What are Crystal Beasts?
Crystal Beasts are monsters that utilize the effects of themselves to set up the Spell & Trap Zone. They are treated as Continous Spell Cards, which allows the full use of the effects of "Ancient City- Rainbow Ruins".
Why should I run Crystal Beast?
Crystal Beast is an underrated archetype that very few learn how to pilot well. With each format proceeded it grows as well with the current meta. For example with XYZ available Crystal Beast have more options besides beatdown with the CBs available and Rainbow Dragon. If you run the deck correctly, and get the 5 CBs in the s/t zone in 3 turns or less, the control with CBs as well as the plays, can be immense.
Key Cards in a "Crystal Beast" Deck:
Rainbow City- Ancient Ruins
Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus
Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle
Rainbow Dragon
Support Cards
Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger
Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise
Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle
Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat
Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth
Crystal Beacon
Crystal Blessing
Crystal Tree
Key Card I: Rainbow City- Ancient Ruins
Card Text:
- Spoiler:
You must have this many "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone to activate and resolve these effects: ● 1+: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. ● 2+: Once per turn, you can halve the Battle Damage you take. ● 3+: When a Spell/Trap Card is activated: You can send 1 "Crystal Beast" monster you control to the Graveyard; negate the activation and destroy it. ● 4+: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can draw 1 card. ● 5+: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can target 1 "Crystal Beast" card in your Spell & Trap Card Zone; Special Summon that target.
This field spell is the source of your main field control throughout the game. Once you have 5 CB in your Spell and Trap card zone, you can use the full effects of spell. It includes drawing 1 card once per turn, giving you an additional +1 added after your draw phase. The ability to negate spell and traps cards (Speed 2 and lower), decrease battle damage by half, and it also has the ability to stay on the field without being destroyed by card effects (Exception to basic rule of fields being activated in place of Ruins). This field spells also goes in addition with cards like Scrap Dragon. The card that gives CBs their outstanding power.
Key Card II : Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus
Card Text:
- Spoiler:
When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard. ATK/1800 DEF/1200
The main Crystal Beast card that starts off most of your moves. It give Rainbow Ruins it's 1st effect allowing it not to be destroyed by card effects. Also if your opponent destroys if after using its effect to send a Crystal Beast to Spell and Trap card zone, thats an automatic 2 cards in the s/t zone. This gives the ruins the effect to give you half battle damage for one battle, once per turn. If this card is in your s/t when you used the effect to special summon 1 CB from your s/t zone, you can use pegasus to add another CB to the S/T zone, allowing summoning and re-filling of CBs during the duel. Also alone it is the CB with the highest Attack.
Key Card III: Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle
Card Text: - Spoiler:
When this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon as many "Crystal Beast" cards as possible from your Spell & Trap Card Zone. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
ATK/300 DEF/300
The 1st target you want for the effect of Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus. Once you have 5 cbs in your s/t zone, you will be able to use the (5 cbs in s/t zone) effect of ruins. Special Summon ruby, to special summon the rest of the CBs. Concluding this you can go into rank 3 or 4 XYZ, and refill the S/T zone back with CB.
Key Card IV: Rainbow Dragon
Card Text:
- Spoiler:
Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by having 7 "Crystal Beast" cards with different names on your field or in your Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card cannot activate its effects the turn it is Special Summoned. ● During either player's turn: You can send all "Crystal Beast" monsters you control to the Graveyard; this card gains 1000 ATK for each card sent. ● You can banish all "Crystal Beast" monsters in your Graveyard; shuffle all cards on the field into the Decks.
ATK/4000 DEF/0
In the anime, the main purpose of Crystal Beast was to get out this monster...Rainbow Dragon. With a strong effect that eliminates the Field by shuffling all cards back into the deck, or Increasing the attack of Raindow Dragon to become a overwhelming attacking beater. It gives an alternate view towards CB.
Support Cards: (Most of which are mainly targets for the full use of ruins).
Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: - Spoiler:
If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 400 ATK during the Damage Step only. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
A target for s/t zone for CB. This monster can attack for +400 ATK which gets over 1900 beaters such as TKR (Thunder King Rai-Oh).
Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise: Once per turn: - Spoiler:
You can target 1 monster you control that attacked this turn; change that target to Defense Position. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
A target for s/t zone for CB. Good for defending against 1900 beater monsters.
Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle : - Spoiler:
Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up "Crystal Beast" card you control; return that target to the top of the Deck. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat: - Spoiler:
This card can attack your opponent directly, but when it uses this effect, any Battle Damage it inflicts to your opponent is halved. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
This card allows you attack directly. For those games that you can't knock in that finishing blow.
Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth: - Spoiler:
When another face-up "Crystal Beast" monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can make this card the attack target instead. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
Crystal Beacon:
- Spoiler:
Special Summon 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your Deck. You must have 2 or more "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone to activate and to resolve this effect.
Allows you to special summon another CB from your deck, preferably another Pegasus for your 3rd CB in your s/t zone.
Crystal Blessing: - Spoiler:
Target up to 2 "Crystal Beast" monsters in your Graveyard; place those targets face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as Continuous Spell Cards.
With more options with XYZ, and more plays, this card has become a better supporting card in the family of CB.
Crystal Tree: - Spoiler:
Each time a "Crystal Beast" monster(s) is placed in either player's Spell & Trap Card Zone: Place 1 Crystal Counter on this card. You can send this card to the Graveyard; take a number of "Crystal Beast" monsters from your Deck equal to the number of Crystal Counters that were on this card, then place those monsters face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as Continuous Spell Cards.
A card that helps setting up CB faster in the s/t zone. Although it may seem like a dead card at times, it can really change the tide of the game, along with Ruins.
How do you run CBS? (A little explanation + 2 Replays: 1 Random and 1 Random against Tier 1).
http://www.sendspace.com/filegroup/6emRMs5WqKCaiBUWt9EVtg (As you can see during the meta 1 after he ends his turn, if you check my next draw, it ended up being Crystal Abundance. A win for me xD. P.S. I think my opponent may have raged, I waited for like a whole minute.)
There are a few ways to run CBS. You can try mainly going for a Rainbow Dragon Variant, Crystal Abundance variant, or Ruins Control (Best way I could describe the different ways people try running it). I like Ruins the most, because it maintains presence, rather than setting up and otk and dead drawing with Abundance every few games. Yes I do main 1 Abundance in the deck as well as 1 Rainbow Dragon.They are both good techs, and usually when I draw it (1/40), I can use it, or save it for game. Instead of me telling you how to exactly use CBS, I provided you with YGOPRO replays that you can watch. It allows players more freedom on how they interpret the deckstyle, and turn it into their own. (Thank you replays xD).
Deck Strengths:
Abundance of powerful spell support
Massive Summon Waves through Carbuncle
Deck Weaknesses:
Speed
Draw Power
Summon build (It has to build it for a couple of turns. OTKs can easily dominate this deck.)
Monsters (17):
x2 Malefic Cyber End Dragon- Beaters are needed with this deck, and Cyber End gets over a lot of monsters CBs normally can't get over.
x1 Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle- Main way to SS into 2-3 Rank 3 or 4 XYZ plays with Ruins.
x1 Rainbow Dragon or +1 Crystal Beast Carbuncle ( I run 1 Carbuncle and 1 Rainbow Dragon. Still decisive over 1 RD over Carbuncle)- Good 1 card tech as a small key card for CB. +1 Carbuncle for issues against Carbuncle getting removed and you can't search it out.
x2 Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings- People say Hamond is better. No it really isn't. Dragon Queen can be special summon from the grave by a mere -1 CB setup. You can use it for the rank 6 XYZ plays as well. Another Reason why this is better than Hamond is because Hamond can be run over by BTH, Solemn Brigade, TKR. In other words, why waste a -3 CB you can use for a 4k beater (which Cyber End can do as well) when it can easily be taken out?
x3 Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus- Key card for seraching CBs for the s/t zone.
x1 Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth- Can switch targets of attack for CB.
x1 Crystal Beast Topaz- Can get over TKR, and 1900 beaters such as Koaki Meiru Drago.
x1 Vylon Prism- The best lv4 tuner suitable for this deck. Allows you to synch 8 into Scrap or Stardust +1000 attack during the DMG for battle involving monsters for a mere pay of 500 LP. Only run 1 tuner for concistancy. Little reliance on synchroing instead of the opportuninty for CB setup.
x1 Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle- Target for CB.
x2 Summoner Monk- Gives use to dead Spell Cards in hand. You can synch lv 8 Stardust or Scrap, Special Summon Pegasus for a CB search and go into a rank 4 XYZ if necessary. Very good monster for the Prism and Pegasus target.
x1 Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat- Target for CB. Possible end game with this, and can attack directtly. However unlikely to happen.
Spells (20):
x2 Crystal Blessing- Very good card in games where u can refill not 1, but 2 CB in the s/t zone.
x1 Dark Hole
x2 Rare Value- Draw Power. This card is not @3 for concistancy issues, and means of taking out your CB for draw power.
x1 Crystal Abundance- Good 1 card tech for OTKs, eliminating the field. Replacement for BRD nukes, except cards like Starlight Road or Huge Revolution cannot get by it.
x3 Terraforming- 3 terraforming for 3 Ruin searches seems bad, but Having Ruins in hand is a priority. Also you can the chances of you ditching unused Terras are high.
x3 Crystal Beacon- Fills in the speed of CBs. If you see the replays you'll see how this card makes the deck so much faster.
x2 Pot of Duality
x2 Mystical Space Typhoon
x1 Crystal Tree- Debatable @ 2, but allows searching for CBS easier. Once you have all your CB out the deck, it becomes useless so 1 is the best option.
x3 Ancient City- Rainbow Ruins- Main Key Card.
Traps (3):
x1 Solemn Judgment
x2 Solemn Warning
Extra (15):
x2 Cyber End Dragon
x1 Mist Wurm
x1 Scrap Dragon- Combos really well with Ruins.
x1 Stardust Dragon- Gets by heavy storms, s/t hate.
x1 Black Rose Dragon
x1 Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7: Get rids of stall, recycle some of your boss monsters.
x1 Photon Strike Bounzer
x2 Number 39: Utopia
x1 Lightning Plover
x1 Maestroke the Symphony Djinn
x1 Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
x1 Temtempo The Percussion Djinn
x1 Wind-Up Zenmaines- Key to getting rid of cards when you don't draw 4k beaters and such.
Side (15):
x2 Maxx "C"
x2 Effect Veiler
x1 Number 25: Force Focus- Counter side for Photon Strike Bounzer.
x1 Nobleman of Crossout
x3 Horn of the Phantom Beast- Sides these in when you can't really do much, but beatdown the opponent when necessary.
x3 Royal Decree- Counter Side for the "Solemn Brigade". Use when faced against really Trap Heavy Decks (Worms, Chain Burn, Stall, etc.)
x1 Light-Imprisoning Mirror
x2 Soul Drain.
EXTRA KEY:
( ) = How many you should run in the deck
x = The Number of Cards in the deck.
Final Notes: The Side could be worked on a bit more. Rainbow Dragon vs Carbuncle is debatable. I hope you enjoyed my guide, and I shall make more another time
.
Subject: Crystal Beast Article/ Guide 
. (Cobalt Eagle may be destroyed in the process but you sure can get a +1 in your s/t zone once you get it out)
