Card Tips:Dark Armed Dragon

Using "Dark Armed Dragon"

 * Dark Armed Dragon can be very useful in a Disaster Dragon deck, since Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon can Special Summon monsters from the graveyard, which can manipulate the graveyard to set the summoning condition for Dark Armed Dragon.


 * In a Disaster Dragon deck, playing Future Fusion while Dark Armed Dragon is in your hand can easily set up a possible OTK. Future Fusion can send five dragons to the Graveyard. Two of them would be Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, another two would be Red-Eyes Wyvern, and the final one would be another Dark Attribute dragon such as Dark Horus, or Tri-Horned Dragon. After activation and all five dragons are in your Graveyard, Special Summon Dark Armed Dragon, then set some cards face down for protection, and then end your turn, allowing for the removal of two Red-Eyes Wyvern's, which will Special Summon both Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's. On your next turn, you can Special Summon even more dragons if you have them, and still have at least one to use for Dark Armed Dragon's ability to be utilized.


 * "Dark Armed Dragon" can be used easily in decks that revolve around a dark theme with synchros. If you have this card and "Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier" on the field, you can discard dark monster(s) for Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier's effect and then remove those monsters discarded for "Dark Armed Dragon"'s effect.


 * "Dark Armed Dragon" is so effective, it has its own tournament-winning deck, briefly summarized below.
 * Use "Destiny Draw", discarding "Destiny Hero - Malicious" from your hand. Then, use "Malicious"'s effect to Special Summon a second copy of itself from the Deck, chaining "Emergency Teleport" to Special Summon "Krebons" from the deck as well.  Tune "Malicious" and "Krebons" together, Synchro Summoning any Level 8 Synchro Monster, and you will have 2 DARK monsters in the Graveyard for "Dark Armed Dragon" to use.  As for the third DARK monster:
 * You can use "Foolish Burial" to send it to the Graveyard;
 * You can use "Dark Grepher"'s Special Summoning cost;
 * You can summon "Armageddon Knight" (remember, you can still Normal Summon) and activate his effect;
 * Or you can Tribute the Synchro Monster you just Summoned for any Level 5 or 6 monster (The Synchro Monster must be DARK as well).
 * "D.D. Crow" works well, and you can rid our opponent of a graveyard card
 * Discard a level 5 or higher DARK monster to Special Summon "Dark Grepher", then activate its effect, discarding a DARK monster to send another from your Deck to your Graveyard, thus setting the 3-monster requirement to summon this card.


 * You can also use other cards like "The Dark Creator", "Armageddon Knight" or "Skull Lair" to manipulate your Graveyard.


 * When this card is in your Graveyard, use "Phantom of Chaos"'s effect and remove it from play.


 * "Prometheus, King of the Shadows" is a great card to use with "Dark Armed Dragon" to manipulate your Graveyard.
 * "Maniacal Servant" also helps but doesn't become a beatstick like "Prometheus, King of the Shadows"


 * There is an OTK possiblity with this card. First, summon "Dark Armed Dragon" and use his effect to clear your opponent's field.  Then, if you removed powerful DARK monsters from play you can activate "Return from the Different Dimension" to summon the removed from play monsters and attack to end the game.


 * If you have a "Mystic Tomato" or "Giant Germ" on your field, you can Suicide them into your opponent's monster to get the requirement for "Dark Armed Dragon"'s summoning easily at the cost of some Life Points and your Battle Phase.


 * Use "Burial from a Different Dimension" to reload your Graveyard with DARK monsters after you've used up three of them.
 * "Miracle Dig" has the same effect if you meet the requirements.


 * You can use "A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon" to return "Dark Armed Dragon" to your hand and destroy all spells and traps, then summon "Dark Armed Dragon" back to the field and use is effect to destroy your opponent's monsters and attack your opponent directly.


 * Flip a Flip Effect Monster face-up and then use "Dark Armed Dragon"'s effect to destroy it and avoid the risk to your Life Points. This is especially useful if the Flip Effect Monster is DARK since you won't lose any ammunition.


 * Remember that "Dark Armed Dragon" doesn't remove cards from play when he's summoned. Therefore, use his effect to get rid of face downs (because they usually pose the most threat) and attack for some serious damage.


 * This card works well with "Dark Crusader" as you can keep discarding cards from your hand using "Dark Crusader's effect and powering him up, and use "Dark Armed Dragon"'s effect to destroy all cards on the field.


 * Use "Gold Sarcophagus" to remove "Necroface" and remove the top five cards of the deck. Then use "Burial from a Different Dimension" to return 3 monsters back to the grave for "Dark Armed Dragon".


 * Be sure to add "Allure of Darkness" to increase your chances of drawing "Dark Armed Dragon"


 * This card works well with "Cold Wave". You can destroy your opponent's spell and traps that will not activate.


 * If you remove from play a powerful DARK monster to destroy an opponents card, you can use "Escape from the Dark Dimension" to bring it back for some extra damage.


 * If you already have the three monster requirement to summon "Dark Armed Dragon", you can Special Summon him. and ,depending on your hand, summon "Armageddon Knight" or "Dark Grepher" to add more DARK monsters to your Graveyard for more fodder to destroy your opponent's cards.


 * Once you have achieved the summoning requirement, prevent your other monsters from being destroyed with cards like "Negate Attack".


 * "Soul Release" can ensure the exact amount of DARK monsters in your graveyard.


 * Use "Montage Dragon" to send 3 DARK monsters to the graveyard.


 * Use "Soul Absorption" to gain a quick 500 LP each time you use this card's effect.


 * This card works well with the "Infernity" archetype, since you can easily manipulate the number of monsters in the Graveyard with "Infernity Mirage", "Infernity Launcher" and "Infernity Necromancer". This can help clear the field for an Infernity OTK.


 * You can quickly get "Dark Armed Dragon" from your deck to your hand by dumping him via "Armageddon Knight" or other methods, and then return him to your hand via "Monster Reincarnation, or even "A Feather of the Phoenix", provided you have drawing methods. With use of a card like "Dark World Dealings", you can even dump a second monster in the Graveyard in the process of getting him into your hand.


 * When you meet the requirement to summon Dark Armed Dragon, you can use A Wingbeat of a Giant Dragon to destroy your opponent's spell and trap cards then special summon Dark Armed Dragon again and destroy your opponent's monsters with Dark Armed Dragon's effect.


 * "Dark Armed Dragon" is more ideal to use in a "Vayusworn" due to the fact that "Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor" can help you regulate the amount of DARK-Attribute Monsters in the Graveyard allowing you to Special Summon him much easier, given that you get him to your hand fast enough.

Stopping "Dark Armed Dragon"

 * To be summoned, "Dark Armed Dragon" needs 3 DARK monsters in the Graveyard. To activate its destruction effect, it has to be able to Remove Monsters From Play from the Graveyard. "Imperial Iron Wall" can counter its effect.


 * "The End of Anubis" and "Necrovalley" prevent Graveyard manipulation.


 * "Dimensional Fissure" and "Macro Cosmos" prevents monsters from entering the Graveyard, thus preventing both summoning (if the opponent doesn't have 3 DARK monsters) or further destruction if "Dark Armed Dragon" is already in play.


 * "Soul Release" removes Graveyard cards from play, preventing both summoning and destruction.


 * "Truckroid" and "Sword Hunter" extract their victims from the Graveyard to increase their own attack power by using them as Equip Spell Cards, preventing both summoning and destruction.


 * "Magical Thorn" makes your opponent suffer for sending cards to the Graveyard via Effect Damage per card.


 * When "Koa'ki Meiru Drago" is face up on the field LIGHT and DARK Monsters can't be Special Summoned so "Dark Armed Dragon" can't be summoned.


 * Summon "Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer" and equip him with "Mist Body".  Kycoo's effect will prevent your opponent from removing cards from play in their own graveyard, ergo they will not be able to activate Dark Armed Dragon's effect to destroy cards on the field, unless your opponent activates "Heavy Storm", "Mystical Space Typhoon", "Giant Trunade" or "Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier" first.


 * "Heart of Clear Water" will defend your monster from both attack and effect of "Dark Armed Dragon.


 * "Book of Moon" will not stop his effect, but "Dark Armed Dragon" has only 1000 DEF meaning most monsters can destroy it.


 * You can use "A Major Upset to stop this card. This only makes sense if the number of DARK monsters in graveyard changed and your opponent won't be able to just resummon his "Dark Armed Dragon". For instance, you can activate "A Major Upset" as a chain to your opponent destroying it with "Dark Armed Dragon"'s effect.
 * Be warned, however, as this requires a level 1 or 2 monster.


 * Block the summoning of "Dark Armed Dragon" by playing "Consecrated Light".


 * "Royal Oppression", "Solemn Judgment", "Black Horn of Heaven" and other counter cards can be used to negate the summon. "Divine Wrath" can negate its effect and destroy it.

Traditional Format

 * This card can be searched via "Witch of the Black Forest".


 * This card works well in a "Chaos" deck dedicated to "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End" and "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning", since both will manipulate the amount of DARK monsters in your Graveyard while swarming the field with strong monsters.


 * Combine this card with "Dimension Fusion".