Red-Eyes

"Red-Eyes" (レッドアイズ Reddoaizu) is an archetype of Dragon-Type monsters used most notably by Joey Wheeler in Yu-Gi-Oh! and Atticus Rhodes in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.

The archetype is based mainly on supporting the original member, "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" (often given as "Red-Eyes Black Dragon"), who, according to the anime, was created to rival the strength of "Blue-Eyes White Dragon". The first Yu-Gi-Oh! movie stated that while "Blue-Eyes" brings power, "Red-Eyes" brings potential.

"Red-Eyes B. Chick" is not a "Red-Eyes" card because it does not have 「レッドアイズ」 in its Japanese name, and as such most, if not all, "Red-Eyes" support cards specifically exclude it.

Appearances
In the first movie Shougo Aoyama got a "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" card, but was too timid to use it. Yugi Muto uses it against Seto Kaiba for Shougo. He demonstrates how "Red-Eyes" brings potential by fusing it with "Meteor Dragon" to Summon "Meteor Black Dragon".

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and anime "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" became one of the signature cards of Joey Wheeler after he won it from Rex Raptor in Duelist Kingdom. Joey used it and a few of its support cards throughout the series.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Nightshroud and Atticus Rhodes use a "Red-Eyes Deck", including a number of "Red-Eyes" cards and their support.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D Bonds Beyond Time, Paradox used the "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" to Summon "Malefic Red-Eyes Black Dragon".

In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" appeared as a statue as one of the legendary monsters and Roku played a "Statue" version of it in a Statue Duel against Yuma Tsukumo.

History
Among the first ever released Structure Decks is Structure Deck: Dragon's Roar, which focuses on mainly on "LV" monsters and powering up "Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon" by sending Dragon-Type monsters to the Graveyard. This combined with the "Cyberdark" archetype much later in the ''Yu-Gi-Oh! GX'' era.

Prior to the release of the "Dragon Rulers", "Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon" and "Red-Eyes Wyvern" made the "Hopeless Dragon" Deck and its more aggressive counterpart, "Disaster Dragon", possible, using multiple copies of "Darkness Metal Dragon" to swarm the field until it was Limited.

With the release of Clash of Rebellions, new "Red-Eyes" support based on Gemini monsters and effect damage was introduced. This contrasted with the "Performage" archetype's ability to avoid opposing effect damage and the "D/D" archetype's ability to modify LP to gain advantage.

Playing style
"The Black Stone of Legend" can alternate each turn between Special Summoning a "Red-Eyes" monster from the Main Deck, and returning itself to the hand and a "Red-Eyes" monster to the Deck. This same process can be done with "Dark Factory of Mass Production" and with a Pendulum Summon can potentially Xyz Summon multiple "Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragons".

Searching with "Summoner's Art" and dumping "Red-Eyes" monsters from the hand with "Cards of the Red Stone" can help fuel the secondary effect of "Flare Metal Dragon". "Queen Dragun Djinn" and "Return of the Red-Eyes" are best used after setting up the Graveyard and behind a big Dragon-Type.

"Black Metal Dragon" can equip to a "Red-Eyes" monster for an ATK boost and can search for a "Red-Eyes" card when sent to the Graveyard. The effects of "Black Stone" and "Black Metal" are repeatable through "Kinka-Byo" or "Junk Synchron", both being Level 1 monsters.

The "Red-Eyes Fusion" card seems powerful and is even searchable through "Black Metal Dragon". However, "Summoned Skull" or "Beast of Talwar" are required for "Red-Eyes Fusion" to work to its full potential, as neither "Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning" nor "Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon" are treated as Normal Monsters in the Deck, as they are Gemini Monsters.

"Odd-Eyes Fusion" is a viable substitute to Fusion Summon "Archfiend Black Skull Dragon", while the two "Red-Eyes" Gemini are considered Normal Monsters on the field.

Released at the same time as "Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon" and has some synergy with the Level/Rank 7 focus of the "Odd-Eyes" archetype.

The "Hieratic" archetype can Summon "Ultimaya Tzolkin" to swarm the field with Level 7-8 Synchro Dragon-Type monsters in the same style as the Dragon Draw engine of "Blue-Eyes". "Tzolkin" can also be Summoned using "Accel Synchron".

As mentioned above, "Junk Synchron" can Special Summon either Level 1s from Graveyard and potentially be used to Synchro Summon "Herald of the Arc Light". "Arc Light" can negate a card effect by Tributing itself; when it is sent to the Graveyard, it can search for either "Paladin of Dark Dragon","Lord of the Red", or their Ritual Spell Cards. The former monster can Tribute itself to Summon a "Red-Eyes" monster from the Deck, usually "Darkness Metal Dragon", and its Ritual Spell can be banished to search for any "Red-Eyes" Spell or Trap Card. The latter monster offers excellent field control by punishing an opponent for making plays by destroying their cards. Combined with "Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands" makes a Rank 4 strategy for "Queen Dragun Djinn" and a few other Xyz Monsters depending on preference.