My Japanese Blade/Blade Beasts deck is next up. There are a few techs in the deck but I don't think it's anything that's really out of the ordinary. Also, I'd like to specify the difference between Japanese Blades and Blade Beasts. All card types are Japanese Blade. Whether they're spells, monsters, items or impacts. The Blade Beasts attribute are only given to the monsters. Like always, if you want to see a video of this exact deck, check below for my YouTube video
Now, let's look at the deck list:
2x Blade Beast Formation, Shape of the Elite
Main Deck
Like usual, the goal of a Japanese Blade deck is to get more effects for the Japanese Blades by having differently named Japanese Blade cards in the drop zone. To facilitate this, there are cards that help add cards from deck to drop or from field to drop. Lets start with the size 0s.
White Dew Blade Beast, Murasamemaru - When Murasamemaru attacks, he allows you to equip an item from the drop by paying 1 life. Also, at the end of the turn, he is destroyed. I run this at one for a couple reason. First, it allows you to extend your battle phase a little bit but that's not super common. Second, if I'm missing one of my Japanese Blade weapons, I can re-equip it. Lastly, he's just another different Japanese Blade.
I dont want him early game so I just run him at 1 where if I come across him late game, cool. He's probably useful. If I find him early on, I just charge and draw him and he'll just count to the differently named Japanese Blades in drop. He helps supplement the deck but I dont completely rely on him.
Weaver of Dream and Fate, Miko - Both of Miko's skills can potentially be helpful. You can call her to the field as extra protection for your items but more importantly, Japanese Blade fields tend to be open more often than not so direct attacks are pretty common. Also, Japanese Blades have pretty bad attack nulls for the archetype so Miko helps with that problem. Also, with Tojikiri Yasutsuna's tutor ability, it allows you to shuffle the Mikos at the bottom of the deck back into the middle of the deck.
Blade Beast of Ghostslash, Tojikiri Yasutsuna - Speaking of the good boy, we're onto Tojikiri Yasutsuna. He costs a hefty 2 gauge but he can search for any Japanese Blade monster/item in the deck and add it to your hand. So, he helps with consistency. Also, as long as there's at least one Japanese Blade in the drop (which you can get by just paying his 2 gauge), it gets a critical and penetrate. The bar for that is about as low as it can be.
Guardian Electrobeast, Goryou - Her check top 3 ability is just solid consistency for the deck and helps get more Japanese Blades to the drop. Remember that you do NOT have to show your opponent what card you get with her.
With him on the field, all Japanese Blades can't be destroyed or bounce and they get 10,000 power and 1 critical. Not bad. Solid effects to keep the board a live.
Next is his ability "Stance Under the Moonlight". It states that when he enters the field put up to 3 different Japanese Blade (monster, item, spell or impact) from your deck into the drop zone. Then, if there are 5 or more Japanese Blade are in the drop, gain 2 gauge and draw 2 cards and "Stance Under the Moonlight" can only activate once per turn. So, he basically pays for himself plus 1 more card in hand.
Everything about this card is solid which is why he's the buddy. Solid stats, solid effects, solid drop zone setup and solid advantage. You actually don't even lose advantage playing this card.
Mikazuki Munechika, "Forbidden Art Blade Deity Descends!" - The Japanese Blade impact monster. He's a little expensive at 3 gauge but if there's seven or more different Japanese Blade in the drop zone, he gains a critical and his attack can't be nullified. He also has innate move, penetrate, double attack and soulguard. I would say unless you know you can finish off the game, don't call this over Mikazuki Munechika Re:B. The card itself also just adds another different Japanese Blade to the deck worst case scenario.
Blade Beast of Sixteenth Night, Crane Princess Ichimonji - Ichimonji is a little expensive at 2 gauge but with her effect, where you discard a Japanese Blade from hand, you gain a gauge and a hand card back, her real cost is just 1 gauge. Also, if you have 3 or more different Japanese Blade in the drop, she gets 1 critical and move. Also, she has innate double attack and soulguard.
She's in the deck for a few reasons. First, her existence in the deck itself is another Japanese Blade. If you have the ideal field with Mikazuki Munechika Re:B, just send a copy of her to the drop. You don't need her in the deck at that point. Second, her effect helps filter your hand. Third, she helps set up the drop zone. Third, Hiding Oni is in the deck (explained further below) so you can remove her soul to gauge 1 and draw 2.
The second ability is the more important ability. When you cast a spell, you gain a gauge and for the turn it gains double attack. Keep in mind this activates during both you and your opponent's attacks. Granted, the double attack won't do any good on the opponent's attack but a steady stream of gauge for a gauge heavy deck is nice. After casting a spell on your turn and another spell on your opponent's, you have regained the gauge used to equip the weapon. Anything more is free.
Also, with Mikazuki Munechika on the field, it becomes a 15,000 power, 3 critical double attacking item that can't be reduced which is a solid weapon.
Exquisite Sword, Crane Princess - Crane Princess (Ichimonji's weapon) isn't anything super special. It can only be equipped if there is a Blade Beast on the field which, shouldn't be a big deal. It costs only 1 gauge and its only ability is that it can be equipped along side another Japanese Blade. So, the only real reason why you run it is because you can. Granted, it does become a 17.000 power, 2 critical weapon with Mikazuki Munechika Re:B but that's nothing crazy. However, it's better than nothing.
Voice of the Blade - Moving onto the spells now. First up is a staple for Japanese Blade. Voice of the Blade is a set spell and you can only have 1 of it on the field. It's first effect is that the gauge cost of Blade Beasts is reduced by 1. Keep in mind only the monsters are Blade Beasts. This does not reduce the cost of the weapons.
It's second effect is you may discard a Japanese Blade from your hand. Then, check the top 3 cards of your deck and put up to two Japanese Blade from among them to your hand and the rest are discarded. Keep in mind, Japanese Blade is the attribute that spans across all the card types so you can grab any card with the attribute. Just remember to show your opponent what cards you're choosing.
Sword Skill, Zanteisettetsu - This card is usually used as an attack null because it can specify any Japanese Blade card on the field and if it's a monster, give it counterattack but, it can also be used to protect items from being destroyed. There's no other alternative kind of card for the deck so it's good just due to lack of options.
Celestial Arts, Returning Water - It's a pretty straightforward card. At counter speed, you can destroy your own monster to draw a card, gain a gauge and life. The main use for this is to destroy your own monster in the center to wiff an opponent's attack and their penetrate (if they have it). Worst case though, if you need more Japanese Blades in the drop, you can destroy a monster on the field. This is one card that I think if others prefer to swap this out for other cards, that's totally fine as well. This card is nice but certainly not a staple.
Hiding Oni - An Oni Assassin spell that lets you drop a soul from a card on the field to gauge 1 and draw two. Mikazuki Munechika Re:B and Ichimonji are really the only two that have souls.
Another alternative option is Demon Way, Akeshigure but Japanese Blades can be pretty gauge heavy where Hiding Oni gives you a gauge. That being said, if you have Kogane-chidori on the field, the gauge cost is basically free as well.
Clear Serenity - Pretty simple card. At counter speed at anytime, you gain 3 gauge. Japanese Blades have always been more on the gauge heavy side so I added Clear Serenity to help mitigate that issue. Also, you can play this during the opponent's turn and if you have Kogane-chidori on the field, you technically get 4 gauge so that's nice for impacts.
Blade Beast Formation, Shape of the Elite - The normal impact of the deck. It's run mainly because it's another Japanese Blade but, it's also not a difficult card to actually cast if you want. The only tough thing is the 3 gauge cost but that's why we run Clear Serenity.
Also, thanks to Clear Serenity, you can have no gauge during the battle phase, the opponent doesn't think you have anything else to attack and you can suddenly cast Clear Serenity and cast this impact to have another battle phase. If the opponent knew you had 3 gauge, they might cast their cards during the battle phase differently to better predict the impact. Waiting last minute to gain the gauge and impact call may make the opponent make unoptimized moves compared to if they knew the gauge was on the field.
Sideboard
Buddy Block! - Used mainly for the second effect of only allowing up to 4 attacks in a turn. Some decks can do an obscene number of attacks that can't be handled normally. Buddy Block! helps with that.
Secret Sword, Waves-Splitting Arc Fangs - An interesting card because it doesn't require Secret Sword, Lethal Formation to activate. When the opponent nullifies an attack, you may pay 2 gauge to burn the opponent for 2 and re-stand a card on the field (so it can attack again). If you play against a deck you know has attack nulls, you can run this card to punish the opponent and get your attacks back to try again. It's better to cast this card from a Secret Sword, Lethal Formation because you'll get 3 gauge back which brings us to our last card...
Secret Sword, Lethal Formation - This card is basically extra copies of Secret Sword, Waves-Splitting Arc Fangs with the added benefit of gaining 3 gauge. Also, this is not ideal but if Secret Sword, Lethal Formation has a soul underneath, you can use Hiding Oni to drop the soul and gauge 1 and draw 2. Again, not ideal but the option is there if push comes to shove.
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