Koa'ki Meiru Guide
Koa’ki Meiru is not a new archetype, having come out in Gaia Genesis originally. However, thanks to the new box Revolution Beginning, this archetype has received major support in the form of Diamond Core of Koa’ki Meiru and minor support with the addition of Koa’ki Meiru Wall, Core Reinforcement, and Reckoned Power. These combined with past support have made this archetype into a top deck as the meta shifts away from a slower format. The deck revolves primarily around flooding the field with high attack 4 star monsters, negating opponent’s backrows, and special summoning Koa’ki Meiru Maximus, the deck’s main boss. This allows for quick OTK pushes that other decks in the meta must be prepared to handle.
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Balance:
Balance is a popular skill choice for this deck as the monster core tends to be around 8 and the 3 Diamond Cores and 3 Iron Cores round out the spell portion. This allows for 6 traps of your choice to fit the situation and guarantees you will have a play from the start of every game, every time. -
Last Gamble:
This is the least used skill type, but it did come 2nd in the DLM Meta Weekly. The goal is to survive until turn 5 and then gain the resources you need to clear the field. -
Sealed Tombs:
This skill choice is relatively meta dependent, but is a popular choice for dealing with Vampires and most other meta decks. In the mirror, the skill prevents your opponent from banishing Diamond Core to protect their monsters in the end phase or that turn. -
The Tie that Binds:
With Vampires decreasing in popularity, Sealed Tombs has lost a bit of luster as decks like Karakuri rise. The Tie that Binds allows you to OTK with just Urn plus a negate monster. This skill will even allow for OTK through a Sphere Kuriboh; making it a good choice moving forward. -
Grit:
A less popular choice, however Grit is sometimes used to help ward off an opponent’s OTK attempt while you set up your own the following turn. This is the most all or nothing form of the deck. -
Bandit:
The bandit skill has recently seen success when paired with several copies of Solemn Scolding and Sphere Kuriboh. The goal is to set Scolding early and prevent your opponent from establishing any kind of board, steal a set card the following turn, and then OTK them. For the time being, this skill and Scolding combo bare paying serious attention to. However, timing your use of Scolding is what makes or breaks the deck.
Koa’ki Meiru Maximus (2-3x):
Maximus is the boss monster of the deck. His stats are equivalent to Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which puts him at a threshold above the rest of the meta. In addition, he is allowed to destroy and 1 card your opponent controls once per turn, per copy of Maximus on your field. However, to summon him requires banishing an Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru from your hand. This means you need to choose carefully when to commit your resources to the field as his end phase upkeep can be costly. Lastly, Maximus’ endphase cost comes after all other Koa’ki. So you can reveal a monster of the required type to pay their cost and then discard the same monster to pay for Maximus.
Koa’ki Meiru Urnight (2-3x):
Urnight sits at 2000 attack, establishing it as the strongest 4 star monster in our meta. Additionally, by revealing an Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru, it can special summon any of your other level 4 or lower Koa’ki’s from your deck. This allows for fast field flooding.
Koa’ki Meiru Sandman & Wall (1x):
Each of these monsters sits at 1900 attack and can tribute themselves to negate an opponent’s trap or spell respectively. Use Koa’ki Meiru Urnight to special summon them from the deck and protect your field.
Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru (2-3x):
This is the fuel of the deck. Iron Core is needed for Koa’ki Meiru Urnight’s effect as well as Koa’ki Meiru Maximus’ summoning conditions. Additionally, it can be discarded in the endphase to pay their upkeep or recycled to the hand during the draw phase.
Diamond Core of Koa’ki Meiru (3x):
This is the main card that makes the deck go. Diamond core allows you to search any monster in your deck, as well as Iron Core. So, use it to grab the missing piece you need. Additionally, by banishing this card from your graveyard, you will not have to pay the endphase upkeep on any of your monsters. This will also protect them from card effect destruction or battle destruction, allowing you to safely swing in on your opponent in nearly every case. This paired with a Koa’ki Meiru Sandman or Koa’ki Meiru Wall and a Koa’ki Meiru Maximus can take down nearly any opposing field.
Koa’ki Meiru Ice:
Ice can destroy any special summoned monster your opponent controls. Use it to help clear a field of monsters that can give Maximus difficulty, such as Silent Magician’s forms. If Silent Magician LV8 is on the field already, normal summoning Ice will force them to Spellbook of Fate it, allowing Maximus to clean up the board.
Koa’ki Meiru Boulder:
Boulder must be destroyed by battle, but can search Iron Core or a a low level Koa’ki. Slow, but useful against decks that rely primarily on battle destruction such as Heroes, Control, or Karakuri.
Core Reinforcement:
Used to revive any Koa’ki monster including Maximus so long as he was summoned properly. However, if you fail to pay their endphase cost, you will pay with your lifepoints. This trap frequently conflicts with Sealed Tombs, and is more of a last resort than anything else.
Koa’ki Meiru Rooklord:
Can be tribute summoned by tributing just 1 Koa’ki. By banishing a Koa’ki from the grave on summon, it can destroy 2 cards your opponent controls. Slow, but a decent tech card vs slower Control decks. Because this monster’s upkeep is more difficult than our others, it is used less. This card bears watching more at the meta develops and has its place in a slower meta as a way to provide space on your own board by tributing Floodgate Trap Holed monsters.
Reckoned Power:
By revealing an Iron Core, you can destroy all set spells/traps your opponent controls. Considered slow, but is devastating vs control decks. Use this to sweep an opponent’s entire backrow during their end phase and gain an easy OTK on your next turn. Using this comes at the cost of your own protection however, so side this vs Control or Heroes.
Floodgate Trap Hole:
A meta staple for slowing down the mirror match primarily, since most decks do not run Koa’ki Meiru Rooklord to tribute the floodgated monster.
Paleozoic Canadia:
Similar to floodgate, used to flip Urnight or Maximus facedown in the mirror, and slow down other decks. It is also worth noting that Canadia plus Maximus is enough damage for an OTK.
Hey, Trunade!:
Useful for clearing opponent’s backrow before committing your resources to the field for the OTK.
Sphere Kuriboh:
A long time meta staple, used to help preserve your monsters or your lifepoints while you establish what you need for the OTK. Primarily, use Sphere to stop attacks from Masked HERO Anki, Silent Magician LV8, or an opposing Maximus.
Winged Kuriboh:
A less common tech, but it can be used as a turn 1 set if you are confident you can OTK on turn 3.
Cosmic Cyclone:
A good side deck choice to help deal with Buster Blader, this can be used to remove DNA Surgery from the field or help assist in clearing the field out before making your main push. Additionally, Poisonous Winds sees play in side formats, and this card will help deal with it.
Unending Nightmare:
Enemy Controller:
Koa’ki Meiru Prototype:
Xing Zhen Hu:
Black Pendant:
Ancient Gears
Ancient Gears have done this deck a solid favor in terms of hurting several bad matchups such as Buster Blader. While Koa’ki boasts an advantage in this matchup, it is important to still play smart. Ancient Gears backrow will typically be staples such as Enemy Controller, Paleozoic Canadia, or Floodgate Trap Hole, but you should be mindful to play around Drowning Mirror Force as well. The Tie that Binds is the preferred skill to use here, as it allows Maximus to reliably attack over Ancien Gear Reactor Dragon in defense mode. Do not be afraid to commit to your field in this matchup, but ensure you have a way to pay upkeep as usual. Realistically, pop AG monsters and use Sandman to negate and Battle Phase traps that might occur (Drowning). Do not pop AG facedown backrow if you don’t use the Ties skill, as there is a solid chance you will hit a Ancient Gear Fortress and give them a free Reactor from the hand or grave.
Control
This deck boasts a substantial edge against current control based decks due to backrow negation and Maximus destruction. Floodgate Trap Holes can certainly slow you down, but Koa’ki Meiru Rooklord or Reckoned Power can simply win the game outright here. Simply keep track of your resources here and grind through their backrow.
Vampires
A bit of a toss up for non Sealed Tombs builds, with an edge to the player going 2nd in those games. If you have Sealed Tombs, it is generally the right play to use it on your first turn to prevent Vampires from establishing a board. The goal is to survive their push while preparing your own. As always with Vamps, it is a good idea to make sure you don’t leave Maximus open to a Vampire Vamp steal. A solid turn 1 play vs Vamps consists of establishing Koa’ki Meiru Urnight along with Koa’ki Meiru Wall to prevent Vampire Kingdom or Vampire Domain from seeing the field.
Heroes
As with vamps, Koa’ki Meiru Wall is very important to the matchup as it can negate Offerings to the Doomed or Mask Change. All of your monsters can swing over theirs, and by banishing Diamond Core of Koa’ki Meiru before you commit to the field, you can gain total immunity to Offerings or Treacherous Trap Hole. Sealed Tombs can be used to prevent a Destiny HERO - Celestial draw and limit their card advantage greatly. With Maximus on the field, focus on destroying their backrow or Masked HERO Anki and swing over anything else.
Karakuri
Karakuri is a tricky matchup and can perform quite well vs Koa’ki. This matchup is more about who can get their combo the fastest and OTK the other. While Maximus may be bigger than Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”, Shogun can force it into defense position and swing over the top. Make good use of your traps in this match to slowdown Shogun. Additionally, this is another deck that will use Offerings to the Doomed, so always banish Diamond Core before committing to the field. Look for an early OTK here, because as the duel goes on it will favor Karakuri more so.
Buster Blader
Arguably the most difficult matchup for this deck, Buster can fuse with Maximus at any time without needing DNA Surgery. It is a good idea to have cards sided specifically for this matchup such as Cosmic Cyclone, Unending Nightmare, or Hey, Trunade!. Prioritize getting Koa’ki Meiru Wall onto the field to negate their fusion spell or you will probably lose most of these games.
Mirror
May the most broken hand win! Although slightly an exaggeration, going turn 1 in the mirror does tend to put you at a disadvantage. If using Balance, make sure and stop Koa’ki Meiru Urnight from flooding the field and use any additional resources to stop your opponent’s Maximus. If using Sealed Tombs, preventing your opponent from being able to banish Diamond Core to protect their field can be absolutely devastating if you hold a Sphere Kuriboh in hand. Plan your resources wisely and do not over extend yourself. If you do, it is assuredly a death sentence.
- NOTE: (Will Try to Open the App)
Control
in this matchup I simply opted to grind through the backrow while slowly nuking the monsters. I made Trunade pushes when I felt like I could semi capitalize on the board, knowing that they had no ability to OTK me as I gathered resources.
Heroes
I opened rather poorly and did not draw particularly well. However, I chose to treat this much like control and slowly plug away through the backrow knowing that the only monster I had to fear was Anki. Important to note that Canadias should be chained into attack position when the only board threat is Destiny HERO - Drilldark.
Karakuri
On my opening turn, I felt a delay during my draw phase. That tells me that my opponent’s facedown card had to be Offerings to the Doomed which is common in Karakuri. He chose to use it on my Urnight, which prevented me from summoning wall and OTKing. However, I knew I had upkeep for Maximus and protection, so I simply chose to sit on Maximus until lethal.
Vampires
With Sealed Tombs active, I was able to confidently sit on Maximus in this duel and target Gozuki. Knowing I was protected by 2 Floodgate Trap Holes, I could simply pop a card and swing until the job was finished.
Buster Blader
As discussed in the matchup notes, one of the biggest keys to having any shot in this matchup is to make use of wall’s ability to negate the Buster fusion spell. Brenduke wisely waited until he could use Wall to protect himself and get the OTK before Buster gained any traction on the field.
Mirror
Being able to sit on a Floodgate and a Sphere Kuriboh as well as having Tombs to disallow my opponent’s Diamond Core protection, I was able to sit back and wait until I could OTK him.
Koa’ki Meiru is a very strong archetype and will find its place in the meta as one of the better decks. It has some weaknesses to cards such as Floodgate Trap Hole and Sphere Kuriboh, but it also has potentially overwhelming power that allows it a chance at beating any deck in the current meta. Additionally, with only a roughly 14 card core, it allows around 6 free tech spots to give it some opportunity to grow as other decks evolve and adapt to it.
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