Glimpses of the Future; Yoko's guide to Fortune Ladies

Glimpses of the Future; Orca’s Guide to Fortune Ladies
I. Introduction
II. Mistresses of Fate: The Ladies
III. The Future’s Guidance: Support
IV. Strengths
V. Weaknesses
VI. Sample Build and Strategy
VII. Possible Hybrids
VIII. Other Techs

I. Introduction

The Fortune Ladies are a set of Spellcaster-type monsters whose attack and defense stats are determined by their level; which increases every standby phase.

II. Mistresses of Fate: The Ladies

Fortune Lady Light
Lv. 1
This card's ATK and DEF are equal to its Level x 200. During each of your Standby Phases, increase the Level of this card by 1 (max 12). When this card is removed from the field by a card effect, you can Special Summon 1 "Fortune Lady" monster from your Deck.

This is the main toolbox of the Fortune Lady archetype, allowing you to recruit any of the other ladies if she’s removed or destroyed due to any effect. However, some decks cannot make use of this ability, and therefore do not run her. Use 0-3

Fortune Lady Fire
Lv. 2
This card's ATK and DEF are equal to its Level x 200. During each of your Standby Phases, increase the Level by 1 (max. 12). When this card is Special Summoned in Attack Position by the effect of a "Fortune Lady", destroy 1 face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK.

Lady Fire introduces some destruction and burn to the archetype, as well as a bit of field control. She does have a major disadvantage, however; once her effect is used up, she simply sits there as an open target for your opponent’s attacks. This can be remedied by running cards like Creature Swap, but I wouldn’t suggest running more than one if at all, since she will almost always be dead if you draw her. Run 0-1.

Fortune Lady Wind
Lv. 3
This card's ATK and DEF are equal to its Level x 300. During each of your Standby Phases, increase the Level of this card by 1 (max 12). When this card is Normal Summoned, you can destroy a number of Spell or Trap Cards your opponent controls equal to the number of face-up "Fortune Lady" monsters you control.

At first glance, this Lady’s effect looks pretty good; she’s pretty much a Heavy Storm with legs! However, the wording of her effect gives her a drawback. If your opponent doesn’t have as many Spells/Traps as you have Fortune Ladies, you don’t get to destroy anything, and her attack starts out at only 900, meaning most level 4 or lower monsters your opponent will summon can and will run over her.

Fortune Lady Water
Lv. 4
This card's ATK and DEF are equal to its Level x 300. During each of your Standby Phases, increase the Level of this card by 1 (max 12). When this card is Special Summoned while you control a face-up "Fortune Lady" monster except "Fortune Lady Water", draw 2 cards.

This Fortune Lady is the main draw engine of the deck. A Pot of Greed with attack points. run 2.

Fortune Lady Dark
Lv. 5
This card's ATK and DEF are equal to its Level x 400. During each of your Standby Phases, increase the Level of this card by 1 (max 12). When a face-up "Fortune Lady" monster you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can select and Special Summon 1 "Fortune Lady" monster from your Graveyard.

The key here is her effect says A Fortune Lady. This means that if you have two Lady Darks on the field, both of their effects will activate when a Lady destroys an opponent’s monster, allowing you to quickly swarm the field. Run 2-3

Fortune Lady Earth
Lv. 6
This card's ATK and DEF are equal to its Level x 400. During each of your Standby Phases, increase the Level of this card by 1 (max 12). When the Level of this card increases, inflict 400 damage to your opponent.

This would’ve been a better card if she kept her effect from the anime. As it stands, her effect is the only one that doesn’t have anything to do with the other ladies, and as such doesn’t really serve any purpose other than being a beatstick. Run 0-1

III. The Future’s Guidance: Support

Future Visions
Field Spell
When a monster is Normal Summoned, remove from play that monster. During the next Standby Phase of the controller who Summoned that monster, return it to the field in face-up Attack Position.

This is the field spell that was introduced with the Fortune Lady archetype in the 5D’s anime. This is the easiest way to trip Fortune Lady Light’s effect, since she will be removed from the field when summoned. This is a very disruptive card to any deck that relies on being able to normal summon their monsters. However, decks that rely on flip effects are virtually unaffected. If you run it, run 3

Fortune’s Future
Normal Spell
Select 1 of your removed from play "Fortune Lady" monsters and return it to the Graveyard. Then draw 2 cards.

This is the Fortune Lady Pot of Greed. If you have enough removal, you can easily run 3, and draw through your deck for your winning cards. Run 2-3

Time Passage
Quick-Play Spell
Increase the Level of 1 face-up "Fortune Lady" monster you control by 3, until the End Phase.

This is pretty much Rush Recklessly for Fortune Ladies, and should see about as much play. It doesn’t really do much for the archetype. If you want to run it, use 1

Slip of Fortune
Normal Trap
Activate only when your opponent's monster declares an attack targeting a monster. Negate the attack and remove from play the attack target monster until the next Standby Phase.

This is a relatively useful trap with Fortune Ladies, since Light’s effect will be activated by this while your opponent has wasted an attack. However, Dimensional Prison is still better.

Bending Destiny
Counter Trap
Activate only if all face-up monsters you control are "Fortune Lady" monsters. Negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card, or the Normal Summon of a monster, and remove that card from play. The card removed from play by this effect is returned to its owner's hand during the End Phase.

This card is pretty much the Fortune Ladies’ Solemn Judgment. However, the fact your opponent will get their negated card back is a drawback, and the fact it doesn’t work on special summons is an even bigger drawback. Don’t run it, just stick with Solemn.

Inherited Fortune
Normal Trap
Activate during the turn a face-up "Fortune Lady" monster you control was destroyed. Special Summon up to 2 "Fortune Lady" monsters from your hand during your next Standby Phase.

This is an odd tech, and used properly can be very deadly. However, most of the Fortune Ladies’ special summoning comes from the deck and grave, so it’s unlikely you’ll have Ladies in hand you’ll want to use this card for. I wouldn’t suggest running it.

Solitaire Magician
Lv. 4, LIGHT Spellcaster/effect
1600/1300
Once per turn, you can select 1 face-up "Fortune Lady" monster you control and 1 other face-up monster on the field. Reduce the Level of the selected "Fortune Lady" monster by 3, and destroy the other selected monster.

Not a bad effect, however the cost of a level reduction can really hurt the Fortune Ladies. I wouldn’t suggest running her.

Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate
Lv. 4 EARTH/Spellcaster/effect
1800/0
When your opponent Special Summons a monster(s), you can remove from play 1 monster with ? ATK from your Graveyard to destroy that Special Summoned monster(s).

This monster can turn any of your in the grave Fortune Ladies into Shiny Black “C”s for any of your opponent’s special summoned monsters. Just don’t try it against Stardust. 1800 attack isn’t too bad, either. However, This witch is a little too situational to be very competitive, and she’s very easy to play around. Run 0-1

IV. Strengths:

The Fortune Ladies can quickly swarm the field in just a couple of attacks, overwhelming your opponent with the field advantage. This also allows for higher-level monsters to be run, as their swarming abilities will give you plenty of tribute fodder.

The fact that there is one Lady of each Attribute means that the Ladies have hybrid flexibility, allowing you to mix them with a lot of different decks.

Fortune Ladies have a massive amount of draw power, meaning you can run more than the minimum of 40 cards and still have a relatively consistent deck.

V. Weaknesses:

The Fortune Ladies all start out relatively weak, so our opponent will probably be able to run them over early on before they can reach their true strength.

Fortune Ladies Fire and Water can be dead draws, since their effects require them to be special summoned, and therefore you don’t want them in hand.

VI. Sample Build and Strategy:

3 Fortune Lady Light
3 Fortune Lady Dark
2 Fortune Lady Water
1 Fortune Lady Fire
1 Fortune Lady Wind
2 Effect Veiler
2 Chaos Sorcerer
1 Marshmallon
2 Battle Fader
1 Cyber Dragon
2 Spirit Reaper

3 Future Visions
3 Fortune’s Future
3 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Terraforming
1 Allure of Darkness
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Giant Trunade
2 Creature Swap
1 Dark Hole

3 Compulsory Evacuation Device
2 Trap Stun

This is what I consider to be a standard Fortune Chaos build. Since the main recruiting of the Fortune Ladies is by Light and Dark, by adding a few more monsters of each attribute easily makes summoning Chaos Sorcerer. Marshmallon and Spirit Reaper make stalling until you get all that you need to win easier, and Compulsory Evacuation Device can trigger Light’s effect as well as getting rid of troublesome synchros, Nomis and higher level monsters.

Fortune Ladies work very well with decks that remove them from play, like Chaos and Dark Simorgh builds, and by teching in Elemental Heroes, Miracle Fusion builds. (Remove Lady Light for The Shining and Water for Absolute Zero.)

VII. Possible Hybrids:

Fortune Chaos: As shown in the example decklist above, the elemental diversity in the Fortune Ladies makes a chaos deck easy to run, especially with the draw power of the Fortune Lady engine

Fortune Heroes: By teching Elemental Hero Stratos, Ocean and Neos Alius to name a few into a Fortune Lady engine, you can make a Hero Fusion deck that can easily summon Elemental Hero Absolute Zero (using Fortune Lady Water) and Elemental Hero the Shining (using Fortune Lady Light), as well as supplying Fortune’s Future targets by using Miracle Fusion, allowing you to draw through your deck and rapidly beat your opponent down.

Sample decklist:
3 Fortune Lady Dark
3 Fortune Lady Light
2 Fortune Lady Water
1 Elemental Hero Stratos
3 Elemental Hero Neos Alius
2 Elemental Hero Ocean
2 Delta Flyer

3 Future Visions
3 Gold Sarcophagus
3 Miracle Fusion
2-3 Fortune's Future
2 Time Passage
2 E - Emergency Call
1 Future Fusion
1 Monster Reborn
1 Giant Trunade
1 Dark Hole

1 Solemn Judgment
2 Dark Bribe
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device

Cards to Consider:
1 Fortune Lady Fire
1 Fortune Lady Wind
1 Elemental Hero Wildheart
1 Elemental Hero Ice Edge
3 Gemini Spark
3 Crusader of Endymion
2 Terraforming
2 Demise of the Land
1 Burial from a Different Dimension

Fortune Simorgh: by focusing more on Fortune Lady Wind and Dark, you can build a lock build using Dark Simorgh. This build is especially effective with Future Visions, since your opponent will be unable to circumvent the field spell’s effect by simply setting their monster.

Sample:
3 Dark Simorgh
2 Fortune Lady Dark
3 Reborn Tengu
1 Fortune Lady Water
2 Delta Flyer
1 Genex Ally Birdman
1 Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind
3 Fortune Lady Wind
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
2 Fortune Lady Light

3 Future Visions
2 Forbidden Lance
1 Burial from a Different Dimension
3 Fortune's Future
2 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Giant Trunade
1 Monster Reborn
1 Dark Hole

1 Solemn Judgment
2 Divine Wrath
3 Anti-Spell Fragrance
1 Royal Oppression

VIII. Other Techs:

Chaos Sorcerer: The Fortune Ladies are very friendly with Chaos builds.

Dark Simorgh: Similar to Chaos, Simorgh builds can benefit greatly from a Fortune Lady engine.

Dark Grepher: You can discard Fortune Lady Dark for his special summoning cost, putting her where she can be a target for another Lady Dark, Chaos Sorcerer or Dark Simorgh.

The Tyrant Neptune: This level 10 monster can be summoned with only one tribute, and it gains the name and effect(s) of a monster used for its tribute summon. This means that if you tribute a Fortune Lady for his summon, you have an automatic level 10 Lady complete with effects. My favorite to tribute for his summon is Fortune Lady Dark, since you get an automatic 4000 attack beatstick that can recruit the monster you just tribute for its summon plus more.

Armageddon Knight: pretty useful in both Chaos and Simorgh builds, since you can ditch special summoning targets to the grave, plus a FL Dark to summon with another on the field.

Compulsory Evacuation Device: This is a very good card to run at 3 in a deck that runs Fortune Lady Light, since it can be used to trigger her effect, and as a good defense.

Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu: The hummingbird that was introduced alongside the Fortune Ladies in the anime. The synergy here is with the field spell, Future Visions, since it turns this bird into a Raigeki with burn. It carries the usual drawbacks and strengths accosiated with EBI's.

Beast King Barbaros: Again, the synergy is with the field spell, but not as much. If you summon Barbaros with Visions,, when he returns to the field, his stats are reset to their original values, meaning you get a free 3000 attack beatstick. Also, since the ladies swarm, you may find yourself with a field full of good tribute fodder for his destruction effect.

Krebons/Emergency Teleport: with the ever-changing levels of the Fortune Ladies, a small E-Tele engine can be amazingly flexible, easily syncro-summoning anything from Armory Arm to Stardust, as well as the spellcaster synchros.

Genex Ally Birdman: by returning a Fortune Lady to the hand, you can special summon this tuner, then re-summon the Lady. This is especially useful with Fortune Lady Light while Future Visions is on the field, since you can bounce Lady Light (she'll miss her timing here, but don't worry) then normal summon her again, getting her effect from Future Visions, allowing you to choose what level you want to synchro into. Summon Lady Fire for a lv. 5 sync like Catastor, Water for Arcanite or Black Rose, Dark for a lv. 8 like Stardust or Red Dragon Archfiend (who can also trigger Lady Light's effect during the end phase.)

Delta Flyer: This tuner, being WIND attribute, is especially useful in a Simorgh build, but he allows for a lot of flexibility with the Ladies. His level boost is permanent, so you can boost Lady Dark over a troublesome opponent then sync with a Water summoned by Dark for Arcanite, or wait 'til afler Dark's summoned a monster, like Fire, for instance, then level up the summoned Lady and sync with her (in the case of Fire, for Brionac or Tempest Magician.)