Instructions on how to play BES

By Ljkad Published Nov 18, 2025 Updated Jan 11, 2026

B.E.S... B.E.S.... B.E.S...

Sections covered in this guide:

1/ Introducing Archetype

2/ Monsters in the main deck

3/ Spell/Trap

4/ Skill

5/ Strengths/Weaknesses & How to Build

6/ Conclude

Introducing Archetype

Let's start with a bit of history. The first BES card wasn't actually a BES card at all; it was simply called BIG CORE , released back in 2004, obviously based on a boss monster that frequently appeared in the Gradius series, which Konami also produces (more on this later).

Next up were a few more BES cards, culminating in the BOSS RUSH Eternal Spell card, designed to create a super cool field-swarming effect, but in reality, nobody bothered playing it because the first line of text literally says: "The player controlling this card cannot Normal Summon or Set monsters."

In 2006, this archetype appeared in a GX anime episode, played by an Italian character who so clearly demonstrated the perennial problem of BOSS RUSH that he even tried to destroy it himself with his own MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON . As a side note, this is how I first learned about the Gradius series, because at the beginning of the episode, he was playing a game that looked like Gradius, and I looked at the BES cards and thought, "Wow, that looks cool." And I started playing Gradius.
Of course, this isn't the first or last card referencing the Gradius series. You know what else from that series? 🗿 The MOAI INTERCEPTOR CANNONS, the Easter Island statue . That's a real enemy you have to face in the game. And before you say, "Oh my god, Moai statues are real," well, I'd rather not see a damn statue shooting lasers in real life, Baka ><!!

It's a bit odd that this archetype is called "Gradius" (in the OCG, it's called Gradius's Option/Gradius series cards), because Gradius is the name of the game and the planet where everything takes place. It's not the name of the spaceship; the spaceship is called VIC VIPER . To put it simply, it's like Konami owning the rights to the Metroid game and deciding to create a card called "Metroid."

Fast forward to 2009, and we get the first major BIG CORE upgrade, BES BIG CORE MK-2 , and then nothing until 2017. Where, in the same card packs we get MASTER PEACE, THE TRUE DRACOSLAYING KING , and ASH BLOSSOM & JOYOUS SPRING , we get support for BES for some reason. BEF ZELOS , which at the time was considered one of the best Field Spell cards of all time, and BES BIG CORE MK-3 .

A few years later, "New BES" support emerged strongly, followed by another lull of several years until a series of BES support releases were announced, to be simultaneously launched in both the OCG and Duel Links.

"Oh, but Professor, Professor, surely after 20 years of existence, this archetype must have some really good support cards and some great playstyle-building cards, extension cards, and combo pieces, right? Surely Konami hasn't ruined this very basic, very primitive archetype for 20 whole years, have they? Well..."

Monsters in the main deck

B.E.S. Big Core (x0)

Okay, let's start in chronological order with the "OG" BIG CORE , re-released in 2017 as BES BIG CORE . Remember, this is a card from 2004. When Normal Summoned, it puts 3 Counters on itself. It cannot be destroyed by battle. At the end of the Damage Step, if it has battled, you remove 1 Counter from this card; otherwise, you destroy it.

This card literally does nothing. Needless to say, you shouldn't play it. This isn't some kind of ANCIENT GEAR GOLEM situation where the entire archetype revolves around it, so you don't need to bother with it.

B.E.S. Crystal Core (x0-1)

Next, BES CRYSTAL CORE, this card shares the exact same effect as BIG CORE , meaning when you summon it you set 3 Counters, it's not destroyed by battle, at the end of the damage step it removes the Counter or self-destructs. But it also has the additional effect that you can change a monster from face-up Attack position to face-up Defense position.

Well, literally, BLOCK ATTACK has legs, except it doesn't actually have legs. This card is also bad; I wouldn't recommend playing it.

B.E.S. Tetran (x1)

This card has the exact same effect as the previous two, but its unique effect is the ability to remove 1 Counter to detonate a Spell/Trap card. Actually, this isn't the worst effect. I recommend playing a copy because we need to make room for better cards.

B.E.S. Covered Core (x0)

This card only gains 2 Counters, and you have to flip a coin to decide if it loses its Counter at the end of the damage step. That's right, the unique effect of this card is "sometimes it lasts longer than expected." So I don't... I don't recommend playing it. But it's not the worst BES card to put in your deck either.

B.E.S. Big Core MK-2 (x0-1)

Next up is BES BIG CORE MK-2 . This card is a special case because you can Normal Summon it without Tributing, but it only receives a Counter if you Special Summon it. Aside from that, it's basically the same card as before without any unique effects. Well, you can play a duplicate of this card if you want to try. Technically, it's more durable thanks to the Environment card we'll discuss later.

B.E.S. Big Core MK-3 (x1)

And here's another upgrade, BES BIG CORE MK-3 . This one has a practical summoning condition that I appreciate: it only activates if your opponent controls a monster and you don't control any monsters. And it automatically puts 3 Counters on itself regardless of how it's summoned. Plus, its unique effect allows you to banish BES monsters from the Graveyard to shuffle them back into your deck. It's at a pretty decent power level. You can play one copy, no harm done.

B.E.S. Blaster Cannon Core (x1)

This card also Special Summons itself, which is basically free if you don't have many things on the field. It also gets Counter regardless of how it's summoned. And that's it. The whole purpose of this card is to act as a wall for defense.

I guess it does a better job of defense than any card before it, but seriously, could we... could we have some other kind of effect, please Konami??

1 is fine, I think 2 wouldn't hurt either.

B.E.S. Derringer Core (x3)

Now for the new support. Starting with BES DELLINGEROUS CORE , it looks incredibly awesome and is a super cool card. I love it. This one loses the battle protection that every other BES before it had, but it gains a lot more interesting effects. First, it can Special Summon itself basically for free just by revealing another BES .

Above all, it has 2 Quick Effects that can activate in the Main Phase. The first allows you to search your entire Backrow (warning: there aren't too many cards, but still...) . And the second revives a BES monster from the Graveyard (but the Level must be lower than or equal to, so you can't revive another DELLINGEROUS CORE because this one is Level 10). This card is absolutely fantastic. Technically, it's a Starter because it helps you initiate all your plays and provides extra body on the field. You should play 3 copies of it.

Super B.E.S. Metal Slave (x3)

Last but certainly not least, we have SUPER BES METAL SLAVE (Note: The card name may be SUPER BES ARMORED CORE or a literal translation from OCG). This card also has a very simple summoning condition: send up to 5 BES monsters from your hand or field to the Graveyard and receive a corresponding number of Counters.

This card's unique Quick Effect is a Once per Chain destroy that you can use multiple times per turn. This is great until you realize you have to destroy one of your own BES cards to destroy an opponent's face-up card.

Not insanely good, but in every respect and for the sake of it, this is the best BES card currently available. So you'll definitely want to play three copies of it, even though it's not even a card from Gradius...

Spell/Trap

Boss Rush (x1)

We begin with the Eternal card that I guess has turned this series into an archetype: BOSS RUSH . An Eternal spell card that, I need to reiterate, prevents you from Normal Summoning or Set Summoning.

A line of text was placed on a card made in 2005 for some reason. Is this...is this the original Adventure Engine?

This card also has another effect, believe it or not. During the End Phase of a turn where a BES or BIG CORE monster is destroyed and sent to your Graveyard, you Special Summon a BES monster from your deck. Only one, mind you. Even if several of your BES monsters are destroyed, you only get one replacement. And it happens during the End Phase, not when you need your cards to float (replace summon) to protect your life points or anything. Anyway, this card is the main reason to play this archetype, and it's a flimsy reason. But I guess that's reason enough to try.

Fortunately, you'll need to play one or two copies of this terrible, awful card.

B.E.F. Zelos (x3)

The far less terrifying card is the Field Spell BEF ZELOS . This card has a lot more text on it than a 2017 printed card, so hold on tight. When activated, you get to search for a BOSS RUSH , which is what you need to survive for your archetype to work. On top of that, BEF ZELOS increases your entire archetype by 500 Attack and Defense, and protects against targeting and destruction effects from opponents, which is really good. Like, standard 2017 Field Spell buffs were pretty high, but ZELOS is truly amazing.

But that's not all. On top of that, you Special Summon a BES monster from your hand once per turn. And when you Special Summon a BES monster, you put a Counter on it so it always has a Counter no matter what you do. Needless to say, this is probably the best card in the deck. So you'll want to play 3 copies of it.

Boss on Parade (x3)

Now for the new support: BOSS ON PARADE . It's kind of like BEF ZELOS when you squint. When activated, you get to search for a BEF monster, kind of like how ZELOS searches for BOSS RUSH when you think about it. There's a second effect, but it's related to the Light spaceship archetype, which isn't actually an archetype; it's more like a series of loosely linked cards with shared stats, so... let's just ignore that for the purposes of this video.

But there's one final effect that lets you banish this card from the Graveyard to place a BOSS RUSH from your deck or Graveyard face up on your field. This card is okay. It's not amazing, it's...it's okay. Um, I think you should also play 3 copies, since it can find DELLINGEROUS CORE , it can also help you get ZELOS super easy.

Believe it or not, that's it. That's the entire 20-year BES archetype and a ton of cards to show off, 3 of which are actually "decent". Thinking of Trap cards? Thinking of Extra Deck monsters? Forget it. Just having the cards is good enough.

Skill

B.E.S. Rush (Skill Card) (100%)

Besides the Structure Deck, BES also has new Skills.

You can only use the second and third effects of this skill once per duel. Really? Is it supposed to be "once per duel"? Wouldn't it be too powerful if it wasn't once per duel, Konami? What are you guys thinking?

During your turn, you cannot Special Summon any monsters except BES monsters, including those summoned from the Extra Deck. The good news is: you can play NIBIRU, THE PRIMAL BEING . You are allowed to play at least one good card from this deck.

Sending BOSS RUSH , Spell/Trap mentions it from hand or field face down to Graveyard to add a BES monster from Deck or Graveyard to hand, this is a decent search. Best scenario: send BOSS ON PARADE after activating it to search for a DELLINGEROUS CORE , then search for SUPER BES METAL SLAVE to Special Summon both, set up ZELOS and potentially access 2 BOSS RUSH . I wish it worked the reverse way too. Like, I wish you could just... just search for Environment cards. Oh, beggars shouldn't ask, I guess ( BOSS ON PARADE ).

This can be activated from turn 2 onwards. If you don't control any cards in the Environment area, Set a BEF ZELOS card from your deck. Otherwise, draw a card or add a SUPER BES METAL SLAVE from your deck to your hand. This allows you to draw a card if you already have the most important card in your deck, and lets you start the play with the protection provided by ZELOS . Pretty good, right?

So I know you might look at BES RUSH and think, "That looks like a really decent Skill," looks like a really promising Skill for a young archetype. The problem is, this Skill has to compete with a ton of bullshit from decks that are much better than it. And there's no real competition here.

Strengths/Weaknesses & How to Build

STRENGTHS

The Power of SUPER BES METAL SLAVE: This is an extremely high-quality disruption monster. Its ability to pop up to 4 face-up cards per turn (by exploding its own BES monster) puts immense pressure on your opponent. Furthermore, you can recover lost resources thanks to BOSS RUSH .
The "Team-Carrying" Environment Card (BEF ZELOS): It must be said that BEF ZELOS is one of the greatest Field Spells ever created. It does so much: increases stats, protects against targeting and destruction, and allows for a free Special Summon.
High Stability & Easy to Play: The BES RUSH skill helps you consistently find the crucial pieces. The deck's gameplay is a simple, straightforward beatdown (overwhelming attack) that doesn't require complex combos, making it suitable for beginners.

WEAKNESSES

Backrow Reliance: This deck will "lose" immediately upon losing access to the back row. BEF ZELOS carries too much responsibility, so losing it is disastrous. Especially in the current meta, COSMIC CYCLONE is everywhere (due to Blue-Eyes), making BES extremely vulnerable.
Destruction Only Mechanism: The deck's main strength is "Destruction," but destruction alone isn't enough in the modern meta. The deck is almost helpless against monsters with protection or immunity to destruction, such as BLUE-EYES CHAOS DRAGON , DINGIRSU , or PROXY DRAGON . The fact that METAL SLAVE must target is also a major drawback.
Extra Deck Difficult to Utilize: BES monsters have very inconsistent levels (Level 9, 10, 11...), making Xyz Summons extremely difficult unless you draw multiple copies of the same monster. Link Summon is an option but consumes valuable resources.
Paywall: Konami requires players to spend real money (buy Structure Deck EX) to play this deck optimally (requires 3 copies of SUPER BES METAL SLAVE ). You cannot grind entirely for the strongest deck.

DECK BUILDING

What does a BES deck look like? I don't know, but I'll provide a basic core as a foundation for building a deck:

3 Super Best Metal Saves
3 Best Dellingerous Core
4 other BES names (to put your METAL SLAVE in the field with 5 Counter).
3 BEF ZELOS
3 Bosses on Parade
Two Boss Rushes are more than enough.

And then you can put whatever you want in. Some cards I recommend:

Hand Traps : Because they don't take up valuable space on your field.
COSMIC CYCLONE : I think it's almost mandatory in this format.
KITERIOD : Also a cool card, especially considering your field might be completely empty after you've finished exploding with METAL SLAVE .

Regarding the Extra Deck, I guess you can occasionally pull off a Rank 10 play with SUPER DREADNOUGHT RAIL CANNON JUGGERNAUT LIEBE . Link monsters also exist, but they're not really mandatory for your game plan or anything. This is more like Plan C. Plan B is just playing this deck until your opponent falls asleep or something.

Conclude

Oh my god, this is... this is a tough one. It's not that this archetype is unsalvageable, but it'll need another round of support just to reach a decent competitive level, which is possible. I mean, there are still many more BIG CORE cards to adapt that we haven't seen yet. Maybe one that's immune to destruction effects so it combos great with METAL SLAVE . That would be awesome.

I'd also like a retrain of BOSS RUSH that works the way FUSIONITUDE does POLYMERIZATION . A better BOSS RUSH that still does the same thing BOSS RUSH does but doesn't cripple you as much as this deck. And maybe a few more side effects to compensate for the fact that you have to play BES.

And while we're at it, please inject that (copium) directly into my vein, because let's be honest. This will never, ever happen. It took Konami 20 years to print two good BES monsters. It'll probably take another 50 years until we have a fully playable archetype. And who knows if we'll even be alive to enjoy it by then.

Thank you for reading this guide. I really hope you enjoyed it.

My advice: Don't buy this Structure Deck . It's absolutely not worth it. It's not the first bad Structure Deck out there, certainly better than POKER KNIGHTS or RELINQUISHED , but come on Konami.