Shiranui

"Shiranui" is an archetype consisting of FIRE Zombie monsters with 0 DEF, introduced in Breakers of Shadow. Each member's English name is an alliteration of the letter S.

Design
This archetype is based after the "Shiranui" (不知火; "unknown fire"), a ghostly phenomenon from the Japanese folklore of Kyūshū, as a reference to both their Type and Attribute. In terms of appearance, Shiranui monsters appear to be a clan that forge, bless, and wield swords possessed by spirits in order to gain the spirits' power.

Playing style
So far, the "Shiranui" monsters have effects that basically revolve around providing card advantage when they are banished.

The non-Tuner Main Deck monsters have a set of two very versatile effects: the first one ranges from the set-up of Synchro/Xyz Summons to a boost on offensiveness; the second one triggers when they are banished and ranges from card retrieving to card destruction.

"Shiranui Spectralsword" is currently the only Tuner of the archetype and allows the player to Special Summon a Zombie-Type Synchro Monster from the Extra Deck, by banishing itself alongside with a non-Tuner Zombie-Type monster, both from the Graveyard. Although this Special Summon is not treated as a Synchro Summon, this effect allows the player to unleash monsters that would normally require specific Synchro Materials, notably "Archfiend Zombie-Skull".

There are currently three boss monsters in the Archetype, all of them being Synchro Monsters: "Shiranui Samuraisaga", "Shiranui Shogunsaga" and "Shiranui Sunsaga". "Shiranui Samuraisaga" can recycle one of your banished "Shiranui" monsters and then restrain the opponent's aggression; if it ends up being banished, it can weaken one opposing monster's ATK by 500 points. "Shiranui Shogunsaga" has higher stats and a more straightforward set of effects: when it is Special Summoned by any means, it can banish one Zombie-Type monster from the Graveyard in order to raise its 3000 base ATK by an amount equal to the banished monster's ATK; this effect is obviously more powerful when its target is a "Shiranui" monster, that will have its second effect triggered. When it is destroyed, its owner can return one of their banished Zombies with 0 DEF to the Graveyard. "Shiranui Sunsaga" has the highest ATK of the group, at 3500. It's summon effect allows it to recycle any number of Zombie-Type Synchro monsters, banished or in the Graveyard, back into the Extra deck, then destroying cards the opponent controls up to the number of cards recycled by this effect. Its main power comes from its destruction negation, as it can prevent the destruction of any Zombie-type monster (by battle or card effect) by banishing a "Shiranui" monster from the graveyard, saving your monsters and activating the banished monstered effect. Each boss monster is two levels higher than the previous boss, allowing the effect of "Shiranui Spectralsword" to special summon the next boss monster should the previous one be destroyed.

"Shiranui Style Synthesis" can either revive a Zombie or replenish the Graveyard with one of the banished Zombies. "Shiranui Style Swallow's Slash" acts exactly the same way as "Icarus Attack", with the difference that it banishes a "Shiranui" monster from the Deck at the resolution, which can trigger its effect.

Being a Zombie-reliant Deck, there are many generic support cards that can be very useful, such as "Zombie World", "Zombie Master", "Book of Life", "Pyramid Turtle" and "Uni-Zombie". Also, the signature mechanic of the Archetype can also be supported by cards like "Gold Sarcophagus", "Spirit of Flames" and especially "Shutendoji". Also, unlike most other Zombie decks, this deck does not essentially need "Plaguespreader Zombie" nor is it heavily creeped by cards like "Macro Cosmos", "Dimensional Fissure", or "Banisher of the Radiance".