Lore Archive

"The Metalfoes are mechanical warriors who destroy their own cards with Pendulum effects to set Metalfoes Spell/Trap cards from the deck. This controlled self-destruction cycle generates constant advantage while enabling Fusion Summons through their unique Metalfoes Fusion. They are alchemists of annihilation, transmuting destruction into creation."

The Metalfoes are pilots whose metal machines fuse with them into armour named after legendary metals, and their rival is a True King from the Dracoslayer story. Follow a marked name to walk the trail.

Metalfoes Steelen
I · Steelen
1 / 14

  1. Named after steel, and the only Normal Monster whose flavor text is a Summon chant: "Cool iron bodies meet burning metal machines and man/machine combine. Burn up the soul - Metalfoes Fusion!!" He appears in Counter, before his change into Adamante.

  2. "Sizzling soldier on a silver sublight speedjet. Can't track her, can't see her, can't escape that lightspeed laser." Her Japanese name joins "silver" and "bird".

  3. Silverd mid-change into Mithrilium, named after mithril, Tolkien's silvery metal, harder and lighter than steel.

  4. "That gleaming, golden buggy breaks bad guys good. What wonderful wheels! (With a bumbling buffoon....)" The artwork pays homage to the famous bike slide in the 1988 film Akira. Its Fusion form is Orichalc, after the orichalcum of ancient Greece.

  5. Named after wolfram, another name for tungsten: "Roasting red rockets boost its blazing, bright-blast burners to liquified lava levels. Vanquisher of the Vanisher!" The Vanisher is True King Agnimazud. Its Fusion form is Crimsonite.

  6. Clockwise from the centre: Steelen as Adamante, Goldriver as Orichalc, Silverd as Mithrilium, and their enemy Agnimazud.

  7. Named after Agni, the Hindu god of fire. Each non-WIND True King is the rival of a Dracoslayer-story archetype with its Attribute, so this FIRE one faces the FIRE Metalfoes, as Combination shows.

  8. Electrum is an alloy of gold and silver, so this is Silverd wearing her own armour and Goldriver's; its ATK is the average of theirs. It was the first Psychic Link Monster.

  9. Named after bismuth: the stepped squares and rainbow sheen of the armour and vehicle are those of bismuth crystals. In Fullmetalfoes Fusion it changes into Alkahest.

  10. The alkahest is the universal solvent of alchemy, also used in Fullmetal Alchemist. It was the first card to let Spells be Fusion Materials, and the second Level 1 Fusion Monster, nearly 16 years after Thousand-Eyes Restrict.

  11. An amalgam is mercury alloyed with another metal: this is Steelen in a suit that joins his armour with that of Parametalfoes Melcaster.

  12. Amalgam facing True King of All Calamities, apparently the moment that leads to Vanisher.

  13. Amalgam in armour based on True King Agnimazud: the two share Level, Attribute, ATK and DEF, and have similar effects. It is the only Level 9 Pendulum Monster.

  14. Steelen with Crystron Quan, Mariamne and Zoodiac Ratpier, as Master Peace becomes the True Dracoslaying King.

Executive Summary

The Metalfoes archetype is a versatile FIRE Psychic-Type strategy that masterfully blends Pendulum and Fusion Summoning. Its defining feature is a philosophy of constructive self-destruction: every Pendulum monster shares an effect to destroy another face-up card you control to Set a "Metalfoes" Spell/Trap directly from the Deck. This core engine converts on-field presence into a toolbox of powerful cards, creating a consistent and adaptable gameplay loop. By destroying cards that benefit from being sent to the Graveyard, the deck generates immense value, making it a powerful standalone strategy and one of the most splashable Pendulum engines in the game's history. You can find a full list of the alchemical artists here.

The Alchemical Arsenal

The Metalfoes strategy is built on a foundation of Normal Pendulum Monsters and a searchable toolbox of potent Spell and Trap cards.

The Pendulum Engine: Scales of Power

Scales 1 & 8

Core monsters like Metalfoes Goldriver (Scale 1) and Metalfoes Steelen (Scale 8) establish a wide Pendulum range, enabling summons of monsters from Level 2 to 7.

Shared Destruction Effect

The heart of the deck. Destroy any face-up card you control to Set a "Metalfoes" Spell/Trap from your Deck. This converts any card into a specific resource.

The Spell & Trap Toolbox

Fusion Spells

Metalfoes Fusion for grinding, Fullmetalfoes Fusion for disruption, and Parametalfoes Fusion for recovery.

Combination & Counter

Continuous Traps that provide recursion. Metalfoes Combination searches when destroyed, while Metalfoes Counter summons from the Deck.

Core Combo: The Fundamental Loop

Combo Guide
These combos may contain errors or use banned cards. If you spot an issue, submit a replay to help keep this guide accurate.
Know a better line? Submit a Replay

This walkthrough demonstrates the basic "Pop and Set" sequence that drives every Metalfoes play.

Metalfoes Steelen
Missing: 60473572
1

Establish Scales

Place a Scale 1 and a Scale 8 Metalfoes monster, such as Metalfoes Silverd and Metalfoes Steelen, in your Pendulum Zones.

Metalfoes Combination
Missing: 69711728
2

Pop for Advantage

Activate one scale's effect to destroy the other. This lets you Set a key card like Metalfoes Combination or a Fusion Spell directly from your Deck.

Metalfoes Mithrilium
3

Pendulum & Fusion Summon

Replace your scale, Pendulum Summon your monsters (including the one from your Extra Deck), then activate your Set Fusion Spell to summon a boss monster like Metalfoes Mithrilium.

Typical Endboard: Alkahest Disruption

Fullmetalfoes Alkahest

Fullmetalfoes Alkahest
  • Quick Effect Removal: During your opponent's turn, it can equip one of their monsters to itself, providing powerful, non-destruction removal.

Set Fusion & Combination

Fullmetalfoes Fusion
  • Turn 2 Disruption: A face-down Fullmetalfoes Fusion allows you to summon Alkahest on your opponent's turn.
  • Resource Loop: Metalfoes Combination will trigger on the Fusion Summon, reviving another Metalfoes from the GY to extend your board presence.

Foundational Mechanics

Strengths

  • High Consistency: The core engine is simple and provides easy access to the entire archetype's toolbox.
  • Recursive Power: Cards like Metalfoes Fusion and Metalfoes Mithrilium create a sustainable resource loop.
  • Highly Splashable: The engine synergizes with any archetype that benefits from its cards being destroyed (e.g., Yang Zing, Kozmo).

Weaknesses

  • Pendulum Hate: Vulnerable to common anti-Pendulum floodgates like Anti-Spell Fragrance.
  • Choke Points: Relies on resolving its Pendulum effect; a well-timed negation can disrupt the entire turn's setup.

Live TCG Banlist Status

Banlist Impact

SIGNIFICANT IMPACT: The Metalfoes archetype faces significant restrictions on the TCG banlist with Heavymetalfoes Electrumite forbidden.

Archetype Cards

Forbidden

  • • Heavymetalfoes Electrumite

Synergistic Cards

Forbidden

  • • Heavymetalfoes Electrumite

Limited

  • • Astrograph Sorcerer

Meta Implications: While the loss of key cards is significant, Metalfoes players can adapt by Focus on Fullmetalfoes Alkahest as a control tool to equip and negate opponent monsters while maintaining Pendulum recursion through manual Pendulum Summons. Alternatively, shift to a more aggressive Fusion-spam strategy using multiple Fusion Spells to overwhelm with beaters like Metalfoes Crimsonite and Orichalc..

Banlist Status Summary

+ analyzed • 3 total restrictions found • 1 archetype card • 2 synergistic cards

Deck Search Resources