Black Luster Soldier (archetype)

"Black Luster Soldier", known as "Chaos Soldier" (カオス・ソルジャー Kaosu Sorujā) in the OCG, is an archetype of Level 8 Warrior monsters used by Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and manga, as well as Dimitri in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime, that includes "Black Luster Soldier" and monsters based on it who all have 3000 ATK and 2500 DEF. It is also a sub-archetype of the "Chaos" archetype. All members of this archetype are EARTH/LIGHT monsters, except the DARK "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Evening Twilight".

Members of this archetype have existed since the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters National Tournament, but did not receive support until Dimension of Chaos.

This archetype is related to the "Gaia The Fierce Knight" archetype, as cards from both archetypes support each other.

Members

Black Luster Soldier	Banishing target
Envoy of the Beginning	1 monster on the field once per turn, but it cannot attack during the turn this effect is activated
Envoy of the Evening Twilight	Varies depending on the Attribute of the monsters banished to Special Summon it, but its controller cannot conduct their Battle Phase during that turn LIGHT: 1 monster on the field DARK: 1 random card from the opponent's hand face-down, until their End Phase
Sacred Soldier	1 card the opponent controls while also returning 1 banished LIGHT or DARK monster to its controller's Graveyard after being Special Summoned

Playing style

Of the many search effects of this archetype, the most prominent are those of the Field Spell Card "Gateway to Chaos", which can add either a "Black Luster Soldier" Ritual Monster or a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster upon activation, and with enough Spell Counters can also search for any Ritual Spell Card. Leftover counters can be used to activate the effect of "Super Soldier Shield" in the Graveyard. "Beginning of Heaven and Earth" can set up the Graveyard or "Super Soldier Synthesis" to Ritual Summon him from the Hand or Graveyard.

"Super Soldier Synthesis", "Envoy of Chaos" and "Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands" tend to make Decklists of this archetype Level 4 based because of needing Tribute of exactly Level 8.

"Super Soldier Soul" can Banish itself from the Graveyard to search either Level 4 "Evening Twilight Knight" and "Beginning Knight" Monsters, which can also search when Banished but cannot do this themselves and need effects of "Chaos" Monsters like "Envoy of the Beginning", "Lightpulsar Dragon", "Black Dragon Collapserpent" and "White Dragon Wyverburster" or the Ritual Spell Card "Super Soldier Ritual" to activate them.

"Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier" can be searched or Special Summoned by the effects of both the "Gaia The Fierce Knight" monsters, is able to recycle Banished cards to the Graveyard and when destroyed by an opposing effect can return a card from the Graveyard to the Hand.

"Black Luster" cards are sometimes run alongside "Trade-In" and "The Melody of Awakening Dragon to search cards from the "Blue-Eyes" archetype. Using either "Chaos Form" or "Advanced Ritual Art" to their fullest.

Recommended cards

Monsters