Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Deck Tech: Centur-Ion

Centur-Ion is a Synchro archetype designed after classic "mecha anime" (Gunbuster, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and Darling in the Franxx). It focuses on playing your monsters in the spell/trap zone as continuous trap cards to quickly summon level 8 or 12 Synchro monsters, both on your turn and the opponent's turn.

Besides, this archetype's name references the Romanian centurions in real life, which were commanders of a group of 100 soldiers: the centuria.

Recently released in Valiant Smashers, this archetype is quite interesting and shows a lot of potential in Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG's metagame, once it is a consistent, resilient deck which has a lot of space for tech cards. Besides this, of course, it has a very strong line of play with its trap cards and one Synchro summon during the opponent's turn, which makes it capable of accessing Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity's FTK.

Check out how the Centur-Ion deck works below!

Decklist

Main Deck

Centur-Ion Primera and Centur-Ion Trudea are your main deck's main monsters, characterized as 1-card combo starters for this deck's strategy. Centur-Ion Primera stands out as it is a searcher for any type of card in this archetype, besides being the only tuner in it. On the other side, Centur-Ion Trudea can increase its level to 4, allowing you to choose if you'll summon level 8 or level 12 Synchro monsters.

As for Centur-Ion Emeth VI, it is an extender, useful during your interactions during your opponent's turn as material for a Synchro-summon, but it isn't very interesting to have it in your hand, where it is considered a "garnet".

This archetype's main spells also work as starters. Emblema Oath, for instance, is a "rota" for this archetype, but, incredibly, it can't be stopped by an Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, besides also being able to access your trap-cards.

As for the field spell, Stand Up Centur-Ion!, besides being an opener for your plays, it is also responsible for your interactions on your opponent's turn by allowing you to play a Synchro-summon after a monster is special-summoned.

To complete the spells in this archetype, we have Centur-Ion Bonds, which is an extender both through its first effect and its second one while in the graveyard.

In terms of traps, Centur-Ion Phalanx is a strong disruption, as it brings its effect of banishing a monster, besides being an extender through its effect while in the graveyard. However, your main defense is Centur-Ion True Awakening, which is an omni-negate.

These are the generic consistency spells that shape this deck. Terraforming is one extra copy of your field spell, and Pot of Desires is a card to enhance your strategy's draw power.

To start talking about this deck's tech cards, we have Kashtira Fenrir, which works as another disruption on the board when you go first, and also as a board breaker when you go second. Besides this card, Triple Tactics Talent also has two roles, being able to punish interactions through handtraps or break your opponent's board by stealing one of their monsters.

The handtraps we chose are the ones that are most popular right now. We opted for those that theoretically work better against most decks in the metagame, which, as it is very open, might throw some matchups off balance.

To complete handtraps, I chose Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, which is expected to grow in the format according to "Centur-Ion"'s popularity, considering it is a very good card against this deck, and is fundamental in the mirror match.

Extra Deck

Centur-Ion Legatia is this archetype's boss monster, and, even though it doesn't have any insane effects, is quite interesting as it protects smaller monsters, provides a destruction interaction, and also recycles one of your monsters during the End Phase. Besides this, due to its high ATK, it helps this deck play an OTK.

These are the cards responsible for the strongest interaction in this deck, which is considered unfair by most players. Through Crimson Dragon's Quick Effect, you can summon Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity during your opponent's turn, practically guaranteeing your victory.

To complete the Synchro monsters in this deck, we have Cosmic Blazar Dragon, which is quite versatile as it counts with 3 very interesting effects, which make it a very strong disruption.

This deck also counts with a few useful xyz monsters for a few very specific situations: Abyss Dweller is extremely strong against decks dependent on the graveyard; Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir is quite important when you need to stall the game and gain some time; and Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening Star is quite useful because it can remove and deal with an opponent's monster without destroying it, besides the fact you can use it to set up "ZEUS" plays.

Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder is a very useful card when you don't have access to your standard lines of play and need to clear the opponent's board. In general, it is used when the match goes on for longer than usual.

As for Super Starslayer TY-PHON - Sky Crisis, just like "ZEUS", it is used when you can't combo, but, besides this, it works really well as an out against a "ZEUS" on your opponent's board, or even against other monsters with more than 3000 ATK.

Artemis, the Magistus Moon Maiden is in this list to give you the possibility of activating S:P Little Knight's effect when it is summoned, if necessary.

Besides acting as a follow-up card if destroyed, Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy is quite important as it can steal Dark Attribute monsters from the opponent's graveyard, and, even if it isn't a relevant monster, it can be used to summon Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians, which will help you set up the OTK with Accesscode Talker.

Centur-Ion's goal is to have its field spell, Stand Up Centur-Ion!, active, while you control your boss monster: Centur-Ion Legatia. Besides this, it is essential to have Centur-Ion Primera and Centur-Ion Trudea in your spell/trap zones and have Centur-Ion Emeth VI in the graveyard.

Building this board, during your opponent's main phase, you can put in motion your backrow and graveyard monsters' effects so they can summon each other. Next, you'll play a Synchro-summon through your Stand Up Centur-Ion!, which will usually bring Crimson Dragon. Then, you'll use its effect to summon Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity, which can completely disable your opponent's turn, preventing them from activating card effects.

Standard Combo

I'll leave the standard combo below if you open with Centur-Ion Trudea + 1 random card to discard:

> First, normal-summon Centur-Ion Trudea, and next activate its effect to move it and also a Centur-Ion Primera (from your deck) to the spell/trap zone.

> Now, activate Centur-Ion Primera's effect to summon it as a monster and, next, add Stand Up Centur-Ion! to your hand through its search effect;

> Activate your field spell and use its effect to move a Centur-Ion Emeth VI from your deck to your spell/trap zone (remember to discard 1 card from your hand);

> Next, activate Centur-Ion Emeth VI's effect of summoning itself as a monster and use it alongside Centur-Ion Primera to Synchro-summon Centur-Ion Legatia, which will allow you to draw 1 card when it is summoned;

Assuming that you get access to Emblema Oath through the card you just drew, you can use it to play Centur-Ion True Awakening straight from the deck, and it will guarantee protection to your play on the following turn.

> During your End Phase, use Centur-Ion Legatia's effect to move Centur-Ion Primera from your graveyard to your spell/trap zone again;

Like so, your board will end up like this:

> During your opponent's Main Phase, you'll be able to summon both Centur-Ion Primera and Centur-Ion Trudea from your spell/trap zone, and next you'll summon Centur-ion Emeth VI from your graveyard (by returning Centur-Ion Trudea to the spell/trap zone);

> After this effect resolves, your field spell, Stand Up Centur-Ion!, can be activated to summon Crimson Dragon using Centur-Ion Primera and Centur-Ion Emeth VI as material;

> After it is summoned, activate Centur-Ion Emeth VI's effect targeting Centur-Ion Legatia to summon another level 12 Synchro monster, and return it to the extra deck;

> Resolve the effect by summoning Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity, which when summoned will activate its effect (which can't be answered) that prevents your opponent from activating cards, and, besides this, doesn't allow them to activate the effects of cards in their control.

Like so, your board will end up like this:

Centur-Ion has a short and quite consistent play pattern that can play around high-impact handtraps, such as Nibiru, the Primal Being and Droll & Lock Bird, and also board breakers, with a FTK finishing move. Despite this, this deck isn't unstoppable and can be disrupted by lower-impact interactions if they're used together. Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit is the main tool used to defeat this deck.

This deck has the upper-hand against decks that don't have space for a good number of handtraps, or those that opt not to use them, mostly when playing first, when you can play its combo and win without any further issue. When you are second to play, this deck struggles to break consolidated boards and depends on its tech cards to lower the enemy board's power ceiling.

Like so, the main way to counter Centur-Ion is using a deck that can accommodate several techs, and, besides this, you need to focus on using handtraps that are useful against it. Otherwise, this deck will easily be able to go through these interactions.

So, what did you think of this deck? I hope you liked getting to know more about it and that you have a lot of fun with it.

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