Notes & Combos

I went 23-3, finishing on an 8-game win streak from the bottom of Master 5 up to Master 1 with the new Vanquish Soul K9 deck. Here's the breakdown of how the deck performed:

• Overall Win Rate: 88.46% (23 Wins - 3 Losses)
• Win Rate Going 1st: 92.31% (12 Wins - 1 Loss)
• Win Rate Going 2nd: 84.62% (11 Wins - 2 Losses)
• Average Game Length: 1.96 Turns

This deck was very fun to learn and challenging to play well, despite what my record might suggest. The core premise involves using cards like Hollie Sue or Izuna to play on the opponent's turn, then establishing a resource loop with Razen, Mad Love, or Jokul to finish the opponent on the follow-up or set up for a grindy win.

You can disrupt opposing plays via Hollie Sue by taking control of an opposing monster, summoning a Razen to destroy a monster in its column, bouncing a card with Mad Love, or destroying cards with Caesar Valius. Hollie Sue can be such a punishing card when you interrupt your opponent while simultaneously gaining card advantage through Razen or Mad Love.

The K9 engine is great at breaking boards, specifically when you Xyz summon into an untargetable N.As.H. Knight, Vallon, or even TY-PHON using Lupis on the opponent's turn. While those plays weren't always as explosive as the Hollie Sue lines, they were usually more than enough to dismantle a board before my turn even started.

I think the deck's performance hinges on the "non-engine" cards you run to complement the VS and K9 plays. I chose a balance of Purulia, Fuwalos, and D.D. Crow, with Magnamuhut and Called by the Grave to round out the selection. Since monsters in hand double as resources for VS effects, maintaining the right attributes was vital to my success.