Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning. When it was released, it instilled fear into the hearts of all Duelists who fought against it, and its extreme power earned it a spot on the Forbidden List. But now it’s back, and up to its old tricks once more! Read on to learn how you can bring down this chaotic powerhouse.

The Envoy has a whopping 3000 ATK, and is easy to Special Summon. All you have to do is banish 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK Monster from your Graveyard! A lot of current Decks are running lots of LIGHT and DARK Monsters, like Effect Veiler and Tour Guide from the Underworld, so summoning the Soldier is a breeze. One of the main reasons why it’s so powerful is because there are so many different LIGHT and DARK Monsters you can use. This means that as soon as a single LIGHT and DARK are in the opponent’s Graveyard, you have to start expecting and planning around this powerful card.

It’s a tough card to beat, but here are some ways to destroy it, negate it, or recover from its Summon:

1.      Destroy it as soon as it hits the field

When Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning is unleashed, the simplest solution is to use a Trap Card to destroy it. Cards like Bottomless Trap Hole and Solemn Warning work great against it, because after you use these cards, your opponent won’t be able to useMonster Reborn to bring it back! In most cases, this means that BLS is gone for good.

2.      Use Trap Cards against it when it attacks or uses its effect

There’s also a lot of Traps you can use after he hits the field as well. Dimensional Prison andMirror Force will clear him from the field and protect you from its attacks. A lot of the time, the Summoning player will play defensively with him, thinking, “I think there’s a Trap face-down that might destroy him.” This means they often use the banishing effect instead of the double-attack effect. Divine Wrath can be used here, and is an unexpected surprise that works wonders against BLS.

3.      Destroy it with monsters (both in battle or by monster Effects)

Even though BLS has 3000 ATK, a lot of Decks can actually destroy it in battle fairly easily. Karakuri Decks can use the effect of Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei” to switch him to Defense mode, and then run over it with the Shogun. LIGHT Decks can use Honest to have their LIGHT Monster gain 3000 ATK, but don’t forget that your opponent can use Honest too. Monsters like Master Hyperion and Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier can defeat the Soldier with their effects too.

4.      Destroy it via effects

Cards like Dark Hole or Smashing Ground are obvious choice. A HERO Deck could even try using Super Polymerization to fuse this card with a HERO to Summon Elemental HERO The Shining! This is an extra effective move because it lets you eliminate the Envoy in a Chain with its banishing effect, using the targeted monster as Fusion Material. Plus, since your opponent can’t negate Super Polymerization, you’re guaranteed to get rid of the Soldier this way.

5.      Take control of it

Of course, the most beneficial way to deal with it is to steal it! Cards like Creature Swap andTG1-EM1 are great cards to use on this monster, especially the latter since you can Chain it to the banishing effect. Destroying it and then reviving it with Monster Reborn also works. Having your own Envoy used against you can be truly terrifying!

Even though Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning is a really powerful card, there are still heaps of ways to get rid of it, or even use it against your opponent. It’s important to expect this card to appear at any time, so always try to have a plan in case it does. This card is appearing in more and more Decks, so knowing how to take it down is more important than ever!