Sample Decks

Without rigid play lines, most Pendulum decks have ample flexibility and Endymion is the same. The 'pure' variants can borrow tech cards from one another, or they can be more extensively combined to create hybrid builds.

The following decks are taken directly from veteran players, built to maximize synergy between various cards and engines.

 

These variants include:

• Mythical Beast – The standard approach. This version is resilient to interruption and the strongest option when going second.

• Mythical Beast with Promethean Princess – Swaps some negates for removal, at the cost of a higher monster count that can be a bit clunky.

• Abductor/Spellbook – Even more draw power and extenders, but slightly weaker at breaking boards.

• Budget Option – The most accessible deck list for newcomers who are building from scratch. It still requires quite a few URs, but that's simply the reality for an expensive deck like Endymion.

 

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Advanced Topics

As you've seen by now, Endymion is a fluid deck that plays every duel differently. Every opening hand requires improvisation, so this portion of the guide will not be a collection of 1-, 2-, and 3-card combos like many others. Instead it will cover additional options for deck building and advanced duel strategies for varying situations.

 

Included are the following subsections:

• Optional Engines and Techs

  • Toon Engine
  • Sky Striker Engine
  • Kashtira Engine
  • Vaylantz Field Spells

• Creating Additional Interruptions During the Opponent's Turn

• Breaking the Opponent's Board

  • Nontargeting Removal
  • Nondestruction Removal
  • Removing an Unaffected Monster

• Promethean Princess Combo

• Cross-Sheep Combo into Vortex Dragon

• Magician's Restage Combo

• Jowgen the Spiritualist Lock

 

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Optional Engines and Techs

Toon Engine

Use Loading... to add another Contents to your hand. Repeat with the second copy, and then use the third copy of Contents to search Loading... . This gives you 3 Spell resolutions to generate Spell Counters and then a Level 7 body that can be Pendulum Summoned for Xyz/Link Material. Loading... is also DARK, which means all 3 copies of Contents represent fodder for Loading... .

Alternatively, you can search Loading... as a fourth Spell resolution and fodder for Loading... ' effect.

 

Sky Striker Engine

Use Engage to search Hornet Drones, which Summons a Sky Striker Ace Token that becomes material for Kagari. This triggers Kagari to return Engage to your hand, which then gets you Widow Anchor. This nets you 3 Spell resolutions and ideally 2 draws from Engage.

Opening with Hornet Drones still gets you 2 Spell resolutions and 2 bodies on the field. Widow Anchor is also a nice board breaker when going second.

The downside of this engine is the requirement for empty Main Monster Zones, so sequence your plays carefully. If setting Widow Anchor face-down, you can use Loading... to empty your Main Monster Zones during the opponent's turn.

 

Kashtira Engine

Wraitsoth searches for Unicorn, which then searches for Loading... . Use Unicorn as Link Material or fodder for Loading... , and then revive it at your convenience with Birth for a free Loading... play into Loading... .

In a pinch, Birth also lets you Normal Summon Endymion or Reflection without Tributing. Loading... ideally banishes Unicorn or Fenrir after using their effects, but you can also banish Endymion, Reflection, or Loading... if needed.

Fenrir is not critical to the engine, but it's a solid opening play that forces out interaction while also adding Unicorn to your hand for your Pendulum Summon or Sacred Sword.

 

Vaylantz Field Spells

Each "Vaylantz" Field Spell places the other in your opponent's Field Zone and allows each player to use both of their effects. Going first, this prevents your opponent from activating Loading... since they will control a card. Going second, it sends their current Field Spell to the GY.

Shinra Banso's effect is useful when going first or second, as it lets you Special Summon a monster from your Pendulum Zone. This can give you a material for Loading... , establish a negate (e.g. Jackal King or Endymion), or move a stuck/spare Loading... out of the Pendulum Zone.

Konig Wissen's effect is free nondestruction removal when going second, and you may even get to destroy one of their Spells/Traps at the same time.

 

• If you can only destroy 1 Field Spell, then it's generally better to destroy the one on your field and leave the other on your opponent's field. This prevents them from using Loading... and Loading... at the start of their turn, and they won't be able to use their Vaylantz Field Spell's effect since you don't control a Field Spell.

• The exception is if you have another Field Spell (e.g. Loading... ) and Konig Wissen is on your opponent's field. In this case, destroy your opponent's Konig Wissen so they cannot move one of your monsters into your Spell & Trap Zone.

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Creating Additional Interruptions During the Opponent's Turn

These 3 monsters each have Quick Effects that place additional interruptions on your field. Chain their effects directly to your last available negate, in order to ensure that you're always ready to negate your opponent's next effect before they have an opportunity to activate it.

 

Example for monster effects:

1. Your opponent activates a monster effect and you Chain with your only copy of Loading... as Chain Link 2.
2. Activate Magister's effect as Chain Link 3.
3. When the Chain resolves, Magister Special Summons a second Jackal King from your deck, and then the previous Jackal King negates your opponent's monster effect.

 

Example for Spells/Traps:

1. Your opponent activates a Spell/Trap and you Chain with your only copy of Loading... as Chain Link 2.
2. Activate Selene's effect as Chain Link 3.
3. When the Chain resolves, Selene Special Summons a second Endymion from your hand or GY, and then the previous Endymion negates your opponent's Spell/Trap.

 

Selene's Quick Effect lets you reuse Endymion's and Jackal King's once-per-turn negate effects.

 

1. Use Endymion's effect to negate a Spell/Trap, by returning to your hand a Jackal King or an Endymion that has already used its effect (or itself, if it has a Spell Counter).
2. Toggle your Chain response "ON".
3. Immediately after the Chain resolves, activate Selene's Quick Effect on a new Chain to Special Summon that same Jackal King or Endymion from your hand.

 

In most cases, Vortex Dragon will be summoned during your own turn by using Absolute Dragon as material or destroying it with Endymion's Pendulum Effect. But by summoning Vortex Dragon during your opponent's turn, you can also trigger its effect to return an opponent's monster to the hand.

You simply need to summon Loading... without using Absolute Dragon as material, and instead use her Quick Effect to trigger Absolute Dragon's GY effect during the opponent's turn.

 

Example:

1. End your turn with Absolute Dragon, Loading... , and Loading... .
2. During your opponent's turn, they activate a monster effect.
3. Activate Jackal King's effect as Chain Link 2 and Loading... 's effect as Chain Link 3.
4. When the Chain resolves, Loading... Link Summons any Link-4 monster, and then Jackal King negates your opponent's monster effect.
5. Trigger Absolute Dragon's effect on Chain Link 1 to Special Summon Vortex Dragon.
6. Trigger Vortex Dragon's effect to return an opponent's monster to the hand.

 

IMPORTANT: Vortex Dragon's effect to bounce a monster is a "When… you can" effect, which means it will miss its activation timing unless Absolute Dragon's GY effect is Chain Link 1. Therefore, do not use Absolute Dragon as material for any monster with a mandatory on-summon effect — namely Loading... !

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Breaking the Opponent's Board

Nontargeting Removal

The typical win condition on turn 2 is to resolve Endymion's Pendulum Effect after baiting your opponent's Spell disruptions.

Loading... will often provide all the Spell Counters you need, and Loading... and Loading... each generate twice as many Spell Counters as other cards do. Avoid letting your opponent know that you have Endymion, by searching/activating him later rather than earlier.

Loading... can shuffle away an opponent's card simply by crashing him into a stronger monster and not triggering his effect to gain ATK.

And of course, Underworld Goddess will always get rid of an opponent's monster if nothing else will.

 

Nondestruction Removal

Note that Reflection, Master Cerberus, and Vortex Dragon each target an opponent's monster or card. Master Cerberus is often used as Link Material, but remember to use his monster effect first if you have extra Spell Counters.

Loading... does not target, but only works on monsters in the opponent's Extra Monster Zone (e.g. Loading... and Loading... ).

 

Removing an Unaffected Monster

Avramax can battle over any opponent's monster that is unaffected by card effects, as long as that monster was Special Summoned.

An Endymion deck usually has no problem fielding enough materials for Underworld Goddess. Loading... and the other Charmer Link Monsters can get you to either of these starting with as few as 3 of your own monsters.

 

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Promethean Princess Combo

Instead of using Electrumite and a Spellcaster as material for Selene, you can instead use them to summon Promethean Princess. This route trades 1-2 negates for a 2-card destruction when the opponent Special Summons.

 

1. Princess's first effect revives Electrumite so you can reuse her effect. This also lets you reuse Loading... 's effect.

2. You'll then need to get Princess off the field to avoid her FIRE restriction. It's easiest to link her away for Amblowhale.

3. Set up Amblowhale's GY effects by destroying it with Endymion's Pendulum Effect. This triggers Amblowhale's effect to revive Electrumite again, at which point you can use her effect yet again (if needed).

4. Be sure to end your turn with a FIRE Link Monster on your field — either Electrumite or Loading... .

5. Finally, during the opponent's turn, you can trigger Princess's effect to destroy your FIRE Link Monster and an opponent's monster. This triggers Amblowhale's second effect to destroy another card.

 

NOTE: You cannot use Astrograph's effect while you control Princess, so link her away before using Electrumite to trigger Astrograph.

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Cross-Sheep Combo into Vortex Dragon

You'll need to control 2 Level 7 monsters and any third monster, and have a Level 4 or lower Spellcaster in GY (or it can be the third monster you control).

 

1. Use the 2 Level 7 monsters to Xyz Summon Loading... .
2. Use Absolute Dragon and the third monster to Link Summon Loading... .
3. Trigger Absolute Dragon's effect to Special Summon Loading... to a zone Loading... points to.
4. Trigger Loading... 's effect to revive the Level 4 or lower Spellcaster.
5. Use Loading... and the revived Spellcaster to Link Summon Loading... .

 

If Loading... was used as Xyz Material, then Selene can revive him immediately. If Loading... was used, then Selene can revive her during your opponent's turn and trigger her effect.

NOTE: Selene's effects are both soft once-per-turn. This means you can use the first copy of Selene to revive a Level 7 monster for Xyz Material at step 1 above, and then use that same Selene as Link Material for Loading... at step 2. Finally, summon a second copy of Selene at step 5 and use her to revive Endymion.

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Magician's Restage Combo

This 2-card combo starts with Loading... and Loading... , and nets you a +3 by searching the Spellbook engine from your deck.

 

1. Use Loading... ' effect to Special Summon itself.
2. Use Souls to Link Summon Loading... .
3. Activate Loading... and use its effect to revive Souls.
4. Use Souls' effect to send Restage to the GY for a draw, then trigger Restage's effect to search Loading... .
5. Use Artemis and Souls to Link Summon Loading... and trigger his effect to randomly add Loading... , Loading... , or Loading... to your hand.
6. Two thirds of the time, you'll randomly add Magician or Secrets. Use one to search the other, and then use that to search Knowledge. Finally, use Knowledge to send Magician to the GY and draw 2 cards.

 

The result is Crowley, Right Hand, and 3 draws. One third of the time, you'll randomly add Knowledge instead. You can use it to send Crowley to the GY (instead of Magician), netting you the same result but without Crowley.

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Jowgen the Spiritualist Lock

When the Spellbook of Prophecy structure deck was added in September 2022, players did have some success using the unbanned Loading... to Special Summon Loading... during the End Phase.

Even with its relatively low stats, some opponents simply cannot play with Jowgen on the field. If they Normal Summon and destroy Jowgen by battle, then Loading... can revive him during Main Phase 2.

This variant requires more Mythical Beast Spells with different names for Judgment's effect, resulting in several bricks in the deck. Loading... and Loading... are typically the best options.

• You can mitigate Judgment's initial –1 by Chaining it to Loading... . Judgment will resolve first and remain on the field, providing fodder for Knowledge to send to the GY.

 

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Rulings

Spell Counter Rulings

• A card is considered "a card that can have a Spell Counter" if it has an effect in its current location that mentions it having a Spell Counter.

• If a card has its effects negated, then its Spell Counters are removed. However it is still considered "a card that can have a Spell Counter".

 

Pendulum Rulings

• A Pendulum Monster Card in the Pendulum Zone is a Spell and not a monster. However it is still a "Monster Card", which refers to its original card type. This means that Loading... does gain Spell Counters when a Mythical Beast Monster Card in your Pendulum Zone is destroyed. It also means that Loading... 's effect can Chain to the activation of a Pendulum Monster Card (or its effect) in your Pendulum Zone. (Source)

• Loading... only negates the effects of "monsters" with the same name as the banished card (not "Monster Cards"). It does not negate Pendulum Effects because cards in the Pendulum Zones are Spells and not monsters.

• If a Pendulum Monster Card would be sent from the field to the GY, it goes to the Extra Deck face-up instead. While the effects of Loading... and Loading... are applied, Pendulum Monster Cards that would be sent from the field to the GY are banished instead of going to the Extra Deck. (Source)

• If you attempt to send a Spellcaster Pendulum Monster you control to the GY with Loading... , it goes to the Extra Deck instead and you do not draw 2 cards. (Source)

 

Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic

• When resolving Loading... 's Pendulum Effect, you count all cards you control with effects that allow them to have Spell Counters. This includes cards whose effects are negated, even though they cannot currently hold Spell Counters. (Source)

• When resolving Endymion's Pendulum Effect, you do not count Mythical Beast cards in your Pendulum Zones. The Mythical Beast Pendulum Effects do not mention having Spell Counters, so they are not cards that can have Spell Counters while in the Pendulum Zone. (Source)

• When resolving Endymion's Pendulum Effect, you must attempt to destroy at least 1 card. You can select a card that cannot be destroyed by card effects (e.g. Loading... ) or a card that prevents its own destruction (e.g. Loading... ), in which case Endymion will not gain a Spell Counter.

• If Endymion's Quick Effect does not return a card with a Spell Counter to the hand (e.g. you return Loading... to the Extra Deck instead), then it stops resolving and does not negate the Spell/Trap activation. (Source)

• If Endymion's Quick Effect negates a Spell/Trap activation but does not destroy it (e.g. the Spell/Trap is not on the field), then it stops resolving and Endymion does not gain Spell Counters.

 

Endymion's Aides

• You can Special Summon multiple copies of Loading... simultaneously (e.g. by Pendulum Summon). The same is true of Loading... and Loading... , including by their own effects.

• If Servant's Pendulum Effect gets negated, then you can activate it again during the same turn — as long as you can pay its cost and have not already Special Summoned Servant that turn. The same is true of Reflection and Magister. (Source)

• Loading... 's monster effect deviates from Konami's Problem-Solving Card Text rules. It says to return "that opponent's card and your card" to the hand, however it does still return one target even if the other target is absent or cannot be returned. (Source)

 

Astrograph Sorcerer

• You can trigger Loading... 's effect after Loading... adds it to your hand, even though Astrograph was not in your hand when your other card was destroyed by Electrumite. (Source)

• Astrograph's effect can also search a monster with the same name as a card in your opponent's GY or Extra Deck, or an opponent's banished card, that was destroyed this turn.

• Astrograph's effect can only search a monster if there is a card with the same name in the GY or Extra Deck, or that is banished, that got there by being destroyed. E.g. if you destroy Loading... with his own effect, then Special Summon him with Loading... , and then send him back to the Extra Deck as Link Material, then Astrograph's effect cannot search another copy of Master Cerberus.

 

Magician's Right Hand

• Loading... only counts your opponent's first Spell Card or effect that actually resolves. If you negate the activation of your opponent's Spell (e.g. with Endymion or Loading... ) then it does not resolve, so Right Hand will negate your opponent's next Spell Card or effect that resolves.

 

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