Berserk Battler

"Berserk Battler" (猛烈戦士(バーサーク・バトラー) Bāsāku Batorā) is an Archetype of monsters of varying Types (mostly Warrior) and Attributes created by Taylor Gorrell. They are based on the typical depiction of the Barbarian class as seen in varying media, focusing on dominating in combat and becoming stronger as they become more and more enraged.

Play Style

Berserk Battler monsters have two common effects: None of them can be destroyed by battle while in Attack Position, and all of them gain a Rage Counter if their user takes any battle damage from a battle involving an Attack Position Berserk Battler monster. These Rage Counters serve to bolster their existing effects, either as a cost or just by having enough. When sufficiently enraged, the Berserk Battler player's aim is to be absolutely relentless during the Battle Phase, assaulting the opponent with high ATK stats and support cards that take sufficient advantage of the benefits of Rage Counters.

Weaknesses

Berserk Battlers gain much of their effectiveness through battle, so any Deck that can prevent them from attacking or even protecting their monsters from battle destruction can slow them down tremendously (though they have their own counters for such situations). On top of this, merely switching them to Defense Position via card effects robs them of their main form of protection while being another form of preventing attacks. Above all else, their reliance on Rage Counters means they are crippled harshly by cards such as "Counter Cleaner" and especially "Gate Blocker".