Monarch Control Deck

A Monarch Control Deck revolves around using 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.

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

 * 3Caius the Shadow Monarch
 * 2Mobius the Frost Monarch
 * 2Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch
 * 2Raiza the Storm Monarch
 * Jinzo
 * Cyber Dragon
 * The Tricky
 * Twin-Headed Behemoth
 * Sangan
 * Newdoria
 * Treeborn Frog
 * Dandylion
 * Gravekeeper's Spy
 * Snipe Hunter
 * Breaker the Magical Warrior
 * Spirit Reaper
 * Refflesia Seduction

Spell Cards

 * Heavy Storm
 * Mystical Space Typhoon
 * Lightning Vortex
 * Brain Control
 * Enemy Controller
 * Soul Exchange
 * Monster Reborn
 * Book of Moon
 * Allure of Darkness

Trap Cards

 * Mirror Force
 * Torrential Tribute
 * Bottomless Trap Hole
 * Solemn Judgment
 * Phoenix Wing Wind Blast

=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.

Monster Cards

 * Caius the Shadow Monarch
 * Kuraz the Light Monarch
 * Mobius the Frost Monarch
 * Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch
 * Raiza the Storm Monarch
 * D.D. Survivor
 * D.D. Scout Plane
 * Breaker the Magical Warrior
 * Snipe Hunter
 * Cyber Valley
 * Spirit Reaper
 * Marshmallon
 * Neo-Spacian Grand Mole

Spell Cards

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

Trap Cards

 * Crush Card Virus
 * Torrential Tribute
 * Mirror Force
 * Bottomless Trap Hole
 * Macro Cosmos
 * Solemn Judgment
 * Dark Bribe

=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.