(March 2013 Advanced TCG/OCG Format)
Key Image:
About Red-Eyes Black Dragon:
On March 8, 2002, Konami released Legend of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, a booster pack that, in turn, introduced the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game to the world. Among the 103 cards in the set that laid the foundation of the meta-game as we know it, Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician—the symbols of Seto Kaiba and Yugi Muto, respectively—received great attention by the earliest real-world duelists.
Over the next eleven years, the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe ballooned from an original number of 103 to the modern total of 6133 cards. As the modern ban-list took shape, hundreds of archetypes and play styles emerged, dominated, and died. Support cards were introduced for many of the TV show’s iconic cards, including Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Yugi’s Dark Magician.
While the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, a Level 8 Light monster with impressive 3000 ATK and 2500 DEF, accumulated access to powerful and exclusive game-changing support like Blue-Eyed Maiden, Trade-In, and White Stone of Legend; the Dark Magician, a Level 7 Dark monster with 2500 ATK and 2100 DEF, received valuable assistance from exclusive cards like Dark Magic Curtain, Dark Magic Attack, and Sage’s Stone. All of these cards (though Blue-Eyes and its support more so) are viable for the modern competitive format.
In the shadows of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card set, there exists another dragon that has largely gone unnoticed by serious real-world duelists. Red-Eyes Black Dragon, a Level 7 Dark monster with 2400 ATK and 2000 DEF, deserves some limelight after more than a decade of competitive neglect. While Red-Eyes accumulated minor direct support over the past eleven years, the Black Dragon of Potential (and of Yugi’s sidekick, Joey) received crucial indirect support from the latest booster sets (Lord of the Tachyon Galaxy, Judgment of the Light, and Shadow Specters).
The Red-Eyes Black Dragon’s Fiery Ascent is my counterpart to the newest Blue-Eyes White Dragon structure deck. Since I released this deck profile 4 days ago, this deck has undergone numerous revisions. This is the latest version of my original model. I encourage you to use it so that you can build on Red-Eyes’s nostalgic power! (Special thanks to XyRiya of YGOPro for helping me improve this deck)
Deck Screenshot (Revised):
The Red-Eyes Black Dragon’s Fiery Ascent |
| Main Deck [40] | Side Deck [15] |
Monsters [21]
2 Eclipse Wyvern
2 Effect Veiler
2 Genex Ally Birdman
2 Harpie Dancer
2 Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts
2 Maxx “C”
2 Red-Eyes Black Dragon
1 Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon
3 Red-Eyes Wyvern
3 Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms
Spells [12]
1 Dark Hole
2 Divine Wind of Mist Valley
3 Dragon’s Mausoleum
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mind Control
1 Monster Reborn
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Sacred Sword of Seven Stars
Traps [7]
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
1 Dragon’s Soul Castle
2 Fiendish Chain | 1 A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon
1 Breakthrough Skill
1 Dark Simorgh
1 Draconnection
2 Dragon’s Reincarnation
2 Eradicator Epidemic Virus
2 Harpie Channeler
2 Light-Imprisoning Mirror
1 Mistake
1 Super Rejuvenation |
| Extra Deck [15] |
1 Ancient Fairy Dragon
1 Armades, Keeper of Illusions
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Celestial Dragon
1 Daigusto Emeral
1 Exploder Dragonwing
1 Iron Chain Dragon
1 Lavalval Chain
1 Lightning Chidori
1 Maestroke, the Symphony Djinn
1 Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack
1 Number 11: Big Eye
1 Number 39: Utopia
1 Number 74: Keeper of Blades
1 Stardust Dragon |
How It Works:
Fiery Ascent is an aggressive control swarming deck that relies on a graveyard occupied by Red-Eyes Black Dragon (REBD), Red-Eyes Wyvern (REW), and Eclipse Wyvern (EW) and a hand occupied by Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms and Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts to summon Number 11: Big Eye and Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack. While Maxx “C” helps Red-Eyes maintain hand advantage/consistency, Effect Veiler adds control by negating enemy effect monsters.
Dragon’s Mausoleum is the Foolish Burial of the deck that makes one-turn REBD summons possible. By sending 1 REBD from the deck to the graveyard via Mausoleum’s effect, a player can send 1 other dragon-type monster (preferably REW or EW) from the deck to the graveyard. If the player opts out of summoning that turn, (s)he can then banish REW from the graveyard to summon that REBD from the graveyard. An EW in the graveyard allows for the quick isolation of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (REDMD) from the deck. By banishing EW from the Graveyard via Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms’s effect, REDMD is added to the hand, setting up massive swarms if the graveyard has enough dragons.
Deck Strategy:
Red-Eyes Black Dragon possesses several subtle advantages over its Blue-Eyes counterpart:
1. Red-Eyes Black Dragon is Level 7, giving it prime access to the best XYZ monsters in the game, Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack and Number 11: Big Eye.
2. It has access to Red-Eyes Wyvern, which can instantly summon the Black Dragon from the graveyard when combined with Dragon’s Mausoleum.
3. It has great synergy with Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms and Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts. First, Tempest (also Level 7) can help Red-Eyes churn out Big Eyes or Dracossacks on a whim. Second, when Tempest is banished, you can use it to search for Red-Eyes Wyvern. Third, Lightning helps you send that Red-Eyes Wyvern to the graveyard so you can activate its effect in the End Phase.
Meanwhile, the goal of this deck is simple:
1. To send Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the graveyard so you can special summon it from the graveyard.
2. To use Red-Eyes Black Dragon as XYZ material for Number 11: Big Eye
This deck includeds a Divine Wind of Mist Valley/Genex Ally Birdman/Harpie Dancer engine that brings Wind monsters (like Red-Eyes Wyvern) onto the field faster than ever. This, in turn, accelerates XYZ summons of monsters like Lightning Chidori.
Sacred Sword of Seven Stars exists to increase draw power and make Red-Eyes Black Dragons and Tempests useful in the hand.
Other Main Deck Tech/Key Cards:
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device – A trap card that returns a monster from the field to the hand (or Extra Deck). Works wonders against noncooperative Synchro monsters like Stardust Dragon and persistent XYZ monsters like Wind-Up Zenmaines and Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack.
2 Debris Dragon—Used for instant Synchro Summons and as XYZ material for Lightning Chidori.
3 Dragon’s Mausoleum—A double-Foolish Burial for dragons. Makes for instant Red-Eyes Black Dragon summons when combined with Red-Eyes Wyvern.
2 Eclipse Wyvern—Used to isolate Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from the deck so you can add it to the hand once this card is banished from the graveyard. Synergizes extremely well with Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms.
2 Effect Veiler – A level 1 LIGHT tuner that can be sent from the hand to the graveyard during the opponent’s main phase to negate an opposing monster’s effect until the end phase. An Effect Veiler in the hand catches opponents off-guard by making enemy effect monsters useless for a turn. It can also be used as synchro material in a pinch. A necessary tool for stopping opposing Big Eyes and Dracossacks.
1 Inferno Fire Blast—Instant 2400 damage to your opponent if you control Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Enough said.
2 Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts—Use this card to bring out Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms. Works really well with Eclipse Wyvern and Red-Eyes Wyvern.
2 Maxx “C” – Supplements Effect Veiler against special-summon-heavy decks like Karakuris and Six Samurais. Discourages special summoning in Dragon Ruler match-ups. Maxx “C” also enhances the draw power of this deck.
1 Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon—A Monster Reborn for Dragons that can be revived with Red-Eyes Wyvern. Checkmate.
3 Red-Eyes Wyvern—The graveyard’s Monster Reborn for Red-Eyes cards that is also Rank 4 XYZ material, a Wind monster that can be used to summon Lightning Chidori, and an 1800-ATK beatstick. Yes, please.
2 Summoner Monk—Gets rid of an unwanted spell card in the hand to summon another Level 4 monster from the deck. Makes for instant Rank 4 XYZ summons.
3 Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms—Has four different effects that make this deck playable. It’s also a Level 7 monster that can be used to XYZ summon Number 11: Big Eye or Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack.
Side Deck Tech:
1 A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon, 1 Super Rejuvenation, 1 Inferno Fire Blast, 1 Draconnection—to take advantage of the 5 high-level dragons in the main deck.
1 Dark Simorgh—to combat decks that rely on setting cards.
2 Eradicator Epidemic Virus—Tribute 1 Dark monster with 2500 or more attack to destroy all enemy Spell/Trap cards. Affects the opponent’s field and hand for 3 turns. When coupled with Big Eye or Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, EEV is unstoppable. The best card in the extra deck, it shuts down Prophecy and other spell/trap-heavy decks.
2 Harpie Channeler—to set up plays with Lightning Chidori and Harpie Dancer.
2 Light-Imprisoning Mirrors – Stops enemy LIGHT-based decks, like Bujins, Agents, and most importantly, the Herald of Perfection.
1 Mistake – A trap that will be released in the OCG that stops the adding of cards from the deck to the hand. Supplements Droll & Lock Bird and Thunder King Rai-Oh and best used against Prophecy and Dragon Rulers.
Extra Deck:
1 Black Rose Dragon—a free field wipe and a level 7 monster that can be used as XYZ material for Big Eye and Dracossack.
1 Daigusto Emeral—Use this card to special summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the graveyard. Enough said.
1 Lavalval Chain—Use this card to send Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Red-Eyes Wyvern, Eclipse Wyvern, or Tempest from the deck to the graveyard. Enough said.
1 Lightning Chidori—Use this card when you have both Debris Dragon and Red-Eyes Wyvern on the field. Can turn the game around when you don’t have Compulsory Evacuation Device.
1 Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack—An impenetrable wall with token support. Can be used to destroy enemy cards on the field in a pinch. A Wind monster, it can be used to summon Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms.
1 Number 11: Big Eye—“Change of Heart” in monster form. The glue of this deck and fodder for DDV and EEV.
Subject: The Red-Eyes Black Dragon's Fiery Ascent 
