Notes & Combos
Back to back M1 seasons with pure Striker!!!
This season I wanted to lean a little more into the Striker toolbox rather than just power spells
Last season Tenpai was so popular that you could counter build for it and not care if your other matchups were worse. This season was a mix of Tenpai and insane turn 1 combos trying to stop Tenpai, making it hard to prepare for everything.
Some Card explanations:
2x Raye: 3x is just too bricky, and we have enough ways to our engine
Cyanos: Used to not like this card, and she is vulnerable to every hand trap, so you need to cover her in bubble wrap before summoning her, BUT she gives the deck so many fun toolbox options
Azalea Temperance/Engage Zero: If I am honest, completely cuttable cards, BUT in the niche situations they come up you feel like a genius
Gamma/Driver: I tried a full hand trap build but it just felt like I was playing on the same axis as meta decks with a weaker engine. Cut to just Gamma because it doesn't trade one for one with Ash/Called By, and it can turn into Azalea on your turn. Avoid using it turn 1 unless your opponent is doing something unfair
2x Talents: Amazing card but 3x is a little bricky, especially when your best removal card is Evenly which functions in the battle phase. Also you're drawing with it 9 times out of 10, so drawing into another hurts
3x Thrust: Fun fact, the samurai in the artwork is just Raye with a mask on
Area Zero: Not always powerful but soooo versatile. Get rid of extra bodies, swap out cards you don't need for more engine, and can SS an ace when you really need it
0x Hornet Drones: REALLY hate that it's 2 draws vs Maxx C
3x Upstart: Honestly I like Chicken Game more (10-11k damage is hard for this deck), BUT it's worse with Evenly and vulnerable before you get your draw
1x Avarice: Sometimes this card is a brick in your opener, but it's fantastic in the grind game. You run out of Extra Deck SO fast, especially with Cyanos
3x Evenly: Gets around all kinds of recursion, protection, and floodgates (Hi anti-spell). Multiple isn't even that bad, especially if they have an omni-negate
3x Droplets: Love this card. Chains nicely with your quick plays and gets rid of your situationally useless cards like avarice or evenly
1x T-roar: Tenpai. Last season ran it at 3x but it's not good vs combo decks.
2x Linkage: Versatile and fun card, but sometimes you wish you just opened Raigeki/Duster