Resonators Guide

Introduction

The Resonator archetype was played by Jack Atlas, the main rival of Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds. The archetype consists primarily of Main Deck fiend monsters and DARK Dragon-Type synchros for the Extra Deck. While many of the cards within this archetype have been in Duel links for a while, the additions of new cards like Loading... and Loading... from the King of Vermilion Mini-Box, and the introduction of the new skill Demon's Resonance , has sprung the deck into competitive viability.

Main Skills

• Demon's Resonance

This skill is essential to the Resonator strategy. Once per turn and twice per Duel, this skill allows you to reveal a resonator in your hand and then return any card from your hand to the deck to add a level 4 or lower fiend type monster from your deck. You can't activate the effects of the added card or cards with that name for the rest of that turn. Note that the in-game description is inaccurate, as it states the restriction is for the entire turn, but it only applies after activating the skill. This means you can activate the effect of a monster, and then later add that same monter with the skill, after which point its effects will be negated. The drawback of the skill is often irrelevant, since you normally search Loading... , which doesn’t activate to summon itself. However, because of this restriction, you should avoid using the skill the search for Loading... when opening with Loading... , since it won’t be able to special summon itself, or special summon resonators from the deck. With 5 resonator monsters and 3 Loading... in the deck, you have a 89.8% chance of your skill being live on turn one in a 20 card build, an 88.1% chance in 21 card builds, and an 86.3% chance in 22 card builds. Keep in mind that this skill will only activate if your Main Deck contains at least 10 “Resonator” cards or fiend monsters, and your Extra Deck only contains Dragon-Type synchro monsters. Thankfully, your core engine easily meets these conditions.

Note: When farming to unlock Demon's Resonance from lifetime missions, only synchro summoning Loading... will count towards the total. Special summoning it from the graveyard will not count toward the summons needed for the skill. If you are having trouble farming for the skill, you can use the same farm deck used for the Red Dragon Archfiend Mat, found here

Core Cards

Main Deck

Crimson Resonator x3

Loading... is the most important card in the deck, and your main combo enabler. When you control no monsters, it can special summon itself from the hand allowing you to make many synchro plays without using the normal summon when used in conjunction with Loading... . Additionally, if the only other monster you control is a DARK Dragon-Type synchro, it summons a resonator monster from your deck to extend synchro plays or serve as tribute fodder. Crimson is the ideal card to see in your opening hand, as it enables the activation of Demon's Resonance to adjust your hand to set up your plays without needing a normal summon. This solidifies the card’s position as a 3-of in the deck. Keep in mind that activating either effect of Loading... locks you into summoning DARK Dragon-Type synchro monsters from the Extra Deck for that turn. Because of this, while you can run non-DARK Dragon-Type synchros, they do not synergize well with the deck.

Red Resonator x2

Loading... is the go-to target for the second effect of Loading... . When Loading... is special summoned, you can target a monster on the field and gain life points equal to its attack. This life point gain makes cards with life point costs less punishing, and makes it difficult to otk you. It can also special summon a level 4 or lower monster from your hand when it is normal summoned. A small downside is if it is the only resonator in hand on the player’s first turn, it will take up the normal summon, preventing tribute summon plays and the summon of Loading... , who cannot be special summoned.

Resonator Call x3

Loading... adds any resonator monster from your deck to your hand (usually Loading... ). This card can be activated multiple times per turn, allowing you to thin your deck by multiple cards without cost. This card bolsters the deck’s consistency in both ability to activate the skill Demon's Resonance and ensuring Loading... is seen in the player’s hand for the main combos of the deck. It is worth noting that this can become a dead card in the late game as the deck becomes depleted of resonators from other searches/summons.

Wandering King Wildwind x3

Loading... is the primary target for the skill Demon's Resonance , which will be activatable the vast majority of the time turn 1. It special summons itself if you control a fiend tuner with 1500 or less attack, allowing you to easily extend your combos alongside Loading... without committing a normal summon. Its special summon is not an activated effect, but rather a summoning condition, so the skill doesn’t restrict it. It also has another effect which allows you to banish it from your grave (except the turn it was sent there) and add a fiend tuner with 1500 or less attack to your hand, usually Loading... -nicely ensuring options for follow-up plays on the next turn and generating card advantage. Neither its special summon or graveyard effect are once per turn meaning this card is still very strong when used in multiple copies. Players should be careful about over-relying on the recovery provided by this card’s second effect, as it is easily shut down by Loading... and Loading... , which are popular counters to Resonators deck, as well as other anti-grave cards like Loading... and Loading... .

Extra Deck

Red Rising Dragon x3

Loading... plays a crucial role in the deck, allowing you to get access to all your other synchro monsters. It revives a resonator monster on summon (not once per turn), at the cost of locking you into summon DARK Dragon-Type Synchros from the Extra Deck for that turn. This synergises particularly well with Loading... who will be able to summon a resonator from the deck after being summoned by this effect. Loading... ’s effect enables all of your synchro climbs. Without it, the core engine would have no way to summon the other cards in your Extra Deck.

Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane x1

Loading... is mostly used for the high attack stat it possesses, which can be utilised after using the effect of Loading... or Loading... to remove a monster from your opponent's field to swing for high damage. This provides explosiveness to the Resonator playstyle, making it a core 1-of in the Extra Deck. Its effect to revive a Red Dragon Archfiend monster can come up in budget builds playing the original Loading... . Additionally, when it deals battle damage, you can summon exactly 2 resonators- one from the Graveyard and one from the Deck- though this effect will often clog your board more than it will help.

Dark End Dragon

x2

Loading... is the best synchro in the Extra Deck, possessing the ability to target and send 1 monster from your opponent's field to the grave, in exchange for losing 500 attack points. “Sending” to the grave, rather than “destroying” allows Loading... to prevent certain monsters from floating, like Loading... and Loading... . It can also bypass the effect of monsters that cannot be “destroyed” by card effects. It is used in many of your main otk combos, and can also be used as a synchro material for Loading... . This card’s effect is not a hard once per turn, meaning you can summon it twice and activate its effect again. Additionally, if you start the turn with Loading... on board, you can activate its effect, flip it facedown with a card like Loading... , then flip it up. This will reset its attack, and allow the effect to be used again. In builds with Loading... this card is usually dropped to 1 copy to provide Extra Deck space.

Infernity Doom Dragon 1x

While Loading... is a bit less generic than Loading... - specifically requiring a DARK tuner- it opens up alternative otk paths, making your plays more flexible. When you have no cards in hand, Loading... can target and destroy a monster your opponent controls, and then deal effect damage equal to half the attack that monster had on the field. Although you cannot attack with Loading... the turn you use this effect, this restriction is bypassed by using it as material for Loading... after using its effect. It has the potential to create lethal damage in combination with Loading... ’s massive 3.5k attack, as you only have to destroy a monster with 1000 or more attack, assuming your opponent controls a single monster. Keep in mind that if you destroy a face-down monster, no effect damage will be dealt.