Notes & Combos

The only thing one could wish on Konami after this parade of stupidity is a painful abyss and humiliation reinvigorated each time they're reminded by the once-victims of the misery they had created with this regurgitation of a format.

Originally, this was going to be a Galaxy Photon list.

...but Kaijū have no reliable counters unless noted...

which is why I was basically forced to spend 5k gems for something that won't exist anymore in a couple weeks from now, April the 16th of the Gregorian Year 2026

The only consolation in this delusion of an essay is that I get some regeneration gems from this and my KOG climb.

To think I was going to banter about G/P's design.

Well, at least this will serve as record for the crimes

The Misunderstanding

Therion isn't the issue. Yeah, sure, Therions have the most advantage-making Skill, but there has been stronger Skills and stronger decks.

Rather, Therion is the result of an incident and the forever lesson that is that people only play something because it's trendy, not because they know it's good: for all it matters, they might never notice. And indeed they haven't. And now here we are.

Kaijū are broken in every format. There isn't a single space in which they don't break the game. If your deck can survive them, it's because your deck is an exception, not the rule, including if there is one monster that still activates if tributed away, like Mirrorjade

Kaijū are actually an unnamed category that predated the namesake, starting from Lava Golem, and continuing with at least Volcanic Queen, thus giving birth to the term "Kaijū-like"

This distinction is very important because Kaijū Kaijū-likes are quite weak due to the unique restriction of "only 1 per player-owned field half", with the strongest, cost-wise, arguably being Santa.

But this is a 3x3 (check my previous guides) format, and, obviously, when you have RaSphere and Lava Golem, you don't really need most Kaijū Kaijū-likes, if they all have the same clause in spite of the name difference, like in this case, where I only play Kumungous (whose abbreviation doesn't help.)

My list has been taken from Kyru, except from the single copy of ***, and the fact I have 2 Veil.

Why is that...the list is "boring", solid, practical, without useless gimmick plays, and maximizes consistency.

The reason I play ***...is because Gam isn't legal and I needed to raise the amount of Kaijū-likes played. Since there is no reason for any more than one copy (risking Therion Skill not to work, because you just don't have any Therion), I only run 1.

The "Combo"

Therions have no proper combos. Normally, this would be a good thing because it means the deck is so strong and flexible not to have a set play, thus making counterplay near impossible, like in the case of Memento, who has just too many, or Tearlaments, who doesn't even know what they will start with

However, the case of the lack of combo-ness of Therion is purely that, in a similar manner to True Draco's Spell Traps (but not Monsters since, in the latter case, it's simply that you can decide what to summon and add between 3 options), there aren't many options to begin with, and Ala is perhaps the most telegraphed extender.

Thus you get a deck that is so optimized (many benefits in one, and no possibility to stop the summon-and-equip from the field), that the staple explanation is likely going to be longer than the Therion part.

Because of the absolute lack of necessity to split the two categories (staples and non staples), the two will share the paragraph, and the same will apply to the Extra Deck.

Sigh.

The List

(See my previous guides for the abbreviation used there, that I will not repeat here)

(S&E means Summon And Equip)

(R means Rank)

(Inherit refers to the transferred effect, the so called "2nd")

• Reg - Reg forces handtraps and is pretty much the only defense against Nib, despite the fact that there are potentially play-throughs to the latter, if you have many names in hand (don't count on it). He is also peculiar where his negate completely disregards S&E (although it will interfere with R8 if he's the only valid cost), making him best once the equips have been used, or he's one, as he otherwise will deny them to the rest: cue the synergy and full operativity with Borea. Usually used to stop the last remnants of defense when GEPL and Harb are around, as well as the one with the highest ATK, which becomes relevant against your own Lavas.

• GETP - You either add it with Lux or you summon it when Lux is around, to add TTransm and another body for another R8. The fact this card is better here is an indicator that basing the summon on Dragon Xyz is really stupid.

• Lava - Lava isn't OPT: with 4 monsters, you can summon 2 in the same turn, and with 3 you can summon the second by tributing the first. The SS doesn't matter because this deck doesn't NS. Whether the summon will be in ATK or DEF depends entirely on whether Disc is on their field: if it is, ATK (3k), if it's not, DEF (2.5k). This card was a mistake.

• Borea - Borea is the best card in the deck due to the fact that, without Charge or Disc, the deck would only be half as strong, and that, going first, Thers pass GY equips to each other, off the one Engy mill. The Cross search occasionally becomes relevant, but that requires many bodies, which, in a deck where the staples are so broken you play a lot of them, isn't exactly frequent (and gets shut down by Lava anyway).

• Veil - Veil stops Ala, Borea, Lux, Faris, GETP and Lux, as well as forces Reg, and destroys the equips of every Ther as a result. And she isn't even OPT (although opponent's MP only). This card is seriously a problem.

• Irreg - Irregular is irregular in the part where he lacks the Inherit of the other Thers, thus having only his very special mass S&E, and the switcheroo of his other effect. Pops the whole field with a Spell that is added from outside the Deck, thus either baiting negates, or plain finishing the opponent off. All of this at the cost of horrible ATK, clogging the backrow, and being a level 10, thus occasionally needing to be linked off...assuming you don't run out of time, which is more probable when you're stopped (great job, Konami. You just never miss one)

• *** - The second strongest of the weakest form of Kaijū-like, here as a fourth copy of Lava for more niche scenarios

• Ala - Other than allowing Inherit on the S&E, Ala is the only non-name-exhausting extender, which, without Reg, makes for one **** of a choke point, alongside Borea's search, especially due to the hand cost (whilst Borea can use Ther equips). Once again, bad ATK, just not as much as Irreg.

• Fum - Fum only works in Ther, and only when you have a lot of name and you can afford him in hands, as he only works during the opponent's turn (tho it's non destruction), which isn't as frequent, also given his LV is mismatched (7). Nonetheless, he can shine with the help of Reg, Yul, and Cross, and/or when you lack extenders. But most of the time, it can be thrown off Charge.

• Yul - Yul is the main target of Engy, due to the protection effect, and an underrated LV8 for Rs. Unfortunately, he has no other effect beyond that and the S&E, so he exists mostly as a vector for Inherits.

• Ain - In a non-Syn, non-Warrior deck, Ain is easily the worst, due to being a destruction eff, a level 7, and low ATK. But a name is a name, and Inherits outside of Irreg (who can't) are just as functional, so he does his work, and sometimes his own eff comes up. Most of the time, tho, he exists to be tossed by Charge. And because the Skill has those requirements at the time of writing.

• Disc - Adds, protects, recycles, and sometimes causes trashings from Droll and KönigBanshō. Easily the best target for the Skill alongside Reg, Borea, and Charge. A good card needs little text

• Charge - Just broken, and works even with equips. Activate it only after the other searches, to get a chance to draw Lava, unless there is no choice.

• TTransm - Sometimes it's the finisher, some other times it accompanies Veil. This card got nerfed by Kaijū, but considering how many Thers are LV8, just like GETP, you can't refuse it. And being a Counter Trap, which are cardinal sins. You need to set this if going first and summoning GEPL

• Cross - Whether it comes up entirely depends on your hand and how many S&E you can deploy. By all means, it's an extra negate just like TTransm, but, much like that, it relies on Thers, which you often R8 away. Once again the Skill reqs.

• GEPL - This monster negate is shaky due to the fact it relies on whether it used GETP as mat, as otherwise the monster won't be destroyed. But he accompanies the other negates pretty well, and being a GE, enables TTransm. Tho, he will lack the protection of P mats.

• Harb - Due to every Mizael and Kaitō R8 being generic, he can now be summoned instead of GETD just to unload the materials off Lux. For the rest, ATK wall, attack redirections and Spell negates are still there

• GETD - His summon requires true skill from the player... where the Skill lies in not wasting the Extra Slot and negating your own monsters, as well as the option to use TTransm from hand. As usual, the GETP trick with or without GSD works well, although, without deck summons, it's harder to do as you'd rather summon the latter on your side.

• Ding - The powercreep card removal itself, Ding dodges many protections and many triggers, thus being a fantastic R8 for the Duelist who can use him (mostly the mirror), as well as the protection that comes with (although Lava)

• FulArm - Extra pop, from either GEPL or GETD. He has 4k ATK. That's about it.

• Lux - adds GETP, which adds TTransm, thus he will be targeted. Can actually summon Harb just to free the mats from the Xyz prison. If he succeeds in the Summon, he can add GSD for a future GETD summon with 10.8k and halved damage, before the boosts from the latter.

• Phoe and Uni - I picked them over any alternative, because those aren't relevant, especially Sanaph, so Extra pop it is.

• GSD - See Lux

Uninstall Duel Links. Do this favour not to the players, but the game, so that we may not live through its continuation.