I was really excited when Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon was introduced in Yugioh Zexal. The monster had a cool appearance and was very powerful. Alas, I must have overvalued my own excitement because I finally bought some Photon Shockwave boosters pack yesterday (along with some Order of Chaos packs, but that will be talked about in another post). In my first pack I had picked up an ultra rare monster, Thunder End Dragon! It was the best Yugioh card I had gotten from the packs and I was ecstatic!

Not only does Thunder End Dragon have an awesome artwork, it had great stats and a great effect. Boasting 3000 attack and 2000 points, Thunder End Dragon can destroy all other monsters on the field by detaching an Xyz material mons

ter. While Thunder End Dragon is an offensive powerhouse, I was aghast when I realized what it would take to play it. I would need to have two level eight monsters in order to Xyz summon Thunder End Dragon. It’s pretty difficult to summon one level eight monster, but summoning two? That could become very difficult against today’s competitive decks.

The question I asked myself was, are Thunder End Dragon’s stats and effect worth its summoning conditions? I concluded no. However, I still it is a good monster to have in the extra deck, but I wouldn’t put it above monsters such as Number 83: Galaxy Queen,Number 96: Dark Mist, or Number 61: Volcasaurus. That is just my opinion though, what’s your’s?

Dark attribute monsters are special in the sense that, many of their effects revolve around helping themselves or another dark monster. Same goes for many light attribute monsters as well, however, the difference between light and dark attribute monsters is that dark monsters have better stats. Monsters such as Dark Armed Dragon have a good stats (2800 atk,1000 def) and have an awesome ability: You can remove from play and your graveyard, any amount of dark monsters. Dark Armed Dragon can destroy a card for each dark monster removed. It’s effects like these that really show the destructive ability of dark monsters

The Zombie Structure Deck and the Spellcaster’s Judgement are two great examples of how to use dark monsters. They each have specific strategies to use and they are both very structured. Both decks revolve around special summoning a specific monster or using powering up the deck’s secondary monster. Both yugioh decks have mostly dark monsters whom only benifit from more dark monsters. Thats how balanced and versatile dark monsters are. Plus you have the Infernity and Blackwing archetypes, two of the strongest monsters in Yugioh. Let’s not forget the Dark World archetype, that is seen a surge in popularity following the release of a Dark World structure deck. These are three of the strongest archetypes in Yugioh and they are all of the dark attribute.  Though monsters of other attributes are powerful as well (case in point X-Sabers, being of the earth attribute), but the sheer abundance of dark monsters and their destructive natures make them the strongest type of monsters in Yugioh.

Just because Ninjas aren’t well-known doesn’t mean they aren’t bad. With two powerful ninja monsters being released in Order of Chaos, Number 12: Crimson Shadow and Blade Armor Ninja, they are quite a force. Usually, ninja decks revolve around pestering opponent’s with various Ninjutsu spells/traps. A powerful Ninjutsu card is Armor Ninjutsu Art of Rust Mist, which halves the attack of any monster special summoned on your foe’s side of the field (as long as you control a ninja). This trap greatly weakens synchro and xyz support in your foe’s deck and is a staple in any Ninja deck.

In terms of monsters, Ninja decks usually relied on Dark Simorgh, since a majority of Ninja monsters was compiled of wind and dark monsters. Thus Dark Simorgh can be easily played in a Ninja deck and is a great monster: not only does it have 2700 attack points, but it also prohibits your opponent’s from setting cards. With the release of Order of Chaos however, Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja has become the ace of the ninjas and with good reasoning. Not only does CSAN have 2400 attack points, but by discarding one material monster (two in total, level five), ninja monsters cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. Pretty awesome effect.

Ninjas are a very fun archetype to play with. They may not be the best archetype, but they are pretty good and can be tournament-level with proper construction. On dueling network, I have been using ninjas a lot and are 11-7 with them, which is a pretty good record.

Zexal Weapon Phoenix Bow will not be the first Zexal Weapon, it will be the second, behind Zexal Weapon Unicorn Spear. ZW Unicorn Spear has 1900 attack points and can be equipped to C39: Utopia Ray. By doing so, it gives Utopia Ray a 1900 attack point boost and the ability to inflict piercing damage.

Zexal Weapon Phoenix Bow on the other hand has 1100 attack points. Like ZW Unicorn Spear, ZW Phoenix Bow can also be equipped to C39: Utopia Ray and by doing so, increases its attack points by 1100. Phoenix Bow also gives Utopia Ray the ability to inflict 1000 life point damage whenever it destroys a monster.

Zexal Weapons are a not only a cool addition to the Zexal storyline, but to the card game as a whole. Before the Zexal Weapons were released, there was really no support for Yuma’s ace monster. The Zexal Weapons could be the beginning of a long line of support for Yuma’s ace monster, similar to how Jaden’s Elemental Heroes had lots of support. There will probably be more Zexal Weapons as Yugioh Zexal continues.

1. More Inzektors

If there was a ‘rookie of the year’ award for Yugioh archetypes, Inzketors would definitely win. After debuting in the Order of Chaos booster pack just three months ago, they have been one of the most popular archetypes in Yugioh. There is good news for Inzketor-users: Galactic Overlord has more of them. The most heralded of them is Inzketor Exa-Stag, a monster that may not look so great at first-glance, but is a good pickup for any deck. By detaching one material monster from Exa-Stag (two, level five), you can equip it with a monster from your opponent’s field or graveyard. Exa-Stag gains half the attack and defense points of the equipped monster. I’m really looking forward to using, and dueling against, new Inzketors.

2. Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon

Remember Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon and how tough it was to play it? Well, meet its evolution, a monster that is even more difficult to play. Neo GEPD requires three, level eight monsters in order to be summoned! That is ridiculous! Its effect is great if you can play it though (and that’s a big if): by detaching one material monster from Neo GEPD, your opponent detaches all of their Xyz material monsters. For each material monster discarded, Neo GEPD gains 500 attack and can attack that many times. The real reason that I am excited for Neo GEPD though is that it has an AWESOME design! Neo GEPD is probably one of the coolest looking monsters in Yugioh! I know this sounds childish, but there aren’t really more positive things to say about this monster.

3. Marine-Biting Dragon

I have already written a post on this powerful Xyz dragon monster, if you want to check that out. Marine-Biting Dragon is one of the most powerful Xyz monsters in the game with its great stats and effect. This monster is a must have for any duelist, especially since it requires three level four monsters, which is not that demanding of a requirement.

As they are foils, Agents have a very different style than Dark World monsters: rather than swarming the field, Agents focus on life points. Agents use differences in life points to give them an advantage. For example, Agent of Force – Mars, gains attacks points equal to the difference of you and your opponent’s life points (if your life points are greater). Unlike Dark Worlds, most Agents need The Sanctuary in the Sky to activate their effects.

While Dark Worlds have multiple monsters that can cause a lot of damage, Agents have one: Master Hyperion. Along with Herald of Perfection, Master Hyperion is easily the strongest fairy in Yugioh. You can special summon Hyperion by removing from play an Agent monster from your hand, field, or grave. He causes a lot of destruction on the field; by removing a light monster from your grave, Hyperion can destroy a card on the field, two if you have The Sanctuary in the Sky. Not to mention that Hyperion has 2700 attack and 2100 defense!

Unlike Dark World decks, which in order to be efficient, require cards that can discard, Agents are very versatile. For instance, you can put in Archlord Zerato to do some extra damage, which would be a good strategy since an Agent deck utilizes The Sanctuary in the Sky. Most decks put in Archlord Kristya so as to have an easily playable powerhouse monster. Honest is a must as well, because it can power up Agent monsters, whom are not known for their high attack points.

Agent decks are incredibly powerful and I have dueled against with a Dark World deck; I am 1-3 against them! Since an Agent deck is so fast, users get out Hyperion much faster than I can get out Grapha, and I end up losing. With a monster like Hyperion, agents have the potential to usurp X-Sabers from their title of ‘best archetype’. With their vast strength, who knows what Agents can accomplish?

Shock Master with Evolzar Laggia is an iron wall of defense, since both monsters can shut down your opponent’s cards. Swarming Shock Master is not that difficult, especially with the overpowered Rescue Rabbit. Rescue Rabbit would allow you to swarm two level four monsters, and assuming you already have one in the field, you can Xyz summon Shock Master! Though it won’t be for long, Rescue Rabbit is currently unlimited so you can use this combo three times!

I had talked about Steelswarm monsters in my article on Generation Force. While they haven’t become the top tier archetype I thought they would be at this point, they are still a strong archetype and have some fearsome monsters such as Steelswarm Roach. With 1900 attack and zero defense points, Roach’s stats do not particularly stand out. However, it has got a menacing effect: whenever a level five or greater monster would be special summoned, you can remove one material monster (two in total, level four) to negate the summoning. This can save your neck if your opponent synchro summons monsters like Brionac or Stardust Dragon. Steelswarm Roach should be and is, a staple in anti-synchro decks. The best part about Roach is that it is splashable in almost any deck since it has no requirements for its material monsters.

4. Number 39: Utopia

The hero’s ace monster had to be somewhere on this list right? Compared to its predecessors (specifically Stardust Dragon and Elemental Hero Neos) I feel Utopia is weaker. It has the same stats, 2500 attack and 2000d defense points, but its effect is mediocre. When someone declares an attack, you can discard a material monster from Utopia (two in total, level four) to negate the attack. Sweet right? Except if Utopia is attacked while it has no material monsters, it gets destroyed.  You might be wondering, “If its effect is mediocre, why is it in the top five?” That’s because like Steelswarm Roach Utopia is very splashable: you can implement it in almost any deck. Think about it, in almost any deck, you can bring out a monster with 2500 attack points with relative ease. That characteristic of Utopia should not be overlooked.

3. Leviair the Sea Dragon

At first glance, Leviair does not look like a top three xyz monster. For starters, its artwork is second-rate and makes it look more like a serpent than a dragon. Its stats (1800 attack and 1500 defense points) do not stick out. However, Leviair is still ridiculously strong and will probably be limited very soon. Leviair has the ability to special summon one banished level four monster per turn, for the cost of one material monster (two in total, level three). This effect is huge because not only does it allow you to quickly play a level four xyz monster, but it allows you to swarm synchro monsters as well. I have Different Dimension Serpent deck where I remove a lot D.D. monsters, special summon them with Leviair, and then sycnhro summon numerous synchro monsters such as Brionac and Ancient Sacred Wyvern. Another popular synchro swarm deck with Leviair is one that utilizes Tour Guide of the Underworld to create a deadly combination. By itself, Leviair is pretty weak, but it is a great implement in synchro and/or xyz swarm decks.

T2. Evolzar Laggia

If I there was a monster that that embodied Solemn Judgement, it would be Evolzar Laggia. Laggia is a downright terrifying monster. While it is only playable in dinosaur decks, it has 2400 attack points, 2000 defense points, and an awesome effect. By removing its two level-four material monsters, Laggia can negate the summoning of a monster or the activation of a spell/trap card effect. Though Laggia’s effect is only usable once per duel, it can change the flow of the game and you don’t have to pay half your life points! Laggia is destroying duelists with the help of Rescue Rabbit, a card that looks cute in the outside but has a dangerous effect. By banishing itself, Rescue Rabbit allows the duelist to special summon two level four normal monsters with the same name. Let’s say he/she summons two Two-Headed King Rex’s… that would allow the duelist to play Laggia! Rescue Rabbit and Laggia is a very brutal combination.

I hoped you liked part two of the top 10 xyz monsters in Yugioh! Stay tune to find out the what the strongest xyz monster in Yugioh is!

10. Gachi Gachi Gantetsu

What’s not to love about Gachi Gachi Gantetsu? For one, it has probably got one of the coolest and most humorous names in Yugioh. In addition, it is a Xyz monster that most duelists should include in their decks, especially if they run Agents. With just 500 attack points and 1800 defense points, Gachi Gachi has mediocre stats, but it is its effect that can make a difference in a duel. Gachi Gachi (which requires two level two material monsters) increases the attack and defense of your monsters by 200 times the amount of the material monsters attached to it. Thus, it can increase your monsters’ stats by a maximum of 400 points. It is frustrating playing against Gachi Gachi so if your opponent destroys it, you can remove a material monster to negate its destruction! Not bad, eh? It works wonderfully in an Agent deck because it gives monsters a needed increase in stats and is so easy to play thanks to Mystic Shine Ball.

9. Inzektor Exa-Beetle

Inzektors are on top of the Yugioh world. The relatively new archetype is one of the best in Yugioh and is taking over the metagame. While Inzektor Exa-Beetle may not be crucial to the Inzektor success, it is still a great card because you can splash it in many decks. Though it is an Inzketor, all Exa-Beetle needs is just two level six material monsters to be summoned. Its 1000 attack and defense points may not be stellar, but its effect is. You can target one monster in either player’s graveyard and equip to Exa-Beetle; it gains half the attack and defense of the equipped monster. You can detach one material monster to remove one card from each side to the graveyard. Exa-Beetle is quite difficult to play, since it requires two level six monsters and in addition, its effect requires you to give up one of your own card to destroy your opponent’s card. That could be bad in some situations. However, Exa-Beetle still provides a solid form of offense and in an Inzektor deck, it is even more useful, since Inzketor’s benefit from being equipped to other monsters.

8. Number 96: Dark Mist

Dark Mist is one of those monsters that you just hate playing against, not because it is necessarily hard to beat, but its effect just frustrates the heck out of you. If your opponent’s monster attacks Dark Mist, you can remove a material monster to halve the attacking monster’s attack points. Then, Dark Mist gains those attack points. Since Dark Mist has 100 attack points to begin with, it can defeat any monster in battle with its effect. Even though Dark Mist’s effect can only be used thrice (since it has three material monsters) until it runs out of material a monster, the only way to beat Dark Mist is by card effect. Thus, Dark Mist is especially helpful if your opponent runs a burn deck or a beatdown deck, since those decks do not have an abundance of cards with effects that destroy monsters. The reason that Dark Mist is not higher on this list is because it has a pretty big limitation: it needs three level two material monsters. That can be hard to pull off, unless your deck focuses on swarming. Nevertheless, it is still a great monster and if you do run a swarm deck, I would recommend including Dark Mist.

7. Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon

Adreus is like Dark Armed Dragon on sleeping pills. It is not nearly as good as the legendary Dark Armed Dragon, but Adreus can still be very useful in sticky situations. By removing one material monster (and Adreus has two), you can destroy one face-up card on your opponent’s side of the field. While you can’t destroy set cards, this effect can still be useful when going up against strong monsters such as… Dark Armed Dragon itself! Adreus is also powerful statistically, with 2600 attack points and 1700 defense points. While it only requires two material monsters, those monsters have to be level five monsters, which are not that common now-a-days. Still, anything that is legal and is slightly comparable to Dark Armed Dragon is still a good card to have in any deck. If the famous Tele-DAD deck had not disintegrated, Adreus would have been a good fit.

6. M-X-Saber Invoker

X-Saber decks may be several years old, but does not negate the fact that X-Sabers are of one the strongest archetypes in the game. M-X-Saber Invoker greatly helps X-Sabers in terms of swarming, so I had to put it in the list. Once per turn, you can discard one material monster from Invoker (it has two, level three) and in return you can special summon one level four earth warrior or beast-warrior monster. The best part is, if the material monsters attached to Invoker is X-Saber Darksoul then you can use Darksoul’s effect to put an X-Saber monster in your hand during the end phase. This sets up the perfect synchro situation for your next turn since you can put Faultroll in your hand, special summon it next turn and… bam. A downside of Invoker is that weak stats, with a measly 1600 attack and 300 defense. However, it is a phenomenal card to have in X-Saber decks and deserves to be in any top 10 Xyz monsters list.

Not only does Marine Biting Dragon have 2800 attack and 2100 defense points, it has got a great effect. One per turn, if it destroys a monster by battle, you can detach one Xyz material monster to special summon the destroyed monster on your side of the field. Then, Marine Biting Dragon gets to attack again! Marine Biting Dragon’s effect is a great way to get quick synchro summons if you run a tuner deck. The only disadvantage Marine Biting Dragon has compared to Utopia is that it requires three Xyz material monsters, whereas Utopia requires two.

Ironically, Marine Biting Dragon has become Shark’s ace monster in the anime, which makes sense since it is a sea serpent monster and Shark uses a fish deck. I am sure that Marine Biting Dragon will have its own C-counterpart (like Utopia has Utopia Ray) and that monster will be ridiculously strong too. The point is, Marine Biting Dragon will be used heavily in a lot of decks once it is released. Synchro summoning is still the major type of offence in Yugioh and Marine Biting Dragon speeds up the synchro summoning process, which is why it is one of the best Xyz monsters in Yugioh.