CDP: Gladiator Beast Post-SUDA; Andal or Test?

Two builds, two playstyles, which will you choose?

Replays:

Strategic Summary:

Welcome to another multi-deck CDP, this time featuring the Gladiator Beast [GB] archetype with all of their new tools from Supreme Darkness. Before getting into the two variants, let’s talk about the across the board great new options available to the deck. Leading the charge is Gladiator Beast Magister (YGOrg Translation), a new Level 3 Beast that can Special Summon itself and another GB from the hand. Since that’s a GB effect, it will trigger its own to tutor a GB S/T and the effect of whatever other monster you have to summon. Getting access to Magister is easy, as Flavius – Arena of the Gladiator Beasts (YGOrg Translation) is their new Field Spell, able to discard a card to tutor any GB monster. Plus, during the End Phase if any GB was summoned from the Deck, it can set a Gladiator Trap to your field, ensuring access to either Gladiator Beast Charge or Gladiator Beast War Chariot. In the Extra Deck, Gladiator Beast Claudius (YGOrg Translation) joins the fray, a Level 12 Fusion made by shuffling 5 GB monsters from the field or GY into the deck, and when you do, it grants you a second Battle Phase! Then there’s also a new LINK-2 option, Gladiator Beast Dareios (YGOrg Translation), which Special Summons another GB from the GY or from the Deck, if your opponent controls a monster!

With all of these new cards, I thought it was a good time to sit back and decide what is really the best way to play Gladiator Beast now? So, let me introduce the two options.

Build One: Gladiator Beast with Andal

The first variant today focuses on Gladiator Beast Andal, the Normal Monster of the archetype. Despite requiring the bricks of the two copies of Andal, this build has additional explosive power with access to both Unexpected Dai and Primite Roar, giving this variant more material to play with. With the access to additional Special Summons, I found that this variant can also afford to run Rescue Cat, as you have ways to play around an ill-timed hand trap.

Provided Decklist:

Monsters: 17
|| Gladiator Beast Andal
| Gladiator Beast Augustus
| Gladiator Beast Noxious
| Gladiator Beast Darius
| Gladiator Beast Equeste
| Gladiator Beast Bestiari
| Gladiator Beast Attorix
||| Rescue Cat
||| Gladiator Beast Magister
||| Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring

Spells: 17
||| Unexpected Dai
||| Gladiator Beast’s Comeback
| Gladiator Proving Ground
| Monster Reborn
| World Legacy Succession
| Called by the Grave
|| Primite Roar
||| Gladiator Rejection
|| Flavius – Arena of the Gladiator Beasts

Traps: 6
||| Infinite Impermanence
|| Gladiator Beast Charge
| Gladiator Beast War Chariot

Extra Deck:
|| Gladiator Beast Claudius
|| Gladiator Beast Domitianus
| Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
|| Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor
| Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
| Ritual Beast Ulti-Reirautari
| Gladiator Beast Dragases
|| Gladiator Beast Dareios
|| Test Panther
| Cross-Sheep

Build Two: Gladiator Beast with Test Monsters

The second variant features the ‘Test’ subtheme, a group of Beasts that support our GB monsters. Test Tiger was the first, able to tribute itself and shuffle back a GB monster to Special Summon one from the deck as if it was summoned by a GB effect. With SUDA, they’ve also received Test Bear (YGOrg Translation), a Level 4 that can tribute itself and shuffle back a GB from the field or hand to Special Summon 2 GB monsters from your deck, as if they were summoned by a GB effect. With this greater power comes greater susception to disruption, but it also lets this variant run a significant number of ‘going 2nd’ cards, like Dark Ruler No More.

Provided Decklist:

Monsters: 18
| Gladiator Beast Augustus
| Gladiator Beast Noxious
|| Gladiator Beast Darius
| Gladiator Beast Equeste
| Gladiator Beast Bestiari
||| Test Bear
| Gladiator Beast Attorix
| Gladiator Beast Sagittarii
||| Gladiator Beast Magister
| Gladiator Beast Murmillo
||| Test Tiger

Spells: 15
||| Gladiator Beast’s Comeback
||| Gladiator Proving Ground
||| Dark Ruler No More
| Fusion Armament
| Monster Reborn
||| Gladiator Rejection
| Flavius – Arena of the Gladiator Beasts

Traps: 8
||| Infinite Impermanence
||| Evenly Matched
| Gladiator Beast Charge
| Gladiator Beast War Chariot

Extra Deck:
|| Gladiator Beast Claudius
|| Gladiator Beast Domitianus
| Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
| Gladiator Beast Nerokius
| Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor
| Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
| Tri-Brigade Shuraig the Ominous Omen
| Ritual Beast Ulti-Reirautari
| Gladiator Beast Dragases
| Gladiator Beast Dareios
|| Test Panther
| Cross-Sheep

Note: This is continuing the style of Creative Deck Profile articles, designed to showcase a build through replays and an attached summary. If you wish to see a CDP for an archetype, theme, or strategy you love, feel free to private message me on the YGOrg Discord server, the comments section of any of my YouTube videos, or just post a comment in response to this article on our Facebook page or through the site with your ideas for me to keep under consideration! On most YGO-related communities my username is Quincymccoy, so feel free to reach out. Current pending requested profiles include: Valkyrie, Dragonmaid, Orcust, P.U.N.K., Nekroz, Fabled, Crystron, Labrynth, Azamina, Crystal Beast, Cubic, World Legacy

Coming Soon: