Today we’ll be looking at a deck that hasn’t seen much play lately, but is nevertheless a powerful competitor and incredibly fun. We’ll also be considering a small theory that hasn’t gotten much attention. It’s a combo deck centered on Mausoleum of the Emperor and Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, which allows for comebacks from almost any point in the game (assuming you have at least 2000 life points). And don’t forget, we’re building on a budget. You’ll be playing this explosive deck for under $50.

You’ll be able to surprise a lot of opponents with this strategy. At first, it’ll look like a classic Monarch deck, which might entice your opponents to make some misplays against you—saving cards for after you play the expected Monarch. Generally, players try to keep their cards in their hand against Monarch decks, to avoid having their field cleared and to avoid being left without a comeback. Whether your opponents are playing Gladiator Beasts or TeleDAD, a good player will make that assumption and start stockpiling answers.

Card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and poker generally involve three levels of thought:

Level 1: Thinking about your cards.

Level 2: Thinking about your opponent’s cards.

Level 3: Thinking about what your opponent thinks your cards are.

Generally, you want to play just one level ahead of your opponent. Say, for instance, you know that your opponent is a good player. You have a copy of Brain Control in your hand and two other cards that seem completely useless. You need to find a way to destroy your opponent’s monster. You then realize that your opponent has a face-down card, and it might be Mirror Force.

You activate your Brain Control, and take the monster you need to be destroyed. If you were playing a Level 1 game of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG this move would have been made because it’s the best move your cards offer. However, we’ve established that your opponent is a good player and probably making reads to boot. You attack with your opponent’s monster, leaving your opponent with a difficult decision: activate the Mirror Force and allow your Brain Control to destroy Mirror Force and the monster, or take the damage.

Your opponent will likely take the damage . . . that is, unless he or she has a tribute monster (a Monarch if you’re playing a Monarch deck) in hand. If your opponent is playing a Level 2 game, he or she will immediately assume you plan to tribute the monster, and thus activate Mirror Force to prevent you from playing the Monarch. If you have a Monarch, you were still destroying two cards for the price of one (if it were Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, you would have tributed the opponent’s monster and discarded a card in his or her hand). The only difference is that the opponent playing Mirror Force keeps the Monarch in your hand instead of on the field.

The activation of Mirror Force in this situation would be made by most strong players. This fact opens a new realm of possibility: activating Brain Control without any reason to do so, forcing your opponent to make a false read and act upon it.

These three levels are the underlying reason why many players believe in a paper-scissors-rock theory, in which good players beat bad players, great players beat good players and bad players beat great players. Great players get too caught up in making reads, and will often make misplays while misinterpreting the erratic play of the bad player. A lot of the best players have learned to tone down reads while dueling an erratic player, consciously lowering themselves to Level 2 play.

This entire deck abuses that theory. While your opponent stockpiles answers, you’re letting out false tells the entire time. Your opponent will be waiting for Caius the Shadow Monarch. Instead, you’ll deliver Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi and eliminate every card your opponent hoarded by contending with your presence. You’ll all but win the game.