Subterror

Subterror
"Subterror Fiendess", "Archer", "Defender", "Warrior", and "Speleogeist" in the artwork of "Subterror Final Battle"
Japanese	サブテラー Sabuterā (romanized)
French	Subterreur
German	Unterterror
Italian	Subterrore
Korean	서브테러
Portuguese	Subterror
Spanish	Subterror
Sets Savage Strike TCG The Dark Illusion The Dark Illusion: Special Edition Invasion: Vengeance Raging Tempest Maximum Crisis Circuit Break Battles of Legend: Hero's Revenge OTS Tournament Pack 11 Fists of the Gadgets Structure Deck: Shaddoll Showdown 2020 Tin of Lost Memories OCG Extra Pack 2017 V Jump November 2017 promotional card Structure Deck: Rebirth of Shaddoll Korean Advanced Event Pack 2018 Vol.1 Premium Pack Vol.13
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"Subterror" (サブテラー Sabuterā) is an archetype of EARTH monsters that first appeared in The Dark Illusion. It is one of two formerly TCG-exclusive archetypes that premiered in that set, the other being the "SPYRAL". The archetype includes a sub-archetype called "Subterror Behemoth".

Lore

Main article: Master Duel card storylines § Wicked Dragon of the Hidden City

Design

The high-Leveled "Subterror Behemoth" are comprised of colossal beasts whose names are a reference to subterranean anomalies or types of rock (TCG), or bodies of water in the Mediterranean Sea (OCG). "Subterror Fiendess" is the humanoid form of "Subterror Behemoth Fiendess", and "Subterror Guru" appears to be related to "Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist", as they have similarly-patterned legs and tails.

The OCG name of "Subterror Behemoth" is "Subterror Malice", which is a pun on the Latin genitive singular case for "sea", maris. The OCG epithet of "The Hidden City", 地中界 (Chichūkai, lit. "World in the Middle of the Earth"), is a pun on the Japanese name for the Mediterranean Sea itself, 地中海 (Chichūkai, lit. "Sea in the Middle of the World"). "Mediterranean" originates from the Latin word Mediterraneus, meaning "in the middle of the land", referring to the Mediterranean Sea being completely enclosed by Europe and Africa. However, 地中 can also mean "subterranean" as well, so its possible that "Subterror Malice" was intended as a wordplay on "Sub Terra Maris" ("underground sea").

Members

Main Deck (low Level)

Level	Type	Subterror	Japanese name	Origin
1	Spellcaster	Fiendess	Apparition	Succubus Apparition
2	Beast-Warrior	Defender	Swordsmith​	Defender Swordsmith
3	Fairy	Archer	Archer	Archer
4	Warrior	Warrior	Warrior	Warrior
	Dragon	Guru	Guru	Guru

Subterror Behemoth

Main Deck

Level	Type	Subterror	Japanese name	TCG name origin (subterranean phenomena)	OCG name origin (body of water)
5	Sea Serpent	Stygokraken	Aquadria	Stygofauna Kraken	Adriatic Sea
6	Zombie	Dragossuary‎	Alrabone	Dragon Ossuary	Alboran Sea
7	Reptile	Umastryx	Liguriard	Uromastyx	Ligurian Sea
8	Aqua	Phospheroglacier	Glaioath	Phosphorus Glacier	Ionian Sea
9	Thunder	Voltelluric	Voltinia	Volt Telluric current	Sea of Sardinia
10	Rock	Stalagmo	Gibraltar	Stalagmite	Strait of Gibraltar
11	Fiend	Speleogeist	Alegeist	Speleology Geist	Aegean Sea
12	Pyro	Ultramafus	Balesash	Volcanic ultramafic rocks	Balearic Sea

Extra Deck

Link Rating	Type	Subterror	Origin
2	Wyrm	Fiendess	Apparition

Support

Spell/Trap	Japanese name	Origin
The Hidden City	Shambhala the Underground World	Shambhala Mediterranean Sea

Playing style

"Subterror" is a Flip-focused archetype consisting of high-Level Flip monsters (the "Subterror Behemoth" monsters) with high-power Flip effects, and low-Level monsters that support Flip mechanics. All Main Deck "Subterror Behemoth" monsters share the following effects in addition to their Flip effect:

• When a face-up monster you control is flipped face-down, if you control no face-up monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position.
• Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position.

The combination of these effects means that if the player has multiple "Subterror Behemoth" monsters in their hand, and flips a face-up monster they control face-down so that they control no face-up monsters, they can Special Summon 1 "Subterror Behemoth" monster in their hand and then flip it face-down to summon another one, eventually summoning all of them.

Role	Level	Subterror Behemoth	Flip effect
Consistency	8	Phospheroglacier	Send 1 card from your Deck to the Graveyard.
	10	Stalagmo	Discard 1 "Subterror" monster, and if you do, draw 2 cards.
Defense	6	Dragossuary‎	Activate this effect; this turn, "Subterror" cards you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects.
	11	Speleogeist	Target 1 monster on the field; change it to face-up Attack Position if it is in Defense Position, also change its ATK to 0.
Offense	5	Stygokraken	Target Set cards on the field, equal to the number of "Subterror Behemoth" monsters you control; destroy them.
	7	Umastryx	Target 1 monster your opponent controls; banish it.
	9	Voltelluric	Target 1 Set monster your opponent controls; take control of it until your next End Phase.
	12	Ultramafus	Change all other face-up monsters on the field to face-down Defense Position.

The low-Level "Subterror" monsters, as well as their Spell/Traps, function as support for the "Subterror Behemoth" monsters, providing searching, recovery, and other forms of protection to "Subterror" monsters. The most important member among them is "Subterror Guru", a Flip-based "Subterror" searcher, who also has a (conditionally Quick) effect to flip itself and another monster face-down, instantly setting up the summon requirements of "Subterror Behemoth" monsters. For the other members, the important members are "Subterror Fiendess", an omni-negate handtrap, "Subterror Nemesis Warrior", a situational searcher, and "Subterror Nemesis Archer", a situational removal and monster searcher.

"Subterror" Spell/Trap support round out the deck with more utility. For Spells, the Field Spell "The Hidden City" provides monster searching, extra flip-up, and battle protection; it can be used to search "Guru" and immediately flip it for another search. The Continuous Spell "Subterror Cave Clash" provides GY recovery.

For Traps, "Subterror Behemoth Burrowing" provides protection and a flip-down GY effect, "Subterror Succession" is a (technically generic) reusable trap that can exchange low-Level "Subterror" support monsters for high-Level "Subterror" flip monsters (and vice versa), and "Subterror Final Battle" is a reusable trap with four different effects: flip-up, flip-down, stat boosting, and protection against effect negation.

Recommended cards

Recommended cards

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Subterror Fiendess Subterror Nemesis Archer Subterror Nemesis Defender‎ Subterror Nemesis Warrior Mitsu the Insect Ninja Primineral Kongreat Spirit of the Fall Wind Time Reloader Flip monsters Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary‎ Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus Subterror Behemoth Umastryx‎‎ Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric Subterror Guru Pot of The Forbidden Prediction Princess Coinorma Spell Cards Normal Spells Book of Taiyou Instant Fusion Reinforcement of the Army The Shallow Grave Terraforming Field Spells The Hidden City Continuous Spells Subterror Cave Clash Terrors in the Hidden City Sunset Beat Quick-Play Spells Sol and Luna Book of Moon Book of Lunar Eclipse The Monarchs Stormforth Soul Reversal Trap Cards Normal Traps Subterror Behemoth Burrowing Subterror Final Battle Subterror Succession Back to the Front Floodgate Trap Hole Quaking Mirror Force Setuppercut Sinful Spoils of Slumber - Morrian Metaverse Trap Trick Continuous Traps Junk Sleep World Legacy Pawns Extra Deck Fusion Monsters Invoked Raidjin Master of Ham Thunder Dragon Colossus (if running "Voltelluric") (OCG or Traditional Format only) Xyz Monsters Ghostrick Alucard Gallant Granite Photon Papilloperative Soul of Silvermountain Wind-Up Zenmaister Link Monsters Subterror Behemoth Fiendess Missus Radiant

Guru Control

Guru Control is a variant of the "Subterror" playstyle focusing exclusively on "Subterror Guru", and plays few to no "Subterror Behemoth" monsters. In Guru Control, the only "Subterror" monsters played are "Subterror Guru", "Subterror Fiendess", "Subterror Nemesis Archer", and optionally, "Subterror Behemoth Umastryx".

"Guru" serves as the Deck's central engine card; by searching out "Guru", then repeatedly flipping it in both players' turns with "Subterror" card effects, the Deck can quickly search out its key cards and gain an overwhelming card advantage over a few turns. The primary search targets for "Guru" are "Fiendess" and "Final Battle", who provide omni-negates and wide-range utility respectively. Secondarily, "Nemesis Archer" and "Umastryx" are searchable pieces of removal, and "Cave Clash" is another searchable recursion point.

Typically, Guru Control Decks are supplemented by large amounts of staple traps and floodgates, most prominently "Crackdown" (as "Guru" can flip the taken monster face-down, giving the player full control over the monster once it's flipped face-up again) and "There Can Be Only One" (due to the archetype's multi-type nature).

Official Decklist

Subterror Deck Experience Deck Recipe

Main Deck Monster Cards Effect Monsters Subterror Fiendess x3 Subterror Nemesis Archer x3 Subterror Nemesis Defender x2 Des Lacooda x2 Flip monsters Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo x2 Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier Subterror Behemoth Umastryx x3 Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken Spell Cards The Hidden City x3 Terraforming x2 Murmur of the Forest Subterror Cave Clash One for One Harpie's Feather Duster Twin Twisters Book of Eclipse Monster Reborn Foolish Burial Trap Cards Subterror Final Battle x2 Subterror Behemoth Burrowing Back to the Front Quaking Mirror Force Extra Deck Xyz Monsters Tornado Dragon Link Monsters Subterror Behemoth Fiendess x3 Missus Radiant