Thursday Deck Spotlight: Josh's Legendary Dragons & Ghoulies Deck

The Goal of the Deck
The initial idea behind the deck was that by playing 2 legends in the same turn, utilizing the cheap linking of Shadowflare and Sphinxra, the follow-up Necrostag could KO any active Deceptnuts my opponent just played, since the first legend eats up the Deceptnut negation.

How the Deck Works
The deck needs to draw a lot of cards so that it can find cheap basics to link into a removal legend that will reduce the opponent's board presence. It can either focus on removing opposing critters to prevent the opponent from gaining too many escape points with them, or on creating a hard-to-answer board presence with sphinxra and ghoulrex.
If removal isn't an option, then it is still often worthwhile to link into a legend to gain a chunk of points, rather than hold onto them forever for the right moment, and let your opponent get too far ahead in scoring.

Card Spotlights
Proactive link targets: Sphinxra and Ghoulrex. They have sizeable EPs and usually guarantee you get some value if they get KO'd.

Reactive link targets: Necrostag, Dracoria, and to a lesser extent Sphinxra (with Slyscale) and Shadowflare. Unless you're in a bad spot in the race, Dracoria is good to hold onto to get a high value play. Necrostag should only be KOing your own Sphinxras if you need to boardwipe, or an exhausted or 0-EP Ghoulrex if you can immediately use the field slot for something that will score you needed points or get you more value. Otherwise, save that deer for opposing legend removal.

2 - 3 Combos
Ghoulrex gets a ton of value by reviving Dreadhound--and even moreso on your turn if you're behind on rescues--, Scorchling, and Grimshaman. 

The single Harmonix helps to make all your legends, aside from Shadowflare, easier to summon. It may be better to run more copies, as it makes Ghoulrex with any other critter in the deck.

Dribbit, while unassuming, gives Scorchling, Shadowflare, and Dracoria a lot more flexibility, enabling them to remove much of the cardpool.

Slyscale is primarily a combo piece with Sphinxra. I try to save it as an on-demand Sphinxra boardwipe, but it can also help to summon legends if you're stuck with low cost critters and need to make something with a bigger link cost than Shadowflare. In that way it acts like a baby Harmonix in a pinch, giving you 3 EP for little investment. It can also be used recycle a pacified Ghoulrex if they're afflicted by some Snuggler or Fishpal tomfoolery.

Closing Thoughts
It is really cool to see such a controlling archetype take place and sit atop the meta game - for now. The idea to max out on Shadowflare and Necrostag was originally born out of necessity to respond to Deceptnut, a powerful Snuggler Legend that negates the first Legend summoned during your next turn, and ultimately showed itself to be a very potent strategy that has the ability to alter how people play and build their decks moving forward. I am excited to see how the archetype further adapts, as well as what new decks rise due to its existence!

Want to copy and paste this list to play on TCG Arena, here ya go:

1 Auroragon
1 Bonelash
1 Necrorex
1 Gigantorix
2 Dracoria
3 Ghoulrex
2 Sphinxra
3 Necrostag
3 Shadowflare
1 Morbidos
3 Cryptail
2 Slyscale
3 Grimshaman
2 Luxurion
3 Shellfire
1 Enchantra
3 Dreadhound
3 Gleamdrake
3 Scorchling
2 Dribbit
1 Harmonix