Chapter 63. Tenyi Swordsoul Explained! Two-Axis Deckbuilding!
While Duelists in the other worlds were still discussing Tearlaments,
in the ARC-V World,
a mix of bitterness, confusion, shock, and excitement swirled through the Standard Dimension.
Yuya Sakaki exhaled sharply.
He had once thought his Pendulum "Odd-Eyes" gameplay was already perfected.
But after seeing this "JeffreyL" ignite such a Pendulum sequence,
he began to doubt himself.
Did he really understand Pendulum Summoning?
Declan Akaba felt the same kind of self-doubt.
By all rights, he was deeply versed in Pendulum Summons as well.
Yet after he watched how Old Exodia linked up with Pendulums,
even Declan had to ask himself:
What does Pendulum truly mean?
"Whew, that was satisfying to watch!"
"Seriously satisfying!"
"Those lines were so flashy!"
"I wonder if my Superheavy Samurai can pull off sequences like that!"
Gong Strong let out a long breath, his thoughts differing from the others.
What he saw was
a combo feast presented by a single Deck,
and ultimately, Old Exodia winning by repeatedly recycling resources.
If the ARC-V World was already like this,
then the VRAINS World—where everyone mastered Link strategies—was even more so.
After seeing how this build handled Link lines,
Yusaku Fujiki took a deep breath.
He felt even his own dueling thought process had been expanded.
Whether it was the Link-2 "Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights" synergy,
or the Link-3 "Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians" repeatedly gaining Spell Counters to revive and then send Vishuda for targeted bounce,
these were the entry-level thresholds of Yu-Gi-Oh!:
how to generate resources and how to use them.
In the Duel itself,
you couldn't yet see how strong Tearlaments was.
But Yusaku could see that the duel mindset and sequencing in the higher world
had far surpassed theirs by a wide margin.
"Hey! That constant cycling of 'Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians'!"
"It's kind of similar to my Salamangreat."
"As expected, watching these Duels lets you learn things you otherwise couldn't."
Theodore Hamilton narrowed his eyes.
In their Link era,
beginners already knew to climb Links,
then reuse the resources on hand
to build the board they wanted.
Salamangreat,
after all, follows that exact idea.
Main World.
The short video's closing segment was still playing.
Old Exodia's Restraint play: "Okay, that's the Duel."
Old Exodia's Restraint play: "With this, our objective is achieved."
Old Exodia's Restraint play: "I trust you all now understand how this build operates."
"As for the final result,"
"JeffreyL took the match 2–1 with Old Exodia."
"If you still don't know much about Tearlaments, don't worry,"
"you can go look up related videos to learn more."
"As for my breakdown of the Old Exodia Deck, that's the end."
"Thanks for watching, and I wish you a great day and godlike top-decks!"
"......"
Sei Yuki had finished watching the entire short video as well.
And the strength of Tearlaments
indeed hadn't shown up in the opening.
As a result,
in the Duel Monsters World, GX World, and 5D's World, a flood of on-screen comments were already asking about Tearlaments' power level.
Sei Yuki had originally planned to take this chance
to show them the rise of Tearlaments.
But letting them see such a powerful Deck so soon felt a little premature.
It had to be gradual.
So,
Sei Yuki recalled some Deck-study videos he'd seen before.
Soon, he locked onto his next target: Tenyi Swordsoul.
"I once spent quite a bit of time learning Tenyi Swordsoul."
"Letting them see this Deck seems pretty good too."
"After all, among Synchro Decks that can enter the metagame, Tenyi Swordsoul counts as one of them, right?"
"Yeah, let's do that!"
After deciding on the next Deck,
Sei Yuki quickly found the new short video.
The title
now appeared before Duelists across the six Duel Worlds!
"Tenyi Swordsoul! Flying Dragon in the Sky—Multiple Lines, Guaranteed to Learn!"
Tenyi Swordsoul?
With this brand-new short video appearing,
Duelists across the six worlds promptly shifted their attention away from Exodia the Forbidden One,
and aimed it at this Deck instead.
Just hearing the name alone made many Duelists look on with anticipation.
And the explanation began at once!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Hello, Duelists, good afternoon."
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Today we're covering a very beginner-friendly Tenyi Swordsoul Deck!"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "The Deck focuses on Synchro, its in-archetype lines are smooth, and it's a midrange beat Deck."
"It's not one of those crazy combo Decks that becomes invincible once it builds a board."
"Its typical end board is 'Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao' plus 'Baronne de Fleur.'"
"Then you either Set backrow, or if you don't have it, you hold your hand traps to interrupt!"
"Let's start with the Decklist first!"
"......"
As soon as he finished,
the Decklist appeared before every Duelist.
Unlike other Decks,
this Extra Deck had a lot of Synchro Monsters!
Which meant,
this build
was indeed centered on Synchro Summons,
not some flashy mix of Fusion, Link, Synchro, and Xyz all at once!
Naturally, the 5D's World noticed it first.
Being the world of Synchro,
seeing another Synchro-centric system pop up
made Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas, and Crow Hogan all light up.
"Here we go! Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend already shocked us enough!"
"I wonder what this 'Tenyi Swordsoul' Deck will look like!"
Leo blinked rapidly, and his first thought was that this build definitely wouldn't lose to Stardust Dragon or Red Dragon Archfiend!
"But judging by what the narrator said,"
"it seems this Deck isn't 'that' strong?"
What Luna noticed
was that this Deck's profile was midrange beat.
Meaning its overall strength still needed to be observed!
Inside the short video,
MD Dragon-Fist Bro immediately began the single-card breakdown.
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "The video is split into Decklist single-card explanations and combo explanations."
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "If you're already familiar with Tenyi Swordsoul, you can skip straight to the combo section."
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "For new players, or Master Duel beginners,"
"I recommend watching from start to finish."
"I believe Tenyi Swordsoul will definitely surprise you."
"First, there are two main approaches in Deckbuilding,"
"the Swordsoul axis and the Tenyi axis,"
"and if you want to raise the ceiling, you can also include an Abyss axis."
"Let's start with the Swordsoul axis!"
"The Swordsoul axis shares a common trait: reveal a 'Swordsoul' card or a Wyrm to generate a Level 4 Tuner Token!"
"Key in-archetype cards as follows!"
Card 1: "Swordsoul of Mo Ye"!
WATER Wyrm!
Level 4, ATK/DEF 1700/1800!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Your proactive starter—on Normal/Special Summon, reveal, then Special Summon the Token."
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "When used as Synchro Material, draw 1."
Card 2: "Swordsoul Strategist Longyuan"!
FIRE Wyrm!
Level 6, ATK/DEF 1200/2300!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Discard a Swordsoul or Wyrm to Special Summon this and a Token."
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Another proactive starter; when used as Synchro Material, it burns 1200."
Card 3: "Swordsoul of Taia"!
WIND Wyrm!
Level 4, ATK/DEF 1800/1500!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Banish a Swordsoul/Wyrm from the GY to Special Summon a Token."
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Since it isn't a proactive starter by itself, run 2–3 copies; when used as Synchro Material, it sends a Swordsoul card or Wyrm monster from Deck to the GY."
"Related to those, you can also run 'Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous.'"
"As a going-second self-Special, you can Tribute it to bring out another Swordsoul, so it's still a solid card."
"It just doesn't carry the Swordsoul name and isn't a Wyrm, which is a bit unfortunate; recommended 2–3."
"That's it for the Swordsoul axis—just remember they're your starters."
"With combos and gameplay, you'll grasp Swordsoul's power more clearly."
After hearing the Swordsoul axis breakdown,
every world formed its own view.
But what no one could avoid noticing was this:
other than the Saint being a support extender,
they all revolved around a Token!
All required meeting conditions to bring out a Token!
And that Token is a Level 4 Tuner!
Which made the situation obvious!
One card makes a Level 8 Synchro!!!
Realizing that,
all Duelists grew serious.
No wonder the Extra Deck ran so many Synchros!
It turned out this system
made Synchro Summoning absurdly straightforward!
Other Decks needed a way to Special Summon a Tuner.
Swordsoul just prints the Token straight onto the field!
That's the difference!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "After the Swordsoul axis, let's look at the Tenyi axis."
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "If the Swordsoul axis is your starter/line engine,"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "then the Tenyi axis is your in-house extender package."
"Because for the four Tenyi Spirits, Effect 1 is: if you control no Effect Monsters, you can Special Summon them from hand."
"Effect 2 is: if you control an Effect Monster, you can banish them from your hand or GY to trigger their effects!"
"Let's go over the specifics."
Card 1: "Tenyi Spirit – Adhara"!
EARTH Wyrm!
Level 1 Tuner, ATK/DEF 0/0!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "As a Level 1 Tuner, it sometimes helps you ladder into other Synchros!"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Its second effect lets you add a banished Wyrm back to hand; run 0–1."
Card 2: "Tenyi Spirit – Shthana"!
WATER Wyrm!
Level 4, ATK/DEF 400/2000!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "As a free Level 4, it sometimes pairs for a Level 8 Synchro!"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "You won't use its protection effect often since it protects non-Effect Monsters; mainly a Synchro piece; run 0–1."
Card 3: "Tenyi Spirit – Vishuda"!
DARK Wyrm!
Level 7, ATK/DEF 1500/2500!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "A quality extender and also an interaction piece!"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Its second effect banishes to target and return a card to the hand; recommended 2–3!"
Card 4: "Tenyi Spirit – Ashuna"!
LIGHT Wyrm!
Level 7, ATK/DEF 1600/2600!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "This one is particularly important,"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "because its second effect banishes to Special Summon another Tenyi from the Deck (except itself)! It's the Tenyi movement point and the essence of Tenyi Swordsoul. Recommended 2–3!"
"With those four, the Tenyi axis rundown is done!"
With the Tenyi axis explained,
everyone's understanding of the build deepened.
Tenyi as extenders!
Swordsoul as starters!
Combine both axes,
and that's what forms "Tenyi Swordsoul"!
But!
These clearly weren't the only highlights.
The most important part was the Extra Deck's ace Synchros!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Done with the Main Deck monsters,"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "and setting aside the standard 3 'Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring,' 3 'Maxx "C",' plus 'Infinite Impermanence' and 'Effect Veiler'—"
"let's look at the core in-archetype Extra Deck cards!"
"First is the one you'll make constantly: 'Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao'!"
[Name: Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao (Level 8)]
[Attribute: LIGHT]
[Type: Wyrm]
[ATK/DEF: 2800/1000]
"It has two effects."
"Effect 1: on Synchro Summon, add a 'Swordsoul' card or a Wyrm monster that mentions 'Swordsoul' from your Deck to your hand."
"Effect 2: as a Quick Effect, banish a 'Swordsoul' card or Wyrm from your hand or GY, then negate the effects of a face-up monster until the end of the turn."
"Next up is 'Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying'!"
[Name: Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign – Chengying (Level 10)]
[Attribute: WATER]
[Type: Wyrm]
[ATK/DEF: 3000/3000]
"As your in-archetype beater!"
"Effect 1: this card gains 100 ATK/DEF for each banished card, and your opponent's monsters lose 100 ATK/DEF for each banished card."
"As your resilience boss!"
"Effect 2: if this card would be destroyed by a card effect, you can banish 1 card from your GY instead."
"As your grave-digging board breaker!"
"Effect 3: if a card(s) is banished, you can banish 1 card each from your opponent's field and GY."
"An absolutely powerful Swordsoul Synchro end-board piece!"
Indeed!
Just from the effects alone,
Duelists across the six worlds felt a twinge of fear.
Going first with Chixiao on board, if you also make "Baronne de Fleur,"
that's two negates!
Then with hand traps and Set Traps if you have them!
Your going-first board is already solid!
Going second!
You can make Chengying,
bring heavy pressure,
with resilience and removal!
And even better—
its removal doesn't target!
With cards like these chaining together,
Tenyi Swordsoul would be a dimensionality-reduction beatdown in any of their worlds!
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "Besides the two Swordsoul ace Synchros,"
MD Dragon-Fist Bro: "there's also 'Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign – Qixing Longyuan'!"
[Name: Swordsoul Sinister Sovereign – Qixing Longyuan (Level 10)]
[Attribute: FIRE]
[Type: Wyrm]
[ATK/DEF: 2900/2300]
"Effect 1: each time you Synchro Summon a Wyrm, draw 1."
"Effect 2: if your opponent Special Summons, you can banish one of those monsters and burn 1200!"
"Effect 3: when your opponent activates a Spell/Trap, you can banish that card and burn 1200!"
"It's your in-archetype disruption-plus-burn piece!"
"Two banishes can be lethal for many Decks!"
"Then we have other relevant Synchros!"
"Cards like 'Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing,' 'Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing,' and 'Chaofeng, Phantom of the Yang Zing' are all important inclusions."
"Yazi has targeting protection, pops itself, and floats a Wyrm."
"Baxia spins cards for non-destruction removal and revives from GY."
"Chaofeng locks effects, floats to search a Tuner, and pulls resources."
"All of these can raise Tenyi Swordsoul's overall power!"
One Tenyi Swordsoul Extra Deck card after another flashed across the screen,
and just that much already left Duelists across the six worlds stunned.
And even so,
this was still only a corner of the build.
Tenyi Swordsoul's board-building plans,
its lethal lines,
its fine-detail combos—those were the true focus!
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