Deck Profile: Fabian Cantu’s Elemental Hero Deck
A year and a half ago at SHONEN JUMP Championship Houston, Fabian Cantu shocked the Dueling world when he won a Feature Match against a Diamond Dude Turbo Deck with an amazing Deck and an amazing play. The Deck was Elemental Heroes, and the play was “Elemental Hero Mariner” for the win, after drawing the perfect two cards Cantu needed off of “Elemental Hero Bubbleman’s” effect.
Today Cantu is back, and playing the same type of Deck with some new additions. Elemental Heroes are in action, and Cantu’s got some new tricks up his sleeve!
(Deck list will be posted after Day 1 of competition is over – check back later!)
The heart and soul of Cantu’s Deck is wrapped up in his Elemental Hero monster lineup, along with 5 Spell Cards: 3 “Miracle Fusions” and 2 “Polymerizations.” Cantu is playing every Elemental Hero he can get his hands on, from tried-and-true cards like “Elemental Hero Stratos” and “Elemental Hero Prisma,” to Jaden Yuki classics like “Elemental Hero Sparkman,” Clayman, Avian, and Bubbleman. He’s even got “Elemental Hero Bladedge,” Necroshade, and Captain Gold.
Since Cantu is playing a lot of single copies of the monsters he needs for his Fusion Summons, playing the Deck is never the same game twice. Whatever Cantu draws is going to dictate the Fusion Monsters he’ll be able to Summon when he’s ready to play “Miracle Fusion” or “Polymerization.” This makes his Deck unpredictable and even more confusing to play against. The consistency is hidden in the framework, though: Cantu packs 3 copies of “King of the Swamp,” letting him search out “Polymerization” as needed while also giving him a flexible Fusion substitute that he can combo with “Miracle Fusion.” That search power and flexibility gives Cantu a range of options that only an experienced Elemental Hero Duelist could harness.
The new “Elemental Hero Gaia” from Ancient Prophecy adds a new level of consistency as well. “Gaia filled a lot of holes in the Deck,” remarked Cantu. “Since it can be Summoned with any Elemental Hero and any EARTH monster, it lets me make a Fusion Summon when I wouldn’t otherwise be able to.” Cantu can even Fuse an Elemental Hero with “Morphing Jar,” since the Jar is an EARTH Monster. Gaia’s effect, which lets it swing for huge damage, makes it the perfect finisher for this type of Deck.
Cantu’s doesn’t just load his Graveyard for “Miracle Fusion,” either. He plays “Fifth Hope” instead of “Pot of Avarice,” taking advantage of his Deck’s devotion to the Elemental Hero theme and occasionally getting a third draw above and beyond the 2 cards that “Pot of Avarice” would give him.
Other big plays include “Future Fusion” for “Elemental Hero Electrum,” which will send four Elemental Hero monsters to the Graveyard. If Cantu needs a specific Fusion Monster, he can avoid Electrum and declare the Fusion Monster he needs with “Future Fusion” instead. That’ll load his Graveyard, and he’ll be able to use those cards for an immediate “Miracle Fusion.” He can even get back key cards with “The Warrior Returning Alive” if he’s got “Polymerization” and “Miracle Fusion” at the same time (which is easier than you might think, thanks to “King of the Swamp”).
When it comes to finding your own style, Fabian Cantu is a great example. There is no one else here today running a Deck like this, and Cantu continues to take his Elemental Heroes to new heights. It’s an awesome Deck, from an awesome Duelist!