Notes & Combos
As a wise woman once said: "lemme teach you how to REALLY win fights. Do all the stuff your opponent hates. ALL of it. Repeatedly. Get it? Got it? Good. Make 'em miserable. No excuses."
Such is the level of ruthlessness you need to possess to truly play and master Labrynth, not just here but in general.
Welcome to my 3F Labrynth guide, where fun ends and schadenfreude reaches its zenith.
Before the elaboration begins, a little confession: I took the 3 days before the event actually started to build this list in the most efficient way possible, but also to promote diversity (within the limits of the humanly possible) and tech discussion on the various event-dedicated channels of Harrier's Master Duel server, because I embarked onto this event fully acknowledging Labrynth would be Tier 0, so I wanted to give and take chances to and from non-Labrynth players. Now that the premise has been done, let's begin properly.
If Labrynth is an overwhelming deck that should always win, then, as a Lab duelist, the goal of this list should be to fully focus on the overwhelming part, to control the field and the player's mind in the most efficient way: as a trap deck is going to teach you, both are expected to crumble by the end of the match.
As Labrynth is losing several cards like EEV and Super Poly's full potential, as well as every important handtrap not called Skull Meister or Kurikara Divincarnate, in exchange for a greater ease to summon from Deck with the two Welcome cards, the missing pieces, on Main and Extra Deck alike, are going to be filled with the best stuff available within the only two Types allowed on this event.
Only stopped by Infernoid, Punishment and Impermanence, Tour Guide is a fundamentally degenerate card that enables the following combo: Normal Summon Tour Guide -> SS Sangan with Tour Guide -> Link Summon Cherubini using Sangan and Tour Guide -> activate Sangan to add Tour Guide from the Deck to the hand -> activate Cherubini -> send Scarm from the Deck to the GY -> continue your turn play -> during the End Phase activate Scarm to add Chand or Stovie from the Deck to the hand -> pass
Cooclock is played at 2 because it doesn't set cards, only allows them to activate, while Chand and Stovie, who do, are played at 3. Likewise, Arianna is needed at 3 to stack the most pieces possible to enable the double Welcome play.
Said double Welcome play goes as follows: CL1 Big Welcome CL2 Welcome, summon Lovely, summon Lady, return Lady, activate Lovely, resummon Lady from hand
Lovely and Lady are, in a way, special forms of garnets, with Lady being the only one with a Quick summon effect, so they're played at 1 and 2, respectively: this is reflected onto the ratios of Big Welcome and Welcome, at 3 and 2 respectively. Labyrinth (the field spell) is played at 1 as it's just a nice attachment to Welcome and the other trap, but also a card that would brick at more.
Lady acts as the main attacking force and trap-cycle-maker, as well as setting Lovely in motion, while Lovely is the recycler and harbinger of the modern version of Yata Lock, although the effect can also be used as handy pop.
Extravagance is the best draw spell that's not limited, and worth activating even if the banish fumbles both Cherubini and Machinex plays: at worst, you'll fall back on Muckraker. Dimensional Barrier shuts down Herald, Infernoid, Despia and Dark World, and can be recycled with Lovely.
Evenly is the mirror handler of this event, as well as the most broken going second card in general imo. It's also disposable as it can serve as fodder for Chand and Stovie if unusable in a given particular matchup.
Limited for a good reason, Punishment allows, with N'Tss, to pop two cards and disrupt the opponent while trying to make board, and unlike in other decks, Lovely can recycle it, thus bypassing the limit.
Impermanence, is, well, the great card for the mirror and in general that it is.
Ice Dragon's Prison is an absurdly broken card in this format that is able, by itself, to make the prettiest comebacks while also disrupting the opponent.
Seven Tools and Judgment are your Evenly counters, although they're good against other traps and summons, including in the mirror. Red Reboot can also be used instead.
As for the Extra Deck, whenever it's not used as Extrav fodder: N'Tss is for Punishment, Darius and Caesar+Tell are for Machinex, Roach, Dugares and Bagooska are generic good rank 4 cards, Cherubini is for the degenerate combo listed above, the Knightmares are effective Link staple with practical effects for a handful of situations, and the 3 Muckrakers are for reviving Labrynth and protecting Lovely and Lady.