Dilg the Dark Monarch

Lets talk Monarchs.

Actually lets brush on Frog Monarchs for a bit.

I'm sure everyone knows how Frog Monarchs work, and agree that theyre pretty awesome.

I agree.

Well, Frog Monarchs have a few weaknesses, which prevent them from being widely played:

1: They rely on Substitoad to get going. Without it, theyre pretty stuck for a while. After this, they rely on Treeborn Frog, and Ronintoad.
2: Because of the high number of Monarch types, the chances of "Monarch Hands" is through the roof.
3: They get boring. Yes, theyre good, but because the way they win is incredibly constant and similar each time, they do get repetitive and boring, and people don't usually like sticking with them for long.

Other than this, theyre great. Theyre strong.

Thats about all I have to say about Frog Monarchs, so lets move on.

Lets talk Monarchs: Monarch Balance.

In Monarch decks, once you get your tribute fodder, you need something to tribute into.

All Monarch decks love Gaius. Everyone runs 3. Its awesome.

What the other tribute monsters are is what the balance is all about. Depending on your deck, a certain number would obviously be better(eg: More in Frog Monarchs than lets say... Dimension Monarchs).

Too much and your deck doesnt go as often as it needs to. Too little, and it doesnt go at all.

So what are the other top picks?

The next two top picks for Monarch decks are Raiza and Light and Darkness Dragon.

Light and Darkness fits well because the deck is already fitted out to gather Tribute Fodder, and Raiza works well... pretty much for the same reason as Gaius: its awesome.

Thats about 5 to 8 card spots taken up, so what about the rest?

A decent Monarch control deck has enough power to run another three or four Monarch types, right?

Lets take a look at the other top choices:

Mobius the Frost Monarch: Blows up backrow and is a possible +1.(1 or 2 at best, and only if you're not using Dust Tornadoes)

Testaros the Fire Monarch: Discards a card from the hand: A monarch that works when facing an empty field.(In the TCG I see people running this most of the time)

And the non monarchs:

Vanity Fiend: 2400Attack with the Ability to shackle the opponent into no special summons, and seeing a considerable increase in popularity. Also goes directly in hand with the normal engine of Monarch decks. Stops Tragoedia, Gorz, and Battle Fader, leaving only Quick Attacking Scarecrow to stop your game ending swing.

Tounge Twister: Its a draw 2 with next to no drawback if youre running a good Monarch Engine. Also has a good suprise factor, if you set it against an open field, tricking your opponent into thinking its a Monarch. It also functions as a good way to play with Chains and get over Perfect Declarer and Stardust Dragon/Buster, etc etc.

Dark Dust Spirit: Nuke field. Reusable. Drawbacks include not staying on the field, and destroying your other monsters too, probally leaving you with no defenses.

Recently, though, there has been new contendor for Monarch Slots: Dilg the Dark Monarch.

With the ability to remove two cards from the opponent's graveyard upon summoning, it is made incredibly powerful by the meta, allowing it to singlehandedly give you a huge edge over Infernity, Dragunity, Frog Monarchs, Frogs in General, and other graveyard based/utilizing decks.

But is it enough to make the cut? Crack to a Different Dimension does its job equally as well, with the added benefit of being a Trap.

Is Dilg worth the main deck slot to give you the extra edge over these decks? It does kinda suck against Black Feathers and other such decks... If so, what would you drop for it?



Thats all for today.

/Rauzes