Awesome Rank 4 Xyz Monsters are pretty good, right?!

Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer is a problem-solving Rank 4 that can pick apart your opponent’s field and eliminate big threats, all while putting 2000 ATK on the field for an immediate follow-up! Sound familiar? It should: Rank 4 Xyz that eliminate opposing cards, turning two of your Level 4 monsters into one flexible answer are hugely popular, and each one has specialties and unique strengths. That said, Castel might be the best one yet.

Castel packs two powerful effects: the first lets you detach an Xyz Material from Castel to target a face-up monster on the field and shift it to face-down Defense Position. It’s a great way to turn a big attacker into vulnerable defense mode; shut off the Continuous Effect of an opposing monster; or reuse your own Flip Effects. Yes, Castel can target opposing monsters or your own, letting you manipulate and reuse some of your best tricks.

And that’s just the beginning! Castel’s second effect costs two Xyz Materials instead of one, but it dishes out more permanent hurt, targeting a face-up card on the field and shuffling it into its owner’s Deck. That means you can kick away opposing monsters; get cards like Dimensional Fissure or Soul Drain off the table; or recycle your own stuff, like Call of the Haunted and Fiendish Chain.

If you want to take full advantage of Castel’s abilities you need to know how it’s different from similar Rank 4’s. Castel’s flip-down ability brings to mind Maestroke the Symphony Djinn, but there are a bunch of differences:

-Castel has higher ATK: 2000 Attack Points to Maestroke’s 1800 ATK.

-Castel can turn Defense Position monsters face-down, and it can flip your own monsters as well. Maestroke only flips your opponent’s monsters, and only if they’re in Attack Position.

-Maestroke has an effect that protects it from destruction, but it can’t eliminate cards without attacking. Castel can.

Number 101: Silent Honor ARK can eliminate cards with its effect, swiping an opposing Special Summoned monster in Attack Position and wearing it as a hat to protect itself. Again, Castel doesn’t have a protection ability, but it can eliminate face-up monsters in any Battle Position – not just attack mode. It can also eliminate backrow cards instead of just monsters. That gives it much of the flexibility of Diamond Dire Wolf, which can destroy monsters or Spell and Trap Cards… but Dire Wolf needs to destroy one of your own cards too, usually popping itself. Castel can stick a card back in your opponent’s deck and then swing with its 2000 ATK.

So that’s great, but how do you Summon Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer? Any two Level 4’s will do since Castel doesn’t demand specific Xyz Materials. But it’s even easier to summon in certain strategies…

Bujins love Castel because they can Summon it with Bujincarnation. If you’re not familiar, Bujincarnation’s a Spell Card that Special Summons two “Bujin” monsters, but restricts you from using them for the Xyz Summon of anything but a Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged Beast-Type. Normally that keeps you from Summoning the bulk of your Rank 4’s: Diamond Dire Wolf is fair game, but stuff like Silent Honor ARK and Maestroke are off limits. Not a problem here, since Castel’s a Winged-Beast! You can Bujincarnation for it and punt a card back to your opponent’s Deck for free.

Satellarknight Altair works with Satellarknight Deneb to make any Rank 4 Xyz Mosnter while setting up for the next in Stellarknight Decks, while any strategy splashing Traptrix Dionaea can use Dionaea’s revival ability to go straight into Castel! If you Special Summon Traptrix Myrmeleo with Dionaea the Myrmeleo can destroy a card in your opponent’s backrow. Follow up with Castel to kick away a monster, and you’re up two cards on your opponent before you even make an attack. It’s pretty insane.

Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer is easy to play and offers tremendous results in all sorts of situations. It’s fast and flexible, and that’s made it one of the hottest cards from Duelist Alliance.