If you want to create a Yu-Gi-Oh! deck that controls the flow of the duel and has multiple options for removing your opponent’s key cards from the field, it’s time for you to give Wind Monsters a try. While Wind cards aren’t played quite as often as their Light, Dark, and Earth counterparts, some of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s most recognizable Monsters — including the Harpie archetype and the popular Synchro Monster, Stardust Dragon — belong to this attribute.

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Many Spell, Trap, and Monster effects that work with any Wind deck allow you to remove cards from the field without destroying them. Since modern decks often make use of tricky Monster cards that can’t be destroyed by battle or card effect (but can be removed by, say, sending them back to the hand or deck), Wind support cards like these can be an invaluable addition to your game plan. If you want to create a deck with Harpy, Dragunity, or any other Wind cards, it’s a good idea to take a look at the unique Spells, Traps, and effects that complement the attribute.

10 Lock Your Opponent Out Of Their Graveyard: Sealing Ceremony Of Raiton

Sealing Ceremony of Raiton card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Sealing Ceremony of Raiton allows you to return one of your face-up Wind Monsters to the deck in order to banish two cards from your opponent’s Graveyard. This Continuous Trap is an effective counter to cards that Special Summon themselves from the Graveyard like Destiny HERO – Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer and Eldlich the Golden Lord.

This Trap card is also useful for dealing with Spell, Trap, and Monster effects that activate in the Graveyard. The cost of returning one of your Wind Monsters to the deck may be too steep to play this card in some decks. That said, Wind decks that swarm the field with weaker Monsters benefit greatly from this Continuous Trap since giving up a low level Monster is a small price to pay to lock your opponent out of Graveyard effects.

9 Remove Protected Cards: Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi

Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

A Trap that can even get rid of cards that can’t be destroyed by battle or card effects, Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi lets you tribute one Wind Monster to send any one card your opponent controls to the bottom of their deck.

This Trap card can be activated on your opponent’s turn to stop them from activating Trap cards or Monster effects. Alternatively, it can be used on your turn to help clear the field for an attack. Since Miyabi sends cards back to the deck, it allows you to avoid effects that activate when a card is sent to the Graveyard.

8 Return Powerful Monsters To The Hand: Quill Pen Of Gulldos

Quill Pen of Gulldos card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Quill Pen of Gulldos is a Spell that takes advantage of your Wind Monsters in the Graveyard to remove an opponent’s card from the field. By shuffling two Wind Monsters in your Graveyard into the deck, this card allows you to target one card on your or your opponent’s field and return it to the hand.

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There are two main reasons to use Quill Pen of Gulldos over a similar removal card like the Trap card Compulsory Evacuation Device (which also returns a card on the field to the hand). First, Quill Pen of Gulldos is a Spell card, so it can be activated on your first turn after adding it to your hand. Second, this card places Wind Monsters in your Graveyard back into your deck, meaning it works well with card effects that Special Summon Monsters from the deck or Extra Deck.

7 Summon One, Get One Free: Summon Storm

Summon Storm card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

For the modest cost of 800 life points, Summon Storm allows you to Special Summon any Level Six or lower Wind Monster from your hand. On its own, this is a decent effect that helps you get multiple Monsters on the field quickly, but Summon Storm actually gives you two chances to Special Summon a Wind Monster to the field.

From the turn after Summon Storm was sent to the Graveyard onward, you can banish it to Special Summon a Level Four or lower Wind Monster from the hand. Compare this Spell to Double Summon, a similar card that lets you conduct two Normal Summons in one turn. One Summon Storm essentially gives Wind decks Double Summon’s effect twice — and a better version the first time around.

6 Special Summon Sabotage: Barrier Statue Of The Stormwinds

Barrier Statue Of The Stormwinds card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

This Effect Monster gives you a potentially game-deciding advantage against any opponent that doesn’t use the Wind attribute in their deck. Preventing both players from Special Summoning Monsters other than Wind Monsters, Barrier Statue of the Stormwinds can stop your opponent from making any plays that involve Special Summoning cards from their hand, Deck, or Extra Deck.

This Barrier Statue’s low attack and defense make it vulnerable to Normal Summoned Monsters. But if you can protect this card with Traps or effects, your rival duelist won’t be able to keep up with your Special Summons.

5 Replace And Rampage: Cataclysmic Cryonic Coldo

Cataclysmic Cryonic Coldo card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Cataclysmic Cryonic Coldo lets you replace a destroyed Monster and remove a Spell or Trap from the field with one effect. If one or more of your Wind Monsters is destroyed by battle or an opponent’s card effect, you can Special Summon this Level Eight Monster from your hand and move any Spell or Trap card on the field to the top of the deck.

In addition to giving you a powerful Monster with 2,600 attack, Cryonic Coldo’s effect lets you make the duel more predictable by determining what card your opponent will add to their hand during their next draw phase. If, for example, your opponent has a face-up Trap on the field, you can return that card to their deck, leaving them with a card that they won’t be able to activate until your next turn.

4 Field To Hand And Back Again: Harpie Dancer

Harpie Dancer card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Harpie Dancer is a Winged Beast Monster with a versatile effect. While this card is on the field, you can target one Wind Monster you control and return it to the hand. After this, you can Normal Summon one Wind Monster.

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Depending on the situation, Harpie Dancer can be used to swap out material for an Extra Deck summon, return a vulnerable Monster to the hand, or get back a Monster with an effect that activates in the hand. Cataclysmic Cryonic Coldo, for example, is sometimes more useful in the hand than it is on the field.

3 The Wind Deck Combo Card: Altitude Knight

Altitude Knight card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Altitude Knight is a card that allows you to send one Wind Monster from your deck to your Graveyard, once per turn, when another Monster on the field returns to the hand or deck. Altitude Knight’s effect can be activated by other Wind support cards like Harpie Dancer, Quill Pen of Gulldos, and Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi.

You can take full advantage of Altitude Knight by using its effect to target Monsters in your deck with Graveyard effects. For instance, the Wind Tuner Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice can be banished from your Graveyard in order to negate an opponent’s attack. Altitude Knight can also be used to support cards that use resources in your Graveyard such as Daigusto Eguls and Daigusto Gulldos, which both move Monsters in the Graveyard in order to destroy your opponent’s cards.

2 Send Monster Cards Flying: Destruction Cyclone

Destruction Cyclone card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Although Destruction Cyclone requires two tributes to get onto the field when Normal Summoned, this Reptile can be a devastating addition to Wind decks that aim to get as many Monsters on the field as possible.

While its 2,000 attack points are unusually low for a Level Seven Monster, Destruction Cyclone isn’t meant to remain on the field for long. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, every Monster on the field except face-up Wind Monsters go with it. During your opponent’s Battle Phase, this card can punish them for declaring an attack. And once it’s your turn, Destruction Cyclone gives your other Monsters a chance to land a direct attack.

1 The Wind Attribute Ally: Daigusto Phoenix

Daigusto Phoenix card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Daigusto Phoenix is the definitive Wind support Monster. This XYZ card’s effect allows you to discard an XYZ material in order to give one of your Wind Monsters the ability to attack twice during the Battle Phase of that turn. When Daigusto Phoenix’s effect is used on a Wind Monster with high attack points, it can set up single-turn wins.

Since Daigusto Phoenix only requires two Level Two Monsters to summon, it’s also fairly easy to get on the field. Both Gusto and Dragunity Wind Monster archetypes have a variety of Level Two Wind Monsters that work as material for Daigusto Phoenix.

Next: Yu-Gi-Oh: Best Normal Monster Support Cards