Gladiator Beast Support (2/2)

[Raiden Reborn]

Hello Reader, this thread will be used to explain and discuss my new custom support cards, for the well-loved Gladiator Beast (GB) archetype. (You can read about my previous GB custom support cards here.)

As before, the goal of my new custom support cards is to strengthen GBs as a whole and make them competitively viable in modern Yu-Gi-Oh! moreover; I want to try and make the Battle Phase meaningful again as per GBs’ inherent design.

This is my continuation of building upon the solid foundation Konami laid, in the wave of support GBs received in the Core Booster called “Chaos Impact” in 2019, which at the time of writing, is the most recent wave of support GBs have received.


Gladiator Beast Crixus
EARTH | Level 6 | Dinosaur / Effect | ATK/1600 DEF/2200

If a "Gladiator Beast" monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can only use this effect of "Gladiator Beast Crixus" once per turn. If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster: You can place 1 "Gladiator" Continuous Trap from your Deck face-up on your field. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card battled: You can shuffle this card into the Deck; Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Crixus".

Explanation of Gladiator Beast Crixus:

Quote

Crixus is a Dinosaur type monster which improves the playability of the excellent extender Gladiator Beast’s Comeback, due to the increased range of GB monster types. (The majority of GB monsters are Beast, Beast-Warrior and Winged Beast.) Furthermore, Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor is the Fusion playmaker for GBs, and it requires two level 5 or higher GBs in order to be summoned; Crixus being level 6, grows the pool of worthwhile GBs that fall into this category. As a bonus, Crixus can be searched via generic search-cards like Fossil Dig.

I designed the first effect of Crixus to bolster the archetype’s resilience against common forms of monster destruction (battle and card effect). Now when a GB monster(s) the player controls is destroyed, they can at least restore some field presence by Special Summoning Crixus, and it can be used both offensively and defensively. As such, this effect has a “Hard Once Per Turn” (HOPT) clause for balance reasons.

The first effect of Crixus results in it being Special Summoned by the effect of a GB monster – akin to Gladiator Beast Noxious and Gladiator Beast Vespasius – which is perfect because it naturally triggers Crixus’ second effect: the placing of a “Gladiator” Continuous Trap from your Deck face-up, on your field.  At the time of writing, the only “Gladiator” Continuous Trap available to GBs is Gladiator Naumachia and therefore, I designed Crixus around this card specifically. (I also future-proofed Crixus’ second effect in the event Konami were to release a new “Gladiator” Continuous Trap(s) in the future.)

I think Gladiator Naumachia is an underrated card which does a good job of trying to make the Battle Phase relevant in today’s game. The main problems I have with this card are:

 1) GBs cannot search for it (or any “Gladiator” card for that matter). 

2) It is a Trap which makes it inherently slow to set-up and use.

Crixus’ second effect fixes these problems and because it makes Gladiator Naumachia instantly active: the card’s full potential is unlocked while allowing the player to make creative plays, both offensively and defensively. For example, Gladiator Naumachia’s ATK boosting effect can be used on Crixus to make its ATK become 3800; a formidable value, which can make Crixus overcome many monsters in battle.

The third effect of Crixus is the signature battle and tag-out effect inherent to all GB monsters except, Andal, Essedarii, Octavius, Secutor, Torax and Tygerius. This effect is also enhanced thanks to Crixus’ second effect, which essentially guarantees a successful battle and tag-out versus an opponent’s monster via Gladiator Naumachia.

I consider Crixus a successor to Gladiator Beast Spartacus, and it would bring an impressive level of resilience to GBs, while also making Gladiator Naumachia a worthwhile card for all GB decks.

Please watch the video near the end of this post for combo demonstrations and duels, featuring Gladiator Beast Crixus.
 

Picture of Gladiator Beast Crixus:

Quote

Trivia of Gladiator Beast Crixus:

Quote

Crixus was a Gallic gladiator who along with Spartacus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Born in Gaul, he was enslaved by the Romans under unknown circumstances and trained as a gladiator in Capua. His name means "one with curly hair" in Gaulish.

Credit for Gladiator Beast Crixus’ art:

Quote

"Lizard Warrior" by Fran Hao Shuang

 

Gladiator Beast Gallus
DARK | Level 7 | Dinosaur / Fusion / Effect | ATK/2500 DEF/1600

"Gladiator Beast Crixus" + 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster
Must first be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by shuffling the above cards you control into the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) After damage calculation, if this card battled an opponent's monster: You can banish that opponent's monster. If this card is sent to the GY: You can target 1 "Gladiator" card in your GY; add it to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Gladiator Beast Gallus" once per turn. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card battled: You can return this card to the Extra Deck; Special Summon 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Crixus".

Explanation of Gladiator Beast Gallus:

Quote

As with Gladiator Beast Crixus, Gallus is a Dinosaur type monster which brings the same type-benefit as before. Moreover, Gallus being Level 7 improves the consistency of summoning Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor as previously explained with Crixus, but with the added benefit of improving the versatility of Gladiator Beast Andabata.

Following GB tradition, you do not summon Gallus with Polymerization or any other Fusion Spell Card – you can simply Special Summon it from your Extra Deck by shuffling its Fusion Materials from your field back into your Deck. Gallus requires Gladiator Beast Crixus plus any other GB monster in order to be summoned – akin to Gladiator Beast Gyzarus – and I opted for this requirement because I felt Gallus would be overpowered if instead, it only required any 2 GB monsters such as Gladiator Beast Essedarii.

An advantage of Gallus requiring Gladiator Beast Crixus as Fusion Material is the improved scope of Fusion Deployment when used in a GB deck. Now, such a player will have a choice from a pool of up to 5 GBs to Special Summon from their hand or Deck instead of just 4. (Augustus [Andabata], Bestiari [Gyzarus], Crixus [Gallus], Laquari [Heraklinos] and Vespasius [Domitianus].) In addition, Crixus being level 6 increases the pool of Level 5+ GBs that can be summoned from the Deck via Fusion Deployment, and when paired with Gladiator Rejection, improves the consistency of summoning Tamer Editor via this two-card combo.
   
One of my design goals is to make the Battle Phase more important: Gallus’ first effect demonstrates its prowess in the Battle Phase. This powerful effect improves GBs’ adaptability by offering an inherent way to deal with problematic monsters, such as monsters that cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, by banishing such monsters after damage calculation. Furthermore, this effect can even be used defensively in the form of a formidable “Battle-Phase-Lock”, when both Gallus and Gladiator Beast Domitianus are on your side of the field (bonus points if you also have an active Gladiator Naumachia, which can be used to boost Gallus’ ATK to 4100).

I designed Gallus’ second effect to achieve the following two things:

1) To expand and enhance GBs’ recoverability. When Gallus is sent to the GY, the player will be able to add any card with “Gladiator” in its name from their GY to their hand. This is a substantial upgrade from Gladiator Beast Equeste because unlike Equeste - which is limited to recovering only “Gladiator Beast” cards - Gallus can recover both “Gladiator Beast” and “Gladiator” cards such as Gladiator Beast’s Comeback and Gladiator Rejection; a first for the archetype. As a result, I made this effect have a HOPT clause for balance reasons.

2) To improve the signature effect of Gladiator Beast Attorix; specifically: “If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster: You can send 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck or Extra Deck to the GY, except "Gladiator Beast Attorix"; until the End Phase, this card's Level and name become the same as that monster sent to the GY.” (Emphasis mine.) Gallus becomes the optimal GB to send from the player’s Extra Deck as cost, to activate this effect of Attorix. This is because Gallus is Level 7 which is ideal for Attorix to copy because it is part of a bread-and-butter combo to quickly summon Tamer Editor (e.g., Gladiator Beast Augustus’ effect to summon Attorix from your hand -> Attorix effect = 2 Level 5+ GBs on field). Moreover, this effect of Attorix in turn triggers the second effect of Gallus; an excellent “two for one”, if you will.

Continuing GB tradition, the third effect of Gallus is the signature battle and tag-out effect inherent to most GB monsters. Akin to Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, I opted for Gallus to be able to tag-out for any two GB monsters except Gladiator Beast Crixus, not only for balance reasons but, to once again demonstrate my goal of making the Battle Phase important by rewarding the player for engaging in the Battle Phase.

I consider Gallus a successor to Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz. Gallus would be an excellent addition to the GB toolbox and a definitive staple in the Extra Deck lineup. As shown with the introduction of Gladiator Beast Domitianus, Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor receives another ‘passive’ upgrade thanks to the existence of a GB like Gallus.

Please watch the video near the end of this post for combo demonstrations and duels, featuring Gladiator Beast Gallus.
 

Picture of Gladiator Beast Gallus:

Quote

Trivia of Gladiator Beast Gallus:

Quote

Gallus gladiators were prisoners of war from the Gaul tribe which was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe. Gallus gladiators were always clothed and armed to resemble barbarians with unusual and exotic weapons. Gladiatorial fights with Gallus gladiators acted out the Roman Empire’s victories over various rival groups. Eventually however, Gauls became part of the Roman Empire. At this point, Gallus gladiators became Murmillo (plural Murmillones), because it was no longer politically correct to depict them as enemies.

Credit for Gladiator Beast Gallus’ art:

Quote

"Sess'innek" – World Anvil (Original source and artist currently unknown)

Video showcase that features all the above cards:

Quote

 

Thank you for your time.

[Zamazenta the OS-Tan Fan]

Is that your channel also you done a really good job on these cards the efffects, Levels, ATK/DEF, and names are all good and Materials, also where did you get the art from, also is this your YT Channel above my comment?

[Raiden Reborn]

Many thanks!

Yes the YT Channel is mine.

The hyperlinks to the art sources of both cards is under "Credit for Gladiator Beast Crixus’ art:" and "Credit for Gladiator Beast Gallus’ art:", above. 

[Zamazenta the OS-Tan Fan]

3 minutes ago, Raiden Reborn said:

Many thanks!

Yes the YT Channel is mine.

The hyperlinks to the art sources of both cards is under "Credit for Gladiator Beast Crixus’ art:" and "Credit for Gladiator Beast Gallus’ art:", above. 

Okay Thanks what's the next support will be for...?

[Raiden Reborn]

6 minutes ago, Zamazenta the OS-Tan Fan said:

Okay Thanks what's the next support will be for...?

You're welcome. Aha, I'm not sure yet.