After a bit of playtesting myself, I decided to write a Deck Guide about Galaxy Photons because they're better than I initially thought. They're no Tier 1 Deck, but they have enough power to stand up against the current meta decks.



Let's start with the very first Galaxy/Photon card that was released. It is also the main card in this Deck which most of your plays will resolve around. It cannot be destroyed by battle unless your opponent has a card like Skill Drain or Light-Imprisoning Mirror face-up. The 3000 ATK is big, but when you attack a facedown monster with this card, you can banish it and clear the path for your other monsters, which is what you'll most often use this card for. Even though you CAN Special Summon this card by Tributing 2 monsters with 2000 or more attack, it is highly advised not to do that. You will have plenty of ways to bring this card to the field, so don't be tempted to -2 yourself to summon this card. It can also become a "meatshield" when you need to draw your cards. Be wary that this card has the same weakness that Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode has: when your opponent lures its effect, you can be wide-open to a direct attack and possibly even OTK.
Always run 3.



Our OCG card that really packs the punch this Deck can deliver. By having a Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon in your Graveyard, this card becomes a +1 giving you 2 big beaters to the field or it can become an instant Rank 8, which no other card currently in this game can do. Note how this is a Normal Summon and not a Special Summon, so you can still bring this card out even when your opponent is locking you down with cards like Kristya. It's ATK drop only lasts until the End Phase, so even if you don't Xyz with this card, you'll still have an instant 2800 beater on the field. An important thing to keep in mind is that the ATK drop will still occur even if you don't have a target in your Graveyard.
Always run 3.



Another OCG card and this is what sticks the entire Deck together (along with Galaxy Expedition). The fact that this is practically a Normal Summonable Level 8 allows for yet again easy Rank 8 Xyz options but it can also instantly meet Galaxy Expedition's conditions. It is also your main search card that doesn't have any kind of restrictions. It can grab both monsters and spells/traps, which only a few other search cards can do. It cannot grab a copy of itself, but that is undesirable anyway, most of the time you will be grabbing Galaxy Expedition or you will grab Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (if you have a Trade-In). Really straightforward and really powerful.
Always run 3.



Thrasher sets up instant Galaxy Knight plays and is a solid 2100 beater to run over Rai-Oh (which can be a thorn in the eye for Galaxy Wizard). Even if the opponent negates its summon with Rai-Oh (which they most likely would unless they have backrow), you still have your Normal Summon for Galaxy Wizard or other cards. Also allows the deck to make Rank 4 Xyz Summons which can be lifesavers.
Run 2-3.


This is a Light-based Deck. 'Nuff said.
Always run 1.



Mentioned before in Galaxy Wizard's description, this is your most powerful Spell. You will always summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon with this, unless you somehow are left without targets. Even if you are forced to summon Galaxy Knight, it still brings an instant Level 8 beater to the field, which sets up plays for both Xyz'ing or an offense for your next turn since Galaxy Knight still has a respectable 2600 DEF. Much like Galaxy Wizard, really straightforward and really powerful.
Always run 3.



Most of you will probably already know this card and its purpose in most Decks. Other than the added speed, this card can also instantly dump a Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon in your Graveyard for Galaxy Knight to plus with. Since we have 6 Level 8 monsters, which are searchable too, this card is almost never dead. However, Galaxy Expedition will summon those Level 8's, so you might run out of targets later on in the duel.
Run 2-3.



This Deck doesn't run any Trap cards that are needed to make this strategy work. You can even opt to make a Turbo variant which foregoes the use of Traps completely.



Your generic Rank 8 Xyz. It is currently the best generic Rank 8 and the one you will be making the most to clear your opponent's field for a direct attack.
Run 1-2.



A decent Rank 4 monster. The fact that it lowers any kind of ATK to 0 is what Beatdown Decks like these really appreciate. It's ability to negate an effect can also come in handy from time to time. It's also still a "Photon" monster, which allows you to make Galaxy Knight plays. It's 2000 ATK could've been better, but at least it stops your opponent from crashing their Rai-Oh's and Card Troopers into this, which is helpful for this card's survivability. And last but not least, when it's destroyed you get to draw a card. Draws are always nice.
Run 1-2.


Honorable Mentions

Photon Crusher: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Photon_Crusher
A decent Normal Summonable Beater, although Thunder King Rai-Oh is arguably better. Only run this card if you are scared of opening with too much Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragons.

Photon Slayer: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Photon_Slayer
A really powerful monster but it makes the Deck even more combo-reliant. It can be your second Galaxy Knight "activator", but only if your opponent has an Xyz themselves or if you left your field with just Heliopolis. It does allow the Deck to make Rank 5 Xyz Summons, but they would require quite a bit of investment and this Deck doesn't generally need Rank 5 monsters. The fact that it Summons itself in Defense Position is what really hampers its utility, since it only has a measly 1000 DEF.

Photon Satellite: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Photon_Satellite
Yet another way to make Rank 5s and arguably better than Slayer in doing so. This one doesn't allow you to Normal Summon Galaxy Knight because it is a Normal Summon itself however. And since there are no Rank 5 "Photon" or "Galaxy" monsters, it can not set one up a turn later either.

Photon Sanctuary: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Photon_Sanctuary
At first sight, this card looks really good. It instantly summons 2 Level 4 Tokens with 2000 ATK and since this Deck mainly consists of Light monsters, it's Summon "restriction" isn't really a restriction at all. Unfortunatly, you can't attack with these Tokens and they are initially summoned into Defense Position, which easily turns them into food for your opponent's monsters, which in turn makes this card merely a semi-decent stall card. If this card could be searched out by Galaxy Wizard, it would be much better and most likely a Deck staple, since it allows you to instantly summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon if you open Wizard + Photon Dragon. Unfortunatly, you'll have to rely on drawing this card, which really lowers its usefulness.

Accel Light: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Accel_Light
An "A Hero Lives" without cost? Yes please. Except... it's not. This card's restriction prevents it from doing what caused "A Hero Lives" to become Semi-Limited. The only decent targets are Galaxy Wizard or Photon Thrasher for an attack/damage. Only run this if you want to increase your chances of opening with Galaxy Wizard.

Galaxy Zero: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Galaxy_Zero
A pretty decent card, since it can Special Summon almost any monster in this Deck. However, the summoned monster cannot activate its effect, which means you can't use Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon's "shield" effect and you can't get a search with Wizard. But once this card leaves the field, they can. Since Galaxy Wizard has 0 ATK regardless and Galaxy-Eyes can just banish itself to "reset" its ATK, the downside isn't really a downside. Bringing back Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon means you'll still have a "semi-shield", since once your opponent runs over Galaxy-Eyes, this card will save it from being destroyed and then Photon Dragon's effect is live again. Brining back Galaxy Wizard will mean you'll have to destroy this card yourself or hope your opponent only attacks with 1 monster. So far, this card looks pretty great, but unfortunatly Call of the Haunted is better. Only run this card if you don't run Traps.

Lumenize: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Lumenize
Honest in Trap form. Unfortunatly, it also stops the attack, which means you don't get the 1-for-1 that Honest provides. A really fun card to both protect your monsters and set up for a big push next turn, but a bit gimmicky.

Neo-Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Neo_Galaxy-Eyes_Photon_Dragon
An anime-fan's favorite. Unfortunatly, this card just isn't powerful enough to justify that -2. It can win games at times, but more often than not, Heliopolis will be a better choice.

Photon Papilloperative: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Photon_Papilloperative
A standard Rank 4, but it has the added benefit of being a "Photon" monster for Galaxy Knight. It competes with Paradios however, since they're both a Rank 4.

Number 88: Gimmick Puppet - Destiny Leo: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Number_88:_Gimmick_Puppet_-_Destiny_Leo
This card's name couldn't have been more suitable, because "gimmick" is exactly what this card is. It only gets an honorable mention because it's an alternative win condition and this Deck has no trouble getting 3 Level 8 monsters on the field.

Adding a Chaos engine
This Deck is perfectly capable of adding a playset of Tour Guide from the Underworld, a Sangan and a Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. Most Light-based Decks that do this will have trouble getting Dark monstes in the graveyard for BLS, but this Deck has 2 solutions. First of all, most Light-based Decks that try to add Tour Guide don't have much Xyz-versatility and especially not in making Dark monsters. This Deck can both make Number 15: Gimmick Puppet - Giant Killer as a Dark Rank 8 and there's a huge list of Dark Rank 4 monsters. Even when all of that fails, you can still ditch BLS for Trade-In, although this should always only be a last resort action. Another added benefit of running a Chaos engine is that this Deck can have cloggy hands at times, at which time a 1-card Rank 3 (most likely Zenmaines) is a lifesaver. Sangan is also the only way to search out Galaxy Wizard (unless you're also running Accel Light) and it can also grab Honest.


Conclusion
This Deck is defenitly a beatdown Deck. Unfortunatly, it also suffers from the same weakness that every other Beatdown Deck has: versatility. Most of your plays are pretty linear and outside different Xyz monsters, this Deck can have trouble responding to threats. In return however, you have a really consistent semi-OTK Deck that can defeat any kind of Deck in mere turns with the right hand or setup.

There's also not a whole lot that people can side against this, which is a huge plus. The biggest counter to this Deck is Torrential Tribute, so be sure to always keep that card in mind when you are making your pushes. Another powerful card against this Deck is Messenger of Peace, which can lock you down if you can't make Heliopolis or get your S/T removal.

The Deck has no trouble Siding, since there's a lot of room for personal tech and meta-call cards. It can also side pretty much any standard Side Deck card, outside Dimensional Fissure (which will ruin your Galaxy Knight and Honest plays). Ironically enough, this Deck doesn't have trouble playing against an opponent's Dimensional Fissure at all, since there's a ton of different ways to summon your Beaters from the Hand or Deck as well.


Well, that's it
I'm not posting a Deck Skeleton, since this Deck is still fairly new and there's a lot of room for debate. The cards that I posted are simply the cards that make this Deck work, so be sure to include those whenever you build a Galaxy Photon Deck!

I believe Guardian of Order and Photon Lizard deserves a mention: Lizard makes some nice plays with Accel Light (also provides some deck thinning) while Guardian of Order is a Trade-In + easy to summon.

But it's unreasonable to expect everything, and great guide.

I thought about Photon Lizard, but the problem is that it simply doesn't have enough targets to be viable for use. The only reason to run it would be for what you just said: deck thinning. But then generic cards like Upstart Goblin and Reinforcement of the Army are better.

Guardian of Order is also not needed in this Deck. Guardian of Order gets added in Decks that lack instant beaters. This entire Deck is filled with instant beaters. Not to mention that its 2500 ATK is lower than anything else in this Deck. It also forces you to overextend even further which will only make your Deck lose to Torrential Tributes even harder. The Trade-In argument is pretty reasonable, but since you'll most likely only be playing 1 Guardian of Order, it doesn't really do anything. It could be useful for Turbo variants, but even then it's questionable.

But thanks for your reply anyhows

Nice guide. I've always wanted to make a Photon deck. I'll take this as a sign that I should start right away.

I actually played Galaxy Photons and it really is a beatdown deck. Wizard is the best card of the deck due to its effect of searching and becoming level 8, it easily searches out for Knight or Galaxy-eyes depending on what you need like dumping Galaxy-eyes with Trade-in or going for Knight if you already have Galaxy-eyes in the grave. The one thing I like about this deck is that you don't have to overlay if you don't have to since you would always be having a respectable field presence one way or another.

Accel Light is actually pretty good in a pure build since you can go for a Wizard and activate Expedition on the same turn which saved me one time. Without any other searchers besides Expedition and Wizard it actually helps the deck run a little faster.

The problem with that play, Creus, is that you need to have a Galaxy Expedition in hand already, which makes the deck even more combo-reliant than it already is. And combo-reliant = inconsistency.

But that's why it's exactly as I said, if you want to run Accel Light, you should run it because you want to have more access to Wizard It shouldn't be run to try and do big combos.

True but its not like I'm aiming for that combo specifically it was simply just an example of what you can do, you're already running Wizard and Expedition either way so the fact that Accel Light searches out for Wizard is good enough already. Or the fact that it searches out for other level 4s/3s actually helps when you've got nothing on the field, defend that card next turn and poof a possible Galaxy Knight play. I know its basic but I guess its by preference then.

Great guide btw.

Thanks

And like I said in the last paragraph, because this is still a fairly new archetype it's hard to say what the "true" way of running this Deck is. I simply added the absolute key cards and gave honorable mentions to all others. So it's not like running Accel Light is bad, it's just a preference but not needed to make this Deck work.


EDIT: I changed Accel Light's description to make it less misleading

I have a topo for you, guys.

There will be an another xyz galaxy eyes, but not photon (and yes, the first galaxy eyes not photon). He is apparently (I say that, because his name change constantly) named Number 107: Galaxy Eyes Tachyon Dragon.

He is too the first number to surpass 100 and the first galaxy eyes to be a number. That sound epic

There is absolutely no reference to such a card anywhere. Where have you heard about this?

It was on Zexal. That's all I know.

Nice guide, Valkyra. I'll post my build in the spoiler below, and if anyone could give some advice and/or tips that would be very much appreciated

Spoiler:

Great work my love!!!!!!!


You are my inspiration and library at the same time!!!!

@ Aang: Interesting, although it looks like it won't have much synergy with this archetype. But who knows, only time can tell.

As for your deckbuild, you really don't need that much anti-attack cards (GEPD will do most of those for you anyway). I would remove all/some Prisons and add some normal summonable Level 4s, so you can make instant Rank 4 with Thrasher + whatever. My personal favorite Level 4 Normal Summons for this Deck are Rai-Oh/Crusher.

For the same reason as stated above, you're better off switching the Mirror Forces for Torrential Tributes. Opening TT + Wizard is a pretty decent opening.

And last, you will need to max out on those MSTs, because Torrential is this Deck's biggest weakness (as stated in the OP). Lance generally doesn't work in monster spam decks like these, so I would replace that with a third MST.


@ Hostile: Thanks daddy

I'd personally replace MSTs with Night Beams/Shots. You generally won't care for face-up S/T with this kind of deck lest it be some kind of stall deck.

I see what you mean by that, but you also have to consider those types of decks that rely on field spells and such, like GK and DW. Plus you could just set MST as a bluff or MST bait for your opponent.

If they don't, at their end phase you can pop their backrow :p


@Valk. Would you rather do TGU + Sangan+ BLS or Triple-Veiler + 2 Thunder King for this deck?

There is a image (well, very less detail) of Galaxy Eyes Tachyon Galaxy



And also, the serie of Galaxy and Photon not end here! And yes, a new kind of monster boosting the galaxy or photon will appear on the next booster pack after abyss rising, Cosmo Blazer

This little one is very good and powerful in a deck photon galaxy. Also, this little monster is a monster we know from Zexal! (I have never think he would become a monster card O.O)



Name: Orbital 7
Atk: 500 Def: 2000
Effect:
When this card is flipped face-up: Place 1 Roger Counter on this card. You can remove all Roger Counters from this card; this card's ATK becomes 2000, but it cannot attack directly this turn and is sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase. You can Tribute this card to target 1 "Photon" or "Galaxy" monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.

@ AsianGuy1137: MST vs Night Beam always comes down to personal preference, although I can see that Night Beam has added utility in this kind of Deck since you'll find yourself blind MST'ing quite often when you're going to make a push.

I still personally prefer MST simply due it's higher versatility though, but running Night Beam is perfectly viable as well.


@ Facial_Hair: It really depends on the rest of the Deck. I would run the Rai-Ohs if you lack any other Level 4 monsters outside Thrasher and I'd run the Chaos engine if you do have some others.


@ Darkanen: Orbital is an interesting card, but I think it doesn't fit the playstyle of this Deck. This Deck focusses on high speed and quick wins, whereas Orbital is a really slow card. The lack of "Photon" or "Galaxy" in it's own name is also another reason I don't think it will be very useful.

But like I said many times before, everything is still up in the air for this type of Deck, I just personally don't think Orbital will become a vital card for it.

I've tried out the Photon/Machine Duplication build from Dueling Days' blog, and it tested decently well. Shows that Photon can definitely be played besides just being a LV 8 beatdown deck.

The one with the Cyber Valleys, Card Troopers and LaDs? That deck is pretty boss.

Thanks for the help on this deck

An engine you can use with this deck is the magic planter one, consisting of:

3x Call of the Haunted
3x Limit reverse (Photon lizard x2, satellite x2 and galaxy wizard x3)
2x Fiendish chain
2-3x Magic planter

I'm aware of galaxy zero btw (also call and limit wont negate effs)...This engine is mostly for tributing and xyz purposes.
Ex:
1) Revive Wizard/Lizard tribute them, search, magic planter on the trap you used to revived them, draw 2.
2) SS Thrasher, revive satellite, XYZ pleiades, bounce the trap card or magic planter
3) Fiendish use is obvious
4) Summon wizard, tribute to search expedition, activate limit/call, revive wizard, eff wizard lv8, expedition brings galaxy-eyes, eff wizard tribute to search another card, magic planter to plus like crazy..

Example of decklist

Spoiler:

I pilot a photon deck, and it summons level 8 guys like nothing heres a list

Monsters:
2 galaxy eyes
2 photon Caesar
1 photon slasher
2 galaxy wizard
1 gagaga magician
3 photon sabre tiger
1 honest
1 morphing jar
1 marshmallon
2 photon crusher

spells
2 galaxy expedition
3 photon sanctuary
1 galaxy zero
3 photon trident
1 dark hole
1 lightning vortex
1 mystical space typhoon
traps
2 mirror force
1 lumenize
2 call of the haunted
1 torrential tribute
1 magic cylinder

I placed 2nd in a local tournament with this deck, and I was going against world qualifiers. I also build other decks like a world level chaos dragons, e-heros, blackwings, machines, and other decks.

Hope you enjoy this

The fact that you main 1 MST and 1 magic cylinder... just makes your deck list irrelevant lol.