Clown Control

The Clown Control Deck gets its name from the main monsters of the Deck, "Dream Clown" and "Crass Clown". It focuses on the effects of those two monsters and "Blade Rabbit", in conjunction with cards that switch Battle positions, such as "Stumbling", "Spirit Burner", "Zero Gravity" and "Labyrinth of Nightmare". These cards allow immediate and recurring activation of the monster effects, which grants field advantage.

Playing Style
Clown Control decks often revolve around either "Stumbling" or "Labyrinth of Nightmare" as the Deck works differently depending on which is chosen. Builds that use both should focus the deck around one of them, using the other for support purposes.


 * "Stumbling" lets the player stall from opponent attacks and trigger the effects of "Dream Clown" and "Blade Rabbit", thereby protecting his or her monsters and Life Points while maintaining field presence. The strategy at large is to get any two of a "Dream Clown", "Blade Rabbit" or "Crass Clown" on the field (with one in each position) so you can use one to destroy or return a monster, while the other attacks.


 * "Labyrinth of Nightmare", on the other hand, doesn’t switch monsters to Defense Position until the End Phase of the turn, allowing un-delayed attacks from both players. Monsters that inflict Piercing damage like "Enraged Battle Ox" and powerful beatsticks, such as "Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke", are welcome in Clown Control Decks that utilize "Labyrinth of Nightmare". Monsters such as "Goblin Attack Force", "Spear Dragon", and "Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress" should be included, since they switch to Defense Position after they attack or activate their effects, and they will be switched back to Attack Position during your End Phase, ready for use again during your next turn.

Stumbling based decks in particular may want to include additional stall cards to protect the monsters from being trampled, thereby keeping them alive long enough to trigger their effects. Such cards include "Gravity Bind", "Messenger of Peace" and "Level Limit - Area B". Equip Spell Cards such as "Gravity Axe - Grarl" can be used in conjunction with the stall cards to further enhance the control aspect.

The Rat and Warrior Toolboxes are used to search out "Dream Clown", which is arguably the decks most important monster. Furthermore, the Rat toolbox allows one to search for helpful monsters that support the deck, such as "Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 "Nishipachi"", "Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo" and "Neo-Spacian Grand Mole". Ideally, the monsters used in a clown control deck should have good synergy with the continuous cards the deck focuses on. However, "Zero Gravity" and "Forbidden Lance" can be used to prevent them from becoming a hindrance to XYZ and Synchros.

Clown control does very little special summoning in relation to most decks, allowing it to use various Anti-meta cards to slow down the opponent and increase field control. These include "Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo", "Jowgen the Spiritualist" and "Thunder King Rai-Oh". Whether to use Fossil Dyna or Jowgen, depends on preference and play style. Jowgen the Spiritualist is faster at getting rid of the Special Summoned monsters than Fossil Dyna, but Dyna is more guaranteed to succeed than Jowgen. Grave of the Super Ancient Organism is another excellent anti meta card, for use against decks that make extensive use of nomi and non-xyz semi-nomi monsters.

Additional tech options

 * "Don Zaloog" and "Spirit Reaper" can take advantage of the opponent's open field for hand disruption. This is especially useful if the opponent saves their cards in their hand for explosive plays later on.


 * "Construction Train Signal Red" can be used to protect dream clown from a single attack allowing its battle position to be changed to defense next turn. They can then be used to rank 3 xyz, still leaving the turn players normal summon unused. Alternatively, it can be summoned on direct attack, protecting lifepoints and xyz next turn with a normal summoned dream clown. It can also be used to protect crass clown or flip summon monsters after they have been set. The usage of this card is more difficult to anticipate and stop than regular backrow protection.


 * Performapal Turn Toad can change change battle positions once per turn, triggering clown effects each turn.


 * Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6" as it is unaffected by "Stumbling", "Earthquake" and "Messenger of Peace".


 * Black Salvo" is used to summon "Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 "Burei"". Its effect can then be used to manipulate positions once per turn, allowing it to attack the same turn it is summoned in stumbling builds. Its effect can also be used to make sure it changes to attack position at the end phase in labyrinth builds. An additional position change and possibly synchro can occur if a "Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 "Nishipachi"" was summoned by its effect.


 * "Cloudian - Eye of the Typhoon switches the battle positions of all non-"Cloudians", thereby triggering clown card effects. It is destroyed when it's switched into defense, but can be used with Stumbling and Labyrinth of Nightmare if combined with Raging Cloudian.


 * "Level Limit - Area A" and Level Limit - Area B allows one to reuse Dream Clowns and Crass Clowns effects respectively.

Weaknesses
The deck uses its backrow to trigger effects and slow down the opponent, making spell destruction such as Mystical Space Typhoon, Twister, Dust Tornado and Spell Shattering Arrow an effective counter strategy.

King Tiger Wanghu and Deck Devastation Virus can potentially lockdown the deck as most of the monsters have 1400 ATK or less.

Skill Drain and Majesty's Fiend as the deck uses monsters effects to gain advantage and field control.