Duelist Alliance has three new monster themes that excel in Extra Deck Summons. We’ve already looked at the Synchro-centric Yang Zing monsters and the Xyz-powered Stellarknights. That leaves the Shaddolls, creepy marionette Spellcaster versions of monsters from the past!

All basic Shaddoll monsters have two effects: one FLIP effect and one effect that activates if they’re sent to the Graveyard by a card effect. You can only use one of the two effects each turn, but with the Sinister Shadow Games Trap Card, you can manipulate a situation where you’ll be able to use both effects, along with the effect of any Shaddoll in your Deck!

Sinister Shadow Games sends a “Shaddoll” card from your Deck to the Graveyard, then flips any number of your face-down Shaddolls face-up. Because Sinister Shadow Games is a Trap, you can use it on your opponent’s turn to send a Shaddoll to the Graveyard, flip a Shaddoll face-up and get both of those effects. Then, on your turn, you can use the other effect of your on-field Shaddoll by sending it to the Graveyard with a card like Shaddoll Fusion!

Shaddoll Fusion is a specialized version of the classic Polymerization that only Summons “Shaddoll” Fusion Monsters. In exchange, it lets you use monsters in your Deck as Fusion Materials if your opponent has a face-up monster that was Summoned from their Extra Deck. The “El Shaddoll” monsters are incredibly powerful, and each one is created by fusing a Shaddoll with a monster of a given Attribute.

Any Shaddoll + any DARK monster creates El Shaddoll Winda! She has 2200 ATK and can’t be destroyed by your opponent’s card effects. She also restricts both players to only one Special Summon per turn while she’s on the field, and can add a “Shaddoll” Spell or Trap, like Shaddoll Fusion, back to your hand if she’s sent to the Graveyard.

Any Shaddoll + any LIGHT monster creates El Shaddoll Construct! Construct has 2800 ATK, sends a Shaddoll from your Deck to the Graveyard when she’s Summoned, triggering its effect, and automatically destroys any Special Summoned monster it battles. It can also retrieve your Shaddoll Fusion when sent to the Graveyard.

Both of the El Shaddolls are incredibly powerful, and they’re a good enough reason to try out a Shaddoll Deck by themselves! But with some help from the basic Shaddoll monsters along with some solid standalone LIGHT monsters like Thunder King Rai-Oh, White Dragon Wyverburster, and Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, Shaddoll Decks are truly a force to be reckoned with!

You can find the Shaddoll monsters in Duelist Alliance, but if you check out the Duelist Alliance Deluxe Edition, you might also find Shaddoll Hound, a new Shaddoll monster from The New Challengers, foiled up and legal for play now, months before its official release!

Duelist Alliance is available now, and Duelist Alliance Deluxe Edition is available starting on September 12.