Killer Deck 2 - Unstoppable Exodia
Written by: Andrew Phillips ATL, GA
I'm back for another killer deck article (see previous Killer Deck-Bang For The Buck article-September).
In the previous article I wrote about underrated rares and powerful monsters without a significant drawback.
In this article I will discuss a deck that my team, Team Kuriboh, has been testing for two months.
This deck has gone through many changes but the final version has proven successful in the fact that it
won YuGi-Oh States in Georgia and has been undefeated for four weeks straight. I'm not even joking about the
power of this deck. If your wondering what deck can be so powerful, it's quite simple. It's Exodia. Before you
think about how easy it is to stop Exodia, read the report. I'm not going into play-by-plays but I will discuss
common plays and strategies. Unlike other Exodia decks this deck is focused on getting Exodia as soon as possible.
Many Exodia decks are unfocused and contain cards that don't help protect the combo or search for pieces.
The deck has been proven to win, but it does take meticulous plays and smart choices to consistently win.
If your interested then please read on and learn how to play this innovative and entertaining deck, because
there is nothing better than to show your opponent your hand and watch their face as you show them Exodia.
Trust me after the first time you pull this combo off you will never have more fun playing the game.
Monsters
5 x All five Pieces of Exodia (Legs, Arms. Head)-LOB
3 x Mystic Tomato-MRL
3 x Wall of Illusion-MRD
2 x Sangan-MRD
2 x Witch of the Black of the Forest-MRD
2 x Cannon Soldier-MRD
3 x Magician of Faith-MRD
Magic
1 x Raigeki-LOB
1 x Dark Hole-LOB
1 x Pot of Greed-LOB
1 x Painful Choice-MRL
1 x Upstart Goblin-MRL
1 x Giant Trunade-MRL
1 x Monster Reborn-LOB
2 x Swords of Revealing Light-LOB
Traps
1 x Mirror Force-MRD
3 x Solemn Judgment-MRD
3 x Magic Jammer-MRD
3 x Gravity Bind-PSV
1 x Back-Up Soldier-PSV
Side Deck
3 x La Jinn Mystical Genie of the Lamp-LOB
3 x Seven Colored Fish-MRD
3 x Jurai Gumo-MRD
1 x Delinquent Duo-MRL
1 x Confiscation-MRD
2 x Card Destruction-LOB
2 x Dark Elf-MRD
After reading the deck list you obviously have some questions as to card choices
and why some of the cards are in the deck. Some players have questioned the use
of Mystic Tomato and Upstart Goblin. Mystic Tomato allows you to search through
your deck to fetch a Cannon Soldier, Sangan, or Witch. This essentially allows you
to get the pieces faster and provide another blocker, of course if it dies by any other
means the card is useless. This card will be replaced when Graceful Charity becomes
legal in tournament play. Upstart Goblin is another card that many players feel that
shouldn't be played in any deck. Though the card itself is weak in aggressive decks
it is perfect in a deck where life is unimportant. My opponent gains 1000 LP, but I get
another card from my deck, which essentially allows me to play with a 39-card deck and
get to essential cards faster. Cannon Soldier allows you to tribute a monster on the
field to deal 500 points of damage to an opponent, but that is not the real use of the
card. Cannon Soldier is a way to throw your Witches and Sangans at your opponent
to search for the pieces faster plus it can attack for 1400. The rest of the cards in the
deck are used to stall the opponent long enough to get the pieces together. The counter traps
are useful in protecting your combo, only use these in the event that your hand is endangered
or a card is used to destroy your Gravity Binds. It is quite obvious that the cards above are all
rares, super rares, and ultra-rares, which means that the deck is very expensive to build and if
you can trade for the rares then go for it. Some alternatives to some of the rares can be substituted
for the harder to get cards. For example, using Magic Drain instead of Magic Jammer because
Magic Drain is just a rares instead of an ultra-rare or Wabakoh instead of Swords of Revealing Light.
The deck was designed to do well against aggressive decks that have been heavily played since YuGi-Oh
first hit the U.S. An aggressive deck usually consists of large monsters with little drawbacks and
monster removal spells in order to gain an advantage against the other player and destroy your
opponent with attacks (the deck in my previous article is an example of an aggressive design).
Correct Plays
Much of the skill aspect of this deck is in the plays and knowing what to do when the time is right.
Knowing the right monster to set is what determines whether or not you can win. For example if
you know that your opponent plays Man-eater Bugs set a Witch or Sangan first before you play
a Mystic Tomato. This will allow you to search for a piece instead of your Mystic Tomato dying
and you getting nothing. The key of the deck is to make every card replace itself so that you can
get card advantage and out play the opponent. Good plays include playing Painful Choice with
Back-Up Soldier in hand and searching for three pieces of Exodia (Due not search for the HEAD you
can not get it back with Back-Up Soldier!!!), and return the pieces on your opponent's turn with
Back-Up Soldier to win! Don't forget that you can attack an opponent's monster that is in attack mode
with Witches, Sangans, and Tomatoes so that they are destroyed to search for pieces of Exodia. This
type of suicide attack always suprises unwary opponents who do not pay attention and allows an
easy path to victory. Even though you have a lot of counters situations due arise that a Card Destruction
or Soul Release does get through and you lose a piece of Exodia, but there are alternative ways to win.
This is where true skill comes in and smart choices will win the game. Knowing when to attack your
opponent is key to defeating the opponent. Always try to Raigeki of remove your opponent's monsters
and make every attack count. Don't forget Cannon Soldier's ability to tribute monsters to
deal direct damage, this tactic is often instrumental in finishing off your opponent.
How To Use Your SideDeck
After the first game the subsequent games can and will be decided by your SideDeck contents.
Players that have sidedecks usually bring cards in that are great against Exodia; these include
Delinquent Duo, Card Destruction, Soul Release, Confiscation, etc. A tricky tactic is to take your
entire sidedeck and shuffle it in with your deck and then take out fifteen cards. This tactic is excellent
because you don't necessarily have to change anything in the deck but this fools your opponent
into thinking that you have changed key cards in your deck and they may not sidedeck correctly.
The sidedeck is excellent because the deck is transformed from an Exodia deck to a beat-down deck.
Most opponents will side out their defense cards like Swords of Revealing Light, Fissure, and in
some cases Raigeki. This leaves your opponent open for strong monsters to rush in and destroy your
opponent before he or she realizes their mistake and can counterattack.
Tournament
The tournament detailed below was played on the weekend of November 21st. The deck ended up
winning at Galactic Quest in Buford, GA. The attendance was around 38 people and ended up
being around 5 rounds of play. The tournament format was single elimination Official Duelist, but
allowed Pharaoh's Servant to be played using the Japanese rules to interpret the new cards and restricted list.
Round 1 Vs. Doug
Doug had played against me before at a previous tournament and was playing the same deck as before.
His deck contained Polymerization and Relinquished with an assortment of countertraps to protect his monsters
and stop anything his opponent might do. Overall his deck was efficient and could be good, but Doug
made too many mistakes and terrible plays to capitalize on his deck. Doug really defeated himself and
allowed me to win. The first game Doug didn't even touch my life points and he went down to 7000 LP
when he 7 Tools of the Bandit my Magic Jammer. The second game I took 500 points of damage putting
me at 7500 LP and then I Solemn Judgment his Solemn Judgment and ended at 3350 LP at the end of the
game and Doug was at 4000 LP. I didn't feel the need for Sidedecking and dispatched him without too much effort.
Round 2 Vs. Chris
Chris is a good friend of mine that always talk to when we go to tournaments. The ironic thing about Chris is
that we always get paired against each other when we are in the same tournament and our games are always stress
inducing and nail biting. Chris had specifically put in cards in his maindeck that are excellent against Exodia,
such as Soul Release, Card Destruction, and Banisher of the Light. It goes without saying that he had a distinct
advantage against me. The first game he pulled of an early Card Destruction and Soul Release with
Banisher of the Light on the field. I almost won the game with Cannon Soldier, but a key mistake cost me the game.
My life total was at 237 due to Solemn Judgment and creature attacks. I had a Gravity Bind in play keeping him
from attacking and a Cannon Soldier. I had just tributed a monster to put Chris at 1000 LP and all I had was the
Cannon Soldier that I planned to use next turn when I put another monster into play and do the 1000 points of
damage to Chris. Unfortunately he had a Hane-Hane and returned my Cannon Soldier to my hand and attacked
me with his Hane-Hane to defeat me first game. I made the decision to not sidedeck and try to win with Exodia.
I drew the perfect hand (NO, not all five pieces!) it contained two pieces of Exodia along with Witch, Painful Choice,
Solemn Judgment, and Back-Up Soldier. I set the Witch and Judgment and passed turn. Chris played La Jinn and two
traps and attacked my Witch, which I used to search for the Exodia Head. Next turn I drew Giant Trunade and played
it to return his traps. I then played Painful Choice and searched for the last two pieces and three other monsters.
Chris picked a non-piece and then I set down Solemn Judgment and Back-Up Soldier. On Chris' turn he attempted
to Nobleman of Extermination my Back-Up Soldier which I activated to return the two pieces in the graveyard to win
the game. It came down to the final game and it was truly a nail biter. I had three pieces of Eoxdia in hand and two
Witches and a Sangan on the field, but Chris had a face up Banisher of the Light. This prevented me from destroying
my own monsters because I could not use their abilities because Banisher removes them from the game before their
ability triggers. I knew he had a Raigeki in hand but he thought that I would get to search before the monsters were
removed from the game. The fact that he did not know the correct ruling is what cost him the game. After I drew
Raigeki I just attacked him with my monsters instead of trying to draw Exodia. After the game I told him the ruling
and he promised to defeat me next time we played. After shaking his hand I shakily got up and reported my win.
Round 3 Vs. Dan
Dan is also another good friend of mine that I usually have to play against. I was fortunate enough to see Dan's
deck in action and was prepared for his deck. Dan had created a really good Burner deck that I was really nervous
about. You have to understand that Exodia does well against monsters because they have to attack your monsters
thus allowing you to get Exodia pieces and can be stopped with Swords of Revealing Light and Gravity Bind.
Burner decks don't have to attack with creatures, they just deal direct damage to your life points making your
defensive cards useless and Solemn Judgment is suicide to use. I planned to attack Dan with my monsters than
try to sit back and draw Exodia. I figured that he would kill my LP before I ever got the chance to draw all five pieces.
This plan paid off when I finished him off with only having 1500 LP left after the first game. I proposed to Dan that
neither of us Sidedeck and just play the game because he would think that I may or may not board out Exodia and it
would be a waste of time for both of us to Sidedeck. Dan agreed and the second game went just like the first with me
ending up at 3800 LP and Dan at 0 LP.
Round 4 Vs. Jason (Semi Finals)
After dispatching both Dan and Chris who are both excellent players, I didn't fear any other opponents. I played against
Jason and smashed him in less than ten minutes. He was cocky and stated that he had the perfect strategy against
Exodia. Jason proposed that by using Toons he could defeat me. I merely laughed and showed him how flawed his
strategy was. He couldn't do anything against me. He never got out a Toon and anything he played that I didn't like
was countered. I drew Exodia both games extremely fast and he couldn't do a thing about it. I patiently waited for my
last opponent to play his game so that we could play the Finals.
Round 5 Vs. Robert (Finals)
Robert is a player who is 11 years old that is playing an aggressive beatdown. He used cards such as
Goblin Attack Force, Dark Elf and other large monsters. Overall his deck did not intimidate me and I played the match
casually and enjoyed myself. Robert couldn't do anything about my combo and I commented on his plays that
caused him to make mistakes that cost him the match. I just sat back and drew the pieces of Exodia using
Cannon Soldier, Witches, and Sangans. The finals were an easy round and I collected a pack of Legend of Blues
Eyes and three Magic Ruler.
Overview
This deck is an exciting deck to play and entertaining in trying to collect all the necessary cards to build it.
Always keep in mind that the key to winning with the deck is to think on your toes and to anticipate the
cards that your opponent is playing with and what their play style is. Remember to use your Sidedeck and
when to use it. Overall just have fun playing this deck, because there is nothing better than seeing your
opponents face when you show him all five pieces of Exodia.
SideNote
Don't forget to get your issue of Shonen Jump! that comes with an exclusive alternate art Blue Eyes White
Dragon card that rocks! Shonen Jump is the magazine where YuGi-Oh first appeared so pick up your issue today!
If you have any questions, comments, or just want to exchange deck ideas please e-mail me at magic707@hotmail.com.
Thanks for reading!