Notes & Combos

60c Mekk-Knight Crusadia: "World Legacy's Finality"

In Feb 2022, a legendary gigachad named Hiera won a 10-man Master Duel Tetsukai with a 60-card Mekk-Knight Crusadia deck:

x%2Ecom/tuitekoreruka/status/1496444072244170753

(^ to circumvent link censoring; just copy-paste)

I have been deeply enthralled with the idea of a 60c deck ever since. The color spectrum of the World Legacy monsters...the beautiful art...the exciting variety in opening hands...

On the 11th, I finally achieved the YGO dream I'd been chasing these 2.5 years.

After hitting M1 every month, I'd tinker with various 60c piles (often using Adventurer/Sky Striker/Orcust engines), only to give up time after time due to consistency and resilience issues (especially going 2nd). Serendipitously, Jesse Kotton's 60c Tear pile at WCS reignited my drive and encouraged me to review many of my preconceptions. I began toying with the idea of using the GY more actively, or at least seeing if the GY could make up for the WL engine's weak hands. I also became obssesed with taking a 60c pile to M1 with SOLELY the WL engine. Ranked isn't DC/WCQ, so why not?

Someone also recently brought up Crusadia D-Link in the Crusadia channel, and my eyes were drawn to World Legacy Guardragon in their deck: a card that hasn't been viable in Crusadia since Guardragons were bonked. (Top 6 YGO arts of all time IMO: Crusadia Vanguard, The World Legacy, Astram, Crusadia Testament, WL Guardragon, WL Mind Meld.) I suddenly felt self-indulgent. Could I take WL Guardragon and Mind Meld to M1 in a Crusadia deck? They are the only 2 "World Legacy" cards featuring the Crusadia, and I already play Crusadia Krawler anyway.

This is it. A list that represents all 8 World Legacy relics and their associated archetypes:

"World Chalice" "Mekk-Knight" "Krawler" "Knightmare" "Crusadia" "Orcust" "Guardragon" "World Key"

This is my love letter to World Legacy...!

Disclaimer

Tenpai pack dropped while I was in M3. I was playing a slightly different list at the time (same core, just different non-engine and some card differences; the deck functioned the same way). I managed to rank up to M2 with the older construction, but struggled with consistency issues throughout. After deranking to M3, I retooled the deck and finally made it to M1. I show the lists before each promotion game in the special video below. Either way, this final build is definitely superior to the older one because it doesn't lose to itself, so I will be building on this version going forward.

Is this optimized?

No. I have not had time to run the math. It is more consistent than the first version, but it's not "2024 consistent." Even though 60 dilutes the bricks, with this many engine requirements (traps and high-level monsters), there will be horrendously bricked hands suitable for large-scale construction. TBF, this will never be optimized. A rational player wouldn't build this way.

My approach

There is no gameplay reason to go to 60 when the most powerful cards in the deck are non-engine (lol)...unless you're trying to dilute bricks. In my case, cards that suck to draw yet substantially raise ceiling by opening new lines for existing combinations (since I cannot simply create new combinations using just my Mekk-Crusadia engine). I looked over every single WL card again and found one: Deus X-Krawler. What luck! With Mind Meld being freshly non-negotiable, adding Deus seemed a no-brainer in conjunction with the goal of taking the deck to 60. From this climb, I've found Deus to be a good game-winner; a perfect alternative win-con for my deck, which will not look to foreign boss monsters or engine pieces. Of course, it has plenty of weaknesses, but I can't complain.

If you remove the Mind Meld package, this list honestly looks and works largely the same as the 40c from an engine perspective, except the only good starter, Girsu, is now less often in hand, just like the best cards in the deck (Maxx C...). However, there is more room for useful tools like World Chalice, WL Scars, WL Guardragon, Forbidden Droplet, etc. It also gives me more leeway in balancing Normal Summons and backrow - a serious inherent issue going 1st due to the Mekks' reliance on columns.

Engine choices, detailed

Mind Meld Package

Mind Meld, WL Pawns, and Deus X-Krawler. I take no credit; this is a standard Krawler line. Girsu now sends Mind Meld as the #1 priority. Lib sets Pawns. Mind Meld banishes from GY to summon Deus to Lib's Link Zone. Turn 2, Pawns flips Deus up and I now have a full-field WL Secret with 3000 Def. Resilient to Duster/LS/Evenly/Nib. This makes Girsu a true 1c starter. The replays in the special video speak for themselves. Absolute game-changer of an addition to my toolbox, though it's not a core line due to Girsu being at 23% open probability. On Turn 3 and beyond, though, with Purple Nightfall going, it can be set up to help close out games. Astram + Deus is a pretty good pairing for my deck's level. Ceiling = raised.

Main issue: Brickiness. Deus is just a hard brick, but thankfully not a garnet. It was infuriating to open him 4 games in a row. Mind Meld and Pawns are soft bricks; they are still WL names that grant Lib access in GY and can be discarded for Morning Star's search. I once opened both Pawns and Mind Meld but managed to send the latter to GY with Unicorn on Turn 2 to immediately make the Deus play live (see Mannadium replay)!

Mind Meld is a unique WL trap because it works alone and immediately sets the agenda if it shows up in hand. Opening Awakens is just eh, Secret needs Mekks, Pawns needs Mind Meld in GY. Opening Mind Meld, however, directs me to go for Pawns and discard Mind Meld ASAP. Even without Pawns, discarding Mind Meld at least gets me Deus on field with its nifty face-down effect, forcing the opponent to use non-targeting removal unless they feel like flipping it face-up for me. Since Girsu is the only other way of getting it in GY, I've come to realize that I actually don't mind drawing Mind Meld if I have Morning Star or Lib access...and I have, what, 17 cards that do that (more if counting Scars discard).

Deus is a floodgate! You are just a stun player!

First statement is true. Second, stun would not be played if it opened its floodgates this infrequently. Anyway, I'd like to take this chance to apologize...TO ABSOLUTELY NOBODY! WORLD LEGACY DOES WHAT IT WANTS!

13 Crusadia monsters

The axiom of this list is: "No Normal Summon = Scoop". The first, brickier, version of the deck that went to M2 and then deranked played 8 Crusadia monsters, but 5 more handtraps, 3x WL Survivor, and +1 Mekk. Those slots became extra Crusadia names, 3x Droplet, and 1x One for One for the final push from M3 to M1.

I'm pretty dumb for taking this long to realize, but despite the Crusadia being terrible value in hand beyond the 1st name (since they are essentially just copies of Magius), stacking Crusadia monsters actually solves 2 problems.

1. Lack of starters in all of WL, particularly lack of Normal Summons. In the first version, I very often had to NS a handtrap, which was not only a waste of a disruption, but also completely worthless—being non-engine that did not generate any sort of card advantage whatsoever.
2. Mekk reliance on backrow. I feel really stupid, but the absolute best way to ensure that I don't brick with Mekks on turn 1 with no backrow...is to go into the Crusadia engine to add Krawler...which guarantees backrow for further plays...I don't need to say more, it's embarrassing I took that long to realize.

Overall, I am delighted to be playing 13 Crusadia monsters, delighted with the consistency boost, and fairly fortunate that Tenpai is making me go first more often such that cutting HTs seems fine for now. I was just really tired of losing to myself through bricking.

ROTA is the 13th Crusadia, the 4th Arboria, because Arboria is the best NS and backrow is always welcome.

World Legacy Guardragon

On first sight, a needless, self-indulgent luxury. I'd thought that for years too, and it likely still holds true in 40c. In practice? It won me the M3 rank-up game (live gameplay in the video)! It's basically a 4th WL Succession with different conditions, and with the added benefit of shifting Draco out of a Link Zone.

In the midrange, this saved my skin plenty of times given how picky the Crusadia are with Link Zones; I would often already have something in the EMZ and something else in 1 of its Link Zones (such as Krawler). Being able to shift Draco allows me to SS the Crusadia added from GY to the freed Link Zone and save the NS for Girsu. This has really boosted my follow-up resources on Turn 3; I cannot praise it enough. I was wrong to have doubted it!

I will say that while piloting the 1st version of the deck with 8 Crusadia monsters, I'd made up my mind to note in this writeup that WL Guardragon should be the first cut for a rational player. But now, with 13 Crusadia monsters, Draco is in GY more often, and WL Guardragon just makes so much more sense. It is a wonderful addition to the deck, and also can be an emergency discard for Lib access anyway due to the WL name.

Devastatingly beautiful art. I am so moved that I can finally play it in my deck alongside Mind Meld. Truly...

1 WL Scars, 0 Survivor

I never once resolved Scars' kek effect, FYI. The 2nd effect is really underrated, especially when playing a decent amount of WL and Mekk names. Discarding a Mekk means drawing WL Secret is not as bad, and drawing 1 improves consistency. I drew into the Crusadia I needed to start my plays through Scars on several occasions! Discarding a WL name for Lib access...discarding Mind Meld...you get the picture. Great card.

Survivor was at 3 for the first version, then got cut to 1, and eventually made way for a Crusadia. The effect is still incredible: unconditional Lib access, potential to add a WL card I need, and the sheer insanity of milling Mind Meld and adding Pawns. However, it whiffs too often still, and I had to admit that I was simply addicted to the dopamine hit of milling like a Tear player. Would be way better in a Krawler deck, or more of a World Legacy deck rather than a Mekk-Crusadia deck like mine. It's not a starter, and the only card I'd honestly want to add with it is Succession, while the only card I'd want to mill is Mind Meld (tho milling Mekks/Crusadia monsters was nice too). Odds don't check out.

World Legacy Relics

World Key is the worst "real" Normal Summon, but still clutch for a hand with Mekks but no Crusadia monsters. Can also simply be discarded for Morning Star's effect if not needed for column creation. Overall just a solidified spot for me.

World Chalice is another soft brick like Pawns/Mind Meld. It is, however, the 2nd-best Girsu send, and has clutch value after Turn 1. World Armor was the competition for its slot, but it doesn't add much to my Turn 1 board given the Crusadia core and doesn't have a disruption effect on field as a last-ditch play (unless NS-ed, which won't happen). On Turn 3, which is mostly when I actually need the WL card search, I don't have to summon Chalice to resolve its effect. Totally fair to opt for Armor over Chalice though; I just prefer Chalice's aesthetic tbh. Armor does make Girsu a true 1c starter as well since Lib can set Awakens to guarantee the bounce + S:P play, but I already have the Deus line for Girsu's 1c opener.

Another point of embarrassment: I never realized I could use One for One to SS World Key, giving me 1 (highly unlikely) out to an Impermed Girsu. Can send a Brick-Knight on Turn 1 if opened Secret, or even World Chalice/Deus lol. I got this idea from LMT's Rikka list when I was looking up 60c lists for inspiration while being down in the dumps. I stared at my list for a long time before realizing World Key is a Lv 1. Kek

Crusadia Krawler

Not quite a hard brick like Deus, but not a soft brick either. Just a slow brick, and the effect is actually good. Guardragon is the #1 add, Succession #2. I've discussed this in previous lists, but yeah as searchable backrow for column creation, with 13 Crusadia monsters, it's just very useful.

Red Moon and Yellow Star

Worst Mekks to draw as they don't get me into the main Mekk engine, but effects have been surprisingly clutch. Still wouldn't play them in a 40c hybrid, but here they are very welcome. I've mentioned Morning Star's discard quite a few times; with the additional WL names in the deck, more consistent access to Morning Star is helpful.

Just 1 WL Secret? Isn't it your main win-con?

It makes sense that a 60c deck would have room for a 2nd Secret, just for insurance, and I did try it for a long time. I appreciated the sustain, but not the bricking. Ultimately, I think there are already too many traps for a deck that isn't solely backrow-based, and moreover Secret is useless in hands without big Mekks. Secret is no longer my only win-con, even if it is still the most reliable in many ways.

60c? No Grass/Snow/Dotscaper? + Meowmine/FBG

I tested the Jesse package extensively in M5. None of them made the cut because they're not starters here and don't actually help much with consistency. Foolish Burial + Dotscaper did help with Mekk column creation and Impermed Girsu extension, but that's not enough of a justification over 2 additional Crusadia starters. Unlike Tear, I also have no real mill targets other than Mind Meld.

Meowmine would have been another useful mill target, but in hand it didn't save me from sticky situations, particularly the Impermed Girsu. Nice interaction, but a handtrap provides more value in its place, or in my case an actual engine starter (Crusadia). I also often found its bounce to be overkill in conjunction with Lib's bounce or S:P's banish, its main triggers, due to its timing.

Special mention: Foolish Burial Goods. Slotted it in for a bit, mostly as a last-ditch attempt to get Deus on field to survive a turn. A way to set up a board under Maxx C (just stopping on Magius or something and waiting for the next turn to SS Deus). It's really just an extender in this case. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really get much use out of it either. Might reconsider.

Non-engine choices

Keeping this brief:

• Droplet: Good against Tenpai unless they have the cracked opener with Transcendent + Summoning in MP1. Good in this deck due to bricks and Lib access requirement. Backrow for Mekks.
• Veiler: Really wanted this to be Gamma, but can't afford 3 extra bricks that cannot create columns in an emergency. Undecided between this and Ghost Belle. Maybe 2 Veiler 1 Belle might be nice. Belle remains great. I just ran out of patience and stopped paying attention to these slots, so left them as Veilers.
• I don't feel safe with just these HTs, but I am completely burnt out getting the core to work and struggling with engine consistency. Will review next month. Awakens is now the 1st name on the chopping block. It's a trap (slow), and is now the lowest-priority WL name; it's there to ensure I still have some disruption in case I have Lib and her bounce but no Mekks or Deus, but who knows if just climbing to Equimax or Astram might be better then (Krawler gets me Lib on Turn 3 anyway). I really like the art, too. Baby Imduk!

Final remarks

This will be my deck core moving forward (I hope...)! Even if the meta calls for a switch back to blind 2nd, I will try to do it with 60 cards and a core like this! The card arts bring me joy and the deeper resource pool is fun and exciting to utilize! I love playing this deck!

M1 60c pile, aesthetically how I envisioned...I think it is all absolutely magical. I shall consider myself semi-retired now! Nothing I do in MD from here will top this.

WORLD LEGACY FOREVER!