All you have to do to summon one is have two monsters of the same level, then put one on top of the other! With rank 4 monsters this is even easier. I mean, what deck doesn’t run at least a few level 4 monsters? Even decks that focus on big beat-stick monsters like Blue Eyes White Dragon will run enough level 4’s to make rank 4 XYZ monsters. And with so many great choices, how do you decide which to include? To help you make that choice, let’s look at some of the best in the game.
15. Number 50: Blackship of Corn
This card is absolutely great for removing monsters with powerful effects. By detaching one material from Number 50, you can target and send a monster on the field to the graveyard, provided that monster has attack less than or equal to Number 50’s. The wording here is what makes this card so fantastic. Sending a monster to the graveyard doesn’t count as destroying it. This means that any effects that would normally activate when a card is destroyed, don’t! If the 2100 attack limit isn’t quite working out, however, you can also use an equip spell to boost this card’s attack stat, allowing you to destroy even bigger monsters.
14. Gagaga Cowboy
Say what you like about Yuma from Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, he sure had some great extra deck cards. And the most ridiculous hair out of all of the Yu-Gi-Oh protagonists, but that’s neither here nor there (and could be a list itself!) With Gagaga Cowboy, you can detach 1 XYZ material and then pick from 2 effects, depending on what position this card is in. While Gagaga Cowboy is in attack position, you can boost his attack to 2500 while reducing your opponent’s monster’s attack by 500. This is handy for getting over some big threats, being able to defeat monsters with up to 3000 attack. His defense position is the better of the two effects. You can detach one XYZ material to inflict 800 LP damage to your opponent. While this may not sound like a lot of damage, it means that no matter what defenses your opponent has put up, you can always use this effect to finish them off once they’re low enough.
13. Number 82: Heartlandraco
In a meta game absolutely full of field spells, this card is insanely useful. While a face-up spell is on the field, this card cannot be targeted for attacks – meaning it’ll stay on the field for as long as you need. You can then detach one XYZ material from this card to attack directly. The fact that this guy can’t be targeted for attacks means that with two XYZ materials you can sink in a devastating 4000 damage! Combine this with cards like XYZ Import to attach more materials to this card, and you can just keep on attacking until you win.
12. Diamond Dire Wolf
While this may seem like a staple for Beast decks only, it’s actually a great Rank 4 monster for any deck. By detaching an XYZ material from this card you can target one Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged-Beast monster and any other card on the field and destroy them both. If you’re running a deck with Beasts, this gives you a whole range of monsters you can destroy. However in non-Beast decks, you can target Diamond Dire Wolf with its own effect. This is great for removing any sort of threat your opponent has, be it monster, spell, or trap, all for the cost of two level 4 monsters.
11. Time Thief Redoer
Konami certainly wasn’t lying when they called this guy a thief. With Time Thief Redoer, you can literally steal the top card of your opponent’s deck every single turn! By detaching either a monster, spell, or trap from this card’s XYZ materials, you can get one of three abilities. The best abilities here are from detaching a spell card, allowing you to draw a card, or from detaching a trap card, allowing you to put any of your opponent’s cards on the top of their deck. The trap ability lets you know exactly what card you’re stealing, setting you up for the perfect Yu-Gi-Oh! heist.
10. Evolzar Dolkka
If this monster wasn’t limited to dinosaur decks-only, it would be WAY higher up on this list (and on the ban list too, most likely!) Evolzar Dolkka gives you two quick play negates on monster effects, all for the low low price of two dinosaur monsters. Yu-Gi-Oh always has been (and always will be) about using powerful monster effects to mess up your opponent. And this effect makes Evolzar Dolkka an insanely valuable card in any dinosaur deck.
9. Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon
As one of my favorite Dimension Dragons from ARC-V, Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon takes your opponents biggest monsters and says “I can do one better”. By detaching 2 XYZ materials from this card, you can halve the attack of any monster on the field – and gain the attack lost! This means you’re effectively attacking your opponent directly for 2500 attack. The crazy thing about this card is that the attack gain is permanent, meaning you’ll have a huge monster on the field for as long as you need. This is great for making a comeback and steamrolling whatever your opponent throws your way.
8. Daigusto Emeral
Daigusto Emeral is great in any deck, and phenomenal in a normal monster deck. By detaching one XYZ material from this card, you can shuffle back 3 monsters from your graveyard into the deck, then draw a card. This allows you to recycle your most powerful monsters again and again. The fact you can draw a card immediately after just makes it even more likely you’ll be able to use those monsters, too. If you’re running a deck with normal monsters, you can alternatively special summon one normal monster from your graveyard. In something like a Blue Eyes deck, this can mean a free BEWD whenever you need it.
7. Number 39: Utopia
When you think of XYZ monsters, you think of Utopia. Loads of duelists, myself included, had their first introduction to XYZ summoning with the Number 39: Utopia starter deck. While a starter deck card, Number 39: Utopia is certainly not weak! You can detach one material at a time to negate an attack from your opponent (or your own attacks, in very niche strategies, like Double or Nothing beatdown). There’s also a whole bunch of support for this card. Cards like Number S39: Utopia the Lightning can be summoned with Number 39: Utopia as the entire material, turning this card into a 5000 attack beast.
6. Number 106: Giant Hand
It wouldn’t be a modern Yu-Gi-Oh list if we didn’t include at least one negate card. Number 106 allows you to completely negate a monster effect while this card is face up on the field, rendering your opponent’s monsters useless! The targeted monster also can’t change its battle position, meaning if it has a weak original attack (like Relinquished, etc.) then you can just run into it for a whole bunch of damage. This is way better than most negate cards, which will negate effects for one turn or so. Number 106 gives you multiple turns of protection from powerful monster effects, leaving you safe to play uninterrupted.
5. Traptrix Rafflesia
What’s better than Bottomless Trap Hole? How about every single “Trap Hole” card whenever you need it? You can detach one XYZ material from Traptrix Rafflesia to turn this card’s ability into any “Trap Hole” card from your deck, as long as its activation condition has been met. This means you can play Bottomless Trap Hole, Floodgate Trap Hole, or any of the others at any time – allowing you to negate pretty much any summon whenever you need.
4. Tornado Dragon
Now this is a great rank 4 monster to end a turn on. A problem I found when starting out in Yu-Gi-Oh! was that I had all of the resources I needed to summon these extra deck monsters… but which ones do I summon, and which are the best monsters to finish a turn on? Tornado Dragon has a quick effect ability that allows you to destroy any spell or trap on the field. This allows you to stop many of your opponent’s strategies before they can even begin. And this makes Tornado Dragon a fantastic monster to end a turn on, since it leaves you with some proactive defense options during your opponent’s turn. I’d recommend using this effect to get rid of field spells, which often allow decks to search for their best combo pieces every single turn.
3. Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer
Castel is essentially two of Yu-Gi-Oh’s most powerful cards wrapped into one monster: Compulsory Evacuation Device and Book of Moon. With Castel you can choose between detaching one XYZ material or two, with each giving you a different effect. Detaching one material allows you to flip any monster on the field face-down. This is fantastic for getting rid of your opponent’s powerful attacking monsters, especially if they have a low defense. This effect is also great for re-using your own flip effects, allowing you to use your most powerful effects all over again.
2. Number 101: Silent Honor Ark
Being able to destroy your opponent’s monsters is great. But it doesn’t prevent them bringing it straight back with Monster Reborn. Number 101 is monster removal on a whole new level, by attaching monsters to it as XYZ materials. This means if your opponent wants their monster back, they’ll have to destroy Number 101 first, and then they need to have the right cards to revive their monster. Destroying Number 101 is no small feat either. You can detach one material from this card to prevent it from being destroyed by battle or card effect! This means your opponent will have to destroy this card 3 times to get their monster back!
1. Evilswarm Exciton Knight
The comeback king himself. Evilswarm Exciton Knight is the perfect way to turn any game around. As long as your opponent has more cards in their hand and field than you do, you can detach one material from this card to destroy every other card on the field. This is like Black Rose Dragon, but better, as this effect leaves you with a monster to defend with. The crazy thing about this effect is that it only costs one material to activate. Meaning you can do it again on your next turn! Basically, this is a great rank 4 for any deck. No matter what deck you’re playing, we all get bad draws sometimes. Evilswarm Exciton Knight ensures that even if your draws are awful, you won’t be out of the game just yet.
