Hello again realms-peeps, and welcome to another exciting Rogue Squadron. It just so happens that most of you will not be able to even attempt today’s deck for another couple weeks. This isn’t because it’s particularly hard to grasp, or even that it’ll cost you an arm or a leg. No, it’s because I’m so excited about the key card, I had to profile it a good two to three weeks before it comes out:

Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord
Dark/Dragon/8/2800/2500
Whenever a card that your opponent activated is negated by a Counter Trap, this card can be Special Summoned from your hand.

At this point, you may already think that this is a good card. I mean, it has as many ATK points as LaDD, and it’s a free special summon after you counter an opponent’s card. But it actually has MORE effect text:

When this card is successfully Special Summoned this way, you may activate one of the following effects, depending on the type of card negated:
- Spell: Inflict 1500 points of damage to your opponent’s life points.
- Trap: Destroy a card on your opponent’s side of the field.
- Monster: Choose a monster in your Graveyard and special summon it to your side of the field.

Do you now see the reason I had to profile this card so long before its release? *as a note, all of the card text shown above is from Shriek’s best translation, it is not the confirmed wording.* Basically, it turns what was already a bad situation for your opponent (they lost a key card), into an uphill battle against a 2800 ATK monster, either also taking 1500 burn, losing ANOTHER card, or looking an additional monster in the face.

So we have an obvious path to follow when building the deck: use Counter Traps. Also, if you’re going to be using Counter traps anyway, you may as well make it a Counter Fairy deck. And so, voila:

Title: Once Upon a time… or not.
Author: Dr.Card
Total Cards: 40

Monsters: 20
3x Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord
3x Bountiful Artemis
4x (whatever other counter fairies you can afford/want to put in. My preference is two Harvest Angel of Wisdom, and two Meltiel, Sage of the Sky, but they’re pricey.)
2x Exiled Force
1x Sangan
1x D.D. Warrior Lady
1x Breaker the Magical Warrior
1x Magician of Faith
2x Cyber Dragon
1x Snipe Hunter
1x Marshmallon

Spells: 8
2x Nobleman of Crossout
1x Heavy Storm
1x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Pot of Avarice
1x Book of Moon
1x Swords of Revealing Light
1x Premature Burial

Traps: 12
3x Solemn Judgment
3x Pulling the Rug
3x Dark Bribe
1x Mirror Force
1x Torrential Tribute
1x Call of the Haunted

This is a basic way that you can use Van’Dalgyon to wreak havoc, but not the only. You probably noticed the little note in the monsters; since the Secret Rare Counter Fairies are expensive, I put in this placeholder. Basically, Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. If you don’t, fill these slots in with whatever you feel like.

When it comes to playing this deck, you probably already know how to, because it’s just Counter Fairies plus Van’Dalgyon, and it probably its Expected Matchups are similar to those of a Counter Fairy deck, except that this one has an awesome beat stick. However, I have to say that if you change the deck for your own use, which I hope you do, be careful in your Counter Trap selection. Be wary that you can only summon Van’Dalgyon if the Counter Trap Negated the card, so cards like Forced Back won’t help.

I hope you all liked your holidays. I loved mine (got a Wii), and I’m looking forward to my birthday coming up soon. So, until next time, go build what you can of your new Van’Dalgyon deck and then camp out at your local newsstand so you can be the first to get three copies in the March Shonen Jump. Or just get it sometime, whichever.

Bonus Useless Fact: My sister made Miis of Michael Jackson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Isn't this a bit too light on counter-trap side?

I was actually thinking the same thing. My own counter fairy with the dragon contains 17 counter traps.

I happen to not like going too heavy on traps, but this is just the way I'd play it. Obviously others will play it with more, and there may even be those who go with less.

The counter trap deck is starting to become very tempting. Unfortunately, I can't find a way to run this and Voltanis in such a way that one counter trap activation = overwhelming force (Voltanis and Van’Dalgyon in one turn). But running both in a deck is something I'd like to try.

But in other decks, this card is almost a perfect fit in most builds already since there are alot of counter traps that are sided (pulling the rug) or mained (dark bribe), so I'll also be looking forward to this card to put in man of my decks.

Does anybody know the exact release date of this card? I can't wait to add three to my brand new secret-rare-blinged Counter Fairy build.

If you go with Meltiel keep in mind that they need The Sanctuary in the Sky active to gain the "blow up a card" effect.

Shonen Jump subscribers SHOULD get it at the end of this month, and everyone else at the beginning of next month.