Karakuri OTK

An OTK newly brought to the TCG in Starstrike Blast, the Karakuri OTK Summons 3 copies of "Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”" and 1 other Karakuri monster to generate a minimum of 8200 ATK to attack for game. While there are a few ways to go about this, all of them work the same way: Synchro Summon "Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”" to start the chain of Synchro Summoning.

How to Karakuri OTK
Before you start anything, you must make sure the opponent can't stop anything you're about to do. Easily playing "Giant Trunade" and "Dark Hole" (if you don't have any monsters you don't want to lose) will clear the field of any annoyances.

After that, your first step is to find some way to Synchro Summon either the Level 7 "Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”" or the Level 8 "Karakuri Great Shogun Bureido" (OCG right now). It doesn't matter which because both have the effect that makes this all possible: When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 "Karakuri" monster from your Deck.

How you go about this depends on the situation and your deck style. The easiest way to get "Karakuri Great Shogun Bureido" would be to Special Summon "Cyber Dragon" from your Hand or "Cyber Saurus" with "Instant Fusion", then Normal Summon "Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 “Inashichi”". You can also Synchro "Cyber Dragon" or "Cyber Saurus" with "Karakuri Barrel mdl 96 “Shinkuro”" or "Plaguespreader Zombie" to get "Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”".

An easy way to get "Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”" is to Normal Summon "Black Salvo" and use its effect to Special Summon "Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive" from your Graveyard, and the best way to get that there is with "Foolish Burial".

After that you need to get a series of Synchro Summons going, and there are multiple ways to fulfill this need. If you use "Black Salvo", before you Synchro with it you can Activate "Machine Duplication" to get out 2 more of it. Then when you Synchro Summon "Burei", use its effect to Special Summon a Level 4 Karakuri monster from your deck so it can Synchro with another "Black Salvo" for another "Burei". Repeat again, then use the 3rd "Burei's" effect to Special Summon any Karakuri monster from your deck. With 3 "Bureis" you only need 200 more ATK, and the smallest is 400 ("Karakuri Barrel mdl 96 “Shinkuro”").
 * Note: If you go this route, do NOT run "Solidarity"

Another way to do it is to use multiple copies of "Karakuri Showdown Castle". When it is face-up on the field and destroyed, you can Special Summon any Level 4 or higher Karakuri monster from your Graveyard. Yes, ANY Level 4 or HIGHER. If you've got a "Burei" in the Graveyard, this can bring it back. And since "Karakuri Showdown Castle" is a Field Spell Card, you can easily destroy it yourself by playing a second one while you already control one.

To get the OTK this way, you'll need all 3 copies of "Karakuri Showdown Castle" ready to go so you can destroy 2 of them. To do this, Synchro Summon a "Burei" and use its effect to Special Summon a "Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 “Inashichi”" from your Deck, then destroy your Field Spell so you can Special Summon a Level 4 non-tuner Karakuri from your Graveyard and Synchro again. Repeat and continue OTK normally. You may find more luck doing it this way by adding some "Geartowns" and "Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragons".

Finally you can go about this using the normal method, having a field full of monsters or using conventional staple cards like "Monster Reborn" and "Call of the Haunted" to help. While you're not likely to maintain a field full of low level Machines to Synchro with, if it does happen you can get your whole OTK field without playing any other cards!

Weaknesses and Counters

 * Royal Oppression
 * Skill Drain

These cards will absolutely destroy you, either by preventing your Special Summons or your monster effects. The best way to stop these are with a Mystical Space Typhoon. Now that you can use two and those trap cards fewer in numbers, they're less likely to hinder you completely. You can also use "Karakuri Trick House", which can only Activate when a Karakuri's Battle Position is changed, but can destroy a Spell or Trap -OR- monster, making it more versatile. Other great ways to stop them are "Dust Tornado", "Giant Trunade", "Solemn Judgment", "Dark Bribe", and "Trap Stun". Or if you're not running Traps at all, you can use "Royal Decree"!


 * D.D. Crow
 * Crevice Into the Different Dimension

If you're trying to bring back a Karakuri from the Graveyard, expect to see these cards try and remove them from play. It's cards like these that'll make you side in "D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation" and "Return from the Different Dimension". If you want to try and stop them you'll have to use some different methods. For "Crevice Into the Different Dimension" you can use "Solemn Judgment", "Dark Bribe", or "Trap Stun", while for "D.D. Crow" you can use "Divine Wrath". You can also use "Trap Dustshoot" or "Dragged Down into the Grave" against it, but since it can be chained, this only works if you use them before there's a Karakuri in there you don't want removed.


 * Effect Veiler

Now this card is just deadly! By discarding it during your Main Phase 1 or Main Phase 2, they can completely negate the effects of one of your monsters until the end of the turn. If your opponent waits until the right moment, this card will devastate you to the point of no return. Your best bet is to make sure you have a "Divine Wrath" ready to counter it. However, you can use "Trap Dustshoot" or "Dragged Down into the Grave" to get it out of your opponent's hand.


 * King Tiger Wanghu
 * Chain Disappearance

With Quickdraw decks getting bigger and bigger, a lot of Side Decks are finding room for these low-ATK killers. "King Tiger Wanghu" is a monster that destroys every monster with 1400 or less ATK the moment it's summoned (except Flip Summoned). Then we have "Chain Disappearance", which Activates when a monster with less then 1000 ATK is summoned, and removes it and all copies of it from the monster-owner's Deck. This one Trap Card can remove from play all your "Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 “Inashichi”" in a single move, leaving your strategy ruined. Since all the tuners you're going to be using have ATK below 1000, Your best bet around these is to use "Solidarity" and make them too big to hit, which means you'll have to side out your "Machine Duplications".


 * Vanity's Fiend
 * Archlord Kristya

These cards are more likely to be in specific decks, but nonetheless will hurt you if they manage to come out. These monsters will do the same thing "Royal Oppression" will, prevent your Special Summons. And in addition, they're big monsters! Your best way of getting rid of these guys are with "Dark Hole" or "Lightning Vortex".


 * Battle Fader
 * Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
 * Tragoedia

These are the monsters that'll stop your OTK dead in your tracks, they'll pop out after you've cleared the field and prevent you from getting in a direct hit will all your monsters. Against Gorz the Emissary of Darkness and Tragoedia you can hope you have strong enough monsters to take out what pops out and still drop your opponent to 0, but against Battle Fader you're stuck because it'll end the Battle Phase the moment it touches the field. Your best bet to stop these cards will be "Trap Dustshoot" or "Dragged Down into the Grave" to get them out of your opponent's hand.


 * System Down
 * Acid Rain
 * Chimeratech Fortress Dragon

Finally, we have the bane of all Machines. It's these cards that made Machina, Ancient Gear, and Gadget decks alike cringe in fear, and Karakuri will too. First we have a couple simple cards, "Acid Rain" and "Chimeratech Fortress Dragon" These cards are going to wipe the field clean of Machines in a single blow. Chimeratech will make you second guess putting "Cyber Dragon" in your deck and give your opponent a chance to "Monster Reborn" it out of your Graveyard and use it against you. But the worst offender is "System Down". By paying a mere 1000 Life Points, all Machines on the field and in the Graveyards get removed from play! Your best way around that is to side out your "Machine Duplications", Karakuri Showdown Castles", "Geartowns", and "Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragons" and side in 3 "Zombie Worlds". Changing all monsters on the field and Graveyard to Zombies will protect you from all three anti-Machine cards.

Alright, we've filled your head with all this information, now let's sum it all up!

Monsters

 * Karakuri Bushi mdl 6318 “Muzanichiha”
 * Karakuri Guard mdl 313 “Saizan” (STOR)
 * Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 “Kuikku” (STOR)
 * Karakuri Soldier mdl 236 “Nisamu”
 * Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 “Nishipachi”

Synchro Monsters

 * Karakuri Great Shogun Bureido (STOR)
 * Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 “Burei”

Monsters

 * Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon
 * Black Salvo
 * Cyber Dragon
 * Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive
 * Effect Veiler
 * Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
 * Karakuri Barrel mdl 96 “Shinkuro”
 * Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 “Inashichi”
 * Sangan

Spells

 * Book of Moon
 * Borrowed Karakuri Warehouse (STOR)
 * Cold Wave
 * Dark Hole
 * Double Summon
 * Foolish Burial
 * Geartown
 * Giant Trunade
 * Gold Sarcophagus
 * Instant Fusion
 * Karakuri Anatomy
 * Karakuri Showdown Castle
 * Limiter Removal
 * Machine Duplication
 * Monster Reborn
 * Mystical Space Typhoon
 * Pot of Duality
 * Swords of Revealing Light

Traps

 * Dark Bribe
 * Karakuri Trick House
 * Mirror Force
 * Reckless Greed
 * Scrap-Iron Scarecrow
 * Solemn Judgment
 * Solemn Warning
 * Trap Stun
 * -OR-
 * Royal Decree

Extra Deck

 * Ally of Justice Catastor
 * Ally of Justice Decisive Armor (HA03)
 * Ally of Justice Field Marshal
 * Ally of Justice Light Gazer
 * Black Rose Dragon
 * Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
 * Chimeratech Fortress Dragon
 * Cyber Saurus
 * Mist Wurm
 * Scrap Dragon

Spells

 * D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation
 * Dragged Down into the Grave
 * Lightning Vortex
 * Solidarity
 * Zombie World

Traps

 * Divine Wrath
 * Dust Tornado
 * Return from the Different Dimension
 * Trap Dustshoot
 * Trap Stun