A Strategic Deep Dive into the Royal Trap Archetype
The "Temple of the Kings" archetype is the modern incarnation of Odion's anime strategy, transformed from a fragile gimmick into a cohesive, Trap Monster-focused control deck. The core game plan is to establish control by leveraging a robust search engine to place Treasures of the Kings on the field. From there, the deck summons a suite of "Apophis" Trap Monsters to build board presence and disrupt the opponent. Through intricate resource loops, layered protection, and access to powerful Fusion Monsters, the deck aims to out-value the opponent, all thanks to a vast network of internal consistency.
The primary starter. On summon, it searches any "Temple" card or Spell/Trap that mentions it, and provides battle/effect protection for your field.
The boss monster. Can be sent from hand to GY to search "The Man with the Mark," and recycles Traps from the GY to summon itself.
A key extender. Special Summons itself by banishing a Level 10+ monster (like The Winged Dragon of Ra) from your Deck and searches a "Temple" Spell.
The lynchpin Field Spell. It's treated as "Temple of the Kings," Sets an "Apophis" trap from Deck, and searches a "Temple" monster once per turn.
A Trap Monster that provides on-field monster effect negation based on the number of other Continuous Traps you control.
A devastating Counter Trap. If you control 3+ other Spells/Traps, it negates a Spell/Trap, destroys it, and then destroys all opponent's monsters.
This fundamental combo establishes a solid turn-one board, protection, and follow-up from a single card.
Normal Summon The Man with the Mark. Activate its on-summon effect to search Treasures of the Kings from your Deck.
Activate Treasures of the Kings. Its on-activation effect triggers, allowing you to Set Apophis the Serpent directly from your Deck.
Activate the ignition effect of Treasures of the Kings to add Anubis the Last Judge from your Deck to your hand, preparing it as both a starter for next turn or a GY setup.
The optimal endboard is not a static field of negates but a flexible, interactive control setup focused on resource recursion and powerful, timed disruptions.
Provides blanket destruction protection for himself, your "Apophis" monsters, and "Temple of the Kings."
The Field Spell that enables all your plays and provides a continuous search for monsters each turn.
Set and ready to be activated on the opponent's turn for a monster effect negation.
Fuels the resource loop by re-Setting "Apophis" traps from the GY and provides recurring destruction.
UNRESTRICTED STATUS: The core "Temple of the Kings" archetype is at full power. Restrictions only apply to its generic support cards.
Meta Implications: With its entire core engine untouched, the deck functions exactly as designed. Its consistency relies on navigating the limited status of generic searchers like "Terraforming" and "Prosperity," but the archetype itself is at full, unrestricted strength.
The archetype's high consistency comes from its interconnected search paths, allowing nearly any card to lead to another.
| The Enabler (Card) | The Action (Effect) | The Target (Card Accessed) |
|---|---|---|
| Anubis the Last Judge | Send from Hand to GY ? Add to Hand | The Man with the Mark |
| The Man with the Mark | Normal/Special Summon ? Add to Hand OR Send to GY | "Temple of the Kings" OR any Spell/Trap mentioning it |
| Treasures of the Kings | Activation ? Set from Deck | Any "Apophis" Trap |
| Treasures of the Kings | Ignition Effect ? Add to Hand | Any monster mentioning "Temple of the Kings" |
| Merciless Scorpion of Serket | Ignition Effect ? Add to Hand | "Temple of the Kings" OR any Spell mentioning it |
| Defense of the Temple | Banish from GY ? Add to Hand | Dangers of the Divine |
| Apophis the Serpent | Activation ? Set from Deck | Any "Apophis" Trap (except itself) |
| Apophis the Serpent | Sent to GY ? Add to Hand | Embodiment of Apophis |
As of the current TCG format, the Temple of the Kings archetype is entirely unrestricted, allowing it to operate at full capacity.
Play any card at your preferred ratio without restrictions
Access to all archetype synergies without limitations
No banlist constraints holding back your strategy
Banlist Status Summary
Core cards checked:
• Anubis the Last Judge
• Defense of the Temple
• The Man with the Mark
• Treasures of the Kings
• Verdict of Anubis
+ Related cards checked:
• Apophis the Swamp Deity
• Divine Serpent Apophis analyzed •
0 restrictions found •
All cards legal at 3 copies
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