The new Wind-Up monsters in Generation Force make up a playful theme that packs a serious punch. Don’t be fooled by the appearances of these small toys – when their effects are activated and they “wind up” for the turn, they gain incredible power that can be used to form fierce Xyz Monsters or destroy the opposition!

Wind-Up Decks have an advantage that is unmatched by any other theme – they have easy access to low-Level monsters that turn into Level 5 monsters. Wind-Up Dog is only a Level 3 monster with 1200 ATK; but by activating its effect, you can instantly turn it into a Level 5 monster with 1800 ATK at no cost! Similarly, Wind-Up Soldier is a Level 4 monster with 1800 ATK, but you can freely activate its effect to turn it into a Level 5 monster with 2200 ATK!

The freedom to turn Wind-Up Dog and Wind-Up Soldier into Level 5 behemoths makes them strong toys in the Wind-Up arsenal, because it makes Rank 5 Xyz Summons easy to perform.Tiras, Keeper of Genesis and Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon are 2 of the most powerful Xyz Monsters there are, and they can only be Summoned by mixing 2 Level 5 monsters. Wind-Up Dog and Wind-Up Soldier make that a cinch.

You can also use Cyber Dragon to make Rank 5 Xyz Summons even easier, since Cyber Dragon is a Level 5 monster that can be Special Summoned from your hand at no cost. You might also turn to Instant Fusion, which lets you Special Summon a Level 5 Fusion Monster likeFlame Swordsman from your Extra Deck by paying 1000 Life Points.

Even though Rank 5 Xyz Summons are one of the biggest strong points of Wind-Up Decks, Summoning Tiras and Adreus isn’t the only thing that Wind-Up Decks can do. Wind-Up Decks also have a couple of strong Level 4 monsters. Wind-Up Juggler is a Level 4 monster with 1700 ATK, and its effect lets it destroy anything that it battles. Wind-Up Juggler even takes down the monster it battles when the Juggler itself would be destroyed in the fray!

Wind-Up Magician is another Level 4 Wind-Up monster. Wind-Up Magician lets you Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Wind-Up monster from your Deck when the effect of another Wind-Up monster activates. By Special Summoning a Level 4 monster like Wind-Up Juggler with your Magician’s effect, you can instantly Xyz Summon the Rank 4 Xyz Monster, Wind-Up Zenmaister!

Each Wind-Up monster can only use its effect once while it’s face-up on the field, but Wind-Up Zenmaister gives you a way to use its effect a second time. You can detach an Xyz Material from Zenmaister to flip one of your monsters face-down, and then return it to Attack Position in your End Phase. Even if you used that monster’s effect before it went face-down, you’ll be able to use it again on your next turn thanks to Zenmaister’s power.

Wind-Up Decks also use Wind-Up Factory – an incredible Continuous Spell Card that lets you add Wind-Up Monsters from your Deck to your hand each turn! Once per turn, Wind-Up Factory lets you add a Level 4 or lower Wind-Up monster from your Deck to your hand whenever the effect of a Wind-Up monster is activated. It’s easy to use the effect of Wind-Up Factory, since Wind-Up Juggler’s effect activates whenever it battles, and the rest of theWind-Up Monsters have effects that can be activated as soon as they’re Summoned. LikeBlack Whirlwind in Blackwing Decks, Wind-Up Factory ensures that you have a steady stream of monsters to Summon throughout the Duel, even if you only draw 1 monster to start.

Even without tricks that Summon Xyz Monsters, Wind-Up Decks can hold their own in a Duel with some help from Wind-Up Factory. Wind-Up Factory can be used to get you lots of free monsters from your Deck, including the pugnacious Wind-Up Juggler that destroys everything it battles, and Wind-Up Soldier, whose Attack Points you can immediately boost to 2200 when it’s Summoned.

Although the monster line-up is comprised mostly of wind-up toys, Wind-Up Decks are a force to be reckoned with and can beat even the toughest Decks. Here’s a sample Decklist to use as a starting point for creating your own Wind-Up Deck. You’ll probably want a few more monsters for sure, but which monsters you play is up to you!

Monsters: 13

3 Wind-Up Soldier

3 Wind-Up Dog

3 Wind-Up Juggler

3 Cyber Dragon

1 Wind-Up Magician

Spells: 16

3 Wind-Up Factory

3 Pot of Duality

2 Instant Fusion

1 Pot of Avarice

2 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Mind Control

1 Monster Reborn

1 Dark Hole

1 Book of Moon

1 Heavy Storm

Traps: 11

1 Solemn Judgment

2 Solemn Warning

1 Mirror Force

1 Torrential Tribute

2 Dimensional Prison

2 Bottomless Trap Hole

2 Call of the Haunted

Extra Deck: 15

2 Tiras, Keeper of Genesis

2 Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon

2 Wind-Up Zenmaister

1 Steelswarm Roach

1 Number 39: Utopia

1 Number 17: Leviathan Dragon

2 Chimeratech Fortress Dragon

2 Flame Swordsman

1 Darkfire Dragon

1 Fusionist

Generation Force has a bunch of new themes in it, and Wind-Ups may be the most competitive one among them. Test out the new Wind-Up monsters and see for yourself!