[GUIDE/DISCUSSION] Crystal Beasts

[Black W Mage]

I don't like how every damn guide lists every single support card or member of a set, even if they are unnecessary. But, I figure it helps to have the available information of what [i]can[/i] be used just so that the guide doesn't seem like propaganda.

[center][size="6"]The Guide[/size][/center]

Crystal Beasts are an archetype used be Jesse Anderson (or Johan Andersen, depends if you watched the dub or not) in the Yugioh GX anime. They are sort of like the GX version of Tech Genus. Their gimmick is that they can't be completely destroyed; When they are destroyed in the monster card zone, they are sent to the spell/trap zone (from here they are free to be killed). From the spell and trap section, after you accumulate a certain amount, you can activate their support cards (most require 2).

Members of this archetype:
[color="#FF0000"]Crystal Beast - Ruby Carbuncle
Light/Fairy/3/300/300
When this card is special summoned, you can special summon as many ‘Crystal Beast’ monsters as you can from your Spell/Trap card zone. When this card is destroyed while in a monster card zone, you can put this card face-up as a Continuous Spell card into your Spell/Trap card zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

Essentially Rekindling for Crystal Beasts. It's also a Debris target, in case you wanted to tech Debris in while you run Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings. Some say to run 2, I'm leaning towards 1 because you don't like it in your hand (unless you didn't draw any other CB, then yeah I guess you would). The original reason why most players put this at 2: If it gets RFP'd, you always have a back up. This is fine I suppose, but with the release of Empty Space Sea Serpent Levaiel in GENF, you can actually grab your Carbuncle back, [i]and[/i] make major +s at the same time (Opp: I summon Caius, RFP your Carbuncle. Me:Oh noes *next turn* Me: Summon Emerald Tortoise, and Promise another Tortoise, Levaiel and bring back Carbuncle, swarm for game. Thanks for helping me win. umad?)[/color]

[color="#FF8C00"]Crystal Beast - Amber Mammoth
Earth/Beast/4/1700/1600
When a face-up ‘Crystal Beast’ monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can change the target to this card instead. When this card is destroyed while in a monster card zone, you can put this card face-up as a Continuous Spell card into your Spell/Trap card zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

IDK, I find the first effect pretty funny. Used to be ran at 3 for Abundance OTK, But because it doesn't even help you within itself, and only indirectly because it is a Crystal Beast monster, I don't really like it.
[/color]
[color="#FFFF00"]Crystal Beast - Topaz Tiger
Earth/Beast/4/1600/1000
If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 400 attack during damage step only. When this card is destroyed while in a monster card zone, you can put this card face-up as a Continuous Spell card into your Spell/Trap card zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

Not great, I don't really like it, but it is the Rush Rhyno of the set, seeing as how it's destruction is a +0, and it gains 400 when it attacks (making it a 2k beatstick). It doesn't necessarily add consistency from that, but it helps out in the end. a lot more than the other 3-4 will.[/color]

[color="#008000"]
Crystal Beast - Emerald Turtle
Water/Aqua/3/600/2000
Once per turn you can change one of your monsters that attacked this turn to defence position. When this card is destroyed while in a monster card zone, you can put this card face-up as a Continuous Spell card into your Spell/Trap card zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

First glance, its bad, and it is. BUT, if you like Birdmans and Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins, then this is good. Also, if you do the Debris thing, . I recommend about 3+ lv3 CBs per deck, and seeing as how this is better than Carbuncle for turn 1-2 of the game, you may want to run 2 this and 1 Carbuncle, because those RNK3 Exceeds are pretty cool.[/color]

[color="#0000FF"]
Crystal Beast - Sapphire Pegasus
WIND/Beast/4*/1800/1200
When this card is successfully Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, you can place 1 ‘Crystal Beast’ monster from your hand, deck, or Graveyard in your Spell/Trap card zone as a continuous spell card.. When this card is destroyed while in a monster card zone, you can put this card face-up as a Continuous Spell card into your Spell/Trap card zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

The main +1 of the deck, its comparable to Shura, Worm Xex, Elemental Hero Stratos, etc. (so obviously, run it in 3). This is often referred to as one of the two "good" Crystal Beasts (with Carbuncle), only because the rest have no effects that provide +1s, or even a +0 (no one-for-one stuff, like do this to do this), in fact, one of them is actually a -1.[/color]

[color="#000080"]Crystal Beast - Cobalt Eagle
Wind/Winged-Beast/4/1400/800
Once per turn you can return 1 face-up ‘Crystal Beast’ card you control to the top of it’s owner’s deck. When this card is destroyed while in a monster card zone, you can put this card face-up as a Continuous Spell card into your Spell/Trap card zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

A lot of people will say this is bad, it isn't too bad actually, seeing as it dodges Bottomless Trap Hole. Regardless of what CB you summon, you [b]cannot[/b] do an OTK with 4 or below monsters, you need exactly 5. However, Amber Mammoth can be used with more variation, so it depends how paranoid you are about Bottomless Trap Hole.
[/color]
[color="#FF00FF"]Crystal Beast - Amethyst Cat
Earth/Beast/3/1200/400
This card can attack your opponent directly. When it does so using this effect, the battle damage it inflicts to your opponent is halved. When this card is destroyed while in a monster card zone, you can put this card face-up as a Continuous Spell card into your Spell/Trap card zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

this is your 3rd option for the additional 2 LV3s you need, if you like trolling your opponent, go for it. Poke them D Prisons .[/color]

[Guide cut short due to time constraint, will be added more to later]

[center][size="6"]The Discussion[/size][/center]

Recently, I've been struck with the revelation that CB support is just way too situational to be played consistently (not to say they don't get played often, or even able to be pulled off often, its just they remain constantly dead until you fill their requirements). I've also realized that it is rather stupid to run cards you don't even need, like excess Crystal Beasts (you know, 13 or so CBs when the only good ones, if maxed out, would put you at 9). For a long while though, the justification of running almost [b]no traps[/b] has been justified not only with the excuse that CBs clog the backrow, but also that they have no room with the high Crystal Beast count (as I said, 11 or more) and a high Crystal Spell card amount (using stuff like Tree, Release, Blessing, and all of those max'd out).

However, if you've played any form of Anti-Meta, or something with a big trap lineup, you probably noticed by now that monsters tend to have a lot of staying power, so if you were to add traps to Crystal Beasts, they probably won't go to the s/t section as often. Also, Crystal Beasts have a lot of searching (meaning deck thinning) and draw power. Wouldn't it make sense that with a deck like that traps would be great, especially when you have a large frontrow backed up with a good backrow?

And come on, how does a deck that makes almost no explosive plays, with only one universal option to OTK (Crystal Abundance, keep in mind its one card out of the whole deck that isn't searchable and requires a lot of set up, and Solemns lol at its face), have any justification for running no traps? Your monsters can't stop your opponent, and with no traps, there is no way to make your opponent stop their +1 moves (which will make your Pegasus+Carbuncle +s completely worthless). The best approach, IMO, is to not only make +1s for yourself, but also prevent your opponent from creating +1s for themselves.

So the new goal is: Simplification. Get more traps/anti-meta like stuff in there.

to start everyone off:
Monsters (12)
3 Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus
2 Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger
2 Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat
1 Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle (8 CBs)
2 Effect Veiler
1 Summoner Monk
1 Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings

Spells (20)
3 Crystal Promise
2 Crystal Blessing
2 Crystal Beacon
1 Crystal Abundance
3 Rare Value
3 Pot of Duality
2 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Monster Reborn
1 Dark Hole
2 Mystical Space Typhoons

Traps (
1 Solemn Judgment
2 Solemn Warning
3 Dimensional Prison
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute

^^^ Based on bringing out Exceeds. The new build should be able to produce big beaters through Exceeds, recycle, and also make sure your opponent does not gain +s.

How YCM can help: Make suggestions on how to increase the trap size, but as well as simplifying the monster/spell line-up (include as few situational cards as possible) while also being consistent. Hopefully if this discussion proves productive we may actually surpass Pojo's Crystal Beast discussion.