Raven Zecrow 
 
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|  Subject: Blackwings Deck Guide Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:07 am#1 | |
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Blackwings Deck Guide
Overview:
No one can forget our feathered warriors that debuted in Japan in 2008 and took the game by storm. Though they've fallen off the meta and are no longer considered a competitive threat, these bashful birds are back in black and with their new support that was recently released, they're looking to make a come back.
Some even say that the Blackwings are the "Synchro" equivalent to the Raid Raptors that focus their tactics on quick Xyz summoning. This statement makes more sense when you look at their similarities (such as both of them being DARK attribute decks that are filled with Winged-Beast monsters).
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General Outlook:
- This archetype consists of all DARK attributed Winged-Beast monsters.
- Their primary focus is rapid swarming and going into their ace Synchro Monsters to OTK their enemies.
- They have over numerous different monsters, spells, and traps in the archetype that give the deck variety and make them difficult to predict.
- They can be combined with the Raid Raptors Archetype to utilize their Xyz monsters such as Force Strix.
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Main Archetype Cards:
NOTE: We'll be starting with the newest additions to the deck that were released this March. Also, I'll only be going over the most useful of the Blackwing Cards since the deck contains so many monsters so I'll be leaving out alot of cards. Monster Cards: - Show Cards:
Blackwing - Kris the Crack of Dawn
[Winged-Beast] [Lvl 4] [Dark] [1900/300] - Quote :
- If you control a "Blackwing" monster other than "Blackwing - Kris the Crack of Dawn", you can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can only Special Summon "Blackwing - Kris the Crack of Dawn" once per turn this way. Once per turn, this card cannot be destroyed by Spell/Trap effects.
Shura's replacement and the new Ace of the Blackwings. With 1900 ATK to use with Whirlwind and protection from bottomless, it's basically everything Shura was supposed to be. What really sells this card is its ability to SS with another BW, easily allowing you to OTK your enemies when you have Bora + Gale + Shura + Kalut. This card should always be ran at 3 copies in any Blackwing build. It's just that good. Blackwing - Pinaki the Waxing Moon
[Winged-Beast] [Tuner] [Lvl 3] [Dark] [1200/1000]  - Quote :
- Cannot be used as a Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Blackwing" monster. During the End Phase, if this card is in the Graveyard because it was sent there from the field this turn: You can add 1 "Blackwing" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Blackwing - Pinaka the Waxing Moon". You can only use this effect of "Blackwing - Pinaka the Waxing Moon" once per turn.
Whirlwind in Monster form. Though it does have restrictions (such as only being able to bring out a Blackwing Synchro), this card alone has given BW's a huge boost in consistency with its ability to search any Blackwing monster in your deck. Not only can you use its effect after you Synchro to get a free search, you can also use it as fodder for Icarus to pop two back row and then get a free card ready to be used the following turn. Despite it's overall effectiveness, you wouldn't want to draw this card in your opening hand so running 1-2 is fine. Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame [Winged-Beast] [Lvl 4] [Dark] [1800/1200] - Quote :
- When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Blackwing" monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck, but its effects are negated.
The previous ace beater of the deck and the only battle searcher of the Archetype. Due to Shura lacking the ability to SS itself to the field, it's also one of the slower cards of the deck but its definitely still a good card to run at least two copies of. It can usually bull doze through set monsters and allow you to instant Synchro with Gale into a Level 7 (usually Armor Master). Now with Pinaki taking Gale's place as the Level 3 Tuner, you can get a free search after you Synchro and keep your hand advantage. While before running 3 copies of this guy wasn't even a question, Kris's appearance in the deck has reduced him to 2 copies at the most. Blackwing - Bora the Spear [Winged-Beast] [Lvl 4] [Dark] [1700/800] - Quote :
- If you control a "Blackwing" monster other than "Blackwing - Bora the Spear", you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.
One of the star players of the deck and one of the two Piercers of the archetype. Though it doesn't have any unique special effects like his brothers, Bora remains one of the decks trump cards when going for an OTK as it can SS itself as many times as long as you control a different Blackwing on the field. Not only that, but it also combos well with its brethren and you can either instant Synchro into a Level 7 or Xyz into a Level 4. It's piercing damage is also very helpful to inflict extra damage, making OTK'ing your opponent simpler. 3 copies of this guy should always be in the deck. Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite [Winged-Beast] [Lvl 4] [Dark] [1600/1000] - Quote :
- If this card is in your Graveyard: You can return 1 face-up card you control to the hand; Special Summon this card, and if you do, take 400 damage. You can only use this effect of "Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite" once per Duel.
A one-off card that has quite the nifty ability of bouncing any face-up card (Yes, even spell and trap cards) back to your hand. If you're smart, you can use this card in all sorts of ways to recycle cards you normally couldn't (such as Fiendish Chain as it remains face-up on the field even when the monster is gone). Sadly, it's effect can only be used once and since it can't SS itself, it's usefulness isn't enough to have more than 1 copy in the deck. Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow[Winged-Beast] [Lvl 3] [Dark] [1400/1000] - Quote :
- During either player's Damage Step, when a "Blackwing" monster you control is attacking or being attacked: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; that monster [url=#]GAINS
 [/url] 1400 ATK until the end of this turn. The Honest of the deck and without a doubt it's most valuable card that has led countless BW players to victory. Despite its low ATK and inability to do anything useful on the field, Kalut is easily the deck's trump card whenever your BW monsters have no back row protection. It can turn a normally weak Blackwing into a heavy hitter in an instant. Along with that, this card can easily open a path for you to OTK your enemies, especially if you have more than one copy in you hand. This card must absolutely always be ran at 3 copies no matter what, it's too damn good not to be. Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind [Winged-Beast] [Tuner] [Lvl 3] [Dark] [1300/400] - Quote :
- If you control a "Blackwing" monster other than "Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind", you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; that target's ATK and DEF become half its current ATK and DEF.
There's a specific reason why Konami felt the need to Limit this card at 1 for such a long time. Now with the meta being as quick as it is, Gale's return at 3 copies has made it an irreplaceable card in a Blackwing Deck. With its ability to SS itself and its broken ability to turn any monster with 2500 ATK or less into a fodder monster, this card does its duty nicely. With Shura's effect, it can instant Synchro into a Level 7 and unlike Pinaki, it doesn't have to be restricted to a Blackwing Synchro. Some players believe that only two copies need to be ran but others disagree and believe 3 is its staple. It's a matter of preference so its your choice. Blackwing - Bora the Spear [Winged-Beast] [Tuner] [Lvl 2] [Dark] [1300/0] - Quote :
- Cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Blackwing" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in Defense Position.
Another one of our star players in this feathery deck. In a nutshell, this card can Instant Synchro up to Level 6 which makes it the perfect card to use when trying to bring out the newest Level 6 Blackwing Synchro Monster, since Armor Wing has been rendered obsolete in this new meta. It's major flaw is its inability to be Special Summoned meaning that you always have to Normal Summon it in order for its effect to take place, which can hinder the deck. While it used to be ran at 3, with the newest additions to the deck, you only need 2 copies in the deck, no more no less. Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall [Winged-Beast] [Tuner] [Lvl 1] [Dark] [400/600] - Quote :
- If you control a "Blackwing" monster other than "Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall", you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall" once per turn this way. If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material Monster: You can target 1 monster on the field; change that target's battle position.
An underrated card in the deck and when combined properly with Blizzard, can lead to one of the best combos in this deck. Like some of its brethren, Oroshi can SS itself and basically instant Synchro with most of the archetype, to their make a quick Level 5, 8, or 9 depending on what monsters you have on the field. Its effect of switching the BP of any monsters on the field after being used in a Synchro Summon can prove invaluable when trying to go for an OTK. Because of its low ATK, we finally have a card that can be searched with Blizzard when using Whirlwind and also complete the Blizzard combo by using it in conjunction with a Level 6 Synchro to bring out a Level 7. However, since the combo can only be done with Blizzard and this card is basically useless on the field without a plan, only 1 copy needs to be run.
Extra Deck Cards
NOTE: Like the Raid Raptors, the Blackwings ace monsters are related to its summoning method which in this case is Synchro Monsters. Blackwing Armor Wing was removed from this guide simply because it's no longer needed as the Level 6 Synchro monster and has been replaced by Nothung. - Show Cards:
Blackwing Armor Master[Winged-Beast] [Synchro] [Lvl 7] [Dark] [25001500/] - Quote :
- 1 "Blackwing" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle, and you take no battle damage from attacks involving this card. At the end of the Damage Step, if this card attacked a monster: You can place 1 Wedge Counter on that monster (max. 1). You can remove all Wedge Counters from your opponent's monsters; the ATK and DEF of those monsters that had Wedge Counters become 0 until the end of this turn. Besides being completely indestructible in battle, Armor Master still fills its role quite nicely as one of the deck's Ace monsters. Now that Pinaki can get you a free search when you summon this guy, you won't feel completely defenseless if your opponent bounces him back or D prison's him. The card itself is quite useful and now with Hawk Joe as the new Level 7 Synchro, the deck can finally bring out a Rank 7 Xyz monster that it usually couldn't. Unfortunately since the Extra Deck is so packed right now, 1 copy is all you should need anymore (but if you can find space, run 2).
Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe [Winged-Beast] [Synchro] [Lvl 7] [Dark] [2600/2000] - Quote :
- 1 "Blackwing" Tuner + 1 or more "Blackwing" non-Tuner monsters
You can target 1 Level 5 or higher Winged Beast-Type monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it. During either player's turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect that targets only this card, or when your opponent targets this card for an attack: You can target 1 other "Blackwing" monster you control that would be an appropriate target; that card/effect/attack now targets the new target. You can only use each effect of "Blackwing Tamer - Obsidian Hawk Joe" once per turn. Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you Monster Reborn Blackwing Style! In all seriousness though, this card here gives the BW's more than enough firepower to OTK their enemies with his recycle ability to bring back any Winged-Beast monster above Level 5 once per turn. Being a Level 7, this card replaces Armor Master as the instant Level 7 monster. Also, it can basically shield itself from any impending doom by targeting another BW monster on your side of the field. Despite the fact that this card slays, 1-2 copies are all it can afford at the moment. Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight [Winged-Beast] [Synchro] [Lvl 6] [Dark] [2400/1600] - Quote :
- 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Special Summoned: Inflict 800 damage to your opponent, then 1 face-up monster your opponent controls loses 800 ATK and DEF. You can only use this effect of "Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight" once per turn. During your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon 1 "Blackwing" monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only [url=#]gain[/url] this effect once per turn.) The Ace of the this deck that was released this month and has brought the BW's back to almost their former glory. With this cards release, Armor Wing has been rendered Obsolete and no longer needed to be included in BW builds anymore. Not only can it instantly inflict 800 points of damage when it's summoned (which in some cases equals game), but also its ability to Normal Summon another BW this turn has proven to be invaluable. By combining this card with Whirlwind and another BW above 1600 ATK points, it's even possible to devise an OTK strategy simply by him being on the field. Without a doubt, this card's number of copies has to be at least 2 in any Blackwing build.
Spell and Trap Cards - Show Cards:
Black Whirlwind [Spell] [Continuous] - Quote :
- When a "Blackwing" monster is Normal Summoned to your side of the field: You can add 1 "Blackwing" monster from your Deck to your hand with less ATK than that monster.
If you call yourself a Blackwing player, this card should never be ran at less than 3. It's impossible to play a Blackwing deck without this card since its one of the only reasons why Blackwing still remain as a somewhat strong deck. The biggest flaw of this card is well... the fact that there's no guarantee that you'll get it early in the match. Without it, BW's are unable to replenish their hands and can find themselves out of cards early in the game. Also, if you opponent knows anything about Blackwings, they'll most likely MST the moment its played without question. When this card was Limited to only 1 copy, BW's suffered a major blow that almost made the deck completely dead but now with Whirlwind at 3, let the swarming commence! Cards for Black Feathers
[Spell]  - Quote :
- Banish 1 "Blackwing" monster from your hand; draw 2 cards. You cannot Special Summon during the turn you activate this card. You can only activate 1 "Cards for Black Feathers" per turn.
My opinion on this card varies as while I do think its a great + 1 to keep consistency, its basically Allure of Darkness combined with the disadvantages of Pot of Duality. The problem with the card is the hindering ability to hault Special Summoning the turn you use it, which can greatly slow down a BW deck that lives off of Special Summons. Allure of Darkness is the much better substitute for this card but if you still feel like you want to run it, run only 1 copy. Black Sonic
[Trap]
- Quote :
- When an opponent's monster declares an attack on a "Blackwing" monster you control: Banish all face-up Attack Position monsters your opponent controls. If you control exactly 3 "Blackwing" monsters (and no other monsters), you can activate this card from your hand.
Some say this card is too good not to run, I strongly disagree. In my opinion, its too reliant on having a Blackwing on the field for it to be effective. Its basically the monster equivilant to Delta Crow and while its effect seems really good, it can do more harm than good. Not to mention, its completely useless when you don't have a Blackwing on the field and having a trap that is useless can bring about your down fall. If you absolutely feel the need to run this card, I'd only run 1-2 copies. Delta Crow - Anti Reverse
[Trap] - Quote :
- If you control a "Blackwing" monster, Destroy all face-down Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls. If you control exactly 3 "Blackwing" monsters, you can activate this card from your hand.
Usually, I'd say this card would need to be a staple in the deck but with the meta game as quick as it is, this card's usefulness has been reduced significantly. Like Black Sonic, it requires a Blackwing monster to be present on the field which means that if you don't have one, this card is worthless. Although, with Heavy Storm now back to being banned, nobody ever seems to run Starlight anymore so this card can definitely surprise anyone and make them regret not running a Starlight but at the same time, the opportunities to actually use this card are low. Not to mention, this card can end up as a dead draw late game so drawing it early is mandatory. I'd only consider running 1 copy and putting it in the side deck if your enemy relies on back row.
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Playing Style
"Blackwing" Decks focus on swarming. Because of that, they have an aggressive playing style. Also, because of their swarming capabilities, they give many opportunities to Synchro Summon (note that their trump cards are Synchro Monsters) and Xyz Summon.
Their support cards rely on their swarm abilities such as "Delta Crow - Anti Reverse", and "Black Sonic", which can both be activated from the hand when you control exactly 3 "Blackwing" monsters. Some of them take an advantage from “Blackwings” swarming abilities and support it such as "Black Whirlwind".
With the overwhelming amount of near forced synergy and powerful support cards, “Blackwings” are one of the easiest archetypes to play. This along with its overall power and relatively low cost nature made "Blackwings" one of the most powerful archetypes in the metagame. |
Useful Combos
Because the archetype has been around for such a long time, players have found many different ways to explore the hidden abilities of our feathered friends.
- Shura to Search Combo: One of my all time favorite combos to pull off. First, activate Shura the Blue Flame's battle search ability to bring out Pinaki in whatever position fits the current field. Then, in your Main Phase 2 Synchro summon into Armor Master. Then at the end of your turn, activate Pinaki's effect to obtain a free Blackwing monster in your deck of your choosing. Usually, I'd go with Blizzard so that next turn I have a back up plan if my Armor Master can't survive this turn.
- Shura to Level 8 Combo: A new combo I discovered not too long ago that involves Shura, Gale, and Oroshi. Once you have Shura on the field along with either Oroshi or Gale, use its effect to bring out the one you don't currently have and Synchro Summon into a Level 7. Then, use Synchro again thanks to Oroshi into any Level 8 of your choosing. I'd go with Beelze.
- Blizzard - Oroshi Tag Team Combo: One of if not the best combinations in this deck that uses Blizzard and Oroshi. If you have Whirlwind on the field, when you Summon Blizzard you'll be able to search for Oroshi and then using Blizzard's effect, instant Synchro into a Level 6 A.K.A, Nothung. Once Nothung is out, you can Special Summon Oroshi and Synchro again into Hawk Joe and use Joe's ability to recycle Nothung, giving you two heavy hitters that if played correctly, can lead to a perfect OTK.
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Weaknesses "Blackwings" have some problems maintaining hand and field advantage due to the overwhelming speed with which “Blackwings” are Summoned, a player can (and often will) find his/her hand depleting quickly, thus lacking resources in case his/her plans goes wrong, (such as in the case the opponent counters a massive Swarming with a mass-destruction card like "Torrential Tribute" or "Dark Hole"); however, with "Black Whirlwind" now unlimited again to ensure the player can always keep monsters in their hand, this situation will happen much less.
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Sample Deck
This is a sample deck that I created quickly just to get players started that aren't sure what to use. Of course, it needs serious adjusting to fit whatever play style you choose but it has all the basics you need to swarm your enemies and go for an OTK.
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