Heroic Champion - Kusanagi is one of five Heroic Monsters from Abyss Rising. While it was designed to work with Heroic decks, it can work with any deck that runs a lot of level 4 Warrior monsters. Probably the best deck to run Kusanagi in is the Elemental Hero Bubbleman deck or Six-Samurai deck as they can summon level 4 Warrior monsters very quickly.
 
The big question with Heroic Champion – Kusanagi is, is it a better option than other rank 4 monsters in the game? Shock Master can do the same thing and more as it is not limited to trap cards. Shock Master has 200 less attack points than Kusanagi and cannot gain any more attack points like Kusanagi can, so you will have to consider that when you choose your Extra deck cards.
 
Also consider that your opponent is not going to be activating Trap cards only to have them negated. You could, however activate your own trap cards with the intention of raising your Heroic Champion’s attack points. The max attack that you can get Kusanagi to is 4000 attack at the cost of three traps without using Xyz material effect cards. With a mere 2 level 4 Warrior’s, we could make Heroic Champion Excalibur and accomplish the same thing with no sacrificing of Trap cards albeit for only one turn.
 
Heroic Champion – Kusanagi is not a bad card, but finding room in the Extra deck with so many other great cards and limited space, I do not see it making anyone’s list.
 
Traditional: 1/5
Advanced: 2/5

Today we look at a card that looks like a mix-breed of a Jedi and a Samurai, Heroic Champion - Kusanagi. A Rank 4 EARTH/Warrior Xyz monster with 2500 ATK and 2400 DEF (Mmmm BEEFY!) And needing 3 level 4 Warrior type monsters to summon.
 
Once per turn, during either player's turn, when a Trap card is activated: You can detach 1 Xyz material from this card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it, then this card gains 500 ATK.
 
Now the first thing you might notice is the stats on this card. 2500 ATK is good enough to run over most monsters and 2400 DEF is just as good to hold them off. Now getting 3 level 4 Warriors can be done in a turn. Six Samurais can get the job done, as well as Rescue Rabbit getting 2 Noble Knight Artorigus then special summoning Noble Knight Gawayn. The sweetest part is Kusanagi's ability to detach a Xyz material to stop a Trap card from going off, then if it negates it, Kusanagi gains 500 ATK, permanently. It doesn't go away at the end phase, or your next turn. It stays around as long as it is on the field. And you get to do this 3 times, so this card can gain 1500 extra ATK having it go up to 4000 ATK. Being able to stop a trap during anyone's turn while gaining an extra 500 ATK 3 times is pretty darn good. You can use Overlay Regen to give it chance to stop another trap card and gain another 500 ATK. The downsides is im sure it can't stop Counter-Traps, and it could get sucked into Bottomless or Torrential Tribute. I can see this card in your side deck, so do it!
 
Traditional: 2
Advanced: 3
Tomorrow: Fish are friends, not food.