Harpie Lady Guide-Pretty Birdies(WIP)

[TF2_The_Scout]

One of my personal favorite archetypes in Yu-Gi-Oh!, Harpie Lady is a stable archetype of WIND Winged Beast monsters that excel at rank 4 and 7 Xyz plays. Budget friendly and having insane consistency makes this archetype excellent for new players, but in the hands of an expert, this archetype can be extremely lethal.

Play Style

Harpie Lady is a rank 4 and rank 7 engine comprised of WIND Winged Beast monsters. The deck is able to do this mainly by swarming the field in droves from the deck and the graveyard. In addition, the archetype excels at searching due to cards such as Hysteric Sign and Harpie Harpist. The archetype also features an OTK utilizing the rank 4 monster Harpie’s Pet Phantasmal Dragon that offers targeting protection from effects and attacks to all Harpies on the field as well as being able to attack directly. Other rank 4 options include Evilswarm Ouroboros , Lightning Chidori, and Ice Beast Zerofyne. In addition to ranks 4 monsters, Harpies can easily make rank 7 monsters as well thanks to Harpie’s Pet Dragon, which you can conveniently summon from your deck. Along with that, Harpies are able to clear out your opponent's Spell and Trap card lineup due to Harpie's Hunting Grounds, which can kill off pesky pendulum scales that ruin your fun.

However, with all of this, the archetype does have its fair share of weaknesses. Since Harpies like to swarm, cards such as Torrential Tribute and Bottomless Trap Hole instantly become problematic, as well as other cards with similar effects. In addition, since you are mostly going to be using your graveyard for setup, cards like Macro Cosmos, Dimensional Fissure, and Masked HERO Dark Law become major issues for your deck. Speaking of Dark Law, that card will be the bane of your existence due to your deck’s playstyle, always searching and always needing the graveyard. Mistake and Droll & Lock Bird become issues due to preventing searching. Luckily, Macro Cosmos, Dimensional Fissure, and Mistake are easy to counter due to Harpie’s Hunting Ground destroying them and Dark Law is simple to get around with cards such as Castel and, if you are desperate enough, Utopia the Lightning.

Deck Contents

[spoiler=archetype specific]

OG Harpie Lady

The simplest of all the monsters, OG Harpie Lady actually does have some usage in the deck. Due to being normal, she instantly becomes a target for Rescue Rabbit and Unexpected Dai. In addition, she is still a level 4 WIND Winged Beast “Harpie” monster, so she still gets all the benefits the other Harpies have. However, the one thing she does not have going for her is an effect, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Being a target for Rescue Rabbit allows for an instant rank 4 play, which the other Harpies do not have the luxury of. No drawbacks and no perks.

Run: 2-3

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Harpie Lady 1

Unlike OG Harpie Lady, the rest of the archetype does not have access to Rescue Rabbit rank 4 engine, but she still has a use, and probably a better use than OG Harpie Lady. While she has equal ATK with the vanilla Harpie Lady, she has a continuous effect that boosts the ATK of all WIND monsters you control, including herself, by 300. Altogether, that is a bonus 900 ATK on all of your WIND monsters. She also counts as the original Harpie Lady, so she is also summonable by Elegant Egotist from your deck. In the event that you have 3 out at the same time, cards like Harpie’s Pet Phantasmal Dragon becomes a great 2900 ATK monster that can attack directly.

Run: 2-3

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Harpie Lady 2

A medicore card in Harpies, Harpie Lady 2 does not have a lot of usefulness since she is only really useful against certain decks such as Ghostricks and, for a more relevant deck, Shaddoll. Negating flip effects is not very powerful in the meta as of now so I cannot recommend this card for anything.

Run: 0

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Harpie Lady 3

With monsters able to leave the field then return just as quickly, this card’s attack prevention has no actual use as of now. Like with Harpie Lady 2, this Harpie is medicore at best.

Run: 0

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Cyber Harpie Lady

Like with OG Harpie Lady and with Harpie Lady 1, this card has a bit of usage to it. Being also a “Cyber” card gives access to Cyber support, whatever you can do with that(Can anything be done with that?), but being an 1800 beater makes it slightly better than Harpie Lady 1 and OG Harpie Lady, but unlike the original, it does not have access to Rescue Rabbit and Unexpected Dai.

Run: 2-3

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IMPORTANT: OG Harpie Lady, Harpie Lady 1, Harpie Lady 2, Harpie Lady 3, and Cyber Harpie Lady all count as the same Harpie Lady in all locations, so you can only run 3 of a combination of all five of them.

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Harpie Girl

Do not even bother. Harpie Girl has almost nothing to offer except for maybe a rank 2 play.

Run: 0

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Harpie Lady Sisters

Outside of being a beater, Harpie Lady Sisters is not a good card. The card has to be summoned with Elegant Egotist first, so it instantly becomes incredibly slow and there is no real reason to run this card since the rank 6 pool is so weak.

Run: 0

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Harpie’s Brother

This card actually is not a Harpie card at all. The actual name of this card is “Sky Scout.” Since this card is not a Harpie Lady, it is cut off from almost all of the Harpie Lady support.

Run: 0

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Harpie’s Pet Dragon

The ATK and DEF gain is not a good reason to run this card, though it is a perk. The real part of this card that makes it great is that it is level 7 and is summonable off of Harpie Channeler and Channeler becomes level 7 herself while this card is on the field. Because of this, Harpies are capable of rank 4 and rank 7 plays. However, opening with this card sucks, so it has the potential to become cloggy and only serve as discard fodder, so you can run Harpies without this if you want.

Run: 0-2

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Harpie’s Pet Baby Dragon

A semi-beneficial card to Harpies, I cannot actually recommend this card. Since it counts itself for its own effect, you only have to control 2 other Harpie monsters to get all three effects, however since you are most likely going to use it to make rank 4 monsters, its effects become redundant.

Run: 0

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Harpie Channeler

Probably the most useful card in the archetype, Harpie Channeler is an absolute god send for the deck. Being able to summon your Harpies from your deck instantly gives you probably the quickest rank 4 play outside of Rescue Rabbit. Not only that, but she can also make rank 7s with the help of Harpie’s Pet Dragon.

Run: 3

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Harpie Dancer

Also a great card for Harpies, Harpie Dancer enables some pretty quick swarm power with a double Normal Summon effect and can allow for multiple Spell/Trap card pops with Hunting Grounds. In addition, you can get those hard to make Xyzs that require more than 2 materials with Divine Winds of Mist Valley.

Run: 3

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Harpie Queen

Harpie Queen allows you to search your field spell from the deck while also putting Harpies in the Graveyard to summon off of Hysteric Party. Harpie Queen is a decent card in the archetype, and she can also serve as discard fodder for other cards.

Run: 3

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Harpie Harpist

The most recent and newest member of the archetype, Harpie Harpist is a welcomed addition to the classic archetype. The first effect combos well with Divine Winds of Mist Valley, but the second effect is what you really need. In combo with Hysteric Sign and possibly Kuribanit, this card can result in a plus 5 for your next turn.

Run: 3

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Elegant Egotist

Another important card in Harpie, this card can only summon OG Harpie Lady and her clones from your deck since they are the only ones that count as Harpie Lady in your deck. Though, summoning from your deck makes this card extremely useful and can result in a 3-material Xyz play or possibly 2 2-material Xyz plays. Since Hysteric Sign can search this card from your deck and graveyard and since you only have 1 target for it, this card is best at 1.

Run: 1

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Triangle Ecstasy Spark

This card only works on Harpie Lady Sisters and since you will not be running it, this card automatically becomes useless. 2700 ATK(2900 with Harpie’s Hunting Ground) is impressive, however most boss monsters will have at least 3000 ATK, this probably is not going to power over the high tier decks, and trap negation is not really needed since you probably will have already destroyed them with Hunting Grounds.

Run: 0

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Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation

While in the late game this card can result in victory, but in the long run this card is not very useful. While it can clear the field and can inflict burn damage, what you give up to use it (Summoning) just is not worth it.

Run: 0

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Harpie’s Feather Duster

This card is banned.

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Harpie’s Hunting Ground

One of the most crucial cards in the archetype, this card can clear out your opponent’s backrow, thus leaving it clear for you to actually conduct your turn without the fear of those pesky Solemn cards or other problematic cards, even bluffs. Also, you can hit your opponent’s pendulum scales reliably. In addition, it gives a small ATK buff to your Harpies. However, this card’s destruction effect is mandatory on summon, so if your opponent does not have anything for you to destroy, you are better off destroying it.

Run: 3

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Hysteric Sign

The great searcher of the archetype, this card offers huge advantage to Harpies. Being able to search out any 3 Harpie cards you like provides huge momentum for you, and in combo with Kuribandit and Harpist, this card can easily go to +5, or you can add Elegant Egotist to hand. Whichever you need more at the moment.

Run: 2-3

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Cyber Shield

Equip spell and not a Harpie card. Do not run.

Run: 0

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Hysteric Party

Once again a useful card for the Harpies, this enables huge swarm power for you to make an insane amount of rank 4s or just a lot of beaters if you are clear.

Run: 2-3

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Harpie's Feather Storm

Oh, why hello there Cold Wave on monsters that is searchable. Wait, it is also can be activated from hand if you control a Harpie monster? Why would you not run this? It is everything you need tied up in a nice little bow. If you are playing in the OCG, you also get to add Harpie's Feather Duster to hand.

Run: 3

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Harpie’s Pet Phantasmal Dragon

Not much to say about this card except it is a welcomed addition to the Harpie(and also any other WIND deck) deck. This card can attack directly and protects itself and others from targeting removal. What else is there to say but run it?

Run: 1

[spoiler=Non-Archetype Specific]

Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite

An incredibly useful card for rank 4 plays, Zephyros is a revivable monster that combos well with Divine Winds of Mist Valley to generate more rank 4 plays. It can also return dead Hysteric Signs and Hysteric Parties so you can reuse them later. However, due to being limited to once per duel, it loses a big amount of versatility.

Run: 1

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Kuribandit

A card I have just recently been trying out, Kuribandit offers a good bit to Harpies. Sending 4 cards to the graveyard to get 1 spell/trap to hand may seem like an uneven trade, but it actually is not. Harpies do not mind going to the graveyard because they have options to swarm from the graveyard with ease, so you are not giving up much to get that spell/trap card. However, if you send 5 monsters to the graveyard, you still did not lose much because of that swarm power thanks to Hysteric Party and Soul Charge if you have it. In addition, in combo with Harpie Harpist and Hysteric Sign, this easily becomes a plus 5, giving you plenty of ammunition for your next turn, that is if you do not deck yourself out first.

Run: 2

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Rescue Rabbit

This card should only be ran if you are running normal Harpie Lady. If you are, throw this thing right in for rank 4 plays since it can summon 2 of them from your deck.

Run: 1, but only with the vanilla Harpie Ladies

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Summoner Monk

When Harpie Channeler just is not enough, Summoner Monk steps in to give you more speed. With this, you can make some great rank 4 plays and, if you discard Hysteric Sign for it, free searches. Summoner Monk into Summoner Monk into Harpie Channeler into Harpie Harpist. With this, you can make 2 rank 4 monsters and most likely get the search off with Harpist and Hysteric Sign.

Run: 1-2

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Birdface

This card can search out your Harpies if it is destroyed by battle, but that is the issue. Who uses their battle phase outside of direct attacks anymore? The only way you could possibly hope to get this effect off is by suicide, and even then good luck.

Run: 0

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Instant Fusion

While Harpies are not a fusion archetype, Instant Fusion is practically teched in every archetype now since Elder Entity Norden came out in the TCG. Because of this, Instant Fusion is ran in pairs, one for Norden and one for discard fodder.

Run: 2-3

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Symbol of Heritage

Ironically, the equip spell meant to help Harpies actually offers very little usage to them, but this card more than makes up for that. Being essentially Premature Burial with a condition, this card can allow for you to make instant rank 4 plays without the need of Norden. Also, without a hard OPT, you are free to do it as many times as you like.

Run: 1

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Swallow’s Nest

Emergency Teleport for Winged Beasts, sort of. Unlike the always exploitable Emergency Teleport, Swallow’s Nest does the same thing, but instead of banishing the monster it summons, you just have to tribute a monster. This is pretty useful since you will pretty much always need to get Channeler to the field to get your plays going, so having this ready is great.

Run: 2

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Soul Charge

A faster version of Hysteric Party in case Hysteric Party gets destroyed or removed some other way, Soul Charge is a good card, though not being able to attack kind of sucks and you give up at maximum 5000 LP to use it, so choose your investment wisely.

Run: 1

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Divine Wind of Mist Valley

A pretty useful card for any WIND deck, Divine Wind of Mist Valley allows for quite a few rank 4 plays thanks to Harpie Dancer returning to hand and Zephyros returning monsters to hand to be summoned from the graveyard.

Run: 1

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Icarus Attack

Probably one of the best generic Winged Beast support cards, Icarus Attack can potentially stop your opponent deck in their tracks by destroying 2 cards and you only lose 1. Against decks that need certain cards just to function properly, this card is a complete nightmare, and against most pendulum decks is quite annoying.

Run: 2

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Every graveyard-triggering card's best friend, Magical Hats can fish Hysteric Sign out of your deck to get the searches off as soon as possible, as well as maybe protect one of your monsters if you need to. In addition, you can use cards such as Skill Prisoner and Breakthrough Skill for extra effect negation.

Run: 2-3

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Breakthrough Skill

This card has some decent interaction with Magical Hats because its effect can be activated in the graveyard. A bigger benefit is that a lot of the time, your opponent will end up forgetting that you have this in your graveyard at all.

Run: 2

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Elder Entity Norden

Along with Instant Fusion, this card can give you plenty of advantage by being an instant rank 4 play for a really cheap price. In addition, if the monster summoned by its effect happens to be Harpist, you still get the search effect and using Zephyros the Elite you can keep the monster summoned off of Norden and save it for later and letting Zephyros be the other material for Norden.

Run: 1

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Mavelus

In addition to Norden, Mavelus can provide use to Harpies with its WIND/Winged Beast typing, which allows it to make the same Xyzs Hrpies make on their own. Though, it also takes up space in the extra deck that could be used for better Xyzs.

Run: 0-1

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Abyss Dweller

A common rank 4 tech, Abyss Dweller can put in some work against decks that rely on their graveyard with its quick effect that negates activations in the graveyard, so instantly screws over decks like Kozmo, Burning Abyss, and Shaddoll with ease for a couple of turns, which could end up screwing them over even more in the long run. However, against everything else, Abyss Dweller will not be as useful.

Run: 1

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Daigusto Emeral

With all the graveyard dumping you will most likely be doing with Harpies, you may want to be able to replenish much needed resources, so give Daigusto Emeral a shot. In addition to being able to replenish your deck, you also get a nice draw for doing so, and last time I checked, that is a good thing. It can also put extra deck monsters back into the extra deck to be reused.

Run: 1

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Ice Beast Zerofyne

A mini Cold Wave that can stop your opponent for a turn and can easily get over cards that are giving you problems. However, since the effect only applies to cards that are on the field when Zerofyne activates and resolves its effect, do not be surprised when your opponent then bounces back from it.

Run: 1

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Lightning Chidori

An annoying card for sure, Lightning Chidori can be the bane of a deck’s existence if it is allowed to be. Being able to get rid of face-down cards without destroying them is one thing, but screwing your opponent out of a draw by putting a card on the field on top of their deck? That is something else.

Run: 1-2

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Utopia the Lightning

This is probably the most seen card now in any extra deck. Sure, you may not have any level 5 LIGHT monsters, but Harpies can still easily make this card. Its effect that prevents your opponent from using effects until the end of the damage step tramples over most of the high tier decks but the effect where its ATK becomes 5000 makes it n incredible out to everything. In fact, I am pretty sure that the only thing that can out a Utopia the Lightning is another Utopia the Lightning. In order to make this card, simply Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia then rank up into this with its built-in rank up effect.

Run: 1

In addition: Run 1 Number 39: Utopia to actually summon this thing.

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Castel

Castel is a pretty decent card. Shuffling cards into the deck is probably one of the most potent means of removal. Also, the Book of Moon-esque effect makes quick work of monsters that you cannot get over with conventional means.

Run: 1

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Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon

A pretty decent generic rank 7, it unfortunately will have no use for its detach effect due to not having any Red-Eyes monsters in the graveyard, but that is okay because of the other two effects. One of them makes your opponent have to pay 500 life points just to activate effects and the other being destruction protection, however it is still susceptible non-destruction removal, so do not rely too heavily on that.

Run: 1

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Number 11: Big Eye

Losing your monsters is annoying, but losing them to this? That is just evil. This card can steal your opponent’s strongest monsters from them permanently and you are allowed to screw them over with it. However, be sure that when you steal the monster, you have additional uses for it outside of being a beatstick, because that takes up space on your side of the field that could be used for more important things.

Run: 1

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Master of Blades

Probably one of the better rank 7s, Master of Blades provides great targeting protection(for itself, that is) as well as can clear your opponent’s field with non-targeting removal. However, it is still vulnerable to non-targeting removal, but it’s semi-targeting protection and removal effect well justify running this card.

Run: 1

 

[spoiler=builds]

[spoiler=Pure]

This is a generic build for Harpies utilizing Kuribandit and Harpie's Pet Dragon.

 

 

[spoiler=Speedroid Harpie]

Utilizing Speedroids, Harpies gain access to not only a synchro engine, but a rank 3 engine as well. The Speedroids are WIND and can be easily summoned in Harpies due to either requiring that you control no monsters or WIND monsters, and Harpies have an abundance of those. In addition, because of how quickly Harpies can swarm, level 9 and higher synchro summons are more than plausibleusing Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice.

 

[shadowsapex]

Okay, I have some suggestions to make about the ratios, just personal opinion stuff.

Harpie Lady: Not Painful Decision, Unexpected Dai. You don't need this in your hand, you need it on the field.

Harpie's Pet Dragon: 0-2. The deck can be run without the Rk7 aspect, as just a Rk4 deck. Some people actually prefer it that way, since the dragons might clog.

Dancer: 2-3. The card doesn't actually do anything on its own, and loses a lot of value if you're not running Divine Wind. I don't even find myself using it much.

Hysteric Sign: 3. It's really good, you want to see it as often as possible.

Hysteric Party: 2-3. I personally run it at 3, but I know it can clog if you don't have your graveyard set up. And there's only so many you need.

Phantasmal Dragon: 0-1. It's a large investment, and its protection isn't exactly gamebreaking, so you don't actually need to run it at all. And why would you need two?

Zephyros: 0-1. Now running this card at 2 is just bad. If you have Foolish Burial, you should only need the one.

Kuribandit: 0-2. It's an optional tech.

Instant Fusion: 2-3. It's not that bad to run 3 of this, except for the danger of opening multiples. Drawing dead copies after using Norden never seems to be a problem for me.

Chidori: 1-2. It's good, and you have plenty of room in the extra.

Speaking of the Extra, since you seem to be listing staples there, add Utopia the Lightning.

 

Also... DUDE, HARPIE'S FEATHER STORM. It is the support to end all supports. Like, have you seen the thing? Automatic 3-of.

And some other techs I've heard of, which you might want to mention: Magical Hats, Symbol of Heritage, Ties of the Brethren, Traptrix Rafflesia.

[TF2_The_Scout]

Okay, I have some suggestions to make about the ratios, just personal opinion stuff.

Harpie Lady: Not Painful Decision, Unexpected Dai. You don't need this in your hand, you need it on the field.

Harpie's Pet Dragon: 0-2. The deck can be run without the Rk7 aspect, as just a Rk4 deck. Some people actually prefer it that way, since the dragons might clog.

Dancer: 2-3. The card doesn't actually do anything on its own, and loses a lot of value if you're not running Divine Wind. I don't even find myself using it much.

Hysteric Sign: 3. It's really good, you want to see it as often as possible.

Hysteric Party: 2-3. I personally run it at 3, but I know it can clog if you don't have your graveyard set up. And there's only so many you need.

Phantasmal Dragon: 0-1. It's a large investment, and its protection isn't exactly gamebreaking, so you don't actually need to run it at all. And why would you need two?

Zephyros: 0-1. Now running this card at 2 is just bad. If you have Foolish Burial, you should only need the one.

Kuribandit: 0-2. It's an optional tech.

Instant Fusion: 2-3. It's not that bad to run 3 of this, except for the danger of opening multiples. Drawing dead copies after using Norden never seems to be a problem for me.

Chidori: 1-2. It's good, and you have plenty of room in the extra.

Speaking of the Extra, since you seem to be listing staples there, add Utopia the Lightning.

 

Also... DUDE, HARPIE'S FEATHER STORM. It is the support to end all supports. Like, have you seen the thing? Automatic 3-of.

And some other techs I've heard of, which you might want to mention: Magical Hats, Symbol of Heritage, Ties of the Brethren, Traptrix Rafflesia.

Wait, Harpies got a new support card? I was sleeping, okay?

[Darj]

By the way, you mention they can make Ophion as a Rank4 option in the introduction of the OP, but they actually cannot.

I too think 3 Instant Fusion can work too; even when drawing multiples, you can use them as discard fodder anyway. However, you may have to add a Level4 Fusion in addition to Norden to make better use of it. Maybe Mavelus for its WIND/Winged Beast typing? Also Emeral can put Norden back into the Extra Deck to be Instant Fused again.

[TF2_The_Scout]

By the way, you mention they can make Ophion as a Rank4 option in the introduction of the OP, but they actually cannot.

I too think 3 Instant Fusion can work too; even when drawing multiples, you can use them as discard fodder anyway. However, you may have to add a Level4 Fusion in addition to Norden to make better use of it. Maybe Mavelus for its WIND/Winged Beast typing? Also Emeral can put Norden back into the Extra Deck to be Instant Fused again.

Sorry. I meant ouroboros.

[TF2_The_Scout]

Alright, I've added a couple of builds to the guide as well as Mavelous and Birdface(not sure whether Birdface counts as archetype specific or non-archetype specific). Right now, I'm working on a Wind Witch build to add to the mix.