Dragunity

Dragunity is an Archetype released in the Duel Terminal, the term "Dragunity" comes from the words Dragon and Unity. Their effects mainly revolve around equipping any level 3 or lower Dragon-Type monsters in your Graveyard to your Winged Beast-Type monsters in play (in the sense of the Dragon-Types transforming into weapons, or the Winged-Beast Dragunity monsters "uniting" with their Dragon "steeds" as "Dragunity Knights"). Because of their heavy focus on sending monsters to the Spell & Trap Card Zones, the Dragunity archetype is often compared to the Crystal Beast and Cyberdark archetypes. They also utilize powerful Dragon-Type Synchro Monsters, although they require Dragon-Type Tuner Monsters as well as Winged Beast-Type non-Tuners. All of the Dragunity monsters that have been released so far are WIND monsters, so "Flying Kamakiri 1" and "Gozen Match" can be useful along with some other WIND supports; and because many of them are Winged Beasts, the Deck can run "Icarus Attack". The Dragon-Type monsters in this Archetype so far all have armor which either covers most of their body ("Dragunity Phalanx"), or they have a piece of armor that resembles, and is named after, a weapon (i.e. "Dragunity Darkspear"). By contrast, the Winged Beast-Type monsters seem to be named after historical warriors (Ex. - "Dragunity Legionnaire" is named after the common solider in the Roman army). Their archetype symbol is the green emerald for the Dragons, and for the Winged Beasts is the green emerald surrounded by a gold outline of wings.

The main win condition for "Dragunity" appears to be a combination of Swarming and an Instant Synchro Deck, summoning Synchro Monsters or using the Effects of their non-Synchro Monsters to clear the Field, then attacking. Most of the Dragunity cards have been released in Structure Deck 19: Dragunity Drive in the OCG and the TCG.

Playing style
The main purpose of Dragunity decks is to have versatile and easy Synchro Summons. "Dragunity Phalanx" is the key card here - it's a level 2 tuner that Special Summons when it is equipped to a monster. Thanks to the effects of "Dragunity Dux" and "Dragunity Legionnaire", you can easily summon level 5 or 6 Synchro Monsters - however, if you decide to Synchro Summon "Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana" with "Dux" and "Phalanx", you can use one of the deck's most powerful combos. "Vajrayana" is a level 6 monster that can also equip a Level 3 or lower Dragon-Type "Dragunity" monster from the Graveyard. Because the "Once per turn" effect of "Phalanx" resets when it is sent to the graveyard, if you equip Phalanx, it can Special Summon, and you can Synchro Summon a level 8 Synchro Monster - effectively turning one card in your hand into a level 8 monster from your Extra Deck.

This combo only requires "Dux" in the hand and "Phalanx" in the Graveyard, and it is incredibly simple to set up with the help of "Dragon Ravine". With it, once per turn, you can discard a card to either add a "Dragunity" monster from your Deck to your hand or send any Dragon from your Deck to the Graveyard - essentially turning any card in your hand into either a "Dragunity" version of "Reinforcement of the Army" or "Foolish Burial", which makes combos easy.

However, the "Dragunity" monsters have many alternate strategies. Even without Synchro Monsters, the archetype can hold its own in battle: "Dragunity Legionnaire" takes out tough monsters with its effect - you can send an equipped Dragon to the graveyard to destroy one of your opponent's face-up monsters. This is especially useful with "Dragunity Aklys", as when it is equipped and sent to the Graveyard, one card on the field is destroyed. Effectively, you can summon Legionnaire, equip "Aklys" from the Graveyard, and send it to the Graveyard to destroy one your opponent's face-up monster and another one of his/her cards, in a devastating one-two punch that costs you nothing. This also works with the second effect of "Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana", which can send a card equipped to itself to the graveyard to double its own ATK value. If you equip and then send "Aklys" to the Graveyard, you will end up with a 3800 ATK monster that turn while destroying one of your opponent's cards, allowing for big finishes.

"Dragunity Arma Leyvaten", the new ace "Dragunity" monster, comes in Structure Deck: Dragunity Legion. This monster can be Special Summoned with ease from your hand or Graveyard by removing from play 1 face-up monster you control equipped with a "Dragunity" card. In addition, when this card is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, you can select 1 Dragon-Type monster in your Graveyard other than "Dragunity Arma Leyvaten", and equip it to it as an Equip Card. If and when you equip "Phalanx" to "Leyvaten", you can Special Summon it to your field and using "Phalanx" and "Leyvaten" to Synchro Summon "Trident Dragion" finishing off your opponent. To make sure all the "Leyvatens" are sent to your Graveyard swiftly and efficiently, "Future Fusion" and "Dragon Ravine" are recommended.

Monsters

 * Dragunity Phalanx
 * Dragunity Aklys
 * Dragunity Legionnaire
 * Dragunity Dux
 * Effect Veiler

Spells

 * Dragon Ravine
 * Terraforming
 * Cards of Consonance
 * Giant Trunade
 * Pot of Avarice
 * Pot of Duality
 * Forbidden Lance
 * Future Fusion

Traps

 * Seven Tools of the Bandit
 * Trap Stun
 * Dimensional Prison
 * Icarus Attack

Extra Deck

 * Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana
 * Thought Ruler Archfiend
 * Stardust Dragon
 * Trident Dragion
 * Five-Headed Dragon

Leyvaten Rider
You can make a loop with "Dragunity Arma Leyvaten" and "Light and Darkness Dragon". When you summon "Dragunity Arma Leyvaten", equip "Light and Darkness Dragon" to it. Whenever it or "Light and Darkness Dragon" is destroyed, your field will be destroyed by the effect of "Light and Darkness Dragon". Then, use "Light and Darkness Dragon's" other effect to Special Summon "Leyvaten" from your graveyard, re-equip "Light and Darkness Dragon" to it and repeat. The only weakness in this loop is cards that can remove the two monsters from play, or send them back to the hand or deck.

Monsters

 * Light and Darkness Dragon
 * Dragunity Arma Leyvaten
 * Dragunity Phalanx
 * Dragunity Aklys
 * Dragunity Legionnaire
 * Dragunity Dux

Spells

 * Dragon Ravine
 * Terraforming
 * Giant Trunade
 * Future Fusion
 * Cards of Consonance
 * Trade-In
 * Pot of Avarice
 * Pot of Duality

Traps

 * Seven Tools of the Bandit
 * Trap Stun

Extra Deck

 * Five-Headed Dragon
 * Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana
 * Vortex the Whirlwind
 * Trident Dragion

Possible Support Cards

 * "Malefic Stardust Dragon" : Another Level 8 monster for Synchro Summoning "Trident Dragion". It can also protect your "Dragon Ravine" from any destruction effects.


 * "Mist Valley Falcon" : A decent attacker (2000 ATK), with abilities to return cards to reuse it. Perfect for reusing "Dragunity Legionnaire".


 * "Icarus Attack" : By Tributing a Winged-Beast Dragunity monster (preferably Legionnaire whose effects already used out, or Dux whose threatened by Bottomless Trap Hole), you can easily destroy 2 cards. Good as counter-strategies.


 * "Cards of Consonance": This card is very good in a Dragunity deck. You need to send Dragon-type Tuner monsters to the graveyard so they can be equipped with Dux and Legionnaire, and Dragunities have more valid targets than any other deck - "Aklys", "Brandistock", "Corsesca", "Darkspear", and "Phalanx".


 * "Pot of Avarice": This deck can send monsters to the Graveyard very quickly thanks to its massive Synchro Summons (obviously utilizing Dux-Phalanx-Vajrayana combo), discards from "Cards of Consonance" and "Dragon Ravine", and plain destruction by battle. "Pot of Avarice" rewards the filling of the graveyard with two new cards, as well as a chance to get another use out of used "Duxes", "Darkspears" and/or "Legionnaires".


 * "Terraforming": This card is the easiest way to search out "Dragon Ravine", so running two or three is recommended. This card can also serves as discard fodder for "Dragon Ravine"'s effect, so it will never be dead draw.


 * "Future Fusion": This card can fill the graveyard with 5 Dragon-Type Dragunity tuner monsters (most notably "Dragunity Phalanx") and summon "Five-Headed Dragon" two turns later. However, it will also make Cards of Consonance less useful (unless you're playing Leyvaten Rider build)


 * "Five-Headed Dragon: Combine with "Future Fusion" to fill the grave and have a massive monster two turns later. It may not stay on the field for a long time, but it will give you lots of access to quick Dragunity combos.


 * "T.G. Hyper Librarian: Dragunity decks can easily Synchro Summon level 5 Synchro Monsters with Dragunity Legionnaire and Dragunity Phalanx, since most Dragunity deck usually Synchro Summon level 8 Synchro Monsters primarily by Synchro Summoning twice using Dux-Phalanx-Vajrayana combo, you will draw two cards which adding more draw power and more speed and consistency, having discard fodders for Dragon Ravine and secure your Hand Advantage as well as being a good beatstick with its 2400 ATK.


 * "Spiritual Wind Art - Miyabi": Alternative for Icarus Attack, but in most cases this card has significant advantage over "Icarus Attack", as it can Tribute any WIND monster (most Dragunities are WIND anyway), and also can bypass Stardust Dragon's anti-destruction effect. And in some cases, can save Dragunity Phalanx from Chain Disappearance.


 * "Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite": Although it's not a Dragunity member, it is useful for Dragunity decks in creating more combos for Synchro Summon, or reusing Dragunity Legionnaire or Dragon Ravine.

Weakness
Dragunities, despite their amazing speed and enormous consistency, still have some crucial weakness. The most common is Anti-Meta and Macro decks (which also bring trouble to another today competitive decks such as X-Sabers, Legendary Six Samurai and many more). Also, their heavy reliance on Field Spell "Dragon Ravine" makes them very weak against opponent who enjoys using Spell/Trap destruction effects, such as "Mystical Space Typhoon", "Dust Tornado", "Twister", etc, and without "Dragon Ravine", this deck can't survive too long (much like Gravekeeper's with their "Necrovalley"). Those destruction cards can also bring trouble for "Dragunity Phalanx", because they can be chained to "Phalanx's" effect and destroy it before it can be Special Summoned, ruining most of this deck's combo play (except Leyvaten Rider build). Moreover, "Trap Hole", "Bottomless Trap Hole", "Royal Oppression" and "Solemn Warning" can also stop "Dragunity Dux", "Dragunity Legionnaire", "Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana", and "Dragunity Arma Mystletainn" from hitting the field, thus suspending the deck's actions. "Effect Veiler" can also be annoying, since it can negate "Dux's" and "Legionnaire's" effect.