Zombies continue to get more and more popular in this format, and one great example of the Deck was built for this weekend by Joe Spanier. Spanier’s Zombie build is designed with the long game in mind, but it packs a number of explosive plays and spectacular tricks that are sure to shock opponents. Check it out!

(Deck list will be posted after Day 1 of competition is over – check back later!)

Spanier’s Deck protects itself with cards like “Necro Gardna,” “Goblin Zombie,” and “Mystic Tomato,” setting up swarms of Zombie monsters and keeping his hand and field full:

• “Armageddon Knight” can send “Necro Gardna” to the Graveyard, or it can put Zombies into the ground to bring back later
• “Necro Gardna” protects against key attacks by the opponent
• If he attacks with “Mezuki” and it’s destroyed later, he can remove it to Special Summon another Zombie from the Graveyard
• “Goblin Zombie” gets another Zombie-Type monster from the Deck
• “Spirit Reaper” can’t be destroyed by attacks
• “Plaguespreader Zombie’s” Special Summon power makes it really easy to put together Tribute Summons or Synchro Summons

That makes for a lot of Zombie attacks and Synchro Monsters, but it also opens up big plays with “Caius the Shadow Monarch.” The Deck’s defense makes it easy to keep a monster on the field to Tribute for Caius, if Spanier Tributes “Goblin Zombie” for Caius, he gets to fetch another Zombie from his Deck in the process. Caius’ effect removes a card from the game when Caius is Tribute Summoned. This is really useful in today’s environment because it can keep  key monsters out of the Graveyard. That means Spanier can remove “Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn” instead of letting his opponent Special Summon a Blackwing Synchro Monster with Sirocco + “Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor.” He can keep Lightsworn monsters from stacking up too, fending off “Judgment Dragon.”

Caius is one of many tools to remove whatever might be in Spanier’s way. He plays two copies of “Lightning Vortex,” and combined with three “Burials From a Different Dimension” to reuse “Mezukis” and “Plaguespreader Zombies,” he can clear the field and then swarm with Zombies.

Consistency and the ability to outlast opponents make this Deck good, but enormous off-the-wall plays make it truly awesome. “The Deck isn’t meant to be played aggressively, so I think my favorite plays are the ones that are aggressive,” explained Spanier, discussing how the Deck can shift gears. “A personal favorite is “Instant Fusion” for “Reaper on the Nightmare,” Tributing the Reaper for Caius, or Summoning “Plaguespreader Zombie” to Synchro Summon “Black Rose Dragon.”” If Spanier has “Mezuki” in the Graveyard when he makes that play, he can remove it from the game to Special Summon “Reaper on the Nightmare.” The Reaper can’t be destroyed by battle, makes direct attacks, and every time it scores a hit to the opponent’s Life Points, they have to discard a card.

“Instant Fusion” is the key to many of this Deck’s coolest combos. My favorite card Spanier can Summon with “Instant Fusion” is “Musician King,” a Level 5 LIGHT Spellcaster. It doesn’t have any effects, but if you Tune “Plaguespreader Zombie” to it you can Synchro Summon “Arcanite Magician,” a Synchro Monster normally only seen in Decks packing at least a few Spellcasters. “Arcanite Magician” needs a Spellcaster-Type Synchro Material Monster, and with “Musician King” playing lead guitar on Plaguespreader’s Tune, you can Summon Arcanite and destroy two of your opponent’s cards with the power of rock! (Which might make it the first combo in the game that’s almost as fun to describe as it is to play.)

And if destroying cards isn’t enough, Spanier can send them straight to the Graveyard with his “Dark End Dragon”! Any Level 4 monster Tuned to “Plaguespreader Zombie” will let Spanier Synchro Summon “Revived King Ha Des.” If he brings back “Plaguespreader Zombie” with its effect (or with “Mezuki”), he can Tune it to Ha Des to Synchro Summon “Dark End Dragon” (since Ha Des will be the DARK Synchro Material Monster required).

This Deck is being played by three Duelists here this weekend (the other two being Josh Goforth and recent SHONEN JUMP Championship runner-up Matt Hoey), and all three are running “Dark End Dragon.”

For his opening plays, Spanier is helped by 3 copies of “Armageddon Knight” and 2 “Foolish Burials.” Summoning “Armageddon Knight” on Turn 1 to send “Necro Gardna” to the Graveyard is a common play these days, but Spanier can roll it into big moves other Decks might not have. He can send “Necro Gardna” to the Graveyard on Turn 1, then Set “Morphing Jar” and a Trap Card like “Bottomless Trap Hole” or “Divine Wrath.” With Gardna and a Trap Card protecting his “Morphing Jar,” Spanier is free to Set as many cards from his hand as he can, then Flip Summon the Jar to draw five more. If Spanier can pull that off, he’ll have more than enough cards to unleash a flood of Zombies and Synchro monsters and overwhelm his opponent. Tributing the “Morphing Jar” for “Caius the Shadow Monarch” is the cherry on top of Spanier’s undead sundae.

Zombies continue to get more and more popular for good reason. Their effects let you outlast other Decks, they’re great on defense, and they’ve got some huge moves that can cause big upsets in a Duel. Expect to see more Decks like this one over the coming weeks, especially once Hidden Arsenal brings this Deck killer Synchro Monsters like “Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier.”