Changes

* [[Duelist Saga]]

* [[Battles of Legend: Light's Revenge]]

| ocg =

* [[V Jump Edition 3]]

* [[Collectors Pack 2017]]

* [[LINK VRAINS Pack]]

| anime =

* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D Bonds Beyond Time]]

* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V]]

}}

"'''Gladiator Beast'''", known as "'''Gladial Beast'''" ({{Ruby|剣闘獣|グラディアルビースト}} ''Guradiaru Bīsuto'') in the ''[[OCG]]'', is an [[archetype]] of [[Monster Card|monsters]] with various [[Attribute]]s (primarily [[DARK]] and [[EARTH]]) and [[Type]]s (primarily [[Beast]], [[Beast-Warrior]], and [[Winged Beast]]) released in ''[[Gladiator's Assault]]''. They are used by both the [[Battle Beast]] and [[Sanders]] in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V]]''.

==Design==

===Appearance===

The archetype resemble futuristic versions of the ancient [[wikipedia:Colosseum|Roman Colosseum]] slave-warriors.

===Etymology===

The archetype's name comes from "[[wikipedia:Gladiator|Gladiator]]", a man trained to fight with weapons against other men or wild animals in an arena.

Each monster is primarily named after types of gladiators that fought in the Roman Colosseum, while others are named after famous fighters from the Roman Empire.

===Members===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

| [[Gladiator Beast Alexander|Alexander]]

| [[wikipedia:Alexander the Great|Alexander the Great]]

| Unaffected by Spell effects.

|-

| N/A

|-

| [[wikipedia:Gladiatrix|Gladiatrix]]

| [[wikipedia:Caracal|Caracal]]

| [[Gladiator Beast Augustus|Augustus]]

| [[wikipedia:Augustus (honorific)|Augustus]]

| Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your hand in Defense Position, but it is returned to the Deck at the End Phase.

|-

| Banish 1 card from your opponent's Graveyard.

|-

| [[wikipedia:Sagittarii|Sagittarii]]/[[wikipedia:Sagittarius (astrology)|Sagittarius]]

| You can discard 1 "Gladiator Beast" card; draw 2 cards

|-

| Discard 1 "Gladiator Beast" card to add 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck to your hand.

|-

| [[wikipedia:Vespasian|Titus Flavius Vespasianus]]

| All monsters you control gain 500 ATK.

|-

| Special Summon 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters from your Deck.

|-

| [[wikipedia:Domitian|Titus Flavius Caesar Domitianus Augustus]]

| Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck.

|-

| N/A

|}

===Support===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

| [[Colosseum - Cage of the Gladiator Beasts]]

| [[wikipedia:Colosseum|Colosseum]]

|-

| [[Gladiator Beast War Chariot]]

| [[Gladiator Beast's Battle Manica]]

| [[wikipedia:Manica (armguard)|Manica]]

|-

| [[Gladiator Naumachia]]

| [[Trojan Gladiator Beast]]

| [[wikipedia:Trojan Horse|Trojan Horse]]

|}

== Playing style ==

With a few exceptions, all non-[[Fusion Monster|Fusion]] "Gladiator Beast" monsters have an effect to return to the [[Main Deck|Deck]] during the end of a [[Battle Phase]] when it battled, and then to [[Special Summon]] another "Gladiator Beast" monster to replace it (this is also known as 'tagging out'). The newly Special Summoned "Gladiator Beast" monsters usually gain another effect when Special Summoned in this way.

Nearly every card in the archetype is capable of being returned to the hand, field, or Deck from the Graveyard by utilizing the effects of "Gladiator Beast" monsters or their support cards. The "Gladiator Beast" Deck includes a mix of destruction, aggro, and [[toolbox]] cards and tactics. It is this versatility which landed this Deck as one of the top Decks in the ''Shonen Jump Circuit''.

The [[September 2010 Lists|September 2010 Forbidden List]] caused "Gladiators Beasts" to become more popular, especially with the banning of "[[Heavy Storm]]" and [[Limited|Limiting]] of "[[Royal Oppression]]", both of which were a threat to their strategy.

The [[:April_2015_Lists_(TCG)|April 2015 Forbidden List]] made the previously Limited "[[Gladiator Beast Bestiari]]" Unlimited, making the entire deck not as susceptible to having a "[[Bottomless Trap Hole]]" or other card that banishes monsters used on "Bestiari", which would render "[[Gladiator Beast Gyzarus]]" inaccessible for the remainder of the Duel.

===Recommended cards===

{{Decklist|Recommended cards

<!-- This is not an exact Decklist. Do not add multiples or staples.-->

|normal monsters =

* [[Gladiator Beast Andal]]

|effect monsters =

* [[Gladiator Beast Augustus]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Bestiari]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Darius]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Equeste]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Laquari]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Murmillo]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Noxious]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Retiari]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Samnite]]

* [[Test Tiger]]

* [[Rescue Cat]]

* [[Rescue Rabbit]]

|fusion monsters =

* [[Gladiator Beast Andabata]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Essedarii]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Heraklinos]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Nerokius]]

* [[Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor]]

|xyz monsters =

* [[Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King]]

* [[Lightning Chidori]]

|link monsters =

* [[Gladiator Beast Dragases]]

* [[Gladiator Proving Ground]]

* [[Fire Formation - Tenki]]

* [[Fire Formation - Tensu]]

* [[Gladiator Beast War Chariot]]

}}

===Weaknesses and counter-strategies===

* '''Prevention of Special Summoning''' - As "Gladiator Beast" Decks focus heavily on Special Summoning, they become crippled by cards that prevent it. "[[Solemn Warning]]", "[[Archlord Kristya]]" and "[[Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo]]" are all common Main Deck and Side Deck cards that prevent Special Summoning, or neutralize it. In the case of "Kristya", the Deck finds it hard to get over a monster with 2800 ATK without Contact Fusion, as long as it is protected from the high Trap Card count with cards like "[[Forbidden Lance]]". Other options include "[[Vanity's Fiend]]", "[[Vanity's Ruler]]", "[[Deck Lockdown]]" and "[[Corridor of Agony]]".

* '''Counter-destruction''' - Often, it is the "Gladiator Beasts" with the effect to destroy cards that are the most troublesome, but there are several cards that can be used to combat this. "[[Starlight Road]]" is a common card that is particularly effective against "[[Gladiator Beast Gyzarus]]". Other options include "[[Divine Wrath]]", "[[Destruction Jammer]]", and "[[Stardust Dragon]]".

* '''Monster effects''' - As "Gladiator Beasts" must battle to gain their effects, monster effects that trigger during battle are highly effective. Note, however, that "Gladiator Beasts" have access to "[[Gladiator Beast War Chariot]]", so be prepared with something like "[[Dark Bribe]]" or "[[Seven Tools of the Bandit]]" to negate it. Here are some good monster card effects:

** '''Monsters that destroy the monsters that attacked them''' - "[[Snowman Eater]]", "[[Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter]]"

** '''Monsters that return the cards that attacked them''' - "[[Penguin Soldier]]", "[[Legendary Jujitsu Master]]", "[[Neo-Spacian Grand Mole]]"

** '''Monsters that banish the cards that attacked them''' - "[[D.D. Warrior]]", "[[D.D. Warrior Lady]]"

* '''Destroy on Summoning''' - Cards such as "[[Torrential Tribute]]", "[[Bottomless Trap Hole]]" and especially "[[Mirror of Oaths]]", that destroy the monsters when Special Summoned are great against "Gladiator Beasts".

* '''Effect canceling''' - Cards such as "[[Skill Drain]]", "[[Chivalry]]" or "[[Effect Veiler]]" can prevent your monsters from tagging out or negate the effects of the ones that are Summoned, leaving them defenseless against high ATK monsters. "[[Clear Wing Synchro Dragon]]" and "[[Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon]]" are also very effective, as they can negate the effects of the Gladiator Beasts upon summon or when they 'tag out', leaving them often helpless.

* '''Attack negation/prevention''' - You can only 'tag out' a "Gladiator Beast" when it "attacks or is attacked", therefore, any Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect that lets you negate a monster attack would prevent the opponent from tagging out their "Gladiator Beasts".

{{Archseries navbox}}

{{Archseries navbox (anime)}}

{{Archseries navbox (Duel Links)}}

[[Category:TCG and OCG archetypes]]