Chapter 188. The Drytron–Herald "Counter-Master" Breakdown! A Ball-Only Drytron That Doesn't Need the Boss Monster Leaves the Old Guard Stupefied!
All the old-guard Duelists across every world had never imagined this.
That a monster could exist with unlimited activations of three-type negation!
Even more unexpected—this time, that insane chain of negations actually climbed to Chain Link 11!
In the VRAINS world, after swallowing hard, Akira Zaizen felt his eyes going blurry.
If you go first and make that Drytron–Herald "Ultimateness" boss, and your hand is packed with the costs to keep negating, then aren't you just invincible?
Your opponent literally can't move!
Activate a Spell/Trap—negate it.
Special Summon a monster—negate it.
Activate a monster effect—also negated!
"This engine is scarier than anything I've seen!"
"How do you crack it? Kaijus?"
Aoi Zaizen pressed her lips together; for the first time, a Duel actually felt powerless.
Yes.
If she were to face a Duelist like that, her first thought would be to run.
Surrender at Speed 5 and flee!
In the ARC-V world, Yuya Sakaki sucked in a cold breath and still hadn't recovered.
He was stuck in that eleven-chain clip and couldn't pull himself out!
Any card activation could be negated by that Herald.
What are you even supposed to play then?
Unless it's a Spell Speed 3 Counter Trap.
If you didn't draw one to fight back, there's just no way to break through that three-type negation wall from the Herald!
"I'm already numb."
"This is the first time I've seen a system that can do this."
"In a flash, I finally understand why you have to run Nibiru and Kaijus."
"And how important Dark Ruler No More is."
Off to the side, Yugo spoke slowly.
At last he grasped why, in the higher worlds, everyone runs a few generic staples.
If you don't—how are you supposed to play going second?
In the main world, once Sei Yuki finished that video, he quickly started playing the short creator's Drytron–Herald deck breakdown.
At the same time, the title popped up across every Duel world.
"Drytron–Herald Deck Guide! Let Me Lead You Straight Into the 'Counter-Master's' Tender Embrace!"
Soon, the Drytron–Herald presenter's voice echoed in every world.
Drytron–Herald: "Alright, welcome, Duel-heads, to the Drytron–Herald combo class!"
Drytron–Herald: "Before we begin, a quick preface."
Drytron–Herald: "First, Drytron–Herald prefers going first."
"Second, after Herald of Orange Light and Eva were limited, the overall power dropped!"
"But we can't deny that the Drytron core still revolves around Cyber Angel Benten!"
"As long as you have the full three copies of Cyber Angel Benten, the deck is still very playable!"
"Lastly, the Drytron–Herald build has three parts."
"Part 1: Drytron. Part 2: Herald. Part 3: Cyber Angel plus other generics."
"These three axes form the 'Counter-Master' deck in front of us."
"We'll start with the key Drytron pieces!"
"All Drytron low-level monsters share a common effect."
"Simply put, you Tribute a Drytron or a Ritual Monster from your hand or field to Special Summon them from the hand or Graveyard."
"Each Drytron triggers when successfully Special Summoned."
"And Drytron monsters cannot be Normal Summoned."
"The restriction is: the turn you use that effect, you can only Special Summon monsters that cannot be Normal Summoned!"
"And then…"
After that quick preface, Duelists in every world focused all their attention to analyze this absurd 'Counter-Master' shell.
Once they listened through, they finally understood what made it unique.
It actually needs three separate axes to assemble!
And what links those three together are just a few requirements.
One: Ritual Monsters.
Two: LIGHT Fairy monsters.
That's right.
There's no shared archetype tag among the three at all.
It's entirely built on those two points to chain searches together!
And the Cyber Angel inclusions made many at Duel Academy wear baffled looks.
Well then!
Who knew Cyber Angel Benten was this useful?
Is it really this valuable?
As expected, Alexis Rhodes's Cyber Angel Benten has become the ultimate utility piece!
Drytron–Herald: "Having understood that, let's look at the singles!"
Drytron–Herald: "Card 1: Drytron Alpha Thuban!"
Drytron–Herald: "On Special Summon, add a Ritual Monster from the Deck to your hand—universal Ritual Monster search."
"Card 2: Drytron Zeta Aldhibah!"
"On Special Summon, add a Ritual Spell from the Deck to your hand—universal Ritual Spell search."
"Card 3: Drytron Gamma Eltanin!"
"On Special Summon, revive a 2000 ATK Drytron from your Graveyard other than itself—resource refill."
"Card 4: Drytron Delta Altais!"
"On Special Summon, reveal a Ritual Spell or Ritual Monster to draw 1—resource refill."
"Card 5: the Xyz, Drytron Mu Beta Fafnir!"
"On Xyz Summon, send a Drytron card from Deck to Graveyard."
"When you Ritual Summon, its materials can count as Tributes."
"If you control a Machine-Type Ritual Monster and your opponent activates a Spell/Trap: detach 1 to negate and destroy."
"Card 6: the Spell Drytron Fafnir!"
"Support to help the Drytron engine Special Summon and search."
"Card 7: the Ritual Spell Meteonis Drytron!"
"It's the key Ritual piece and can recycle itself from the Graveyard."
"As for the in-archetype Drytron boss, we're not considering it!"
"You might run a couple occasionally."
"After all, that 'boss' is even riding in Trains these days as Graveyard fodder to help them Special Summon."
A Drytron build that doesn't even need the Drytron "boss."
Hearing the Drytron axis, Duelists across the worlds all twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Wow.
Is the Drytron boss really down this bad?
This configuration doesn't even need it?
And yet the low-level monsters are all jammed into the Herald shell to "play with spheres"!
Honestly kind of comical.
But you can't deny it: the Ritual support Drytron provides is actually cracked!
Search the Ritual Monster, and search the Ritual Spell.
Its Xyz materials can even count as Tributes for Ritual Summons.
Utilization: maxed out!
Drytron–Herald: "The Herald axis is the core battlefield and the 'Counter-Master' piece."
Drytron–Herald: "Card 1: Diviner of the Herald!"
Drytron–Herald: "You basically reserve your Normal Summon for this."
"It provides the powerful send-to-Graveyard effect."
"Card 2: the 'Counter-Master' himself, Herald of Ultimateness!"
"As long as you have ammo, you can fire off three-type negation again and again."
"It can also negate Special Summons—truly the king of negation!"
"In Drytron, making this is a guaranteed two negates at minimum."
"Card 3: Herald of the Arc Light!"
"This mainly exists for Diviner to send from the Extra Deck."
"Because when it's sent to the Graveyard, it adds a Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell from the Deck."
"Card 4: Herald of Mirage Lights!"
"Spell/Trap negation, and if it's sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's effect, it can add up to two from among Ritual Monsters and Ritual Spells in your Graveyard."
"As for the others—monster negate Herald of Orange Light, trap negate Herald of Purple Light, and spell negate Herald of Green Light—they're all options; focus on Orange."
"The Cyber Angel and other cards need little explanation!"
"Run three Cyber Angel Benten to Tribute for searches!"
"One Cyber Angel Natasha as the dedicated utility piece!"
"If Eva isn't limited, jam three!"
"Preparation of Rites and Pre-Preparation of Rites—self-explanatory!"
"Cyber Emergency for searching!"
"In the Extra Deck, run Baronne de Fleur, Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess, I:P Masquerena, Elder Entity N'tss, and so on."
"These finish our Drytron–Herald 'Counter-Master' framework!"
At this point, the whole Drytron–Herald axis was laid bare.
The Herald suite is almost entirely about negation!
Duelists across the worlds drew a deep breath and exhaled.
What even is this Herald?
Does it love negating that much?
The whole family negates?
No wonder it's called "Herald"!
Is it related to some godly geezer or what?
From low-level monsters to Rituals, Links, and Synchros—
They almost all negate!
In the DM world:
"Wow! Kawaii!"
"The Herald orbs are so cute!"
"Eh? They're Fairies—they really look like little angels!"
Most fascinated of all was Téa Gardner.
And Fairy-Types just happen to hit her tastes.
Her words made Joey Wheeler, Yugi Muto, and Seto Kaiba all twitch their lips.
Are you sure…
These monsters that only negate are angels and not demons?
Are you sure they're cute?
At Duel Academy, Alexis Rhodes had gone completely blank.
Because this breakdown had cemented an unwelcome fact.
Her Cyber Angels had, indeed, become someone else's utility tools.
"My Cyber Angels… are they weak on their own?"
"Do they only show full power combined with Drytron?"
She murmured, suddenly a little forlorn.
She'd actually been looking forward to her Cyber Angels.
Well, that's over.
Not so excited anymore!
"Still, those Ritual Spells are pretty strong."
"I think with those, sis, your Cyber Angels won't be a weak deck."
Atticus Rhodes noticed his sister's mood.
With that, Alexis refocused on the short.
Yeah.
Those Ritual Spells really are strong.
Drytron–Herald: "Next up—the line-of-play breakdown!"
Drytron–Herald: "Basically you need a two-card combo."
Drytron–Herald: "Say our hand has Drytron Alpha Thuban and Drytron Zeta Aldhibah."
"We activate Alpha's effect, discard Zeta to Special Summon."
"Alpha triggers; we search Cyber Angel Benten."
"In the Graveyard, Zeta's effect Tributes Benten to Special Summon itself and searches the Ritual Spell Meteonis Drytron."
"That triggers Benten in the Graveyard; we search Diviner of the Herald."
"Two Level 1 Drytron on board make an Xyz network."
"Overlay into Drytron Mu Beta Fafnir."
"Mu Beta sends Drytron Gamma Eltanin to the Graveyard."
"Normal Summon Diviner of the Herald! Send Herald of the Arc Light from the Extra Deck; Diviner becomes Level 6."
"Herald of the Arc Light in the Graveyard then searches Herald of Ultimateness."
"Activate Meteonis Drytron; Tribute one of Mu Beta's materials to Ritual Summon from the Graveyard—choose Benten."
"Use Diviner and Benten to make Rank 6."
"Overlay—Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal."
"Beatrice sends Eva."
"Then Eva banishes Benten and Arc Light to search Herald of Orange Light and Diviner of the Herald."
"Next, activate Drytron Gamma Eltanin in the Graveyard."
"Release Herald of Ultimateness in hand, Special Summon Gamma, and pull back Drytron Alpha Thuban."
"In the Graveyard, Meteonis Drytron reduces Drytron Alpha Thuban by 1000 ATK to recover itself."
"Use Meteonis Drytron again; detach material to Ritual Summon Herald of Ultimateness from the Graveyard."
"Link the two Drytron into Herald of Mirage Lights (Link-2)!"
"Then link Herald of Mirage Lights with Mu Beta—"
"Make Spright Elf (Link-2)!"
"And we're not done!"
"On the opponent's turn, fire Beatrice at Quick Effect speed to send another Eva."
"Then Eva fetches two more."
"At this point, our 'Counter-Master' is a guaranteed four negates!"
"If it's Alpha Thuban plus Drytron Delta Altais,"
"or Alpha Thuban plus Cyber Angel Benten,"
"or Alpha Thuban plus Drytron Gamma Eltanin,"
"you can all do this basic line!"
"If it's Zeta Aldhibah plus any of the above,"
"the route's basically the same."
"Not much difference."
"That's the entire Drytron–Herald 'Counter-Master' breakdown!"
"Thanks for watching—see you next time!"
A simple combo explanation, plus the short's plays.
Combined with that earlier eleven-negate explosion—
By now, Duelists across the worlds had a clear picture of Drytron–Herald!
For the old-guard from DM and GX, a Ritual deck doing this many fancy things—
It completely shattered their concept of Rituals.
What used to feel hazy and vague was now total understanding and deep shock!
In the DM world, Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba looked at each other, eyes wide.
It felt like their entire worldview of Rituals had collapsed during that Drytron–Herald lecture!
Wait, what?
The Drytron–Herald engine—
You can cycle resources and search that hard?
Baseline is four negates!
And this is a Ritual deck?
"Tch! First time I've seen a Ritual deck profit this much on resources!"
"And this Ritual engine feels like it never bricks!"
"The lines are way too smooth!"
Holding his breath to the end, Joey Wheeler immediately shared his take.
For the first time ever, he was actually interested in a Ritual deck!
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