NEXUS

Executive Summary

The Winged Dragon of Ra, one of the three legendary Egyptian God Cards, commands a unique and complex archetype built not merely to support it, but to fundamentally reconstruct its power for the modern era. The strategy revolves around three distinct manifestations of the deity: the original, latent form; a disruptive, board-breaking sphere; and an indomitable, revived phoenix. Understanding the specific role and limitations of each of these cornerstone monsters is the first and most critical step to mastering the deck.

Part I: The Divine Trinity

The Winged Dragon of Ra
Missing: 10000010

The Winged Dragon of Ra: The Latent Deity

The original "The Winged Dragon of Ra" is the heart of the archetype and, paradoxically, its greatest liability. Its printed text reflects a card designed for a bygone era, functionally incomplete without external assistance.

  • Summoning Security: Its Normal Summon cannot be negated, and other cards/effects cannot be activated when it is Normal Summoned.
  • Life Point Conversion: Can pay LP down to 100 to gain that much ATK/DEF.
  • Targeted Destruction: Can pay 1000 LP to target and destroy 1 monster.

The strategy is not simply to summon Ra, but to meticulously build a functional god using surrounding Spells and Traps as "prosthetics" to add its missing abilities.

The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode
Missing: 10000080

Sphere Mode: The Ultimate Board-Breaker

"Sphere Mode" is the archetype's primary solution to overwhelming monster boards and a peerless going-second tool.

  • Board Wipe Summon: Requires 3 Tributes from *either side of the field* to Normal Summon. This is a summoning condition, not an effect, so it does not start a chain.
  • Protection: Your opponent (who it's summoned to) cannot target it for attacks or effects.
  • Summon from Deck: You (its owner) can Tribute it to Special Summon 1 "The Winged Dragon of Ra" from your hand or Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions, and it becomes a 4000/4000 monster.
The Winged Dragon of Ra - Immortal Phoenix
Missing: 10000090

Immortal Phoenix: The Inevitable Return

"Immortal Phoenix" embodies the sun god's power of rebirth, serving as the deck's ultimate comeback and grind-game tool.

  • Inevitable Revival: If "The Winged Dragon of Ra" is sent from the field to your GY, this card Special Summons itself from the GY. No cards or effects can be activated in response.
  • Total Immunity: A 4000/4000 behemoth that is "unaffected by other cards' effects".
  • The Loop: During the End Phase, it sends itself to the GY to Special Summon 1 "The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode" from your hand, Deck, or GY, setting up the loop.

Part II: The Support Engine

The Searchers of the Sun

Guardian Slime

The most important engine piece. If sent from hand or field to GY, it searches any Spell/Trap that lists "The Winged Dragon of Ra" (Ancient Chant, True Sun God, etc.).

The True Sun God

A Continuous Spell that, on activation, adds 1 "The Winged Dragon of Ra" or 1 card that mentions it from Deck to hand. A one-card starter for the entire archetype.

Ancient Chant

A Normal Spell that adds "The Winged Dragon of Ra" from Deck or GY to hand *and* grants you an additional Tribute Summon that turn. Solves two problems at once.

Assembling the Offering

Reactor Slime

Special Summons two "Slime Tokens", single-handedly providing three bodies for a Tribute Summon (but locks you into DIVINE monsters).

Ra's Disciple

When Summoned, it Special Summons up to two more copies from the hand or Deck. An instant three tributes, but locks you out of other Special Summons.

Sphere Mode / Soul Crossing

The reactive approach: use your opponent's monsters as tribute fodder when going second.

Part III: The Divine Arsenal

Anime Abilities

These cards grant Ra the powers it was missing from the anime.

  • Ancient Chant (GY): Banish from GY *before* summoning Ra; its ATK/DEF become the combined original ATK/DEF of the tributed monsters.
  • Sun God Unification: Pay LP to 100; a *Special Summoned* Ra gains that much ATK/DEF. This is the OTK enabler for a Sphere Mode-summoned Ra.
  • Blaze Cannon: The ultimate finisher. Makes Ra unaffected by opponent's effects, lets it Tribute other monsters for ATK, and wipes the opponent's monster board after attacking.

Extra Deck Toolbox

Provides protection and alternative win conditions.

Egyptian God Slime
Missing: 42166000

Egyptian God Slime

A Fusion that counts as 3 Tributes and protects your other monsters from being targeted for attacks or effects.

The deck's use of Level 10 monsters also gives it easy access to Rank 10 Xyz monsters like Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max for 2000 burn damage, or Juggernaut Liebe for a game-ending push.

Path of Revival

The deck can pivot from Tribute Summoning to reanimating Ra from the GY.

Millennium Revelation
Missing: 41044418

Millennium Revelation

Send a DIVINE monster from hand to GY to add Monster Reborn. You can also send this face-up card to the GY to let Monster Reborn summon Ra from the GY that turn, ignoring its conditions.

Part IV: Sacred Combo Lines

Unverified AI Content
This combo line is AI-generated and may contain errors or illegal plays (e.g., banned cards).
Know the correct line? Submit a Replay to fix this guide

Pathway 1: The Standard OTK (Going First / Open Board)

Ancient Chant
Missing: 78665705
1

Activate Chant

Activate Ancient Chant. Add "The Winged Dragon of Ra" to hand and gain an additional Tribute Summon.

Reactor Slime
Missing: 79387392
2

Generate Tributes

Normal Summon Reactor Slime. Activate its effect to Special Summon two "Slime Tokens". You now have 3 monsters.

The Winged Dragon of Ra
Missing: 10000010
3

Summon & Power Up

Banish Ancient Chant from GY to apply its ATK-gain effect. Then, Tribute all 3 Slimes to summon The Winged Dragon of Ra (it gains 1500 ATK). Finally, activate Ra's effect, paying LP to 100 (e.g., +7900 ATK). End State: 9400+ ATK Ra.

Pathway 2: The Sphere Mode Gambit (Going Second)

The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode
Missing: 10000080
1

Break the Board

Tribute 3 of your *opponent's* monsters to Normal Summon Sphere Mode to their field. Their board is now clear.

The Winged Dragon of Ra
Missing: 10000010
2

Pivot to Offense

Activate Sphere Mode's effect from your side (as its owner). Tribute it to Special Summon "The Winged Dragon of Ra" from your Deck with 4000 ATK/DEF.

Sun God Unification
Missing: 77432167
3

Weaponize for OTK

Activate Sun God Unification. Use its effect to pay LP to 100, granting the Special Summoned Ra a massive ATK boost. End State: 11,000+ ATK Ra.

Typical End Boards

Unlike combo decks, Ra's "end board" is often a single, colossal threat or a recurring loop rather than a board of multiple negates.

The One-Turn Kill Board

The Winged Dragon of Ra
Missing: 10000010
  • The Winged Dragon of Ra: On field with 9,000 - 11,000+ ATK.
  • Goal: End the game in a single attack. This board is fragile and has no protection on its own.
  • Enablers: Ancient Chant (for Tribute Summon) or Sun God Unification (for Special Summon).

The Immortal Phoenix Loop

The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode
Missing: 10000080
  • Sphere Mode: On your field, ready to be Tributed on your next turn to summon Ra from deck.
  • Immortal Phoenix: In the Graveyard, ready to be revived the moment "The Winged Dragon of Ra" is sent there.
  • Goal: Create a recurring cycle of a board-break (Sphere Mode) into an unstoppable attacker (Phoenix).

Part V: Broader Horizons & Synergies

Strengths

  • Unmatched Board-Breaking: Sphere Mode is one of the best board-breakers ever printed.
  • Explosive OTK Potential: Can easily generate 10,000+ ATK for a single, game-ending attack.
  • Resilient Grind Game: The Immortal Phoenix loop can out-resource decks that can't end the game quickly.

Weaknesses

  • "Glass Cannon": The deck is fragile and linear. A single negate on a key card (Ancient Chant, Sphere Mode) can end the turn.
  • Hand Trap Vulnerability: Highly susceptible to "Ash Blossom" on its searchers or "Solemn Judgment" on the summon.
  • Floodgate Weakness: Dies to "Skill Drain", anti-tribute cards, or any effect that prevents Special Summoning from the GY.

Tech & Synergies

  • Icejade Engine: "Icejade Tremora" can send "Guardian Slime" from hand to GY to trigger its search effect without taking damage.
  • Mound of the Bound Creator: Field Spell that protects Level 10+ monsters (like Ra) from targeting and destruction.
  • Monster Reborn: A core part of the "Reanimation" strategy, searchable via "Millennium Revelation".

Banlist Impact

LOW IMPACT: The Winged Dragon of Ra archetype has been moderately restricted by the TCG banlist, with Monster Reborn limited.

Archetype Cards

Limited

  • • Monster Reborn

Banlist Status Summary

analyzed • 1 total restriction found • 1 archetype card

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