Agents was an archetype Released in the Structure deck "Lost Sanctuary", based off a set of Light, Fairy Type monsters. Ever since the release, wide varieties of duelists in the YGO community brought major changes and instantly made this deck viable in the meta-game. The first deck was based off of T.G Agents, which had very strong, explosive plays and had large sets of options. An example would be an option to instantly go into "Trishula", which basically banished a card in hand, field, and graveyard. Did I mention that Trishula doesn't target? Not only this, but cards like Agent Earth made the deck extremely consistent. To top it off, you could easily tech-in cards like Chaos Sorc, and Black Luster Solider because there were a mix of darks and lights in the deck. With the new format, after Agents were hit and lost a huge amount of consistency, there are only two major decks played today. They are; Trooper-Agents, and Troopless Agents, which focus more on hand traps, that help them win the game, or explosive traps such as; "Torrential Tribute", "Mirror Force"and also "Call of the Haunted" to bring back boss monsters such as Hyperion and Kristya etc.

The basic idea behind agents is to try and slowly eliminate your opponents resources and to keep pushing for game as you pull out boss monsters such as "Master Hyperion", "Archlord Kristya". Your opponent will start to struggle to keep up with the explosive plays mid-late game, and eventually the game will be favorable on your side. Agents have a bit of learning curve, but with good reads and calls you can make Agents a deck threat to be recognized.

Both Trooper, and Troopless Agents (or Trapless) have significant strengths and weaknesses, but for now I'm going to cover the main cards used in both Agent Builds.


Main Cards

Master Hyperion ( Level 8, Light, Fairy)
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 1 "The Agent" monster from your hand, field, or Graveyard. Once per turn: You can banish 1 LIGHT Fairy-Type monster from your Graveyard to target 1 card on the field; destroy that target. While "The Sanctuary in the Sky" is face-up on the field, you can activate this effect up to twice per turn.

This card alone I think is considerably one of the best boss monsters Konami has created. First the summoning condition allows you to banish an Agent monster from anywhere (except banish, deck zones) to summon it. When "Ignition effect priority" was applicable you could pop a card when you successfully summon it, even if your opponent had bottomless. Not only this, but if you ever use Sanctuary, you can pop another card! Nice attack of 2700 base too. Who wouldn't love this card? This is the biggest "Push for game" Agents have to offer. Run 3, in both builds.


The Agent Of Creation - Venus ( Level 3, Light, Fairy)
You can pay 500 Life Points; Special Summon 1 "Mystical Shine Ball" from your hand or Deck.

This is the main opening/starting play agents open with. The idea is to pay 500 LP (you can use this effect as many times you want in 1 turn, as long as you have enough "targets" to summon them), to summon Mystical Shine Balls from your deck. Then you overlay the shine balls into Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, or Number 96: Dark Mist if you need to get over boss a boss monster or something like "Evilswarm Ophion", Daigusto Phoenix for any time you can possibly OTK or push for huge damage (going for game). For the most part you will mainly go into Gachi. Run 3, in both builds.


Mystical Shine Ball (Level 2, Light, Fairy)
A soul of light covered by mystical shine. When you see its beautiful shape, your dream will come true.

Combo this card into Venus. Can be a dead draw at times, but it has more use with Herald of Orange Light, and other cards such as "Creature Swap" if you run a deck similar to "Simon build". Run 3, in both builds.


The Agent of Mystery - Earth (Level 2, Light, Fairy)
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can add 1 "Agent" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "The Agent of Mystery - Earth". If "The Sanctuary in the Sky" is on the field, you can add 1 "Master Hyperion" to your hand instead.

The searcher in Agents. This allows you to get into your opening plays faster. Its, also a tuner if you need to synchro into cards like Catastor, Armory Arm, Black Rose, Scrap Dragon etc. The second effect adding Master Hyperion to the hand gives you an alternative towards Agents. Run 2, in both builds.


Card Trooper (Level 3, Earth, Machine)
Once per turn: You can choose a number from 1 to 3, then send that many cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard; this card gains 500 ATK for each card sent to the Graveyard this way, until the End Phase. When this card you control is destroyed and sent to your Graveyard: Draw 1 card.

Another one of the big engines of the deck. Do not blind mill with this card. This card isn't exactly used like Chaos Dragons and Lightsworns to just mill and set-up graveyard. This card can be used as a "Floater", can help you control your graveyard with better set-ups and plays. It can ram itself into an 1900 ATK monster (when TKR was used widely) up to 2300 with Gachi (x2 materials) on field, and more importantly you can punish plays like blind msts, by chaining Call of the Haunted and going into Card Trooper for a free + 1. You can set-up plays real nicely with Call of the Haunted. Not only this, but the card is level 3, which even can open XYZ options in agents when needed. Run 2 in Trooper Build, 0 in Troop/Trapless build.


Archlord Kristya (Level 8, Light, Fairy)
If you have exactly 4 Fairy-Type monsters in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). When you do: Target 1 Fairy-Type monster in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand. Neither player can Special Summon monsters. If this face-up card would be sent from the field to the Graveyard, it returns to the top of the Deck, instead.

The other main boss monster used in Trooper build. This deck limits special summons, and it is a strong beater to deal with. It allows you to re-add cards such as "Earth, Honest, Herald of Orange" when it is successfully summoned, helping you build hand traps, and options later on in the game. The summoning condition is not as hard as you think it is. Note : You can special summon this through Call. Situations like this don't come up as much, but u can stop certain special summoning from happening. For instance monster reborn, chain call, and make reborn fizzle. During the "Wind-Up Format", this was one of the few reasons why people opted out to run agents. Run 2 in trooper build, Run 0-2 in trooper/trapless build.


Herald of Orange Light (Level 2, Light, Fairy)
During either player's turn, when an opponent's Effect Monster's effect activates: You can send this card and 1 other Fairy-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard; negate the activation and destroy it.

An alternative for effect Veiler. Not only does this card negate the activation, but it destroys the monster. You can even use this card on cards that trigger or activate in the hand, and you can use this effect during the Damage Step for cards like Trag, and Gorz. Additionally this card was used because it could commonly ditch dead cards in hand, or your boss monsters to use them for later via Reborn and Call of the Haunted. Use wisely, and you can make big plays alone with this card. Run 2-3 in both builds, (if you don't run Veiler, but I'd opt Veiler for this). Did I mention, its also a tuner?


Honest (Level 4, Light, Fairy)
During your Main Phase: You can return this card from the field to its owner's hand. During either player's Damage Step, when a face-up LIGHT monster you control battles: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; that monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of the opponent's monster it is battling, until the End Phase.

What more is to say? This card works all of time. Its good for mind-gaming, stopping attacks, going for game. There's nothing you need to ask about this card. You can re-loop it with Call of the haunted, but situation doesn't call for it most of the time. Run 1, in both builds.


Thunder King Rai-Oh (Level 4, Light, Thunder)
Neither player can add cards from their Deck to their hand except by drawing them. During either player's turn, when your opponent would Special Summon a monster: You can send this face-up card to the Graveyard; negate the Special Summon, and if you do, destroy it.

First of all it can stop all searching throughout the game, which has been predominant in the past couple of formats. It can also stop ignition summons as well. Use to be that saying, "Thunder King Rai-Oh" stays on the field, you won the game. This card alone is great. It also combos well into Call of The Haunted, and can fizzle searches and cards like "Duality, Spellbook of Secrets, Sangan (when it wasn't banned), the searches of mermail decks" etc. Run 2, in both builds.


Call of the Haunted (Trap, Continuous)
Activate this card by targeting 1 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that target. When that target is destroyed, destroy this card.

I've stated most of its uses, but  this card allows the effective use of trooper build. You can chain Call of the Haunted into a search with Thunder King. bring back Kristya to lock special summoning and keep bosses on the field. Bring back Hyperion to push for game. Punish a blind mst into a Card Trooper, or help set-up your grave for the Kristya in hand. So many options with this card.

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
2 Level 2 monsters
If this face-up card would be destroyed, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card instead. Face-up monsters you control gain 200 ATK and DEF for each Xyz Material attached to this card. 

The main option to go for when you go into Venus plays. First off it makes instantly your regular monsters beatsticks. 2000 ATK Venus, 2300 Thunder King, 2300 Card Trooper (with the effect of trooper to 1900 ATK). Not only this, but this card can be used as a wall. This situation doesn't  come up all often, but without materials you can use it as "Creature Swap" and "Enemy Controller" Fodder to take control of any monster your opponent has so you gain control over the game.

3 Level 2 monsters
Once per battle, during either player's turn, when an attack is declared involving this card and an opponent's monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; halve the ATK of the opponent's monster, and if you do, this card gains that same amount of ATK.

The 2nd option with a Venus play, assuming that you can summon 3x shine balls on the field. This option isn't used as much as gachi. Use this when you need to get over big beatsticks or monsters that will cause you to lose control over the game.
Ex: Dark Mist to get over Evilswarm Ophion.

Possible Choices

The Sanctuary in the Sky (Spell, Field)
Battle Damage to the controller of a Fairy-Type monster from a battle involving that Fairy-Type monster becomes 0.

Gives an alternative with agents and makes the effects of monsters like Hyperion and Earth even more powerful. An alternative deck with agents.


The Agent of Miracles - Jupiter (Level 4, Light, Fairy
Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 "Agent" monster from your Graveyard to select 1 face-up LIGHT Fairy-Type monster you control. It gains 800 ATK until the End Phase. Once per turn, if "The Sanctuary in the Sky" is on the field, you can discard 1 Fairy-Type monster from your hand to select 1 of your removed from play LIGHT Fairy-Type monsters, and Special Summon it.

Makes Sanctuary build more live. You can also opt to run this card for more targets for Hyperion and Earth. Run 0-1 in, in both builds.


Treacherous Trap Hole (Trap, Normal)
Destroy 2 Monsters on the field. You cannot activate this card if you have any Trap Cards in your Graveyard.

A card to run in troopless/trapless build. Doesn't "Target" monsters, so it can be used to mind-game what you are going to destroy, and bait out cards such as lance if your opponent doesn't know what u are going to do. Be weary that it must destroy 2 cards, so if you have 1 and you have one, you will have to destroy your monster as well.


Creature Swap (Spell, Normal)
Each player chooses 1 monster they control and switches control of those monsters with each other. Those monsters cannot change their battle positions for the rest of this turn.

Was an option, mainly started by "Simon He" to start making dead cards like Mystical Shine Balls, or Gachi with no materials more live.


Enemy Controller (Spell, Quick Play)
Activate 1 of these effects.
● Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; change that target's battle position.
● Tribute 1 monster, then target 1 face-up monter your opponent controls; take control of that target until the End Phase.

A card used in Trapless build for the most part. Run 0-1 in trapless/troopless builds.


Hand Traps you can main:

Effect Veiler
During your opponent's Main Phase: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to target 1 face-up Effect monster your opponent controls; negate that target's effects until the End Phase.

If you decided to opt out for Herald. I personally don't think this should be played over Herald at all as an option, but its my opinion. The -1 Herald have don't seem to have as much knockback as veiler -1.


Maxx "C"
During either player's turn: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; this turn, each time your opponent Special Summons a monster(s), immediately draw 1 card. You can only use 1 "Maxx "C"" per turn.

Depends on the current meta-game. This is an option that keeps your opponent from making too many fast special summoning options.