Ghostrick Guide
Dear reader, welcome to my Ghostrick Guide. I suppose you heard of them and also played against them. However they were never a real threat to you up till now. Well with the new support things changed. They are still inconsistent, but they work and can even beat Tier 2 Decks. The Ghostricks are all DARK type spellcaster, fiend and zombie monsters. The strategy of the deck is to stun the opponent and to attack him directly or just to wait until the deck out. All Ghostrick Monsters can be flipped face up and then be flipped face down again. Here are the cards from the archetype and their function in deck. I will try to keep this a short guide x3
Ghostrick Dorklord:
You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Ghostrick" Xyz Monster you control as the Xyz Material, except "Ghostrick Dorklord". (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) When this card has 10 Xyz Materials attached to it, you win the Duel. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; add 1 "Ghostrick" Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can attach 1 "Ghostrick" card from your hand to this card as an Xyz Material. [Do not even try to pull out her win condition. It is too difficult to protect her. Use her as a searcher and beater.]
Ghostrick Succubus:
If you control another "Ghostrick" monster, your opponent cannot target this card for an attack. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster on the field with ATK less than or equal to the combined ATK of all "Ghostrick" monsters on the field; destroy it, and if you do, as long as you control a "Ghostrick" monster, the destroyed monster's Monster Card Zone cannot be used. [Not much to say about her. She is just an option and can be used in different builds. But if you manage to get out two of her. You will create a lock. Try using Darklon to summon her easily]
Ghostrick Alucard:
2 Level 3 monsters: Your opponent cannot target other Ghostrick monsters, or any face-down Defense Position monsters, for attacks. You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 Set card your opponent controls; destroy that target. You can only use this effect of Ghostrick Alucard once per turn. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 Ghostrick card in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand.
[Since you can flip down any of your opponent's monsters quite easily, he can nuke almost everything on the field, because the effect says target 1 Set card. That means anything that is face down in his field can be nuked by you. However he requires 2 level 3 monsters and you lose a bit of field presence if you summon him. So you should only use him if you want to get ride off something dangerous. You can summon him if you want to protect one of your Ghostricks, for example Ghostrick Catgirl. You can also blow up a card and then just attack a stronger monster. He will be sent to the graveyard und you can add a Ghostrick Card to your hand that you need from your graveyard: -2 for the summon/+1 destroy a card/+1 add a card to the hand = 0. And if you pull it out to destroy - 2 cards, it will be = +1]
Ghostrick Doll:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a "Ghostrick" monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When this card is flipped face-up: During this turn's End Phase, change all face-up monsters on the field to face-down Defense Position, then you can Special Summon 1 "Ghostrick" monster from your Deck in face-down Defense Position, whose Level is equal to or less than the total number of monsters changed to face-down Defense Position. [She is used for offensive play. You flip all your Ghostricks face-up, attacke and then doll summons an another Ghostrick during your end phase and flips every single monster on the field face down. Watch it. She does not work with Ghostrick Night, only with Swords of Concealing Light. She also works great with "Ghostrick-Go-Round", because your opponent attackes, you flip her and during his end phase all of his monsters end up face-down, while you get another Ghostrick from your deck. You can also use her in order to reuse her Non-Ghostrick Flip-Monster]
Ghostrick Stein:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a "Ghostrick" monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: You can add 1Ghostrick Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of Ghostrick Stein once per turn.
[Searches all the spell and traps cards in your deck. You should try not to attack with him unless you have Ghostrick Out face down, Pyramid of Wonders face up or something else to protect him.]
Ghostrick Catgirl:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When a Level 4 or higher monster(s) is Normal or Special Summoned: Change that monster(s) to face-down Defense Position. There must be another Ghostrick monster on the field to activate and to resolve this [NEVER summon her without any backrow or handtraps. You also do not start a play with her during your first turn. First you must search with Ghostrick Jiangshi and Ghostrick Marie for your hand traps, than you can summon her]
Ghostrick Frost:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can change that monster to face-down Defense Position, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in face-down Defense Position. [Works good with the first and second Ghostrick Field spell. If all your monsters are face down and your opponent attacks your directly, he pops up, negates the attack, puts the attacking monster in face down position and summons himself in face down position]
Ghostrick Ghoul:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1: You can target 1 Ghostrickmonster you control; its ATK becomes equal to the combined original ATK of all Ghostrick monsters currently on the field, until your opponent's next End Phase, but if it does, only that monster can attack this turn.
[Summon him, increase the attack of Ghostrick Stein, do some damage and search for something. You can also use him if you have set up your field and you have Ghostrick Catgirl on the field. Situation 1: You do not have a field spell on your side of the field or your have Ghostrick House active. Flip everything face up and activate his effect. Flip everything face down, except Ghostrick Catgirl. Attack with him and your opponent will get the full damage. Situation 2: In case you have the field spell Ghostrick Museum on your field, you should also flip everything face down, except Ghostrick Catgirl AND one other Ghostrick monster.]
Ghostrick Dullahan:
2 Level 1 monsters: This card gains 200 ATK for each "Ghostrick" card you control. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; halve that monster's ATK until the End Phase. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 other Ghostrick card in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand. [Protects you from direct attacks, searches your stuff and beats down your opponent]
Ghostrick Jiangshi:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When this card is flipped face-up: You can add from your Deck to your hand, 1 Ghostrick monster whose Level is less than or equal to the number of Ghostrick monsters you control. You can only use this effect of Ghostrick Jiangshi once per turn. [Search first for your hand traps and then for everything else. If you do not have any backrow or handtraps to protect him, just use his own effect. Let your opponent destroy him, search for Marie, then take some damage and search for him again. Then during your next turn activate the effect of your second Jiangshi and go = +1 xD]
Ghostrick Lantern:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, or when a Ghostrick monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can negate the attack, and if you do, Special Summon this card from your hand in face-down Defense Position. [The effect is similar to Ghostrick Frost. However Ghostrick Lantern is used to protect your monsters. Especially Ghostrick Catgirl. You search for him with Jiangshi]
Ghostrick Mary:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When you take damage by battle or by a card effect: You can discard this card; Special Summon 1 Ghostrick monster from your Deck in face-down Defense Position. You can only use this effect of Ghostrick Mary once per turn. [During your first turn, if you have her in your hand, you should search for Jiangshi first, because you want to get some + out of your deck and set up your hand with handtraps. You can also use where arf thou and take 2000 damage. This will also activate her.]
Ghostrick Mummy:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. During your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon 1 Ghostrick monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.) You cannot Special Summon any monsters, except DARK monsters. [I do not use this card, because the deck does not have enough draw power or options to go +. With him you will be faster but you will go - . And often your own field will be already filled with Ghostricks and there will be no place for him. However I decided to try out 1x, because with the Piper build you will have at times a huge hand.]
Ghostrick Skeleton:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When this card is flipped face-up: Banish cards from the top of your opponent's Deck face-down, up to the number of Ghostrick monsters you control. You can only use this effect of Ghostrick Skeleton; once per turn. [You managed to lock down your opponent, but you cannot get your field spell? Ghostrick Skeleton is there for you. Just force your opponent to deck out. Or if you can use him with your field spell as an extra win condition]
Ghostrick Specter:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When a Ghostrick monster is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, or by battle with their attacking monster, and sent to your Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in face-down Defense Position, and if you do, draw 1 card. [In order to use him you must destroy one of your own Ghostrick monsters by battle or WAIT until one gets destroyed and if you manage to pull that out, you will get the chance to summon a used hankie and to draw a random card wow X_X Please run only 1x copy of him and if you are fancy 2x, but not more.]
Ghostrick Witch:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; change it to face-down Defense Position. [Its a situational card. You should not run more than one copy of her. Search her with Ghostrick Marie or Jiangshi, when you need her]
Ghostrick Yuki-onna:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a Ghostrick monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: You can change the monster that destroyed it to face-down Defense Position, and if you do, it cannot change its battle position.
[She does the same thing as Ghostrick Witch. However she put the opponent's monster permanent face down and is also a situational card. You should run only one copy of her and search for her if you need her, but I prefer her. So I use her instead of Ghostrick Witch.]
Ghostrick Warwolf:
Cannot be Normal Summoned, unless you control a "Ghostrick" monster. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position. When this card is flipped face-up: Inflict 100 damage to your opponent for each Set card on the field. You can only use this effect of "Ghostrick Warwolf" once per turn. [Is used for Ghostrick burner decks. Never played one and I do not recommend it, since you want to concentrate on stopping his monsters, rather than effect damage]
Ghostrick Parade:
Monsters cannot attack face-down Defense Position monsters, but can attack directly if all monsters their opponent controls are face-down Defense Position. When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can add 1 "Ghostrick" card from your Deck to your hand. All damage your opponent takes becomes 0. [It is used to build up your set up. You can switch to another field spell with it at any time.]
Ghostrick House (Mansion):
Monsters cannot attack face-down Defense Position monsters, but can attack directly if all monsters their opponent controls are face-down Defense Position. All effect damage, and battle damage inflicted by monsters other than Ghostrick monsters, is halved. [It is their old field spell. You can use it, if your Ghostrick decks is not build around (Lantern,Frost,Marie). It can also be used together with Ghostrick Parade. Build up your set up with Parade and switch your field spell]
Ghostrick Museum:
Monsters you control cannot attack, except Ghostrick monsters. Monsters cannot attack face-down Defense Position monsters, but can attack directly if all monsters their opponent controls are face-down Defense Position. At the end of the Damage Step, if a monster inflicts battle damage: Change that monster to face-down Defense Position.
[Their new field spell. You can use it, if your Ghostrick decks is build around handtraps (Lantern,Frost,Marie)]
Ghostrick Night:
While a "Ghostrick" monster is face-up on the field, your opponent cannot Flip Summon monsters. When this card in your possession is destroyed by your opponent's card and sent to the Graveyard: Your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn. [No matter how amazing this card might seem to you. Never run more than 1x or 2x of it. It is just a piece of your set up. If your set up is not ready yet, this card can be a dead draw]
Ghostrick Roleswitch:
Once per turn, during the Battle Phase: You can activate 1 of these effects.
● Target 1 Ghostrick monster you control; change it to face-down Defense Position and change 1 face-down Defense Position monster your opponent controls into face-up Attack Position.
● Target 1 face-down Defense Position monster you control; change it to face-up Attack Position, and if you changed the battle position of a Ghostrick monster this way, change 1 face-up monster your opponent controls to face-down Defense Position. [An amazing card. A short example: You have Ghostrick Catgirl on the field. He summons something and attacks her. You respond with Ghostrick Lantern and Lantern negates his attack and special summons himself in face down position. Then your opponent can also try to attack a second time. However you have Roleswitch. Activate it and flip Lanten face up und flip down his monster. And so at the end of the turn, you have negated all his attacks and you managed to set up your field. You can also use this card to protect your attacking monster. He activates mirror force and you chain Roleswitch and you change your attacking monster to face down position. You can also use Roleswitch as a Ghostrick Witch. During your turn you can set a random Ghostrick and attack him with Ghoul or Stein and chain Roleswitch. Flip your set monster face up and his monster face down.]
Ghostrick Out:
Reveal 1 Ghostrick monster in your hand; this turn, Ghostrick cards you control, and face-down Defense Position monsters you control, cannot be targeted by, or be destroyed by, card effects.[Try to have always one Ghostrick out on your field side, because of Dark Hole, Nobleswarm Beelzebuth, Black Rose Dragon, Torential Tribut, Needle Ceiling (yes it can hurt you if you flip everything face up), Mirror Force and so on.]
Ghostrick Panic:
Target any number of face-down Defense Position monsters you control; change them to face-up Defense Position, count the number of Ghostrickmonsters among them, and if you do, change up to that many face-up monsters your opponent controls to face-down Defense Position (min. 1).
[Very good with Ghostrick Jiangshi. Protect yourself, disturb your opponents turn and get a free search]
Ghostrick Break:
When exactly 1 "Ghostrick" monster you control (and no other cards) is destroyed by battle or by an opponent's card effect and sent to the Graveyard: Target 2 "Ghostrick" monsters in your Graveyard with a different name than the destroyed monster; Special Summon them in face-down Defense Position. [This card can be easily main decked, but I could not use it, because my deck requires other spells/traps, which are simply more important than it. Use it if you do not have enough search power in your deck, or if you want a second way to fill up your field]
Support Cards:-Acient Fairy Dragon ( Special summons your Ghostricks, searches your field spells, gives you 1000 LP. Can someone ask for more? If you want to use him. Do not forget to put in Symphonic Warrior Basses )
-Symphonic Warrior Basses ( with him you have access to synchro summon and you can use him for xyz summon)
-Meklord Emperor Wisel ( Beatstick )
-Liberty at Last! ( return 2 monsters from your opponent to his hand and get a search with Marie )
-Where arf thou ( search all of your handtraps or level one support monster )
-Starlight Road (Dark Hole / Royal Tribute? No. Summon Stardust Dragon and your opponent will never get rid of your set up )
-Kinka-byo ( free Dullahan and an easy Lion Heart)
-Mystic Piper (.....)
-Number 31 and Number 13 ( Abel and Cain x3)
-Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (.....)
-Murmur of the Forest (.....)
-Pot of Dichotomy (.....)
-Allure of Darkness (gives you some draw power)
-Pot of Duality (is for deck consistency)
-Book of Moon (.......)
-Creature Swap ( negate the atack with a handtrap and than you can just his monster during your next turn)
-Dark Eruption (add any Ghostrick except Stein to your hand....)
-Pot of Dichotomy (is for draw power)
-Recurring Nightmare ( If you run Stein and Lantern it is a very good card. You can add both from your graveyard into your hand)
-Shield Crush (.... destroy a monster your opponent control)
-Swords of Concealing Light (Should be every Ghostrick deck)
-Foolish Burial (send a Ghostrick card to the graveyard and search with an Ghostrick Xyz for it)
-Breakthrough Skill (you cannot use fiendish chain, because you need space in order to set up your field)
-Magical Hats (he cannot attack your monster and you can search for Breakthrough Skill [please remember the effect of the first and second field spell)
-Downerd Magician (Your Ghostrick Xyz are out of materials? Summon her using them as materials)
-Eradicator Epidemic Virus (summon a Ghostrick Xyz. Destroy one of his cards; Summon Downerd Magician using tha Ghostrick Xyz as Xyz-material; Set Virus; wait a turn or even during his turn activate it; destroy his spell/trap cards and get a search with the Ghostrick xyz, because it was sent to the graveyard)
-Deck Devastation Virus (......)
-Trap Stun (after you locked him down he will have always 3~4 backrow set. Trap Stune frozes it)
-Gravity Axe Grarl (I love it ….. I could not run my deck without it xD)
-Shrink (Helps stein to search for stuff)
-Ojama Trio (spam your opponents field and stune him, its a good card, but I do not use it, because I do not have enough space for it)
-Needle Ceiling (since all of your opponents monsters will be face down, your monsters will survive and his will die)
-Penguin Soldier (Neo Grand Moles little friend xD)
-Greenkappa (blows up his backrow)
-Pyramid of Wonders (protect your Zombies and boost their atack)
-Card Car D (for draw power, since you have enough handtraps you can use it all day long)
-Gashi Gashi Gangetsu (boost the atack of your Ghostricks)
-Number 96: Dark Mist (Just in case him summons something big)
-Number 39: Utpioa Roots (negate his direct atacks)
-Number 54: Lion Heart (you have swarmed your field with handtraps? Use them and make some space)
-Number 47: Nightmare Shark (because I like to atack directly)
-Glow-Up Bulb: (easy Dullahan, because it can be summoned from the grave and you can also make level 2 and level 3 monsters with it. It is very helpful, when your field is clogged with level 1 monsters)
-Worm Apocalypse: (destroy your opponents S/T cards, while you can search him out with "Where arf thou")
-Formula Synchron: (Level 2 Synchro monster and tuner)
My deck abuses the handtraps in Ghostrick in order to lock down my opponent. I can lock him down quite easily and also go + with Piper+Kinka Byo without any fear, because I have my handtraps. I do not swarm the field. While I slowly look him down, my Ghostricks keep coming to the field. As I protect them, I continue to set up the field until, he is complete locked down. However with my build I am not allowed to make a single misplay. If I do he can destroy my defense with ease. You should understand that I keep 3-5 Monsters of him locked down and if they come free, I will be in trouble. As I mentioned above, you should start to search out all the handtraps you need with Jiangshi and then you can start to set up your field. Also you should try to have at every time Frost, Lantern and Marie in your hand. Even if you have locked him down. Never search ONLY for Marie. She is an amazing card, but she is not the best choice in every situation. Frost and Lantern have their tasks. You should never forget about that. In order to play with them you must practice with them a lot. It is really hard to play with them, because you are not allowed to make misplays. Also if you do not have a Vanish, search it out with Dorklord as soons as possible. So to sum it up. First you establish field presence with Jiangshi/Handtraps/Or you just set, then you search out your S/T with Dorklord, while having enough protection for her. And then you can go for the Nekomusume + Ghostrick Night play.