Halq Turbo Ft. Pend Scales (Zefra)

*A revised list of a previous Zefra deck: https://ygoprodeck.com/zefra-6/

If the title wasn't enough of an indicator, if you are looking for a deck that does Zefra things, you've come to the wrong place. Currently, Zefra is in an utterly unplayable state and physically cannot win games without relying on several busted-ass crutches to accomplish anything. Konami, make Pendulums great again.

 

Halqifibrax Combo:

The main goal of this deck is to turbo out Crystron Halqifibrax and go into an Auroradon combo to set up at least 3 negates, taking so much time doing the combo that your opponent would wish they'd never entered your lobby. For those that know the combo, don't even bother reading anything listed below, and for those that for some God-forsaken reason have no clue how to do the Halq combo, you'd better get comfortable, because you're about to read some real bullshit.

1. Summon the materials needed for Crystron Halqifibrax. This is done by using Zefraxi, Treasure of the Yang Zing which has the effect that when Pend Summoned, it can turn any Zefra monster you control into a tuner. The best monster to summon alongside Zefraxi is Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing, off which you will search Zefra War for an additional interruption. If you're desperate, normal summoning a handtrap is a completely viable option. Do not summon more than 2 monsters onto the board as all zones will be used during this combo.


2. Activate Halq, summoning Deskbot 001


3. Using Halq and 001, link summon Mecha Phantom Beast Auroradon, and activate its effect to summon 3 tokens. Activate Deskbot 001.


4. Using 001 and a token, summon Cupid Pitch. Activate Cupid's effect and choose to gain a level.


5. Activate Auroradon, choosing his second effect to tribute two tokens and summon Mecha Phantom Beast Coltwing from your deck. Activate Coltwing to summon 2 tokens alongside 001.


6. You must do the following steps in order or you'll mess up the combo, and look like a complete idiot in front of your opponent. Using your L5 Cupid Pitch and a Token, summon Borreload Savage Dragon. I've personally seen it happen, so I'll remind you right now to activate Borreload Savage Dragon and equip Halqifibrax.


7. Activate Cupid Pitch from the graveyard, searching Creation Resonator, and immediately Special Summon it from hand (Borrelsavage is a L8 DARK Dragon).


8. Using Creation Resonator and Coltwing, summon Baronne de Fleur.


9. Summon Herald of the Arc Light using a token and 001.


10. Watch Opponent scoop, effectively having made you play solitaire.

Oh no! What if Halqifibrax is negated???

Halqifibrax is the most fucking telegraphed chokepoint in the world, and your opponent might need to get checked if they don't shotgun the Ash or Imperm on it. This is where Crossout Designator comes in. If you did not draw Crossout, remain calm and follow these steps:

• In most scenarios, you do not expend your Normal Summon. In this case, simply normal summon a monster from your hand and summon Verte to make Destiny Hero - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer.


• If you hard draw Fusion Destiny, just hard activate it and make DPE.


• If neither option is available to you, these following options are still open:
  
  
  
  • Set Zefra War and pray to God a single pop is enough to stop your opponent.
  
  
  • Draw enough handtraps to hopefully hamper your opponent.
  
  
  • Apologise to Trif for playing this abomination.
  
  
  • Scoop.
  
  
  • Just draw Fusion Destiny 5head.
  
  
  
  

Actual Zefra Stuff

If you draw a hand that physically cannot go into Halqifibrax, and you deem that Verte is not the right play, your next best card is Zefraniu, Secret of the Yang Zing. It deadass searches your entire deck upon Pend Summon or destruction (if you need a Zefra monster, add Zefra Providence or Oracle of Zefra). Generally, if you need to squeeze as many interactions out of Zefraniu as possible, add Nine Pillars of the Yang Zing, and when Zefraniu is destroyed during the next turn from Nine Pillars, you add Zefra War (this card can be used from hand if you have Zefras in both pend zones).

Whatever you do, don't actually summon Zefraath from your face-up Extra Deck. After the Great Pendulum Purge of MR4, this card has become dogshit useless. As it summons from your Extra-Deck, it must go into a Linked Zone, and the fucker tributes the entire field, leaving the only available zone the Extra Monster Zone. This means that you literally cannot use its second effect that grants a second Pendulum Summon each turn, making it little more than a fat body. The only exception is when your Opponent has a link arrow that points into one of your zones.

The remainder of the Zefra monster lineup is entirely down to personal preference. You can even replace Zefracore and Zefrathuban with other generic cards if you were insane enough.

 

Mildly-to-Extremely Questionable Picks

Zefra Metaltron: He is literally here for flavor points. There is probably a better monster to play over Metaltron for the link arrows. Hell, even Draco Master of the Tenyi is probably better...

Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir: This is a flex spot. You can literally play whatever the hell you want here. I just like Bagooska as it induces copious amounts of salt. Save some fees on salt. College has ways to make a man broke.

Knightmare Package: More flex spots. Knightmares are generically good in most situations, but you can play whatever you desire.

Accesscode: Ditto.

Zefra Path: This is strictly a Side Deck option. If you are playing against a deck that does get utterly cucked by this floodgate, you can side it in and search it off Zefraniu.

 

Terrible Ideas to Consider:

Here are some (probably) absolutely awful ideas to try out if you're trying to actively make your deck worse.

Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians: You can make this off Shaddoll Zefranaga and Zefrasaber, Swordmaster of the Nekroz. Why anyone would do this, I couldn't quite say. In the case that you don't play Halqifibrax on turn 1, you can summon Halq, pulling an Effect Veiler from your deck. From there, you summon Selene, use Selene's effect to revive the Veiler and make an Accesscode, I guess.

Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon: After being Semi-Limited, Dragoon may actually be a decent consideration over DPE. However, there is still a decent probability of hard drawing the Fusion Destiny, so it's really your call at this point.

My old Halq Combo: Replace Baronne de Fleur with Ravenous Crocodragon Arcethys, slot in a Metaphys Horus in the ED, and replace Creation Resonator with Hop Ear Squadron. My old guide covers this combo, but I'll just paste it here:

1. Get a monster and a tuner on board, and only those 2 monsters. Resist the urge to pendulum summon everything out of hand. If you're desperate, the handtraps are tuners.


2. Summon Crystron Halqifibrax, activate its trigger effect to summon Deskbot 001 from deck.


3. Link for Mecha-Phantom Beast Auroradon, summon 3 tokens, then summon 001 from GY.


4. Using a token and 001, summon Herald of the Arc Light.


5. Using Auroradon's 2nd effect, tribute 2 tokens to summon Mecha-Phantom Beast Coltwing. Coltwing effect for 2 tokens, and summon 001 from GY again.


6. 001 and token to summon Cupid Pitch, choose to increase level.


7. Level 5 Cupid Pitch and token for Borreload Savage Dragon, equip Halq. Use Cupid Pitch's effect to search Hop Ear Squadron.

During your Opponent's turn, you can use Hop Ear in order to Synchro Summon for Metaphys Horus for an additional negate. Keep in mind that Metaphys Horus' negate is an on-summon trigger, so it will not go on the same chain.

In the case that 001 is negated by either Ghost Belle or Skull Meister after Auroradon summons 3 tokens, you can either: use Auroradon to tribute 2 tokens and summon Coltwing, and summon the 001. From here, you make Cupid Pitch and do the standard combo to make a Borrelsavage. Then, you can use the Hop Ear you searched to summon Ravenous Crocodragon Archethys at the start of your Opponent's MP1 using Hop Ear and Coltwing.

OR: Choose to reduce the level of Cupid Pitch, and then synchro summon Ravenous Crocodragon with 3 materials to draw 2 cards. Then use Hop Ear to make Horus during Opponent's turn.

Nekroz of Unicore: Look, all I'm saying is that Arc Light can search a ritual, and Zefra is totally capable of playing a ritual.

More Zefras: If you prefer flavor over playability, you can totally replace DPE, Handtraps, and more with even more Zefras. The only merit is that you have more scales to draw and might be able to make halq more frequently? idk, but hey, you do you.

*Tierra, Source of Destruction: For anyone who has read the Yugioh wiki, the tips page for Tierra suggests that you play her in Zefra. Unfortunately, this is outdated advice from MR3, and this is no longer viable (not that it ever was.) But I'm not your dad, if you're determined to make this work, then go ahead. Hell, I'll paypal five bucks to anyone who manages this in an actual game.

 

Yeah, that's about it. If you want a good Pendulum deck, you're looking in the wrong places. Go watch Trif.