Mecha Phantom Beast

"Mecha Phantom Beast" ( Genjūki "Phantom Beast Aircraft") is an archetype composed of WIND Machine-Type monsters and are also sub-archetype of Phantom Beast. Their effects revolve around generating and manipulating "Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens". They first debuted in Lord of the Tachyon Galaxy booster pack.

The archetype's cards are based on various aircraft and various slang and terms used by pilots. The names of the Level 4 and lower monsters are based on real animals, while the names of the Level/Rank 7 (or higher) monsters are based on mythical creatures.

Playing style
All "Mecha Phantom Beast" non-Extra-Deck monsters (excluding their Tuners and "Mecha Phantom Beast Kalgriffin") has the ability to gain the Levels of all Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens that the controller has, while every monster in the Archetype (excluding "Mecha Phantom Beast Concoruda" and "Mecha Phantom Beast Jaculuslan") cannot be destroyed so long as a Token is on the field. In addition, most of their monsters are capable of generating the Deck's signature Tokens when certain conditions are fulfilled. Due to their Level modulation effect, this archetype can bring out a variety of Xyz Monsters, in particular Ranks 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10, making them one of the most flexible Xyz-based archetype in the game, allowing them to Summon normally difficult Xyz Monsters such as "Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon" with relative ease. As such, the Deck's strategy is a mixture of swarm and Xyz Summoning.

They are all Machine-Type, so it is possible to include cards such as "Gear Gigant X" and "Iron Call" into the Deck to open more options for it. Also, since all of them are WIND-Attribute, you can even unleash "Lightning Chidori", which can be devastating if used at the right time.

"Mecha Phantom Beasts" also have enormous potential in terms of Synchro Summoning with its own Tuners of choice: "Mecha Phantom Beast Warbluran", "Mecha Phantom Beast Blue Impala", and "Mecha Phantom Beast O-Lion". "O-Lion" is the ones commonly used, since it can facilitate additional Normal Summon once it's in the Graveyard, in addition to its Token-generating effect, increasing the deck's overall speed (especially with "Mathematician" and "Foolish Burial"), while "Blue Impala" is a little more restrictive and is mostly used to Synchro Summon "Concoruda" or in "Karakuri" hybrid decks. "Mecha Phantom Beast Warbluran" is less commonly used, but it offers better choices for Synchro Summoning than "O-Lion", allowing players to expand their Synchro Summoning options.

Despite they are being an Xyz-oriented archetype, their Main Deck monsters can also survive on their own due to their wide range of effects. "Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf" and "Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon" dominating battles, while "Mecha Phantom Beast Stealthray" and "Mecha Phantom Beast Coltwing" can destroy troublesome cards, all of which are easily accessible thanks to "Mecha Phantom Beast Megaraptor". As the result, the deck isn't entirely dependent on its Extra Deck arsenals, depending on how players may choose to build them.

Standard
This type is considered the most balanced among the Mecha Phantom Beast builds, it works by constantly generating Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens and utilizing them through various Mecha Phantom Beast monsters. "Scramble!! Scramble!!" is sometimes included, mostly used in conjunction with "Mecha Phantom Beast Coltwing" to generate more field presence, increasing the deck's speed significantly and quickly turn the tides, while "Mecha Phantom Beast Hamstrat", "Aerial Recharge", or sometimes "Vertical Landing" can provide the necessary setup for this card's activation. This deck can also utilizes various Synchro Monsters thanks to "Mecha Phantom Beast Warbluran" and "Mecha Phantom Beast O-Lion". O-Lion's extra Normal Summon ability also allows this deck to take faster approach with interaction of cards like "Mecha Phantom Beast Megaraptor" and "Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf".

Due to their flexibility and constant Token generation, many high-Leveled monsters can be used, such as the "Monarchs", "Light and Darkness Dragon", or even 3-Tributers such as "Obelisk The Tormentor" or "Destiny HERO - Plasma". Due to Tokens are also treated as Normal Monsters, you can even include "Fusion Substitute" or "Performapal Trump Witch" to unleash "First of the Dragons".

Mecha Karakuri
The hybrid between Mecha Phantom Beast and "Karakuri", it utilizes "Mecha Phantom Beast Blue Impala" along with "Karakuri Watchdog mdl 313 "Saizan"" as their main Tuner to unleash multiple "Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei"s" at once in order to perform OTK similar to the original "Karakuri" decks.

Mecha Phantom HEROes
This variant utilize the synergy between "Mecha Phantom Beast" monsters along with "Masked HERO Divine Wind", which can be easily accessed thanks to "Mask Change II". Despite the heavy cost associated with the card, its aggressive-oriented property (being a Quick-Play Spell) combined with effects of "Divine Wind" and the fact that you can use Token as targets proves valuable for the theme as a whole, increasing the deck's speed and offensive power. "Mecha Phantom Beast O-Lion", in particular, is very effective to use as discard fodder for "Mask Change II" since it is searchable by "Mecha Phantom Beast Megaraptor", and also enables its extra Normal Summon and Token-generating effect to compensate.

To increase the effectiveness of "Mask Change II", "Strike of the Monarchs" can also be included as universal negation power, which can be used naturally in the deck due to "Mecha Phantom Beast" monsters' tendency of increasing their Level above Level 5 and most of them relies on Normal Summon (with or without O-Lion). Its other effect is an Attribute-modulation effect, which allows access to other "Masked HERO" monsters, such as "Masked HERO Dark Law", "Masked HERO Anki", or "Masked HERO Acid".

Weaknesses
All "Mecha Phantom Beast" monsters are Machine-Type, so they share the weaknesses of "Acid Rain", "System Down", "Chimeratech Fortress Dragon", "Electric Virus", etc. "Chimeratech Fortress Dragon" can be used to easily eliminate your monsters, but fortunately can't send Tokens for its Summon. "System Down" is the most dangerous, since it can completely bypasses the anti-destruction effects of "Mecha Phantom Beast" monsters.

Also, since their built-in protection effect only covers destruction, cards that either banish, shuffle to the Deck, or negate their effects such as "Caius the Shadow Monarch", "Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer", "Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss", "Nekroz of Unicore", "Breakthrough Skill", etc., can be a major threat.

"Bujin" Decks also pose a serious threat to this Deck, since their "Bujintei Susanowo" can easily destroy all monsters you control in a single Battle Phase. They're also capable of utilizing anti-Special Summon cards such as "Vanity's Emptiness", "Summon Limit", and "Kaiser Colosseum", since their Deck does not heavily rely on Special Summons. "Bujingi Turtle" and "Bujingi Hare" can also thwart any common removal attempt, since many offensive "Mecha Phantom Beast" effects rely on targeting and destroying.

In order to function properly, this Deck needs to constantly generate tokens. Because of this, cards such as "Poisonous Winds", "Power Filter", "Summon Limit", "El Shaddoll Winda", etc. can stall this Deck. Spell/Trap Card removal cards are essential for combating these kinds of threats.

Trivia

 * All "Mecha Phantom Beast" monsters that can Special Summon Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens (except "Mecha Phantom Beast Aerosguin") have Tokens appear in their artworks to the number of Tokens they can Special Summon through their respective effects.
 * All "Mecha Phantom Beast" Tuner monsters are based on spacecrafts, except "Mecha Phantom Beast Blue Impala".


 * Most "Mecha Phantom Beast" monsters generate Tokens in form of multi-colored holograms. "Mecha Phantom Beast Stealthray" and "Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon" are the only exceptions, in this case their holograms being solid-green colored instead.
 * Their Token-generating devices have simpler designs than the others (as if they were prototypes) and are primarily green-colored instead of black-colored. This may be a reference to their limited Token-generating ability, as their generating effect can only be activated during the Battle Phase in certain scenarios.
 * Both a "Mecha Phantom Beast" monster and a "Mecha Phantom Beast Token" are also depicted in the artwork of "Do a Barrel Roll".
 * The same multi-colored light spectrum that these holograms have are also featured in the artworks of "Mecha Phantom Beast Concoruda", "Mecha Phantom Beast Jaculuslan" and "Phantom Fortress Enterblathnir", despite those monsters lacking effects that generate Tokens.
 * According to Master Guide 4 lore, the holograms are made of quantum energy.