Harpies Guide

• The Tie that Binds

The Tie that Binds is one of the two main skills of choice. Not only does it make OTKing easier, but it also allows Loading... to attack over 3000 attack monsters while Loading... is on the field (usually summoned by Loading... ). Moreover, it obviously allows for being able to attack over monsters in the mirror matchup, as well as other interactions in other matchups (see matchups section). Lastly, the skill is available on ample characters, including Yugi Moto, who obtains it as a reward at Level 13.

• Harpies' Hunting Ground

Harpies' Hunting Ground is the other main skill of choice of the two, obtainable only through Mai Valentine. While it is on the field, any Harpie monster that is normal or special summoned allows the field spell Harpies' Hunting Ground to destroy a spell or trap card on the field. This is particularly useful with forcing out the opponent's backrow, as well as destroying problematic floodgates such as Loading... . Moreover, it can be used to pop the Harpie player's own Loading... , allowing them to add 3 Harpie cards at the end phase. Lastly, Loading... can recycle it from the graveyard if needed. The only downside to Harpies' Hunting Ground is that the spell trap destruction is a mandatory effect, so it will need to destroy itself if the Harpie player summons a Harpie monster going first. In match formats, Harpies' Hunting Ground is almost always a sided skill whenever The Tie that Binds is the main skill of choice.

Harpie Perfumer (3x)

Loading... is the main searcher of the deck. It allows the searching of a spell/trap card including “Harpie Lady Sisters” in the card text whenever it is normal or special summoned. This usually leads to Loading... or Loading... being added, depending on the hand (which will be talked about more in the combos section of the guide). Moreover, if a level 5 or higher Harpie monster was on the field prior, Perfumer can add an additional candidate card provided it is a different name from the first.

Harpie Channeler (3x)

Loading... is the main summoner of the deck. It special summons a “Harpie” monster in face-up defence position from the deck other than Loading... itself at the cost of discarding a Harpie card. This allows for easy combos into usually either a Loading... , or a rank 4 XYZ, but sometimes even a rank 7 XYZ if Loading... summons Loading... , as its level changes to 7 when a Dragon is face-up on the field.

Harpie Lady 1 (1-2x)

Loading... is the main target for Loading... . Loading... is the preferred choice since it allows for easier OTKs as well as attacking over higher attack monsters with the ability The Tie that Binds . Due to being able to be recycled via Loading... , there is no good incentive to run any more than 2, as it does not play a role in the deck’s overall card advantage, and would likely clog the hand of the Harpie player if played at 3.

Harpie Oracle (2x)

The addition of Loading... through the event ultimately helped Harpie become more consistent as a whole, as it allows the Harpie player to return a Spell/Trap including “Harpie Lady Sisters” in the card text at the End Phase whenever it is normal or special summoned. Moreover, it can be special summoned from the hand if a level 5 or higher Harpie Lady monster is on the field. This restriction is ultimately the factor holding it back from being a 3 of, as it is dependent on other cards to have maximum value.

Harpie Harpist (0-2x)

Loading... is a card that usually gets cut in the smaller builds (20-23) due to space issues; however, it does see play in the larger builds (closer to 30). Its less common effect is that when it is normal summoned, it can target a respective winged beast type monster alongside an opposing face-up monster and return them to the hand. Its main effect, however, is that when it is sent to the graveyard by any means, it can add a Winged Beast monster with 1500 or less Attack points from the deck to the hand at the end phase. This is often done through discarding it with Loading... for maximum value. Note that Loading... must stay in the graveyard to activate its effect, and so returning it to the deck by Loading... will take away the opportunity to add a Harpie monster.

Cyber Harpie Lady (0-1x)

Loading... is nother potential target for Loading... that is less commonly seen. Loading... is simply a beatstick that can occasionally attack over monsters Loading... would not be able to, most notably against Fire King’s Level 4 monsters in the current meta as well as the mirror matchup.

Harpie's Pet Dragon (0-1x)

Loading... makes the list in specifically the large build due to the abundance of Loading... being summoned against Harpies. It is an option to summon off of Loading... . Not only does Loading... avoid the destruction effect due to not being treated as a Harpie Lady itself, but in tandem with Channeler, it can both beat over Number 18: Heraldry Patriarch, or, more commonly, make a Rank 7 XYZ in with Loading... since its level changes to 7 with Loading... on the field.

Cyber Slash Harpie Lady (2x)

The main boss monster of Harpies, which can be summoned by treating one Harpie Lady as a tuner monster. Loading... can either return an opposing monster, or a face-up Harpie monster on the controller’s field to the hand when a spell/trap or spell/trap effect is activated. Moreover, it allows Loading... , Loading... , and Loading... to get their maximum benefit since it is a candidate level 5 or higher Harpie monster.

Elegant Egotist (2x)

Loading... is the main spell that allows Harpies to consistently swarm the field, generally through Loading... or Loading... adding it to the hand. It summons a card whose name is Harpie Lady from the hand or deck. This usually limits the special summon to Loading... and Loading... , as the other played Harpie monsters are only considered as “Harpie Lady” on the field or in the graveyard.

Harpie's Feather Rest (1x)

Loading... is an archetype “Loading... ”, allowing the Harpie player to target 3 Harpie Lady/Harpie Lady Sisters, shuffle them back into the deck, and draw 1 card, or draw 2 cards if the controlling player has a level 5 or higher Harpie monster on the field. This card then locks the Harpie player out of any special summons involving a non-wind monster for the rest of the turn. This is important because non-wind XYZ monsters can be summoned prior to activating Loading... , so it is critical to take advantage of that whenever possible.

Harpies' Hunting Ground (0-1x)

As mentioned previously, the skill Harpies' Hunting Ground puts the field spell Harpies' Hunting Ground on the field, but Harpies' Hunting Ground itself is usually also a staple to run in the main deck whenever The Tie that Binds is being used instead. It can be easily accessed via Loading... in cases that Loading... and/or Loading... are already in the hand in order to address opposing backrow. It also boosts winged beast monsters by 200 attack, allowing easier attacks over high attack monsters.

Hysteric Sign (0-3x)

Similar to Loading... , Loading... gets cut in the smaller builds, but generally gets maxed in the larger builds. It allows the Harpie player to add an Loading... from the deck or graveyard to the hand. Moreover, if it is sent to the graveyard from either the hand or the field, it allows the Harpie player to add up to 3 Harpie cards with different names from the deck to the hand. Note that Loading... can only use one of these effect per turn and only once that turn, so destroying it by Harpies' Hunting Ground after adding Loading... with the first effect will not allow the adding of 3 Harpie cards at the end phase; therefore, if one wants to use the effect to search, do not use the effect to add an Loading... .

Hysteric Party (0-3)

Loading... occasionally sees play in the smaller builds, but always gets played in varied amounts in the larger builds. It allows the Harpie player to special summon as many Harpie Lady monsters as possible at the cost of discarding a card, but destroys the ones summoned by its effect when it leaves the field. Loading... is generally used either as a last resort if all other plays get stopped, or as an OTK enabler if it is deemed safe to push with it.