Is This Deck Meta?
They were once a meta deck until a ban list hit them hard, even in 2022 after unbanning of engine cards, the deck has never recovered to becoming a meta deck. The gladiator beast archtype used to be a very simple archtype consisting of attacking with lower attack power monsters and using backrow, such as trap cards to gain a field advantage or to help make the attack successful. The gladiator beast archtype unique ability is the monsters effects which is after a successful battle and surviving, the monster that battle is then able to shuffle back into the deck and special summon a different gladiator beast and use the newly summon gladiator beast effects.
Playing Style
With a few exceptions, all non-Fusion "Gladiator Beasts" have an effect to return to the Deck during the end of a Battle Phase when it battled, and then to Special Summon another "Gladiator Beast" monster to replace it (this is also known as 'tagging out'). The newly Special Summoned "Gladiator Beast" monsters usually gain another effect when Special Summoned in this way.
Nearly every card in the archetype is capable of being returned to the hand, field, or Deck from the Graveyard by utilizing the effects of "Gladiator Beast" monsters or their support cards. The "Gladiator Beast" Deck includes a mix of destruction, aggro, and toolbox cards and tactics. It is this versatility which landed this Deck as one of the top Decks in the Shonen Jump Circuit.
Nearly every card in the archetype is capable of being returned to the hand, field, or Deck from the Graveyard by utilizing the effects of "Gladiator Beast" monsters or their support cards. The "Gladiator Beast" Deck includes a mix of destruction, aggro, and toolbox cards and tactics. It is this versatility which landed this Deck as one of the top Decks in the Shonen Jump Circuit.
Main Combo Cards
This card Rescue Rabbit is the main effect monster used to bring out your essential combo pieces, two level 4 "Gladiator Beast Andal". The two level 4 "Gladiator Beast Andal" are important for you to link summon into "Test Panther", which has an effect to tag out one gladiator beast for another and the tagged gladiator beast gets to use its effects.
Effect: Cannot be Special Summoned from the Deck. You can banish this card you control; Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters with the same name from your Deck, but destroy them during the End Phase. You can only use this effect of "Rescue Rabbit" once per turn.
This card Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor is the main dark fusion level 8 monster used to bring out your other essential fusion monsters. You 100% also want to bring this card out into your field for it's effect.
Summon Materials Requirements: 2 Level 5 or higher "Gladiator Beast" monsters.
Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Must first be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by shuffling the above cards you control into the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) Cannot be used as Fusion Material. Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor", ignoring its Summoning conditions. At the end of the Battle Phase, if your "Gladiator Beast" monster battled: You can shuffle that monster into the Deck or Extra Deck; Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck.
This card Gladiator Beast Domitianus is the main level 10 dark fusion boss monster in your extra deck. Also, you 100% would want to bring out this card as fast as possible since it has high attack power and a useful effect. Summon Materials Requirements:"Gladiator Beast Vespasius" + 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters. Effect: Must first be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by shuffling the above cards you control into the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) Once per turn, when your opponent activates a monster effect (Quick Effect): You can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it. You choose the attack targets for your opponent's attacks. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card battled: You can return this card to the Extra Deck; Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck.
Two Card Combo Engine
Your starting hand will be 1 rescue rabbit and 1 Unexpected Dai
First play your spell card, Unexpected Dai.
Then special summon 1 Gladiator Beast Andal from your deck.
Then Normal summon Rescue Rabbit and use the effect of Rescue Rabbit.
Then special Summon two level 4 normal gladiator beast monsters from your deck, Gladiator Beast Andal.
Then link summon into Test Panther using two of the gladiator beast andals and use Test Panther's effect to add Gladiator Beast Augustus from the deck to hand.
Then use Test Panther's second effect to target Gladiator Beast Andal and shuffle Gladiator Beast Andal from the field to the deck.
Then special summon Gladiator Beast Augustus from the deck to the field.
After activate the special summoned Gladiator Beast Augustus's effect and special summon the other Gladiator Beast Augustus from the hand in defense position.
Next, fusion summmon Gladiator Beast Tamer Editior from the extra deck by shuffling two level 5+ Gladiator Beast monsters on the field to the deck (the two Gladiator Beast Augustus on the field).
Then use Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor's effect to special summon Gladiator Beast Domitianus from the extra deck by ignoring its summoning condition of requiring "Gladiator Beast Vespasius" + 2 "Gladiator Beast" monsters