Fact Number 1! I think Shien’s Squire is adorable.

Fact Number 2! It’s also a Level 1 Tuner, can be Special Summoned with Gateway of the Six, and saves Samurai from Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow.

Fact Number 3? The unassuming little monkey is the basis of one of the flashiest, most unpredictable versions of Six Samurai being played here today! Armed with tech like Reinforce Truth and the stone-walling X-Saber Pashuul, Honorable Michael Smith-Grant and many of his friends are ready to defy expectations with their unique Samurai strategy.

Monsters:

1 Grandmaster of the Six Samurai

3 Legendary Six Samurai- Kizan

3 Legendary Six Samurai- Kageki

3 Kagemusha of the Six Samurai

1 Hand of the Six Samurai

2 Shien’s Squire

1 X-Saber Pashuul

Spells:

3 Gateway of the Six

3 Six Samurai United

3 Shien’s Smoke Signal

2 Book of Moon

2 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Monster Reborn

1 Giant Trunade

1 Reinforcement of the Army

Traps:

2 Solemn Warning

2 Musakani Magatama

2 Reinforce Truth

2 Double-Edged Sword Technique

1 Solemn Judgment

1 Chain Disappearance

All the Samurai Duelists we’ve seen so far are playing 3 copies of Kagemusha of the Six Samurai, but with Pashuul and Squire at his disposal, Grant’s playing twice as many Tuners as the average Samurai Duelist. He’s got a bigger focus on Synchro Summoning, and his Trap Card lineup helps him out: 2 Double-Edged Sword Techniques and 2 Reinforce Truths help him put together Level 5 and Level 6 Synchro Summons over and over. That means steady access to Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En, and Grant can play Musakani Magatama and Chain Disappearance to defend it. With Shi En’s effect pinning down opposing Spells and Traps, Magatama can be reserved for monster effects, and Disappearance can cut off Synchro and Tribute Summons.

“Shien’s Squire is so much better than it looks,” commented Grant. “It’s a great counter to Blackwings, and it can keep Shi En on the field when he gets attacked by something bigger.” The Blackwing matchup is a big concern for most Samurai Duelists here in Dallas. The extra protection also makes it easier to keep a face-up Samurai on the field so he can activate Musakani Magatama. Grant continued: “It’s a Level 1 Tuner, so I can Special Summon it with Reinforce Truth and pair it with a Level 4 Samurai for Shi En; or, since it’s a ‘Shien’ monster, I can Special Summon it with the third effect of Gateway of the Six.” Even just Tuning the Squire to Shi En lets Grant shift gears, trading his high-powered stabilizing Samurai for the game-ending Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier.

The aggressive power of the Samurais has driven many Duelists to play Spirit Reaper, because it can’t be destroyed in battle. But Pashuul has a similar protective effect, and it’s a Level 2 Tuner as well. It’s a strong choice for the mirror Match, and since it’s a Warrior-Type Tuner it’s a valid Synchro Material for Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En. Reinforce Truth gives him easy access to Pashuul, and he can Chain Truth to Mystical Space Typhoon or Giant Trunade to pop out a strong defender.

There are a lot of different Samurai builds in contention in this tournament, but Mini-Monkey Samurais has got to be one of the craziest. Opinions vary: on one hand, alot of people think this guy might be crazy. But many Duelists that saw him play earlier today have actually adopted his tech, converting to the simian cause. Will we see monkeys make Day 2? We’ll find out as the day progresses!