I've been meaning to build this IRL for a while, as it's a ton of fun and people don't expect the plays that come of it. So I built it with Genma and another friend in a day, and ran it at locals on Saturday. I top 8'd with it, and lost 1-2 to heroes, thanks to Skill Drain. It has become a lot more usable now that xyz are out, since it makes rank 3s and 4s extremely easily.
Monsters x17:
x3 Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle
This card is arguably the best CB, it can be special'd with beacon, monster reborn or other methods to spam the backrow CBs, but usually I put both in the backrow and wait to summon it with rainbow ruins. It can be used to make Leviathan, or more commonly Acid Golem. Before I'd go for 1 in backrow, focusing on tiger and pegasus there, but now I usually bring 2 to backrow, lowering my chances of drawing it and thinning my deck. Also can be set in the case of drawing it.
x3 Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger
Tiger is a level 4, 1600 or 2000 beatstick, basically in here because it's the third decent CB. I prefer going for pegasus over it, but it's nice to get over opponents low level monsters, and makes for good xyz'ing.
x3 Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus
Amazing CB, it replenishes the backrow when it's summoned via carbuncle's effect, and maximizes rainbow ruin's, and other CB card's potentials. Usually an opening move will be to summon this guy or summoner monk and then this guy and place carbuncle in the backrow. It can be summoned with beacon as well, giving you an easy pegasus and 3 backrow CBs, letting you use the rainbow ruins negation effect.
x2 Summoner Monk
The deck runs copious amounts of spells, I've never drawn monk when I don't have a spell to pitch. Usually I'll go for pegasus with this, putting a CB in the backrow and getting a pegasus to the field. Usually I will leave pegasus at this point, but sometimes I'll make Utopia, this works well in tight situations to defend or fill back row.
x1 Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind
Gale was in here in place of a second Dragon Queen (couldn't find one), but I found it worked really well. It won me a game against heroes by letting me get over their shining, I may keep it in. I didn't sync with it once, but it keeps the option open to make brio/armed wing or black rose/armor master if needed.
x1 Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings
Online I ran 2 of these and I still intend to do so, I just need to find a second. They're hard to come by, since they're not something people really think about, or put in binders... This card is great. It's good defense, and extra draw power, plus the deck drops it really easily. It thins out the opponent's hand, and comes back really easily. 2 is almost essential.
x1 Gravi Crush Dragon
May put this in the side deck instead of main, it was essential to get around big monsters or ones that can't be destroyed by battle, but now, with xyz monsters, I don't really need beatsticks like this, and I really only used it once. I'll test without it.
x2 Malefic Cyber End Dragon
This guy is obvious, a 4k beater that doesn't care about skill drain (and in fact likes it). The field spell protects itself, and though my other monsters can't attack, I can keep CBs out and negate stuff that would get rid of cyber end with rainbow ruins.
Spells x20:
x1 Crystal Tree
Really good early on to quickly fill the back row, and late game I can drop it for summoner monk. I've never really had any problems with drawing it when not needed, and CBs have enough draw power that it wouldn't matter too much anyways.
x3 Crystal Beacon
Brings out an easy pegasus or carbuncle, filling a space in the backrow or letting the deck go off. Extremely useful.
x3 Rare Value
A +1, especially useful when combined with crystal blessing. Often easily usable turn 1, and it's really easy to replenish the backrow. Helps cycle through the deck very quickly.
x2 Crystal Blessing
I'm probably going to bump this up to 3 with xyz, as they hit the grave a lot more now. Before I was using this card a lot less, but with xyz out it's way more useful. Very useful after an opponent's heavy storm, or after a rare value.
x2 Terraforming
Thins the deck, can be dropped for monk, and effectively increases the odds of getting a rainbow ruins a lot. Never a dead draw when combined with monk.
x3 Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins
The heart of the deck, it would not be runable at all without this. Draw power, negation, reduces battle damage and spams CBs all at once. Plus it protects itself, preventing MST from working at all on it after its activation. Saves it from heavy storms, as well, since destruction would be simultaneous. It is succeptable to opponent's field spells, but that's usually not too big of an issue.
x2 Pot of Duality
This also helps make the deck usable, adding a pegaus or field spell is extremely useful, and the deck only really special summons when it's going to make a major play.
x1 Monster Reborn
x2 MST
Usually saved for things like skill drain, as the deck deals with most other spells and traps very well. Torrential and mirror force don't phase it at all, since after a major play it can negate with rainbow ruins, and while poking before that, the monsters just go to backrow or come back easily in the case of dragon queen.
x1 Dark Hole
Clear the opponent's field and get CBs to backrow in order to make plays? Yes please.
x1 Heavy Storm
Early game or with blessing in hand it doesn't really hurt, as the field protects itself, and late game it can be used with monk.
Traps x3:
x1 Torrential Tribute
Works like dark hole, doesn't hurt the deck at all. When I get to 4 CBs backrow and no space left, I'll often summon one and activate TT to clear the opponent's field, fill the backrow for plays and then combo off.
x2 Solemn Warning
Obvious, usually doesn't hang around long enough to waste backrow space.
Extra
Number 39: Utopia
The level 4 CBs can do more damage separate, but when necessary, Utopia is a beater and stalls opponent's attacks long enough to combo off.
Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction
Usually used to make a game ending play or doesn't stick around too long, and does far more damage than 2 carbuncle alone. Gets over opponent's big monsters, an issue that the deck used to have dealing with before xyz were released.
Maestroke the Symphony Djinn
Helps get over things that even Utopia couldn't get over alone, like stardust or other utopias, and gets around effects.
Photon Papilloperative
New addition as of Sunday, we'll see how this goes. I figure it can help get around opponents stalling with set cards, and will force moves.
Cyber End Dragon
For malefic cyber end.
The rest of the extra deck stuff is generic xyz and level 6 and 7 synchros. I don't have a side yet, I'm going to build that now. Thinking of siding turtles and a few other things, any suggestions with that? The issue with a CB side is that it can't include continuous traps or spells, since they waste backrow space that I need for rainbow ruins.
Posts
Subject: Crystal Beast 
Tue May 08, 2012 12:17 am
