Combating the Format: Shaddoll

[Stardog]

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Shaddoll

Although the main strategy of the Deck is the Fusion Summon of El Shaddoll monsters, the Shaddoll monsters themselves are rather disruptive, such as Shaddoll Dragon, who bounces cards when flipped face-up or Shaddoll Squamata, who destroys monsters when flipped. On the other hand, they also have effects that activate when they are sent to the Graveyard, such as Dragon, which destroys one of your opponent's Spell/Trap cards. Shaddoll Falco; Special Summons itself in face-down Defense Position, while Shaddoll Hedgehog searches for a Shaddoll monster. These effects give the player advantage and set ups for future plays, while punishing the opponent. Because Falco is also a Tuner, the player also can have Synchro Summoning options. However all Shaddoll monsters can only use one of their effects and only once that turn so while the players are advised discretion, they can also plan ahead. Cards like Sinister Shadow Games can be very effective since they can send a Shaddoll monster from the Deck to the Graveyard and then flip any possible Set Shaddoll monsters to use many effects in combination during the opponent's turn. One can also take profit of their effects by using them as Fusion Material for the ace cards of the Deck: the El Shaddoll Fusion monsters. Since using Shaddoll Fusion or El Shaddoll Fusion involves sending Shaddoll monsters to the Graveyard by a card effect, their effects can be activated as soon as one attempts to Fusion Summon them, creating even more advantage. One can also use Curse of the Shadow Prison to not only weaken the opponent's monsters but also use their monsters as Fusion Materials.

Weaknesses:

Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror: Probably the most obvious hard counter to any DARK-based decks. The only possible downside to this card is that it can negate your own cards but if you're running a deck that doesn't run DARK monsters, then you're in the clear with this card against Shaddolls.

Vanity's Emptiness: This is a good soft counter against the Shaddoll fusion cards but due to the April 1, 2015 banlist, this has become a less consistent option; and there do exist better cards that can combat the Shaddoll spell cards. As far the card itself goes, it can be combated against with the options Shaddolls have.

Masked HERO Dark Law: Bluntly put, Macro Cosmos in the form of a monster that only affects your opponent's grave. Along with picking cards from your opponent's hand when they attempt to search. Very good hard counter if it can be made.

Vanity's Fiend: Basically Vanity's Emptiness in the form of a monster. It's more suited to slower decks that can afford a tribute summon for a monster or Monarchs. If you can protect Vanity's Fiend from the possible removal options such as Shaddoll Squamata and Shaddoll Dragon, then you can shut down the engine of Shaddolls. Vanity's Fiend mixed with Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror means your Shaddoll opponent has to rely on Trap cards and by that point you can seal the victory.

Majesty's Fiend: If protected by a Royal Decree or Jinzo, this card is an extremely hard counter to Shaddolls since Shaddolls rely on the effect of their monsters that are sent to the graveyard. Again this card is best suited in slower decks or Monarchs. Although, this doesn't stop Shaddoll Fusion from being activated, so the Shaddoll player can theoretically summon El Shaddoll Nephilim and run over Majesty's Fiend.

Karma Cut: Very potent if you target a key card like Dragon or, it will banish them, essentially removing them from the duel and from being recycled. The discard cost can sometimes be too much for certain decks but it is definitely best to use this when your opponent is setting up their graveyard.

Abyss Dweller: Much like Soul Drain, it doesn't allow any monster effects to be activated that hit the graveyard. Although, how this card is worded it states that they cannot be activated. So if you activate this card in response to a graveyard effect that's has been already activated, it will not work. You have to activate this effect before the graveyard effect happens. None the less, Soul Drain in the form of an Xyz monster.

Artifact Scythe: This card has to be one of the most overlooked cards for stopping special summoning. It's currently at 3, is searchable via Artifact Sanctum and stops special summoning from the extra deck; along with Artifact Sanctum being an already annoying card to come against. While it only soft counters Shaddolls, it can come in handy when your opponent is going to try to use Shaddoll Fusion.

Debunk: It can stop Shaddoll monsters in the graveyard from activating their effects and banishing them in the process.

Face-Off: This card functions much like Debunk except it can range to Spell/Trap cards as well. Although this card can only be activated during the Damage Step. It's more useful for stopping the Fusion monsters from retrieving a Shaddoll Fusion card from the grave.

Soul Drain/Macro Cosmos/D-Fissure: Macro and D-Fissure function a lot alike, the only difference being that D-Fissure is a continuous spell and only affects monsters while Macro Cosmos is a continuous trap that affects every card. Lastly, Soul Drain. To put it bluntly, this card is Skill Drain for the graveyard and banish zone.

Stellarknight Constellar Diamond: Easiest to summon in a Satellarknight deck, or a deck that can make room for this card and a Stellarknight Delteros. This card covers 2 things from Shaddolls; not being able to send cards from the deck to the grave and it can negate DARK monster effects during either players turn.

-Less useful cards that can be used-

Rivalry of the Warlords: This only really stops the Shaddoll Fusion cards since every monster in the Shaddoll main deck are Spellcasters while the fusions have different typings.

D.D. Crow: It can disrupt Shaddoll Falco targets, although this card cannot be activated during the Damage Step when it would be most useful.

Soul Release: Banishes potentially up to 5 cards in both graveyards (although in this situation you want to banish your opponent's) and getting rid of key cards from your opponent. Although the effect would have to be activated after the Shaddoll monsters have activated their effects. This card is probably more useful in a Lightsworn variant of Shaddolls, and even then Macro Cosmos and D-Fissure are still better options.
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I hope this helps anyone who are having trouble against Shaddoll. If you'd like me to cover another deck, don't be hesitant to leave a reply.

[Kira Yoshikage]

To be totally honest, I've always been kind of a closet Shaddoll player. They are a really fun, versatile deck to use.

[Flip Flapper]

To be totally honest, I've always been kind of a closet Shaddoll player. They are a really fun, versatile deck to use.

i agree

[α27theDemonKnight]

Deep down inside everyone loves Shaddolls. And if they don't. It's because either they don't like the proper way to play fusions (most likely they hate stuff like Heroes in the first play. lol) or they haven't seriously played using Shaddolls themselves. And I have some deep respect for Shaddolls.
Started using them because I heard people were hating on them and wanted to find out why. Also because they were fusion based.

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