Abyss Soldier, a monster card that caused quite a stir in the environment when it first appeared. By discarding one card from your hand, you could bounce any card on the field, serving as an excellent removal effect and also being able to retrieve your own cards from the field.
However, because it was limited to discarding Water-Attribute monsters, and Water-Attribute was an overlooked attribute at the time, coupled with the fact that its effect was inherently a card disadvantageous move, many restrictions prevented it from being integrated into other mainstream decks of the time as a commonly used card.
Therefore, under the wisdom of a group of veteran duelists, a deck called "Abyss Control" was constructed to maximize Abyss Soldier's potential.
As the name suggests, this was a deck completely built around Abyss Soldier as its core. Abyss Soldier's best partner was "Sinister Serpent," which could infinitely return to the duelist's hand from the graveyard each Standby Phase and was also conveniently an overlooked Water-Attribute, perfectly providing Abyss Soldier with infinite ammunition.
However, although Abyss Control was once a top-tier deck and achieved decent results, it was still categorized by history as a "not-so-mainstream deck" compared to the other decks in the environment at the time.
Because Chaos was simply too strong back then.
Nevertheless, Abyss Control was once top-tier, and I felt its current strength was still quite good. Moreover, compared to the direct oppressive power of that "Dimension Slash" Chaos deck, I found this strategy actually more enjoyable.
For example, right now. Look, that armored insect over there is so happy it's screaming.
Insect Knight: "You @*%@#..."
The slow-reacting armored bug finally realized the terrifying combination of the opponent.
On the surface, Abyss Soldier looked like just another monster that resolved its effect through card disadvantage, but in reality, there were quite a few ways to use it effectively in conjunction with other cards.
Especially with effects like "Royal Decree," which were equally annoying to both sides, proper application could to some extent turn it into one-sided suppression, even doubling the critical damage in terms of affecting the opponent's mentality.
Just like the Insect Knight's mood right now.
He initially looked down on Abyss Soldier when he first saw it, feeling it was just a low-level small fry. But looking at those two now, they were practically like Death Gods from the abyss, the kind that wouldn't stop until they dragged people to the netherworld.
"It can clear the field and open up the situation, and it can also retrieve itself to avoid being restricted by 'Royal Decree'. Such an interesting combination!"
Judai was as excited as ever.
He felt that Yugen's duels could always produce various combinations that excited him endlessly. Such creative dueling was truly too interesting, and he wanted to try a round more and more.
"Damn it, don't underestimate me! My turn, draw!"
Being frantically bounced back to his hand, the Insect Knight's field was now as clean as a blank sheet of paper. He also had only 400 HP left, and in the opponent's turn, all his trap card plays would be sealed by that face-up "Royal Decree." At the same time, even if he summoned a defensive monster, it would be bounced back to his hand by "Abyss Soldier" again.
If he couldn't get rid of those two Abyss Soldiers this turn, he was finished.
"Activate the Spell Card 'Allure of Darkness'. Draw two cards from my deck, then banish one Dark-Attribute monster from my hand.
According to the magic effect, I draw from the deck!"
Just as the two new cards were drawn into his hand, a glimmer appeared in the armored insect's eyes.
Here it comes, if I have this card...
"Then, according to 'Allure of Darkness' effect, I banish the Dark-Attribute 'Des Mosquito' from my hand."
The Insect Knight revealed the monster card in his hand. A dark vortex appeared in mid-air, and the card was immediately drawn into it by some attractive force and disappeared without a trace.
"Then normal summon 'Resonance Insect'!"
[ Resonance Insect, ATK 1000 ]
Having experienced continuous back-and-forth jumping, Resonance Insect looked somewhat tired. This was the third time it had landed on the ground, and its effect hadn't been activated even once...
If an insect is tossed, it counts as a win.
"Spell Card 'Insect Imitation'!" the Insect Knight said, "Tribute one monster I control to special summon one Insect-Type monster from my deck that is one Level higher than the tributed monster.
I tribute my Level 4 'Resonance Insect'!"
Resonance Insect disappeared from the field, and a summoning vortex opened on the ground.
"Therefore, I can special summon a Level 5 Insect-Type monster from my deck! The one I want to summon is this guy——
—— Level 5, Millennium Scorpion!"
Like the essence of the night sky condensed into an exoskeleton, a giant scorpion with a completely black body and a faint cold light on its surface, its tail swaying with a terrifyingly large stinger.
[ Millennium Scorpion, ATK 2000 ]
"Next, Resonance Insect's effect activates!" the Insect Knight said, "When this card is sent to the graveyard from the field, add one Level 5 or higher Insect-Type monster from your deck to your hand.
Add the Level 8 'Doom Dozer' from the deck to my hand!"
The Insect Knight almost burst into tears the moment he searched. This damn effect finally activated.
Then everything would be fine!
"'Doom Dozer's effect!" the Insect Knight shouted, "Banish two Insect-Type monsters from my graveyard. This card can be directly special summoned!
I banish 'Resonance Insect' in my graveyard and the 'Howling Insect' I discarded in turn 1!"
Watch carefully, this is the Insect-Type with the strongest power bestowed upon me by the god——
—— Level 8, Doom Dozer, Summon!"
The earth cracked, a tough exoskeleton covered in sharp protrusions and grooves. Its massive body broke through the ground, emitting an earth-shattering roar.
[ Doom Dozer, ATK 2800 ]
"Next is Resonance Insect's subsequent effect! When this card is banished, send one Insect-Type monster from the deck to the graveyard, except 'Resonance Insect'.
I send 'Skull-Mark Ladybug' from the deck to the graveyard."
He sent the card he searched out from the deck to the graveyard. However, golden light quickly erupted from the graveyard zone of the duel disk, and a ladybug's phantom with a skull pattern drawn on its body appeared behind him.
"'Skull-Mark Ladybug's effect, when sent to the graveyard, I recover 1000 LP!"
[ Insect Knight, LP 400 → LP 1400 ]
Recovering a breath of life, the Insect Knight was immediately reinvigorated, impatiently issuing an order: "Battle! Use 'Doom Dozer' to attack 'Abyss Soldier'!"
Hurry up and send this Netherworld soldier off!
"Activate face-down card, Trap Card 'Dimensional Prison'." Yugen calmly flipped up a back row card, "When your opponent's monster declares an attack, banish that monster from play."
The void shattered, dimensions cracked. Doom Dozer seemed to have charged too fiercely and couldn't stop in time, slamming headfirst into the dimensional boundary.
Insect Knight: "Aaaaaaah!!!"
Powerless rage. JPG.
This time it wasn't bouncing to the hand, but directly going to another dimension, wasn't it?
Can we still have a proper duel?
"Then 'Millennium Scorpion' attack! Attack! Kill that fool!"
This time, there was no obstruction. Millennium Scorpion's attack went through smoothly. Abyss Soldier was clamped and cut in half lengthwise by the huge pincers.
[ Yugen, LP 4000 → LP 3800 ]
Painless and harmless.
The attack couldn't completely take effect, and one Abyss Soldier remained on the opponent's field.
"Such disgusting things... but 'Millennium Scorpion' gains 500 ATK when it destroys a monster by battle.
After that, I set two more cards face-down on the field and end my turn!"
[ Millennium Scorpion, ATK 2000 → ATK 2500 ]
The Insect Knight took a deep breath.
On the surface, next turn, that Netherworld soldier would bounce his Millennium Scorpion, and then a direct attack would end it. The situation was overwhelmingly disadvantageous for him.
However...
The Insect Knight glanced sideways at the two face-down cards in his back row.
He still had one chance!