Monarch Control Deck

A Monarch Control Deck utilizes the effects of the following monarch cards:
 * "Zaborg the Thunder Monarch"
 * "Kuraz the Light Monarch"
 * "Caius the Shadow Monarch"
 * "Mobius the Frost Monarch"
 * "Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch"
 * "Granmarg the Rock Monarch"
 * "Raiza the Storm Monarch"

The focus of a Monarch Control deck is to utilize the effects of the Monarch cards to gain card advantage over the opponent. These decks use many strategies to ensure that the opponent is losing more cards than they are. Some of these strategies include reviving tribute material ("Treeborn Frog"), utilizing Recruiter monsters and gaining control of the opponent's monsters for use as tribute material (via "Brain Control" or "Soul Exchange").

A very powerful deck type ever since their release, Monarch decks (due to high amounts of problems from Chaos Decks) have not truly made a game-changing impact until September 2006, when "Chaos Sorcerer" was banned from competitive play. However, Monarch Control successfully dominated the North American metagame for the duration of the format, but is now less popular since "Raiza" was Limited in the new banlist, leaving the Monarchs weaker and incapable to compete with "Dark Armed Dragon", "Gladiator Beasts" and "Lightsworns" decks temporarly.

With the new March 2009 banlist, the semi-limiting of "Raiza" allows Monarch decks to regain a stronghold in the metagame, especially as "Tele-DAD", "Gladiator Beasts" and "Zombies" have become much less effective.

=Monarch Control Deck=

Monster Cards

 * Caius the Shadow Monarch
 * Raiza the Storm Monarch
 * Cyber Dragon
 * Sangan
 * Gravekeeper's Spy
 * Treeborn Frog
 * Dandylion
 * Spirit Reaper
 * Marshmallon
 * Breaker the Magical Warrior
 * Morphing Jar
 * Plaguespreader Zombie
 * Snipe Hunter
 * Chiron the Mage

Spell Cards

 * Heavy Storm
 * Mystical Space Typhoon
 * Lightning Vortex
 * Brain Control
 * Soul Exchange
 * Book of Moon
 * Monster Reborn
 * Fiend's Sanctuary

Trap Cards

 * Mirror Force
 * Torrential Tribute
 * Bottomless Trap Hole
 * Solemn Judgment
 * Dimensional Prison
 * Magic Cylinder
 * Sakuretsu Armor

=Apprentice Monarch= An alternative to a Monarch Control Deck is an Apprentice Monarch Deck, which uses cards like "Apprentice Magician", "Crystal Seer" and "Old Vindictive Magician" to gain the upper hand in a duel. "Old Vindictive Magician" destroys your opponent's monsters and "Crystal Seer" gives you extra cards, giving you more strategies to play with. "Apprentice Magician" summons those monsters in the Damage Step when your opponent can't do much about it. These monsters are also very good tribute materials for Monarchs.

There are many options to support the Monarchs; it really just depends on what works for those playing Monarch decks. However, the "Treeborn Frog" method seems to work the best, since you waste less resources to summon the Monarchs.

=Macro Monarch= Another alternative that is becoming popular is the Macro Monarch Deck. It is the most efficient Monarch type deck, and most effective against the current meta.

Macro Monarch Decks are extremely effective against graveyard-based Decks, such as "Tele-DAD", since they completely eliminate the Graveyard and can take advantage of the situation to revive tribute material to keep summoning Monarchs. This deck is also good against a lightsworn deck, if cards are sent to the Graveyard by the effect of lightsworn monsters, they will be removed from play instead.

Monster Cards

 * Caius the Shadow Monarch
 * Kuraz the Light Monarch
 * Mobius the Frost Monarch
 * Granmarg the Rock Monarch
 * Raiza the Storm Monarch
 * D.D. Survivor
 * D.D. Scout Plane
 * Breaker the Magical Warrior
 * Cyber Dragon
 * Spirit Reaper
 * Marshmallon
 * Cyber Valley

Spell Cards

 * Dimensional Fissure
 * Allure of Darkness
 * Reinforcement of the Army
 * Heavy Storm
 * Mystical Space Typhoon
 * Brain Control
 * Lightning Vortex

Trap Cards

 * Macro Cosmos
 * Crush Card Virus
 * Mirror Force
 * Torrential Tribute
 * Bottomless Trap Hole
 * Solemn Judgment
 * Dimensional Prison

=Machine Monarch= This Deck is a mix of Machine and Monarchs, often using Jinzo instead of the other Monarchs, together with Caius and Dark Armed Dragon. This deck also revolves arround Geartown and the spell/trap destruction power of Mobius. A great strategy is to tribute summon Kuraz and destroy Geartown, you bring a Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon and you also draw a card.

Monster Cards

 * Dark Armed Dragon
 * Jinzo
 * Caius the Shadow Monarch
 * Cyber Dragon
 * Cyber Phoenix
 * Cyber Valley
 * Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive
 * Black Salvo
 * Nitro Synchron
 * Mobius the Frost Monarch

=Psychic Monarchs= Since release of "The Duelist Genesis" booster, there has been a new Monarch deck called Psychic Monarchs. Cards like "Krebons" and "Psychic Commander" stall with their effects, then you can tribute them for a Monarch or use them for a Synchro Summon. "Emergency Teleport" helps search both monsters.

However, with the March 2009 banlist and "Emergency Teleport's" limiting, this deck has become less effective.

=PsychoPlant Monarchs= PsychoPlant Monarchs focuses on the cards like Seed of Deception and Emergency Teleport to generate Monarch tribute fodder. Cards like Dark Verger can help generate extra fodder for the next turn or even be used to Synchro Summon. This is based off of the Psychic Monarchs but sense Emergency Teleport is now limited Seed of Deception serves as your extra E-tele. Miracle Fertilizer can help you bring out more tribute fodder or just an all out beatstick if you prefer it. Graceful Revival can help revive more tribute fodder that was already used with Seed of Deception. This deck creates amazing advantage with quick and easy to summon Monarch beatsticks. Good thing about this Monarch deck can play plant defense cards like Wall of Thorns can even be your second or third Mirror Force. This deck does tend to use cards that have similar effects to add utilty to this Monarch deck.

Monster Cards

 * Caius the Shadow Monarch
 * Mobius the Frost Monarch
 * Raiza the Storm Monarch
 * Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch
 * Dark Armed Dragon
 * Nettles
 * Dark Verger
 * Krebons
 * Psychic Commander
 * Treeborn Frog
 * Cyber Dragon
 * Twilight Rose Knight (Optional Synchro Summon support)
 * Marauding Captain (extra Twilight Rose Knight)
 * Mystic Tomato
 * Sangan
 * Cursed Fig (extra monster for Seed of deception plus its effect would work well with tomato)

Spell Cards

 * Brain Control
 * Mind Control (Optional Synchro support)
 * Heavy Storm
 * Mystical Space Typhoon
 * Lightning Vortex
 * Monster Reborn
 * Seed of Deception
 * Emergency Teleport
 * Allure of Darkness
 * Reinforcement of the Army

Trap Cards

 * Mirror Force
 * Wall of Thorns
 * Graceful Revival
 * Scrap-Iron Scarecrow
 * Reckless Greed
 * Threatening Roar

=Perfect Circle Monarch= This deck uses the Destiny Hero engine to get an advantage in their game, but with the banning of Destiny Hero - Disk Commander, it has become less effective. These are graveyard based decks that can easily bring out a level 8 Synchro Monster or draw cards.