Archetype lesson one Raid Raptors

Greetings students of Uria, as well as any other students that read this lesson. This will be the first of many lessons based on monster archetypes. Shockingly i chose my main, and current favorite archtype to talk about



Raid Raptors are all Dark attribute winged beast monsters that have a mechanized appearance as well as being equipped with explosive weaponry. This archetype is used in the Arc-V anime by Shay/Shun Kurosaki. Currently all of the main deck monsters have the suffix of lanius in their names. Also, and currently, all main deck raptors have the level of 4. Raptor decks have an incredible amount of searching power.


Vanishing's effect allows you to special summon a level 4 or lower raid raptor on the turn it's normal or special summoned, during either main phase. This card is one of the most effective main deck monsters, being able to set up multiple combos with other raptors. its recommended to put 3 in the deck given that one its easy to search raptors with their powerful search engine, and with it's effect you can easily get out any generic rank 4 monster that requires 2 level 4 monsters.

Impale can be considered one of the main deck attacking monsters. It has 2 effects. The first effect can only be used on the turn it's summoned, in which you can switch one attack position monster to defense mode. This effect is incredibly useful against powerful attack beaters that have weak defense. Even against powerful monsters with defense greater then it's attack, its worth attacking it and taking damage due to its 2nd effect. When it battles, even if it didn't destroy a monster, you can special summon a raptor from the graveyard. This even includes xyz raptor monsters. I recommend running at least 2 impale lanius.

Mimicry Lanius has two very powerful effects. On the turn its summoned, either normal or special, you can raise all raidraptor monster levels on the field by one. This can help get our rank 5 monsters with ease. It's 2nd effect is when its sent to the grave on your turn, note this effect even works when its detached as xyz material, you can banish this card and add 1 raidraptor card from your deck to your hand. Note that i said card not monster, so you can even search for raidraptor spell or trap cards. With its powerful abilities, and the fact that it banish's itself, i recommend running 3 of this guy.

Tribute Lanius, another attacking main deck raidraptor monster. On the turn it summoned, you can send 1 raidraptor card from your deck to your graveyard. This effect is very amazing depending on the card you send as you can put mimicry Lanius in your grave and instantly use it's banish effect to add a raptor card to your hand. It's second effect allows you to add a quick-play rank-up-magic card from your deck to your hand if you destroy a monster in battle with this card. There are Raidraptor specific rank-up-magic cards but ill go over those later. As with Impale, its best to run only 2 if possible.

Fuzzy and Singing Lanius, both have self special summon effects. Fuzzy Lanius, the one on the left, can special summon itself if you control a raidraptor monster at the cost of not being able to special summon any other monsters that turn except raidraptors. Also if that card is sent to the grave you can add another Fuzzy Lanius from your deck to your hand, basicly recycling itself. Singing Lanius, the one on the right, can special summon itself if you control an xyz raidraptor. Simply put, these monsters are very weak but are mainly for swarm power and to be used for a quick and easy xyz summon. With fuzzy's self recycle and easy special summon power, running 3 of him would be best. As for singing, since its not available yet i cant give a recommendation for it.


Force Strix: Force strix is a rank 4 monster that can summoned with any 2 level 4 monsters. Strix gains 500 atk/def for each other winged beast thats on the field. But its true strength comes from its detach effect. When you detach an xyz material you can add 1 level 4 dark attribute winged beast from your deck to your hand. This effect lets you add any Raidraptor monster or level 4 blackwing monster if you have them in your deck. Personally i always run 3 of this guy.

Rise Falcon: Rise falcon is a rank 4 monster that requires 3 level 4 winged beasts to be special summoned. It can attack every special summoned monster your opponent controls. It's attack starts at 100 but when you detach an overlay unit you gain have it gain the attack of one special summoned monster your opponent controls. This attack gain is permanent. Even though it can beat a lot of cards with it's effect it's harder to summon compared to the other xyz raidraptors, and i only run one of him.

Blaze Falcon: Blaze Falcon is a rank 5 monster that requries 3 level 5 winged beast monsters. whlie it has low attack power, 1000, it has powerful and deadly effects. One you can detach an xyz material to destroy all special summoned monsters your opponent controls and deal 500 damage for each one. 2nd this card can attack directly and if it does battle damage you can destroy 1 monster your opponent controls. While weak in attack, this card can easily clear the field of powerhouses with its first effect, and take care of any stragglers with its 2nd effect. I run two of these personally.

Revolution Falcon:Revolution Falcon is a rank 6 monster that requires 3 level 6 winged beast monsters. The current ace of the raidraptors. This monster is all round strong and powerful with 2000 attack and 3000 defense. If this card battles a special summoned monster, that monster's attack and defense become 0, and this change is permanent. If you detach an xyz material you can attack every monster your opponent controls with this card. Finally if a raidraptor xyz monster is attached to this card, once a turn you can destroy any monster your opponent controls and deal 1/2 it's attack as damage. While very powerful all around, its harder to summon and i only run 2.


Continous Spell, Raidraptor Nest: This continuous spell can easily be searched, and is highly advised to do so, with Mimicry Lanius's effect. Once per turn if you control two or more Raidraptor monsters you can add 1 raidraptor monster from your graveyard or deck to your hand. One of the best cards in the deck with its search/recycle engine. Though at best its advised to only run 2.

Rank-up-magic Raptor's Force: This quick play rank up is a bit unique as it requires a raidraptor xyz monster to be destroyed to use it. When a Raidraptor xyz monster you control is destroyed this turn, you can special summon ANY raidraptor xyz monster, it can be a different xyz than the one that was destroyed, then rank it up for a raidraptor xyz monster thats 1 rank higher.

Rank-up-magic Revolution Force: This quick play rank up can be used like most rank ups to instantly rank up a raidraptor xyz monster you control by 1 rank. However during your opponents turn it has a different effect were you can use it on a xyz monster your opponent controls that has no overlay units, steal it, then use it as an overlay unit for a raidraptor 1 rank higher. A good example of when to use this is if your opponent summons silent honor ARK and attempts to use it's main effect.

This lesson will be completed later as the time of when i started this lesson was late and i am very tired, please stay tuned.
And were back and the lesson will continue!

Raidraptor Readiness: This trap is a very powerful trap as it has a field and grave effect. When activated on the field, raidraptors cant be destroyed by battle on the turn it's used. While in the grave if you have a raidraptor in your grave you can banish this card and take no further damage that turn. This effect can be used either turn to prevent OTKs or massive damage. Always atleast run 1. Depending on your skill or your level of confidence in your other traps, thats all you need, but you can max it out for stalling purposes.
Raidraptor Return: Like readiness this card has a field and grave effect. On the field if a raidraptor is destroyed by battle you can return 1 raidraptor from your grave to your hand. In the grave you can banish this card if a raidraptor is destroyed by a card effect, then add 1 raidraptor from your deck to your hand.
Raptor's Gust: This is a counter trap, while you have a raidraptor on the field, when your opponent activates a spell or trap card, you can negate and destroy that card.

There are many cards outside the archetype that support raptors.
Blackwing level 4 monsters and Harpie monsters. There are many cards in both of these archetypes that allow for field swarming and easy material for rank 4 monsters.
Number 61 Volcasaurus: This is a rank 5 monster that requires 2 level 5 monsters. You can easily summon this with mimicry's effect and his effect lets you destroy 1 monster by detaching, then deal that monster's attack as damage.
Number C101 Silent Honor DARK: Rank 5 that requires 3 level 5 monsters. Again with raidraptor field swarming and mimicry's effect you can get him out with ease.
Ice Beast Zerofyne: A rank 4 monster that requires 2 level 4 winged beast monsters. But its her effect thats deadly. By detaching 1 overlay unit she negates all of your opponents face up cards then gains 300 for all other face up cards on the field! Allowing her to run over many powerful beaters or monsters with anti destruction effects.
Swallows nest: This spell card lets you send 1 winged beast to the grave and special summon another winged beast of the same level or less then the tributed monster. This card is useful for countering traps like bottomless or fiendish chain, or flat out avoiding nasty effects. You can also use this to get rid of a raptor you don' need for one you do.
Allure of darkness. All raidraptors are dark monsters, so it should be easy to use this card.
Rank-up-magic Astral Force: This card is a must for this deck, as you can instantly rank up to revolution falcon using force strix.
Dark Illusion: This is a counter trap that negates any monster/spell/trap card that targets a dark monster and destroys it. Since all raidraptors are dark types this is a easy card to use.
Icarus attack: This trap tributes 1 winged beast monster and destroys up to 2 cards on the field. Easy card destroyer if your about to lose a raidraptor, use it to take some of your opponents cards with it.

That is all for this lesson students, i hope this first archetype lesson was informative and taught you all something knew, good day!