Dinosaur

Various Dinosaur-Type monsters in the artwork of "Lost World".

Japanese

恐 (きょう) 竜 (りゅう)

Japanese (ruby)

きょうりゅう

Japanese (base text)

恐竜

Japanese (romanized)

Kyōryū

English

Dinosaur

Other names
French: Dinosaure German: Dinosaurier Italian: Dinosauro Portuguese: Dinossauro Spanish: Dinosaurio Korean: 공룡 (恐龍) Gongnyong Traditional Chinese: 恐龍 Kǒnglóng / Hung2 lung4 Simplified Chinese: 恐龙 Kǒnglóng Arabic: ديناصور

Appears in (anime)

Appears in (manga)

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Lists

Dinosaur (Japanese: 恐 (きょう) 竜 (りゅう) Kyōryū) is a type of monster that primarily relies on beatdown tactics and sometimes Monster effects, to help a Duelist prevail in a Duel. There are many high-level Dinosaur-Type monsters, so the general strategy for them is to Summon their high-Level monsters as quickly as possible using cards like "Hunting Instinct" or "Big Evolution Pill", overpowering the opponent's weaker monsters before they have a chance to defend themselves. Dinosaurs are predominantly EARTH-Attribute monsters (most of those that are or resemble Pterosaurs are WIND), but the release of the "Jurrac" Archetype led to a surge of FIRE Dinosaur-Type monsters, continued with the "Evolsaur" archetype, "Number 61: Volcasaurus", and "Pyrorex the Elemental Lord". Dinosaur cards are most notably played by Rex Raptor, Tyranno Hassleberry, Scorch and Chills, George Gore and Kan Hakubutsu.

In the Falsebound Kingdom, Dinosaur-Type monsters are treated as Dragon-Type monsters.

Archetypes/Series[]

Playing style[]

Dinosaur-Type monsters are rivaled by few (including extremely powerful Nomi monsters, high-Level Fusion Monsters, or Dragons) in terms of overwhelming brute force and attack strength. They possess the first (and for a long time only and still the only non-"Kaiju") monster that completely breaks the rule of 3000 ATK, "Super Conductor Tyranno"; their Field Spell Card "Jurassic World" grants a higher ATK and DEF bonus than any other for specific Monster Types; and they have a powerful searcher, "Fossil Dig", a Spell Card that can add any Level 6 or lower Dinosaur-Type monster from the Deck to the hand. They also possess an Elemental Lord monster, "Pyrorex the Elemental Lord". In addition, Dinosaurs can search monsters through "Miracle Jurassic Egg", which builds up counters to be Tributed for a big Dinosaur-Type monster, or "Babycerasaurus", which combos well with "Torrential Tribute" or "Dark Hole". Unlike other Monster Types in which high-Level monsters risk being useless in the hand, Dinosaur-Type monsters have numerous options for getting around Tribute requirements that make high-Level monsters the bread and butter of the Deck. Dinosaurs and Dinosaur support also have a few powerful field clearing cards, most notably "Jurrac Meteor", "Volcanic Eruption", and "Jurrac Impact".

Jurrac, the first Dinosaur archetype, was released in Duel Terminal - Demon Roar God Revival!!, Duel Terminal - Champion of Chaos!!, Duel Terminal - Dragunity of the Hurricane!!, and Duel Terminal - Charge of the Genex!! in the OCG, while the TCG received them in in Hidden Arsenal 2, 3, and 4. Jurracs focus on battle and low-Level Special Summons, and encompassed all Dinosaur-Type Tuners and Synchro Monsters prior to the introduction of the Dinowrestler archetype.

Evol is a multi-Type archetype that contains the Dinosaur-Type "Evolsaur" monsters. The Reptile-Type "Evoltile" monsters Special Summon ('evolve into') "Evolsaur" monsters, triggering the Evolsaur effects. For example, if an "Evoltile" monster 'evolves' into "Evolsaur Diplo", it can destroy an opponent's Spell/Trap Card. The Dinosaur-Type "Evolsaur" monsters are primarily used as Xyz Materials for the Xyz Summon of Dragon-Type "Evolzar" monsters. For example, "Evolzar Laggia" requires 2 Level 4 Dinosaurs, and it can detach both its Xyz Materials to negate and destroy a Spell, Trap, Normal Summon, or Special Summon.

One unique Dinosaur-Type monster, "Tyranno Infinity", gains a massive 1000 ATK boost for each banished Dinosaur-Type monster, making Dinosaur-Type monsters viable even with the debilitating effects of "Macro Cosmos" and related cards. "Tyranno Infinity" also works extremely well with "Survival Instinct", "Miscellaneousaurus", and "Spacetime Transcendence"; such a combo can end games in one blow if used at the right time. "Babycerasaurus" or "Petiteranodon" can be combined with "Skull Lair" to simultaneously recruit and power up "Tyranno Infinity".

The release of the Dinosmasher's Fury Structure Deck provides and expands on two avenues of focus for Dinosaur-Type monsters in addition to their primary strategy of Summoning high-Level monsters; generating advantage through destroying their own cards, and Normal Monster support. Both have served as downplayed plays in the past.

Dinosaurs[]

Dinosaurs - Recommended cards

Extra Deck

Fusion Monsters

Synchro Monsters

Xyz Monsters

Dino-Rabbit[]

The release of "Evolzar Laggia" and "Evolzar Dolkka" provided two powerful control monsters for Dinosaur-Type decks to access. The most successful of these, and the first competitive, was Dino-Rabbit.

"Rescue Rabbit" can Summon two Level 4 Normal Dinosaurs from the Deck to Xyz Summon either "Evolzar Laggia", which can negate the Summon of a monster or the activation of a Spell/Trap Card, or "Evolzar Dolkka", which can negate the activation of monster effects. Through the use of either "Kabazauls" or "Megalosmasher X", the Deck can also access the "Bahamut Shark"/"Toadally Awesome" combo for further negation.

"Tour Guide from the Underworld" can also be used to make either "Leviair the Sea Dragon", (allowing for the swift retrieval of "Rescue Rabbit") "Number 17: Leviathan Dragon", "Wind-Up Zenmaines" or "Number 20: Giga-Brilliant".

True King Dinosaurs[]

The effects of "Babycerasaurus" and "Petiteranodon" allow a player to rapidly swarm the field with Level 4 Dinosaurs if triggered reliably, which can be accomplished using the effects of the "True King" monsters; primarily the EARTH "True King Lithosagym, the Disaster", as destroying the EARTH "Babycerasaurus" and "Petiteranodon" will allow the effect of "Lithosagym" to be used as its strongest. The Deck's Field Spell Card, "Dragonic Diagram", allows the player to destroy a card in their hand or field to search out a "True King", thereby generating excellent advantage.

The Summoned Dinosaurs can be used as Xyz Material to Xyz Summon "Evolzar Laggia and "Evolzar Dolkka", and later used to fuel the effect of "Miscellaneousaurus" or to Special Summon the Deck's Dinosaur boss monster: "Ultimate Conductor Tyranno", which can flip all monsters the opponent controls face-down, attack all monsters they control, and send face-down monsters that it battles to the Graveyard before damage calculation, while inflicting 1000 damage for each.