Black Luster Soldier (archetype)

"Black Luster Soldier", known as "Chaos Soldier" (カオス・ソルジャー Kaosu Sorujā) in the OCG, is an archetype of EARTH Warrior-Type monsters with high Levels, supported by LIGHT and DARK Level 4 and 7 Warrior-type monsters. The pictured Ritual Monster has existed ever since the Asian Tournament Promos: 1999, and gained a retrained version and support in Dimension of Chaos .

The Ritual Monster "Black Luster Soldier" was used by Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and manga. "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning" was used by Dimitri in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime.

This archetype is searched by two monsters of the "Gaia The Fierce Knight" archetype. In the early manga, "Gaia the Fierce Knight" was turned into "Black Luster Soldier" by Tributing "Griffore" and "Kuriboh", as depicted on "Super Soldier Ritual".

Playing style
The main searcher of this archetype is the Field Spell Card "Gateway to Chaos", which searches a "Black Luster Soldier" Ritual Monster or "Gaia The Fierce Knight" monster when activated; it can also search any Ritual Spell Card after it gains enough Spell Counters, but this can take a while. "Pre-Preparation of Rites" can also be used to search "Black Luster Ritual" (but not "Super Soldier Ritual").

"Exchange of Night and Day" can be used to swap either "Awakened Gaia" (DARK) and "Charging Gaia", or "Beginning Knight" and "Evening Twilight Knight" from the Hand to the Graveyard,.

The "Gaia The Fierce Knight" cards complement each other enough to make fast and searchable Normal Summon effects and attacks early. Later, "Awakened Gaia" can revive any "Black Luster Soldier" monster to rip an opponent to pieces with "Super Soldier"s and "Envoy of the End"s devastating Monster effects, though the Ritual and "Envoy" monsters needed to be Ritual Summoned or Summoned through their own effects to be revived.

The current problem with "Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier" is that it does not inflict damage when attacking Pendulum Monsters. On the other hand, "Super Soldier's" effect to damage the opponent and potentially attack twice can easily end games against unprotected non-Pendulum and Extra Deck Monsters.

Like "Stardust Warrior's" effect to prevent the opponent Pendulum Summoning, "Super Soldier" punishes big unprotected fields mercilessly when played at the right time.

One weakness is that "Super Soldier Ritual" requires a total Level of exactly 8, whereas "Black Luster Ritual" can Tribute monsters exceeding Level 8, so "Evening Knight" can be used with one of the "Gaia The Fierce Knight" monsters.

If using "Armageddon Knight" as a searcher, either "Freed the Matchless General" or "Dark General Freed" can be a Chaos-style engine for the 2 Level 4 Warriors. "Exchange of Night and Day" can be used to search and send to the Graveyard cards that support this archetype.

"Infernal Curse of Dragon" can Fusion Summon "Gaia the Soaring Dragon Champion" using its own effect, which in turn can search "Spiral Spear Strike", giving this and "Gaia The Fierce Knight" a searchable draw engine.