Crafting Your Demons with Fiendsmith
Fiendsmith—known as “Demonsmith” (デモンスミス) in Japan—is a fresh-faced archetype of LIGHT Fiend-type monsters, debuting in The Infinite Forbidden set.
Since hitting the scene, it’s rapidly carved out a place for itself; moreover, it’s now arguably among the most versatile and popular engines in Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG.
In this spotlight, we’ll unpack how the Fiendsmith engine works, reveal the strengths that made it a tournament mainstay, and flag up its key weaknesses.
Whether you’re planning to play with it or counter it, understanding these details is essential—no duellist worth their salt skips the homework.
Core Identity: The Fusion-Forged Arsenal of Fiendsmith
Fiendsmith’s design fuses mechanical innovation with slick stylistic nods, borrowing clear influence from iconic action game series, especially the legendary Devil May Cry. The archetype’s lead figure, Fiendsmith Engraver, evokes Dante’s image—both being lone warriors stockpiling demon-fuelled weaponry to ramp up their combat prowess.
More importantly, Engraver isn’t just the thematic centrepiece; he’s also the starter, combo enabler, and the whole archetype’s symbolic anchor rolled into one.
Beyond its visual tribute, Fiendsmith also boasts layers of symbolism; indeed, all cards except Engraver take names from Latin hymns and liturgical rites. This clever choice cranks up the gothic, ritualistic mood that permeates the archetype, enriching its distinct identity beyond just gameplay mechanics.
On the mechanical front, Fiendsmith thrives on progressive fusion evolutions and intricate equip-based interactions—a departure from most linear Fusion decks.
The core gameplan centres around summoning successive Fusion Monsters, each embodying a unique weapon that Engraver can wield to devastating effect.
Alongside that, Link Monsters join the party, equipping themselves to other LIGHT Fiends and adding even more utility and layered effects.
Fiendsmith Card Breakdown
Fiendsmith Engraver
LIGHT | Level 6 | Fiend/Effect
Discards itself to search any “Fiendsmith” Spell or Trap. Additionally, it revives by shuffling a LIGHT Fiend from your Graveyard back into the Deck.
Lacrima the Crimson Tears
LIGHT | Level 4 | Fiend/Effect
Sends a “Fiendsmith” card from hand or Deck to the Graveyard. Moreover, it shuffles itself into the Deck to revive a LIGHT Fiend on opponent’s turn.
Fiendsmith’s Requiem
LIGHT | Link-1 | Fiend/Link/Effect
1 LIGHT Fiend.
Tributes itself to Special Summon a “Fiendsmith” from hand or Deck. Also, it equips itself to a LIGHT non-Link Fiend as a Equip Spell.
Fiendsmith’s Sequence
LIGHT | Link-2 | Fiend/Link/Effect
2 monsters, including a LIGHT Fiend.
Fusion Summons by shuffling materials from Graveyard into Deck during Main Phase. Additionally, equips itself for protection against targeting effects.
Fiendsmith’s Agnumday
LIGHT | Link-2 | Fiend/Link/Effect
2+ monsters, including a LIGHT Fiend.
Quick Effect: Special Summon a LIGHT non-Link Fiend from Graveyard, then equip this card to the summoned monster immediately.
The equipped monster gains 600 ATK per Link Rating of equipped Links. Furthermore, it deals piercing battle damage.
Fiendsmith’s Lacrima
LIGHT | Level 6 | Fiend/Fusion/Effect
2 LIGHT Fiend monsters.
Opponent’s monsters lose 600 ATK.
If Fusion Summoned: either add or Special Summon a LIGHT Fiend from Graveyard or banished zone.
If sent to Graveyard: shuffle another LIGHT Fiend into Deck or Extra Deck, then inflict 1200 damage to opponent.
Fiendsmith’s Desirae
LIGHT | Level 9 | Fiend/Fusion/Effect
“Fiendsmith Engraver” + 2 LIGHT Fiends.
Quick Effect: negate effects of face-up cards up to the total Link Ratings of equipped Links, until turn’s end.
If sent to Graveyard: shuffle a LIGHT Fiend into Deck or Extra Deck, then send any card on the field to the Graveyard.
Fiendsmith’s Rextremende
LIGHT | Level 9 | Fiend/Fusion/Effect
1 “Fiendsmith” Fusion Monster + 1 Fusion or Link Monster.
While equipped with a “Fiendsmith” Equip Spell, it is unaffected by all card effects except “Fiendsmith” cards.
Once per turn: if Fusion Summoned, discard one card to send a LIGHT Fiend from Deck or Extra Deck to Graveyard.
If sent to the Graveyard: target 1 other “Fiendsmith” card in your GY or banishment; add it to your hand.
Fiendsmith’s Tract
Normal Spell
Adds one LIGHT Fiend from Deck to hand, then discard one card.
Additionally, banish this card from Graveyard to Fusion Summon using hand or field monsters.
Each effect is once per turn.
Fiendsmith’s Sanct
Quick-Play Spell
If you control no monsters—or only LIGHT Fiends—Special Summon a “Fiendsmith Token” (Level 1/LIGHT/Fiend/0 ATK/0 DEF). However, you can only attack with Fiends that turn.
If a “Fiendsmith” monster is destroyed by opponent’s effect while this card is in Graveyard, set this card again.
Fiendsmith in Paradise
Normal Trap
Target a Level 7+ LIGHT Fiend you control; then send all other cards on the field to the Graveyard.
If your opponent Special Summons while this card is in Graveyard, banish it to send a “Fiendsmith” from Deck or Extra Deck to the GY.
Fiendsmith Kyrie
Normal Trap
For this turn, your LIGHT Fiends cannot be destroyed by battle, and battle damage you take is halved.
Banish this card from Graveyard to Fusion Summon a “Fiendsmith” using monsters you control and/or those equipped as “Fiendsmith” Equip Spells.
Fiendsmith's Playstyle
Fiendsmith focuses on constructing a flexible fusion engine, powered by its core monster, Fiendsmith Engraver, which sets the tempo for your plays.
The deck excels at recursion; it continually shuffles monsters from the Graveyard into the Deck to either fuel fusions or revive essential combo pieces.
This recycling loop maintains a steady material flow and keeps constant pressure on your opponent, often forcing awkward interactions on their part.
Another distinctive feature is its equip mechanic—Link Monsters double as Equip Spells, attaching to LIGHT Fiends to boost stats or provide protective and disruptive effects.
Therefore, the playstyle expertly balances aggressive fusion summons with careful resource management, rewarding players who can sequence plays optimally.
You’ll frequently cycle your Graveyard and field, steadily assembling powerful fusion monsters while retaining backup plays in case things go sideways.
Fiendsmith’s Desirae, undoubtedly the archetype’s big boss, provides immediate threat presence thanks to its quick negate effect that punishes overextensions.
The deck also easily summons Level 6 monsters, meaning Rank 6 XYZ options are readily accessible for extra pressure or alternative win conditions.
Strategies
The primary objective in most Fiendsmith games is summoning “Fiendsmith’s Desirae” and equipping it with “Fiendsmith’s Sequence”—a combination that forms a disruption point.
This combo enables Desirae to negate up to two of your opponent’s face-up card effects per turn, depending on how many Link Monsters are equipped.
Moreover, Sequence’s effect makes Desirae untargetable by opposing card effects, further solidifying your board’s resilience against common forms of removal.
To pull this off, first add Fiendsmith Engraver to your hand, then discard it to search “Fiendsmith’s Sanct”—a key extender.
Use Sanct token to Link Summon “Fiendsmith’s Requiem”, then Tribute Requiem to Special Summon a second Fiendsmith Engraver straight from your Deck.
Next, shuffle Requiem from your Graveyard into the Extra Deck to revive Fiendsmith Engraver, maintaining board presence without depleting resources.
After that, activate “Fiendsmith’s Tract” from the Graveyard to Fusion Summon “Fiendsmith’s Lacrima” using the two Engraver monsters.
Then Link Summon “Fiendsmith’s Sequence” using Lacrima and an Engraver; Sequence’s effect enables you to Fusion Summon Desirae. Shuffle Lacrima and both Engravers from your Graveyard into the Deck, summoning Desirae fully set up with protection and negation.
(Attention: Although it is the common Fiendsmith move, “Fiendsmith’s Lacrima” is currently banned)
Lacrima One-Card Combo
Normal Summon “Lacrima the Crimson Tears” to start. Then, use Lacrima’s effect to send the Trap “Fiendsmith Kyrie” directly to the Graveyard.
Link Summon “Fiendsmith’s Requiem” using Lacrima, and Tribute Requiem to Special Summon “Fiendsmith Engraver” from your Deck.
Afterward, equip Requiem from your Graveyard to Engraver, adding further layers to your board’s utility and defensive options.
Activate Kyrie’s Graveyard effect to Fusion Summon “Fiendsmith’s Lacrima” using available materials.
Lacrima’s Fusion effect allows you to add Fiendsmith Engraver back to your hand, which is vital for continuing your combo chain.
Then discard Engraver to search “Fiendsmith’s Tract”—often the best option for consistency and immediate access to another LIGHT Fiend.
Use Tract to add a LIGHT Fiend from Deck to hand, followed by discarding a card.
End result: you’ve got “Fiendsmith’s Tract” in hand, “Fiendsmith Engraver” in Graveyard, and a setup primed for future combos like summoning Desirae.
How to Beat Fiendsmith
Disrupt the Graveyard
Fiendsmith leans heavily on Graveyard recursion: Fusion materials, Link Monsters equipping from GY, and effects that trigger when monsters move between zones.
Therefore, shutting down their Graveyard cuts their strategy off at the knees—no Graveyard access means no Fusion summons, no equips, and no revival loops.
Cards like “Called by the Grave”, “D.D. Crow”, “Dimension Shifter”, and “Macro Cosmos” all put in serious work against them, limiting their plays dramatically.
Once upon a time, “Necrovalley” alone would’ve hard-stopped Fiendsmith—but even now, similar effects remain effective against this recursion-dependent archetype.
Stop Summon Chains
Fiendsmith’s power play hinges on chaining multiple summons, ending with “Fiendsmith’s Desirae” equipped with “Fiendsmith’s Sequence”—a scary board if uninterrupted.
Therefore, interrupting their key summons, particularly “Lacrima” or “Sequence”, completely derails their engine and prevents them from establishing that resilient boss monster.
Summon limit floodgates are absolute nightmares for Fiendsmith—as they are for many modern decks.
If you prevent them from snowballing into multiple summons, their combo potential plummets, forcing awkward plays and making their board far easier to crack.
Time Your Disruption
Fiendsmith chains several Graveyard and equip effects, so mistiming your interruption wastes resources and lets them keep pushing through regardless.
Instead, focus your disruption on their pivotal setup moments—most importantly when they activate “Fiendsmith’s Tract” to search or extend plays.
Additionally, hit them when they attempt to Link Summon “Sequence”, since stopping this denies them both protection and a Fusion Summon route.
Also, disrupting the Fusion Summon of “Desirae” itself prevents their primary win condition from hitting the board—cutting their strategy short.
Though Fiendsmith’s long sequences may look intimidating, they’re vulnerable; ironically, their complexity makes them prone to well-timed, precision interruptions.
Changing Stats
Fiendsmith is entirely reliant on its LIGHT Attribute and Fiend typing—changing either makes their strategy significantly harder to execute cleanly.
Thus, running cards like “Light-Imprisoning Mirror” or “Gozen Match” throws major spanners in their works by preventing core plays from resolving.
Additionally, monsters like “Koa’ki Meiru Drago” prevent the Special Summon of LIGHT monsters outright, shutting down their gameplan before it even starts.
Stat manipulation doesn’t just slow them down—it often forces them to pass turn or take risky plays they otherwise wouldn’t consider.
Card's Synergy
Fabled Lurrie
A LIGHT Fiend Monster you can easily summon in Field.
Aerial Eater
2 Fiend monsters with the same Attribute
You can send 1 Fiend Moster from Deck to GY.
Necroquip Princess
“1 monster equipped with a Monster Card + 1 Fiend”
Must be Special Summoned by sending the materials from hand/field to GY.
If a monster is sent from hand to GY for an effect: Equip it to this card (+500 ATK), or Draw 1 card.
The Duke of Demise
2 Fiend and/or Zombie monsters
Once per turn, during Standby Phase: Pay 500 LP or destroy this card. Cannot be destroyed by battle.
Once per turn: During Main Phase, you can immediately Normal Summon 1 monster. You can banish this card from GY to add 1 Level 4+ Fiend/Zombie from GY to hand.
Chaos Angel
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner LIGHT or DARK monsters”
For its Synchro Summon, you can treat 1 LIGHT or DARK monster you control as a Tuner.
If Special Summoned: Target 1 card on the field; banish it.
Gains effects based on Synchro materials:
● LIGHT: Your Synchros are unaffected by opponent’s monster effects.
● DARK: Your monsters can’t be destroyed by battle.
D/D/D Wave High King Caesar
2 Level 6 Fiend monsters”
(Quick Effect): Detach 1 material to negate and destroy a card that would Special Summon. Then, optionally, this card and a “D/D” monster you control gain 1800 ATK until the end of the turn.
Goblin’s Crazy Beast
2+ Level 6 monsters”
(Quick Effect): Once per turn, target 1 Spell/Trap on the field; detach 2 materials from any monster(s), then attach that card to this as material.
If a monster you control would be destroyed by a card effect, you can detach 1 material from this instead.
If in GY: Special Summon this, then optionally attach 1 “Goblin” monster from your GY as material (once per Duel).
A Bao A Qu, the Lightless Shadow
“2+ monsters, including a Fiend”
(Quick Effect) During the Main Phase: Discard 1 card; activate 1:
● Destroy 1 card on the field.
● Banish this card until the End Phase, then Special Summon 1 LIGHT or DARK monster from your GY.
Foolish Burial Goods
A Normal Spell that allows you send any Spell/Trap from deck to GY.
Dark Fusion
Fusion Summon 1 Fiend Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as material. Your opponent cannot target it with card effects this turn.
Archfiend’s Ghastly Glitch
A Normal Trap. If you control a Fiend monster: Target 1 card on the field; destroy it, then, you can send 1 Fiend monster from your Deck to the GY.
Fiend Griefing
Normal Trap. Target 1 monster in your opponent’s GY; shuffle it into the Deck, then you can send 1 Fiend monster from your Deck to the GY.
The Bystial Archetype is also a good and smooth beauty combination with Fiendsmith cards.
But basically it can mix this with any LIGHT-Fiend archetype.
Wrapping Up
Fiendsmith offers an incredibly dynamic playstyle, blending aggressive fusion summons with smart resource recursion—no wonder it’s quickly become a staple in competitive Yu-Gi-Oh!
However, despite its versatility, the archetype isn’t invincible; proper timing, strategic interruptions, and targeted side deck choices can absolutely dismantle their gameplan.
Therefore, mastering how to play with or against Fiendsmith requires understanding both their key combo sequences and where they’re most vulnerable to disruption.
For players who enjoy complex combo lines and managing a toolbox of equip and fusion effects, Fiendsmith is a thoroughly rewarding archetype to pilot.
On the flip side, if you’re preparing to counter them, knowing these weak spots ensures you don’t get overwhelmed by their seemingly endless chain of plays.
