Garbage Ogre
Hand effect: Send it from your hand to the GY to add 1 Garbage Lord from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn.
Sending itself is the cost, so the search leaves no body on the field.
Lore Archive
"Thrown away, cheap and easy to replace. The Garbage monsters were never meant to win on their own. They were the scrap a Number was built from."
In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, the Garbage monsters filled Dr. Faker's Main Deck. Garbage Ogre and Garbage Lord were fodder for his Numbers: Number 53: Heart-eartH and its evolved form, Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon. Vector manipulated Faker and later possessed him in the middle of his duel. So when Beyond the Brave printed Garbage Golem, the first new Garbage monster in more than a decade, in the same set as Vector's Umbral Horror monsters, fans read it as Vector support in disguise. It works in both decks.
Executive Summary: Paying in Life Points
Garbage is one of the smallest series in the game. Before Beyond the Brave it was two Main Deck monsters. Garbage Ogre searches Garbage Lord, and Garbage Lord is a Level 5 DARK Fiend you can Special Summon from your hand by paying 2000 LP. The series dates back to Cosmo Blazer (January 2013), where Garbage Ogre debuted. The plan is to turn Life Points into Level 5 bodies, and those bodies into Rank 5 DARK Xyz Monsters, above all Dr. Faker's Number 53: Heart-eartH.
It's an expensive plan. Garbage Lord can only be Xyz Material for a DARK monster, every copy summoned from the hand costs a quarter of your starting Life Points, and neither card does anything once it's on the field. Garbage has always been a casual, anime-inspired deck rather than a competitive one, and this tab treats it that way. The Beyond the Brave tab covers Garbage Golem, which fixes much of this.
Foundational Mechanics
Pay 2000, Keep the Normal Summon
Garbage Lord's summon is a summoning procedure, not an effect. It has no once-per-turn limit, it doesn't start a chain, and it leaves your Normal Summon free. Two copies cost 4000 LP, half your starting Life Points.
DARK Xyz Only
Garbage Lord can't be Xyz Material except for a DARK Xyz Monster. The restriction covers Xyz Summons only, so it can still be a Tribute, Link Material or a non-Tuner for a Synchro Summon.
The Heart-eartH Chain
Number 53: Heart-eartH needs three Level 5 monsters. When a card effect destroys it while it has no materials, it becomes Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon from the Extra Deck, with Number 53 attached as its material.
The Scrap Heap
Garbage Lord
Procedure: Special Summon it from your hand by paying 2000 LP. It can only be Xyz Material for a DARK monster.
Sangan can also search it, and Mystic Tomato can Special Summon it from the Deck. Its 0 ATK is what later turns on Garbage Golem.
Number 53: Heart-eartH
Wall: Once per turn, when it's targeted for an attack, it gains the attacker's original ATK until the End Phase. If it would be destroyed, you can detach 1 material instead.
Evolution: When a card effect destroys it while it has no materials, Special Summon Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon from your Extra Deck and attach Number 53 to it.
Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon
Battle: It can't be destroyed by battle, and battle damage you would take from its battles goes to your opponent instead.
Lockdown: In your opponent's End Phase, detach 1 to banish every card they Normal or Special Summoned or Set that turn. Destroyed while it has material, it comes back from the GY with 1000 ATK for every banished card.
Classic Combo: Faker's Gambit
The classic way to reach Number 53, and the reason Inferno Reckless Summon has always been in Garbage lists. It's a going-second line: Inferno Reckless Summon only works while your opponent controls a face-up monster. Opening hand: Garbage Ogre and Inferno Reckless Summon.
What the line needs
- Three Garbage Lord in the Main Deck. Ogre searches one, and Inferno Reckless Summon brings out the other two.
- A face-up monster on your opponent's field. Without one, you can't activate Inferno Reckless Summon.
- 2000 LP for the first Garbage Lord.
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Ogre Finds Lord
Send Garbage Ogre from your hand to the GY to add Garbage Lord from your Deck to your hand.
Hand: Garbage Lord, Inferno Reckless Summon. GY: Garbage Ogre. Deck: 2 Garbage Lord.
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Pay for the First Lord
Pay 2000 LP to Special Summon Garbage Lord from your hand. It's a summoning procedure, so your Normal Summon is still unused.
Field: Garbage Lord. LP: 6000.
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Inferno Reckless Summon
Exactly one monster with 1500 or less ATK was just Special Summoned to your field, and your opponent controls a face-up monster, so activate Inferno Reckless Summon. Special Summon both remaining Garbage Lords from your Deck in Attack Position. Your opponent then Special Summons as many copies as they can of one of their face-up monsters.
Field: 3 Garbage Lord. Opponent: may gain extra copies of one monster.
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Heart-eartH
Overlay the three Garbage Lords to Xyz Summon Number 53: Heart-eartH. It's a DARK Xyz Monster, so Garbage Lord's material restriction doesn't get in the way.
Field: Number 53 (3 materials). Normal Summon: still unused.
Result
Your field
- Number 53: Heart-eartH with 3 materials. Each one can stand in for its destruction once.
- Your Normal Summon, still unused.
What it cost
- 2000 LP, and whatever copies Inferno Reckless Summon gave your opponent.
- Heart-eartH has 100 ATK. It walls attackers but doesn't pressure your opponent.
Next
- Heart-eartH only becomes Number 92 when a card effect destroys it with no materials left. The Heart-eartH Countdown shows how Garbage Golem speeds that up.
Other classic routes
- Mist Archfiend: a Level 5 DARK Fiend you can Normal Summon without Tributing. With one Garbage Lord it makes a 2-material Rank 5 DARK Xyz, such as Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon, without Inferno Reckless Summon. If you Normal Summoned it without Tributing and it's still on the field in the End Phase, it destroys itself and you take 1000 damage.
- Tannhauser Gate: Garbage Lord has 0 ATK, so it can combine Levels with another monster of the same Type you control with 1000 or less ATK.
- Synchro: the material restriction only covers Xyz Summons. A Tuner next to Garbage Lord makes a Level 6 or higher Synchro Monster.
The Rank 5 DARK Toolbox
Garbage Lord only feeds DARK Xyz Monsters. These are the Extra Deck picks that do the most with it.
| Xyz Monster | Materials | What it does for Garbage | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Level 5 | The series boss. It survives three destructions, then evolves into Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon. | Number | |
| Via Number 53 | Rank 9, reached through Heart-eartH's evolution rather than three Level 9 monsters. Banishes whatever your opponent summoned or Set that turn. | Number | |
| 2 Level 5 | Once per turn, detach 1 to destroy a face-up card your opponent controls. The simplest payoff for one Garbage Lord plus Mist Archfiend. | None yet | |
| 2 Level 5 | Once per turn, when it's Xyz Summoned or when your opponent activates a monster effect in the hand or GY, detach 1 to destroy a monster on the field. | K9 |
Competitive Analysis
Strengths
- Free bodies: Garbage Lord's summon has no once-per-turn limit and doesn't use your Normal Summon.
- Direct search: Garbage Ogre adds Garbage Lord straight from the Deck, and Sangan works too.
- Sticky boss: Heart-eartH absorbs up to three destructions, then evolves into Number 92.
Weaknesses
- Life Point drain: every Garbage Lord from the hand costs 2000 LP.
- DARK Xyz only: Garbage Lord can't go into the generic Rank 5s most decks run.
- No interaction: neither Ogre nor Lord touches your opponent's cards, Heart-eartH has 100 ATK, and Inferno Reckless Summon hands your opponent free monsters.
Synergies & Tech
- Mist Archfiend: a Level 5 DARK Fiend you can Normal Summon without Tributing, for 2-material Rank 5s.
- Inferno Reckless Summon: three Lords for 2000 LP, going second.
- Garbage Golem: the Beyond the Brave card. See the next tab.
Beyond the Brave: What Changed
- TCG · Beyond the Brave ·
- OCG ·
Beyond the Brave gives Garbage its first new card in more than a decade: Garbage Golem, a Level 4 DARK Fiend with 0 ATK and 0 DEF. The Classic Analysis tab still covers Garbage Ogre, Garbage Lord and the Heart-eartH Numbers. Golem adds three things the series never had: a free second body, removal, and a way to recycle Xyz materials.
Free Off Any 0-Stat Monster
Golem Special Summons itself while you control a monster with 0 ATK or 0 DEF. Garbage Lord has 0 ATK and Mist Archfiend has 0 DEF, and so do many Umbral Horror, Yubel and Mikanko monsters.
Removal That Takes Itself Along
Reveal three Xyz Monsters with different Ranks from your Extra Deck to destroy Golem and any other card on the field, face-up or face-down.
A Detach That Pays You Back
From the GY, Golem detaches a material from one of your monsters, then can revive a monster with 0 ATK or 0 DEF, including the one it just detached.
Card Spotlight
Garbage Golem
New Garbage Monster
Garbage Golem
- Card
- Effect Monster
- Level
- 4
- Attribute / Type
- DARK / Fiend
- ATK / DEF
- 0 / 0
Card text
- HandIf you control a monster with 0 ATK or DEF: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.
- FieldYou can reveal 3 Xyz Monsters in your Extra Deck with different Ranks, then target 1 other card on the field; destroy both it and this card.
- GYYou can banish this card from your GY; detach 1 material from a monster you control, then you can Special Summon 1 monster with 0 ATK or DEF from your hand or GY.
You can only use each effect of "Garbage Golem" once per turn.
Extender, removal and recursion in one Level 4. None of the three effects is a Quick Effect, so Golem breaks boards and builds them on your turn but never interrupts on your opponent's. The removal is a one-for-one. When the card it takes with it is your own Heart-eartH, Number 92 or Yubel, which all get something for being destroyed, it comes out ahead. A copy that's already in the GY can recycle an Xyz material the turn you draw it.
- Summon
- Free, from the hand
- Removal
- Any card, Golem goes too
- GY effect
- Needs a material to detach
- Limit
- Each effect once per turn
Xyz Links: Where Golem Plugs In
Golem touches the Extra Deck twice. Its removal needs three Xyz Monsters with different Ranks in your Extra Deck, and its GY effect needs a material to detach. These are the Xyz Monsters it works with best, and the guides that cover them.
The reveal check
- Only the Extra Deck counts. An Xyz Monster already on the field can't be revealed. If you're counting on one, use Golem's removal before you Xyz Summon it.
- Nothing is spent. Revealed cards stay in the Extra Deck, so you can summon them afterwards.
- Garbage covers three Ranks naturally: Rank 4 (Number 66: Master Key Beetle), Rank 5 (Number 53: Heart-eartH or Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon) and Rank 9 (Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon).
| Xyz Monster | Rank | How Golem helps | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Golem's GY effect strips a material and can revive the Garbage Lord it detached. Golem's removal can target Heart-eartH too, so its "detach instead" effect strips another. | Number | |
| 9 | Destroyed while it has material, it Special Summons itself from the GY with 1000 ATK for every banished card. Golem's removal can destroy it on purpose. | Number | |
| 5 | Garbage Lord plus Mist Archfiend, with Golem left over. It destroys a monster on your opponent's turn when they activate a monster effect in the hand or GY, and Golem's GY effect can later detach one of its materials. | K9 | |
| 5 | Garbage Lord plus Mist Archfiend. After Adreus spends one material, Golem's GY effect detaches the other and revives a 0-stat monster. | None yet | |
| 4 | Needs 2 Level 4 DARK monsters, and Golem is one. A cheap way to cover Rank 4 for the reveal. | Number | |
| 4 | With Thousand Umbral Horror in the GY, its detach adds Golem: another Level 4 DARK Fiend with a different name. | Barian's | |
| 4 | Detaches Golem as its cost, which puts Golem in the GY with its recursion ready. | Utopia | |
| 4 | Golem revives Thousand Umbral Horror, which pairs with Shining Umbral Horror for this Rank 4. V Umbral Horror then ranks it up into Number C104. | Barian's |
Combo Lines
Two Garbage lines and two lines from other decks. Pick one to follow it step by step.
Going First: Golem Plus K9-66X "Jacks"
The same three cards as the going-second line, played for defence: a Rank 5 that punishes hand traps and GY effects on your opponent's turn, with Golem still on the field. Opening hand: Garbage Ogre, Garbage Golem and Mist Archfiend.
What the line needs
- 2000 LP for Garbage Lord.
- K9-66X "Jacks" in the Extra Deck. It's a DARK Xyz Monster, so Garbage Lord can be its material.
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Garbage Ogre
Ogre Finds Lord
Send Garbage Ogre from your hand to the GY to add Garbage Lord from your Deck to your hand.
Hand: Garbage Lord, Garbage Golem, Mist Archfiend. GY: Garbage Ogre.
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Garbage Golem
Lord, Then Golem
Pay 2000 LP to Special Summon Garbage Lord. It has 0 ATK, so Special Summon Garbage Golem from your hand with its first effect. Neither uses your Normal Summon.
Field: Garbage Lord (Level 5), Garbage Golem (Level 4). LP: 6000.
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Mist Archfiend
Mist Archfiend
Normal Summon Mist Archfiend without Tributing. It's a Level 5 DARK Fiend, the same Level as Garbage Lord.
Field: Garbage Lord, Garbage Golem, Mist Archfiend.
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K9-66X "Jacks"
K9-66X "Jacks"
Xyz Summon K9-66X "Jacks" using Garbage Lord and Mist Archfiend. It's DARK, so Garbage Lord's restriction is met, and Mist Archfiend left the field as material, so it never destroys itself in the End Phase. Your opponent has no monsters yet, so let its on-summon trigger pass.
Field: K9-66X "Jacks" (2600 ATK, 2 materials), Garbage Golem.
Result
Your field
- K9-66X "Jacks": 2600 ATK, 2 materials.
- Garbage Golem, a spare Level 4 body.
Their turn
- The first time your opponent activates a monster effect in the hand or GY, such as a hand trap, detach 1 from Jacks and destroy a monster on the field. It works once per turn.
Your next turn
- Golem's removal is ready. Once Golem is in the GY, it can detach one of Jacks's materials and bring back Mist Archfiend or Garbage Lord.
Going Second: Scrap Heap Breaker
Two pieces of removal and 5000 damage from three cards, with no Inferno Reckless Summon, so your opponent gets nothing for free. Opening hand: Garbage Ogre, Garbage Golem and Mist Archfiend.
What the line needs
- Three Xyz Monsters with different Ranks in your Extra Deck when Golem's removal resolves, for example Number 66: Master Key Beetle (4), Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon (5) and Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon (9).
- Two cards on your opponent's field, one of them face-up. Golem can hit anything, but Adreus only hits face-up cards.
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Garbage Lord
Ogre, Lord, Golem
Send Garbage Ogre to the GY to add Garbage Lord, pay 2000 LP to Special Summon it, then Special Summon Garbage Golem from your hand off Lord's 0 ATK.
Field: Garbage Lord, Garbage Golem. GY: Garbage Ogre. LP: 6000.
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Garbage Golem
Golem Takes Their Best Card
Reveal three Xyz Monsters with different Ranks from your Extra Deck. Adreus is still there, so it counts. Target any card your opponent controls, face-up or face-down, and destroy it and Garbage Golem.
Field: Garbage Lord. GY: Garbage Ogre, Garbage Golem. Opponent: 1 card down.
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Mist Archfiend
Mist Archfiend
Normal Summon Mist Archfiend without Tributing. It's a Level 5 DARK Fiend, the same Level as Garbage Lord.
Field: Garbage Lord, Mist Archfiend.
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Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon
Adreus Takes a Second Card
Xyz Summon Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon with both. Detach Mist Archfiend and target a face-up card your opponent controls; destroy it. Mist Archfiend left the field as material, so it never destroys itself in the End Phase.
Field: Adreus (1 material: Garbage Lord). GY: Garbage Ogre, Garbage Golem, Mist Archfiend. Opponent: 2 cards down.
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Mist Archfiend
Golem Brings Back the Archfiend
Banish Golem from the GY. Detach Garbage Lord from Adreus, then Special Summon Mist Archfiend from the GY, since it has 0 DEF. This copy wasn't Normal Summoned without Tributing, so it doesn't destroy itself in the End Phase.
Field: Adreus (no materials), Mist Archfiend. GY: Garbage Ogre, Garbage Lord. Banished: Garbage Golem.
Result
Removed
- Two of your opponent's cards: one of any kind (Golem) and one face-up card (Adreus).
Your field
- Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon (2600 ATK) and Mist Archfiend (2400 ATK).
- 5000 damage if their field is empty. You're at 6000 LP.
Swap
- K9-66X "Jacks" instead of Adreus destroys a monster, face-up or face-down, as soon as it's Xyz Summoned.
Umbral Horror: Golem in the Barian's Deck
Golem's best home outside Garbage. Thousand Umbral Horror has 0 ATK and 0 DEF, Number 101: Silent Honor ARK - Soul Asylum can search Golem, and Golem's GY effect revives Thousand, which then brings out Shining Umbral Horror. The Barian's guide covers the rest of the engine. Opening hand: V Umbral Horror.
Locks to respect
- Thousand Umbral Horror: after its effect you can only Special Summon Xyz Monsters from the Extra Deck until the end of your next turn. Every summon below is an Xyz Summon.
- Gorgonic Umbral Horror: while it's on the field, you can only Special Summon "Number" Xyz Monsters from the Extra Deck. It's attached as material before the one non-Number summon.
- Barian's Seventh Untopia: each player can Special Summon non-"Number" monsters from the Extra Deck only twice per turn. Xyz Armor Fortress is the only one this line uses.
- Deck and Extra Deck: Double or Nothing!, one "Armored Xyz" card, Soul Asylum, Xyz Armor Fortress, Number 39: Utopia Double and Number 39: Utopia.
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V Umbral Horror
The Umbral Search Chain
Normal Summon V Umbral Horror and add Gorgonic Umbral Horror. You control only Umbral Horror monsters, so Special Summon Gorgonic and add Thousand Umbral Horror. Send Thousand from your hand to the GY to place Barian's Seventh Untopia from your Deck in your Field Zone.
Field: V, Gorgonic, Barian's Seventh Untopia. GY: Thousand.
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Number 101: Silent Honor ARK - Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum Searches Golem
Xyz Summon Number 101: Silent Honor ARK - Soul Asylum with V and Gorgonic. Don't revive Thousand yet: leave it in the GY. Detach V and choose Thousand, a Level 4 DARK Fiend, to add Garbage Golem, a Level 4 DARK Fiend with a different name.
Field: Soul Asylum (1 material: Gorgonic). Hand: Garbage Golem. GY: Thousand, V.
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Xyz Armor Fortress
Fortress Revives Thousand
Xyz Summon Xyz Armor Fortress using Soul Asylum. An Xyz Monster was Special Summoned, so Thousand Special Summons itself from the GY. Detach Gorgonic from Fortress to add 1 "Armored Xyz" card.
Field: Xyz Armor Fortress, Thousand. Hand: Garbage Golem, 1 "Armored Xyz" card.
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Number 39: Utopia Double
Golem Into Utopia Double
Thousand has 0 ATK and 0 DEF, so Special Summon Garbage Golem from your hand. Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia Double with Golem and Thousand.
Field: Xyz Armor Fortress, Utopia Double (materials: Golem, Thousand).
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Number 39: Utopia
Utopia Double Detaches Golem
Detach Golem to add Double or Nothing!, then Special Summon Number 39: Utopia using Utopia Double as material. Its ATK is doubled, but it can't attack directly.
Field: Xyz Armor Fortress, Utopia (materials: Utopia Double, Thousand). GY: Garbage Golem. Hand: "Armored Xyz" card, Double or Nothing!.
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Shining Umbral Horror
Golem Revives Thousand, Shining Follows
Use Barian's Seventh Untopia to add Shining Umbral Horror, then discard the "Armored Xyz" card. Banish Golem from the GY, detach Thousand from Utopia and Special Summon Thousand. You just summoned an Umbral Horror monster, so Shining Special Summons itself from your hand and you draw 1 card. If you drew an Umbral Horror monster, you can Special Summon it too.
Field: Xyz Armor Fortress, Utopia (1 material), Thousand, Shining. Banished: Garbage Golem.
Result
Your field
- Xyz Armor Fortress, Number 39: Utopia, Thousand and Shining, plus the card Shining drew.
Keep going
- Shining counts as 2 materials for a "Number" that needs 3 or more, so Thousand and Shining make Number 104: Masquerade V.
- Then banish V Umbral Horror from the GY to rank it up into Number C104: Umbral Horror Masquerade Victory.
Safety
- Thousand's own revival means you take no effect damage from your card effects this turn, including Untopia's End Phase damage.
Resonator: One-Card Search Into Two Bodies
Soul Resonator searches any Level 4 or lower Fiend, and Golem is one. See the Resonator guide for the rest of the deck. Opening hand: Power Vice Dragon.
What the line needs
- An empty field for Power Vice Dragon.
- A Level 8 DARK Synchro Monster with 0 ATK in the Extra Deck, such as Glitch Clutch Nullgainer. Both Power Vice Dragon and Soul Resonator lock you into DARK Synchro Monsters for the turn.
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Power Vice Dragon
Power Vice Dragon
You control no monsters, so Special Summon Power Vice Dragon from your hand and add Soul Resonator.
Field: Power Vice Dragon (Level 5). Hand: Soul Resonator. Lock: DARK Synchro Monsters only from the Extra Deck.
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Soul Resonator
Soul Resonator Adds Golem
Normal Summon Soul Resonator and add Garbage Golem, a Level 4 Fiend.
Field: Power Vice Dragon, Soul Resonator (Level 3 Tuner). Hand: Garbage Golem.
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Glitch Clutch Nullgainer
A 0-ATK Synchro
Synchro Summon Glitch Clutch Nullgainer (Level 8 DARK, 0 ATK / 2000 DEF). When it's Synchro Summoned, it can add a Level 8 or higher monster with 0 ATK from your Deck.
Field: Glitch Clutch Nullgainer. GY: Power Vice Dragon, Soul Resonator.
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Garbage Golem
Golem Joins
Nullgainer has 0 ATK, so Special Summon Garbage Golem from your hand.
Field: Glitch Clutch Nullgainer, Garbage Golem.
Result
Your field
- Two bodies from one card, plus whatever Nullgainer searched.
Off this turn
- Golem's GY effect. The DARK Synchro lock means no Xyz Monster this turn, so there's no material to detach.
The catch
- Golem's removal still works, but only if your Extra Deck has three Xyz Monsters with different Ranks. Most Synchro Extra Decks don't.
Guide: The Heart-eartH Countdown
Number 53 only becomes Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon when a card effect destroys it with no materials left, and it starts with three. Golem strips two of them in one turn. Summon Golem while a Garbage Lord is still on the field, before you Xyz Summon Number 53 (for example, during Faker's Gambit), and save this for a turn when your opponent has nothing worth Golem's removal.
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Garbage Golem
Golem Targets Your Own Heart-eartH
Reveal three Xyz Monsters with different Ranks from your Extra Deck. Number 53 is on the field, so reveal others, such as Number 66: Master Key Beetle, Adreus and Number 92. Target Number 53. When it would be destroyed, detach 1 material instead. Golem is still destroyed.
Number 53: 2 materials. GY: Garbage Golem, Garbage Lord.
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Garbage Lord
Golem Detaches Another
Banish Golem from the GY and detach 1 material from Number 53, then Special Summon a Garbage Lord from the GY. It has 0 ATK.
Number 53: 1 material. Field: also Garbage Lord (2400 DEF).
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Number 53: Heart-eartH
The Last Shield
The next time Number 53 would be destroyed, by battle or by a card effect, detach its last material instead.
Number 53: no materials.
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Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon
Heart-eartH Dragon
When a card effect destroys Number 53 with no materials, Special Summon Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon from your Extra Deck and attach Number 53 from the GY to it. This counts as an Xyz Summon.
Field: Number 92 (1 material: Number 53).
Battle doesn't count: if Number 53 is destroyed by battle with no materials, it just goes to the GY. Only a card effect sets off the evolution.
Splash Check: Other 0-Stat Decks
Golem needs a monster with 0 ATK or 0 DEF on your field before it does anything, so it only belongs in decks that field one reliably.
| Deck | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage | Play 3 | Garbage Lord turns it on, Garbage Ogre finds Garbage Lord, and it speeds up the Heart-eartH countdown. |
| Barian's (Umbral Horror) | Play 1–2 | Thousand has 0 ATK and DEF, Shining has 0 ATK and Gorgonic has 0 DEF. Soul Asylum can search Golem, and its GY effect revives Thousand to bring out Shining. |
| Yubel | Play 1–2 | Yubel has 0 ATK and DEF, and Nightmare Throne can add Golem, a Fiend with 0 ATK/DEF, when it's activated. Golem's removal can destroy your own Yubel, which then Special Summons Yubel - Terror Incarnate. Golem is also a valid second material for Phantom of Yubel. |
| Resonator | Optional 1 | Soul Resonator searches it and a 0-ATK DARK Synchro turns it on. The DARK Synchro lock shuts off its GY effect that turn, and few Resonator Extra Decks have three Xyz Ranks. |
| Mikanko | Optional 1 | Every Main Deck Mikanko monster has 0 ATK and DEF, so Golem is always live. They're Level 3, so it won't Xyz with them. It's going-second removal and Link Material. |
Deck Building: Recommended Copies
| Build | Copies | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage / Heart-eartH | 3 | Your best card. It summons off Garbage Lord, removes a card, and recycles Heart-eartH's materials. |
| Barian's (Umbral Horror) | 1–2 | Soul Asylum can search it, so one copy is often enough. A second helps when you draw it without Thousand. |
| Yubel | 1–2 | Nightmare Throne can fetch it, and it forces Yubel's evolution on your own turn. |
| Resonator, Mikanko | 0–1 | Tech only. Each deck turns it on, but uses only part of what it does. |
Extra Deck rule: if you play Golem, keep Xyz Monsters of at least three different Ranks in your Extra Deck, and don't count on one you're about to summon.
Weak Points to Play Around
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Dead without a 0-stat monster
Golem can't summon itself onto an empty field. In Garbage, it needs Garbage Ogre or Garbage Lord alongside it, or Mist Archfiend.
-
The reveal cost
Its removal needs three Xyz Monsters with different Ranks in your Extra Deck. Decks built around Synchro, Fusion or Link Monsters often can't spare the slots.
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Your turn only
None of its effects is a Quick Effect. Golem can't respond to anything, and it can't protect a board on your opponent's turn.
-
Destruction and targeting protection
Its removal targets and destroys, so it does nothing to cards that can't be targeted or can't be destroyed by card effects.
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Negation and GY disruption
Effect Veiler or Infinite Impermanence on Golem stops its removal. Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion can negate its GY effect, because that effect can Special Summon from the GY, and D.D. Crow can banish it from the GY first. Under Macro Cosmos, Golem is banished instead of going to the GY at all.
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Garbage Lord still costs 2000
Every Garbage line on this page starts at 6000 LP. Two Lords from the hand in one turn put you at 4000.
Verdict
Garbage Golem is the card Garbage has needed since 2013: a free Level 4 that turns one Garbage Lord into two bodies, adds removal, and speeds up the Heart-eartH evolution. It doesn't make Garbage competitive. The deck still pays 2000 LP for every line and has no protection. It does make Garbage a working casual deck with real first- and second-turn plans. Play 3 in Garbage. Outside it, Golem is at its best in Umbral Horror and Yubel, where 0-stat monsters are the norm.
Current TCG Banlist Status
Banlist Impact
Fully Unrestricted
The Garbage archetype, with its Life Point-paid Level 5 bodies and 0-stat Xyz recursion, operates at full power with no restrictions on the current TCG banlist.
Maximum Consistency
Play any card at your preferred ratio without restrictions
Full Strength Plays
Access to all archetype synergies without limitations
Strategic Freedom
No banlist constraints holding back your strategy
Banlist Status Summary
Core cards checked:
• Garbage Golem
• Garbage Lord
• Garbage Ogre
• Inferno Reckless Summon
• K9-66X "Jacks"
• Mist Archfiend
• Number 53: Heart-eartH
• Number 92: Heart-eartH Dragon
+ Related cards checked:
• Inferno Reckless Summon
• K9-66X "Jacks"
• Mist Archfiend analyzed •
0 restrictions found •
All cards legal at 3 copies