Lightsworn

The Lightsworn, known as Lightlords in the OCG, are a set of monsters introduced in Light of Destruction. They are all LIGHT Attribute monsters and their primary effect which involves self-milling, sending cards from the top of your Deck to your Graveyard, either as a cost to activate their effect(s), or as part of the effect(s) itself.

Playing style
Decking out is a risk sometimes associated with the milling done in "Lightsworn" Decks. However, milling improves the speed of the Deck and many "Lightsworn" cards benefit from having many "Lightsworn" monsters in the Graveyard. A primary focus of this Deck is to quickly summon "Judgment Dragon", which may be Special Summoned while there are 4 or more different "Lightsworn" monsters in the Graveyard. "Judgment Dragon" can quickly clear the field and attack directly. This strategy is most useful when running a small Deck, and has the potential to turn the tables in your favor before your opponent can get too much of a foothold.

This Deck is quite capable of a very fast OTK using their mill effects, and then Summoning "Judgment Dragon". "Judgment Dragon" alone would easily be able to create an OTK situation fairly quickly.

"Lightsworns" have been incorporated into many Deck types, such as "X-Sabers", Zombies, and various other kinds. Most notably, "Lightsworns" are combined with DARK Monsters in a Deck type known as Twilight. Such a Deck uses a mixture of LIGHT and DARK monsters and tends to include Chaos cards, particularly since "Chaos Sorcerer" was removed from the Forbidden list.

Weaknesses
Despite its powerful assets, the Deck has major weaknesses, the first of them being luck. While luck is involved in any Deck it is doubly so in "Lightsworns", because the "Lightsworns" rely heavily on milling, usually the quality and quantity of cards milled will define a Duel in its mid-to-advanced stages. Another major weakness is that the "Lightsworns" will fall very quickly to Deck locks and stalls such as "Gravity Bind" since they will not be able to attack, and if there are 3 or more "Lightsworns" on the field such as "Jain, Lightsworn Paladin" they will be milling heavily, and unless they find a way to destroy the Deck-lock, they will likely lose. One must build one's Deck carefully to consistently do well.

While the aforementioned may be seen more as a unique characteristic of the Deck, rather than a weakness, the primary problems for a "Lightsworn" player come from cards capable of negating effects ("Skill Drain", "Light-Imprisoning Mirror" and "Brain Golem" above all), and cards adept to remove from play, especially "Macro Cosmos" and "Dimensional Fissure", capable of turning the milling effect of the Lightsworn from a simple requirement to a severe disadvantage. As such, one will commonly find cards like "Royal Decree" and "Mystical Space Typhoon" in both the Main Deck and Side Deck of "Lightsworn" Decks.

Cards that add to the milling can be a threat to "Lightsworn" Decks, including "Iron Chain", "Needle Worm", "Voltic Bicorn", and "Ally of Justice"; however, these can be helpful since they can push the Deck into its win condition more quickly.

Stalling may force a Deck Out, although the high number of destruction effects the "Lightsworns" offer, such as "Celestia, Lightsworn Angel", "Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress", and "Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter", often make up for this.

Remove from Play Decks also cause some trouble, because the milled cards will be removed from play instead; this would cripple the effect of "Wulf, Lightsworn Beast" and "Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner", as well as make the summon of "Judgment Dragon" improbable. It also disables the effect of "Celestia, Lightsworn Angel" since sending cards from the Deck to the Graveyard is a cost; and since cards like "Dimensional Fissure" and "Macro Cosmos" prevent this, "Celestia, Lightsworn Angel's" Effect cannot be activated. The same goes for "Charge of the Light Brigade". This may be counteracted by including spell/trap destruction cards (or at least putting them in your Side Deck) such as "Mystical Space Typhoon" and "Dust Tornado".

Monsters

 * Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
 * Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
 * Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
 * Celestia, Lightsworn Angel
 * Wulf, Lightsworn Beast
 * Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior
 * Jain, Lightsworn Paladin
 * Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid
 * Jenis, Lightsworn Mender
 * Shire, Lightsworn Spirit
 * Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue
 * Judgment Dragon
 * Honest
 * Glow-up Bulb
 * Plaguespreader Zombie
 * Shiny Black "C"
 * Necro Gardna
 * Thunder King Rai-Oh

Spells

 * Charge of the Light Brigade
 * Foolish Burial
 * Giant Trunade
 * Gold Sarcophagus
 * Pot of Avarice
 * Pot of Duality
 * Solar Recharge

Traps

 * Beckoning Light
 * Royal Decree
 * Trap Stun

Optional Support

 * "Beckoning Light" : Works pretty much the same way as "Monster Reincarnation" but allows you to retrieve a potentially higher number of LIGHT Monsters, "Honest" and "Judgment Dragon" above all.


 * "Card Trooper" : With the ability to mill without ending your turn, unlike most of the "Lightsworn" monsters, you can use this card's effect to send up to 3 cards on top of your Deck to the Graveyard once per turn. Using this card's effect, it can send a "Wulf, Lightsworn Beast to the Graveyard, which will Special Summon it. Unlike some of the Lightsworn monsters, you are able to do whatever you wish with the "Wulf, Lightsworn Beast" milled out by "Card Trooper". This card is doubly useful due to its low ATK because it will likely be destroyed by battle next turn and trigger its second effect, allowing you to draw one card. Then, during your turn, you get the added advantage of drawing your normal card, helping you maintain hand advantage.


 * "Cyber Dragon" : In the current format, "Lightsworn"s suffer greatly from the abundant use of "Solemn Warning", a card that keeps them off the field. As such, "Cyber Dragon" helps to bait cards meant for more valuable monsters. In addition, it itself is a very useful monster, boasting 2100 ATK, an easy summoning condition, compatibility with "Chimeratech Fortress Dragon" should one encounter a machine Deck, and LIGHT typing that makes it compatible with "Honest".


 * "Foolish Burial" : You can use this to instantly summon a "Wulf, Lightsworn Beast" from your Deck, but you can also use it to send cards such as "Plaguespreader Zombie", "Glow-Up Bulb", or "Necro Gardna" to be utilized from the Graveyard, or to meet the requirements of "Judgment Dragon" if you don't have enough differently-named Lightsworns in your Graveyard to summon it.


 * Gold Sarcophagus : It can be very helpful to get cards in your hand that you don't want to mill. You can get "Judgement Dragon" before you mill it, or you can get "Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner" to get some help with a bad hand. By the time the two turns have have past "Judgement Dragon" was removed then is in your hand you may already have four or more "Lightsworn" Monsters in your Graveyard.


 *  "Glow-Up Bulb" : Another nice tuner monster. It's effect is similar to that of the "Lightsworn"s (send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard) and works in a manner similar to that of "Plaguespreader Zombie", albeit at a different level.


 * "Honest" : Given that the common Attribute shared by all "Lightsworn" Monsters is LIGHT, "Honest" is pretty much a staple in every "Lightsworn" Deck thanks to its ability to boost weak Lightsworns' ATK and overcome the opponent's attacks. Also, being LIGHT itself, "Honest" can be easily retrieved with "Beckoning Light".


 * "Necro Gardna" : Negate 1 attack from a monster your opponent controls and use the monster you've just protected to tribute summon "Celestia, Lightsworn Angel" or simply to protect any valuable asset, such as "Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner". Since its place is in the Graveyard, it can become a positive thing if milled by a "Lightsworn" monster or discarded by "Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner".


 * "Plaguespreader Zombie" : Grants access to Synchro Monsters, and its effect to revive itself is useful when coupled with "Wulf, Lightsworn Beast" or "Necro Gardna" and another "Lightsworn" Monster ("Wulf, Lightsworn Beast" or "Necro Gardna" will be put on top of the Deck, and the Lightsworn's effect will mill them, granting a free Summon or a defense). With "Imperial Iron Wall, this can be done as much times as the player wants.


 * "Pot of Avarice": In a Deck that mills as indiscriminately as "Lightsworns", one is bound to have an abundance of monsters in one's Graveyard. Now, while 4 "Lightsworn" monsters allow for the summon of "Judgment Dragon", and certain cards such as "Plaguespreader Zombie", "Glow-Up Bulb", and "Necro Gardna" are desirable to have in one's Graveyard, one will find that more than enough monsters that don't contribute towards these ends would be useful for "Pot of Avarice". This card represents almost free advantage to any "Lightsworn" Deck on the third or fourth turn, and while not advisable at three, certainly works at one or two.


 * "Thunder King Rai-Oh": While not as formidable as in past formats, "Thunder King Rai-Oh" is still the king of tech. He represents a tremendous threat to most Decks in the metagame, and is necessary for your opponent to eliminate, forcing them to use their cards in a different manner than they would care for. It is fantastic for this Deck, boasting high ATK, being LIGHT monster, and having a great effect that conflicts only with "Charge of the Light Brigade".

Further Strategy
With easily fulfilled special summoning conditions (having 4 or more "Lightsworn" monsters with different names in your Graveyard), high ATK, and a devastating effect (pay 1000 Life Points to Destroy all other cards on the field), "Judgment Dragon" is capable of dealing large amounts of damage, and could even create a OTK situation fairly quickly. Since it has no Cost to summon itself, only a condition, you can still summon your other dragon that turn.

"Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner" is a staple in a "Lightsworn" Deck, due to the ability to dump dead cards while summoning a "Lightsworn" monster from the Graveyard, giving you easy Field advantage. A common trick is to discard a "Wulf, Lightsworn Beast" and Special Summon the same discarded "Wulf" for an easy 2100 ATK beatstick. It is notable that one may Special Summon a "Lightsworn" monster discarded by Lumina with the same effect, but may not activate the effect if there is no "Lightsworn" present in the Graveyard upon activation.

Another good card in this archetype is "Celestia, Lightsworn Angel". When "Celestia" is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Lightsworn" monster you can send 4 cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard in order to destroy up to 2 cards that your opponent controls.

In terms of Spell support "Solar Recharge", "Giant Trunade", and "Charge of the Light Brigade" all represent good options.

Despite the fact that the player is quickly milling their Deck, 40 cards is plenty for it. If you add more cards it will only get slower and less consistent, and you won't draw your "Judgment Dragon" and other key cards when you need them. Because of the constant milling, however, they will be sent to the Graveyard frequently. In such cases, bring them back using "Beckoning Light".

In case your opponent uses cards like "Skill Drain", "Royal Oppression" or "Light-Imprisoning Mirror", you might want to add "Royal Decree" to your Side Deck. Since a "Lightsworn" Deck most likely won't run any essential Trap Cards, you can side them out to get rid of the dangers coming along with negating effects.

While it may seem counter intuitive, "Royal Oppression" is a useful card in a "Lightsworn" Side Deck, hurting many other Decks more than "Lightsworns".