Advanced Crystal Beast
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 The seven "Advanced Crystal Beasts" and "Rainbow Dark Dragon" in the artwork of "Advanced Dark" | |||||||||||
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"Advanced Crystal Beast", known as "Advanced Gem Beast" (
History
The "Advanced Crystal Beasts" first appeared in Season 3 of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, which aired in 2007. "Rainbow Dark Dragon" (the theme's boss monster, despite not being a member of the archetype) was released in the OCG in Duelist Edition Volume 2 (2007) and in the TCG in Phantom Darkness (2008). "Advanced Dark" appeared in the video games Tag Force 3, Tag Force 4, Tag Force 5, and Tag Force 6 before its OCG debut. In these games, its effects differed slightly from the later-released OCG card. "Advanced Dark" was released in the OCG in Duelist Edition Volume 2 (2007) and in the TCG in Return of the Duelist (2012). "Advanced Crystal Beasts" debuted in the OCG in Animation Chronicle 2022 (and in the TCG in Battles of Legend: Crystal Revenge) with improved effects from their anime counterparts.
Playing style
The "Advanced Crystal Beast" archetype is mechanically similar to their original "Crystal Beast" counterparts with a few major changes. Monsters of both archetypes share the effect where if they are destroyed while in the Monster Zone, then they can be placed in the Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell. Where the two archetypes differ is in two major ways; the first being the requirement of the Field Spell Card "Advanced Dark" to be on the field or else the "Advanced Crystal Beasts" will be sent to the GY while the second being the "Advanced Crystal Beasts" having upgraded versions of their effects as regular "Crystal Beast" monsters, though limited to supporting their own archetype as opposed to regular "Crystal Beast" monsters.
| Advanced Crystal Beast | Original "Crystal Beast" Effect(s) | "Advanced Crystal Beast" Effect(s) |
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| Ruby Carbuncle | When this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon as many "Crystal Beast" Monster Cards as possible from your Spell & Trap Zones. | If this card is treated as a Continuous Spell: You can Special Summon this card, then you can Special Summon as many "Advanced Crystal Beast" Monster Cards as possible from your Spell & Trap Zone. |
| Amber Mammoth | When another "Crystal Beast" monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can change the attack target to this card. | Once per turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect that targets your "Advanced Crystal Beast" card(s) and/or "Advanced Dark" (Quick Effect): You can negate the activation. Once per turn, when your "Advanced Crystal Beast" monster is targeted for an attack: You can negate the attack. |
| Topaz Tiger | If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 400 ATK during the Damage Step only. | All "Advanced Crystal Beast" monsters you control gain 400 ATK/DEF, also all face-up monsters your opponent controls lose 400 ATK/DEF. |
| Emerald Tortoise | Once per turn: You can target 1 monster you control that attacked this turn; change that target to Defense Position. | Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; change its battle position. |
| Cobalt Eagle | Once per turn: You can target 1 "Crystal Beast" card you control; place that target on top of the Deck. | You can send this card from your hand or field to the GY; add 1 "Advanced Dark" from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can target 1 "Advanced Crystal Beast" card you control; either return it to the hand or place it on the top of the Deck. |
| Sapphire Pegasus | When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your hand, Deck, or GY, face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell. | If this card is Summoned: You can place 1 of your "Advanced Crystal Beast" monsters that is banished, in your hand, Deck, or GY face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell. |
| Amethyst Cat | This card can attack your opponent directly, but when it uses this effect, any battle damage it inflicts to your opponent is halved. | Your "Advanced Crystal Beast" monsters can attack directly, but when they do so using this effect, the battle damage inflicted to your opponent is halved. |
Overall, the playing style of "Advanced Crystal Beasts" is similar to that of their uncorrupted counterparts; fill the board with 7 Crystal Beast monsters in order to make the archetype's boss monster "Rainbow Dragon and its Fusion variants "Rainbow Overdragon" and "Ultimate Crystal Rainbow Dragon Overdrive". "Rainbow Dark Dragon" is also an option to use for an "Ultimate Crystal" monster, but is not as optimal due to the severe cost of banishing 7 DARK monsters with different names from your Graveyard. The primary benefit of this archetype however is, because of the effect of "Advanced Dark", your monsters are treated as "DARK" monsters on the field and in the Graveyard, which combined to the higher consistency of their cards allows for "Advanced Crystal Beasts" to utilize tactics and cards focused on DARK monsters. However, the theme is unable to properly utilize certain cards their uncorrupted counterparts can use to great degree. One such card is the Spell Card "Crystal Abundance", which sends as many cards on the field as possible to the Graveyard for its effect and reborns a number of "Crystal Beast" monsters from your Graveyard up to how many cards were sent from the opponent's field. Because "Crystal Abundance" sends as many cards as possible to the Graveyard, this includes "Advanced Dark" and would result in your reborn "Advanced Crystal Beasts" being sent from the field to the Graveyard once again.
