Lore Archive

"The Raidraptors are mechanical birds of prey that swarm the field through searching and Special Summoning, building toward devastating Rank-Up plays. Ultimate Falcon—unaffected by all card effects with 3500 ATK—is their apex predator. Each Rank-Up Magic spell evolves the flock into increasingly terrifying formations of aerial supremacy."

The Raidraptors are Shay Obsidian's mechanical birds from Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, and card trivia reads them as the stages of a rebellion, from the first spark to the final push. Follow a marked name to walk the trail.

Raidraptor - Rise Falcon
I · The rise
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  1. The rise stage of a rebellion: low ATK, and an effect that cripples a small asset of an oppressive order to give people hope. The Raidraptor crest is on its back. Arc Rebellion Xyz Dragon wears its pieces, and Rising Rebellion Falcon shares some of its looks.

  2. Rise Falcon wrapped in flames, a scene from ARC-V episode 24: Shay Obsidian gives it the ATK of every Special Summoned monster his opponents control, then attacks. Burning like this, it looks like the Egyptian God Phoenix.

  3. The final push of the rebellion: it weakens Special Summoned monsters, attacks every monster, and destroys one to burn half its ATK. Despite the name, it looks more like a secretary bird than a falcon.

  4. Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, Revolution Falcon, several Ancient Gear Knights and the Heartland Tower.

  5. A retrain named after Revolution Falcon's Japanese attack, "Revolutionary Airraid", and drawn after that anime effect. It honours ARC-V episode 34, which won V Jump's poll for the fans' favourite ARC-V Duel.

  6. Named after Strix, the true owls, and the strix of myth, an owl of ill omen that feeds on human flesh and blood. It Ranks Up into Brave Strix.

  7. An airborne aircraft carrier, launching the flock: Fuzzy Lanius, Pain Lanius, Sharp Lanius, Singing Lanius, Tribute Lanius and Vanishing Lanius. All but Pain Lanius can be summoned from the Deck by its own effect.

  8. Mimicry Lanius above a nest among ruins, like the one in Nest, which also adds a Raidraptor from the Deck to the hand.

  9. The signature card of Shun Kurosaki, as Shay is called in the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V manga, from the chapter 6 panel where it is summoned.

  10. It appears again in Glorious Bright. Combined with Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon, it becomes Rising Rebellion Falcon.

  11. Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon and Ultimate Falcon in one body, with traits of Rise Falcon. It was the first OCG/TCG-original monster above Rank 12, and at Rank 13 with 4000 ATK it is the strongest Winged Beast.

  12. Its Raidraptor crest is drawn after Rising Rebellion Falcon. The Japanese name writes "Rise-Rank" as ЯR, the R flipped to look like the crest.

Executive Summary

The Raidraptor archetype, a squadron of DARK Winged-Beast monsters, defines an explosive, swarming playstyle. Its core strategy is a rapid escalation of threats, using a multitude of Main Deck monsters to quickly assemble materials for Xyz Summons. This foundation is then leveraged by its signature mechanic: the use of "Rank-Up-Magic" (RUM) Spell Cards to evolve its Xyz Monsters into progressively more powerful, higher-Rank forms, culminating in game-ending boss monsters.

Core Philosophy: Swarm, Rank-Up, Dominate

Swarm & Pivot

The primary game plan involves using Level 4 extenders to flood the field, enabling the summon of Raidraptor - Force Strix. This key Xyz monster searches for combo pieces, which are then used to Link Summon Raidraptor - Wise Strix, the deck's central enabler.

Rank-Up & Dominate

Wise Strix sets a "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell from the deck, initiating the archetype's signature mechanic. This allows for the evolution of smaller Xyz monsters into imposing threats, most notably the Rank 13 behemoth, Raidraptor - Rising Rebellion Falcon.

The Aviary's Arsenal

Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius
Missing: 83236601

Tribute Lanius

The premier one-card starter. Sends a "Raidraptor" card from Deck to GY to kickstart combos, usually Mimicry Lanius.

Raidraptor - Wise Strix
Missing: 36429703

Wise Strix

The core engine piece. Summons an extender from deck and sets your "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell to enable your strongest plays.

Raidraptor - Brave Strix
Missing: 8617563

Brave Strix

A crucial setup monster. Searches for any "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell or sets a "Raidraptor" Spell/Trap, ensuring access to your win condition.

One-Card Full Combo

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 sequence, starting with a single Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius, demonstrates the deck's explosive potential.

Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius
Missing: 83236601
1

Initiate & Search

Normal Summon Tribute Lanius, use its effect to send Mimicry Lanius to GY. Banish Mimicry to search Strangle Lanius.

Raider's Knight
2

Bridge to Power

Special Summon Strangle Lanius. Overlay both monsters into Raider's Knight, then use its effect to rank up into Raidraptor - Brave Strix.

Raidraptor - Wise Strix
Missing: 36429703
3

Engine Online

Link Summon Wise Strix. Its effects will summon another monster from Deck. Activating Brave Strix's effect then lets Wise Strix set Rise Rank-Up-Magic Raidraptor's Force, preparing your main interruption.

Optimal End Board: The Rebellion

A typical end board for a pure Raidraptor build establishes multiple layers of protection and interruption, centered around its formidable, unaffected boss monsters. Below is a visual representation of this powerful field.

MONSTER ZONE

Raidraptor - Rising Rebellion Falcon

Rising Rebellion Falcon

Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon

Ultimate Falcon

Raidraptor - Wise Strix
Missing: 36429703

Wise Strix

Raidraptor - Force Strix

Force Strix

SPELL & TRAP ZONE

Set Spell/Trap

Set Spell/Trap

Resulting Interruptions & Follow-up

  • Full Board Wipe: Activate the set Rise Rank-Up-Magic Raidraptor's Force on the opponent's turn to summon a second Rising Rebellion Falcon, destroying all their cards.
  • Targeted Negation: Flip the set Raidraptor - Glorious Bright to negate an opponent's face-up card effect.
  • Passive Immunity: The two "Falcon" boss monsters are immune to most forms of removal, forcing specific outs.
  • Recovery & Follow-up: The remaining Force Strix and Wise Strix on field ensure resources are available to rebuild and press for victory on the following turn.

Current TCG Banlist Status

Banlist Impact

While the Raidraptor core remains untouched, the archetype's The deck benefits from DARK and Winged Beast support, as well as Rank-Up-Magic cards to access higher-Rank boss monsters. means restrictions on generic support cards do have an impact.

Affected Synergistic Cards

Limited

  • Harpie's Feather Duster

Meta Implications: Despite restrictions on support cards, Raidraptor's All Raidraptor core cards remain unrestricted, allowing the archetype to operate at maximum consistency and explosive combo potential. allows the deck to remain viable with alternative tech choices.

Banlist Status Summary

+ analyzed • 0 archetype restrictions • 1 synergistic card restricted