Ghostrick

"Ghostrick" (ゴーストリック Gōsutorikku) (a portmanteau of the words "ghost" and "trick") is an archetype of DARK-Attribute Fiend, Spellcaster and Zombie-Type monsters that debuted in Shadow Specters. They are based on various characters of folklore and Halloween monsters.

Playing Style
All of the non-Xyz Monsters introduced thus far have had a common effect: "Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a "Ghostrick" monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position".

Ghostricks are either Level (or Rank) 1, 2, or 3, corresponding to the Fiend, Spellcaster and Zombie type respectively– with 1 Xyz Monster corresponding to each Type/Rank combination.

Ghostrick monsters feature a variety of effects, mostly revolving around flipping monsters face-down (both yours and your opponent's) and protecting themselves as long as they are face-down. The three strata of monsters each follow a set of general effect guidelines; the Level 1 monsters react to destruction by battle or attacks, providing bonuses, the level 2 monsters have effects related to Battle Position control, and the level 3 monsters all provide useful bonuses when flipped face-up (with the exception of "Ghostrick Mummy", which provides a "Constellar Pollux"-style extra summon). The deck's main goal is to produce strong attackers over a prolonged game, which can attack directly using the field spells "Ghostrick Mansion" and "Ghostrick Museum," though the archetype also contains elements of Milling and Lockdown.

Most of the Ghostrick monsters aren't strong by themselves (the normal-summonable monsters cap at 1600 ATK, thus they're left relying heavily on getting "Ghostrick Mansion" (which can be searched with "Ghostrick Stein") on the board as soon as possible in order to launch several consecutive direct attacks early in the game. Since "Mansion" also protects any face-down monsters from attacks, it is easy to repeatedly activating Ghostrick monster's effects like "Ghostrick Jiangshi" and "Ghostrick Witch". "Ghostrick Scare" and "Swords of Concealing Light" are also useful in this deck to provide disruptions and lockdown, respectively. "Swords of Concealing Light" also serves as good set-up for direct attacks when paired with "Ghostrick Mansion" (though beware; your opponent's later monsters will still be allowed in attack position, so cards like Book of Moon, etc. are recommended). "Ghostrick Specter" and "Ghostrick Lantern" add more defenses to this deck, and are most valuable when the "Mansion" isn't available.

Arguably, the best beater of the deck is "Ghostrick Ghoul," which works much like "Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn," albeit only lasting for one turn. The Xyz monsters "Ghostrick Dullahan" and "Ghostrick Alucard" also provide nice, easy to summon beaters that support the other members with powerful and aggressive effects. Also, these two recover a "Ghostrick" card from the graveyard when destroyed, to help maintain Card Advantage. In addition, "Ghostrick Succubus" provides excellent support by destroying a monster once per turn whose ATK is lower than the combined ATK of all "Ghostricks" in play– and rendering its vacant card zone unusable. Combined with "Ghoul," this can make for lasting board wipe, though it may take time to be effective.

The deck has useful, albeit limited Swarm capabilities as well, with "Ghostrick Mummy" allowing extra summons, "Ghostrick Doll" providing decent monster search (plus battle position rotation), and "Ghostrick Mary," which can summon any "Ghostrick" in the deck whenever you take damage. in spite of all this, the deck does best with outside swarm options reinforcing the Xyz monsters ("Tour Guide From the Underworld" to make an easy "Alucard," "Kinka-Byo" for "Dullahan," etc.).

Zombie Ghostrick
Most of Ghostrick monsters are Zombies, so it's possible to use support for it in this Deck. "Skull Conductor" can be used to summon "Mummy" + "Des Lacooda" or "Jiangshi" / "Plaguespreader" / "Painter" + "Stein" / "Bone Crusher" for a Xyz or Synchro Summon.

Weaknesses
Despite this archetype's unorthodox "bait and switch"-like tactics, "Ghostricks" have many weaknesses.
 * First, cards like "Dark Simorgh", "Searchlightman", "Light of Intervention" prevent "Ghostrick" monsters from being Set or flipped face-down in the first place.
 * Other cards which prevent battle position changes, whether of the "Ghostrick" player's monsters or the opponent's, such as Gaap the Divine Soldier and Gravity Axe - Grarl can halt most, though often not all, of the "Ghostrick" player's moves. In addition, a monster Summoned by Raging Cloudian will be nearly impossible for the "Ghostrick" player to get rid of.
 * Mass-destruction effects like "Judgment Dragon", "Black Rose Dragon", and the newly-hyped "Evilswarm Exciton Knight" can be absolutely disastrous for this deck, since this deck relies heavily on its field presence to do damage to their opponent.
 * Cards like "Ghostrick Vanish" can prevent those destructions (albeit inconsistent).
 * Most "Ghostricks" depends on their Field Spell Cards, "Ghostrick Mansion" or "Ghostrick Museum", to deal damage, and will struggle to do much Battle damage to your opponent without it, due to most of them having low ATK stats. This can be even worse with cards like "Spell Shattering Arrow" and "Eradicator Epidemic Virus" around.
 * Cards like "Field Barrier", "Stardust Dragon", "Malefic Stardust Dragon" or "Stardust Spark Dragon" can be used to protect it. "Ghostrick Ghoul" also gives a "Ghostrick" monster an ATK boost to compensate for their low ATK.
 * Be careful with "Field Barrier", though, as it's protection effect can also backfire if your opponent can somehow remove the Field Spell without destroying it, which can prevent yourself from activating another Field Spell. Most common occurrences with "Lightning Chidori", "Raiza The Storm Monarch" and "Caius the Shadow Monarch".

Trivia

 * The "Ghostrick" monster's battle-flipping effects resemble the activities of children pranksters or mischievous spirits: popping out and scaring people, then running away and hiding. This is underscored by the archetype name "Ghostrick" a blatant portmanteau of the words "ghost" and "trick"; ghosts that trick people.


 * The "Ghostrick" archetype was originally released in Shadow Specters, which debuted in the U.S. in November 2013, and may have been intended to coincide with the celebration of Halloween. The "Ghostrick" monsters are largely based on mythological creatures that children in the western world would dress up as for Halloween (witch, ghost, Jack-O'-Lanturn, Frankenstein, Mummy, etc.), and their playstyle (as described above) mirrors the tradition of trick-or-treating.