Koa'ki Meiru

Koa'ki Meiru, sometimes romanized as Core Chimail (a combination of the words "Core", "Chimera", and "Mail", a synonym for armour) are a series of monsters from Raging Battle, Ancient Prophecy, Stardust Overdrive, Absolute Powerforce, and The Shining Darkness. However the support card "Koa'ki Ring" and other anti-meta cards appear in Starstrike Blast.

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, Koa'ki Meiru Boulder, Koa'ki Meiru Tornado, Koa'ki Meiru Prototype and Koa'ki Meiru Hydro Barrier who don't have a cost, and Koa'ki Meiru Maximus, which allows the discard of a Koa'ki Meiru Monster as an alternative cost). Also, if the controller doesn't send or reveal any card from the above, that Koa'ki Meiru is destroyed.

Koa'ki Meirus are all EARTH, WIND, WATER or FIRE attributes, rendering them immune to their own effects which often affects all LIGHT and DARK monsters. All of the "Koa'ki Meiru" have the same mark (3 dragons) 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. Against meta decks, Koa'ki Meirus tend to have powerful Lockdown 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 8 monsters with 1900 ATK and 3 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. Speeder has 2200 DEF and Hydro Barrier has 1900 DEF, also very high, considering they're both Level three.

Generally speaking, there are two possible ways to use Koa'ki Meiru cards. The most obvious is to simply use a deck dedicated to the entire archetype; the other is to use individual Koa'ki Meiru monsters as a supplement in another deck type; for example, in a Dragon-based deck, use a Koa'ki Meiru monster that has revealing a Dragon-type monster in your hand as its maintenance cost.

Since many "Koa'ki Meiru" monsters only affect LIGHT and DARK monsters, you can use DNA Transplant to turn all monsters on the field into LIGHT or DARK monsters, but be careful because it might block your own effects.

In order to play with a Koa'ki Meiru deck, you'll need to use multiple copies of the Koa'ki Meirus you use. It is also suggested you use Koa'ki Meiru Boulder and some other ways to send your Iron Cores to the Graveyard (using cards like Iron Core Immediate Disposal, Magical Hats or even milling cards like some Lightsworns) in order to to use some of the Koa'ki Meiru support cards. The higher the level of Koa'ki Meiru monster some would think would be a hinderance seeing as normally you would have to tribute two of your monster but due to effects such as Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord and Koa'ki Meiru Valafar you only need one.

Koa'ki Meirus can also be used as beatdown, with the main attackers being Koa'ki Meiru Bergzak and Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand. Also, with the new addition of Koa'ki Meiru Urnight from Absolute Powerforce, the Koa'ki Meiru have gained a much-needed swarming power. For a deck with beatdown as goal, Koa'ki Meiru Bergzak, Koa'ki Meiru Urnight, Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord and Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate are recommended. These are easily summoned, and have massive destructive power (except for Ghoulungulate, who instead can protect your monsters from other destructive effects.) Lastly, if you play Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate, you also should play Return from the Different Dimension, as game-ending beatkill, as all Koa'ki Meirus can be Special Summoned. Gigantes may also helps to set up this combo, as most of the main Koa´ki Meiru monsters are EARTH, while also allowing you to Special Summon a good Beatstick. Gigantes is also a Rock-Type monster, which is useful when playing with Koa'ki Meiru Guardian or Koa'ki Meiru Sandman.

Also, if you want Gaia Plate the Earth Giant on the field, it is best to have at least three Rock-Type monsters. You can then halve the attack of your opponents monsters, leaving them open for weak Koa'ki Meiru monsters such as Koa'ki Meiru Boulder on the field.

Even though Koa'ki Meirus are targeted towards Light and Dark monsters they are not limited to only defeating those attributes. Koa'ki Meiru Hydro Barrier alone can shut down most Fortune Ladies effects and make them almost useless. Along with that the Koa'ki Meirus have destructive power. Cards like Urnight, Bergzak, Rooklord, and Maximus have the ATK and effects to get the job done and done quick. Cards like Koa'ki Meiru Tornado can easily sweep the field and destroy multiple cards your opponent controls.

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). Koa'ki Meirus are very reliant on the hand and so cards like Card Destruction, Mind Crush or D.D. Designator can completely disrupt the player's strategy, and cards like Trap Dustshoot or even Des Koala deal serious damage.

Koa'ki Meirus can also be 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), since it's very difficult to work around with multiple Koa'kis.

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 Tips
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 is a must. Most of the monsters are used against Effect Monsters, mostly DARK and LIGHT monsters, since they are the commonly used decks (Infernities, Lightsworns, Blackwings etc...). It is best to also have three of "Koa'ki Meiru Boulder" and "Koa'ki Meiru Crusader" 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. While usually this proves itself quite situational, you can abuse the effects of "Koa'ki Meiru Hydro Barrier" and "Koa'ki Meiru Tornado".

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.

Trade-In can work well if using Beast King Barbaros to reveal for Koa'ki Meiru Urnight and Koa'ki Meiru Crusader. Other level 8 monsters to work with Trade-In are Koa'ki Meiru Valafar, and Koa'ki Meiru Maximus. Maximus can also reveal for Koa'ki Meiru Drago and Valafar is a strong beatstick that is immune to Torrential Tribute, Bottomless Trap Hole, Mirror Force, Call of the Haunted, and Core Reinforcement. 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.

However it would be wise to include cards that return monsters and other cards to yours or your opponents hands. Such as multiple copies of Compulsory Evacuation Device or Penguin Soldier. This way if you cant reveal the correct type of card or discard an Iron Core you can return them to your hand instead or in the case of Penguin Soldier return one monster your opponent has and your own. Another good card to add in case of a remove from play type opponent use the trap card Imperial Iron Wall allowing you to keep your cards.

Another trick you might want to consider is to help the anti meta abilities the trap Grave of the Super Ancient Organism making their monsters higher then LV 6 useless. If you play this card, you might also include Star Blast, so your high-level monsters can temporarily get under the effect of Grave of the Super Ancient Organism. Although it's probably still a waste to use Star Blast due  to the fact that:
 * Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate is level 5
 * Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord's effect activates when it's summoned, rendering Star Blast useless in that situation

It would be wise for a serious Koa'ki Meiru Duelist who uses the cards Koa'ki Meiru Maximus, Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord and Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate to have a copy of Necroface in their deck, as these monsters remove cards from play, it would be good to get them shuffled back into your deck through Necroface's effect. You can also play Return from the Different Dimension, which, if timed appropriately, will generally give you the game on a silver plate.

Also a player might want to include Evil Hero Dark Gaia and Dark Fusion since there is a fairly powerful amount of Fiend and Rock type Koa'ki Meiru monsters such as Koa'ki Meiru Valafar and Koa'ki Meiru Guardian which would make for a 4900 ATK monster.

Although most Koa'ki Meiru monsters have difficulty staying on the field, a few of them work incredibly well together, sharing types, or common reveals that help ensure their survival on the field. Koa'ki Meiru Urknight and Koa'ki Meiru Crusader share the Beast-Warrior type, and reveal requirement, and allow for a good presence on the field. Core Overclock can boost these monsters up 1500 attack points, making strong synchro monsters less of a hassle. Another good combo is using Koa'ki Meiru Sandman, Koa'ki Meiru Guardian, Koa'ki Meiru Boulder, Koa'ki Meiru Prototype and Gigantes. Combined with Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate and his removal effect, maintaining the field can be achieved easily by building up a good graveyard size with Iron Core Specimen Lab. Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate can easily be brought out with Pyramid Turtle's effect, allowing him to quickly and easily set up a wall, protecting all of your Koa'ki Meiru monster's from being destroyed, while you focus on summoning stronger monsters like Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord or Koa'ki Meiru Valafar This combined with Koa'ki Meiru Urknight's ability to special summon (preferably other Koa'ki Meiru monsters to fill the graveyard up for Koa'ki Meiru Ghoulungulate) can lead to a quickly controlled field, while adding some powerful beat-sticks and controlling effects to the field. Some cards that support this strategy well are Foolish Burial, Burial from a Different Dimension, and Return from the Different Dimension to compensate for the loss of graveyard presence and to counter a removal of an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru from play, which would otherwise cripple the deck.

You can also Summon a "Summoner Monk" if you have more than 1 "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" in your hand. With its effect, you can discard 1 "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" to Summon a Level 4 "Koa'ki Meiru" monster. Even though it can't attack for this turn, you can either send "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" to the Graveyard or reveal for the Special Summoned "Koaki Meiru" monster to survive, or by activating a "Double Summon" or an"Ultimate Offering" (if "Summoner Monk" was Summon in this turn), you can Tribute the Special Summoned "Koa'ki Meiru" monster to Tribute Summon a "Koa'ki Meiru Valafar" or a "Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord".

Since you are constantly discarding Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru another great card to have in this deck is Forced Requisition. This will help deplete your opponents hand very quickly. This helps maintain hand advantage over your opponent, especially if your opponent is not expecting it.

Monster Cards
Rock(For Koa'ki Meiru Guardian/Koa'ki Meiru Sandman)
 * Gigantes
 * Neo-Spacian Grand Mole

Beast-Warrior (For Koa'ki Meiru Crusader/Koa'ki Meiru Urnight)
 * Beast King Barbaros
 * Pitch-Black Warwolf

Warrior (For Koa'ki Meiru Bergzak/Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord/Koa'ki Meiru War Arms)
 * D.D. Warrior Lady
 * Blizzard Warrior
 * Cliff the Trap Remover
 * Dark Scorpion - Chick the Yellow

Spell Cards

 * Hand Destruction
 * Burden of the Mighty
 * Swords of Revealing Light

Trap Cards

 * Grave of the Super Ancient Organism
 * Fiendish Chain
 * Return from the Different Dimension
 * Soul Rope

Side Deck

 * Royal Oppression
 * Burial from a Different Dimension
 * Imperial Iron Wall
 * Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror
 * Light-Imprisoning Mirror