To lock the opponent, Flores uses three Messenger of Peace, one Level Limit — Area B, Gravity Bind, and, in a pinch, Zero Gravity. The latter can be used both to block attacks, as well as turn defense position monsters to attack in order to ensure damage. Ojama Trio ties everything together, clogging the opponent’s field so that they can’t build attacking forces, as well as providing the deck with its primary win condition. Turn all the Ojama Tokens to attack position with Zero Gravity and Ultimate Tyranno can attack them all to smack through 3000 damage on each. That’s a total of 9000 battle damage, plus 900 damage from the effect of the tokens. If you can’t manage Zero Gravity, you can always just strap Big Bang Shot to Tyranno and dish out 2400 battle damage to each Ojama — at 2700 damage for each token total, that’s still enough for game against an opponent with 8000 life points.

Nimble Momonga and Giant Germ both serve to protect your field when the opponent isn’t completely locked. Each also helps you bring out your tribute monsters. Mausoleum of the Emperor ensures that even if you’re out of Germs, Squirrels, and whatever else you might like to tribute, you can still drop the Tyrannos as needed.

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi is just gravy. The deck happens to have the perfect infrastructure to support it, so why not run one, right? Two Mausoleum of the Emperor means you can bring it out and you can use the same tricks that combo with Ultimate Tyranno to make sure that Tsuchi deals damage and gets its effect: Zero Gravity preps defense position victims, while Big Bang Shot lets Tsuchi attack virtually anything and deal piercing damage. The resulting discard that Flores forces upon his opponents is brutal, especially if he doesn’t get the lock in early on. In that case Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi becomes an excellent backup plan. This deck forces the opponent to play aggressively, but Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi punishes attack position monsters. It puts the opponent into a very weird situation: play defensively and lose to a rampaging Dinosaur or play aggressively and lose their entire hand. Then, well . . . lose to the rampaging Dinosaur later.

Giant Trunade is run over Mystical Space Typhoon, providing more mass removal to support the Ultimate Tyranno rush. It’s a no-brainer: not only will it clear the entire field without threatening Mausoleum of the Emperor in the rare situation that it’s played before a win is guaranteed, it also breaks Flores’ lock when he’s ready to attack. The three Messenger of Peace can be lifted at will, but Gravity Bind and Level Limit — Area B need to be managed carefully. Trunade lets Flores do that, making wins just a little bit easier to pull off.

Cyber-Stein is used here as well, again, simply because the infrastructure to support it is present. Two Giant Trunade and three Big Bang Shot turn Cyber Twin Dragon and Cyber End Dragon into killing machines, negating the need for a lock if drawn early on. While Stein strays from Flores’ central strategy, it allows him to turn so-so opening hands into instant wins. It’s justifiable in raising the deck count by yet another card, especially when so many of his monsters are recruiters that will thin the deck anyway.

Mausoleum of the Emperor has seen successful regional play both with Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi and Ultimate Tyranno as its central theme. It was just a matter of time before someone decided to combine the two, and it’s paying off today for Nick Flores. Whether he manages to make Day 2 or not, his deck is worthy of academic study as it represents a powerful mix of two cutting edge strategies proven to be viable.