With all the great new cards to help EARTH monsters out in Return of the Duelist, it’d be a crime not to take a look at the monsters made from the Earth itself – Rocks! Rock-Type monsters are about to blast their way to new heights with a whole quarry’s worth of new cards and combos!

Since most Rock-types are also EARTH monsters, make sure to take a look at some of the other new EARTH-related cards we’ve already covered here.

Let’s start with a card that’s familiar to Duelists by now: Rescue Rabbit. This little bunny has been making waves for quite some time now, and he’s taken up an interest in mining (That’s why he wears a hard hat).

There are several solid Rock-Type Normal Monsters to choose from. Giant Soldier of Stone is a defensive behemoth, and a Level 3 to help Summon Soul of Silvermountain. Or you can go with Beta the Magnet Warrior if you’re interested in Fairy King Albverdich. Either way, Rescue Rabbit lets you trade your Normal Summon for an Xyz Summon!

Rescue Rabbit also happens to be an EARTH monster, meaning it’ll work with all of the other new EARTH cards we’ve covered. It can also help you load the Graveyard for our next card: Block Golem!

Block Golem is ready to rock your world! If all the monsters in your Graveyard are EARTH, you can Tribute Block Golem to Special Summon any 2 Level 4 or lower Rock-Type monsters from your Graveyard, except another Block Golem. Those monsters cannot activate their effects on the field this turn, but that’s fine. Just use them for an Xyz Summon instead!

Like Rescue Rabbit, Block Golem let’s you trade your Normal Summon for an Xyz Summmon. Unlike Rescue Rabbit, Block Golem can be used multiple times a turn! If your opponent has a weak monster, have Block Golem Special Summon 2 Level 3 Rocks, then Xyz Summon Soul of Silvermountain. Soul of Silvermountain can lock down a Spell or Trap, then safely attack their monster and revive your Block Golem for another Xyz Summon!

Previously, we showed you a few new REDU cards to help get your Rocks in the Graveyard, like Catapult Zone and Dust Knight. Not only will they give you’re the exact cards you want for Block Golem or Grandsoil the Elemental Lord, but they’ll actually set up even more Xyz Summoning combos by themselves thanks to the all-new Revival Golem!

Whenever Revival Golem is sent directly from the Deck to the Graveyard, you get two options: Special Summon it, or add it to your hand. This simple but powerful effect works with a lot of cards you’re probably going to be using anyway. Flip Summon your Dust Knight, send Revival Golem to the Graveyard and Special Summon it, and you’ve got an instant Rank 4 Xyz Monster! Or, use Catapult Zone to save a Level 4 monster from destruction and bring out Revival Golem, then combine them next turn!

Much of the time, you’ll want to Special Summon Revival Golem in order to perform Xyz Summons or get a big defender. However, you don’t want to forget about Revival Golem’s second effect. By adding it to your hand, you can use Revival Golem to maintain any of your Rock-type Koa’ki Meiru monsters like Koa’ki Meiru Guardian! It’s also useful to add Revival Golem to your hand if you just don’t have the room on the field, don’t want to risk walking into Torrential Tribute, or even if you just need an extra non-vital card to pitch for Raigeki Break or Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. Whichever effect you choose, Revival Golem gives you an extra card for free, and free is good!

Return of the Duelist is here, so get ready! You don’t want to take these new Rocks for granite!