The Traptrix archetype features level/rank four monsters utilizing various trap cards. Originally introduced in Judgment of the Light, it took half a year and the release of Primal Origins to get the deck to a playable state. It received support throughout the years and remains a viable rogue strategy to this day.
First Decks Featuring Traptrix
The first YCS top cut decks featuring Traptrix cards come from February 2014. was played in Fire Fist strategies to search out and , which even in modern day Yu-Gi-Oh! are solid cards against most decks . In the format where rank four xyz monsters ruled the meta, a card that searched another good card when summoned was a good choice for a deck. But with May 2014 and the release of Primal Origins, Traptrix changed from just one searcher to a full engine.
H.A.T.
Primal Origins was the set that changed the format in May 2014. Probably one of the most impactful sets of the year, it introduced , also an Artifact archetype, which was printed without any secret rares. Yet, reached a respectable €40 price tag, so the upcoming top deck wasn't as cheap as someone might have thought.
Infamous picture from Reddit user Micronex from the time when Artifact Sanctum was at its highest
The first YCS where H.A.T. (short from Hand-Artifact-Traptrix) decks were making an appearance took place in Philadelphia in May of 2014, just after the set's release. The highest-ranking Traptrix deck, which however didn't play Artifact cards, finished in second place, only losing to Madolche in the finals.
H.A.T. decks were interesting at the time, because unlike other decks built around one bigger archetype, they played multiple small engines. While Traptrix cards, as well as and , offered a nice rank four engine and the possibility to search , Artifacts helped with spell and trap card removal and allowed rank five plays. In its time, H.A.T. was a versatile deck that allowed many different plays, and from May to August 2014, H.A.T. was one of the most popular decks to play. However, after the release of Duelist Alliance and Shaddoll monsters, Artifacts found a new deck, and Traptrix was left to wait for more support in the future.
The Missing Link
From 2014 to 2019, Traptrix only saw little play as a short time engine in Kozmo decks in 2015. However, the release of Battles of Legend: Hero's Revenge featured not only Sky Striker reprints, but also brand-new cards for Traptrix decks. Among them was a link one card with a little 800 attack called , which upgraded the archetype that had previously been played as an engine to a full deck. Due to Sera only requiring one Traptrix monster to be summoned, and having two very powerful effects that could be activated on the same turn, the way the deck was played changed with just one new release.
Because of Sera's release, Traptrix decks could now achieve much stronger end boards than before, and the deck was able to finally cut cards like . One card that became a staple in Traptrix decks was , which, combined with Sera's effect, allowed the deck to have both Sera and on the field at the end of turn. With both of them on the field, when going first, players had access to cards like and at the start of their opponent's turn.
After Sera's release, Traptrix has been a deck that has generated resources to the field and stunned opponents. But there has always been one problem with the archetype—while Traptrix is good at controlling the board, the deck lacks the hard-hitting cards to finish the game. And while is fun to play, it's not a card you want to have your win condition linked to. Fortunately, thanks to the possibility of rank four plays, Traptrix decks quickly included and in their strategies.
Traptrix in 2022
After the release of Traptrix Sera, the deck has received more support, not just directly through and , but also from options such as and . With every new release, there is a possibility of trap cards Traptrix players can include in their deck, but also possible rank four xyz monsters and other cards the deck can utilize.
Example Traptrix Decklist
Main Deck
Extra Deck
1
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
1
3
2
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
3
This examplary Traptrix list consists of 48 cards, including thirteen Traptrix monsters. This makes the probability of drawing at least one Traptrix monster 81%, without taking into account. Usually, one Traptrix monster is all you need and want to see to start your game, as it allows you to summon Sera and set as many trap cards as possible.
The deck is very dependant on going first and, because of that, it's not ideal for tournament play. The inclusion of helps with that. However, the biggest weakness of the deck is still facing another player's field, because getting Sera on board is so crucial to its winning strategy.
Traptrix is a deck that started off as an engine and has evolved over the time, and most likely will keep evolving whenever new cards that fit its playing style will be released. Did you play Traptrix on a H.A.T. format or did you play another deck that featured the cards at some point? Let us know in the comments below!
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