Forum:Deck Guide/Cyber Style

by Gadjiltron

Intro
Ah, Ryo Marufuji. Or Zane Truesdale, if you follow the dub. In his time during the GX anime, he was a fan favourite, not just for his looks and attitude, but also the cards he played. The mighty monsters of Cyber Style gave him the means to bring forth his strongest monsters quickly and devastate his opponents within a single turn.

Cyber Style comes in several parts. First, there's Cyber Dragon and its variants, all of them LIGHT Machines. They are best recognized for their Fusions that can wipe out the opponent in one shot.

Next is the Cyberdark monsters, DARK Machines that work hand-in-hand with small Dragons, absorbing their fallen partners to find strength. Released in Cyberdark Impact, this archetype was looked down upon by many and its support ground to a halt. However, with Duel Terminal 6 and onwards bringing in the Dragunity monsters, the Cyberdarks found some new companions to feed off.

Last is the Cyber Ogres. Wielded by principal Samejima, they hardly saw much use and play due to his lack of dueling screentime in the anime. As such, the Cyber Ogre archetype was rendered too small and too self-contained to function properly. This archetype, as well as the miscellaneous cards with "Cyber" in it like Cyber Esper, Cyber Archfiend and Cyber Shark but don't quite fit in with the Cyber Style cards, will not be covered in this guide.

Due to the different ways in which the Cyber Style and the Cyberdark Decks play, each will be analyzed individually.

=Cyber Style=

Mechanics
Cyber Style is well-known for its beatdown and OTK tactics, and is often seen calling out its fusions with increased ATK through Power Bond. The Deck style is designed to deal massive damage in a single hit before taking the toll of its actions.

Analysis

 * Speed - The speed of Cyber Style is best seen as average...
 * Power - ...But it is feared for its ability to intimidate its opponents into submission with astronomical ATK points.
 * Consistency - Probably why the Cyber Style is often favoured over Cyberdarks. As they need not rely on other monsters to tear opponents to shreds, they hardly run into lousy topdecked monsters that hardly hold their own. Usually.
 * Risk - Mainly when you decide to pull out all stops and finish the opponent right there and then. Be careful about the S/Ts.
 * Meta Ranking - While fun to play, the Cyber Style Deck pales in comparison to most Decks that run rampant in the meta.

The Basics - Cyber Style
Let's begin by looking at what the original Cyber Style has to offer:
 * Cyber Dragon is the star of the Deck, revolutionizing Decks all across the game since its introduction. It can be Special Summoned if your opponent has monsters while you don't, making this easy Tribute fodder for Monarchs, while also being an easily-Summoned beatstick. Best of all, you still hold your Normal Summon, allowing for a Tuner to be summoned for instant Synchro. There's no wonder why Cyber Dragon got quickly Semi'd, then Limited. Lately, it went back to Semi-Limited to give Cyber Style breathing space, since Cyber Dragon is the main portion of all of its Fusions.
 * Proto-Cyber Dragon is Cyber Dragon's little brother. At rather low stats, and no useful effect, its main purpose is to act as a substitute for Cyber Dragon so as to create its many Fusions. As such, keep a maximum of 2 of these in the Deck.
 * Cyber Dragon Zwei was introduced in Absolute Powerforce, at the same time Cyber Dragon went back to 2. At respectable stats, a mild powerup ability when it attacks, and the ability to be a temporary Cyber Dragon at negligible cost, Cyber Zwei revived the Cyber Style. That's not all - it also becomes a Cyber Dragon while in the Graveyard, paving the way for one of the Cyber Style's most feared Fusions. Max them out, you'll need it.
 * Cyber Barrier Dragon and Cyber Laser Dragon are two disrespected members of the Cyber Style family, largely because they are impractical to Summon, with subpar effects for the trouble. They depend on having Cyber Dragons out on the field while also needing their summoning cards - without either, they are as good as dead in the hand.
 * Cyber Barrier Dragon is summoned via Attack Reflector Unit in exchange for 1 Cyber Dragon. While it sports an excellent 2800 DEF, and the ability to negate the first attack the opponent launches while in ATK position, the opponent is likely to manipulate the attack negation ability to crush it at maximum damage. Better off going aggressive than defensive.
 * Cyber Laser Dragon is summoned via Photon Generator Unit in exchange for 2 Cyber Dragons, which is a hefty cost in itself. The ATK increase to 2400 offered is not high enough to warrant it, even if it can destroy a monster stronger than it in battle.
 * Cyber Phoenix is not exactly part of the Cyber Style family by definition, but it still lends a good hand to them. It blocks off targetting Spells and Traps while in Attack Position, while also being able to replace itself with a freshly-drawn card when it is killed in battle. It's worth testing.
 * Cyber Kirin is junk, at best. Subpar stats with a subpar effect that is not very likely to set off makes this guy an unfavourite of the Cyber Style family.
 * Cyber Vary is better known for being able to function in RFG Decks, but it still has its place in the Cyber Style family. Its ability to halt an entire Battle Phase while fetching a card is excellent when the Cyber Style Deck is in a pinch.
 * Cyber Ouroboros is a strange cousin to the Cyber Style family, being vaguely similar to Cyber Dragon but a DARK Machine. When it is removed from play, the player can send a card from his hand to the Graveyard to draw a card. Netting no hand advantage under an unlikely condition along with subpar stats makes Ouroboros another highly ignored outsider to the family.
 * Armored Cybern is yet another unusual cousin to the family, and is the first Union seen ever since Cybernetic Revolution. Capable of equipping itself to Cyber Dragon or any of its Fusions, Armored Cybern can destroy a face-up monster at the cost of 1000 of the equipped Cyber's ATK points. This being a hefty cost, and leaving the Cyber vulnerable to attack, it's no wonder why many choose to shun this.
 * Cyber Larva is a new addition to the family. While its stats are rather low, it is capable of negating all Battle damage when it battles, and Special Summons a copy of itself when it is killed in battle. While capable of helping the Deck hold out, it does little but feed the Graveyard for bigger hitters.

Now, on to the Cyber Style's Fusions and OTK-makers:
 * Cyber End Dragon is Ryo's Key Card. Fused from 3 Cyber Dragons and vaguely reminiscent of Kaiba's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Cyber End sports an immense 4000 ATK with a Trample effect, allowing it to crush an opponent hiding behind a defensive wall.
 * Cyber Twin Dragon is Cyber End's little brother, formed from 2 Cyber Dragons. While it doesn't hold Cyber End's Trampling ability, it has the ability to attack twice. With its 2800 ATK, greater ease in Fusion Summoning, and the potential to do twice as much damage, Cyber Twin is often a more popular OTK maker amongst Cyber Style players.
 * Chimeratech Overdragon's presence is a good indication that the player is pulling out all stops. Summoned from a Cyber Dragon and many more Machines which the player can muster, Chimeratech Overdragon's ATK is determined by the number of Fusion Material monsters for its summon x 800, and for each Fusion Material monster used it can attack one additional monster. The ability to break all bounds and exceed 20000 ATK is a big reason why its popular Summoning choices, Future Fusion and Overload Fusion, are Limited today.
 * Chimeratech Fortress Dragon is a little different from the other Fusions. Rather than use Polymerization or any card to Fusion Summon, it instead vacuums up a Cyber Dragon and all Machine monsters on the field to summon itself - yes, even when they are on the opponent's side of the field. For each monster used, it's 1000 ATK, maxing out its base ATK at 10000. With Cyber Dragon's splashability, and this card's ability to clean out an opponent's swarm, this is why Chimeratech Fortress is found in many Extra Decks that don't even use many Machines.
 * Cyber Eltanin is a new addition to the Cyber Style family's OTK makers. Similar to how Chimeratech Overdragon is usually Summoned, Eltanin removes all LIGHT Machines in the player's Graveyard for its Summon, and its ATK is the number of Machines used x 500. But unlike Overdragon, Eltanin also cleans out all other face-up monsters on both sides of the field, leaving only Set monsters and S/Ts in the way of its immense ATK.

Cyber Style also comes complete with a few S/Ts to complement the monsters they play, though not by much.
 * Attack Reflector Unit and Photon Generator Unit are, as stated above, used to summon Cyber Barrier and Cyber Laser.
 * Cybernetic Hidden Technology is an iffy card, where you sacrifice a Cyber Dragon or a Cyber Fusion to take out an attacking monster. Not quite worth the cost, since your opponent is not even likely to take on the high ATK points your monsters will be sporting.
 * Cybernetic Zone removes a Machine Fusion from play until the turn's End Phase with double the ATK, as expected of Cyber Style's ability to reach extremely high ATK scores. Too bad that monster's destroyed by your next Standby Phase, but if you want you can play a couple of cards to prevent its destruction. Not worth the use, though.
 * Evolution Burst is the name of Cyber Dragon's attack, and its effect is simple: if you control a Cyber Dragon, destroy a monster. Easy to use, since you can use this card to change Cyber Zwei into a Cyber Dragon for its use.
 * Overload Fusion is usually intended for any DARK Machine Fusions, it is the most popular way of Summoning Chimeratech Overdragon since it is not restricted by hand size or field space.

Chimera Explosion
One very Deck that got very popular shortly after Power of the Duelist is the Chimeratech OTK Deck, designed to get as many Machines into the Graveyard and wipe out the opponent by summoning Chimeratech Overdragon with Overload Fusion. Of course, the power of the Deck caused its main components, Future Fusion and Overload Fusion, to be Limited quickly.

Chimeratech OTK utilizes several cards that few would find in the usual Cyber Style Decks though:
 * Green Gadget, Red Gadget, and Yellow Gadget search each other out, providing the player with a constant stream of monsters while thinning the Deck. Never mind if they're weak - they hit the Graveyard specifically to fuel Overdragon's summoning.
 * Jinzo is a decent card to have around, usually as a backup plan by locking out the opponent's Traps and beating face with his ATK.
 * Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive can also be a nice option to use, letting the player draw a card when it flips and feeding the Graveyard for Overdragon.
 * Magical Merchant not only helps the player search for a Spell or Trap card (hopefully Overload Fusion), it can also run through the Deck's monsters, filling up the Graveyard for Overdragon's summon.
 * Gold Sarcophagus is the player's only hope of digging up Overload Fusion or Future Fusion quickly.
 * Machiners Frontline is often used in conjunction with the Gadgets, searching the Deck for weaker monsters to absorb more damage and prompt more Deck thinning when the Gadgets are Summoned.

Other Tips
Cyber Style also has the ability to utilize Synchro Summonings as well in order to keep them up to date with the new mechanics going around.
 * Trigon - While this looks to fit the Gradius cards better, it has a very potent ability. While Union'd to a Machine monster, if the monsters scores a kill in battle, you get to Special Summon a LV4 or lower LIGHT Machine from your Graveyard. That's it. No ATK restrictions that are common on other Gradius support cards. This allows you to revive the smaller Cyber cards in the Graveyard for whatever use you need.
 * Morphtronic Scopen - What? A Morphtronic card in Cyber Style? Well, it's LIGHT, it's a Machine, it's a Tuner... better yet, it can adjust its Level. It's revivable with Trigon, too. Hello LV8 Synchros!
 * Honest - This guy definitely belongs with the Cyber Style, since almost everything used in there is LIGHT. This allows for any Cyber Dragon or Cyber Dragon Fusion to trump a battle immediately, and when it's equipped with Trigon you also get another opportunity to revive a LIGHT Machine in the Grave!
 * The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion - Cyber End and Cyber Twin have a little restriction: you can't use Fusion substitutes. So how do you use this? It's got another effect, allowing you to Tribute it, and any other Cyber Dragons on your field, to Special Summon a Cyber Fusion from your Extra Deck. Often, the preferred choice is Cyber Twin due to the greater ease in Summoning.
 * Machine Developer - It's a nifty card for any Machine Deck like the Traditional Cyber Style. Each time a Machine is destroyed, it gains 2 Junk Counters, and this card with Junk Counters can bring out one of your dead Machines. Get 3 Machines killed off and you've got enough to pull back your Cyber Dragon in the Graveyard.
 * Light of Redemption - If, somehow, you don't finish off your opponent after pulling out Eltanin or Overdragon, or you need your Cyber Valley back to hold off another attack, this card does the job nicely.
 * DNA Surgery - Flip this card up. Call "Machine". Summon a Cyber Dragon, then vacuum all face-up monsters on the field for Chimeratech Fortress Dragon.
 * Return from the Different Dimension - Again, if you fail to finish your opponent off with Eltanin or Overdragon, you can flip this card for a swarm to clear out what's left of your opponent.

=Cyberdarks=

Mechanics
Cyberdarks, on the other hand, work a little differently. Rather than OTK an opponent, they rely on powering themselves up by sucking up dead Dragons in the Graveyard on Summon. Lesser Cyberdarks can pick up LV3 or lower Dragons, while their Key Card, Cyberdark Dragon, can pick up a Dragon of any level. If they would be destroyed while absorbing a Dragon, that Dragon is destroyed instead, but this also leaves them open to attack.

Analysis

 * Speed - Slower than the Cyber Style, Cyberdarks need a bit of setup before they can begin laying waste to the opponent. But once they get up to speed with their brute force or Synchro Summons they suddenly become a force to be reckoned with.
 * Power - With the new Dragunities out lending a hand to Cyberdarks, the Cyberdarks are capable of utilizing Synchro Summons to update themselves and match up to their LIGHT counterparts.
 * Consistency - Boy, where do we begin... Got a handful of Cyberdarks without any Dragons to absorb? You're outta luck.
 * Risk - When you're strongly Grave dependent and often unable to hold your own without the Grave, you know it'll be risky.
 * Meta Ranking - Despite their ability to feed off the Dragunities and Synchro Summon, they still aren't good enough to keep up with the meta decks.

The Basics
Now, we see what the Cyberdarks can do:
 * Cyberdark Keel can absorb a LV3 or lower Dragon in the Grave and power up according to its ATK, and inflicts 300 points of damage if it scores a kill.
 * Cyberdark Horn can absorb a LV3 or lower Dragon in the Grave and power up according to its ATK, and does Trample.
 * Cyberdark Edge can absorb a LV3 or lower Dragon in the Grave and power up according to its ATK, and can attack directly for half damage. Probably the most useful of the three base Cyberdarks around.
 * Cyberdark Dragon is made of the three Cyberdarks listed above, and can absorb any Dragon in the Grave and power up according to its ATK. In addition to this, it also gains an extra 100 ATK for each monster in the Grave.
 * Cyberdark Impact! is not the pack where you find them, but a very convenient way to Summon Cyberdark Dragon. Just shuffle them back into the Deck from the hand, field or Grave. Easy to use if you want to pull out Cyberdark Dragon quickly.

That's about all for the Cyberdark family, but what about the Dragons they can absorb?
 * Hound Dragon is the strongest of all LV3 or lower Dragons at 1700 ATK. This powers up the base Cyberdarks to a nifty 2500 ATK.
 * Twin-Headed Behemoth can help the player tank a bit of damage as it revives itself during the End Phase. Its 1500 ATK also gets them up to a respectable 2300 ATK. Now that it's freed up for use in threes, this makes it a viable option for use.
 * Delta Fly is LV3, has 1500 ATK to give the Cyberdarks a nice boost, and best of all, it can modify Levels to ease Synchro Summonings. A fine choice for Synchro builds.
 * Masked Dragon can Special Summon any Dragon from your Deck with 1500 ATK or less if it is destroyed in battle, while Dread Dragon, which is also a Tuner, can look for LV3 or lower Dragons and add them to your hand. Both of them have their different range of searching and different ATK values, so it's up to you to decide which to run.
 * Exploder Dragon is nice to have in pinches. While it has a low ATK, it can suicide itself into a bigger monster, killing it in the process, and providing you with a Dragon to use for the Cyberdarks.
 * Dragunity Pilum is another Tuner with fairly high ATK, and it basically turns any Cyberdark you're using into Cyberdark Edge. A decent choice, both for pure damage and Synchro Summoning.
 * Dragunity Partisan is a Tuner, bumps up your Cyberdarks to a decent 2000 ATK, and best of all, it turns them into Tuners as well. If you're going to play a Synchro build, this is definitely a must for mid-high-level Synchros.
 * Dragunity Phalanx is a Tuner which can, once per Duel, Special Summon itself as a monster while it is equipped. This means instant LV6 Synchro, opening up the Deck to many popular Synchro choices.
 * Dragunity Acuris gives a fair ATK boost, along with giving the Cyberdarks some backup removal when it gets destroyed.
 * Five-Headed Dragon is a must when you're sporting Dragons in your Deck. If it ever goes down, Cyberdark Dragon will also be able to absorb it to reach 6000 or more ATK.

Other Tips

 * Dark Armed Dragon - Well, they're an archetype of DARK monsters. Generally, Big DADdy would fit right in, especially when they can control what goes in and out of the Grave. If he ever goes down, he serves as excellent food for Cyberdark Dragon too.
 * Black Bomber - All the lesser Cyberdarks are LV4 DARK Machines, fit for this card's use. This also means instant LV7 Synchro.
 * Tyrant Dragon - For a high-level Dragon, it's got a decent effect with good stats to boot. Dump it, then either revive it or use as food for Cyberdark Dragon.
 * Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon - Easily Special Summoned, good for swarming the field with Dragons for Synchro or beatdown, and if it ever goes down, it's excellent Cyberdark Dragon food.
 * Cards of Consonance - If you somehow find yourself using smaller Dragon Tuners that fit with this card's requirements, you can toss this in to provide the Deck with some draw power and place the Dragons right where you want them.
 * Overload Fusion - You can use this for summoning Cyberdark Dragon if you really want to...
 * Fusion Guard - Negate a burn effect, and randomly discard a Fusion monster from your Extra Deck. Hope you'll strike Five-Headed Dragon...
 * Deck Devastation Virus - With Cyberdarks absorbing monsters to easily break 2000 ATK, DDV can go right with them, purging the opponent's field and hand of the little monsters that can spell trouble for you.