A guide to playing Gradius: Rush!

By Ljkad Published Jan 27, 2026 Updated Jan 30, 2026

Gradius is a new Contact Fusion deck released in Rush Duel, focusing on Light-type Machine monsters.

. The core gameplay of this deck doesn't rely on regular Fusion cards, but instead on the strategy of "spamming" monsters onto the field, changing their names to "Gradius" or "Gradius' Option," and then combining them to summon powerful Boss monsters.

The deck's strength lies in its high speed and terrifying OTK ( One Kill) potential.

. Fusion monsters like Vic, Viper, Ripple, and Laser have the ability to reduce the opponent's attack power.

Meanwhile, the Vic Viper Full Custom boasts penetration and crowd control resistance, allowing players to easily break through the board and finish off opponents.

Sections covered in this guide:

1/ Skill

2/ The Beasts

3/ Spell/Trap

Skill

The Beasts

Gradius's strategy doesn't revolve around using Fusion. Instead, the deck focuses on transforming the names of monsters on the field into "Gradius" or "Gradius' Option" to perform Contact Fusion.

First, let's look at the effect monsters that can be renamed "Gradius" to be used as the main fusion material.

Super-Dimensional Lord British Space Fighter (x3)

Send the first card of your deck to the Graveyard to rename it "Gradius". Afterward, it can Special Summon 1 "Gradius' Option" from the Graveyard to the field.

This is a "one-step boss" card. As long as your Graveyard has Gradius' Option (or Multiple) available, you immediately have two materials on the field to summon Vic Viper Ripple Laser.

Note: This turn you can only attack with AI monsters that have 800 DEF.

Vic Viper Beginning (x2)

Tools for setting up the arena (Swarming) and preparing for big bosses.

Pay 1000 LP to change its name to "Gradius" . Then send up to 2 other monsters from your hand/field to the Graveyard to revive the corresponding number of "Gradius' Options" in Defense Position.

This is an essential piece to summon Vic Viper Full Custom (requires 2 Options). Important note: The number of resurrected must equal the number sent; if you send 2 and only 1 slot is available, the effect will not work.

Vic Viper Spread Bomb (x0-3)

This is an extremely powerful card because it both clears the way for an attack and transforms itself into fusion material during that turn. It puts immense pressure on the opponent, forcing them to activate their trap early.

Multiple (x3)

The ability to change battle positions allows the deck to overcome high-defense monsters or flip opponent monsters to attack, dealing significant damage. It pairs perfectly with Lord British .

Gradius' Option (x3)

You often use this card to copy the stats of Boss Fusion cards (2500 or 3200 ATK) for OTK. Maintaining the same stats during the opponent's turn makes it a difficult wall to overcome.

Gradius (x3)

Although it's a common monster, you should play 3 copies to optimize the Spell Power Capsule Red card (allowing you to draw 2 cards if you get Gradius).

Cyber Serpent (x0-1)

This monster grants Mill 3 cards and draws 1 card if the conditions are met. However, it can be a board-bound monster due to its 0/0 stats and is difficult to remove without Beginning or Spread Bomb . Not recommended for frequent play.

Freed the Brave Wanderer (x1)

The optimal Legend choice for your deck. Freed allows you to recycle 2 Light monsters from the Graveyard back into your deck (important for restoring Fusion resources) and destroy your opponent's monsters.

Vic Viper Ripple Laser (x3)

It can reduce the ATK of 2 opponent monsters by 800. It's easy to repeatedly summon (spam) it in one turn to weaken the entire opponent's field.

Vic Viper Full Custom (x3)

Resistance to destructive effects and Piercing damage. This is key to ending stalemate matches.

Dimension Linker (x0-2)

Gradius can be combined well with Dimension Linker and Skill Power to Weave. I'll mention this combination in the article about Dimension Linker.

Spell/Trap

Power Capsule Red (x3)

This is considered a "Pot of Greed specifically designed" for Gradius. If you're lucky enough to draw both Gradius and another monster, you gain an extra card. This is a must-play card for all three draws to ensure you always have enough pieces for fusion combos.

Power Meter (x0-2)

Move 1 monster from the field to the bottom of your deck to retrieve 1 Machine monster (Light/800 DEF) from your graveyard to your hand. Specifically, if you have Power Capsule Red in your graveyard , this allows you to summon Fusion using materials from your hand or field.

A versatile card, but often only played once because it can easily brick early in the game. It allows you to unexpectedly summon a Full Custom Vic Viper late in the game without deploying all your monsters, or simply trade an unnecessary monster for a missing piece.

Over Rush Storm (x2)

In Gradius, this card's "recycling" ability is more important than its trap-breaking capabilities. Due to the extremely fast spamming speed of Ripple Laser , you'll quickly run out of Fusion monsters in your Extra Deck. Overrush Storm brings Ripple Laser or pieces like Lord British back to continue the combo loop. It's prioritized over Barrage of Steel. thanks to this ability.

Tech

Pot of Avarice: A good alternative. Similar to Overrush Storm , it recycles 5 monsters from the Graveyard back into the deck (including Fusion Monsters) and allows you to draw 2 cards, ensuring your deck never runs out of battle resources.

Shiny Shady:This is an "extraordinary" card and should never be removed from the deck. While it sometimes struggles against decks that are immune or capable of sacrificing (like Jointech), it remains the best tool for defending Gradius's weak board against large-scale attacks.