Don’t let the low level put you off, level 3 monsters are among the most useful in the entire game. Providing great effects to help escalate your position or pull out a winning strategy, they’re well worth manipulating if you can. You really want to make your normal summon count so having monsters that make the most of use of it is beneficial.
With a plethora of options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which cards you should use. Thankfully, I’ve put together this list to make you aware of the best choices!
10. Crane Crane
An ever-present in most decks containing level 3 monsters, Crane Crane is most effective when combined with a level 3 tuner monsters. If you can get this monster onto the field and special summon a level 3 tuner monster, you’ll have the option of a level 6 synchro monster or a rank 3 XYZ monster. All it requires is you using up your normal summon, as you can see, it deserves to be on the list!
9. Neo-Spacian Grand Mole
One of my personal favorites, there’s something so satisfying about taking down huge boss monsters with a petty little mole. You can also force your opponent into a Grand Mole lock, returning any monster they summon back to their hand and attacking directly with other monsters. XYZ, Synchro, Links, Fusions it does not matter to Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, who will happily return them to the extra deck.
Speaking of this card, I think it’s about time it became semi-limited or even unlimited!
8. Tour Guide From The Underworld
Limited for a reason, Tour Guide From the Underworld almost single handedly shaped the meta when she was released. Around the time of release, very few monsters could easily summon other monsters of the same level from the deck. Such consistency had to be played constantly, up until this card was reduced to 1 per deck.
7. Baobaboon
Incredibly bizarre yet quite handy, perhaps most competent in a stall or Exodia deck. Of course, you won’t be chucking this into your SPYRAL deck but I figured it’s a really cool card that’s at least worth a mention. I’m not even sure what this is supposed to be, is the tree body just a disguise or is actually part of Baobaboon’s anatomy?
6. Mist Bird Clausolas
Extremely strong for a level 3 monster, even a Synchro type. Almost every deck nowadays revolves around monster effects. Boss monsters usually have the inability to be destroyed by card effects, or even immunity to spells/traps altogether. Mist Bird Clausolas offers an alternative, for a measly cost which doesn’t even have any type/attribute requirements. WIth 2300 DEF, you can count on this monster to act as a stalwart if needed too!
5. Mathematician
Pretty much the perfect card to normal summon on your first turn, getting monsters in your graveyard is of paramount importance to a myriad of decks and archetypes. Mathematician’s fairly decent ATK stat is nothing to turn your nose up to as well. Even after all that, you get a free draw if its destroyed in battle. Not too shabby.
4. Genex Ally Birdman
Yet another limited card and understandably so, Genex Ally Birdman would be game-breaking if 3 of them were allowed in a single deck. An easy to summon level 3 tuner monster can never be anything other than awesome, it does get banished if it leaves the field which is fair. The way it fits into so many combos makes Birdman an incredible monster and an obvious choice for the top 5 of this list!
3. Tatsunoko
The Wyrm type was promptly released and then faded into oblivion, never to be seen again. Of all the Wyrm type monsters to be released, the best is arguably one of the best level 3 monsters in the game in Tatsunoko. While this monster isn’t particularly strong on its own, it opens the door to a ton of strategies. It’ll allow you to synchro summon using your hand as well as your field, using itself as the tuner monster!
2. Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit
Hand-traps will always make an appearance on lists like this, they’re just so damn useful at all stages of the game. No matter what deck you face, they almost always have 10 minute turns with a huge variety of combos. A single card in your hand like Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit will shut down your opponent’s strategy before it even gets going.
Despite such immense effectiveness, Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit isn’t even close to the number 1 spot, as you’ll see next!
1. Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring
Arguably the most must-have card in the entire game, literally every single deck needs an Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, there’s simply no contest. Hand-traps are slowly becoming more and more mandatory, with first-turn boards getting stronger and stronger. A card that negates the opponent’s ability to swarm the field is way too good, it’s just a shame it’s so rare. Konami must have known this when they designed the card though…”Hey this card will obviously be wanted by every duelist, lets make it a Secret Rare”…