Gladiator Beasts! So beastly!

It's time for that Gladiator Beast lesson I promised on the last archetype poll. Get comfortable and maybe get some popcorn cause there are a lot of beasts to go over today.


The Gladiator beasts are a bunch of beast, or beast like monster  types including fish and reptiles as well, that all main deck monsters have the same effect, plus their own unique effects. The effects they all share is the tag out mechanic, in which at the end of the battle phase if they battled, they are shuffled into the deck and summon a different one in their place, and usually they have a second effect that is allowed to activate when they are summoned this way.
Most of them have the appearence of roman gladiators wearing slightly futuristic armor and weapons. Most of the monsters are named after a famous roman gladiator or roman soldier/leader. Their ace monsters are fusion monsters that are summoned via contact fusion using the right amount/specific gladiator beast's and when fused they return to the main deck.


Torax: Simple draw mechanic card, but has to be summoned through a tag-out to get it's effect when he himself tag's out.

Samnite: IF he is summoned through tag-out, you get a free search for another beast.

Retiari: Low attack, but if summoned through tag-out, you can banish 1 card in your opponent's grave that he might need.

Murmillo: Very weak but lets you destroy a monster that might be a high attack beater when he's summoned through tag-out.


Andal: Standard normal monster beater, no effects.

Bestiari: Probobly one of the most loved of beasts, since he can kill a backrow card when summoned from tag-out. People thought his seat on the limited list would last forever, just like Stratos is literally hibernating in the banned list.

Darius: When summoned through tag out, you can revive another gladiator beast, but it's effects are negated. Helpful if you need a specific dead beast to summon a fusion gladiator beast, or if you need another level 4 for a generic rank 4 xyz.

Dimacari: When summoned through tag-out he gets to attack twice, nothing special here.

Equeste: When summoned via tag-out you get to recycle a gladiator beast card, this includes spells and traps.

Hoplomus: If summoned through tag-out his defense becomes 2400,  a useful shield wall. Also note he gets to tag out if he gets attacked so if you make your opponent attack you get to swap him for another.

Lanista: His effect is similar to prisma, but first has to be activated after being tagged-in, and you have to banish a gladiator in your grave.

Laquari: If tagged-in his attack becomes 2100, easily helping him run over most generic monsters making him a good beater.

Secutor: Incredibly weak and fragile, but if he is tagged-in, then tagged out, you get to summon 2 gladiator beasts instead of one.

Tygerius: A strange gladiator beast becaus he can't be used as a fusion material, and doesn't have the tag out effect. But if he is tagged-in he has you discard a gladiator beast card to search a gladiator beast monster.


Alexander: Can only be tagged-in through Dimacari. If summoned this way he gains spell immunity.

Augustus: If he is tagged-in he gets to special summon another beast in your hand in defense mode, lets you get an easy fusion out.

Octavius: When tagged-in you get to destroy a set spell or trap. Unlike other beasts, if he's shuffled after the battle phase in which he does battle, you do not get to tag-in, but you can discard a card to let him stay on the field.

Spartacus: Like Alexander he can only be special summoned through a specific beast, in this case Hoplomus. If he is summoned in this way you get to search a gladiator beast spell card.


Essedarii: No effects, no tag out, just a high attack monster summoned via contact fusion.

Gaiodiaz: Summoned using Spartacus and another gladiator beast, His effect is a mirror of flame wingman's except it deals damage equal to the monster it destroy's defense. When he tags himself out you get to summon 2 beasts except Spartacus.

Gyzarus: Summoned using Bestiari and another gladiator beast, His effect is similar to bestiari except you can destroy any 2 cards on his summon, when tagged out you can summon any 2 gladiators except bestiari.

Heraklinos: Strongest Gladiator beast with 3000 attack, must be summoned with 3 gladiators with 1 being laquari. Does not have a tag out effect, and if a spell or trap is activated you can discard to negate and destroy that card.

Nerokius: Summoned using any 3 gladiators, and is impervious to battle destruction. If he attacks your opponent can not activate any effects until the end of the damage step. When tagged-out you can summon any two gladiator beasts.


Test tiger You can special summon this monster if you control a gladiator beast. You can tribute this card and tag out a gladiator you control for another, and this summon is considered a summon through a glad beast effect.

Test Ape: Typical meat shield monster, when it's destroyed by battle you can search and special summon a level 4 or lower glad beast.

Gladiator Taming: If a face-up "Gladiator Beast" monster is on the field, activate 1 of these effects:
● Select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls, and change its battle position.
● Select 1 face-up "Gladiator Beast" monster your opponent controls, and take control of it until the End Phase.
The second effect is useful if combo-ed with Trojan gladiator beast

Indomitable Gladiator Beast: Target face-up "Gladiator Beast" monster you control gains 500 ATK until the End Phase. While this card is in your Graveyard, you can return 2 "Gladiator Beast" cards from your Graveyard to the Deck to return this card to your hand. This card can be very cheeky as it doesn't have turn restrictions, so if you have a lot of gladiator beasts in the grave, you can use this card over and over again to beef up a gladiator you control while returning beasts to your deck.

Gladiator's Return: Target 3 "Gladiator Beast" cards in your Graveyard; shuffle all 3 targets into the Deck, then draw 1 card. Minor Pot of avarice for gladiator beasts.

Gladiator Proving Ground: Add 1 Level 4 or lower "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck to your hand. Generic Archetype monster searcher.

Gladiator Beast's Respite: Shuffle 2 "Gladiator Beast" cards from your hand into the Deck, then draw 3 cards. Helpful if you need different cards in your hand or need a reload.

Gladiator Beast's Battle Manica: Equip only to a "Gladiator Beast" monster. It cannot be destroyed by battle (Damage calculation is applied normally). When the equipped monster is returned from your side of the field to the Deck and this card is sent to the Graveyard, return this card to your hand. Useful if you want to ram a monster and still have your gladiator beast survive for the sake of tag out. Also recycles itself when you do tag out.

Gladiator Beast's Battle Halberd: Equip only to a "Gladiator Beast" monster. When it attacks, destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card at the end of the Damage Step. When the equipped monster is returned from your side of the field to the Deck and this card is sent to the Graveyard, return this card to your hand. Useful when you want to destroy backrow, and like most gladiator equip cards it recycles itself.

Gladiator Beast's Battle Gladius: Equip only to a "Gladiator Beast" monster. It gains 300 ATK. When the equipped monster is returned from your side of the field to the Deck and this card is sent to the Graveyard, return this card to your hand. Typical Attack boost card.

Gladiator Beast's Battle Archfiend Shield: Equip only to a "Gladiator Beast" monster. If the equipped monster would be destroyed, destroy this card instead. When this card is sent to your Graveyard because the equipped monster you controlled was shuffled into your Deck: Return this card to your hand. Not quite as useful as Battle Manica but it does prevent spell/trap destruction once.

Colosseum - Cage of the Gladiator Beasts: Place 1 Counter on this card each time a monster is Special Summoned from either player's Deck. All "Gladiator Beast" monsters gain 100 ATK and DEF for each of these counters on this card. If this card would be destroyed by a card effect, you can discard 1 "Colosseum - Cage of the Gladiator Beasts" to prevent this card from being destroyed. Archetype field spell that slowly gets more powerful the longer it's up.


Trojan Gladiator Beast: Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" from your hand to your opponent's side of the field. Then, draw 1 card. As stated before, its mainly used to combo with gladiator taming.

Parry: Return 1 "Gladiator Beast" card from your hand to the Deck and negate the activation and effect of a Trap Card and destroy it.

Disarm: Return 1 "Gladiator Beast" card from your hand to the Deck, and negate the activation and effect of a Spell Card, and destroy it.

Gladiator Leash: Activate only when you Special Summon a "Gladiator Beast" monster. Your opponent discards 1 card of their choice. Since it's your opponent's choice its a bit harder for this card to be very painful for your opponent.

Gladiator Beast War Chariot: When an Effect Monster's effect is activated, if you control a face-up "Gladiator Beast" monster: Negate the activation and destroy it.

Double Tag Team: Activate only when you successfully Special Summon a "Gladiator Beast" monster. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Gladiator Beast" monster from your hand or Deck. Useful card for field swarming.

Defensive Tactics: If you control a face-up "Gladiator Beast" monster: For the rest of this turn, monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle, and any Battle Damage you take is reduced to 0. After this card resolves, put it on the bottom of your Deck. Useful card to save your monsters and/or buy you a turn if your about to be defeated, also stops OTK's.

Thats all for this lesson, I know it was a long one but these guys have a-lot of cards and support for an archetype with out any sub-archetypes.

nice lesson. great detail and good pictures to go with it.

Great Job! You listed all the card effects! Its not like I could've gotten the exact same thing if I google'd "Gladiator Beast" and clicked on the Wiki Page. 

There is no indication whether a card should be run or not. The amount of work in this article that you could claim that is your own totals up to about
5 sentences. 

BTW: I know nothing about Gladiator Beasts, nor do I like the deck.