Hey everyone! I'd just like to preface this article by saying that I apologize for the lack of more in-depth posts and deck analysis like this one. I'm going to try and write more interesting content like this in the future!
Recently I read a great article by Jason Grabher-Meyer over on tcgplayer.com about current Trap lineup trends in the meta, and it inspired me to take a look back at a deck that I've briefly experimented with in this format, but never really gave any competitive weight to: Lightsworn.
He brings up some very good points about capitalizing on the amount of back row destruction and negation that people are running in vast quantities this format. Cold Wave, Trap Stun and Seven Tools of the Bandit have made a huge comeback in competitive circles since the banning of Heavy Storm, and most meta decks dedicate anywhere from 5-7 cards that exclusively deal with stopping your spells and, more specifically, traps.
Another great point he brings up is the recent surge of use of Solemn Warning. I just recently decided not to play the card anymore, and for one reason: 2000 life points is a hefty cost, and in a lot of my experience people are playing the card very badly, almost like another pair of Bottomless Trap Hole. Just like Solemn Judgment, Warning's big brother, you absolutely have to be very careful with when and where you activate Warning, because 2000 life points can cost you the game if paid at the wrong time.
So, taking all of these points into consideration, I started to think of competitive decks I could make that take advantage of Royal Decree, that don't set many (if any) spells or other traps, and that can continually make pushes with special summons to eat up my opponent's Solemn Warnings and their 2000-4000 life points, and one deck instantly came to my mind: Lightsworn!
Lightsworn is inherently a monster heavy deck, and depending on the build you're playing, often runs upwards of 22 monsters. The great part about that is that the deck can support that high number because of the mill engine, which quickly thins the deck and typically leads to overwhelming field presence via the effects of Lumina and Wulf. The deck is also packed to the brim with "boss monsters", typically consisting of 2 Judgment Dragon, 2 Celestia, Gorz and Tragoedia. Tragoedia, in my opinion, is almost a lynchpin for the deck, as a Lightsworn player usually keeps 4 or more cards in their hand unless they're in a desperate situation. Also the synergy between Card Trooper, who mills up to 3 and lets you draw a card when it's destroyed, is perfect for setting up Tragoedia plays. I really don't think you can play one without the other.
After making up a standard, pure Lightsworn build I decided that I didn't think it was going to be enough to accomplish what I wanted, and instead decided to take a detour into Twilight territory. Chaos Sorcerer was semi-limited this format, and Twilight decks are perfectly built to abuse the summoning of it. I also think this will give the deck another way to bait out Solemn Warnings, and allow it to continually put pressure on my opponent. However, incorporating Chaos Sorcerer also meant the inclusion of enough other Dark monsters to make it feasible. Here's my working monster line-up:
2 Judgment Dragon
2 Chaos Sorcerer
2 Celestia
1 Gorz
1 Tragoedia
2 Cyber Dragon
1 Lumina
1 Garoth
1 Jain
1 Aurkus
2 Lyla
2 Ryko
3 Wulf
1 Card Trooper
1 Necro Gardna
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Blackwing - Gale
2 Honest
That's 27 monsters, for those of you keeping count, and 7 Dark monsters. I suppose the number should really be considered 5 Dark monsters as both Necro Guardna and Plaguespreader Zombie likely will end up removed from play by their own effects before they're used to summon Chaos Sorcerer. However, the simple fact is that most often Chaos Sorcerer will be milled itself so 5 darks is fine. I've also included a pair of Cyber Dragon, which are great beaters that bait out Bottomless and, believe it or not, Solemn Warnings. It's also a light which couples great with Honest, and it also gives you easy access to level 8 synchros with Gale. Speaking of Gale, that's another great tech that I love for this deck. Blackwings have really risen in competitive play again this format, and being able to synchro for Blackwing Armor Master against a Blackwing deck while being backed up by Royal Decree is a real threat. Besides that, Gale is just a great tuner with a broken effect and it's a Dark so it was a no-brainer to include. As you can see, the monster line-up is very aggressive and I built it with that very purpose in mind. This is somewhat of a slow format, so if I can manage to put continual pressure on my opponent it should allow me to set up a very favorable position on the board where I can easily drop a few boss monsters (namely Judgment Dragon) and sweep a victory.
As for the spell and trap lineup, this is what I'm working with:
1 Charge of the Light Brigade
3 Solar Recharge
1 Foolish Burial
1 Pot of Avarice
1 Monster Reborn
1 Dark Hole
3 Royal Decree
2 Beckoning Light
1 Solemn Judgment
I think the choices here are fairly self-explanatory. Foolish Burial is there for easy Wulf into Celestia plays, or even just to summon a Wulf in a tight spot. Pot of Avarice is there for once the deck is thin enough so that you can add back 5 of your best monsters and have great odds of drawing into them. It also allows you to add a few turns to the ever-ticking deck out clock. I chose to play it at one because 2 is too many and the card is very dead in the early game, so you never want to open up a game with a copy.
As you can see, I tried as best I could not to play any cards that require setting besides Royal Decree. I chose 2 Beckoning Light because they are practically a staple in the deck and serve a similar purpose to Pot of Avarice, and Solemn Judgment because well... It's Solemn Judgment. haha The life point cost can be hefty, but it's a great card to have and I couldn't bring myself to NOT play it.
I plan on taking this build, or at least something similar as this isn't a final build, to regionals this Saturday at Pandemonium. I'll be sure to write up a report for the event after it's over. I hope you enjoyed this article, and like I said, I'm going to try to write more in-depth things like this in the future. Until next time!
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