Goat Format World Championship 2025 Deck Tech: Angel Valentinov's Stein Horus

After making waves with the strategy earlier this year, Angel Valentinov has brought an updated version of their spicey Horus deck to the World Championship! 

Deck List

Overview

Decks that focus on Horus have been few and far between in the competitive scene. Many have brewed their own dragon-centric versions, like TheNano, but it wasn't until this year's PWCQ69 that anyone was able to actual make a significant placement in a tournament with the beloved dragon. Most Horus brews attempt to cheat the higher level forms of the dragon into play using tricks like Level Up, or a King Dragun, which itself would be special summoned off of Cyber Stein or Metamorphosis using Fusilier as tribute. Angel's previous list, as well as this more updated version both opt for the ladder two options. And, while many players have historically tried to complete the soft lock of Level 8 plus Royal Decree, Valentinov ignores this game plan, instead opting to try and close out the game as quickly as possible while using Trap Dustshoot and Exchange to keep the coast clear of problem cards like Tribe-Infecting Virus. 

Player Insight

I’ve been playing this deck throughout the season because it’s my favorite in the format. I’ve always loved King Dragon, and I truly believe it’s one of the most powerful monsters in the game right now. Over the course of the season, I kept experimenting with different card choices—adding, cutting, and fine-tuning—to figure out the best possible version. I think I’ve finally managed to get it pretty close to where I want it to be.When I won PCWQ69, the meta was in a very specific place. Most players were on Chaos Turbo—even more than they are now, I think—but back then, it was the version running Scapegoat and Metamorphosis in the side. I also noticed that players using that build almost never attacked on the first turn, even if I didn’t summon anything. After the tournament, though, once people started to figure out how to play against it, the deck’s win rate dropped quite a bit, especially since the aggro matchup can be pretty difficult.I made a few adjustments to the monster lineup. I started siding in three Berserk Gorillas, which, along with Zombyra the Dark, were my main go-to options against aggro decks. I also sided out Nobleman of Crossout after realizing that, since I play Horus, I actually want to attack into set monsters. Besides Magician of Faith and Gravekeeper’s Spy, there aren’t many flip monsters I’m too worried about anyway. Plus, Nobleman tends to be a dead draw against Warriors and Earth Aggro.I added Hysteric Fairy because I calculated that her attack beats roughly 80% of the monsters in the format. On top of that, her effect can trigger Last Will, and she’s a LIGHT monster for Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, which I realized is simply too powerful not to include.Beyond that, I added Metamorphosis and two copies of Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast—extra ways to access King Dragun or The Last Warrior from Another Planet. And with Sinister Serpent, I can also make Thousand-Eyes Restrict when needed.The last change that might interest some people is Exchange. I got the idea from MattUber, who plays it in his Stein + Reasoning Gate build. Since I tend to empty my hand pretty quickly, Exchange often functions like an upgraded Mind Crush, giving me valuable information while disrupting my opponent’s plays​One of the niche, crazy plays I really want to pull off at least once today is summoning St. Joan with Cyber-Stein, then using Metamorphosis to bring out King Dragun—which conveniently gives me a LIGHT monster for Black Luster Soldier. Aside from that, my favorite play is definitely using Last Will to special summon Gilasaurus, then tributing it for Jinzo alongside Horus LV6 to completely roll over my opponent. If anyone decides to try out the deck, they’ll probably notice that it feels more layered than the previous version, which was a bit raw and had a more straightforward game plan.So far, the event has been a really valuable experience for me. I had two very grindy matches — I managed to win the first one, but couldn’t quite close out the second. My opponent just had all the outs game 3 and game 1 I remember it being really close as well. ​Since this is my first time playing at Worlds, everything feels a bit overwhelming in the best way. I know that once it’s over, I’m probably going to go back and overanalyze every play and decision I made, but honestly, that’s part of what makes it exciting. It’s been a huge learning experience, and I’m just glad to be here competing.