Suited-Up Second Snatchers (Time Thief/Armored Xyz)

Intro

Is it just me, or do the majority of Time Thief decks that see competitive use seem in a way... ashamed to be Time Thief? Like they almost always play second fiddle to the usual Xyz-related interaction suspects?

Not to put myself or my creations on a pedestal, nor take others or theirs down a peg. But so much more is possible with Time Thief beyond end boards that read more like a TCGplayer buylist.

Case in point, Time Thief Power Reserve. I'm as guilty of scratching my head looking upon it at first as the rest the world. "This is their attempt at a Brigandine? So much for getting my hopes up..."

That was until Age of Overlord graced us with the Armored Xyz package, specifically Full-Armored Xyz. Pair it up with Power Reserve and we've got one of the two aces for the archetype with their strongest disruption effects immediately online, plus more non-targeting removal for later!

...But I'm getting ahead of myself. All this and more's in store (or out, if the Thieves beat you to it) when all the deck's Xyz components work hand-in-hand for some out-of-the-box shenanigans leaving your opponent perplexed and their resources in other hands.

The Plan

Setting up is relatively easy, provided you have both a pair of Level 4 monsters to open into and a route to Bezel Ship in GY. Though Shade Brigandine and Sakitama aid in this a fair deal, by far the deck's best friend (pun semi-intended) in this regard is Time Thief Regulator. Summon it as your sole monster, and you can Tribute it to tag into two of its fellow Thieves from deck. The two most important include Winder and Adjuster, which search and bin their on-theme cards respectively. However, their in-hand effects allow them to Summon themselves, so you can instead reserve Regulator's tutors for either of the Main Deck's on-theme Machine monsters (just pretend Temporwhal doesn't exist like the rest of the hot-blooded populus).

To illustrate the different Regulator combinations I've noticed, here is a list of them that still allows you access to all the Level 4 bodies you need:

• Regulator -> Winder & Adjuster, Winder effect to search Power Reserve/Retrograde & Adjuster effect to bin Bezel Ship
• Regulator -> Winder & Bezel Ship, Winder effect to search Power Reserve/Retrograde & freebie Adjuster from hand
• Regulator -> Adjuster & Bezel Ship, Adjuster effect to bin Chronocorder, overlay both monsters for Redoer, Winder effect to detach one from Redoer and freebie, then Redoer effect to banish self and trigger Chronocorder's revival effect

From any of the three above, you've secured your Extra Deck setup route and then some. Overlay the two bodies you're left with into Raidraptor - Force Strix and use its effect to detach one and search Raidraptor - Singing Lanius. After that birdie perches on your field, detach Force Strix's remaining material with Bezel Ship's effect in GY to revive it, then Link both your Winged Beasts into Raidraptor - Wise Strix. This blue bird's song will call Raider's Wing from deck to the field, allowing it to be overlayed with Bezel Ship for a second Force Strix, detaching Raider's Wing to play a role similar to the first but searching Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius this time around. Wise Strix will reward your composition with a Rank-Up-Magic Soul Shave Force from deck immediately after, one you'll use to call the first Force Strix from its GY slumber and promote it to Cyber Dragon Infinity. Good old CDI will offer Wise Strix a ride and attach it as material, freeing up the Extra Monster Zone for another key player to take the field.

To prepare for their arrival, have Raider's Wing detach the second Wise Strix's remaining material to revive itself, then allow Wise Strix to be overlayed and usher in Xyz Armor Fortress, the key to making the most out of Power Reserve. Detaching its one material grants you a Full-Armored Xyz from deck, as well as allowing it to be promoted and overlayed into Full Armored Dark Knight Lancer. With the two Xyz Monsters bearing fellow Xyz Monsters as material, Strangle Lanius can now emerge from your hand with Raider's Wing's guidance. Seeing as CDI bears the DARK Force Strix under it, it will target and revive Singing Lanius in GY to be overlayed alongside it into our first glance at the deck's eponymous Xyz Monsters: Time Thief Perpetua. She has major plans for the opponent's turn, but for now she'll attach a second Power Reserve from deck to CDI to enable an extra spot of removal later. Once Power Reserve and Full-Armored Xyz are set, the turn can be passed and the heist can truly begin.

During the Standby Phase of your opponent's turn, activate Power Reserve to bring itself to the Monster Zone as a Level 4 monster, and immediately after activate Full-Armored Xyz to overlay it and Raider's Wing into the one and only Time Thief Redoer. After Redoer snags the top card of your opponent's deck for himself, allow Perpetua to detach a material and revive Bezel Ship from GY for additional card snatching later on.

...Whew. That was a flowery description, I'll admit. But what did it accomplish? Well, we now have:

• Redoer whose materials grant it immunity to targeting effects (Raider's Wing) and non-targeting spin removal right out the gate (Power Reserve)
• Perpetua to provide its fellow Xyz Monsters with additional/specific material types from deck for their respective effects
• Bezel Ship to Tribute itself as a Quick Effect to steal the opponent's cards in GY(which can also provide them with specific material types for their different effects)
• Power Reserve in GY once either Redoer or CDI detach it in order to banish itself and a card on field without targeting once your Xyz Monster(s) have both a Spell and Trap attached
• Full-Armored Xyz in GY to both provide an Xyz Monster with the Force Strix in GY to act as a protective Spell and enable Dark Knight Lancer's effect to attach an opponent's monster as material

Unconventional, sure, but capable of robbing many an opponent blind before they even realize what transpired.

The Backup

Of course, if the Thieves can spare the resources or need to pivot, their era-hopping escapades have afforded them allies from all over to clean up the job.

• Time Thief Double Barrel can respond to the opponent's actions like Redoer, albeit exclusively. Easily its most important is detaching a Trap to negate an Effect Monster on field's effects, keeping up the deck's trend of non-targeting in regards to the opponent's cards.
• Abyss Dweller, meanwhile, takes care of decks that make extensive use of the GY as a second hand.
• Number 60: Dugares the Timeless, aside from complimenting the deck's time motif, will most often detach both its materials to act as a walking Graceful Charity or Monster Reborn. Usually after you survive an opponent's turn and prepare to extend or drew into Soul Shave Force and Strangle Lanius in hand and need a backup route for a material-less Rank 4 to make Armor Fortress.
• Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir, fittingly nicknamed "Plan B", can act as an emergency button by locking non-Links into Defense and restricting their effects until brighter times shine. In Attack, you can also use it for battle destruction immunity in case you want to tag into Divine Arsenal AA-Zeus - Sky Thunder afterwards and wipe the field.
• Number F0: Utopic Draco Future (promoted from its prior Utopic Future bearing just two Rank 4's) can act as a second CDI and source of ATK power in need. Gagagaga Magician can open the doors for its Summon by reviving a fellow Rank 4 in GY.
• Infinitrack Fortress Megaclops is my secret weapon as always, standing tall in the face of any non-Xyz Monster. It can steal an opponent's card on field to revive an Xyz Monster of yours in GY, so it's great if you need some extra muscle or to play the long game.
• Gigantic "Champion" Sargas and its package of Springans Merrymaker and Therion "King" Regulus are available in the Side Deck in case any of my above Extra Deck features aren't your cup of tea. You know what these scallywags do, so get an extra dose of CDI in your system if you like.

Prior to Your Pilfering...

...there's some extra stuff about the deck deserving of note, before alarm bells sound and it's down to every last resource rattling about your head and utility belt to make off like a bandit.

Small World is more or less needed in order to get to Regulator or Sakitama so Rank 4 setups are within reach. Admittedly the Spell is a pain to read, but can't argue with results. Some examples of bridges are:

• Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius -> Sakitama -> Any Time Thief monster
• Effect Veiler or Droll & Lock Bird -> Raider's Wing -> Sakitama

You'll definitely want to gun for the first, i.e. Regulator as a result, however you can. I may not know every bridge, but that one is the most common for this deck.

Next, without Called by the Grave and Crossout Designator, suffice it to say that one Ash or Veiler tossed the way of your Regulator or Redoer and your heist is bound to end in seconds. Granted it's not the case for every opener, but you definitely want to have a response for disruptions like the above otherwise you'll be the one empty-handed rather than your opponent. Times like these make me wish Gamma was still at 2 - 3 so we could have Redoer banish himself and let Lambda search another Gamma to use later again.

Finally, Retrograde is what you'll tap into only if you either opened it or already got Power Reserve. It's telegraphed when searched with Winder, sure, but backrow response that also provides either Redoer or Double Barrel with either a Spell or Trap as material for this reason or another can really turn the tide.

Closing

Another day, another defense of Time Thief all wrapped up. I want to give credit to the YT channel Duel Evolution and their video on Time Thief Power Reserve. They'd given me the idea to both build this deck and detail its strategy, so give them a look-see for extra tidbits I may have missed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ3HB4g1jpM

Thanks for sticking with me and my brainrot over a silly World Premiere archetype, y'all. May your hauls be plentiful.