This new version of Swordsoul boasts the highest level of stability ever, yet it has just dropped out of the top tier. Is this true, or do people need a new guide to learn how to play? Let's find out.
Sections covered in this guide:
Skill
Intertwining Memories (Skill Card) (100%)
With this skill, we can essentially do everything a Virtuous Bonds deck can do. But instead of adding Mirrorjade to the deck, we get two extra Search turns. By simply Revealing a card that mentions "Fallen of Albaz," we can search two cards from the group "Ecclesia, Tri-brigade, Swordsoul, Icejade, Springans."
Thanks to this skill, our deck can go up to 11-12 Starters to perform combos.
Combo
Unlike typical guides, here I'll write about the new combo so everyone can see if there are any changes to the skills and gameplay.
Since the Swordsoul decklist is almost unchanged from the previous version, I'll leave the card analysis for later, or you can refer to the old article about Swordsoul (Skill Virtuous Bonds) for more information.
Before we get into the specific combos, I have a few things I want you to remember:
Before we get into the specific combos, I have a few things I want you to remember:
- Always prioritize using Taia if you want to execute a long combo chain (to send Mo Ye to the grave and revive her with Summit).
Always prioritize Supreme Sovereign (Chengying) if you have a Blackout trap in your hand, as Chengying greatly benefits from Blackout disrupting your hand and protecting yourself.
Always try to send Golden Swordsoul to the graveyard (by discarding it to Longyuan) to activate "Engine Albaz" on your opponent's turn.
Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying (COMBO 1: One-card-combo (Chengying))
This is the most basic combo when you start with Ecclesia , Golden Swordsoul , or Emergence .
Condition: You must have one Starter card (Ecclesia/Golden/Emergence) in your hand.
Objective: Create Grandmaster Chixiao , Supreme Sovereign Chengying , Swordsoul Blackout , and set up Mirrorjade for your opponent's turn.
Steps to follow:
Activate Skill:
If Emergence is available: Activate the Golden Swordsoul Seeker. Then use the Golden Swordsoul Reveal Skill.
Use the two-card search skill: The Incredible Ecclesia and Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan (or Blackout if you already have Longyuan).
Summon Ecclesia: Normal Summon Ecclesia .
Activate Ecclesia: Use Quick Effect, sacrifice yourself to Special Summon Swordsoul of Mo Ye from your deck.
Activate Mo Ye: Golden Swordsoul appears in hand -> Summon 1 Swordsoul Token (Level 4 Tuner).
Synchro Summon 1: Use Mo Ye (Lv4) + Token (Lv4) -> Summon Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao (Lv8).
Activate Chixiao: Search for the missing card (Take Swordsoul Blackout if you found Longyuan in step 1). Note: Mo Ye will draw 1 card, but the video focuses on the main combo .
Summon Longyuan: Activate Longyuan in hand, discard (Discard) Golden Swordsoul to Graveyard -> Special Summon Longyuan and 1 Swordsoul Token .
Synchro Summon 2: Use Longyuan (Lv6) + Token (Lv4) -> Summon Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying (Lv10).
Longyuan in the grave deals 1200 damage.
End Phase & Opponent's Turn:
Set a Blackout trap.
Protection & Counterattack Mechanism: When you activate Blackout (select Chengying and 2 opponent cards), Chengying will activate a self-protective effect by banishing 1 card from the Graveyard (e.g., Golden Swordsoul ).
Activating Golden Swordsoul: When banished, Golden Swordsoul will summon Ecclesia back from the Graveyard to the field.
To summon Mirrorjade: During your opponent's turn, use Ecclesia to sacrifice itself -> Summon Fallen of Albaz from your deck -> Discard 1 card to Fusion with your opponent's minion to summon Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon .
COMBO 2: One-card-combo (Dragite + Sinister variant)
Use this when you want the ability to disable Spells/Traps (Dragite) and banish monsters (Sinister Sovereign).
Condition: Start with Starter (e.g., Emergence).
Steps to follow:
Activating the Skill: Use Emergence to obtain the Golden Swordsoul . Activate the Golden Swordsoul Reveal Skill -> Find Ecclesia and the Swordsoul Sacred Summit (Resurrection Spell).
Use the second Emergence (or another search step) to get Longyuan .
In summary, the hand should include: Ecclesia, Longyuan, Summit, Golden.
Summon Ecclesia: Normal Summon Ecclesia -> Sacrifice to summon Swordsoul of Taia from the deck.
Activate Taia: Expel Emergence from Grave -> Summon 1 Swordsoul Token .
Synchro Summon 1: Use Taia + Token -> Summon Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao .
Chain of effects:
Chain 1: Chixiao search (Get a custom or backup post).
Chain 2: Taia (when descending to the grave) sends the Swordsoul of Mo Ye from the deck to the Grave.
Activate Sacred Summit: Revive Mo Ye from the Graveyard onto the field.
Activate Mo Ye: Reveal 1 Swordsoul card -> Summon 1 Swordsoul Token .
Synchro Summon 2: Use Mo Ye + Token -> Summon Adamancipator Risen - Dragite (Lv8).
Reason: The graveyard currently contains Mo Ye (Water element), so Dragite can activate its spell/trap negate effect.
Summon Longyuan: Discard Golden Swordsoul -> Summon Longyuan + Token.
Synchro Summon 3: Use Longyuan + Token -> Summon Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign - Qixing Longyuan (Lv10).
Result: The field now has 1 Monster Negate (Chixiao), 1 Spell/Trap Negate (Dragite), and 1 Exile/Burner (Sinister). The setup Golden -> Ecclesia -> Albaz is still usable as in Combo 1.
COMBO 3: 2-cards-combo (Starter + Emergence = MAX sân)
This is the strongest combo when you have both Starter and Emergence.
Condition: You must have Golden Swordsoul + Swordsoul Emergence in your hand.
Steps to follow:
Activating the Skill: Revealing the Golden Swordsoul -> Find Ecclesia and the Blackout Swordsoul .
Activate Emergence: Search for Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan .
Current hand: Golden, Ecclesia, Blackout, Longyuan.
Summoning Ecclesia: Normal Summon Ecclesia -> Sacrifice to summon Swordsoul of Taia .
Activate Taia: Expel Emergence from the Graveyard -> Summon Token.
Synchro Summon 1: Taia + Token -> Summon Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao .
Sequence of effects:
Taia sent Mo Ye down to the grave.
Chixiao searches for Swordsoul Sacred Summit .
Activate Summit: Revive Mo Ye from the Grave.
Activate Mo Ye: Blackout (or Golden) revealed -> Summon Token.
Synchro Summon 2: Mo Ye + Token -> Summon Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying (or Dragite, whichever you prefer, but the video recommends Chengying when Blackout is present).
Activate Mo Ye: Draw 1 card.
Summon Longyuan: Discard Golden Swordsoul -> Summon Longyuan + Token.
Synchro Summon 3: Longyuan + Token -> Summons Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign - Qixing Longyuan (or the second Level 10).
End:
Turn on Blackout .
Beneath the tomb lies the Golden Swordsoul, ready to be activated to summon Ecclesia -> Albaz -> Mirrorjade .
Field summary: 3 Boss Monsters (Chixiao, Chengying, Sinister) + 1 Trap (Blackout) + 1 Potential Fusion Monster (Mirrorjade).
The leaves have changed compared to the old version.
The Golden Swordsoul (x2)
Previously, you could double this card as much as you wanted (x0-2), but now you are required to double it because it mentions "Fallen of Albaz," which is also a condition for activating the skill.
The Iris Swordsoul (x0)
Unlike Golden, this card drops straight from x3 to x0 because its skill no longer requires it to activate. While it's a decent extender, it's quite slow, takes up a lot of field slots, and its Disruption ability isn't particularly good either.
x0 deserves it
x0 deserves it
Swordsoul of Taia and Swordsoul of Mo Ye (x1-2)
Previously, these two cards combined with the Skill Virtuous Bonds made a great starter, especially with Mo Ye.
But now with the new skill, these are okay but not optimal; you should only allocate 3 deck slots for these two cards in total (for example, if you have 2 Mo Ye, you should have 1 Taia and vice versa).
The new Engine Branded blades
Since the new Deck + Skill won't provide Mirrorjade like Virtuous Bonds, we have to add it ourselves. We can also increase the number of Branded engine cards in the Main Deck according to our preference.
- Fallen Albaz (x1, can be increased to x2)
- Albion (x0-2): x2 if you are leaning towards playing Branded
- Branded in High Spirits (x0-3): This card can be searched through a skill, so play it frequently if you have many Branded Engine cards in your deck.
- 3 Extra Leaves: 1 leaf each
Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign - Qixing Longyuan (x1)
This is Archetype's newest Synchro card, and compared to Chengying, both are level 10 cards, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This card can banish both monsters and spells/traps in the same turn (a nightmare for continuous spells) very quickly, unlike Chengying which requires waiting, but in return, it lacks defensive effects, making it quite easy to counter.
The leaves remained unchanged.
Incredible Ecclesia the Virtuous (x3)
Because it's the most useful Starter in the Deck and can be combined with a Skill, you can quickly tribute this card to summon another Swordsoul or a Fallen of Albaz. This effect is Quick, so it can be activated during the Burn turn. This can be considered a formidable Disruption as it can summon Albaz during the enemy's turn, Fusion with an enemy monster, and summon Mirrojade.
Alternatively, if it's not your turn but the enemy's, you can summon Mo Ye or Taia to start the combo. Ecclasia's Quick Eff can also dodge enemy disruptions if they don't read the moves carefully.
Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan (x1)
Longyuan is your most basic extender. The discard effect is basically harmless because you'll send something with a GY effect or be able to resummon it. That effect itself, combined with Longyuan's level, can summon a very simple Chenying.
Swordsoul Emergence (x3)
This card is fairly simple; it searches for any Swordsoul monster in your Deck, or if you control a Synchro Monster, it can search for any Wyrm monster in the game.
Immediately search for a great starter like Golden Swordsoul, a great extender with Longyuan ,... this is a very clear x3 copy placement in any Swordsoul build.
Swordsoul Sacred Summit (x1)
The Swordsoul card is the only one outside of the cores that many people would consider using. The fact that it's a searchable recycling card proves it's quite good; however, many people overlook this and don't consider it a major priority.
I often use this card for Synchro turns up to 3 times. When Synchro reaches the 3rd turn, you absolutely need to use it to revive a Starter card like Taia or Moye to continue.
Swordsoul Blackout (x1)
Considered an Icarus Attack Because of its easy accessibility, the archetype is almost always used with only one copy in a game.
Destroying an entire Wyrm monster is practically no problem since you can easily choose Tokens or Chengying (because he can protect himself from being destroyed), so I find this trap card really good.
Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao (x1)
When it comes to Swordsoul, this is an Extra Deck card that NEEDS to be summoned. Thanks to Swordsoul Emergence (if not already used), Chixiao can search any Swordsoul Monster OR Wyrm in the game upon summoning. The second effect is a relatively free-form disruption to the deck and cannot be chain-blocked, as it doesn't need to directly respond to activations but rather selects a target to negate. Remember that you can only use one of Chixiao's effects per turn .
Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying (x1)
Chengying is the deck's biggest boss. In terms of Level 10 Synchro, it surpasses even Baronne de Fleur , offering excellent protection, a powerful banishment effect (even if it's not always the easiest to use), and a stat manipulation effect that can become quite significant in the late game, making it a truly excellent card overall.
Draco Berserker of the Tenyi (x1)
Draco Berserker proves its value with Swordsoul, a Tier 8 Wyrm with effects that make it a pretty good card to combine with Chengying and part of the Endboard. Its second effect allows it to deal a ton of damage while also becoming very high ATK and difficult to overcome.
Baxia Brightness of the Yang Zing (x1)
One of your primary removal methods, for both monsters and backrow. It can rarely act as a next-turn extender/extend by destroying itself (or any of your other cards) to revive monsters under GY.
This resurrection ability is often used in conjunction with Taia's GY effect, allowing you to Summon any Tier 4 or lower Beast Monster from your Deck.
Adamancipator Risen - Dragite (x1)
Since Water has Mo Ye, there's a 99% chance we can use this card's Spell/Trap Negate effect. It's quite useful as one of the Endboard setup cards because Swordsoul doesn't have many counter-backrow options.
duel-links
1298
5
Spell
NormalSwordsoul Sacred Summit
Target 1 "Swordsoul" monster in your GY, or if you control a Synchro Monster, you can target 1 Wyrm monster instead; Special Summon it. If this card is banished: You can target 1 "Swordsoul" monster, or Wyrm monster, you control; increase or decrease its Level by 1 until the end of this turn. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul Sacred Summit" once per turn.
Trap
NormalSwordsoul Blackout
Target 1 Wyrm monster you control and 2 cards your opponent controls; destroy them. If this card is banished: You can Special Summon 1 "Swordsoul Token" (Wyrm/Tuner/WATER/Level 4/ATK 0/DEF 0). While that Token is in the Monster Zone, the player who Summoned it cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except Synchro Monsters. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul Blackout" once per turn.
DARK
8Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon
ATK:
3000
DEF:
2500
"Fallen of Albaz" + 1 Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Monster You can only control 1 "Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon". Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can send 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck to the GY that mentions "Fallen of Albaz" as material; banish 1 monster on the field, also this card cannot use this effect next turn. If this Fusion Summoned card in its owner's control leaves the field because of an opponent's card: You can destroy all monsters your opponent controls during the End Phase of this turn.
DARK
4Fallen of Albaz
ATK:
1800
DEF:
0
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned (except during the Damage Step): You can discard 1 card; Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters on either field as Fusion Material, including this card, but you cannot use other monsters you control as Fusion Material. You can only use this effect of "Fallen of Albaz" once per turn.
WATER
8Adamancipator Risen - Dragite
ATK:
3000
DEF:
2200
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters During your Main Phase: You can excavate the top 5 cards of your Deck, and if you do, you can return cards your opponent controls to the hand, up to the number of excavated Rock monsters, also place the excavated cards on the bottom of your Deck in any order. When your opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card or effect, while a WATER monster is in your GY (Quick Effect): You can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it. You can only use each effect of "Adamancipator Risen - Dragite" once per turn.
LIGHT
4The Golden Swordsoul
ATK:
1800
DEF:
1500
When a monster declares an attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, negate that attack, then, if you control a Fusion Monster that mentions "Fallen of Albaz" as material, you can destroy the monster that declared that attack. If a monster is banished face-up (except during the Damage Step): You can banish this card from your field or GY; Special Summon 1 LIGHT Spellcaster monster from your hand or GY whose ATK equals its own DEF. You can only use this effect of "The Golden Swordsoul" once per turn.
FIRE
10Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign - Qixing Longyuan
ATK:
2900
DEF:
2300
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Wyrm monsters If you Synchro Summon another Wyrm monster, while this monster is on the field: You can draw 1 card. If your opponent Special Summons a monster(s) (except during the Damage Step): You can banish 1 of those monster(s), and if you do, inflict 1200 damage to your opponent. When your opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card or effect (Quick Effect): You can banish that card, and if you do, inflict 1200 damage to your opponent. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign - Qixing Longyuan" once per turn.
DARK
8Albion the Shrouded Dragon
ATK:
2500
DEF:
2000
This card's name becomes "Fallen of Albaz" while on the field or in the GY. If this card is in your hand or GY: You can send 1 "Fallen of Albaz" or 1 "Branded" Spell/Trap from your hand or Deck to the GY; apply the following effect based on where you sent it from. ● Hand: Special Summon this card. ● Deck: Place this card on the bottom of the Deck, then, if you placed this card from your hand, draw 1 card. You can only use this effect of "Albion the Shrouded Dragon" once per turn.
WIND
4Swordsoul of Taia
ATK:
1800
DEF:
1500
You can banish 1 "Swordsoul" card or 1 Wyrm monster from your GY; Special Summon 1 "Swordsoul Token" (Wyrm/Tuner/WATER/Level 4/ATK 0/DEF 0). While that Token is in the Monster Zone, the player who Summoned it cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except Synchro Monsters. If this card is sent to the GY as Synchro Material: You can send 1 "Swordsoul" card or 1 Wyrm monster from your Deck to the GY. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul of Taia" once per turn.
Intertwining Memories (Skill Card)
ATK:
0
DEF:
0
You can use this Skill's second effect once per turn and twice per Duel. 1: You cannot Normal or Special Summon (excluding Special Summons from the Extra Deck) any monsters except for cards that mention "Fallen of Albaz" or "Fallen of Albaz", or "Ecclesia", "Tri-Brigade", "Springans", "Swordsoul", or "Icejade" monsters. If your opponent has a card on their field or their Graveyard, you can Normal Summon 1 monster during your Main Phase in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. 2: Reveal 1 "Fallen of Albaz" or 1 monster that mentions it, then add a total of 2 cards among "Ecclesia", "Tri-Brigade", "Springans", "Swordsoul", "Icejade" cards and/or "Branded in High Spirits" from your Deck to your hand. Then, shuffle 1 card from your hand into your Deck or send it to the Graveyard.
FIRE
6Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan
ATK:
1200
DEF:
2300
You can discard 1 other "Swordsoul" card or 1 other Wyrm monster; Special Summon this card from your hand, then you can Special Summon 1 "Swordsoul Token" (Wyrm/Tuner/WATER/Level 4/ATK 0/DEF 0). While that Token is in the Monster Zone, the player who Summoned it cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except Synchro Monsters. If this card is sent to the GY as Synchro Material: You can inflict 1200 damage to your opponent. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan" once per turn.
DARK
8Albion the Branded Dragon
ATK:
2500
DEF:
2000
"Fallen of Albaz" + 1 LIGHT monster If this card is Fusion Summoned: You can Fusion Summon 1 Level 8 or lower Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, except "Albion the Branded Dragon", by banishing Fusion Materials mentioned on it from your hand, field, and/or GY. During the End Phase, if this card is in the GY because it was sent there this turn: You can add to your hand or Set 1 "Branded" Spell/Trap directly from your Deck. You can only use each effect of "Albion the Branded Dragon" once per turn.
LIGHT
4Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous
ATK:
1500
DEF:
1500
If your opponent controls more monsters than you do, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous" once per turn this way. You can only use each of the following effects of "Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous" once per turn. During the Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can Tribute this card; Special Summon 1 "Swordsoul" monster or 1 "Fallen of Albaz" from your hand or Deck. During the End Phase, if a Fusion Monster(s) was sent to your GY this turn: Add this card from the GY to your hand.
LIGHT
8The Iris Swordsoul
ATK:
2500
DEF:
2500
During the Main Phase, if a monster, whose effects are negated, is on the field (Quick Effect): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If your opponent Special Summons a monster(s) (except during the Damage Step): You can activate 1 of these effects based on where it was Special Summoned from; ● Hand: Special Summon 1 monster from your hand. ● Deck: Draw 2 cards. ● Extra Deck: Destroy 1 of those monsters Special Summoned from the Extra Deck. You can only use each effect of "The Iris Swordsoul" once per turn.
DARK
8Draco Berserker of the Tenyi
ATK:
3000
DEF:
0
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters When your opponent activates a monster's effect (Quick Effect): You can banish it. If this attacking card destroys an Effect Monster by battle and sends it to the GY: This card gains ATK equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK, also it can make a second attack on a monster during this Battle Phase. You can only use each effect of "Draco Berserker of the Tenyi" once per turn.
LIGHT
8Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing
ATK:
2300
DEF:
2600
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Wyrm-Type monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target cards on the field, up to the number of different original Attributes of the Wyrm-Type monsters used for the Synchro Summon of this card; shuffle them into the Deck. Once per turn: You can target 1 card you control and 1 Level 4 or lower monster in your Graveyard; destroy that card on the field, and if you do, Special Summon that other monster from the Graveyard.
LIGHT
8Lubellion the Searing Dragon
ATK:
2500
DEF:
3000
1 DARK monster + "Fallen of Albaz" If this card is Fusion Summoned: You can discard 1 card; Fusion Summon 1 Level 8 or lower Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, except "Lubellion the Searing Dragon", by shuffling Fusion Materials mentioned on it into the Deck, from your monsters on the field, GY, and/or face-up banished cards. For the rest of this turn, this card cannot attack, also you cannot Special Summon from the Extra Deck, except Fusion Monsters. You can only use this effect of "Lubellion the Searing Dragon" once per turn.
Spell
NormalSwordsoul Emergence
Add 1 "Swordsoul" monster from your Deck to your hand, or if you control a Synchro Monster, you can add 1 Wyrm monster instead. If this card is banished: You can target 1 "Swordsoul" monster, or Wyrm monster, you control; increase or decrease its Level by 1 until the end of this turn. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul Emergence" once per turn.
Spell
QuickBranded in High Spirits
Reveal 1 monster in your hand and send 1 Level 8 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck to the GY with the same Type that has 2500 ATK or DEF, then you can apply this effect. ● Discard the revealed monster, and if you do, add 1 "Fallen of Albaz", or 1 monster that mentions it, from your Deck to your hand. During the End Phase, if a Fusion Monster was sent to your GY this turn: You can add this card from the GY to your hand. You can only use 1 "Branded in High Spirits" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
LIGHT
8Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao
ATK:
2800
DEF:
1000
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Wyrm monsters If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can add to your hand or banish 1 "Swordsoul" card from your Deck. (Quick Effect): You can banish 1 "Swordsoul" card or 1 Wyrm monster from your hand or GY, then target 1 other Effect Monster on the field; negate its effects until the end of this turn. You can only use 1 "Swordsoul Grandmaster - Chixiao" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
WATER
10Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying
ATK:
3000
DEF:
3000
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters For each banished card, this card gains 100 ATK/DEF and monsters your opponent controls lose 100 ATK/DEF. If this card would be destroyed by card effect, you can banish 1 card from your GY instead. If a card(s) is banished (except during the Damage Step): You can banish 1 card each from both your opponent's field and GY. You can only use this effect of "Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying" once per turn.
WATER
4Swordsoul of Mo Ye
ATK:
1700
DEF:
1800
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can reveal 1 "Swordsoul" card or 1 Wyrm monster in your hand; Special Summon 1 "Swordsoul Token" (Wyrm/Tuner/WATER/Level 4/ATK 0/DEF 0). While that Token is in the Monster Zone, the player who Summoned it cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except Synchro Monsters. If this card is sent to the GY as Synchro Material: You can draw 1 card. You can only use each effect of "Swordsoul of Mo Ye" once per turn.
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