Forum:Deck Guide/Cloudian

Cloudian Guide

By BF2

"Cloudians" are a set of cloud monsters introduced in Gladiator's Assault. The majority of "Cloudians" are WATER Fairy-Type or Fiend-Type monsters, but there is a WIND Aqua-Type monster. Most are immune to destruction in battle but have low stats and are destroyed automatically if they're in face-up Defense Position. They use Fog Counters to pull off a variety of effects. Generally, they are considered to be too slow, but last format (until September 1st, 2011), there was an incredibly fast "Cloudian" Synchro deck.

Ratings

Power: 4/10: The monsters are physically weak.

Consistency: 4/10 There is not a lot of consistency and your Life Points are very vulnerable while they're on the field.

Speed: 4/10 They're not as slow as they may seem at first, but they aren't as fast as most meta decks.

Draw/Search Power: 6/10 They make use of quite a few draw and searching cards, and do have one of their own.

Overall: 4.5 "Cloudian" decks are not meta but are actually moderately powerful in casual play.

Main Cards

Monsters

• Cloudian - Acid Cloud: "Acid Cloud" has 500 ATK and gets one Fog Counter for every "Cloudian" you control when it's Normal Summoned. By removing two Fog Counters from it, you can destroy a Spell or Trap Card. It's a good effect, but not as useful in this format.
• Cloudian - Altus: "Altus" has a rather high ATK for a "Cloudian" monster: 1300. It also gets one Fog Counter for every "Cloudian" you control when it's Normal Summoned. By removing three Fog Counters from anywhere on the field, you can discard one random card from your opponent's hand. This too lost power this format, due to a resurgence of "Dark World" monsters.
• Cloudian - Cirrostratus: "Cirrostartus" has 900 ATK and gets one Fog Counter for every "Cloudian" you control when it's Normal Summoned. By removing two Fog Counters from it, you can destroy one monster. This is probably the best "Cloudian" monster this format.
• Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon: "Eye of the Typhoon" is the boss monster of the "Cloudians" - it's a two Tribute monster with 3000 ATK. It doesn't gain Fog Counters, but changes the battle position of every face-up non-"Cloudian" monster on the field whenever it attacks. It's rather useless for a standard deck.
• Cloudian - Ghost Fog: "Ghost Fog" has 0 ATK and DEF and cannot be Special Summoned. It also prevents both players from taking Battle Damage when it battles. When it's destroyed, you can place a number of Fog Counters on the field, up to the Level of the monster destroyed. This is the fastest way of generating Fog Counters but it's also a risky one because you waste your Normal Summon.
• Cloudian - Nimbusman: "Nimbusman" is a 1000 ATK Level 5 "Cloudian" monster. You can tribute any number of WATER monsters for its summon, and for each one it gets another Fog Counter. It also gains 500 ATK per Fog Counter on the field. This has the potential to be the strongest "Cloudian" monster and in a good deck can become huge. It's on the more useful side.
• Cloudian - Poison Cloud: "Poison Cloud" is an oddity for "Cloudians" - it has 0 ATK and 1000 DEF but doesn't have immunity to destruction in battle and isn't destroyed while in face-up Defense Position. Instead, if the monster that battles it destroys it, you get to destroy that monster and inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points. "Poison Cloud" isn't worth using because you'll lose more Life Points than your opponent.
• Cloudian - Sheep Cloud: "Sheep Cloud" is similar - it has 0 ATK and DEF and can be destroyed by battle, and when that happens, you get two 0 ATK/0 DEF "Cloudian" Tokens. This is a decent monster for a "Cloudian" deck as the tokens count as monsters for the generation of Fog Counters. "Sheep Cloud" is somewhat, although not terribly, useful.
• Cloudian - Smoke Ball: "Smoke Ball" is a Level 1 Normal Monster Special Summoned by "Turbulence".
• Cloudian - Storm Dragon: "Storm Dragon" cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. The only way to summon it is by Banishing a "Cloudian" monster in your Graveyard. It has 1000 ATK and can place one Fog Counter on the field once per turn. It's quite useful.
• Cloudian - Turbulence: Last format, "Turbulence" was the best "Cloudian" monster - it gets one Fog Counter for every "Cloudian" you control when it's Normal Summoned, and by removing a Fog Counter, you can Special Summon "Cloudian - Smoke Ball" from your Deck or Graveyard. This combined with "Fishborg Blaster" to make "T.G. Hyper Librarian", followed by a few "Formula Synchron" in order to gain a lot of hand advantage. "Cloudian - Storm Dragon" could add to this and allow you to Synchro Summon "Shooting Quasar Dragon". "Turbulence" is worth including in every "Cloudian" deck.

Spells

• Cloudian Squall: "Cloudian Squall" is a Continuous Spell Card that places one Fog Counter on each face-up monster during each of your Standby Phases. It's useful for a standard "Cloudian" deck because it generates a lot of Fog Counters quickly.
• Diamond-Dust Cyclone: "Diamond-Dust Cyclone" is a Quick-Play Spell Card that destroys one monster with 4 or more Fog Counters on it, then lets you draw a card for every 4 Fog Counters on it. It's useful in a deck that places lots of Fog Counters on your opponent's monsters.
• Fog Control: "Fog Control" is a Quick-Play Spell Card that allows you to tribute a "Cloudian" monster in order to place three Fog Counters on a monster. It's incredibly useful for "Turbulence" builds.
• Lucky Cloud: "Lucky Cloud" is a Normal Spell Card that lets you draw two cards during your End Phase if you've Summoned two or more "Cloudian" monsters with the same name that turn. It's okay but only really works with "Turbulence".
• Summon Cloud: "Summon Cloud" is a Continuous Spell Card that Special Summons a "Cloudian" monster from your hand or either player's Graveyard during your Main Phase if you control no monsters. If you Special Summon them from a Graveyard, "Summon Cloud" is then destroyed. It's a decent card for the deck.

Traps

• Natural Disaster: "Natural Disaster" is a Continuous Trap Card that inflicts 500 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points every time a card they control is destroyed by the effect of a "Cloudian" monster. It deals far too little damage to be good.
• Rain Storm: "Rain Storm" is a Normal Trap Card that reduces the ATK or a "Cloudian" monster you control by 1000 or 2000 then destroys one or two Spell or Trap Cards your opponent controls, respectively. Due to an errata, it can now destroy two cards for the 2000 effect, but there's too few valid targets for it.
• Raging Cloudian: "Raging Cloudian" can only be activated in response to a "Cloudian" destroying itself by its own effect. It then Special Summons that "Cloudian", gives it a Fog Counter, and prevents it from being changed to Defense Position by a card effect. It's not as good as "Call of the Haunted" and there are very few cards that people use to change a monster to Defense Position.
• Updraft: "Updraft" is a Normal Trap Card that removes all Fog Counters from the field and inflicts 300 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points for every Counter removed this way. It's considered a good finisher but it's rather risky as it's often useless.

Other Cards

Monsters

• Archlord Kristya: A fantastic card that can be used with a proper setup.
• Destiny HERO - Plasma: You can use the monsters produced by "Turbulence" to Special Summon "Plasma".
• Fishborg Blaster: Last format, this card was the catalyst for "Cloudian" Synchro decks. This format, it's Banned.
• Herald of Orange Light: Is better than "Effect Veiler" and can work in a "Cloudian" deck.
• Mother Grizzly: Toolboxes for any "Cloudian", including "Nimbusman". Unfortunately, it can't recruit "Ghost Fog".
• Sangan: Searches for any "Cloudian" monster other than "Eye of the Typhoon".

Spells

• Forbidden Chalice: Negates the effects of monsters with removal, protecting your "Cloudians" for a turn.
• Forbidden Lance: Stops your "Cloudians" from being hurt by Spell and Trap effects.
• Salvage: "Salvage" returns two WATER monsters with 1500 or less ATK from your Graveyard to your hand. It's a great card, especially for "Cloudian" Synchro decks.
• Solidarity: Increases the ATK of "Cloudian" monsters to decent amounts.

Traps

• Card of Sacrifice: Most "Cloudian" monsters have such low ATK that there should be no chance of it not working.
• Spirit Barrier: "Spirit Barrier" prevents you from taking Battle Damage while you control a face-up monster, allowing you to keep "Cloudians" on the field without risking your Life Points.

Combos

• Cloudian - Ghost Fog + Diamond-Dust Cyclone: "Ghost Fog" will almost undoubtedly give 4 Fog Counters, and then you can destroy the monster with "Diamond-Dust Cyclone". In addition to that, if it's Level 8 or higher, you'll be able to draw 2 cards instead of one.
• Cloudian - Turbulence + Fog Control: Use "Turbulence" to Special Summon a "Smoke Ball", then tribute it for "Fog Control". Follow up by Special Summoning three "Smoke Balls".

Variants

Standard Cloudian

Standard "Cloudian" decks slowly accumulate Fog Counters to destroy your opponent's cards or make a huge monster.

Pre-September 1st Cloudian Quasar

Before September 1st, Cloudian Quasar decks were quite powerful, albeit vulnerable to Trap Cards.

Cloudian Beatdown

Cloudian Beatdown uses "Solidarity" to boost your "Cloudian's" ATK and "Nimbusman" as a finisher.

Plasma Cloudian

Plasma Cloudians is an innovative deck that uses "Turbulence" to provide fodder for "Destiny HERO - Plasma".