"Blackwing", known as "Black Feather" ( ＢＦ ( ブラックフェザー ) Burakku Fezā) in the Japanese version, is an archetype that debuted in Crimson Crisis, used by Crow Hogan and Robert Pearson, with the former inheriting the Deck from the latter, in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. They were also used in the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V anime by Crow's alternate universe counterpart. All members of this archetype are DARK Winged Beast monsters, except for the following:

They are a Deck with both swarming and speed capabilities. When Crimson Crisis was released, this archetype was very unsupported, with only five "Blackwing" cards being released: "Gale the Whirlwind", "Sirocco the Dawn", "Bora the Spear", "Armor Master" and "Raptor Wing Strike". Later on, with the release of Raging Battle and Ancient Prophecy, Blackwings grew into a high swarming and powerful Deck. The speed it gives with its swarming, along with its additional Synchro Summoning capabilities, landed this Deck a place on the Shonen Jump Circuit, along with being known as one of the many Meta Decks. The Deck proceeded to win the 2009 World Championships and remained popular the following year. New "Blackwing" monsters and support were released in The Shining Darkness and Starstrike Blast, giving them alternative strategies.

As of Premium Gold: Return of the Bling, the deck's swarming capabilities and consistency have been greatly improved. With the release of Dimension of Chaos and The Dark Illusion, new "Blackwing" monsters, called "Assault Blackwings", have been introduced that gain the ability to be Tuner monsters allowing for more access to Synchro Summoning thanks to "Assault Blackwing - Onimaru the Divine Thunder" having level manipulation once Summoned. The deck functions with high amounts of speed, searching, and good hand trap situations as leaving a "Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow" in hand can be used both offensively and defensively.

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Design

Most "Blackwing" monsters generally have a very bird-like appearance, with most Level 3 and lower monsters appearing as small birds while the Level 4 and higher monsters appearing to be either humanoids in bird-like outfits or humanoid birds. Most of the "Blackwing" monsters feature black in their design, usually on their wing feathering.

Members

Anime

In the anime, the "Blackwing" monsters are named after geographical elements usually related to the natural phenomena, winds and birds.

Blackwing

Manga

The manga "Blackwings" each have two origins. The first is based on parts of the day, or lunar phases. The second is based on ancient weapons.

Playing style

"Blackwings" have a strong emphasis on swarming and utilizing hand traps. Most have the ability to Special Summon themselves from the hand; others carry special effects that utilize the Graveyard and Hand to advance the gamestate. Because of these swarming capabilities, they give many opportunities to Synchro Summon and Xyz Summon. Their overall gameplan allows for quick OTKs all the while setting up multiple layers of contingency plans and proofing for additional OTKs in future turns.

Since all of the "Blackwings" rely on the hand to swarm, "Black Whirlwind" allows them to replenish their resources while giving them the ability to toolbox into certain combo pieces. And when enough Blackwings have swarmed the field, support cards like "Delta Crow - Anti Reverse" and "Black Sonic" are granted additional effects that allow them to be activated from the hand.

Because the majority of the "Blackwing" monsters are DARK and Winged Beasts, they can utilize "Icarus Attack", "Dark Armed Dragon", "Dark Illusion", "Cattle Call", "Crush Card Virus", "Deck Devastation Virus", and "Eradicator Epidemic Virus" for card destruction. They even have access to draw power such as "Allure of Darkness", "Pot of Duality", "Cards for Black Feathers", "Pot of Desires" (albeit risky) and searching power such "Raidraptor - Force Strix", "Creeping Darkness", "Swallow's Nest", "Transmodify", and "Downbeat".

The Deck has numerous mind games, forcing opponents to make less than sub-optimal plays to play around certain cards like "Icarus Attack", "Black Sonic", "Delta Crow" and "Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow". The player can create an illusion by simply setting a card in the Spell & Trap Card Zone or keeping a few cards in hand with a "Blackwing" monster on the field. Aggressive Decks are forced to slow down to stay out of range of these options that can cripple them or possibly cost the game.

With great self sustaining synergy, powerful support cards, toolbox capabilities and the ability to shift between aggressive to passive playstyles; “Blackwings” are one of the easiest archetypes to play and an overall solid archetype.

Synchro Summoning

Several of the "Blackwings", as well as their support cards, make Synchro Summoning fairly easy.

Level 5 Synchro plays: "Blizzard" can revive "Kalut" or "Gladius" to instantly access a Level 5. Any level 4 Blackwing with "Oroshi the Squall" and "Shura" searching for "Vayu".

Level 6 Synchro plays: "Blizzard" can revive a Level 4, and "Harmattan" can also be used. A Level 3 Tuner like "Pinaki", "Oroshi", or "Breeze" can combo with a Special Summon from "Gladius" or the revival of a Level 3 with "Blizzard". "Oroshi" and a Level 5 like "Sirrocco" or a Synchro can also work.

"Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight": This monster inflicts 800 damage to your opponent and lowers an opponent's monster's ATK by 800 without targeting it, causing almost all monsters with 3100 or less ATK fall to it. Its secondary effect grants an addition Normal Summon of a "Blackwing" monster, which in turn combos with "Black Whirlwind". Because of that additional Normal Summon, this card gateways into OTK plays and strong field presence.

"Blackwing Armed Wing": Although not as amazing as "Nothung", "Armed Wing" carries the benefit of piercing battle damage which can beat a lot of high Defense monsters and punish them with Battle Damage..

"Vulcan the Divine": This card can remove certain faceup problem cards while allowing you access to reuse Monsters, Spells like "Whirlwind" and Traps like "Fiendish Chain".

"Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier": Currently no longer Forbidden because of its errata, it still is a good non-destruction removal of your opponents cards.

"Stardust Charge Warrior": Another offensive monster which grants you a draw when Synchro Summoned.

“Coral Dragon” : A Tuner Synchro Monster that can remove cards from your opponent field

Level 7 Synchro plays: A Level 3 Tuner can combo with a Level 4 Blackwing that can Special Summon itself from the hand, such as "Bora" or "Kris", and vice versa with "Gale", "Breeze", "Pinaki" and any Level 4. They can also just be Special Summoned directly from the deck via the effect of "Shura" and tune with it. Additionally, "Oroshi" can combo with a Level 6, like "Elphin" or "Nothung"

Level 8 Synchro plays: "Blackwing - Kochi the Daybreak" with any Special Summoning Blackwing. You can also use "Nothung" to grant the summon of "Blizzard" and Synchro this way. "Hawk Joe" can provide the high Level monsters like "Gram", "Nothung", or "Armor Master" to be the non-Tuner. You can use "Oroshi" to be the Tuner for any Level 7. Also, you can combo any Level 3 Tuner with "Harmattan".

Level 9 Synchro plays: "Blizzard" reviving a "Kalut" or "Gladius" with another 4 star on the field (or one that can Special Summon from hand).

"Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier": Banishing your opponent's cards is always a nice thing to ruin their day.

"Mist Wurm": A mandatory effect that returns up to 3 cards your opponent controls. Not as solid as "Trishula" but removes more cards on the field.

"Vermillion Dragon Mech": A generic Level 9 Synchro that can banish a Tuner from your hand, field or GY to target and destroy a card. Can also recycle banished Tuner monster if destroyed by a card effect.

Level 10 Synchro plays: "Blizzard" and 2 Level 4 monsters. Or "Gale" / "Pinaki", "Gladius", and "Bora" / "Kris". Other options include using "Gale" / "Pinaki", and a level 7 Synchro.

"Leo, the Keeper of the Sacred Tree": A card that cannot be targeted unless in Main Phase 2.

"Beelzeus of the Diabolic Dragons": Easy to make in this deck, though it limits OTK potential. It can be a neat way to regain your lost LP and put your opponent's monster's ATK to 0 temporarily.

Level 11 Synchro Monsters plays: Synchro Summoned Raikiri with any Level 4, or "Gale" and two Level 4 monsters..

"Star Eater": Currently the only Level 11 Synchro in existence, its unaffected by card effects until the end of Damage Step, which can run over "Apoqliphort Towers".

Level 12 Synchro Monsters plays: "Sohaya" and Tuner Synchro like "Formula Synchron" and "Accel Synchron".

"Shooting Quasar Dragon": A bit difficult to pull of in pure "Blackwing" decks, it can be made with the right Synchro monsters. Can negate any card or effect during either player's turn. You can substitute "Quasar" with "Cosmic Blazar Dragon" or "Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon".

"Assault Blackwing - Onimaru the Divine Thunder": Currently the only generic Level 12 monster in the game. You can even revive it with "Hawk Joe". It has four different effects. If it was Synchro Summoned using a "Blackwing" monster as Material, then it is treated as a Tuner. Its second effect protects it from destruction effects. Its third effect is it can target any "Blackwing" monster in your GY and it becomes that level, albeit only once per Duel. Finally if it was Synchro Summoned using only Synchro Monsters, it gains 3000 ATK during the Damage Step only. This effect doesn't activate so "Number S39: Utopia the Lightning" cannot run it over.

Xyz Summoning

Because of a lot of their monsters Special Summon themselves, it is very easy for them to access Rank 4 plays and somewhat Rank 3 plays.

"Ice Beast Zerofyne": An amazing go-to monster. This card does not target and cancels an entire field-worth of problems while obtaining an increased ATK stat. Combos with "Icarus".

"Raidraptor - Force Strix": A monster that can search other Level 4 Dark Winged-Beasts. This card is useful to set up when you are finished with attacks and want to add more swarming capabilities for future turns.

Decks

Blackwings are a powerful archetype, able to quickly swarm the field, Synchro Summon, and potentially OTK every turn. Their specialty is their quick Special Summoning, allowing you to Summon multiple monsters in a single turn, then use effects of monsters such as "Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn" or "Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow" to build on one another and quickly wreak massive destruction.

Vayu Turbo

This Deck is based on getting "Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor" and high-Level "Blackwing" monsters into the Graveyard. Vayu's effect allows the Special Summon of "Blackwing" Synchros from the Extra deck by using "Blackwing" monsters in the graveyard to fulfill the level requirements; the effects of these monsters are negated. Because this is not a traditional Synchro Summon, the Synchro monsters are not revivable if they are to hit the graveyard.

The strategy then devolves into spamming high-ATK Synchro Monsters followed by swarming the field with other "Blackwing" monsters. Recycling with "Burial from a Different Dimension" to perform another Special Summon is a recommended tactic. This also allows you to return "Necro Gardna" and anything else you might remove with "Dark Armed Dragon" or "Allure of Darkness" to your Graveyard. To go along with "Burial from a Different Dimension", you can add "Return from the Different Dimension" to Summon the same cards to your side of the field and attempt an OTK. Cards that send other cards from your Deck to your Graveyard, such as "Card Trooper" (or, to a lesser extent, "Veil of Darkness"), are suggested. Another possible strategy is to Special Summon "Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor" through the effect of "Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame", negating the Synchro Summoning restriction of "Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor", and Synchro Summon "Ally of Justice Catastor".

"Crush Card Virus" is a viable tool for ditching "Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor" to the Graveyard while destroying the opponent's monsters. "Deck Devastation Virus" and/or "Eradicator Epidemic Virus" work for ditching a high-Level "Blackwing" monster to the Graveyard and destroying low-ATK monsters. This strategy works very will with this type of Deck, since you will be able to rapidly swarm the field with high-ATK DARK-Attribute Monsters, since the key cards of this Deck ("Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor", high Level "Blackwings") make perfect targets for the "Crush Card Virus". When they are in the Graveyard, you can Summon even more monsters while leaving your opponent with nothing. Furthermore, you will be looking at your opponent's hand, allowing you to predict their actions.

Another great card for this Deck is "Skill Drain" which can negate the effect of "Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor" while it is on the field (so it can be used as a Synchro Material monster on the field) while still allowing it to Special Summon Synchro Monsters by removing it from the Graveyard ("Skill Drain" does not negate effects in the Graveyard). As an added bonus, the effect-negating drawback on the Synchro Monster will be meaningless, since "Skill Drain" does the same to each other monster.

Vayusworn

Vayusworn is a Deck type centered on using "Lightsworn" monsters with "Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor" and "Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn" or "Blackwing - Elphin the Raven".

Players often choose "Sirocco the Dawn" over "Elphin the Raven" for one of two reasons; "Sirocco the Dawn" is capable of being Summoned to the field like "Cyber Dragon". It can also be used against the common "Blackwing" deck, by stealing other "Blackwing" monsters ATK from the opponent and attacking their "Blackwing" monsters for 2000 or more damage depending on the amount of ATK the "Blackwing" monsters on the field that "Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn" absorbs. "Lightsworn" Decks got hurt by the March 2010 Lists. However, the September 2011 Lists increased this deck's power, with Necro Gardna going back to 2 and Judgment Dragon going back to 3. In addition the deck got even more power due to the "March 2012 Lists", with "Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner" being put back to 2.

Official Deck

Weaknesses

Unfortunately, the majority of the archetype lacks raw power and relies on having both the strong and weak monsters to combo properly. Their dependency on Black Whirlwind to maintain resources can be easily worked around with attack debuffs such as "Burden of the Mighty" or "Solidarity".

Blackwing's ultimate strength is their swarming capacity, but the swarm require at least 1 "Blackwing" to present first. Immediately Negate that summon or Destroy it after the summon will potentially shutdown the deck for 1 turn.

They also have some problems maintaining hand and field advantage due to the overwhelming speed with which “Blackwings” are Summoned, a player can (and often will) find his/her hand depleting quickly, thus lacking resources in case his/her plans goes wrong, (such as in the case the opponent counters a massive Swarming with a destruction card like "Torrential Tribute", "Dark Hole", "Raigeki", "Bottomless Trap Hole" or "Solemn Warning").

Balance of Judgment can help to draw more cards just in case this happens, giving you more chances to plan a new attack

"Blackwings" are good in that they are not very weak to any common Side Deck cards. Because they are all DARK (save the rarely used "Aurora") and all Winged-Beast (save for "Obsidian Hawk Joe"), cards such as "Rivalry of Warlords" and "Gozen Match" do not hurt them.

Evenly Matched is always a good hand trap towards a swarming-based deck such as Blackwings as they do as many plays as possible in order to swarm the field with monsters. Banishing their whole field when possible using this card can definitely ruin their strategies as well as Extra Deck monsters such as Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons or Assault Blackwing - Raikiri the Rain Shower.

Cards such as "Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror" may hurt the player as you will not be able to use your effects, and "Dimensional Fissure" will render "Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame", "Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow", "Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North" and "Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite"'s effects useless. However, all of these threats are easily solved with "Icarus Attack" or "Diamond Dire Wolf", as all of the monsters are Winged-Beasts. "Royal Decree" may pose a problem as it will render "Icarus Attack" useless, but it's also easily dealt with using "Diamond Dire Wolf" or the common "Mystical Space Typhoon".

"Thunder King Rai-Oh" will stop Black Whirlwind searching, and can negate a Synchro Summon.

Siding in "Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn" is also surprisingly effective against "Blackwings", since "Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn" can use the opponent's "Blackwings" for his effect. Although unlikely.

Cards such as "Koa'ki Meiru Drago" and "Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo" can also stop "Blackwings" from Special Summoning.