If not unaffected) are easy to be cleared with it since many A-Counter spreading effects are non targeting and can easily reduce the ATK/DEF to 0. 

This kind of effect can be found on a total of 9 Monsters from 22 within this Deck so it can certainly become an actual problem for the opponent. If you like this kind of mechanic the Reptilianne Archetype might be just for you too. In fact Reptilianne Echidna prooves to be a very worthwhile addition in this Deck since it can search whatever Alien you need and reduce the ATK of an opposing Monster to 0. It's even better since you only need 1 Reptile to summon it, the other Monster can be anything else and with how frequently you steal opponents Monsters Reptilianne Echidna becomes only more useful. 

Monsters infected with A-Counters are also in danger of changing Control to your side of the field with Mass Hypnosis , Brainwashing Beam , Alien Mother or Alien Hypno.

Alien Hypno can steal up to 4 Monsters at once with no once per turn yet again but being a Gemini Monster he has to be normal Summoned again, which is a bit easier nowadays thanks to Cosmic Slicer Zer'oll. He also destroys Monsters which have no A-Counters left which is very nice to see. 

Alien Mother is a more strange inclusion but combos very well with Alien Overlord. Like that she's pretty much a 2600 ATK Beater which steals anything she destroys by Battle. She's also a very nice mill target for "A" Cell Recombination Device to deploy 6 A-Counters and potentially revive her with Code A Ancient Ruins later. With 2300 ATK she's still the strongest Alien Monster to this day. 

The last Cosmic creature the Cosmic Horror Gangi'el can tribute over stolen Monsters and keep Brainwashing Beam or Mass Hypnosis active on the field in the process, which is very nice. With Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar you can then reuse said Brainwashing Beam or Mass Hypnosis again next turn. Gangi'el also places 1 A-Counter for free every turn and has the Alien DNA even so he's not an Alien just like your other 2 Cosmic Monsters.

Alien Hunter is additional OTK power and kinda mid but always welcome as an option for me to Deal up to 3200 Damage (Which no other Alien can do). This becomes very important since your strongest Monsters have 2600 ATK which is often not enough to OTK. 2600 x 3 only equals 7800 damage but for example Alien Overlord , Alien Hunter and Cosmic Slicer Zer'oll combined equal exactly 8000 damage if the opponent has 2 ATK position Monsters which can be reduced to 0 ATK while Alien Hunter is battling. 

Alien Skull is another strange inclusion. He's a Kaiju for L3 or lower Monsters from the opponent and also has Alien DNA but also prevents your normal summon/set if you use that effect. He combos very well with Mysterious Triangle since he places an A Counter on himself and if he's destroyed Code A Ancient Ruins even generates an additional A-Counter after that. You may even use Mass Hypnosis , Brainwashing Beam , Alien Hypno or Alien Telepath for even more shenanigans with this card.

Alien Stealthbuster is a versatile tool which can destroy Cards with A-Counters on them from the field and prepare 2 A-Counters easily. He's often the best mill target for "A" Cell Recombination Device and very very versatile in it's applications. Destroying Alien Shocktrooper M-Frame with his effect can be a devastating surprise. 

Alien Telepath is a nice Spell & Trap Removal with built in Alien DNA. Both him and Alien Stealthbuster can also destroy your own cards which might come up from time to time. Destroying Code A Ancient Ruins seems stupid but if you are running out of space and wanna setup a Brainwashing Beam or Mass Hypnosis interruption line you might wanna do that. 

Alien Warrior is your strongest normal summon which, if destroyed in Battle, deploys 2 A-Counters as a non targeting effect on the Monster which destroyed him. He also Combos well with your essencial Code A Ancient Ruins since you might run into an opponents Monster on purpose to generate 3 A-Counters in total. 

The Alien Kid will place 1 A-Counter on every Monster the opponent special summons making it essencial for your Zer'oll lockdown. It's also cumulative so 3 copies of this card will have every Monster get 3 A-Counters on summon. Alien Kid also has Alien DNA as an added bonus. With just Alien Kid and Mass Hypnosis on the field you are ready to interrupt the opponent seriously. 

Also the new Invasive Alien Species - I.A.S is interesting. If the opponent is using Field Spells he can be a great mill target and be a 2600 ATK (or even higher) normal summon with a built in Revival effect, monster destruction and Protection. Aliens Field Spell is hot garbage but Invasive Alien Species - I.A.S is here to punish every player who dares to use good Field Spells against this Deck. 

Finally for the Monsters you have a very nice Link-2 Monster with Alien Shocktrooper M-Frame. He enables quick effect non targeting A-Counter distribution by discarding Monsters and can when destroyed revive non Link Reptile Monsters up to the Number of Monsters with A-Counters from the opponent. He's more essencial then you might think since he's your only lifeline should the opponent use mass removal. He's even able to revive both Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar and Cosmic Horror Gangi'el which is amazing to have access to. 

Brainwashing Beam acts as very strong interruption since it can pretty much permanently steal an opponents Monster with no real downsides. Feel free to recycle it for another use with Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar. 

The same applies for Mass Hypnosis only that this card needs an Alien on the field and is only active for one turn BUT it steals up to 3 Monsters from the opponent. If the opponent special summons to much while Alien Kid is active he will be severely punished with this card. If used during your turn it transforms into an OTK tool which can then also be reused with Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar.

Planet Pollutant Virus must be one of the strongest Trap Cards ever printed. By tributing 1 Alien Monster you destroy all monsters without A-Counters from the opponent. Furthermore every Monster he summons will get a A-Counter for three of the opponents turns. This card creates a perfect Zer'oll lockdown and opens up your whole Deck and has no Once per Turn either. 

Mysterious Triangle is a Quick Play Spell which destroys 1 Monster with an A-Counter to special summon 1 LV4 Alien from the Deck which is then destroyed during the End Phase. That's a well rounded card you always like to see with no Once per Turn yet again. Like mentioned it combos very well with Alien Skull too. 

"A" Cell Recombination Device is yet another Quick Play Spell which can mill any Alien from the Deck and place A-Counters equal to it's level on one of the opponents Monsters. In a following turn you can banish this card from the GY to search for any Alien Monster you want. All these effects are not limited to any kind of Once per turn too. 

The often mentioned Code A Ancient Ruins is the Heart and Soul of your Deck. It's a Permanent Spell which Once per turn can remove 2 A-Counters from anywhere on the field to target and revive any Alien Monster from your GY. If a Alien is destroyed this Card also gains an A-Counter itself. The unfair part is when you start looping this card with Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar. Suddenly Aliens become a Combo Heavy Deck which easily overwhelms the opponent thanks to these 2 Cards combined. 

Neos invades the A-Zone

Aliens have very strong OTK potential and even stronger Control options. Where they fall appart is the lack of protection (outside of Invasive Alien Species - I.A.S) and generating card advantage. If the opponent finds a way to break your Board you are most likely done for. Alien Shocktrooper M-Frame is the only small lifeline they have to recover from Boardwipes. In rare instances Invasive Alien Species - I.A.S can also be your savior. Gaining advantage again when the Field is once broken is difficult too, often leaving them open to be one turn killed after. Reptilianne Echidna creates a slight possibility to prevent that. 

Aliens are a fragile Archetype which needs the Spell & Trap lineup to work properly. Be aware of that should you decide to pick them up. 

There are many people who like to consider Alien Mars as an option. He negates any effects of Monsters with A-Counters. Let me tell you as an Alien Veteran he's hot garbage. In this kind of Deck you often place A-Counters on your own Monsters which will indeed negate their effects too. Furthermore 1000 ATK/DEF is near unprotectable against simple Beatdown. Better skip him and stay with Cosmic Slicer Zer'oll instead. 

Final Words from the Overlord

Aliens are a hidden force to be reckoned with for sure. With enough practice you can easily aim for Platin League and much Higher in Master Duel with them. People don't expect to see this Strategy and the potential of stealing opponents Boss Monsters and creating a Mystic Mine like lockdown is formidable enough to win against a surprising amount of matchups. 

Try it yourself if you like Aliens like me. They are a fun A-Counter related strategy that works well thanks to modern support. 

Final Rating: 

★★★★★★★ OTK Potential

★★☆☆☆☆☆ Defensive Tools

★★★★★★★ Control Options

★★★★★☆☆ Removal Options

★★★★★★☆ Recovery/Recycling

★★☆☆☆☆☆ Card Advantage

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆☆☆ 29/42★

The Alien Codex 

Aliens have many rules and some not so obvious ones I will list down below: 

Cosmic Horror Gangi'el: 1. He can be tribute summoned with 1 Tribute if you tribute a Monster on your side of the field which belongs to the opponent. 2. He's the only Card which in theory can place A-Counters on face down Monsters. The current official rules however prohibit this kind of action. Then again it's funny to call a Judge for that matter for sure since he's written so unclear. 

Alien Mother: If you control Monsters from the opponent through her effect and Alien Mother is flipped face down these Monsters are not Removed from the field and are now independent from Alien Mother's effect. 

Alien Overlord: 1. The ATK/DEF reduction effect per A-Counters multiplies if multiple Monsters with the same effect are on the field. 5 Monsters with said effect = 1 A-Counter decreases the ATK/DEF by 1500. 2. Even if his effects are negated you can only control 1 Alien Overlord.

Alien Skull: The A Cell reduction effect is applied even if the opponent controls this Monster and a Battle with your Alien occurs.

Alien Telepath: 1. You can destroy your own Spell & Trap cards with this effect. 2  This effect targets.

Alien Hunter: He can attack a maximum of 2 times per Battle Phase. "Once again in a row" is a very old indicator for that. 

Alien Hypno: 1. His effect to take control of opponents Monsters is not a once per turn. 2. His effect permanently targets the controlled Monster. As soon as it can't be targeted or becomes unaffected it is returned to the opponent. However even if it is returned to the opponent if all A-Counters are removed it will be destroyed since it's still affected by his effect. Also if it stops being unaffected it returns to your side immediately. 

Alien Stealthbuster: He can destroy your own cards too with his 2nd effect.

Alien Dog: He places 2 A-Counters in total. 

Mysterious Triangle: This card does indeed target the opponents Monster, even if it's not written on the current version of this card. 

Brainwashing Beam: 1. When this card is destroyed the opponent regains control of his Monster. 2. If the opponents stolen Monster is send to the GY for example through tributing over it or using it as Material, Brainwashing Beam remains on the field and may be reused with cards such as Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar. The same applies to Mass Hypnosis.

Planet Pollutant Virus: 1. You can tribute a Face Down Alien Monster to activate this card. 2. If you activate a 2nd Copy of this card every Monster the opponent will summon gets 2 A-Counters instead of one. 3. Every copy of this card counts turns seperate from each other. 

Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar: Returning Spell & Traps to the Hand and destroying 1 Card from the opponent both target. Distributing the A-Counters does not target. 

Cosmic Slicer Zer'oll: A monster with A-Counters which can't be changed to defense Position still cannot activate it's effects. 

Thoughts on other Alien Cards

The Deck review part is over but here I will talk about certain other cards from the Archetype and why I don't play them:

We talked about Alien Mars earlier who has a very strong effect and could even be a surprise with Crop Circles too but he's to Double Edged for me. With Alien Psychic on the field too you might wanna consider him but I see no reason to play any of them if Cosmic Slicer Zer'oll has both effects and is easier to access. 

Alien Grey can draw a card in theory, places a A-Counter and has Alien DNA but is way to slow as a Flip Monster nowadays. 

Flying Saucer Muusik'i is an insult to the Archetype. Why would they print a L5 Machine which can search any Alien Card instead of Drawing, yes even the single Alien Trap Alien Brain but make it 100% unsearchable and unplayable? Please print this card again but as a Reptile Type with Alien in it's name and I just might play it. 

Alien Shocktrooper is a strong 1900 normal monster which can be abused with cards like Unexpected Dai but I feel like there's no space left for something like that. It achieves nothing outside of having more Monsters for your link summon and that's not enough for me. 

Alien Infiltrator is a failed experiment from Cyberdark Impact and has no place in this Strategy. 

The field spell Otherworld - The "A" Zone is garbage deluxe but not completely terrible. Sadly it is unsearchable within the Archetype too and don't even think about wasting space with Terraforming to get to this card. 

"A" Cell Scatter Burst is a Quick Play which is not bad at all but not good enough in a modern environment compared to the other cards you have access to. 

Crop Circles is good but in general a minus 1 in card advantage. It's very versatile and pretty much up to preference. I like this card a lot but currently use Mass Hypnosis instead for it's more devastating effect. 

"A" Cell Incubator is also not terrible but Aliens have access to way stronger Spell/Traps then this. 

"A" Cell Breeding Device is simply to slow. 

And the rest of the Archetype is pretty much a bunch of GX cursed weak retrain stuff. They have a in archetype Mirror Force , Dust Tornado , Ring of Destruction and Creature Swap all made weaker then the original, except for maybe the Creature Swap retrain. 

There's a few more cards which all fail to make any impression whatsoever and shouldn't be considered at all if you aim to win with this Deck. Focus on the good cards and don't think about the rest to much.