Return of the Dragons - Triclydesdale

My first posting for Pojo.

Return of the Dragons - Triclydesdale

With the new Soul of the Duelist (SOD), I expect Dragon decks to compete with Gravekeeper, Warrior, Chaos, Water, etc. 

I have been trying to build a capable Dragon deck for months so I got excited when I saw the spoiler for SOD. 
There are a several great cards and combinations that will help a Dragon deck.

1) Masked Dragon - a Dragon version of Mother Grizzly/Giant Rat/UFO Turtle.  If destroyed in battle, search for another Dragon of 1500 ATK or lower.  The text doesn't specify that the monster must be placed in ATK position and I believe you can summon a level five or higher without tribute.  You have lots of options with this card!

2) Armed Dragon - LV3, LV5, LV7 - use the Masked Dragon to summon Armed Dragon LV3 then during your standby phase, trade the LV3 in for a LV5.  Defeat one opponent monster and you trade it in for LV7.  The LV7 card has a 2,800ATK and a great effect - send one monster from your hand to destroy all face-up monsters on your opponent's side with an ATK equal to or less than the ATK of the sent monster.

3) Horus the Black Flame Dragon - LV4, LV6, LV8.  The LV4 monster is like a Blindly Loyal Goblin - control can't switch.  While a 1600 ATK is not all that superior, kill one monster and trade LV4 in for LV6 (you can also tribute summon LV6).  Either way, your LV6 Horace is unaffected by spell cards and with a 2300 ATK should not have too may problems beating an opponent monster.  Once you win in battle, trade in LV6 for a LV8.  LV8 Horace is one tough monster - a 3000 ATK and the ability to negate spell cards (you won't be missing your Imperial Order anymore).

4) Element Dragon.  While you might be put off by the 1500 ATK, this monster can be special summoned with the effect of Masked Dragon.  If there is a fire monster on the field, Element Dragon becomes a 2000 ATK beatstick.  With a wind monster on the field, Element Dragon can attack once again in a row if it destroyed a monster as a result of battle (just like Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning and Tyrant Dragon).

5) Level Up - want to just skip the prerequisites and make your LV4 Horace a LV8?  Set LV4, play two Level Up cards and you can dig out Horace the Black Flame Dragon LV8 right away.  Move into battle phase and crush the opposition.  Want to be really nasty?  Play a Ring of Destruction and chain Barrel Behind the Door (6,000 LP damage to your opponent).

6) The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension - just wasted your Horace LV8 and your not done yet?  Play this card and you get to return two monsters with LV in the name to your deck.  A little like Salvage, too bad you can't put the cards in your hand.

Dig out your old Dragon deck and power it up with the new SOD monsters.  You will not be disappointed!  Just do me a favor and don't tell anyone in Memphis about this.

Triclydesdale
SGBasar@aol.com