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[Apollo]

Themed after the famed Ancient Roman Colosseum slave-warriors, Gladiator Beasts have a truly rich history and not surprisingly, they are as merciless today as they were back in 264 BC. As a Decktype, Gladiator Beasts can come in various forms, And today I will sit down and lay out all the "do's" and "don'ts" of the Gladiator Beast archetype.

Lets start out by listing the important Gladiator cards available in the TCG, along with the Gladiator support cards and their effects and uses within a Gladiator Beast deck. I'd list every Gladiator Beast card, but I don't want to make this a long, boring tutorial.

Monsters:

Gladiator Beast Bestiari
Wind/Winged Beast/Effect
Level 4
1500/800
Text: When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Bestiari".

Without a doubt one of the most important cards in a Gladiator Beast deck. His ability to give an instant +1, along with his ability to contact fuse into Gyzarus, has made this card an instant staple to the Gladiator archetype. His recent addition to the Limited portion of the March 1st, 2009 list has slowed down the Gyzarus engine, and it forces players to be careful when tagging into him since he is the only copy in the deck.

Gladiator Beast Darius
Earth/Beast-Warrior/Effect
Level 4
1700/300
Text: When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, you can select 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it. That monster's effect(s) is negated, and it is returned to your Deck when this card is removed from the field. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Darius".

One of the great utility cards within a Gladiator Beast deck. Like Bestiari, he provides an instant +1, and he is most commonly pulled from the deck when he is able to pull a Gladiator from the graveyard to contact fuse into Gyzarus or Heraklinos.

Gladiator Beast Equeste
Wind/Winged Beast/Effect
Level 4
1600/1200
Text: When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, add 1 "Gladiator Beast" card from your Graveyard to your hand. At the end of the Battle Phase, If this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Equeste".

Same as Bestiari and Darius, this is another staple in Gladiators, and it's because it also nets you a +1. Starting to see a trend yet? Equeste's ability to return a game-breaking card like Chariot back to your hand makes him a great addition to the deck.

Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
Dark/Winged Beast/Fusion
Level 6
2400/1500
Text: "Gladiator Beast Bestiari" + 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Fusion Deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) When this card is Special Summoned, you can destroy up to 2 cards on the field. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return this card to the Fusion Deck to Special Summon 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Bestiari".

Essentially, the best Gladiator Beast fusion available, in my opinion. He is an instant +2(again,trend?) and is an easy contact fusion to make, even with Bestiari at 1. There really isn't a whole lot more that needs to be said.

Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
Fire/Beast-Warrior/Fusion
Level 8
3000/2800
Text: "Gladiator Beast Laquari" + 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck (You do not use "Polymerization"). You can discard 1 card from your hand to negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. You can use this effect during either player's turn.

The Big Guy. He is the closer of the game, and should ONLY be used in that manner. Anybody that goes turn 1 Herk really needs to practice patience. Herk has become relatively easy to bring out, with Secutor, but he should be held until you have advantage and hopefully a Solemn or Chariot for backup.

Gladiator Beast Hoplomus
Earth/Rock/Effect
Level 4
700/2100
Text:When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, the original DEF of this card becomes 2400. If this card battles, by returning it from the field to the Deck at the end of the Battle Phase, Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Hoplomus".

You usually see a solo copy in most decks. He's a good wall, but usually a pretty easy read if it's face-down. Not game-breaking, but it could be life-saving.

Gladiator Beast Laquari
Fire/Beast-Warrior/Effect
Level 4
1800/400
Text: When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, the original ATK of this card becomes 2100. If this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it from the field to the Deck at the end of the Battle Phase, Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Laquari".

The beater of the Gladiator Beasts. He is powerful enough to run over pretty much run over any commonly played non-tribute monsters. He's also the key card to bringing Herk into the game. You'll see 2-3 mained in every Gladiator deck.

Gladiator Beast Murmillo
Water/Fish/Effect
Level 3
800/400
Text:When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, destroy 1 face-up monster on the field. If this card battles, by returning it from the field to the Deck at the end of the Battle Phase, you can Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Murmillo".

A weakling, with a powerful effect. He also provides a +1, but you'll still usually see 1 Murmillo tops in Gladiator decks. He's usually brought out when you need to get rid of an annoyance, and you have protection or a Tiger to tag back out.

Gladiator Beast Retiari
Water/Aqua/Effect
Level 3
1200/800
Text: When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, you can remove from play 1 card from your opponent's Graveyard. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return this card to your Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck except "Gladiator Beast Retiari".

A Good card to have in the deck. Statistically it provides no advantage, but what it can do is prevent your opponent from gaining advantage on their next turn by removing their Treeborn/Malicious/Mezuki/etc.

Gladiator Beast Samnite
Earth/Beast/Effect
Level 3
1600/1200
Text: If this card was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, when this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can add 1 "Gladiator Beast" card from your Deck to your hand. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Samnite".

Hmmm. Decent effect is decent, right? Well the real greatness to this card is the fact that he is searchable by Rescue Cat, and along with Test Tiger, that can turn Samnite into any Gladiator needed at the current time. You still only want to run 2 tops.

Gladiator Beast Secutor
Wind/Reptile/Effect
Level 4
400/300
Text: If this card was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, at the end of any Battle Phase, if this card attacks or was attacked, Special Summon 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Secutor".

A 400 attack monser that only gets it's effect during battle? Seems bad, but it's actually a key card to the deck somtimes. Pull Secutor out with Tiger, attack a def. postion monster, and pop out 2 more GB's. From there you have an instant Gyzarus or Herk depending on what you need.

Spells:

Gladiator Proving Ground
Normal Spell:
Text: Add 1 level 4 or lower "Gladiator Beast" monster from your deck to your hand.

Pretty much an RoTa for Gladiators. This card can be insanely good when you need that certain monster for a contact fusion, and it's great when you need to fight your way around a Crush Card Virus. Most decks main 2-3 of these.

Gladiator Beast's Inner Strength
Quick-Play Spell
Text: Select 1 face-up Gladiator Beast monster you control. It gains 500 ATK until the End Phase. You can return 2 Gladiator Beast cards from your graveyard to your deck to add this card from your graveyard to your hand.

This is the one card that everyone has been 50/50 on. In my opinion, it's a great utility card, and it deserves a place in the deck. It lets you climb over annoying Spys/LJMs/Monarchs and it's great for returning cards to the deck.


Traps:

Gladiator Beast War Chariot
Counter Trap
Text: Activate only if you control a "Gladiator Beast" monster. Negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect, and destroy it.

An amazing card for Gladiators. There really is nothing better than bringing this back with Equeste and then contacting into Herk...it's pretty much an auto-win late game.

Support Cards:

Test Tiger
Earth/Beast/Effect
Level 3
600/300
Text: If you control a "Gladiator Beast" monster, you can Special Summon this card. You can Tribute this card to return 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster you control to the Deck, and then Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" from your Deck. The Special Summoned monster is treated as if it was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast".

This is pretty much the key card to Gladiators. He makes them the ultimate toolbox, fetching the monster and effect you need at the current time, and possibly providing the material needed for a contact fuse.

Rescue Cat
Earth/Beast/Effect
Level 4
300/100
Text: You can send this face-up card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 2 Level 3 or lower Beast-Type monsters from your Deck. Those monsters are destroyed during the End Phase.

A recent addition to the deck, once Samnite was released. Having a Rescue Cat is like having a 4th and 5th Test Tiger. He's tributed for Samnite and Tiger, which will then lead to any Gladiator you need. Great card to set-up the win, or to turn the game around.

Elemental Hero Prisma
Light/Warrior/Effect
1700/1100
Text: Once per turn, you can reveal 1 Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck and send 1 Fusion Material Monster listed on that card from your Deck to the Graveyard. Until the End Phase, this card's name is treated as the sent monster's name.

Let me say this.....Prisma-Glads are dead. With Bestiari at 1, it is too dangerous and really the whole Prisma engine with Stratos and RoTa takes up space and is just not needed. With that being said, I think it's perfectly fine to tech 1 into Gladiator's, but I personally do not use one.

Sangan
Dark/Fiend/Effect
Level 3
1000/600
Text: When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, select 1 monster with an ATK of 1500 or less from your Deck, show it to your opponent, and add it to your hand. Then shuffle your Deck.

Pretty much should be in any version of Gladiator Beast. It searched out Test Tiger, and this version, it searches out Rescue Cat as well. It could also act as a Hoplomus bluff i suppose.

Book of Moon
Quick-Play Spell
Text: Flip 1 face-up monster on the field into face-down Defense Position.

You'll see 2-3 of these in every GB deck. It saves Bestiari from Bottomless, it saves your other guys from cards like Brain Control, and it lets your run over most cards or lets you ram Secutor into a monster. Best utility card is best.

Cold Wave
Normal Spell Card
Text: This card can only be activated at the start of your Main phase 1. Until your next turn, neither player can activate or Set Spell or Trap Cards, or activate their effects.

Again, you'll see 2-3 mained in most Gladiator decks. It protects your Bestiari when you're about bring him out, and it locks down the backrow when you want to go for Gyzarus. It's a pretty key card.

Solemn Judgment
Counter Trap
Text: Pay half your Life Points. Negate the activation of a Spell / Trap Card / Normal Summon / Flip Summon / Special Summon and destroy the Spell Card, Trap Card, or Summoned monster.

Pretty much nails the door shut once you have control. It's there to make sure you maintain control of the game, and it's the sidekick for Chariot when you need to protect Herk at the end of the game.

Okay, now that I've provided the effects and small descriptions of the important Gladiator Beast cards, I'll post a skeletion of what is known as Samnite Glads(or Kitty Glads).

Monsters: 18
3|Glas|Test Tiger
2|Fet|Rescue Cat
2|Glas|Gladiator Beast Laquari
2|Crms|Gladiator Beast Samnite
1|Glas|Gladiator Beast Bestiari
1|Ptdn|Gladiator Beast Darius
1|Tdgs|Gladiator Beast Equeste
1|Glas|Gladiator Beast Murmillo
1|Glas|Gladiator Beast Hoplomus
1|Csoc|Gladiator Beast Retiari
1|Glas|Gladiator Beast Secutor
1|Dpct|Elemental Hero Prisma
1|Mrd|Sangan

Spells: 12
3|Pgd|Book of Moon
1|Ptdn|Gladiator Proving Ground
2|Sjc|Shrink
3|Psv|Cold Wave
1|Mrd|Heavy Storm
1|Lob|Monster Reborn
1|Tlm|Brain Control


Traps: 10
3|Mrd|Solemn Judgment
3|Lod|Bottomless Trap Hole
2|Tdgs|Gladiator Beast War Chariot
1|Fet|Mirror Force
1|Pgd|Trap Dustshoot


Keep in mind this is just a skeleton, and I'm sure there might be some disagreements on a few card choices, but this IS a solid base to start with. From this, feel free to test with it and make changes based on your personal playstyle.

I personally believe that this will become the best deck for the upcoming meta, and so I decided to help ETC get off on the right foot with a solid deck. This is my first Article, so any criticism will be taken. Hope you liked it, and good luck.

[Assailant]

Nice Article.

Perhaps mention Summon Priest as the Structure Deck with him is coming out soon?

[Mark]

Equeste can't get back Gladiator Proving Ground.

[Cøin]

Good article, but...

Equeste can't get back Gladiator Proving Ground.

[Apollo]

Thanks, and my bad on the Equeste thing....I don't know why it was in there, but I figured that I made a mistake or 2 somewhere in the article.

Also, I didn't cover Summon Priest because I was only focusing on the cards already released in the TCG.

[~DK~]

YOU BEAT ME TOOOOOO ITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!


Good job bro.

[Apollo]

Haha, thanks

I've been wanting to write an article, but couldn't decide what to write it about

[Blankauctions]

Very nice article. It was very informative.

I'm not sure about it being the best deck, but it should be 1 of top 1s .

[Apollo]

I'll pretty much guarantee that Gladiators will be tier 1. Play with my skeleton, then form a personal skeleton based on your playstyle. With that deckbuild, you'll be able to play competitively even with all the new GB hate that will be released...as long as you continue to adapt the main and side as needed, and continue to test the ins and outs of Gladiator Beasts.

And thanks

[~DK~]

You should also add that GB decks are the EASIEST decks that can adapt to any given format, they could beat TeleDAD, just many top players went with everyone else.

[Nomad]

I was a little surprised to read a Gladiator Beast article and not see Waboku discussed... But I suppose there's little point in mentioning a card that we all know about, when cards like Samnite have just been released.

However, Good show on the article, as I've always liked your way of thinking when it came to most things.

[Animal]

The article was nice, but a few key things kinda made me disappointed in the end deck.

The point of the new glads is to be more explosive, especially with a Cat + Cold Wave combos. Hoppo isn't needed. You could argue "Set Hoppo + Chariot = Win". I could respond with, "My Cat + Cold wave > your Hoppo + Chariot". I don't really like Laquari in 3s, but in theory it's good, just preference. TBH I would -1 Laq + 2nd Darius. Darius isn't just for Bestiari anymore; He gets back that dead Equeste, a possible Samnite for Cat, dead Murmillo, Retiari, etc.

Gladiators Inner Strength isn't needed, either. E-Con is way better in the mirror. You can attack, they respond, you chain E-Con take their GB (you can tag it out) or use it as defense. I don't see why Brain Control isn't even mained, it's staple, especially in GBs. 3 Chariot isn't needed, either.

My fixes would be:
-1 Laquari
+1 Darius

-1 Gb Inner Strength
-1 Chariot
+1 Brain Control
+1 Enemy Controller

Nice article and good read.

[Apollo]

The article was nice, but a few key things kinda made me disappointed in the end deck.

The point of the new glads is to be more explosive, especially with a Cat + Cold Wave combos. Hoppo isn't needed. You could argue "Set Hoppo + Chariot = Win". I could respond with, "My Cat + Cold wave > your Hoppo + Chariot". I don't really like Laquari in 3s, but in theory it's good, just preference. TBH I would -1 Laq + 2nd Darius. Darius isn't just for Bestiari anymore; He gets back that dead Equeste, a possible Samnite for Cat, dead Murmillo, Retiari, etc.

Gladiators Inner Strength isn't needed, either. E-Con is way better in the mirror. You can attack, they respond, you chain E-Con take their GB (you can tag it out) or use it as defense. I don't see why Brain Control isn't even mained, it's staple, especially in GBs. 3 Chariot isn't needed, either.

My fixes would be:
-1 Laquari
+1 Darius

-1 Gb Inner Strength
-1 Chariot
+1 Brain Control
+1 Enemy Controller

Nice article and good read.

Hoppo has actually been pretty useful in testing. Sure, it's really not amazing at all in the mirror or vs. Monarchs, but it works effectively against Ls and rogue decks like Little City. It's a good card to have in the deck. Gladiator's are essentially a toolbox, it's good to have a viable option for everything.

And yeah, I mentioned that 2-3 Laqs are usually mained, I just happen to personally prefer 3. It's a good opener and I like having the extra beater, especially if one happens to get nailed by a Bth.

Inner Strength has just been a test of mine over the past 2 weeks or so, and it hasn't really done me wrong yet. For the same reason you like to run the 2nd Darius(to get things back to the deck), I like to run Inner Strength. It serves it's purpose with climbing over Monarchs/Spys/LJM, but it also lets me return My Murmillo/Hop/Retiari/Samnite back to the deck. It's a good utility card. That being said, I have been trying to fit in an E-Con, but it most likely won't be over an Inner Strength.

Also, yeah, that was my bad on Brain. It should be mained, I'm not sure why it wasn't in there. I'd cut the Pwwb for it, myself.

And I disagree, I like my 3 Chariot. Sure, Equeste can recycle them back to me, but I like to increase my odds of drawing one opening hand. It's such a good card, and it can easily open up the field for your GBs.

But again, I figured there would be some disagreements on a few card choices. A lot of it is just personal preference, but thanks for the feedback.

Also, Thanks Vision. I didn't mention Waboku, because yes it is a card we all know well, but it's also a waste of space in Gladiators. Some people prefer to run 1 or 2 copies, but I just don't see a need with triple Book with 2 Shrink and an Inner Strength. Waboku would be effective vs. Ls, but I like to side it instead of main it.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

[Trumpcard Ace]

Great article! Was a little surprised you didn't mention Respite though.

[Apollo]

Lol, it's funny because I was actually going to(and started to) list every Gladiator Beast card released in the TCG. As I went along, I realized how many Gladiator Cards(monsters, spells, and traps) just aren't even worth consideration in a deck. Plus, I didn't want to drag out the whole article, so I decided to just focus on the best/most commonly played Gladiators, and the best supporting cards for the deck.

But thanks

[namesake]

So it´s safe to assume you can´t get gladiator war chariot with equestre right? I got wrecked this way. Easy lock with Heraklinos.

[Apollo]

Equeste CAN grab Chariot because it has "Gladiator Beast" in the card name

[SiXtH*]

Very nice article. It was very informative.

I'm not sure about it being the best deck.

.

[Undead_Warrior]

No love for Andal?

[Apollo]

No