Zodiac (archetype)

The Zodiac archetype is a group of (fictional) cards used by the main character, Alex, in dryderson's upcoming fanfiction series, Yu-Gi-Oh: Gravebringers. The archetype is based off of the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac, with the Fusion Monsters being based off of the Traditional Zodiac signs.

The Zodiacs have a broad range of effects, varying from Spell/Trap destruction (Zodiac Horse) to reducing effect damage (Zodiac Rat), and even banishing effects (Zodiac Pig, Tiger, and Dragon)

The ace card of this archetype was originally Zodiac Dragon, a Level 8 monster that can be Special Summoned when 11 Zodiacs with different names are in the Graveyard. However, after Alex took part in The Siege of Illusion Industries Incorporated, he was rewarded for his efforts with five new monsters, four Zodiac Astro Fusion Monsters and one Zodiac Astral King Fusion Monster, and these now serve as the toughest monsters in Alex's deck.

Most of the Zodiac cards are either Beasts or Beast Warriors, but there are a few exceptions. Zodiac Rooster, for instance, is a Winged-Beast, while Zodiac Snake is a Reptile, and, obviously, Zodiac Dragon is a Dragon. Also, the Zodiacs are split between four Attributes which correspond to the four elements that are typically associated with the Chinese Zodiac. Wood animals are WIND monsters, Metal animals are EARTH monsters, Fire animals are FIRE monsters, and Water animals are WATER monsters. The Zodiac Astros and Astral King are all LIGHT monsters, presumably as a homage to their celestial roots.

Playing Style
The Zodiacs are an archetype that have no real "focus"; in this regard, they have been compared to the much more popular Evilswarm archetype. Both are considered Anti-Meta, but the difference between the two is the nature of the monster's effects. Evilswarm monsters tend to focus on destruction, while Zodiacs seem to play more passively.

The ace monsters of the archetype, the Zodiac Astros, are formed by fusing a specific Zodiac monster with another generic Zodiac monster. They are all somewhat related to the specific Zodiac monster used as Fusion Material; for instance, Zodiac Astro Leon is related to Zodiac Tiger in that their effects are vaguely similar. Also, when a Zodiac Astro is destroyed, it is sent back to the Extra Deck instead of the Graveyard, and then allows the user to Special Summon the specific Zodiac monster used for the Fusion Summon from the Graveyard.

Zodiac Astral King Drakon, the largest and most powerful Zodiac monster, is incredibly difficult to summon. It requires three monsters on the field; a Zodiac Dragon and two Zodiac Astro Fusion Monsters. The three monsters are then fused together to form Drakon, a Level 10 monster with 4000 ATK and 3000 DEF. It is very rare to see this monster summoned, but when it is, chances are high that the duel will quickly be over.

Zodiacs without Fusion Monsters are a force to be reckoned with, but with the Fusion Monsters available to them they become downright horrifying to play against. Because of Zodiac Fusion's second ability of returning itself to the Deck instead of conducting a Draw Phase, it can easily be recycled and reused through cards like Gold Sarcophagus, Different Dimension Burial, or even Zodiac Pig.

Recommended Cards
Monsters Spells Traps Extra Deck
 * Zodiac Dog
 * Zodiac Snake
 * Zodiac Rat
 * Zodiac Ox
 * Zodiac Tiger
 * Zodiac Rabbit
 * Zodiac Horse
 * Zodiac Goat
 * Zodiac Monkey
 * Zodiac Rooster
 * Zodiac Pig
 * Zodiac Dragon
 * Eastern Astronomer
 * Western Astronomer
 * Zodiac Boost
 * Zodiac Strike
 * Zodiac Chain
 * Zodiac Taunt
 * Zodiac Temple
 * Zodiac Fusion
 * Gift From Above
 * Nova
 * Zodiac Bomb
 * Zodiac Renewal
 * Zodiac Shuffle
 * Judgement From Above
 * Supernova
 * Zodiac Astro Leon
 * Zodiac Astro Krios
 * Zodiac Astro Taurus
 * Zodiac Astro Toxotes
 * Zodiac Astral King Drakon

Weaknesses
As powerful as they are, Zodiacs are not without their weaknesses. For one, aside from the level six and up monsters, they are increasingly weak for their level, with the level five Zodiac Horse and Goat only having 2000 ATK each. Also, many of their effects revolve around banishing, so cards like Imperial Iron Wall or Necrovalley pose a serious threat to this deck.

In addition, the deck's main weakness may in fact also be its greatest strength; Zodiac Dragon. It is an incredibly powerful monster, but if it is subjected to a Bottomless Trap Hole or a Mirror Force, it has no way to defend itself. It relies on the effect of Zodiac Horse or something similar to protect it from the backrow.

Trivia

 * These cards share an interesting amount of similarities with Jaden Yuki's Neo-Spacian series
 * They both were created as "real" cards after their creators (Alex Romeo and Jaden Yuki, respectably) won a card-creating competition
 * They both involve space somehow (The Zodiacs are a series of constellations in space, whereas the Neo-Spacians actually originate from there)
 * Zodiac monsters below Level Four are all Beast-type, with the exception of Zodiac Rooster and Zodiac Snake. Zodiac monsters above Level Four are all Beast-Warriors, with the exception of Zodiac Dragon and Zodiac Astral King Drakon.
 * Even though he created these cards, Alex still considers them "weak". Nevertheless, after defeating Kalen Young and qualifying for the Gladiator's Tournament, he is ranked as the 6th strongest duelist in the world.