Whenever the metagame gets a shock of new cards and new formats, the result is always a new twist on one particular old game: setting up a way to defeat opposing players consistently. A long time ago that meant reducing your opponent’s options to zero by eliminating all the cards he or she held. From there you could attack for the win because you knew your opponent couldn’t stop you.

Eventually players became tired of that strategy. Why should they eliminate all of the opponent’s cards when half of them weren’t useful right at the start of the duel? Imagine if—instead of playing slowly to eliminate all my opponent’s cards—I had just played "recklessly," investing a lot into the field and forcing my opponent to respond to my actions instead. My opponent uses his or her cards to stop me but runs out of ways to do so as I continue to make new plays every turn.

We’ve talked about this before. My opponent is now frozen, unable to make any moves and unable to defend him- or herself. I simply advance my position further, either by taking a toll on my opponent’s life points or by improving my field position. Back in the day we used to call this aggression. When Gladiator Beasts were popularized, this became the only way to play. Cold Wave or Crush Card Virus just allowed Gladiator Beast players to move aggressively and leave their opponents staring down impossible fields.

Now Synchros have hit the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, and once again we’ve got a new twist on the old game. Freezing Teleport Dark Armed is much harder to do than previous strategies. Solemn Judgment has significantly less impact because special summons give Teleport Dark Armed players a means to fight back. Cold Wave still hurts, but Necro Gardna’s mainstream status allows players to accept and overcome the handicap the Wave creates. It’s okay to lose your small field because blocking Gladiator Beast Gyzarus’s attack means you’re not left in an impossible situation next turn.

What we actually see is Gladiator Beasts becoming the new victim of the play pattern they once dominated. With Stardust Dragon out and Necro Gardna there to back it up, suddenly it’s Gladiators that can be locked out of any good plays. Think of a good Gladiator Beast hand: two copies of Test Tiger, Elemental Hero Prisma, Heavy Storm, and Mirror Force. It used to be that you’d draw that hand and win easily in a turn or two. But imagine if your opponent went first, and played Dark Grepher and Emergency Teleport, placing Stardust Dragon and Dark Grepher on the field with Necro Gardna in the graveyard. Just like that, you have no good moves.

This is why many players consider Synchros the downfall of Gladiator Beasts. Previously the only deck that could freeze a Gladiator Beast player was another Gladiator Beast deck. That’s both the reason so many players had to play Gladiators, and why it was always so successful: it was the best deck to beat itself. Now there’s another deck that can freeze it, and therefore another deck that can beat it. Gladiator players are in trouble.

Teleport Dark Armed can do this to other decks too. Lightsworn have a hard time dealing with Colossal Fighter. Though it’s not impossible to take down, the only way for them to do it is to use Judgment Dragon, Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, or Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter. Add Stardust Dragon to the table and your opponent suddenly has very few outs. You’ll have to attack over Stardust using Honest or Judgment Dragon. If I add Necro Gardna to the equation most Lightsworn players are going to have no way out at all.

Against other Teleport Dark Armed decks there really isn’t a good set-up to achieve. Colossal Fighter is probably your best shot seeing as how there’s no Synchro monster that can actually destroy it, but Phoenix Wing Wind Blast can easily take care of that problem and then you’re just down a Synchro summon. Thought Ruler Archfiend gets around a problem card like that, but your opponent can simply Synchro for Goyo Guardian and seriously ruin your day. Stardust Dragon has the same problem, and Goyo gets beaten by Colossal Fighter.

This circular pattern creates a game state where neither player wants to invest in the field unless he or she is going to win that turn or that player knows the opponent can’t take care of his or her monsters. It also brings into question the use of Solemn Judgment. Solemn is one of those weird cards that can hurt you in certain matchups but also save you if it’s played correctly. Against Teleport Dark Armed, it can cost you the match if used incorrectly. Remember, they’re always looking for the OTK, and cutting your life points in half isn’t going to help you stop that.

But Solemn is the only card that can allow a Teleport Dark Armed player a secure set up in the mirror match. Because the deck can answer virtually everything it can do, you need to have the final answer every time. Consider this situation: Paul sets up with Stardust Dragon and Colossal Fighter on the field, with Necro Gardna in the graveyard. This is quite a formidable position, and one that most other decks would have trouble taking down. But unfortunately for Paul, I have Malicious and another Dark in graveyard, plus Emergency Teleport, and Dark Armed Dragon. In this scenario it’s easy for me to break up his field by attacking Stardust with a Synchro of my own to draw out Gardna, then following with an attack from the Dragon, then using Dark Armed's effect on Colossal Fighter in main phase 2. But imagine if Paul adds Solemn Judgment to his field. Now he can stop my Synchro summon with Solemn and protect his cards from Dark Armed Dragon with the Gardna. Next turn I lose my Dragon in battle.

We saw how the setup game changed over time as the Gladiator Beast format developed. Now it’s time for Teleport Dark Armed players to discover the best way to set their games up.

—Matt Peddle