When it comes toYu-Gi-Oh!, every so often, thereare new archetypesthat spice up the Trading Card Game (TCG). Valiant Smashers goes above and beyond by giving you three new archetypes to try out. These arethe mecha-styleCentur-Ion’s,the slightly spookyMementotlan’s andthe extra cutesyWaifu Vaalmonica’s.
In total, Valiant Smashers gives you tenUltra Rare cardsto collect and enables you to head into a duel with your friends in style. Although every archetype and its corresponding cards have been carefully designed to elevate your decks and provide distinct strategic advantages, there is a definitive standout.
Cards in this list are ranked based on their usefulness and usability in a duel.
10Vaalmonica Scelta
A Charming Card With Quite The Uneven Effects
Unfortunately, Vaalmonica didn’t get the same amount of love in Valiant Smashers as the Centur-Ion archetype did. However, that’s not to say they’re unplayable. In fact, they use each of their cards well enough to create a deck with very useful effects and synergy.
Vaalmonica Scelta’s effects both come at a cost, and there’s a clear winner over the other. The fact that unless you have a Vaalmonica card in your pendulum zone, your opponent gets to choose which one of these effects is activated means that playing this card isn’t always going to benefit you as much as it should.
9Mementotlan Bone Party
Pierce Through Your Opponent’s Defense And Reduce Their Lifepoints
Mementotlan Bone Party works very well in any Mementotlan deck by essentially exchanging cards you already have on the field with those in your deck. You can then utilize its graveyard effect to inflict piercing damage to your opponent when you destroy their defense position monsters.
Both of these effects are fantastic due to the monster searching ability you get from them. The chance to have your big hitter monster wipe out your opponent while they’re most vulnerable, leaving them unable to even have a defensive field, let alone an attacking one.
8Vaalmonica, the Agathokakological Voice
The Saving Grace Card Of The Vaalmonica Archetype
Vaalmonica, the Agathokakological Voice is arguably the best Vaalmonica card in the set, as it allows you to search out your Vaalmonica monsters from your deck. Running three copies of this card will put you in such a great position, as that’ll mean, over just three turns, you will have access to three of your most crucial monsters.
Its other effect is not to be dismissed either. It allows you to take away a part of your opponent’s field, at least until the end of the turn. This can disrupt your opponent’s strategy or even allow you to get to your end goal easily and sooner, all at zero cost to you.
7Mementotlan Angwitch
The Witch That Allows You To Manipulate Your Graveyard
Mementotlan Angwitch is the start of any good Mementotlan combo and becomes even more effective when the field spell Mementomictlan is in play. When Normal or Special Summoned, it allows you to search for specific cards you need to continue the combo until you bring out your 5,000 ATK and DEF Mementoal Tecuhtlica.
Not only that, but Mementotlan Angwitch allows you to manage what’s in your graveyard by sending monsters there and bringing some of them back. If your opponent has no counter, you’ll be activating an endless number of effects both on the field and from the graveyard until you reach your winning condition.
6Mementoal Tecuhtlica - Combined Creation
Wipe Out Your Opponent’s Entire Board
Bringing out a 5,000 ATK and DEF monster isn’t something you’d often expect in the One-Turn-Win era of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Instead, you’d more than likely find decks that ‘checkmate’ you into a surrender on their first turn, leaving you unable to reply to your opponent’s deck’s impressive synergy.
Mementoal Tecuhtlica - Combined Creation, however, is a big hitter that is fairly easy to get out in a Mementoal deck. Once on the field, it shows its true power, being able to attack each one of your opponent’s monsters once, meaning you can wipe out their entire board in just one turn.
5Centur-Ion Emeth 6
Used As Fodder, But Offers So Much Use Beforehand
Centur-Ion Emeth 6 is a great card for multiple reasons. It’s ideal to run two copies, as should you keep it in your hand or graveyard, you can move a card such as a Centur-Ion Trudea back into your Spell/Trap card zone where it’s most effective. While you do this, it is also able to Special Summon itself to your field.
Once this card is on your field, you can then use it as transitional fodder to bring out your Centur-Ion Legatia. You will then want to use its effects from the graveyard to continue your gameplay loop to bring out Crimson Dragon and, eventually, your Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity.
4Centur-Ion Legatia
The Gateway Card To Your Winning Condition
Centur-Ion Legatia is a superb card, and not just due to its ability that, when fielded, your 2,000 ATK or less monsters are protected when in battle. It makes up one half of your winning condition with a Centur-Ion deck, as by targeting Legatia with your Crimson Dragon’s effect, you may get to your Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity. You will, however, benefit more if you do this on your opponent’s turn.
Its additional effects, allowing you to draw cards and destroy your opponent’s highest attacking monsters, are just more examples of why running three of Centur-Ion Legatia is your key to a successful duel. This is a prime reason why Centur-Ion’s are the superior archetype coming out of Valiant Smashers.
3Centur-Ion Trudea
The Most Essential Card For Your Centur-Ion Combo Plays
Without Centur-Ion Trudea, the entire gameplay loop of Centur-Ion’s wouldn’t be able to function. It’s such a crucial card that gets you from your starting position to your winning condition, so playing three in your deck is an absolute must.
Even though its defensive stats are commendable, you won’t be using it other than as a continuous card in your Spell/Trap zones. This results in the card being at its best only if your opponent doesn’t have anything to block the Synchro Summon of the Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity you’re looking to get out of it.
2Centur-Ion Primera
Synchro Summon Into Your Centur-Ion Legatia
If you want to make a Centur-Ion deck, you will not succeed without three copies of Centur-Ion Primera. It offers your Level Five and above monsters protection, gives you search power directly from the deck to your hand, and enables you to Synchro Summon your most powerful monsters as a tuner. All of these reasons are why Centur-Ion Primera is so vital to your Centur-Ion strategies.
The ability to synergize with every other component of a Centur-Ion deck, all at zero cost to you, the value for money you’ll get if you happen to pull it from a pack, and the joy of getting that one-turn-win all come from Centur-Ion Primera.
1Emblema Oath
The Spell Card That’s Necessary For Your Centur-Ion Deck
When looking at its effects, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to know that Emblema Oath is extremely valuable for an Ultra Rare card. It’s able to directly pull cards from your deck into your Spell/Trap card zones, ready to execute your combo plays, or set Spell/Trap cards directly from your deck. Both of these searching abilities put it head and shoulders above any other spell card in Valiant Smashers.
It does come at the cost of not being able to Special Summon non-Centur-Ion monsters from your extra during the turn that it’s activated. Therefore, it is wise to wait until your opponent’s turn to Special Summon both your Crimson Dragon and Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity, as the effect does not apply, and your opponent is less able to activate cards that negate your summons.
