Being able to play a lot of monsters in one turn has always been an attractive trait of non-Monarch decks. With the exceptions of Cyber Dragon and Gravekeeper’s Spy, Monarch decks can’t really rush the field in one turn solely with their monsters. As such, most Monarch players pack multiple copies of Brain Control, and Call of the Haunted is a popular choice despite its potential to lock up Treeborn Frog.

One of the most attractive traits of Perfect Circle (Destiny Hero Monarchs) and T-Hero (Destiny Hero beatdown) is the ability to pump out two or three monsters on any given turn. This is usually done through Cyber Dragon, a special summoned Destiny Hero - Malicious, a normal summon, and the use of Metamorphosis on Malicious. If an opponent has left him- or herself open in an attempt to revive Treeborn Frog next turn, the duel might end right then and there.

The Six Samurai have long been hailed as “the new Dark World:” strong, fast, and possessing some of the best OTK potential in the game. However, just as Dark World could lose everything in one turn to a Brain Control/Zaborg the Thunder Monarch combo, a Six Samurai deck risks having its field destroyed by those pesky Monarchs. Therefore, a successful Samurai build has to be able to do one of two things. The first is to deplete the opponent’s life points before he or she is allowed to fight back on the next turn. This is often easier said than done, and even decks entirely focused on winning in one turn often run into problems. The second option, which is not much easier, is to nullify your opponent’s monsters and prevent him or her from wreaking havoc on your field.

Or you could be Matthew Lai and try both. Here’s what he took to a 7-0 Swiss finish at Canadian Nationals:

Monsters: 18

1 The Six Samurai - Zanji

2 Great Shogun Shien

3 Cyber Dragon

1 The Six Samurai - Kamon

3 The Six Samurai - Irou

3 Grandmaster of the Six Samurai

1 Exiled Force

3 The Six Samurai - Yaichi

1 Morphing Jar

Spells: 15

1 Book of Moon

1 Mystical Space Typhoon

2 The Warrior Returning Alive

2 Smashing Ground

1 Swords of Revealing Light

1 Snatch Steal

3 Reasoning

2 Reinforcement of the Army

1 Heavy Storm

1 Premature Burial

Traps: 8

3 Sakuretsu Armor

2 Pulling the Rug

1 Ring of Destruction

1 Mirror Force

1 Call of the Haunted

The worst thing about playing Perfect Circle or T-Hero is that you probably can’t win the game unless your opponent has made some commitment to the field. A big Monarch or multiple Card Troopers allow for game-ending scenarios via Brain Control and/or Ring of Destruction. Most players know this and are more cautious. Instead of pressing with Monarchs as early as possible, they’ll hold them and set up another defensive monster first. At that point, they make a move and expect to be safe.

This is exactly the type of philosophy that Lai’s deck exploits. When both players are playing conservatively, the player who makes the first move usually has to win that turn or the counter-attack will be too devastating to survive. This means that Lai will almost always be allowed to make the first move, because his opponent is afraid of the counter. Little does his opponent know that Lai can drop four monsters with over 2000 ATK in one turn quite easily.

Grandmaster of the Six Samurai is the marquee card of the deck. Packing a whopping 2100 ATK and a special summon ability that rivals that of Cyber Dragon in terms of opportunity, the Grandmaster is all you could ask for in an aggressive Warrior deck. However, on top of that, he boasts a control ability so good that many players believe it to be the factor that pushes Samurai to the forefront of competitive play. If the opponent destroys the Grandmaster with an effect while it’s on Lai’s side of the field, he can elect to return him or any other Six Samurai from the graveyard to his hand. This allows him to ensure he always has only one Grandmaster in hand.

It would seem perfectly reasonable for that to be the end of the Six Samurai special summoning potential. However, Great Shogun Shien is also added to the arsenal. Boasting 2500 ATK and no one-per-field restriction, the Shogun definitely has game-ending on his mind. The spell and trap block he puts on your opponent can also turn out to be a game-ender. Lai need not fear throwing his entire team at an opponent who’s hoping to stay alive with a string of spell or trap cards. The Shogun prevents your opponent from activating more than one spell or trap card per turn, and when combined with the ability to shift destruction to lesser Samurai monsters, that single spell or trap probably won’t help a whole lot.

The Six Samurai - Yaichi and The Six Samurai - Irou are the key Samurai monsters that allow Lai to break through opposing defenses with his bigger monsters. Irou can take out face-down monsters without letting them flip face up, and does so outside of battle, eliminating destroyed-through-battle effects. Yaichi, on the other hand, clears out the back row to make way for your attacks. The most optimal Samurai depends on what spell cards Lai is holding and what the opponent has on the field. If your opponent has a face-down monster and Lai has Mystical Space Typhoon, Irou can crack the field and allow for a lot of damage with other monsters.

The new card Lai tried out that was partly responsible for his success was Reasoning. Samurai decks tend to have some problems when they are unable to draw all the monsters they need to push for game, and can suffer major losses to the field as a result. Since there are only so many monsters the Samurai deck can play, Reasoning is an excellent way to get these high-level monsters from the deck. Since the monster levels vary, Reasoning makes for a generally safe bet. Lai can ensure he’ll flip a useful monster and build the field around it.

Swords of Revealing Light is another big card for the deck. When backed up with Great Shogun Shien, the chances of your opponent getting both a battle phase and a way to deal with the Shogun are slim to none. As such, you can protect the likes of The Six Samurai - Yaichi and/or Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. Combine this with The Warrior Returning Alive and Reasoning to reload the field next turn, and the protection Swords offers becomes a lot more than saving some life points.

It’s no secret that Samurai can be destroyed by a powerful Monarch hand. A combination of Heavy Storm, Brain Control, and Raiza the Storm Monarch can take down a Samurai deck’s entire field if it doesn’t include a pair of Great Shogun Shien cards on it, while ensuring that Lai draws a useless topdeck to boot. Without the Heavy Storm, the combo is still damaging, especially if Lai’s face-down card is a bluff anyway. To try to minimize the number of times this scenario occurs, Lai played two copies of Pulling the Rug. Rug blocks the effects of your opponent’s Monarchs and destroys them on the spot. This means that Lai’s Grandmaster is not destroyed in battle, and his opponent’s field is clear for the next turn. Since almost everyone is either playing Monarchs, Gadgets, or a deck that normal summons Elemental Hero Stratos every duel, Pulling the Rug won’t be a dead card very often.

Matthew Lai’s build of the Six Samurai shows just how important some specific card changes can be, shifting a deck from a 7-2 performance that lands you out of the Top 16 to an 8-1 showing that secures a spot in Day 2. If there’s one thing to be taken from his build, it’s that every deck should be making changes to shore up its weak spots. By the time you’ve read this, the U.S. Nationals will be over, and I believe many players will have learned from Lai’s ideas, made key changes to their decks, and seen improved results.