Ghostrick

Ghostrick
"Ghostrick" monsters in the artwork of "Ghostrick Parade".
Japanese	ゴーストリック Gōsutorikku (romanized)
French	Fantôruse
German	Geistertrick
Italian	Fantasmatrucco
Korean	고스트릭 Goseuteurik (romanized)
Portuguese	Fantardil
Spanish	Fantastruco
Sets Shadow Specters Legacy of the Valiant Primal Origin Extreme Force Ignition Assault Battle of Chaos TCG Shadow Specters Sneak Peek Participation Card Legacy of the Valiant: Deluxe Edition Battle Pack 3: Monster League 2014 Mega-Tin Mega Pack World Superstars Wing Raiders OTS Tournament Pack 18 Ghosts From the Past: The 2nd Haunting 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection OCG Duelist Card Protector EX: Ghostrick The New Challengers Extra Pack 2015 Extra Pack: Knights of Order Rarity Collection 20th Anniversary Edition Tournament Pack 2019 Vol.4 Battle of Chaos +1 Bonus Pack Rarity Collection Quarter Century Edition Korean Advanced Event Pack 2014 Vol.1 Advanced Event Pack 2014 Vol.2
Anime appearances
Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Lists	Members Support Anti-support

"Ghostrick" (ゴーストリック Gōsutorikku) is an archetype of monsters that debuted in Shadow Specters. All of its members are DARK monsters, whereas their Type varies between Fiend, Spellcaster, Zombie, and Fairy.

Lore

Main articles: Master Guide 4 card storylines § File No. 07: The Prank-Loving Denizens of the Dark and Master Duel card storylines § Delightful Dwellers of Darkness

Design

Appearance

"Ghostrick" monsters are based on, and named after, various characters of folklore and Halloween monsters.

Etymology

"Ghostrick" is a portmanteau of the words "ghost" and "trick".

Members

Main Deck

Ghostrick	Origin
Doll	Bisque doll
Fairy	Fairy
Ghoul	Ghoul
Jackfrost	Jack Frost
Jiangshi	Jiangshi
Lantern	Jack-o'-lantern
Mary	Bloody Mary
Mummy	Mummy
Nekomusume	Nekomusume
Siren	Siren
Skeleton	Grim Reaper
Specter	Ghost
Stein	Frankenstein's monster
Warwolf	Werewolf
Witch	Witch
Yeti	Yeti
Yuki-onna	Yuki-onna

Extra Deck

Ghostrick	Origin
Alucard	Count Alucard / Dracula
Angel of Mischief	Fallen angel
Dullahan	Dullahan
Festival	Festival
Socuteboss	Succubus

Playing style

All of the Main Deck monsters have a common effect:

"Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a "Ghostrick" monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position".

Also, the Xyz Monsters, except for "Ghostrick Socuteboss" and "Ghostrick Angel of Mischief", share the following common effect:

"If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 other "Ghostrick" card in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand".

The Levels and Ranks of "Ghostrick" monsters range from 1-4, with their Types differing based on their Level/Rank, being Fiend, Spellcaster, Zombie, and Fairy respectively.

They feature a variety of effects, mostly revolving around flipping monsters face-down (both yours and your opponent's) and protecting themselves as long as they are face-down. The three strata of monsters each follow a set of general effect guidelines:

• The Fiend Level 1 monsters have effects that trigger while in the hand, and they react to destruction, attacks and damage, providing bonuses and acting like hand traps; design-wise, they share a prankster, infantile appearance, maybe hinting to the "tricks" they play against the attacks of the opponent's monsters.
• The Spellcaster Level 2 monsters have effects related to Battle Position control, allowing its controller to search for a monster or stall the opponent's moves; they share a feminine, delicate, appearance.
• The Zombie Level 3 monsters all provide useful bonuses while they are face-up or when flipped face-up. Their effects range from searching to burning, or even milling the opponent's deck or giving bulk to a "Ghostrick" monster; their motif is basically of male figures of Halloween and Folklore.

The deck's main goal is to produce strong attackers over a prolonged game, which can attack directly using the field spells "Ghostrick Mansion", "Ghostrick Museum" though the archetype also contains elements of milling, burning, lockdwn and most recently an Alternative Win Condition. Most of the Ghostrick monsters aren't strong by themselves, thus they're left relying heavily on getting "Ghostrick Mansion" on the board as soon as possible in order to launch several consecutive direct attacks early in the game. Since "Mansion" also protects any face-down monsters from attacks, it is easy to repeatedly activate Ghostrick monster's effects like "Ghostrick Jiangshi" and "Ghostrick Witch". "Ghostrick Scare", "Floodgate Trap Hole" and "Swords of Concealing Light" are also useful in this deck to provide disruptions and lockdown.

The support provided by the on-theme Spell/Trap Cards is also diverse, with effects that range from protecting "Ghostrick" monsters from targeting and destroying effects, switching the battle position of opposing monsters, reviving "Ghostrick" monsters and locking the opponent from Flip Summoning. The only Spell Cards of the Deck is a trio of Field Spell Cards that share the common effect of allowing a player from attacking direcly if all opposing monsters are in face-down Defense Position. They can either search for resources, halve the battle damage and manipulating the battle position of the opponent's monsters.

Recommended cards

Basic Ghostrick

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Ghostrick Doll Ghostrick Fairy Ghostrick Ghoul Ghostrick Jackfrost Ghostrick Jiangshi Ghostrick Lantern Ghostrick Mary Ghostrick Mummy Ghostrick Nekomusume Ghostrick Siren Ghostrick Specter Ghostrick Yuki-onna Humpty Grumpty Summoner of Illusions (with "Gaia Drake, the Universal Force") Dark Armed Dragon Spirit monsters Kinka-byo Spell Cards Normal Spells Ghostrick Shot Allure of Darkness Nobleman of Crossout Recurring Nightmare Ties of the Brethren Sacrifice Level-Up Field Spells Ghostrick Mansion Ghostrick Museum Ghostrick Parade Continuous Spells Sunset Beat Swords of Concealing Light Terrors in the Hidden City Quick-Play Spells Book of Moon Sol and Luna Trap Cards Normal Traps Ghostrick Break Ghostrick Renovation Ghostrick or Treat Ghostrick Scare Ghostrick Vanish Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon Floodgate Trap Hole Needle Ceiling Quaking Mirror Force Dark Sacrifice Continuous Traps Ghostrick Night Ghostrick-Go-Round World Legacy Pawns Junk Sleep Floodgate cards Gozen Match Extra Deck Xyz Monsters Ghostrick Angel of Mischief Ghostrick Alucard Ghostrick Dullahan Ghostrick Socuteboss Downerd Magician Mechquipped Angineer Number 3: Cicada King Lyrilusc - Ensemblue Robin Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder Xyz Monsters that can be summoned using "Sacrifice Level-Up" Toadally Awesome Cyber Dragon Nova Cyber Dragon Infinity Raidraptor - Rising Rebellion Falcon Link Monsters Ghostrick Festival Linkuriboh Wee Witch's Apprentice Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy Bujinki Ahashima

Ghostrick Burn

This Deck focus on lock your opponent's moves and causing effect damage. "Ghostrick Museum" is the only recommended Field as it's the only to not affect the damage.

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Ghostrick Fairy Ghostrick Jiangshi Ghostrick Mary Ghostrick Mummy Ghostrick Siren Ghostrick Specter Ghostrick Stein Ghostrick Warwolf Shadowpriestess of Ohm Stealth Bird Flip monsters Des Koala Prediction Princess Astromorrigan Princess of Tsurugi Spell Cards Normal Spells Ghostrick Shot Allure of Darkness Recurring Nightmare Ties of the Brethren Field Spells Ghostrick Museum Continuous Spells Swords of Concealing Light Quick-Play Spells Book of Moon Trap Cards Normal Traps Ghostrick or Treat Ghostrick Vanish Blazing Mirror Force Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon Quaking Mirror Force Ceasefire / Just Desserts / Secret Barrel / Secret Blast Ojama Trio Ring of Destruction Continuous Traps Ghostrick-Go-Round Ghostrick Night Nightmare Wheel Floodgate cards Anti-Spell Fragrance Gozen Match Extra Deck Xyz Monsters Ghostrick Alucard Ghostrick Angel of Mischief Ghostrick Dullahan Number 13: Embodiment of Crime Number 31: Embodiment of Punishment Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction (with Creature Swap) Number 54: Lion Heart Link Monsters Ghostrick Festival Linkuriboh Wee Witch's Apprentice

Ghostrick Mill

This Deck focus on milling your opponent's Deck and win by Deck out. "Ghostrick Parade" is the only recommended Field because of its searching effect and damage to your opponent is unecessary. Note that sending cards to your opponent's Graveyard may help their strategy, so "Ghostrick Skeleton" and "Masked HERO Dark Law" are used to banish the cards instead.

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Ghostrick Fairy Ghostrick Jiangshi Ghostrick Mary Ghostrick Mummy Ghostrick Siren Ghostrick Skeleton Ghostrick Specter Ghostrick Stein A/D Changer Dark Bug Delg the Dark Monarch Flip monsters Hiro's Shadow Scout Needle Worm Tuner monsters Junk Synchron Spell Cards Runick spells Normal Spells Ghostrick Shot Allure of Darkness Book of Taiyou Dark World Dealings One Day of Peace Recurring Nightmare The Shallow Grave Ties of the Brethren Field Spells Ghostrick Parade Continuous Spells Swords of Concealing Light Quick-Play Spells Book of Eclipse Book of Moon Hand Destruction Mask Change II Trap Cards Normal Traps Ghostrick or Treat Ghostrick Scare Ghostrick Vanish Ghostrick-Go-Round Quaking Mirror Force Crush Card Virus Deck Devastation Virus Destructive Daruma Karma Cannon Ojama Trio Continuous Traps Ghostrick-Go-Round Ghostrick Night Spirit Barrier Extra Deck Fusion Monsters Masked HERO Dark Law Synchro Monsters Dark Diviner Iron Chain Dragon Xyz Monsters Ghostrick Alucard Ghostrick Angel of Mischief Ghostrick Dullahan Pilgrim Reaper Link Monsters Ghostrick Festival Linkuriboh Wee Witch's Apprentice

"Ghostrick" Deck recipes sample

Deck

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Ghostrick Jiangshi x3 Ghostrick Stein Ghostrick Yuki-onna x3 Ghostrick Witch x2 Ghostrick Specter x3 Ghostrick Lantern x2 Crane Crane x2 Flip monsters Penguin Soldier x2 Spirit monsters Kinka-byo x2 Spell Cards Ghostrick Mansion x3 Terraforming Book of Eclipse Monster Reborn Mystical Space Typhoon x3 Heavy Storm Book of Moon Nobleman of Crossout x2 Trap Cards Ghostrick Vanish x2 Ghostrick Scare x2 Torrential Tribute x2 Solemn Judgment Extra Deck Xyz Monsters Ghostrick Alucard x2 Wind-Up Zenmaines Gachi Gachi Gantetsu Slacker Magician

Weaknesses

Despite this archetype's unorthodox "bait and switch" tactics, "Ghostricks" have many weaknesses.

• Firstly, cards like "Dark Simorgh", "Searchlightman", and "Light of Intervention" will prevent "Ghostrick" monsters from being Set or flipped face-down in first place. Cards like "Jurrac Velphito" and "Search Striker" are also dangerous to "Ghostricks" because they destroy face-down monsters immediately without them ever flipping face-up.
• Other cards which prevent battle position changes, whether of the "Ghostrick" player's monsters or the opponent's can halt most, though often not all, of the "Ghostrick" player's moves.
  • The debut of Link Monsters and Master Rule 4 have further aggravated this, as not only do they share battle postition immunity akin to "Raging Cloudian", but their essentiality to most swarm Decks makes avoiding them near close to impossible (though "Ghostrick Ghoul" and "Ghostrick Dullahan" can make quick work of them.)
• Most "Ghostricks" depends on their Field Spell Cards, "Ghostrick Mansion" and "Ghostrick Museum", to deal damage, and will struggle to do much Battle damage to your opponent without it, due to most of them having low ATK stats. This can be even worse with cards like "Spell Shattering Arrow" and "Eradicator Epidemic Virus" around.
  • Cards like "Stardust Dragon", "Malefic Stardust Dragon" or "Stardust Spark Dragon" can be used to protect it.
  • Ancient Gear Decks in particular will chew through Ghostricks, due to their ability to prevent the activation of the trap cards and effects that Ghostricks heavily rely on.

Trivia

• The "Ghostrick" monsters' battle-flipping effects resemble the activities of children pranksters or mischievous spirits: popping out and scaring people, then running away and hiding. This is underscored by the archetype name "Ghostrick" a blatant portmanteau of the words "ghost" and "trick".
• The "Ghostrick" archetype was originally released in Shadow Specters, which debuted in the U.S. in November 2013, and may have been intended to coincide with the celebration of Halloween. The "Ghostrick" monsters are largely based on mythological creatures that children in the western world would dress up as for Halloween (witch, ghost, Jack-O'-Lantern, Frankenstein's Monster, Mummy, etc.), and their playstyle (as described above) mirrors the tradition of trick-or-treating.
  • Most monsters of the "Ghostrick" archetype are Effect Monsters or Xyz Monsters, whose card frames are orange and black, respectively, the traditional colors of Halloween.
• "Ghostrick" monsters' artworks share the background scheme with the "Lightsworns", as they have the same concept of patterning.