Guide to Playing Blackwings

At the start of the Duel, the additional Skill adds Black-Winged Dragon and Blackwing Armor Master to the Extra Deck, while also locking the summon to Blackwing and Synchro DARK Dragon/Winged Beast Level 10 and below. Therefore, when building your deck, you must accept that this is a relatively pure Synchro deck.

• as long as you reveal a monster that mentions Black-Winged Dragon, you can take 2 Blackwings from the Deck and send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard. This makes cards such as ata, Shamal, Sudri, Chinook... both an activation condition for Skill and a starting point for various combos. So when building your deck, do not just look at the number of Blackwings; make sure you have enough cards that actually trigger Skill.

• The next important point is that you should not always press Skill immediately. If your hand already has a card that meets the conditions, you can deploy first with Simoon/Sudri, even using Sudri to check whether the opponent has Droll & Lock Bird before deciding to activate Skill. This way, you avoid turning Skill into a habit button rather than using it at the most advantageous moment.

• Sending cards to the Graveyard is also very important. When playing defensively, you can actively send cards such as Shamal, Auster or Zephyros to turn the Skill’s “discard” part into a resource for combos and follow-ups. Therefore, always think ahead about which card you want to send to the Graveyard, instead of just discarding any random card

• The third effect is how Skill completes the endboard. Once you have Blackwing Synchro or the opponent has a monster, Skill brings Blackwing Armor Master onto the field and takes Blackbird Close from the Outside Deck. Remember that timing is crucial: in combos that use Skill to get Close, perform this step before Synchronizing into Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss, otherwise you may lose the condition to use Skill.

Besides, Skill can only use its second and third effects once per Duel, so do not treat them as unlimited resources. Depending on the matchup, you may choose to use Skill early to complete the endboard with an extra disruption, or hold Skill back as a follow-up for the next turn. This is one of the important decisions when playing Blackwings

Simoon is one of the most important starters of the deck. It lets you bring Black Whirlwind onto the field immediately, thereby opening up the search chain that Blackwings needs to start the combo. So, when Simoon is on hand, most of the time you want to use it to fetch Whirlwind and begin deployment.

An important point is not to rush using Skill if your hand already has all the conditions. You can deploy Simoon/Sudri first to check Droll & Lock Bird before deciding to use Skill. Simoon also releases a Spell/Trap Zone for you at the End Phase, so having many Black Whirlwinds on the field does not necessarily mean you will get stuck yourself.

Sudri is the key Normal Summon of the deck and can search Blackwings that mention Blackwing Dragon. This is why Sudri is often the card you want to Normal Summon after Simoon, and it is also one of the cards most frequently retrieved by the Skill.

Notably, Sudri's search is not limited by a hard once per turn, so when you gain an additional Normal Summon from Nothung, you can Normal Summon Sudri again and continue searching. During the combo, make use of both Sudri and Black Whirlwind to continuously fetch the missing pieces instead of focusing on just one search.

Vata is one of the most important combo pieces. It can Special Summon itself and help bring Black-Winged Dragon onto the field, while also sending a Blackwing from the Deck to the Graveyard. This makes Vata both an extender and a Graveyard setup tool.

In practice, Vata is often an important search target after Sudri/Black Whirlwind. It also allows you to intentionally send cards like Zephyros to the Graveyard to continue the combo, so when there are multiple options to search, Vata is often one of the cards to prioritize.

Shamal is a card of special value because it works very well from both the hand and the Graveyard. You can discard Shamal to set up Feather Whirlwind, then continue using its Graveyard effect to retrieve a Blackwing and extend the combo. Therefore, Shamal is both a starter and a follow-up resource.

Especially when going second, the fact that the Skill allows you to voluntarily send Shamal to the Graveyard turns the Skill's discard into an advantage. Once you have a Blackwing Synchro on the field, Shamal in the Graveyard can become a quick effect to destroy an opponent's face-up card, making it one of the cards very much worth voluntarily sending to the Graveyard.

Chinook is the most important hand trap of Blackwings. When going second, it lets you negate your opponent's monster effect without needing to have a Blackwing on the field, so this is a tool that helps the deck not rely entirely on going first.

When going first, Chinook instead becomes a layer of interaction held in the hand. Therefore, if you already have enough resources for the combo, searching Chinook instead of taking another combo piece often gives the end board an additional layer of protection.

Zephyros is primarily not a card you want to Normal Summon, but rather a resource to send to the Graveyard and then reuse. While in the Graveyard, it can be Special Summoned by bouncing a Continuous Spell, especially Black Whirlwind, thereby both freeing up a Spell/Trap Zone and creating an additional body to continue Synchro Summoning.

Therefore, Zephyros is often one of the best cards to send to the Graveyard with a Skill or through Vata/Boreas. It is particularly important in long combos and situations that require additional resources to continue Synchro Summoning or set up a follow-up on the next turn.

Auster is mainly for situations where you go second. When sent to the Graveyard, it can become a tool for placing Wedge Counters on your opponent's monsters, which can then be combined with Blackwing Full Armor Master to reduce them to 0 or take control of monsters with counters.

Therefore, Auster usually isn't the card you want to hold to start a combo on Turn 1. Its value lies in being sent to the Graveyard by a Skill and becoming a way to break large boss monsters when you have to play through your opponent's end board.

Gale is an extender and Tuner that gives the deck more Synchro options. What makes it noteworthy is that it can halve the ATK of an opponent's monster, so when going second, it both helps break the board and provides the necessary Level to continue the combo. Gale is currently underrated compared to its actual value, as it has good ATK and can be searched easily with Black Whirlwind.

In combos, Gale is often kept as an essential piece for reaching the final Synchro Summons, especially in lines that use Full Armor Master or need an additional Tuner to complete the board.

Bora is a very simple yet useful extender: you can Special Summon it when you already have a Blackwing on the field. This is one of the cards that can be searched through many different options, such as Black Whirlwind, Sudri, and Skill, so just one copy is enough in many builds.

Bora is usually not a card you need to keep multiple copies of; its main role is to provide an additional body to continue Synchro Summoning and support sending Zephyros or other resources to the Graveyard through related combos.

Oroshi is mainly used as a Level 1 Tuner to complete the necessary Synchros in a combo. It is especially important in lines ending with Level 8-10 boss monsters, because with just a Level 1 Tuner, you can continue converting the bodies currently on the field into the appropriate Synchro Monsters.

Since Oroshi can be searched with Black Whirlwind and is mainly used as a combo piece, you normally do not need too many copies. Its value lies in the exact timing with which it is brought onto the field to complete a Synchro, rather than in its individual effect itself.

Sharnga is a very useful extender because it can Special Summon itself from the hand while you control a monster with 2.000 ATK or more. This makes it very easy to bring onto the field during a combo, especially when the deck already has Black-Winged Dragon or other boss monsters.

Sharnga's greater value lies in the Graveyard. During your opponent's turn, if you control a Blackwing Synchro on the field, Sharnga can banish itself to pop an opponent's card. Therefore, this is a very good card to deliberately send to the Graveyard during a combo; afterward, it becomes a disruption without taking up an additional spot on the field. Note that this is an effect banish, not a cost, so your opponent can chain effects that respond to the banish to deal with it.

In practice, Sharnga is often used as a combo piece and backup disruption, rather than necessarily being kept in the hand until the end of the turn. This is also why combos have lines that actively search Sharnga, send it to the Graveyard, and then use it again through Feather Whirlwind.

Black Whirlwind is the most important search engine for Blackwings. Each time you Normal Summon a Blackwing, this card can help you find an appropriate Blackwing in your Deck, so the longer you extend the combo and the more Normal Summons you have, the more searches you get. This is also why lines involving Nothung are very strong: an additional Normal Summon can become another search.

One point to remember is that Black Whirlwind can search any Blackwing, so this is the way to get cards like Black Shadow Squall that Sudri cannot search. During a combo, pay attention to the order in which you activate Black Whirlwind and Sudri's effect so you do not accidentally lose a search; arranging the Chain correctly can also help you chain block a Blackwing's effect.

Additionally, Black Whirlwind does not necessarily have to be used only once per turn. Zephyros can return Black Whirlwind to the hand, and then you can activate it again, turning a Continuous Spell into a source of searches for multiple plays in the same turn or on later turns.

Black Feather Whirlwind is the piece that helps Blackwing combos shift from “searching and summoning” to actually generating multiple layers of resources. Shamal can discard itself to set this card, and then each time you Synchro Summon a Blackwing, Whirlwind can Special Summon a Blackwing from the Graveyard; therefore, Shamal both sets up the Trap/Spell card and prepares resources in advance to continue the combo.

Blackbird Close is the most important monster negation in the end board and is especially valuable because Skill can add it to your hand without putting this Trap card itself into the Deck. It negates a monster's effect by Tributing a Blackwing, so you usually want to keep a Blackwing valuable enough to use as material or a Tribute when needed.

The important point when playing Close is don't use it too early just because you can negate. If your Deck has another copy of Blackbird Close in addition to the one added by Skill, you can create more layers of monster negation, making you less afraid of being baited.

Another thing to note is not to confuse Close being able to activate from the hand with it being able to stop all of your opponent's hand traps. An old ruling once allowed for broader interaction, but currently you should not rely on Close to protect you from monster effects activated from the hand as you did before.

Twin Shadows is a Trap Card geared toward follow-up and board breaking, and is especially strong when going second. It uses Blackwings in the Graveyard or banished to Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster, and since the summoned monster is treated as having been Synchro Summoned, you can fully utilize the effects of those Synchros.

Black Shadow Squall is a Counter Trap used to negate a Spell/Trap by removing one Black Feather Counter from the field. Since it is a Counter Trap, it is one of the hardest forms of disruption to answer in the Blackwings' end board.

The most important point when building a combo is to find the right way to get Squall. Black Whirlwind can search it because Whirlwind can search any Blackwing, while Sudri cannot search Squall because Squall does not mention Black-Winged Dragon. Therefore, in many lines, you use Sudri to get the necessary monster and let Black Whirlwind get Squall.

Squall also has the ability to return itself to play: during your turn, it can be banished and then set again from the Graveyard while you control a Blackwing Dragon. Therefore, do not view this as only a single negate; if you can maintain the condition, it can become a resource for subsequent turns.

Black-Winged Dragon is a very important combo piece because it both serves as a condition to bring Blackwing Assault Dragon onto the field and helps activate the interactions centered around Black Feather Counter. Therefore, in many combos, you should not rush to remove it from the field if you still need to use Black Shadow Squall or the subsequent lines.

A noteworthy point is that Black-Winged Dragon can be created very early through Vata, after which it can be kept as the foundation for the rest of the combo. Some lines will deliberately create an additional second Black-Winged Dragon because the deck uses them quite quickly, while this also opens up further possibilities for Black Shadow Squall.

Nothung is one of the most important Synchros for expanding the combo. Its greatest value does not lie in inflicting damage, but in the additional Normal Summon, which allows you to Normal Summon another Blackwing and continue to gain additional searches from Black Whirlwind or that monster's own effect.

This is why a line often goes from small monsters into Nothung first, then uses the additional Normal Summon to get another round of searching. In combos with Sudri, this allows you to continue searching for the missing pieces instead of having to stop the combo after one Normal Summon. Nothung is also a very natural bridge into larger Synchros.

Boreas is a Synchro primarily used for setting up the graveyard and adjusting Levels for combos. When it is Synchro Summoned, it can send a Blackwing from the Deck to the Graveyard and adjust its Level according to the monster just sent, so you can proactively choose the right setup monster instead of just summoning an intermediate Synchro.

In practice, Boreas often serves as the bridge between Nothung and larger bosses like Full Armor Master or Assault Dragon. An important option is sending Zephyros to prepare a follow-up, or sending a Level 4 needed to bring Assault Dragon online faster. So do not view Boreas merely as a "Synchro Level 6"; see it as a Graveyard setup tool and Level adjuster for entire combos.

Full Armor Master is a boss monster that gives Blackwings a very strong anchor on the field. We usually aim to bring it out after setting up enough in the Graveyard, and the Skill also lets you place Armor Master from the Extra Deck face-down, then Flip Summon it at the right time.

The most valuable aspect of Armor Master is its ability to interact with Wedge Counter. When your opponent already has a counter, you can use Armor Master to deal with or take control of that monster, depending on the situation. Because of this, this card is especially useful when going second or when you have to deal with boss monsters with high ATK/DEF that Blackwings struggle to get past through normal battles.

One important note is that the Skill must be used to get Armor Master before creating Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss, because after going into Abyss, you may lose the condition needed to activate the part of the Skill that requires a Blackwing Synchro on the field.

Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss is the main omni-negate on the end board. Standard combos usually try to leave one route open to reach Abyss after completing the main setup, thereby adding a layer of negation that can handle many different types of the opponent's cards.

The timing for Abyss is very important. You should not simply see a Level 8 and immediately Synchro Summon it; complete the parts of the combo involving the Skill and the resources you need first. 

Blackwing Assault Dragon is the deck's main boss and one of the reasons Blackwings can create an end board that is difficult to deal with. It can be Synchro Summoned normally or Special Summoned by banishing appropriate Blackwing resources from the field/Graveyard, so you can usually make one during the combo and then use the remaining resources to make a second one.

The value of Assault Dragon increases very quickly when the opponent starts using monster effects: each time they activate an effect, the Dragon accumulates Feather Counters and inflicts damage. When it has enough counters, it can Tribute itself to clear away the remaining cards on the field. Two Assault Dragon on the field cause the damage to increase significantly, so an end board with two will put enormous pressure on the opponent.

However, keep in mind that if Assault Dragon is Special Summoned by its own banishing method, it is not considered to have been properly Synchro Summoned, so it cannot simply be revived afterward. If you need to recover this resource, you usually aim to use Shamal rather than expecting Feather Whirlwind to revive an Assault Dragon Summoned this way.

Silverwind is mainly brought out through Blackwing Twin Shadows, especially when you need to break the board during your opponent's turn. When Special Summoned by Twin Shadows and treated as having been Synchro Summoned, Silverwind can use its effect to deal with up to two face-up monsters your opponent controls that meet the DEF condition.

Therefore, Silverwind does not necessarily have to be Summoned in the Turn 1 combo. Keep Twin Shadows as a tool to wait until your opponent's turn and then convert resources in the Graveyard/banished state into Synchro removal. This is also why Silverwind is especially worthwhile when going second or when your opponent has already established multiple monsters on the field.

Raikiri is a choice geared toward going second and breaking the board. Once you already have another Blackwing on the field, it can use its effect to destroy your opponent's cards, so in situations where you need to destroy back row or monsters before continuing to Synchro, Raikiri can be a very effective intermediate step.

One special point is that Raikiri can be used as a Synchro Tuner in a combo. Therefore, after using it to clear the board, you can still continue building into bigger bosses such as Blackwing Assault Dragon instead of ending the combo right there.

Obsidian Hawk Joe is mainly a board-recovery card, not the first target of the combo. Its role is most evident when the combo is disrupted or you need to rebuild after taking Nibiru: Joe can use its effect to bring a Synchro Tuner back to the field, reopening Synchro lines that seemed lost.

A typical line is that after being hit by Nibiru, you use Zonda to create a Level 6, summon Obsidian Hawk Joe, then use Joe's effect to revive a Synchro Tuner. After that, Zephyros and the remaining resources can help you continue into Assault Dragon or Full Armor Master. Therefore, this is a card to remember when facing situations where the board has been destroyed but your Graveyard still has plenty of resources.