IRL Casual: Igknight Exodia

I got the last few cards I needed for a deck in the mail today, and I'm excited to share it! One caution: it is meant for play in a hypothetical Master Rule 3 environment. This means that the deck doesn't work in any actual competitive setting where the pendulum summoning rule change that came with links applies; this one's strictly for the kitchen table.

That said, it's a deck that feels great when it goes off properly, and has a very simple gameplan. It makes for a great basic pendulum deck for beginners, and has lots of room for customization. Behold, Igknight Exodia!:

I hope my choice of Exodia hasn't thrown you off. Ever since Exodia, the Legendary Defender came out, I've been wanting to put it to use. However, the burden off assembling 5 monsters to tribute before you normal summon was a heavy one, and I'd rather resort to mass pendulum summoning tribute fodder instead of building a deck that attempts to slowly gather the necessary cards. Igknights are perfect for supporting Exodia; they can fill the Extra Deck at the drop of a hat, thanks to their pendulum effects. After a few searches, you'll have all the monsters you need when the time is right.

Of course, if you're going to bother summoning Exodia, you've got to do it right! While we could settle for summoning an Exodia with massive ATK, with the right deck, we can take things a step further and use his effect to win the duel in one battle! When Exodia, the Legendary Defender destroys a DARK Fiend-type monster in battle, he'll unleash all of his power and win the duel on the spot. The rub is that the monster has to be your opponent's, and not just during that turn - it has to be owned by your opponent. This means we can't just give a monster to our opponent for us to win, but it'll have to be the opponent's own monster, from the very beginning of the duel.

Luckily, there's a relatively painless way for us to transform the opponent's monsters into the kind of lowlifes Exodia likes to beat up. While your Igknights nobly defend you from the front lines, returning to protect you turn after turn, you'll be digging for two cards.

The first one is the field spell, Lair of Darkness. While Lair of Darkness is active, all monsters on the field become DARK attribute. That takes care of one half of Exodia's requirements; and with the help of DNA Surgery, your opponent's DARK monsters will become Fiends! Once you've assembled Lair of Darkness, a set DNA Surgery, and a copy of Exodia in your hand, you'll pendulum summon so that your field is full of tributes, summon Exodia, and activate Lair of Darkness. If your opponent has even one face-up monster, launch into an attack, use DNA Surgery at the last moment to turn it into a Fiend, and automatically win the duel!

As I said, it's a simple strategy. I'll explain a few card choices after showing you the list:

Igknight Exodia
Monsters: 30
3 Exodia, the Legendary Defender
3 Igknight Gallant
3 Igknight Cavalier
3 Igknight Templar
3 Igknight Crusader
3 Igknight Squire
3 Igknight Paladin
3 Igknight Margrave
3 Igknight Veteran
3 Ahrima the Wicked Warden

Spells: 7
3 Lair of Darkness
3 Igknight Reload
1 White Elephant's Gift

Traps: 3
3 DNA Surgery

This deck is loaded to the brim with Igknight monsters to increase your chances off going off and blowing through a bunch of them as early as possible; that way, they'll be out of your main deck and in your Extra Deck. From there, it'll be easier to draw into your key combo pieces with the Igknights out of the way and providing a steady stream of defenders.

Ahrima, the Wicked Warden helps us get to Lair of Darkness more quickly, and also reduces the size of our deck int the process. Igknight Reload helps us fix our hand while also thinning our deck by one more card. White Elephant's Gift is an easy way to transform extra Igknights into more cards drawn, getting you even closer to Exodia, DNA Surgery, or the Lair. This deck is pretty straightforward, although your choice of Extra Deck monsters can help you go on the offense if you don't feel like waiting for Exodia. The deck could also benefit from some back row destruction; as it is, you're hoping to squeeze in one attack, and hoping your opponent doesn't negate your summon or have an effect to stop the attack. This deck is the definition of glass cannon, in that regard. Maybe throw in some Red Reboot's, or Twin Twisters.

But really, what's the point of dueling if every once in a while you can't just sacrifice all of your monsters, cry out, "Exodia!" and attack for game?