O.K. people. this is my first deck guide to a new archetype that has been topping a lot in the ocg. They are known as Shaddolls. Shaddolls are like puppets created out of darkness by Shaddoll Roots, and controlled by El-Shaddoll Nephilm. Shaddolls are very interesting, having 2 effects: a flip effect, and when they are sent to the graveyard bu a card effect They focus on control with their flip effects, and punishing the opponent for special summoning. Now, let's dive deeper into this archetype.
Shaddoll Lizard:
- Spoiler:
FLIP: You can target 1 monster on the field; destroy that target.
If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can send 1 "Shadoll" card from your Deck to the Graveyard, except "Shadoll Lizard". You can only use 1 "Shadoll Lizard" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
This is a good card, being able to pop a monster when it is flipped face up, and if it is sent to the grave by a card effect, it can bring another shadoll to the grave. This may sound bad, but trust me it doesnt.
Shaddoll Falcon
- Spoiler:
FLIP: You can target 1 "Shadoll" monster in your Graveyard, except "Shadoll Falcon"; Special Summon that target in face-down Defense Position.
If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard in face-down Defense Position. You can only use 1 "Shadoll Falcon" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Falcon helps win grind-it-out games. he also serves as your monster reborn for your shadoll monsters, plus, he is able to bring back any shadoll fusion monster, which is good.
Shaddoll Hedgehog
- Spoiler:
FLIP: You can add 1 "Shadoll" Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand.
If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can add 1 "Shadoll" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Shadoll Hedgehog". You can only use 1 "Shadoll Hedgehog" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
This is your searcher for your spells, traps, and your monsters. Not much else to say
Shaddoll Beast
- Spoiler:
FLIP: You can draw 2 cards, then discard 1 card.
If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can draw 1 card. You can only use 1 "Shaddoll Beast" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
This card can help draw you more cards. Plus, when you use it's flip effect, you can draw 2 cards, and you will be able to potentially discard a shaddoll, which in term, will give you its effect
Shaddoll Dragon
- Spoiler:
FLIP: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; return that target to the hand.
If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field; destroy that target. You can only use 1 "Shadoll Dragon" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Both of this monsters effects are really good. His flip effect will return an opponent's card, weather that be a spell, trap, or a monster, which can set your opponent back, and his effect to pop a spell or trap card when he is sent to the grave by a card effect is pretty nice also.
Now for the Boss Monsters:
El-Shaddoll Midrash
1 "Shaddoll" monster + 1 DARK monster
- Spoiler:
Must first be Fusion Summoned. Cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects. Neither player can Special Summon more than once per turn while this card is face-up on the field. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 "Shaddoll" Spell/Trap Card in your Graveyard; add that card to your hand.
This card wins games. It can't be destroyed by card effects, and it limits you and your opponent to only 1 special summon. This effect by itself, hurts a lot of decks that need that second special summon for either a 101, exciton knight, or one of their boss monsters. You may also be limited to only one special summon as well, but shaddolls don't really special summon that much so you should be fine
El-Shaddoll Nephilim
1 "Shaddoll" monster + 1 LIGHT monster
- Spoiler:
Must first be Fusion Summoned. If this card is Special Summoned: You can send 1 "Shaddoll" card from your Deck to the Graveyard. At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a Special Summoned monster: Destroy that monster. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 "Shaddoll" Spell/Trap Card in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.
This is another card that can win games. It can send any shaddoll from the deck to the grave when it is summoned to the field so you get that shaddolls effect. Plus, this card punishes your opponent for special summoning by destroying any special summoned monster at the start of the damage step. And if it does go to the grave, you can get back a shaddoll spell or trap in your graveyard.
El Shaddoll Grystal
1 "Shaddoll" monster + 1 FIRE monster
- Spoiler:
Must first be Fusion Summoned. When your opponent would Special Summon a monster(s): You can negate the Summon, and if you do, destroy it, then, send 1 "Shaddoll" card from your hand to the Graveyard. You can only use this effect of "El Shaddoll Grystal" once per turn. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 "Shaddoll" Spell/Trap Card in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand.
Another good boss monster for punishing your opponent for his/her first special summon, plus you get to send one shaddoll monster from your hand to the grave. Combo this with Midrash, and you pretty much stopped your opponent from special summoning.Now for spells:
Shaddoll Fusion
- Spoiler:
You can only activate 1 "Shaddoll Fusion" per turn. Fusion Summon 1 "Shaddoll" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or your side of the field as Fusion Materials. If your opponent controls a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, you can also use monsters from your Main Deck as Fusion Materials.
This is your polymerization, and it is very good. With the only con being using it only once per turn, but what you gain from it is worth it. Being able to use monsters from the deck so you don't lose hand advantage if your opponent has a monster special summoned from the extra deck out, and you not only get out one of your boss monsters, but you get the effect of any shaddoll monster you use.
Cursed Shadow's Snare
- Spoiler:
Each time a "Shaddoll" monster(s) is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, place 1 Spellstone Counter on this card for each of those monsters. During your opponent's turn only, all monsters they control lose 100 ATK for each Spellstone Counter on this card. If you would Fusion Summon a "Shaddoll" Fusion Monster, you can remove 3 Spellstone Counters from this card to use 1 face-up monster your opponent controls as a Fusion Material Monster.
The field spell does have a good effect, being able to add counters when any shaddoll monster is sent to the grave by a card effect, (which will happen a lot), but it is still suspectable to cards like MST, and other spell/trap destroying cards, plus, until shaddolls get different attribute fusions, I don't beleive this card can have a place in the main deck.
El Shaddoll Fusion
- Spoiler:
Fusion Summon 1 "Shaddoll" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or your side of the field as Fusion Material Monsters. You can only activate 1 "El Shaddoll Fusion" per turn.
Well now shaddolls have a quick-play fusion card. This will help not only get by the only once per turn use of shaddoll fusion, this will also help get out another shadoll fusion on the very same turn, or on your opponents turn, but sadly, for obvious reasons, it's only once per turn.
Now the traps:
Shaddoll Roots
- Spoiler:
Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster (Spellcaster-Type/DARK/Level 9/ATK 1450/DEF 1950). (This card is also still a Trap Card.) If Summoned this way, you can substitute this card for any 1 Attribute Fusion Material Monster listed on a "Shadoll" Fusion Monster. If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can target 1 "Shadoll" Spell/Trap Card in your Graveyard, except "Shadoll Roots"; add that target to your hand.
This card can substitute for any attribute needed for a shadoll fusion monster, plus when it does get fused, you can recycle the shadoll fusion that you just used, so you don't have to try and grind it out for another, unless you already had one in your hand
Facing the Shadows
- Spoiler:
Send 1 "Shaddoll" card from your Deck to the Graveyard, then you can change any number of face-down Defense Position "Shaddoll" monsters you control to face-up Defense Position.
This card is pretty good but until we get more shaddoll monsters, this card wont be used that much, yea it does have a good effect, but it will be a terrible topdeck when you dont have the advantage
Well, that's it for the archetype, now lets look at some cards that can help this deck out I shouldn't have to post these cards because you should know them:
Armageddon Knight
This card speeds up the deck by sending any Shaddoll monster to the grave, which does indeed get their effect off, and it can be used as material for middrash
Electromagnetic Turtle
I personally like having this tech for a few reasons, the first reason is that it can stop any battle phase, which in terms can save your middrash, or even stop a game winning direct attack, giving you another turn to try and come back, plus being a light monster, it can also be used as fusion material for nephilim
Rainbow Kuriboh
this card has a few uses in this deck, the first being able to equip itself to an attacking monster, which may use up one of your spell and trap zones, but could have possibly saved your middrash, or saved you from a loss, and when it does get destroyed, it can be brought back to stop a direct attack
Secret Sect Druid Dru
This isn't that bad of a tech choice actually. It is able to give you a quick rank 4, the only problem is that is has only 1 target, which is shaddoll dragon, which has 0 defense
Dark Creator
This is another nice tech, getting out dark creator allows you to reuse whatever cards you want to in your grave, and re summon your boss monsters from the grave so you don't have to waste resources trying to get another middrash or nephilim, plus it has 3000 def which can help protect you for a little while
Super Poly
I would only advise siding in this card against mirror matches because being able to super poly into a middrash, using your opponents middrash is pretty nice
Arcanite Magician
Yes, this can be run in here, because the shaddoll monsters are spellcasters
Foolish Burial
Used for getting shaddoll in grave
Polymerization
With Shaddoll Fusion limited to only once per turn, we may need the regular poly for some help to push for game
A/D Changer
Allows a first turn flip effect for shaddolls, not good in the hand, but easy to get out of the hand though being used as fusion material for Nephilim
Different Dimension Ground
Can be really useful in mirror matches, since it banishes any card sent to the grave for the turn it is activated, your opponent will not be able to get the shaddolls effects, and they potentially lose one of their shaddoll fusion
Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord
Another good card to side in. Since it is able to pretty much sends all monsters in your graveyard to your deck, you will be able to potentially reset your plays with shaddolls
Black Luster soldier Envoy of the beginning
This is another good tech card, because you will be having light and dark monsters in the grave, and this card has 3000 atk and can attack again once it destroys a monster in battle, and can be used to push for game
Raiden, Lightsworn Assailant
This card can mill 2 for its effect, and mill 2 at the end, which can potentially give you more shaddoll effects, plus being a level 4 tuner, it can open up more synchro plays
Book of Moon
Can flip any shaddoll monster you have so you can reuse its effect, or you can use it to stop an opponents monster from attacking
Retort
A pretty amazing card to side in mirror matches. This card not only allows you to negate a shaddoll fusion your opponent plays, but can add a shaddoll fusion from your graveyard, back to your hand. It stops your opponents plays, and then can start up yours.
Kaiser Colosseum
This card really works well with this deck, since you will be setting a lot, and getting your hand ready for a huge push, you will need all the help you can get, and this card will help slow down the duel in your favor, limiting your opponent to only a certain amount of monsters as you use your shaddolls flip effects to get ready for game.
Secret Village of the Spellcasters
Since all of your shaddolls are spellcasters, this field spell might be your substitute for Cursed Shadow's Snare until shaddolls get more fusions. This card will limit your opponent from using his/her spells as long as you have a spellcaster on the field, but if you don't you can't use any either, so be aware of that if you will use this
Minerva, Lightsworn Maiden
This card gives you more synchro plays and when it is used for Nephilim, you get to send the top card in your deck to the grave.
Now for Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Can control the field
Midrash wins games by itself
Nephilim punishes special summon heavy decks
Shaddoll Fusion gets a boss monster and shaddoll effects
Falcon is a monster reborn
Locks a lot of meta decks out of special summoning
Has a lot of versatility
Can win a grind-it-out game
The future Midrash, Grystal Limitations
Cons:
takes a little to get going
Each monster gets only 1 effect per turn
Gets hurt by SIM
Shaddoll Fusion can only be activated once per turn
Gets wrecked by faster special summoning decks without middrash on the field
Field spell is useless at the moment with only a LIGHT and DARK fusion
Looking at the current Pros and cons that I have encountered so far, the pros far out way the cons, is this a good deck? Definitely! Are they easy to play? I wouldn't say easy, but not all that hard either
I will be updating this guide every chance I get, and when more support for this archetype is released.
i hope you all enjoyed reading my first and hopefully many more deck guides.
Please no negativity, only suggestions to make this guide even better ^^
I hope to see more Shaddoll players soon!
Subject: Shadoll Deck Discussion 
