Train
Train (
Design
Each card of this series is based on either trains or railway infrastructure. The only exception is Number 27: Dreadnought Dreadnoid, which is instead based on a ship.
Members
- Level 1-4
| Card | Origin |
|---|---|
| Construction Train Signal Red | Colour light signals / Buffer stop |
| Express Train Trolley Olley | EMD SW1 |
| Flying Pegasus Railroad Stampede | Railcar / Pegasus train |
| Lionhearted Locomotive | The Little Engine That Could / Steam locomotive |
| Ruffian Railcar | Railcar |
- Level 10
| Card | Origin |
|---|---|
| Heavy Freight Train Derricrane | JNR Class DD51 / Derrick / Crane |
| Night Express Knight | Night Express / 700 Series Shinkansen |
| Rocket Arrow Express | Turbojet train |
| Snow Plow Hustle Rustle | Rotary snowplow |
| Super Express Bullet Train | Shinkansen / Turbojet train |
- Rank 4/Link 2
| Card | Origin |
|---|---|
| Double Headed Anger Knuckle | Switcher |
| Heavy Armored Train Ironwolf | Wolf, Eagle-class locomotive of the Cornwall Railway |
| Number 27: Dreadnought Dreadnoid | Dreadnought |
- Rank 10-11 ("Superdreadnought Rail Cannon")
| Card | Origin |
|---|---|
| Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Super Dora | Dora |
| Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max | Schwerer Gustav |
| Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Juggernaut Liebe | Landkreuzer |
- Spell/Traps
| Card | Origin |
|---|---|
| Barrage Blast | Barrage |
| Revolving Switchyard | Railway roundhouse |
| Train Connection | Push–pull train |
| Special Schedule | Train schedule |
| Urgent Schedule |
Playing style
The series' playing style revolves around Xyz Summoning Rank 10 Xyz Monsters and performing an OTK with their high ATK and aggressive, blunt effects. The series is usually played as a blind-second deck and packed with going-second staples.
The series' Main Deck monsters are divided into Level 4 monsters and Level 10 monsters. The former can provide benefits or resources for the Xyz Summons, such as "Express Train Trolley Olley", "Ruffian Railcar" and "Flying Pegasus Railroad Stampede", and the latter generally have low ATK and/or effects that encourage the player to use them as materials for an Xyz Summon, such as "Heavy Freight Train Derricrane", "Night Express Knight" and "Super Express Bullet Train". These Level 10 monsters have negative effects to make up for them being easy to Summon - "Night Express Knight" and "Derricrane" lose ATK/DEF upon being Summoned with their own effects, while "Bullet Train" forces the controller to send 2 cards they control to the Graveyard in order to attack; these effects will not matter much, as the purpose of those monsters is to be used for an Xyz Summon right away. Both themes can be combined through the effects of "Flying Pegasus" and/or "Revolving Switchyard" to turn the Level 4 monsters into Level 10 ones and facilitate the access to Xyz Summon, that can be further accelerated by some of the aforementioned cards, as well as by "Urgent Schedule".
The series' Rank 10/11 Xyz Monsters, or the "Superdreadnought Rail Cannon" monsters, focus on quickly finishing the game with their high ATKs and damaging effects.
| Rank 10/11 Train | Effects | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gustav Max | (Detach 1 mat) Inflict 2000 damage. | Soft-once per turn high burn damage inflicter. |
| Super Dora | (Detach 1 mat) Target 1 monster, it becomes immune to all other effects this turn. | Defensive monster with 4000 DEF, and the ability to become unaffected by card effects. |
| Juggernaut Liebe |
Can be Xyz summoned over a Rank 10 Machine.
|
OTK focused game finisher, able to reach 6000 ATK and attack multiple times. |
Meanwhile, the series' Rank 4 Xyz monsters has an effect to provide support for a prolonged game in case the player were not able to perform the OTK on their first turn, or that they were unable to summon a Rank 10 monster that turn.
| Rank 4 Train | Effects | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ironwolf |
|
Support monster to allow the high ATK Machine to deal high direct damage and provides resource upon destrution. Somewhat redundant OTK enabler due to the player can still perform an OTK by removing the opponent's cards through other means. |
| Dreadnought Dreadnoid |
Can be Xyz summoned with 2 or more Level 4 Monsters
|
Defensive monster with an effect to cheat out any high rank Machine Xyz monster after the Battle Phase. Usually "Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus" due to its immunity effect. |
In case the player were unable to perform an OTK, the deck is also capable of playing a defensive grind game, primarily with the usage of "Super Dora" as a wall while recurring resources with the effect of "Ruffian Railcar" and "Bullet Train" to help facilitate Xyz summon on the next turn.
Most Train-related support cards only lock the player's attacks (to Machine Xyz monsters), not monster summons or monster effects, meaning that the Deck has access to the game's entire pool of generic Rank 10 monsters for additional utility.
Rank 10 monsters of note include:
- "Number C9: Chaos Dyson Sphere"; provides non-target, non-destruction removal by attaching any monster it battled, preventing any floating effects on removal and denying Graveyard resources in the process. It can also deal a considerable effect damage every turn.
- "Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula", which can bridge into "Number 84: Pain Gainer" and "Number 77: The Seven Sins", thus allow the summon of "Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder" with at least 5 materials.
- "Skypalace Gangaridai", an alternate choice for "Gustav Max" in case the player needed to destroy at least one card the opponent controls, or up to two when combined with "Derricrane". It is also a Machine monster that can bridge into "Juggernaut Liebe".
The series' Link Monster, "Double Headed Anger Knuckle", can be used to Special Summon Level 10 monsters and provide materials for the Xyz Summons, as well as a long-term investment due to its ability to revive itself, providing a slot for an Xyz Summon. It can use "Ruffian Railcar" or "Bullet Liner" as cost for its effects, setting up their effects on the End Phase.
Casual supportive cards that can be combined with this Deck include:
- "Limiter Removal", "Train Connection", "Qliphort Genius".
- An easy-to-Summon Level 10 monsters, such as "Malefic Cyber End Dragon", "Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord", "Metal Reflect Slime".
- An "Infinitrack" engine involving multiple copies of "Infinitrack Anchor Drill" and "Heavy Forward" to enhance swarming capabilities as well as an additional option for Rank 8 Xyz summon. In addition, it can also help facilitate the summoning of "Super Quantal Mech King Great Magnus" with full protection via the effect of "Dreadnought Dreadnoid".
- "Astral Kuriboh"; useful for summoning various "Number" Xyz monsters, such as "Dreadnought Dreadnoid", "Super Dora", "Chaos Dyson Sphere", etc., and grant them extra protection.
- "Goldilocks the Battle Landscaper" and "Machina Citadel", as both were Level 10 EARTH Machine that can be searched with various Train-related cards and special summoned from the hand with the effect of "Anchor Drill" to provide mass removal effect.
- "Gizmek Okami, the Dreaded Deluge Dragon", which can be easily summoned if opponent has several monsters summoned from the Extra Deck and provides a non-Once per turn boardwipe against these monsters.
- "Therion "King" Regulus" to provide negation effect and protect other "Train" monsters. It also synergize well with "Super Express Bullet Train", which can add "Regulus" back to the hand after using negation effect every turn.
- A "Shaddoll" engine with the aim of Fusion Summoning "El Shaddoll Shekhinaga" using materials from the Deck with "Shaddoll Fusion", especially when using "Ruffian Railcar" or "Bullet Liner" as Fusion Materials.
- A "Kaiju" package with "Jizukiru, the Star Destroying Kaiju", "Interrupted Kaiju Slumber", and other "Kaiju" monsters, to either tribute the opponent's monster as a removal, or to destroy all monsters on the field and summon "Jizukiru" as a Level 10 material.
Variations of the Deck also include "Skill Drain", which negates the negative effects of the Level 10 monsters, turning them into easily summonable beatsticks.
Recommended cards
Recommended cards
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Weakness
- As with other Machine decks, the "Train" deck is susceptible to a variety of counter cards, such as "System Down" and "Chimeratech Fortress Dragon".
- Because of the lack of protection on most monsters, the deck is prone to mass removals and negation effects. Without proper backup plans to special summon new monsters to refill the board (i.e "Urgent Schedule"), this will render the player nearly defenseless from opponent's counterattacks.
- Due to the deck's potential to summon a large number of powerful Xyz monsters, player may find themselves overextending and were thus at risk of losing several powerful monsters at once.
- Like all of the special summon reliant decks, the deck is vulnerable to cards that prevent special summoning, such as "Vanity's Ruler" and "The Last Warrior from Another Planet".
- In addition, the deck is heavily reliant on Type synergy. As such, cards such as "There Can Be Only One" and "Zombie World" can shut down any play instantly.
- Since the "Train" deck features a large number of high-level monsters, it is also prone to dead draws or hands that can hinders the deck's consistency.
References
- ↑ "LINK VRAINS Pack 2". Konami. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ↑ "５つの既存テーマが収録されるスペシャルパック『SELECTION 5（セレクション ファイブ）（仮）』が登場！". YU-GI-OH.jp (in Japanese). Konami. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
