Forum:Deck Guide/Chaos

Chaos Guide

By BF2

"Chaos" is considered one of the most powerful archetypes in the game. Even today, "Chaos Sorcerer" has relevance in today's metagame. "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning" is even more powerful, and "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End" is one of the most powerful monsters in the game. "Phantom of Chaos" is another very powerful monster that is used to emulate a "Sky Scourge Norleras" in your Graveyard. Before "Chaos" decks became the metagame, there was no banlist.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Rapid and powerful summons: You can summon extremely powerful monsters with very little setup.

Banishing ability: "Black Luster Soldier" and "Chaos Sorcerer" both Banish monsters, allowing you to get rid of pesky "Stardust Dragons" and "Naturia Beasts".

Swarm Potential: Many of the "Chaos" cards make swarming easier with their effects.

Cons

Chaos monsters are dead draws: Without a proper Graveyard setup, or with cards in your Graveyard that are too important to Banish, you have useless cards in your hand.

Unfocused archetype: Most "Chaos" monsters lack proper synergy, with only one or two having effects that actually work together.

Mechanics

In a "Chaos" deck, there are a number of different mechanics depending on the deck type. An "Envoy" deck uses cards to set up their Graveyard for an "Envoy" or "Chaos Sorcerer", which are then Banished to summon a powerful monster. They often use "Lightsworn" cards for this purpose. Other decks use "Chaos-End Master" as a search engine in order to Special Summon them from their deck. They can also use "Sphere of Chaos" to search if they use a lot of Level 3 monsters.

In the Metagame

When "Chaos" monsters originally arrived, they were some of the most powerful and fastest monsters around. Even today, in a Synchro Summon-based archetype, it remains both fast and powerful.

The main reason that any cards in this archetype are used is because of "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning": it's an easy to summon monster with 3000 ATK that either can Banish a face-up or face-down monster or attack twice (if it destroys a monster by battle). This is truly amazing and can easily be game-winning.

"Chaos" monsters fit most logically within certain decks. "Lightsworn" decks have the easiest time summoning them. "Fortune Lady" decks have an abundance of LIGHT and DARK monsters for use. In other decks, a few techs allow "Chaos" monsters to be used - "Agents" with "T.G." or "Tour Guide" can add "BLS", "Dark Worlds" with "Fabled Raven" or "Effect Veiler" can do the same, and so forth.

As a stand-alone deck type, the deck really has no metagame potential, simply because it isn't a very unified archetype on its own. However, some of the cards are good enough to define a whole metagame.

Main Cards

Monsters

• Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning: The second most important "Chaos" card. It, like "Chaos Emperor Dragon", has 3000 ATK. It also can double attack or Banish a monster instead of attacking. It was Limited starting September 1st, 2011.
• Chaos Command Magician: A rather underpowered "Chaos" monster. It requires a tribute and it has 2400 ATK, with a mediocre effect, preventing it from being targeted by monster effects.
• Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End: The most powerful "Chaos" monster and one of the most famous monsters in the game. Not only is it a 3000 ATK monster that is easy to summon, but it can clear the field and both player's hands for 1000 Life Points and then inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent per card sent this way. In addition to that, since it sends instead of destroying it can't be negated by most anti-destruction cards.
• Chaos-End Master: "Chaos-End Master" is a Level 3 Tuner with 1500 ATK-a high ATK for a Tuner monster. In addition to that, when it destroys your opponent's monster in battle you get to Special Summon a Level 5 or higher monster with 1600 or less ATK from your deck, such as "Elemental HERO Necroshade" or "Sphere of Chaos". This allows you to Synchro Summon a Level 8 monster without losing any advantage.
• Chaos Hunter: "Chaos Hunter" is a decent card sometimes used in decks. It requires you to discard a card and can only be Special Summoned in response to your opponent's Special Summon but it's an Anti-"Chaos" card that can be used against decks which Banish cards.
• Chaos Necromancer: One of the original "Chaos" cards, this card is lacking in power since you need a Graveyard full of monsters to make it any good.
• Chaosrider Gustaph: "Chaosrider Gustaph" has a unique ability-by Banishing to two Spell Cards in your Graveyard, it gains 300 ATK per Banished card until the End Phase of the turn. This can be combined in a deck with "Diskblade Rider" for some cool combos.
• Chaos Sorcerer: A weaker "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning". It only has 2300 ATK but it can Banish a monster instead of attacking once per turn. At one point it too was banned, although now it is unlimited.
• Dark Magician of Chaos: Yet another banned "Chaos" monster for its use in OTK loops with "Dimension Fusion". It requires two tributes and it has 2800 ATK. However, when it destroys your opponent's monster by battle, the monster is Banished, and when "Dark Magician of Chaos" is destroyed, you can add one Spell Card from your Graveyard to your hand and "Dark Magician of Chaos" is Banished. Technically, this is a retrained version of "Magician of Black Chaos" even though it was released beforehand.
• Sphere of Chaos: A weaker counterpart to "Chaos-End Master". It counts as a LIGHT monster as well as a DARK monster and it requires one tribute to summon. It has exactly 1600 ATK and can't be destroyed by battle once per turn. In addition to that, when it is tribute summoned, you can add one Level 3 monster from your deck to your hand (such as "Chaos-End Master").
• Witch Doctor of Chaos: A fairly weak "Chaos" monster. When it's flipped, you can Banish one monster in your opponent's Graveyard (it doesn't gain any advantage).

Ritual Monsters:

• Magician of Black Chaos: A useless Ritual Monster modeled on "Dark Magician of Chaos". It has the same statistics but without it's effect.

Fusion Monsters:

• Armityle the Chaos Phantom: "Armityle" is nearly impossible to summon-you must control all three "Sacred Beast" monsters to Fusion Summon him. It has 0 ATK but it gains 10,000 during your Main Phase turn (until the End Phase of the turn), making it the strongest monster in the game. It can't be destroyed by battle but it's vulnerable to card effects, making it far too easy to get rid of.
• Elemental HERO Chaos Neos: "Chaos Neos" has a random effect-by flipping three coins, you get one of three different effects. If one coin is heads, return all monsters you control to your hand. When you get two heads, all of your opponent's face-up Effect Monster's effects are negated. If you get three heads, you get to destroy all of your opponent's monsters. Unfortunately, "Chaos Neos" returns to your Extra Deck during your End Phase. In doing so he also sets all monsters on the field face-down. In addition to that, you have to use "Neo-Spacian Glow Moss" in the deck, which in itself is a terrible card, as well as having to have a Level 7 Monster on your side of the field as well.

Synchro Monsters:

• Chaos Goddess: A Level 8 Synchro Monster that requires one LIGHT Tuner monster and two or more DARK non-Tuner monsters. "Chaos Goddess" has low stats for a Level 8 monster, with only 2500 ATK and 1800 DEF. Its effect is also rather mediocre: once per turn, you can send a LIGHT monster from your hand to your Graveyard to Special Summon a Level 5 or higher DARK monster from your Graveyard. However, that monster cannot be used as a Synchro Material.
• Chaos King Archfiend: "Chaos King Archfiend" is a powerful Level 7 Synchro Monster that requires a Fiend-Type Tuner monster. It has 2600 ATK and DEF but you can switch the ATK and DEF of all monsters your opponent controls when he attacks until the End Phase of the turn, allowing him to destroy most monsters in battle.

Spells

• Chaos End: "Chaos End" is has the same effect as "Dark Hole" as long as you have at least 7 or more Banished cards.
• Chaos Greed "Chaos Greed" is hard to use-you can only use it if you have at least 4 Banished cards and no cards in your Graveyard. This makes it nearly useless in "Chaos" decks but it can be useful in "Macro Cosmos" decks.
• Dedication through Light and Darkness: Special Summons "Dark Magician of Chaos" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard, by tributing "Dark Magician". It's a Quick-Play Spell Card so you can use it in response to an effect which would Banish or Destroy "Dark Magician".

Traps

• Chaos Burst: "Chaos Burst" is a weak Trap Card-when your opponent's monster declares an attack, by tributing a monster, you can destroy the attacking monster and inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points. Unfortunately, this gives you a -1 in terms of advantage.
• Chaos Infinity: "Chaos Infinity" is an odd card: it Special Summons a "Meklord" monster from your Deck or Graveyard. It also changes all monsters from Defense Position to Attack Position. Unfortunately, the "Meklord" monster's effect is negated and it is destroyed during the End Phase of the turn, limiting its usefulness.
• Chaos Trap Hole: "Chaos Trap Hole" was more useful when decks that didn't use Synchro Monsters were more popular, since it could stop all monsters in "Lightsworn" or "DARK" decks. By paying 2000 Life Points you can negate the summon of a LIGHT or DARK monster and Banish it.

Other Cards

Monsters

• Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind: "Gale" is one of the most powerful "Blackwing" monsters. It's a Level 3 Tuner monster that you can Special Summon from your hand while you control another "Blackwing" monster. In addition to that, you can halve the ATK of one of your opponent's monsters permanently once per turn, and since "Gale" has 1300 ATK, this allows it to destroy any monster with up to 2600 ATK points in battle.
• Card Trooper: While not a LIGHT or DARK monster, "Card Trooper" is a great card-by sending up to three cards from your Deck to your Graveyard, "Card Trooper" gains 500 ATK per. In addition to that, when "Card Trooper" is destroyed you get to draw a card.
• Dark Armed Dragon: In a "Chaos" deck that can effectively control the number of DARK monsters in its Graveyard, "Dark Armed Dragon" is a powerful addition.
• D.D. Crow: By discarding it during either player's turn you can Banish one card in a player's Graveyard.
• Doomcaliber Knight: "Doomcaliber Knight" is a great monster-it's Level 4 and has 1900 ATK. In addition to that, "Doomcaliber Knight" automatically negates the activation of a monster's effect and destroys it by sacrificing itself. This means that your opponent has to waste a card to get rid of it.
• Effect Veiler: Almost a staple in meta decks as well as a LIGHT monster. You can discard it to negate your opponent's monster's effect.
• Ehren, Lightsworn Monk: "Ehren" is another powerful "Lightsworn" monster. When she attacks a Defense Position Monster it is returned to its owner's deck before Damage Calculation. She also sends the top three cards of your Deck to your Graveyard during the End Phase of your turn.
• Glow-Up Bulb: Like "Plaguespreader Zombie", "Glow-Up Bulb" has Synergy with "Lightsworns" because you can Special Summon it from your Graveyard using its own effect. In addition to that, it's cost is that you send the top card of your Deck to your Graveyard.
• Honest: One of the greatest support cards for any deck that has a decent amount of LIGHT monsters and one of the reasons why "Lightsworns" dominated a metagame. By sending "Honest" from your Hand to your Graveyard during either player's turn you can increase the attack of one of your monsters by the attack of all monsters that battle it during the Damage Step Only. In addition to that, "Honest" has 1900 DEF and you can return it to your hand any number of times in a turn.
• Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer: "Kycoo" stops your opponent from Banishing cards in your Graveyard while Banishing cards in your opponent's Graveyard whenever it inflicts damage to them.
• Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner: "Lummina" is a powerful "Lightsworn" monster that allows you to Special Summon another "Lightsworn" monster in your Graveyard by discarding a card from your hand. In addition to that, you have to send to the top three cards of your Deck to your Graveyard during your End Phase.
• Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress: "Lyla" is the second most popular "Lightsworn" monster. "Lyla" can destroy a Spell or Trap Card on the field by changing to Defense Position (through her own effect). In addition to that, she sends the top three cards of your Deck to your Graveyard during your End Phase.
• Necro Gardna: While it is in your Graveyard you can Banish it to negate an attack.
• Plaguespreader Zombie: "Plaguespreader Zombie" has Synergy with "Lightsworns" because you can Special Summon it from your Graveyard using its own effect. It is also a Level 2 Tuner monster.
• Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter: "Ryko" is by far the most popular "Lightsworn" monster. When he is flipped, you can destroy a card on the field by sending the top three cards of your Deck to your Graveyard. This helps set up your Graveyard so that you can Special Summon a "Chaos" monster.
• Thunder King Rai-Oh: "Rai-Oh" is one of the best tech cards in today's metagame. He has 1900 ATK and is Level 4, like "Doomcaliber Knight", but he stops players from adding cards from their deck to their hand. In addition to that, you can tribute "Rai-Oh" to negate the Special Summon of a monster.
• Yata-Garasu: While only available in Traditional Format, "Yata Garasu" will win the game for you when combined with "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End]]" (using "Sangan" or "Witch of the Black Forest" to search for "Yata-Garasu").

Spells

• Allure of Darkness: "Allure of Darkness" is the best drawing card for DARK monsters as it allows you to draw before paying its cost. It comes with no restrictions whatsoever.
• Burial from a Different Dimension: "Burial from a Different Dimension" returns Banished monsters to your Graveyard, allowing you to use "Monster Reborn" on them or Special Summon another "Chaos" monster.
• Charge of the Light Brigade: The perfect "Lightsworn" support-by sending the top three cards of your Deck to your Graveyard you can add any "Lightsworn" monster in your Deck to your hand.
• Foolish Burial: Sets up your Graveyard for a "Chaos" monster by sending any monster from your Deck to your Graveyard.
• Solar Recharge: In "Lightsworn" "Chaos" Decks you can use this for draw power.

Traps

• Escape from the Dark Dimension: This card is a "Call of the Haunted" for Banished DARK monsters-after Banishing one of your more powerful DARK monsters to Special Summon a powerful "Chaos" monster, you can Special Summon it using this card.
• Return from the Different Dimension: Use this card to swarm after you've Banished a few of your own monsters.

Variants

Chaos HERO

Chaos HERO decks use "Elemental HERO Prisma" to send certain "HERO" monsters from your Deck to your Graveyard for use with "Dark Armed Dragon" and "Chaos Sorcerer". These monsters serve as win conditions, allowing you to clear the field and attack with powerful monsters. Credits to Vavv Matsumoto for his creative deck.

Twilight

Twilight decks are a popular combination of "Lightsworn" and "Chaos" cards. The "Lightsworn" monsters send other monsters to your Graveyard, setting up your Graveyard for "BLS" and "Chaos Sorcerer". "Necro Gardna" provides a defensive wall against your opponent's monsters, while "Honest" and the "Chaos" monsters are the primary offensive cards.

Chaos Stun

"Thunder King Rai-Oh" and "Doomcaliber Knight" are both Level 4 monsters with 1900 ATK and powerful effects. One is LIGHT, and the other is DARK, opening up possibilities for an anti-meta deck. "Effect Veiler" and "D.D. Crow" negate cards and effects, while "D.D. Warrior Lady", "Caius the Shadow Monarch", "BLS", and "Chaos Sorcerer" Banish monsters.

Zombiesworn

In this deck, cards like "Card Trooper" and "Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter" set up your Graveyard for explosive plays with powerful Synchro Summons and large monsters such as "BLS" and "Chaos Sorcerer". Triggers for these plays include "Zombie Master", "Book of Life", and "Mezuki".

DMOC OTK (Without Banned Cards being Banned)

The "Dark Magician of Chaos" OTK deck is an OTK deck that is not legal in Advanced Format due to "Dark Magician of Chaos" and "Dimension Fusion" being Banned. Dark Magician of Chaos OTK.

Chaos Sphere/Master

This deck uses "Sphere of Chaos" and "Chaos End Master" to Synchro Summon Level 8 monsters. "Honest" boosts "Chaos-End Master", allowing you to Special Summon "Sphere of Chaos" from your Deck, which can then be used to make a Level 8 Synchro Monster. After that, you can Special Summon "BLS" or "Chaos Sorcerer".

Diskblade/Gustaph

This deck uses "Diskblade Rider" and "Chaosrider Gustaph" as beatsticks while being able to use the effects of "Treacherous Trap Hole" and "D.D. Borderline" even after using Spell and Trap Cards. Credits to Runer5h.

Norleras/Phantom of Chaos

After the banning of the primary "Chaos" monsters, the "Sky Scourge" monsters were created as "balanced" versions. "Norleras" and "Enrise" both required more specific monster types and only "Norleras" was any good. To make up for it's weaknesses, "Phantom of Chaos" was used-it became "Norleras" until the End Phase of the turn. Other cards, such as Glow-Up Bulb, Plaguespreader Zombie, and Mezuki help you generate free advantage while "Necro Gardna" protects your Life Points. The deck is surprisingly consistent and powerful. "The Dark Creator" and "Sephylon" are quite easy to summon in this deck, making them obvious choices. "Monster Reincarnation" is extremely useful here as well, as it lets you return a "Phantom of Chaos", "Black Luster", "Sephylon", or other such card from your Graveyard to your hand.