Yang Zing

Yang Zing
Clockwise, from bottom-left: "Suanni", "Bixi", "Bi'an", "Baxia", "Pulao" and "Chiwen".
Japanese	竜（りゅう）星（せい） 竜星 (base) りゅうせい (ruby) Ryūsei (romanized) Dracomet (translated)
French	Yang Zing
German	Yang Zing
Italian	Yang Zing
Korean	룡성 龍星 (Hanja) Ryongseong (romanized) Dracomet (translated)
Portuguese	Yang Zing
Spanish	Yang Zing
Sets Duelist Alliance The New Challengers Crossed Souls Invasion: Vengeance TCG Duelist Alliance: Deluxe Edition The New Challengers: Super Edition 2015 Mega-Tin Mega Pack Pendulum Evolution OCG Advanced Event Pack 2014 Vol.4 LINK VRAINS Pack
Anime appearances
Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Lists	Members Support

"Yang Zing", known as "Dracomet" (竜（りゅう）星（せい） Ryūsei) in the OCG, is an archetype that debuted in Duelist Alliance. They resemble Dragon-like creatures, but with a slight appearance of Beasts, either by having a mane and/or tiger stripes, as well as Beast-like paws and claws; also, they have a bead inside a triangle on their chest and 3 others on their horns. All of them are Wyrm, which was a new Monster Type at the time of this archetype's debut; the variety of Attributes is also emphasized. The deck was the first solely Synchro-based archetype to be released since the debut of Xyz Monsters, with no Xyz support whatsoever.

Lore

A group of Wyrms who dwell inside the "Stars" of the Heavens and Earth. They are incarnations of elements found on the planet and the power of the bright stars in the sky brought forth by "Constellar Sombre", who has the same amount of power as a god. It's said that when the "Yang Zing" come together, a shining radiance will consume everything. (This is most likely referencing to the deck's primary Synchro Monster, "Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing", and its effect to clear away almost the entire field when Summoned.)

Origin

The "Yang Zing" are based on the Nine Offspring of the Dragon, characters of Chinese mythology. "Yang Zing" was likely altered from "Yang Xing" to avoid pronounciation difficulties. In Chinese, "Yang Xing" may be interpreted as either 陽星 yáng xīng, literally meaning "sun star", or 陽性 yáng xìng, meaning "positive" or "masculine".

Different scholars have different lists of the "9 sons of the dragon". Two of the most prominent lists are Sheng'an Waiji by Yang Shen and Huailu Tangji by Li Dongyang.

#		"Yang Zing" monster		Respective Son of the Dragon
Tangji	Waiji	English	Japanese (romanized)	Pinyin	Japanese (romanized)
1	N/A	Zefraniu	Sefirashiugo	Qiúniú	Shūgyū
2	7	Yazi	Gaizā	Yázì	Gaishi/Gaisai/Yazu
3	N/A	Chaofeng	Chouhou	Cháofēng	Chōhō
4	3	Pulao	Horou	Púláo	Horō
5	8	Suanni	Shungei	Suānní	Sangei/Shungei
6	1	Bixi	Bishiki	Bāxià / Bìxì	Haka/Basha / Hiki/Hiiki/Bishi
7	4	Bi'an	Heikan	Bì'àn	Heikan
8	N/A	Zefraxi	Sefirafuushi	Fùxì	Fuki/Fuushi
9	2	Chiwen	Rifun	Chīwěn	Chifun/Shifun
N/A	5	Taotie	Toutetsu	Tāotiè	Tōtetsu
N/A	6	Baxia	Shoufuku	Bāxià / Gōngfù	Haka/Basha / Kōfuku/Shōfuku
N/A	9	Jiaotu	Jokuto	Jiāotú	Shōzu/Jokuto

"Denglong, First of the Yang Zing" is based on Denglong, which is considered one of the sons of the Dragon King, but it is not mentioned in a particular list made by a scholar.

Playing style

Almost all of the Main Deck monsters focus on maintaining field presence by Special Summoning one another when they are destroyed. In addition, the non-Tuner, non-"Zefra" monsters are capable of Synchro Summoning during the opponent's Main Phase or Battle Phase, like "Urgent Tuning" or "T.G. Wonder Magician", and give bonuses to the Synchro Monster that they were used to Summon, as follows:

"Yang Zing" monster	Attribute	Level	Bonus given to the Synchro Monster
Pulao	WIND	1	Unaffected by Spell Cards/effects.
Bixi	WATER	2	Unaffected by Trap Cards/effects.
Bi'an	EARTH	3	Cannot be destroyed by battle.
Suanni	FIRE	4	Gains 500 ATK and DEF.
Taotie	DARK	5	Possession cannot be switched.

The Tuner Main Deck monsters of the archetype, "Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing" and "Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing", have effects that tend to speed-up Synchro Summons even more: the first one follows the trend of many Tuner monsters, such as "Plaguespreader Zombie", "Scrap Mind Reader" and "Jet Synchron", by Special Summoning itself from the Graveyard in order to assist a Synchro Summon but being banished when it leaves the field, if Special Summoned by its own effect; this effect can be triggered when a "Yang Zing" monster you control is destroyed. "Jiaotu" can Special Summon 2 "Yang Zings" from the Deck, provided you have 2 "Yang Zing" cards in your hand to send. These effects can be used to provide quick access to the "Yang Zing" Synchro Monsters, namely:

• "Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing": when Synchro Summoned, it shuffles cards from the field into the Deck, up to the number of different original Attributes of Wyrm monsters used for its Synchro Summon; it can also destroy 1 card you control in order to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from the Graveyard. This can be used to set up more Synchro Summons, not only by bringing back a "Yang Zing" monster, but also by destroying a "Yang Zing" and triggering its effect. Do note that if you do Synchro Summon "Baxia" during your opponent's turn as Chain Link 2 or higher, its shuffling effect will not activate because it will miss timing.

• "Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing": cannot be targeted by an opponent's effects and can act like a "Yang Zing" version of "Scrap Dragon", destroying 1 of those monsters you control and one opposing card; in addition, it Special Summons any Wyrm monster from the Deck when it is destroyed. Like "Baxia", "Yazi" can miss timing on its destruction.

• "Chaofeng, Phantom of the Yang Zing": it has a more intricate set of effects. First off, it locks the opponent's monsters from activating their effects, provided they share Attibutes with this monster's "Yang Zing" Synchro Materials. Its second effect searches any Tuner monster when it is destroyed (can miss timing). And finally, it Special Summons any Wyrm monster from the Deck when an opponent's monster on the field is destroyed, provided that the Wyrm monster matches the Attribute of the destroyed monster.

• "Denglong, First of the Yang Zing": the first Tuner Synchro Monster of the theme, it has a set of three Deck-thinning effects. When Special Summoned, it searches any "Yang Zing" card from the Deck. Its second effect mimics the Level of a Wyrm monster, by sending it from the Deck to the Graveyard. Finally, it Special Summons an7 "Yang Zing" monster from the Deck whenever it leaves the Field, which can be triggered by simply using it as a Synchro Material. Can only Special Summon it once per turn. Currently in OCG territory it is Limited, while in TCG territory it is Forbidden.

Despite being a Synchro-reliant Deck, the Archetype also has 2 Pendulum Monsters, allowing many "Yang Zing" monsters to be Special Summoned at once.

• "Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing": With a Pendulum scale of 1, it has the effect to turn any non-Tuner "Yang Zing" or "Zefra" monster (aside from another copy of itself) into a Tuner, but it is placed at the bottom of your deck when it leaves the field. This gives even more flexible options to perform a Synchro Summon. Unlike most "Yang Zing" monsters, "Zefraxi" never misses timing.
• "Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing": With a Pendulum scale of 7, it has the effect to search any "Yang Zing" or "Zefra" Spell/Trap card, giving you more options for further plays or defense. Its effect can miss timing, however.

Support

The support cards of the Archetype are capable of accelerate the Synchro Summons, provide expressive card advantage, recycle cards and reward a player for having a Graveyard full of "Yang Zing" monsters; examples include "Yang Zing Creation", that Special Summons a "Yang Zing" from the Deck when a monster (be it a "Yang Zing" or not) is destroyed, but do keep in mind its Summoning restriction. This can be combined with the effects of "Baxia" and "Yazi" to fill the field with many "Yang Zings" in order to set up big Synchro Summons. "Yang Zing Path": it shuffles 3 "Yang Zings" monsters from your Graveyard into the Deck and then gives 2 draws. As the game goes on, a dedicated "Yang Zing" deck can run out of resources, so this card is very important on keeping the strategy up. "Nine Pillars of Yang Zing" is a powerful Counter Trap Card that can negate anything albeit Spell/Trap effects in the GY, and shuffles the negated card into the Deck, which can be useful to avoid Graveyard effects. At the resolution, it destroys a "Yang Zing" card, and if that card is a monster, its effect can be triggered, unless "Nine Pillars" was activated at Chain Link 3 or higher.

The other support Spells/Traps card see very little play and don't really help with the acceleration of the deck's Synchro monsters. "Yang Zing Prana" is a lackluster card with four different effects depending on how your GY looks with different Attribute "Yang Zing" monsters, though it can be devastating to your opponent if you manage to achieve its last effect. "Yang Zing Brutality" is like "Limiter Removal" for battling "Yang Zing" monsters and doubles their ATK and DEF but is destroyed at the end of the Damage Step, which can trigger almost all the monsters in the archetype. "Yang Zing Unleashed" can help force your opponent destroy your "Yang Zing" monsters in battle and trigger a lot of cards, and it has the effect of the non-Tuner, non-Pendulum monsters to Synchro Summon during your opponent's turn, by sending it to the GY as a cost. Players are better off not running any of the three cards aformentioned, and should fit more staples Spells/Traps instead.

Exploring the effects of the "Yang Zing" monsters

In a "Yang Zing" Deck, generic Synchro Monsters are even more powerful than normally, as they will gain additional bonuses when Summoned by using the "Yang Zing" monsters as Synchro Materials.

Using "Chiwen" as the Tuner:

• "Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree": With "Suanni", "Bi'an" and "Pulao", it will have 3600 ATK and immunity against battle destruction and Spell Cards that would destroy it, such as "Dark Hole".

• "Herald of the Arc Light": Can be Summoned with "Bi'an" and put pressure on the opponent, by negating their effects. Can be revived with "Baxia".

Using the effect of "Jiaotu" to Special Summon 2 "Yang Zing" monsters:

• "Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier": Special Summon "Taotie" and "Bixi", giving it immunity against Trap Cards that would negate its effect, such as "Lose 1 Turn", "Fiendish Chain" etc.

• "Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons": Special Summon "Suanni" and "Bixi", giving it an ATK/DEF boost and immunity against Trap Cards that would otherwise take it off the field, such as "Compulsory Evacuation Device", "Phoenix Wing Wind Blast", "Storming Mirror Force", etc.

• "Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer": Special Summon "Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing" and "Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing"; Synchro Summon this card by using "Jiaotu" and "Zefraniu" then, use this card's effect and destroy "Zefraxi" and shuffle one opposing card.
  • With a "Yang Zing" card in each of the Pendulum Zones, it is possible to Pendulum Summon that previously destroyed "Zefraxi" and get rid of an opponent's card every turn.
• "Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss": Special Summon "Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing" and "Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing"; Synchro Summon any Level 7 or 8 DARK Dragon monster, then use it as a material to Synchro Summon this card.
• "Star Eater": Special Summon "Taotie", "Pulao" and "Suanni", and then Synchro Summon Star Eater. It will have 500 more ATK and DEF, and the added bonus of ignoring card effects in the Damage Step.
• "Crystron Quariongandrax": Special Summon another copy of "Jiaotu" and "Taotie" and be able to target and banish your opponent's monsters on the field or in the GY up to the number of Synchro Materials for its Summon (in this case 3), also cannot change possession, making effects such as "Cyber Dragon Infinity" and "Creature Swap" useless. If it was Synchro Summoned and destroyed by battle or card effect, it can Special Summon any banished monster, except itself, whether it be yours or your opponent's, and is placed on to your field.

It is also possible to use the effect of "Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing" to turn a non-Tuner "Yang Zing" into a Tuner, in order to achieve more flexible options:

• "Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons": The effect of "Zefraxi" can turn "Taotie" into a Tuner and Synchro Summon this card; in addition, it will be immune against cards like "Number 11: Big Eye", "Number 101: Silent Honor ARK" and "Cyber Dragon Infinity".

• "Metaphys Horus": By Synchro Summoning it with "Zefraxi" and "Bi'an", it can permanently negate the effect of any other face-up card on the field and gain control of an opponent's monster, while also being immune against battle destruction.

• "Naturia Barkion": Can also be Synchro Summoned by the aforementioned method.

Also, the effects of the non-Tuner, non-Pendulum Main Deck "Yang Zing" monsters can be used to Synchro Summon during the opponent's turn, allowing the player to activate the effects of monsters like "Black Rose Dragon", "Black Rose Moonlight Dragon", or "Mist Wurm" on the opponent's turn.

"Denglong, First of the Yang Zing" also made it easier to Summon monsters like "Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon" and "Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss", by Special Summoning "Chiwen" after leaving the field as Synchro material for the Synchro monster required for the Summon of those Dragons. Also, by using "Limit Overdrive", it is possible to Special Summon "Cosmic Blazar Dragon", "Shooting Quasar Dragon", or "Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon" by returning "Denglong" and "Yazi" to the Extra Deck; this can be a surprise factor, as this monster is commonly expected in Decks like "Synchron", rather than "Yang Zing" builds. In addition to this, "Denglong" can change its Level to any from 1 to 6 with its effect, allowing for even more flexibility.

Recommended cards

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Bi'an, Earth of the Yang Zing Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing Pulao, Wind of the Yang Zing Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing Taotie, Shadow of the Yang Zing True King Agnimazud, the Vanisher True King Bahrastos, the Fathomer True King Lithosagym, the Disaster Mariamne, the True Dracophoenix Magma Dragon Night Dragolich Unmasked Dragon Tuner monsters Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing Jiaotu, Darkness of the Yang Zing Masked Chameleon Mare Mare Destrudo the Lost Dragon's Frisson Pendulum Monsters Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing Spell Cards Yang Zing Path Yang Zing Prana Burial from a Different Dimension Dragonic Diagram True Draco Heritage Foolish Burial One for One Supply Squad Trap Cards Nine Pillars of Yang Zing Yang Zing Brutality Yang Zing Creation Yang Zing Unleashed True King's Return Waterfall of Dragon Souls Skill Drain Extra Deck Synchro Monsters Chaofeng, Phantom of the Yang Zing Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons Goyo King Ancient Sacred Wyvern Crystron Quandax Stardust Charge Warrior Metaphys Horus Xyz Monsters True King of All Calamities Phantom Fortress Enterblathnir Link Monsters Agave Dragon Crystron Needlefiber Attribute Boosters

Weaknesses

• Since their effects rely on swarming the field, mainly when combined with "Yang Zing Creation", cards like "El Shaddoll Winda", "El Shaddoll Grysta" and "Summon Breaker" can slow down the Deck.

• Cards that purely prevent Special Summons, such as "Vanity's Emptiness" and "Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo" are also good counters against them; one can also use "Macro Cosmos" or "Dimensional Fissure" to banish them when they are destroyed. "Soul Drain" and "Deck Lockdown" can prevent them from Special Summoning one another from the Deck when destroyed and, once their main focus is on Synchro Summoning, "Grisaille Prison", "Dimensional Barrier" and "Discord" can also be used.

• The variety of Attributes also makes them vulnerable to "Gozen Match" and "Battle of the Elements". Their dependability on Level 5 or higher Synchro monsters makes the Deck vulnerable to "Evilswarm Ophion".
• Synchro Monsters using "Bixi" as Material does not protect them from Counter Trap cards that can negates their Special Summon such as "Solemn Strike" and "Solemn Warning".

• A monster that can attack all opposing monsters, such as "Bujintei Susanowo" or "Number 39: Utopia" equipped with "ZW - Asura Strike" or a "Stardust Charge Warrior" (preferably equipped with "Moon Mirror Shield"), can be surprisingly effective against this Deck, since it will keep on attacking every "Yang Zing" monster Summoned by the one previously destroyed. "Evigishki Merrowgeist" can be a peculiar and efficient solution against the "Yang Zing" as well, shuffling them into the Deck instead of sending them to the Graveyard, and, consequently, prevent them from Special Summoning one another.

• Monsters like "Armades, Keeper of Boundaries", "Number S39: Utopia the Lightning" and "U.A. Mighty Slugger" prevent their effects from being activated when they are destroyed by battle.

• Most of their effects can miss the activation timing due to being optional "When" effects. As such, a "Yang Zing" monster will not be able to activate its searching effect if it is destroyed by "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend", "Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms", "Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter", "Felis, Lightsworn Archer", or a destruction effect that activates as Chain Link 2 or higher, etc.
• Hand traps such as "Effect Veiler" and "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" can cripple "Jiaotu" plays and prevent you from moving forward that turn.

Trivia

• The Japanese name 竜星 ryūsei literally translates to "dragon star". It may also be based on 流星 ryūsei, "meteor", and 竜生九子 Ryūsei Kyūshi, "Nine Offspring of the Dragon".

• This archetype has many similarities with the "Gusto" archetype; both of them are Synchro Summon-oriented archetypes, they also have their own set of "recruiter loops" which also works similarly.
  • Both of these archetypes also have exactly 2 of their monsters corrupted and become "Shaddoll" monsters, while also one of each is combined in form of "El Shaddoll Winda" ("Winda, Priestess of Gusto" + "Pulao, Wind of the Yang Zing").