Shaddoll

Shaddoll
"Shaddoll Fusion" "Shaddoll Fusion"
Japanese	シャドール Shadōru (romanized)
French	Marionnette de l'Ombre
German	Schattenpuppe
Italian	Bambolaombra
Korean	섀도르 Syaedoleu (romanized)
Portuguese	Sombraneco
Spanish	Sombrañeca
Sets TCG Duelist Alliance Duelist Alliance: Deluxe Edition The New Challengers Secrets of Eternity OCG Duelist Alliance The New Challengers Secrets of Eternity Crossover Souls
Lists	Members Support

"Shaddoll" (シャドール Shadōru) is an archetype that debuted in Duelist Alliance. Their focus is the Fusion Summon of the more powerful "El Shaddoll" monsters, which restrict or punish Special Summons. The Main Deck "Shaddoll" monsters all have Flip Effects that focus on searching and field advantage, as well as secondary effects that focus on regaining advantage whenever they are sent to the Graveyard by a card effect.

Design

Appearance

The "Shaddoll" cards appear to be darker puppet versions of cards from other archetypes (including some from the Duel Terminal world), with their threads coming from the back of "El Shaddoll Construct".

"Shaddoll" card	Original monster/card
El Shaddoll Construct	"Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli"
El Shaddoll Grysta	"Shaddoll Core" taking full form from the head of "Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight"
El Shaddoll Shekhinaga	"El Shaddoll Construct" and "Apoqliphort Towers"
El Shaddoll Wendigo	"Ritual Beast Ulti-Petolphin"
El Shaddoll Winda	"Winda, Priestess of Gusto" and "Pulao, Wind of the Yang Zing"
Ohr-Shaddoll Sephira Roots	"Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight" and "Shaddoll Core" purified and fused together
Jesshaddoll - Sephira Naga	"Evilswarm Kerykeion"
Shaddoll Beast	"Naturia Beast"
Shaddoll Core	Head of "Cairngorgon, Antiluminescent Knight"
Shaddoll Dragon	"Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing"
Shaddoll Falco	"Gusto Falco"
Shaddoll Fusion	"Gem-Knight Fusion"
Shaddoll Hedgehog	"Neo Flamvell Hedgehog"
Shaddoll Hound	Armor of "Satellarknight Sirius"
Shaddoll Squamata	Armor of "Satellaknight Unukalhai"

Etymology

"Shaddoll" is a portmanteau of the words "shadow" and "doll". "El Shaddoll" is a play on "El Shaddai", one of the Judaic names of God.

Story

In the abyss of this world, there is a certain something called the "Shaddoll Core" (The Primordial "Core" of Shadow-Possession) which gives birth to shadows that absorb light, the "Shaddoll". "El Shaddoll Construct" uses these shadow strings to control the manifested shadows, and with this to extend its influence and power...

Playing style

Although the main strategy of the Deck is the Fusion Summon of "El Shaddoll" monsters, the "Shaddoll" monsters themselves are rather disruptive, such as "Shaddoll Dragon", who bounces cards when flipped face-up or "Shaddoll Squamata", who destroys monsters when flipped. In the other hand, they also have effects that activate when they are sent to the Graveyard, such as "Dragon", which destroys one of your opponent's Spell/Trap cards; "Shaddoll Falco" Special Summons itself in face-down Defense Position, while "Shaddoll Hedgehog" searches for a "Shaddoll" monster. These effects give the player advantage and set ups for future plays, while punishing the opponent. Because "Falco" is also a Tuner, the player also can have Synchro Summoning options.

However all "Shaddoll" monsters can only use one of their effects and only once that turn so while the players are advised discretion, they can also plan ahead. Cards like "Sinister Shadow Games" can be very effective since they can send a "Shaddoll" monster from the Deck to the Graveyard and then flip any possible Set "Shaddoll" monsters to use many effects in combination during the opponent's turn.

One can also take profit of their effects by using them as Fusion Material for the ace cards of the Deck: the "El Shaddoll" Fusion monsters. Since using "Shaddoll Fusion" or "El Shaddoll Fusion" involves sending "Shaddoll" monsters to the Graveyard by a card effect, their effects can be activated as soon as one attempts to Fusion Summon them, creating even more advantage. One can also use "Curse of the Shadow Prison" to not only weaken the opponent's monsters but also use their monsters as Fusion Materials.

The aforementioned "El Shaddoll" monsters rely on anti-supporting Special Summons, either by restricting them, negating them, destroying Special Summoned monsters in battle or destroying those ones who dare to activate their effects; also, some of them sends 1 "Shaddoll" card from your hand to the Graveyard at its effect's resolution, which can trigger the effect of the sent monster. Finally, they can recycle the "Shaddoll" Spell/Trap cards as long as they are sent to the Graveyard, so even if they are destroyed during or after their Summoning they can still re-add cards like "Shaddoll Fusion" to set up a Fusion Summon the next turn.

The easiest "El Shaddoll" monster to summon, "El Shaddoll Winda," is perhaps one of the most powerful legal cards in the game. With its immunity to destruction by card effects and continuous effect that restricts both players to one special summon per turn, it effectively leaves Xyz and Synchro-based decks with no way to get over it unless they can banish it, negate its effects, or return it to the extra deck (without Synchro or Xyz Monsters), which very few splashable cards are capable of.

So far, the "El Shaddoll" monsters follow a pattern of requiring "1 "Shaddoll" monster + 1 [corresponding Attribute] monster" as Fusion Materials, and their effects go more aggressive as their Level increase:

"El Shaddoll"	Attribute	Level	Special Summon-related effect
Winda	DARK	5	Allows only 1 Special Summon per turn.
Wendigo	WIND	6	Prevents one of your monsters from being destroyed by battle with an opponent's Special Summoned monster for only one turn.
Grysta	FIRE	7	Negates a Special Summon and destroys the monster.
Construct	LIGHT	8	Destroys a Special Summoned monster at the start of the Damage Step.
Unknown	WATER	9	—
Shekhinaga	EARTH	10	Negates the activation of a Special Summoned monster's effect and destroys that monster.

Due to the requirements for the Fusion Summons, cards like "Shaddoll Core" and "Nephe Shaddoll Fusion", can be used to either substitute any Attribute or to turn a "Shaddoll" monster into one declared Attribute. One can also use cards like "Curse of the Shadow Prison" in order to use opposing monsters to Fusion Summon them.

Recommended cards

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Shaddoll Beast Shaddoll Dragon Shaddoll Falco Shaddoll Hedgehog Shaddoll Hound Shaddoll Squamata Armageddon Knight Black Dragon Collapserpent Caius the Shadow Monarch Dark Armed Dragon The Dark Creator Denko Sekka Eclipse Wyvern Electromagnetic Turtle Glow-Up Bulb Inari Fire Kuribandit Mathematician Necro Gardna Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness Rainbow Kuriboh Sephylon, the Ultimate Timelord Traptrix Dionaea Traptrix Myrmeleo Volcanic Shell White Dragon Wyverburster Spell Cards Shaddoll Fusion El Shaddoll Fusion Nephe Shaddoll Fusion Curse of the Shadow Prison Allure of Darkness Battle Fusion Dark World Dealings Dragged Down into the Grave Foolish Burial Instant Fusion Polymerization Trap Cards Burst Rebirth Shaddoll Core Sinister Shadow Games The First Monarch Extra Deck Fusion Monsters El Shaddoll Shekhinaga El Shaddoll Construct El Shaddoll Grysta El Shaddoll Wendigo El Shaddoll Winda Supreme Arcanite Magician Synchro Monsters Arcanite Magician Goyo Guardian Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree Tempest Magician Vulcan the Divine Star Eater Armades, Keeper of Boundaries Xyz Monsters Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand Downerd Magician Daigusto Emeral Lavalval Chain Evilswarm Exciton Knight

A powerful "Shaddoll" variant employs "Lightsworn" monsters in order to mill large quantities of "Shaddoll" cards per turn, also granting access to "Judgment Dragon" and "Twilight" cards. "The Supremacy Sun" also plays a large role of milling "Shaddoll" monsters, reviving it to both activate effects and have a hard hitting monster at play.

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Shaddoll Beast Shaddoll Dragon Shaddoll Falco Shaddoll Hedgehog Shaddoll Hound Shaddoll Squamata The Supremacy Sun Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner Minerva, Lightsworn Maiden Black Dragon Collapserpent White Dragon Wyverburster Dark Armed Dragon The Dark Creator Denko Sekka Judgment Dragon Kuribandit Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning Chaos Sorcerer Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn Spell Cards Shaddoll Fusion El Shaddoll Fusion Nephe Shaddoll Fusion Curse of the Shadow Prison Allure of Darkness Battle Fusion Dark World Dealings Dragged Down into the Grave Foolish Burial Instant Fusion Polymerization Super Polymerization Solar Recharge Charge of the Light Brigade Trap Cards Shaddoll Core Sinister Shadow Games The First Monarch Breakthrough Skill Vanity's Emptiness Extra Deck Fusion Monsters El Shaddoll Shekhinaga El Shaddoll Construct El Shaddoll Grysta El Shaddoll Wendigo El Shaddoll Winda Supreme Arcanite Magician Synchro Monsters Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn Arcanite Magician Drascension the Supreme Sky Dragon Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree Tempest Magician Vulcan the Divine Star Eater Xyz Monsters Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand Downerd Magician Daigusto Emeral Lavalval Chain Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss

A very interesting "Shaddoll" variant combines "Yang Zing" with the Deck. This supplies a variety of different attributes to the Deck as well as "Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing" which has incredible synergy with the "Shaddolls", who benefit from having their monsters destroyed by card effects. "Shaddoll Fusion" also allows easy sending of "Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing" to the Graveyard. However, many aspects of each Deck will severely inhibit each other, such as "Yang Zing Creation" and "El Shaddoll Winda". Also the ease of Summon of "Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing" allows access to Rank 4 Xyz plays.

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Shaddoll Beast Shaddoll Dragon Shaddoll Falco Shaddoll Hedgehog Shaddoll Hound Shaddoll Squamata Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing Pulao, Wind of the Yang Zing Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing Bi'an, Earth of the Yang Zing Spell Cards Shaddoll Fusion El Shaddoll Fusion Nephe Shaddoll Fusion Curse of the Shadow Prison Supply Squad Hand Destruction Dark World Dealings Foolish Burial Instant Fusion Super Polymerization Trap Cards Synchro Material Shaddoll Core Sinister Shadow Games The First Monarch Extra Deck Fusion Monsters El Shaddoll Shekhinaga El Shaddoll Construct El Shaddoll Grysta El Shaddoll Wendigo El Shaddoll Winda (risky) Supreme Arcanite Magician Synchro Monsters Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing Drascension the Supreme Sky Dragon Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree Scrap Dragon Armades, Keeper of Boundaries Goyo Guardian Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons Xyz Monsters Number 101: Silent Honor ARK Wind-Up Zenmaines Abyss Dweller Daigusto Emeral Lavalval Chain Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss

Weaknesses

Since the Deck basically relies on sending the "Shaddoll" monsters to the Graveyard in order to trigger their effects, or flipping them face-up, cards like "Soul Drain" and "Abyss Dweller" or "Armades, Keeper of Boundaries", "Majesty's Fiend", "Gem-Knight Citrine" can be simple and effective. One can also use cards that banish or return the Fusion Monsters to the extra deck to avoid the retriever effect. Due to cards like "El Shaddoll Winda", cards that can do this without the need to special summon, such as "Compulsory Evacuation Device", "Phoenix Wing Wind Blast," and "Karma Cut," are recommended. The variety of Types and Attributes also makes the Fusion monsters vulnerable to floodgate cards like "Rivalry of Warlords" and "Gozen Match". "Skill Drain" is also a viable solution as it counters the anti-Special Summoning effects of the "El Shaddoll" monsters. This makes certain Decks that can use "Skill Drain" able to effectively bypass the "Shaddoll" Deck's threats. Examples of such Decks include "Qli", "Malefic", "Dark World", "Scrap", "Archfiend", "Yang Zing" and "Zombie". Finally, being that most of the monsters are DARK Attribute, "Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror" and "Stellarknight Constellar Diamond" can stop them from activating their Flip and Graveyard effects.