Graydle
"Graydle" (グレイドル Gureidoru) is an archetype of WATER Aqua monsters debuting in Dimension of Chaos.
Contents
Design[edit]
Appearance[edit]
The artworks of "Graydle Impact" and "Graydle Parasite" suggest that the original monsters are liquid metallic alien slime creatures that arrived on Earth and parasitically possess other creatures. Furthermore, it seems that they can mold themselves, such as splitting in two as shown in "Graydle Split" or merging together to form chimera-like monsters, such as the Synchro Monster "Graydle Dragon". The color scheme of the possessed creatures is based in the three main types of cards: Monster ("Graydle Eagle"), Trap ("Graydle Cobra") and Spell ("Graydle Alligator"). Furthermore, all of the Main Deck monsters' ATK and DEF sums 2000, so far.
Etymology[edit]
"Graydle" appears to be a portmanteau of the words "Gray" and "Cradle". "Gray" or "Grays" is a term that is used to refer to a stereotypical small grey alien men. The Italian name, "Reticulliano", may come from the star Zeta Reticuli instead (a popular star among ufologists due to the Barney and Betty Hill case, in which a couple claims to have been abducted by greys coming from that system) and "culla" (Italian for "cradle").
Playing style[edit]
Fitting the archetype's "parasite" theme, the "possessed" "Graydle" monsters consist of equipping themselves to opponent monsters when destroyed by battle or by specific effects and taking control of them. The support cards so far either aid on using those effects, such as "Graydle Parasite" and "Graydle Impact", or help swarming "Graydle" monsters, such as "Graydle Split". Other combos include Special Summoning "Graydle Cobra" with "Call of the Haunted" and using "Magic Planter" to draw 2 and then take control of an opponent's monster, then using "Release Restraint Wave" to destroy all of your opponent's Set Spells and Traps. Their boss monster, "Graydle Dragon" destroys cards your opponent controls up to the number of WATER monsters used for its Synchro Summon; also, if it ends up being destroyed, you can revive another "Graydle" monster to either take control of an opponent's monster or to use it to Special Summon "Graydle Slime" and Synchro Summon another "Graydle Dragon".
Recommended cards[edit]
Recommended cards
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Weaknesses[edit]
- Since "Graydle" monsters rely on being destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, in order to activate their effects and equip themselves to the opponent's targeted monsters to take control of them:
- "Remove Brainwashing" is very effective against this Deck, preventing the player's monsters from being stolen.
- Their effects can be easily prevented by banishing them, with card effects such as "Banisher of the Radiance", "Different Dimension Ground", and "Dimensional Fissure".
- "The Emperor's Holiday" can negate their effects while they're Equip Cards, therefore taking away their main advantage of taking control, while also preventing the equipped monsters from being destroyed once the "Graydle" Equip Card leaves the field.
- The effects of the generic Rank 4 "Abyss Dweller" and the generic Level 5 Synchro Monster "Armades, Keeper of Boundaries" can prevent their effects from activating in the Graveyard (the latter only while it battles).
- The effects of the "Graydle" monsters target, so they can be thwarted by monsters whose effects prevent them from being targeted by monster effects, such as:
- The generic Fusion Monsters "Mudragon of the Swamp" and "Invoked Cocytus" (the latter requiring the generic "Aleister the Invoker" and a WATER monster - which "Invocation" can easily use "Graydle" monsters for).
- The generic Synchro Monsters "Archfiend's Call" (Level 6), "Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree" (Level 10), and "Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing" (Level 7). "Geomathmech Final Sigma" (Level 12) can also work, since it is unaffected by card effects.
- The generic Xyz Monsters "Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir" (Rank 4) and "Number 97: Draglubion" (Rank 8).
- The generic Link Monsters "Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos" (Link-3, requiring 3 different monsters which includes a Level 7+ monster) and "Borreload Dragon" (Link-4, requiring 4 Effect Monsters).
- While the main 3 "Graydle" monsters activate their monster-stealing effects when destroyed by battle, they can also activate when destroyed by a certain card type (Monster, Spell, or Trap). Therefore, those effects can be avoided by destroying the "Graydle" monsters with an appropriate type of card effect.
- Since "Graydle" monsters rely on becoming Equip Cards to take control of the opponent's monsters, as well as relying on their dedicated Spells/Traps to accelerate their plays, their strategy can be drastically slowed with Spell/Trap removal. However, destroying the "Graydle" Equip Cards will also destroy their equipped monsters, so caution should be taken.
- Since all Main Deck "Graydle" monsters have low ATK and DEF, with none of them exceeding 1500 ATK ("Graydle Eagle") or 2000 DEF ("Graydle Slime" and "Graydle Slime Jr."):
- The Deck can suffer from low LP as a result of "Graydle" monsters attacking into their opponent's monsters, in order to be destroyed and take control of them.
- With their low ATK values, the effect of "King Tiger Wanghu" can work well against "Graydle" monsters, with the exception of "Graydle Eagle".
- Their effects can easily be thwarted by placing monsters in Defense Position, preventing the "Graydle" monsters from attacking them to destroy themselves by battle. However, caution should be taken, as it is also possible for the "Graydle" player to trigger their monsters' effects by destroying them with certain card effects.
Trivia[edit]
- This archetype may be based of John Carpenter's 1982 film, The Thing.
- This archetype has similarities to the earlier "Alien" archetype; the members of both archetypes are extraterrestrial monsters whose strategies revolve around manipulating the opponent's monsters (although "Alien" Decks do so via "A-Counters", whereas "Graydle" Decks use their own monsters' effects instead).