I try to do at least 1 drawing per day if I don't have nothing going on, just so I can get some practice in. Plus, I find it kinda relaxing when I draw, gets me thinking about other stuff I guess..



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Oh well, enough about that stuff, on to my day.
Last night I was waken by my stomach cramping, 5 minutes later, I was in the bathroom for about 3 hours. I'm not sure what caused it, but It just ruin my entire night.

I slept through most of the day then gradually got myself going. It was mainly me and Q hanging out most of the day before Elliott got home. We talked about random things which didn't really lead to anything, but just other tangents while we did our things: Q working on his animation, me working on a drawing. Some of the stuff we were talking about were web comic ideas for me and the silly names that goes with it. One of them were "touchdown pals" or something. Anyways, Q left his wallet in Elliott's car, so we decided to Elliott's workplace to pick it up and have lunch there.

It was really hot outside and humid as hell. Being outside sucked. Q had to pick up headphones and a spatula and food for tonight. We went to the Target at the Mall then went back home to play some Street Fighter Alpha 3 because I wanted to. We left home again a couple hours later to pick up groceries. Q was making Shrimp Pasta with home made Alfredo sauce and thinly sliced zucchini. (which end up being really good)

The rest of the afternoon was kind of okay, Elliott was in a somewhat of a bad mood, but he had his reasons. Q made some really tasty foodz and we all continue watching the 2nd season of Arrested Development. I think I love everything episode of season 2 so far, though things were starting to get kind of crazy in the plot. That's about all that happen today.

I decided to mess around a bit on PS, trying out the stuff I don't really pay attention too.

I really like how the head and the orb turned out.


Okay it's late, I should get some sleep...

Another thing, I'm surprised that there wasn't another surge while I was trying my deck profile.

Deck Total Total: 40

Monsters: 19
3 Test Tiger
2 Gladiator Beast Samnite
2 Gladiator Beast Darius
2 X-Saber Airbellum
2 Rescue Cat
1 Gladiator Beast Equeste
1 Gladiator Beast Murmillo
1 Gladiator Beast Secutor
1 Gladiator Beast Bestiari
2 Gladiator Beast Laquari
1 Elemental Hero Prisma
1 Sangan

Spells: 6
3 Book of Moon
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Monster Reborn
1 Heavy Storm

Traps: 15
3 Bottomless Trap Hole
3 Solemn Judgment
2 Gladiator Beast War Chariot
2 Dimensional Prison
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Mirror Force
2 Waboku

(standard build, other builds may vary from 1-7 cards)


Extra Deck: 15
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Colossal Fighter
2 Dark Strike Fighter
1 Arcanite Magician
1 BlackRose Dragon
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Gaia Knight the Force of Earth
1 Magical Android
2 Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
3 Gladiator Beast Gyzarus

(extra deck may vary)


Play style -  A lil Combo here, more Control over there and Aggro everywhere! (I know...lame, but you get what I mean)
GB has mainly everything to handle most deck. There's little combos to start your turns, control cards to keep you..well...in control and aggros your opponent until they hit zero or scoop.

This deck works by controlling the field via Gladiator Beast's tagging and heavy negation i.e. Solemns and War Chariots. Each GB has its own duty and when it's needed it is"tagged" to field by another GB monster. The best way to put this is, rather from playing cards from your hand and waiting to draw the right monster to play, you can just attack with one GB and bring out another straight to the field.

The deck may not be as fast as BW, LS, or Cat Synchro but once it gets going, it stays at a constant tempo with the others lack. The current build is more combo heavy to keep up with the meta shift.  As you can tell, the deck does use Rescue Cat + X-Saber combo. This is because the syngery between that combo and the monster setup are perfect. Rescue Cat is the great first play with this deck. For example: grabs Samnite and Test Tiger, which can lead to a Tagged Laquari or whatever GB is needed or Smnite and X-Saber synch for Goyo.

The deck does ivovle around tagging so if you can't tag, you lose your tempo which may lead to a lost.


Key Cards:
All the monsters and Solemn and War Chariot



Variations/ Considerations:
GB Retiari - good side card, decent main, maybe good now since it can remove key cards from the grave
GB Hoplomus - this card can add some defense to the deck as well a bluff, making your opponent scared to attack your set monsters.
GB Respite - the idea behind using this, is to keep cycling your hand and deck so that you can sift out the Spells and Traps from the deck to your hand and vice versa for monsters.

In this build, X-saber was added to give access to Synchro monster, Other builds just run the Cat. There is even build that based on an Remove from Play environment. (Dimensional GB)


Final Thoughts -
The deck is base on probably one of the best theme machanics ever made, which not only made it unique but as well competitive.
GB had its run for a while, winning it's fair share of Shonen Jumps and Regionals, also making a huge appearance at Nats and Worlds. I'm not sure how well it can do now in a more combo-base and swarm meta.


Deck Rating: 4.0 out of 5




-Boxtrot

Almost done with this one...
I've been in super drawing mode ever since I got a job. Maybe the hate for my job is fueling artist in me, or I just want to do something than bitch about work. lol

Anyways this is one of the two I was working on earlier this week.
I'm getting inspired a lot  DnD and Magic: the Gathering. I guess playing both of them doesn't help either.

Deck Total Total: 40

Monsters: 18
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1 Cyber Dragon
3 X-Saber Airbellum
1 Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind
3 Gravekeeper's Spy
1 Gravekeeper's Guard
1 Neo-Spacian Dark Panther
2 Summoner Monk
2 Rescue Cat
1 Sea Koala
1 Sangan

Spells: 16
3 Pot of Avarice
3 Book of Moon
3 Cold Wave
2 Mind Control
1 Brain Control
1 Giant Trunade
1 Heavy Storm
1 Monster Reborn
1 Mystical Space Typhoon

Traps: 6
3 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Crush Card Virus

(standard build, other builds may vary from 1-5 cards)


Extra Deck: 15
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Colossal Fighter
2 Dark Strike Fighter
2 Arcanite Magician
1 BlackRose Dragon
1 Goyo Guardian
2 Gaia Knight the Force of Earth
2 Magical Android

(synchros may vary)


Play style - Combo
It's a combo deck, and like many of them, they can give you awful hands, but what deck doesn't? The deck is design to pretty much get out DSF, Dark Strike Fighter, as fast as possible via Summoner Monk, Rescue Cat, X-Saber combo, attack with everything and launch the rest for game.

Possible OTK:  Sumoner Monk > Summoner Monk > Rescue Cat > two X-Saber Airbellum > two Dark Strike Fighter
Both 2 Dark Strike Fighter attacks: two 2600, tribute 1 for 1400, tribute itself for another 1400
2600 + 2600 + 1400 + 1400 = 8000


Key Cards:
You can probably guess the key cards by what I stated earlier, "Monk, Cat, Saber to DSF."
Rescue Cat gets out the X-Saber(s) and/or fodder. Summoner Monk role is to special summon cat and be Arcanite/ DSF synchro fodder. Dark Strike Fighter is the finishing blow. Also to note Arcanite Magician, it's about as important as DSF. It clears the field for the strike, usually getting rid of most/all the obstecales.



Variations/ Considerations:
Mind Crush - Amazing in the meta right now, since Black Wing is running amuck.
Trap Dustshoot - Great 1st turn set, combos well with Mind Crush. Though, it does have tendency to be a bad topdeck late game.
Mystic Tomato - Its able fetches out the any level 4 or lower dark monster in your deck.
Gold Sarcophagus - Another good fetch card.
Scapegoat - Chump block against most deck, plus synchro fodder.

I've seen many variations of this deck, some with only a couple card changes with the noted cards above and others completely mixing it up, i.e. hybrid plants builds.

Final Thoughts -
The deck is amazing, though will be played as much Black wings, making the DSF finishes the most common way to end duels. I just hope it wont be just those 2 decks being the top decks in this format.


Deck Rating: 4.5 out of 5




-Boxtrot