Six Samurai, Scraps, and the Nordic Gods are front and center in the Storm of Ragnarok spotlight, but Karakuri Duelists have been very quietly gathering their power. In the past, the Karakuri Decks we’ve seen in Championship-level tournaments revolved around the use of Black Salvo and Machine Duplication to unleash Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”. With Burei’s effect to Special Summon a Level 4 Karakuri from its controller’s Deck, plus extra copies of Black Salvo thanks to Machine Duplication, the Karakuri Duelist could Synchro Summon all 3 copies of Burei in a single turn and make one big, Duel-crushing attack.

Fast forward to today: the Karakuri strategy is still very similar, but Storm of Ragnarok has upped the ante! The Level 8 Synchro Monster Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X “Bureido” is a lot like the Level 7 Burei, and also has the power to Special Summoning a Karakuri monster from its controller’s Deck when it’s Synchro Summoned. That blows the doors wide open, because instead of being locked into a Level 7 Synchro Summon to pull off the best play, you can now combo off with a Level 7 or Level 8. That flexibility gives a lot more options. Bureido also has a draw effect (draw once a turn when a Karakuri monster’s battle position is changed) and it has higher ATK. Add in the power of the World Premiere card Karakuri Muso MDL 818 “Haipa”, and Duelists like Bobby Brake are packing tons of new tricks here this weekend. Check it out!

Monsters:

1 Karakuri Watchdog MDL 313 “Saizan”

3 Karakuri Solider MDL 236 “Nisamu”

1 Karakuri Muso MDL 818 “Haipa”

3 Karakuri Strategist MDL 248 “Nishipachi”

1 Karakuri Ninja MDL “Sazank”

3 Cyber Dragon

2 Swift Scarecrow

3 Black Salvo

3 Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive

1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

Spells:

2 Instant Fusion

Giant Trunade

Cold Wave

Monster Reborn

Limiter Removal

2 Gold Sarcophagus

2 Machine Duplication

3 Pot of Duality

2 Book of Moon

Dark Hole

Traps:

2 Solemn Warning

1 Solemn Judgment

Extra Deck:

2 Karakuri Steel Shogun MDl 00X “Bureido”

3 Karakuri Shogun 00 “Burei”

1 Stardust Dragon

1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

1 Colossal Fighter

1 Scrap Dragon

2 Black Rose Dragon

1 Goyo Guardian

1 Chimeratech Fortess Dragon

2 Cyber Saurus

“The great thing about this deck is that there are so many combos,” explained Brake. Any Level 5 Machine-Type monster can be Tuned to one of Brake’s Level 3 Tuners to bring out Karakuri Steel Shogun mdl 00X “Bureido”, and Brake uses Cyber Dragon and Instant Fusion to quickly Special Summon his Level 5 Synchro Materials. This may be the first time we’ve seen the Fusion Monster Cyber Saurus in a Championship-level Deck! Here are just some of the combos that could let Brake win the Duel:

Black Salvo + Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive + Machine Duplication

Cyber Dragon/Instant Fusion + Black Salvo/Karakuri Strategist MDL 248 “Nishipachi” + Machine Duplication

Black Salvo/Karakuri Strategist MDL 248 “Nishipachi” + Any level 4 Machine monster Machine Duplication

Karakuri Shogun MDL 00 “Burei”/Karakuri Steel Shogun MDL 00X “Bureido” + a Level 4 Karakuri monster + Limiter Removal

“Burei and Bureido are pretty interchangeable,” noted Brake. “The main point of Bureido is that it opens up more opportunities to win, but I like bringing it out and Special Summoning Haipa with its effect.” Haipa’s 2100 ATK makes it really easy to attack and destroy an opposing monster. And when it does, its effect turns it to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. That triggers Bureido’s effect, letting Brake draw a card. That play alone can be enough to devastate an opponent.

With Six Samurai being such a threat in this tournament, Brake has tempered the defense of his steel soldiers with some smart tech. “There are a few cards in my deck that haven’t seen much competitive play, one of them being Swift Scarecrow. This card is a close MVP.” Scarecrow lets Brake survive those big turns when a Samurai Duelist rushes the field with alot of big Summons, giving him a chance to fight back. “I ran Battle Fader at first, but my opponents kept having Solemn Warning or Royal Oppression to stop it. Swift Scarecrow is like an unstoppable defense for a turn. It’s really good against Samurais when they go all out, and I’m able to stop them in their tracks. And it’s a Machine-Type to boot!”

Bobby Brake’s Karakuri Deck is a fine-tuned machine, and with everyone focusing on Samurais here in Dallas, his opponents won’t be prepared for it! With so many ways to achieve huge combos, his strategy could be a surprise hit as it flies under the radar. And even if it doesn’t combo out, simple plays with Burei and Bureido leave it in great position when it finds an opening. Karakuris may finally come into their own this weekend!