Koa'ki Meiru

Koa'ki Meiru, sometimes romanized as Core Chimail (a combination of the words "Core", "Chimera", and "Mail", a synonym for armor) are a series of monsters from Raging Battle, Ancient Prophecy and Stardust Overdrive.

Most effects of these cards are targeted to send "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru "or revealing a card in your hand (Except for "Koa'ki Meiru Valafar" who doesn't give a revealing option). Also, if the controller doesn't send or reveal any card from the above, that Koa'ki Meiru is destroyed.

All of the "Koa'ki Meiru" have the same mark on some part of their body or on a weapon they have. Also, many Koa'ki Meiru and related cards' artwork uses yellow, orange, and red, except Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate.

Playing Style
The main strategy of the "Koa'ki Meiru" is Anti-Meta - A Deck build which oppose the popular Decks that are played. For example, "Koa'ki Meiru Drago's" effect was designed especially to oppose "Lightsworn, Dark Armed Return, and "Blackwing" Decks for their Swarming capabilities. In addition, several low-level Koa'ki Meiru monsters have ATKs that are considered extraordinarily high for a monster of it's level (there are 6 monsters with 1900 ATK and 2 monsters with 2000 or more ATK, all at level 4), as well as having a beneficial effect (if not counting the revealing part), thus they can play semi-beatdown as well.

A good card to have multiple copies of in this deck is DNA Transplant. Since many "Koa'ki Meiru" monsters only effect LIGHT and DARK monsters, use DNA Transplant to turn all monsters on the field into LIGHT or DARK monsters. But be careful because it might block of your own effects. It's better to combine this card with Core Blaster so you can automatically destroy monsters in battle.

Weaknesses
Because Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru may often be in the graveyard, it is vulnerable to cards that can remove it from play, such as Gladiator Beast Retiari, and Macro Cosmos. Also, having multiple Koa'ki Meiru monsters on the field at once can be extremely dangerous, as each one would require you to reveal or discard a card from your hand at the End Phase; leaving hand and field advantage very hard to maintain, unless multiple copies are used (for example, 3 Koa'ki Meiru Powerhands only require 1 Normal Trap Card revealed). Another weakness this deck seems to have is Mind Crush, D.D. Designator, etc. Because of the constant hand revealing, your hand is vulnerable to cards that get rid of cards in your hand. Des Koala is an extreme weakness to this archetype because of all the cards you place in your hand.

Furthermore, the fact that using all of them in one deck can lead to a lot of inconsistency, as well as their over-reliance on a card that provides no meaningful advantage whatsoever, Koa'ki Meiru's are best used as splashable tech, such as Drago in a Dragon Deck and Doom in a Fiend Deck (although their effects may end up working against the controller if other monsters they control are LIGHT or DARK attribute).

Amazingly, one way to beat the Koa'ki Meiru format is to have the opponent permanently reveal their hand to you on their turns in order to make them either discard an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru or destroy the card, since they cannot "reveal" the card to you. Such cards include Respect Play and Ceremonial Bell. Remove from play Decks can remove "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" and so you have to rely on your revealing effect. It is best to have Imperial Iron Wall or Necrovalley in your Side Deck. The most dangerous are hand destruction decks. If your hand becomes 0 too quickly, you have limited options. You can draw normally, hopefully getting a Koa'ki Meiru monster, but it gets destroyed, because you cannot add "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" to your hand. Also, most other Koa'ki Meiru Spells and Traps need "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" in your hand. Side Decking "Morphing Jar" and other draw cards can help.

Playing Style
This Deck revolves around Anti-Meta. Obviously, the most important card needed in the deck is "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru", so having three in your Deck would be very helpful. Most of the monsters are used against Effect Monsters, mostly DARK and LIGHT monsters, since they are the commonly used Decks (Dark Armed Dragon decks, Lightsworns, etc...). It is best to also have three of "Koa'ki Meiru Boulder", "Koa'ki Meiru Crusader", and "Koa'ki Meiru Speeder" in your Deck. "Koa'ki Meiru Boulder" can search for "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" or a needed Koa'ki Meiru monster. "Koa'ki Meiru Crusader" can add "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" from your Graveyard, so you do not have to add it to your hand during the Draw Phase. "Koa'ki Meiru Speeder" has a high Defense and if you draw "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" you can draw another card. "Koa'ki Meiru Hydro Barrier" and "Koa'ki Meiru Tornado" work well with him.

While they are very strong against the current common Decks, their weakness are Removed from play decks and Hand destruction decks. Remove from play decks can remove "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" and so you have to rely on your revealing effect. It is best to have Imperial Iron Wall in your Side Deck. The most dangerous are Hand destruction decks. If your hand becomes 0 too quickly, you have limited options. You can draw normally, hopefully getting a Koa'ki Meiru monster, but it gets destroyed, because you cannot add "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" to your hand. Also, most other Koa'ki Meiru Spells and Traps need "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" in your hand. Side Decking "Morphing Jar" and other draw cards can help.

Though Necrovalley and the Gravekeepers may hinder a Koa'ki Meiru's playing style and vice versa they can actually help one another especially if you have Gravekeeper's Chief, which takes care of the out of play problem.

Monster Cards

 * Neo-Spacian Grand Mole
 * Summoner Monk

Spell Cards

 * Fissure
 * Shrink
 * Lightning Vortex
 * Heavy Storm
 * Mystical Space Typhoon
 * Smashing Ground

Trap Cards

 * Call Of The Haunted
 * Torrential Tribute
 * Bottomless Trap Hole
 * Reckless Greed

Side Deck

 * Imperial Iron Wall
 * Dust Tornado
 * Nobleman of Crossout
 * Morphing Jar