10 Best Instant Fusion Targets in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG/OCG Every Player Needs to Know

The Yu-Gi-Oh! card game has gone through so much power creep since its debut that it’s hard to imagine that a weak Fusion Monster could ever exist. When the Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon booster pack came out in 2002, it introduced a community of new players to rare cards like Dragoness the Wicked Knight, Fusionist, and Flame Ghost — all of which were useless Fusion Monsters even when they came out. There was never a good reason to waste two monsters and a Polymerization for a monster that could get run over by a Witty Phantom of all things.

Cyberdark Impact introduced Instant Fusion as a common card in 2006, which gave new life to low-level Fusion Monsters. It can Fusion Summon any Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from the user’s Extra Deck at the cost of 1000 Life Points, with the handicap that it can’t attack, and it’s destroyed by the End Phase. Since the Fusion Monster’s effects aren’t negated, Instant Fusion would end up being limited to a single copy in most banlists, and rightly so. A single copy can set up all kinds of plays in the current metagame.

10 Magikey Beast – Ansyalabolas Can Do Numerous Little Things

Dawn of Majesty — August 12, 2021

Magikey Beast – Ansyalabolas seems like a strange choice for an Instant Fusion target. One of its effects allows it to return Magikey Maftea — a card that can Fusion Summon Magikey monsters — back to the hand, which makes Instant Fusion seem redundant. Aside from a potential backup plan to get Magikey Maftea back if it’s negated (it can be negated by Ash Blossom and has no “once per turn” clause), Magikey Beast – Ansyalabolas is a toolbox that can be used in many situations.

It’s a Level 4 DARK Beast Tuner — this description has loads of Synchro Summoning applications, including the never-seen Voltic Bicorn to force a large mill. If the user happens to have Magikey or Normal Monsters in their Graveyard, they can also force an opposing monster into Defense Position before setting up their play.

9 Master of Ham Can Tech Out Any Flip Monster

Phantom Nightmare — February 8, 2024

Master of Ham was clearly made for Instant Fusion when it was released — it can bring out any Flip monster its user wants upon Fusion Summon or being flipped face-up itself. Some excellent targets include Morphing Jar, Cyber Jar (Limited in the TCG), Scapeghost, and Pot of the Forbidden. As a bonus, any Fusion Monster Special Summoned by Instant Fusion is treated as having been properly Fusion Summoned, so Master of Ham can revive itself in face-down Defense Position if its user banishes two other Flip monsters.

This combo works best with something like Stairs of Mail to quickly flip the Special Summoned monster face-up or Ghostrick Festival to Link Summon it with a face-down Ghostrick monster as material. In fact, Stairs of Mail can also flip Master of Ham face-down to save it from being destroyed by Instant Fusion.

8 Invoked Raidjin Can Flip Itself Face-Down to Avoid Destruction

Fusion Enforcers — February 23, 2017

Invoked Raidjin is one of many Fusion Monsters that use Aleister the Invoker as a Fusion Material. It has a simple role when Special Summoned with Instant Fusion — flipping a monster face-down. If Invoked Raidjin flips itself face-down, it can prevent itself from being destroyed by Instant Fusion. Doing this will also allow the user to Special Summon a higher-level Subterror monster from their hand.

Alternatively, Invoked Raidjin can flip an opposing monster face-down before it’s used as material for an Extra Deck summon to nullify their effects or just run them over. If Aleister the Invoker is already on the board, Invoked Raidjin can flip it face-down, so the user can flip it up and search for an Invocation. By using Aleister the Invoker as material to Link Summon Artemis, the Magistus Moon Maiden, it’s possible to Fusion Summon Invoked Elysium.

7 Panzer Dragon Can Take Any Other Card Down With It

The Duelist Advent — August 14, 2014

Panzer Dragon is one of the first Fusion Monsters that came out with Instant Fusion in mind. It can take any other card on the field down with it when it’s destroyed, which Instant Fusion does. That’s the most obvious use for Panzer Dragon, though there are other uses for it. As a Level 5 LIGHT Machine monster, Panzer Dragon can be used to Xyz Summon Cyber Dragon Nova, and then Cyber Dragon Infinity.

Panzer Dragon can also be placed on the opponent’s field with Creature Swap after being Special Summoned by Instant Fusion to gain an opponent’s monster in the process. It will still be destroyed by the End Phase and go to the owner’s graveyard, which allows the owner to destroy another card despite Panzer Dragon being destroyed under the opponent’s control.

6 Infernoid Evil Mills Other Infernoid Monsters and Searches a Void Spell/Trap

Battles of Legend: Terminal Revenge — June 20, 2024

Infernoid Evil won’t see much use outside an Infernoid Deck, even with Instant Fusion. It can banish another Infernoid monster from the user’s Graveyard to mill some more, which sets up their main strategy. Infernoid Evil can also search out any Void Spell or Trap if it’s sent to the Graveyard or banished, which will happen when Instant Fusion destroys it anyway. Since it doesn’t necessarily need to be destroyed to search, it can be used for many potential Extra Deck plays.

Relinquished Anima can be Link Summoned using Infernoid Evil by itself to expedite the search and possibly remove an opponent’s monster. Gravity Controller is another option if Infernoid Evil is Special Summoned in the Extra Monster Zone. With another Level 1 monster, it becomes possible to Xyz Summon Rank 1 monsters, like Sylvan Princessprite — its effect to either draw a Spell or Trap or mill a monster is always a boon in an Infernoid Deck.

5 Beetrooper Cruel Saturnas Can Search Any Other Beetrooper Card

Cyberstorm Access — May 4, 2023

Beetrooper Cruel Saturnas can search for any other Beetrooper card if it’s Special Summoned. Even though Instant Fusion’s effect is treated as a Fusion Summon, the ability to reuse this effect upon reviving it makes it especially useful. The ability to Special Summon another Beetrooper monster the moment it’s banished is another plus, even if Instant Fusion puts Beetroper Cruel Saturnas on a timer. The only drawback is that the user can’t Special Summon anything that isn’t an Insect while it’s on the board.

If Beetrooper Scout Buggy is searched, the user can Normal Summon it right away and use its effect to Special Summon another one, Tour Guide style. With three Insect monsters, it’s possible to Link Summon Traptrix Atypus or Ragnaraika Mantis Monk. Seraphim Papillion is also possible if both Scout Buggies are used to Link Summon Beetrooper Armor Horn first.

4 Diplexer Chimera Can Tribute Itself to Gain Card Economy

Soul Fusion — October 18, 2018

Diplexer Chimera is useful for any Cyberse Deck — the ability to recycle both a Cynet Fusion and another Cyberse monster if it hits the Graveyard is too good to pass up. As a bonus, Diplexer Chimera can Tribute itself to prevent any Spells and Traps from being activated during the Battle Phase in that turn, with or without other Cyberse monsters. The recycling effect can still work whether it’s Tributed or not, so long as it was Fusion Summoned first.

There are many Link Monsters that require Cyberse monsters as materials, which makes Diplexer Chimera an easy fit. For Decks that don’t primarily use Fusion Monsters, it could be helpful to send Cynet Fusion to the Graveyard with Magicians’ Souls or a similar discard-and-draw card, so that Diplexer Chimera can grant a +1 in card economy.

3 Thousand-Eyes Restrict Is a Classic Non-Destruction Removal Monster

Pharaoh’s Servant — October 20, 2002

Thousand-Eyes Restrict is the first Fusion Effect Monster ever printed, but it’s still one of the best. It was banned in Yu-Gi-Oh! for a long time before power creep rendered its Continuous Effect, which prevents other monsters from changing battle positions or attacking, much less relevant. If Special Summoned with Instant Fusion, it can absorb any opposing monster before being destroyed or used as a Link Material. Users must be certain to remove Thousand-Eyes Restrict from their board before going into the Battle Phase.

Like Infernoid Evil, Thousand-Eyes Restrict is a Level 1 monster. Relinquished Anima can be Link Summoned using it to potentially absorb another opposing monster, plus Thousand-Eyes Restrict can be revived with something like Call of the Haunted to stop an opponent’s Battle Phase. Illusionist Faceless Magician can revive Thousand-Eyes Restrict as soon as Instant Fusion’s effect destroys it.

2 Time Wizard of Tomorrow Can Dark Hole Every Monster

Dragons of Legend: The Complete Series — September 10, 2020

Time Wizard of Tomorrow represents a long-needed upgrade to the original. Though it can easily be Fusion Summoned with Super Polymerization and the original Time Wizard, Instant Fusion is still more efficient. Its effect always nukes every monster on the board, so the coin flip determines which player takes damage from half the total original ATK of each monster. Since Life Points aren’t that important in today’s meta, this isn’t much of a risk.

Time Wizard of Tomorrow is also easy to combo with. Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening Star can prevent the user’s monsters from being destroyed by its effect, thus paving the way for a potentially game-ending set of direct attacks. The potential for blowback can even work to the user’s advantage with D/D/D Rebel King Leonidas or Speedburst Dragon on hand.

1 Millennium-Eyes Restrict Can Stop Most Monster Effects

Legendary Duelists: Ancient Millennium — February 22, 2018

Millennium-Eyes Restrict is usually the go-to monster for an opening hand with Instant Fusion. The ability to shut down any monster effect in the opponent’s field or Graveyard means that it can stop hand traps like Ash Blossom. When going first, that kind of security makes building a huge board more feasible, plus it can still be used as Link Material like the other Level 1 Fusion Monsters on this list.

If Millennium-Eyes Restrict is revived after being Special Summoned from Instant Fusion, its user must remember that it doesn’t innately stop attacks like Thousand-Eyes Restrict. It’s better to revive it during the Main Phase, preferably in Defense Position, to force the opponent to risk wasting a monster effect or going into their Battle Phase prematurely. And of course, Illusionist Faceless Magician can revive this card, too.