Shaddoll

"Shaddoll" (シャドール Shadōru) is an archetype comprised primarily of DARK monsters that debuted in Duelist Alliance. Their focus is the Fusion Summon of the more powerful "El Shaddoll" monsters, which restrict or punish Special Summons. The Main Deck "Shaddoll" monsters all have Flip Effects that focus on searching and field advantage, as well as secondary effects that focus on regaining advantage whenever they are sent to the Graveyard by a card effect.

Appearance
The "Shaddoll" cards appear to be darker puppet versions of cards from other archetypes (including some from the Duel Terminal world), with their threads coming from the back of "El Shaddoll Construct".

Etymology
"Shaddoll" is a portmanteau of the words "shadow" and "doll". "El Shaddoll" is a play on "El Shaddai", one of the Judaic names of God.

Story
In the abyss of this world, there is a certain something called the "Shaddoll Core" (The Primordial "Core" of Shadow-Possession) which gives birth to shadows that absorb light, the "Shaddoll". "El Shaddoll Construct" uses these shadow strings to control the manifested shadows, and with this to extend its influence and power...

Playing style
Although the main strategy of the Deck is the Fusion Summon of "El Shaddoll" monsters, the "Shaddoll" monsters themselves are rather disruptive, such as "Shaddoll Dragon", who bounces cards when flipped face-up or "Shaddoll Squamata", who destroys monsters when flipped. In the other hand, they also have effects that activate when they are sent to the Graveyard, such as "Dragon", which destroys one of your opponent's Spell/Trap cards; "Shaddoll Falco" Special Summons itself in face-down Defense Position, while "Shaddoll Hedgehog" searches for a "Shaddoll" monster. These effects give the player advantage and set ups for future plays, while punishing the opponent. Because "Falco" is also a Tuner, the player also can have Synchro Summoning options.

However all "Shaddoll" monsters can only use one of their effects and only once that turn so while the players are advised discretion, they can also plan ahead. Cards like "Sinister Shadow Games" can be very effective since they can send a "Shaddoll" monster from the Deck to the Graveyard and then flip any possible Set "Shaddoll" monsters to use many effects in combination during the opponent's turn.

One can also take profit of their effects by using them as Fusion Material for the ace cards of the Deck: the "El Shaddoll" Fusion monsters. Since using "Shaddoll Fusion" or "El Shaddoll Fusion" involves sending "Shaddoll" monsters to the Graveyard by a card effect, their effects can be activated as soon as one attempts to Fusion Summon them, creating even more advantage. One can also use "Curse of the Shadow Prison" to not only weaken the opponent's monsters but also use their monsters as Fusion Materials.

The aforementioned "El Shaddoll" monsters rely on anti-supporting Special Summons, either by restricting them, negating them, destroying Special Summoned monsters in battle or destroying those ones who dare to activate their effects; also, some of them sends 1 "Shaddoll" card from your hand to the Graveyard at its effect's resolution, which can trigger the effect of the sent monster. Finally, they can recycle the "Shaddoll" Spell/Trap cards as long as they are sent to the Graveyard, so even if they are destroyed during or after their Summoning they can still re-add cards like "Shaddoll Fusion" to set up a Fusion Summon the next turn.

The easiest "El Shaddoll" monster to summon, "El Shaddoll Winda," is perhaps one of the most powerful legal cards in the game. With its immunity to destruction by card effects and continuous effect that restricts both players to one special summon per turn, it effectively leaves Xyz and Synchro-based decks with no way to get over it unless they can banish it, negate its effects, or return it to the extra deck (without Synchro or Xyz Monsters), which very few splashable cards are capable of.

The "El Shaddoll" monsters follow a pattern of requiring "1 "Shaddoll" monster + 1 [corresponding Attribute] monster" as Fusion Materials, and their effects go more aggressive as their Level increase:

Due to the requirements for the Fusion Summons, cards like "Shaddoll Core" and "Nephe Shaddoll Fusion", can be used to either substitute any Attribute or to turn a "Shaddoll" monster into one declared Attribute. One can also use cards like "Curse of the Shadow Prison" in order to use opposing monsters to Fusion Summon them.

Recommended cards
A powerful "Shaddoll" variant employs "Lightsworn" monsters in order to mill large quantities of "Shaddoll" cards per turn, also granting access to "Judgment Dragon" and "Twilight" cards. "The Supremacy Sun" also plays a large role of milling "Shaddoll" monsters, reviving it to both activate effects and have a hard hitting monster at play.

A very interesting "Shaddoll" variant combines "Yang Zing" with the Deck. This supplies a variety of different attributes to the Deck as well as "Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing" which has incredible synergy with the "Shaddolls", who benefit from having their monsters destroyed by card effects. "Shaddoll Fusion" also allows easy sending of "Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing" to the Graveyard. However, many aspects of each Deck will severely inhibit each other, such as "Yang Zing Creation" and "El Shaddoll Winda". Also the ease of Summon of "Suanni, Fire of the Yang Zing" allows access to Rank 4 Xyz plays.

Weaknesses
Since the Deck basically relies on sending the "Shaddoll" monsters to the Graveyard in order to trigger their effects, or flipping them face-up, cards like "Soul Drain" and "Abyss Dweller" or "Armades, Keeper of Boundaries", "Majesty's Fiend", "Gem-Knight Citrine" can be simple and effective. One can also use cards that banish or return the Fusion Monsters to the extra deck to avoid the retriever effect. Due to cards like "El Shaddoll Winda", cards that can do this without the need to special summon, such as "Compulsory Evacuation Device", "Phoenix Wing Wind Blast," and "Karma Cut," are recommended. The variety of Types and Attributes also makes the Fusion monsters vulnerable to floodgate cards like "Rivalry of Warlords" and "Gozen Match". "Skill Drain" is also a viable solution as it counters the anti-Special Summoning effects of the "El Shaddoll" monsters. This makes certain Decks that can use "Skill Drain" able to effectively bypass the "Shaddoll" Deck's threats. Examples of such Decks include "Qli", "Malefic", "Dark World", "Scrap", "Archfiend", "Yang Zing" and "Zombie". Finally, being that most of the monsters are DARK Attribute, "Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror" and "Stellarknight Constellar Diamond" can stop them from activating their Flip and Graveyard effects.