Casual Deck Spotlight: Mikanko, Reversal Play!

Mikankos is a deck themed with ritual cards while utilizing Equip Spells to conduct various actions with your opponent’s monsters and your own. Even though they have 0 ATK/DEF, they’re still powerful enough to take down your opponent in one turn if given the right situation. Today I’ll be showcasing my own personal deck while also giving you some tips on playing this incredibly fun archetype!

How to Play/Playstyle

The deck revolves around its three effect monsters (though Ha-Re the Sword and Ni-Ni the Mirror are only used in this deck) for OTKs and Ohime the Manifested for getting your Equip Cards to the hand. The Equip Cards play a vital role as they have specific effects from returning monsters to the hand and gaining control of them when a Mikanko is on the field.

Boss Monsters

Ha-Re the Sword Mikanko – I call her the “starter” because you’ll want to see or get her first thing on your second turn. Along with the shared effect of not taking any damage from battles, it can also not be destroyed by battle while also making your opponent take any battle damage you would while equipped with an Equip Spell. If it’s equipped with an Equip Card, it can then add 1 “Mikanko” Equip Spell to your hand.

Ni-Ni the Mirror Mikanko – The “disabler” is her given title, and for good reason. Along with the shared effect of Ha-Re, whenever she’s equipped with an Equip Card, you can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls and take control of it until the End Phase. You can easily stop several combo decks in their tracks (like Kashtira, Swordsoul, Floowandereeze, etc.) by taking one of their cards and leaving them to figure out another strategy. The best part is, even if Ni-Ni leaves the field, their card is still yours, so it can be used as a shield or, given they have a decent Effect, a way to get back at your opponent.

Ohime the Manifested Mikanko – And finally, the “searcher.” Utilizing both Effect Mikanko’s effects of being unable to be destroyed and reversing battle damage, it can also search and add 1 “Mikanko” card by revealing itself and then sending discarding 1 card. Also, while on the field, it can target 1 Equip Card in the Graveyard and equip it to a monster on the field.

Main Strategy/Core Combo

You may be asking: Where are all the cards released in CYAC? Well, this is my tournament deck, for one, so I stick to what’s TCG regulated; And two, there’s no reason (in my opinion) to make a deck with OCG cards (unless beneficial) until they’ve been released.

Even then, Hu-Li the Jewel Mikanko doesn’t do much except search trap cards, which Ohime the Manifested Mikanko can already do with a discard effect. Mikanko Dance – Mayowashidori is pretty good, and Arahime the Manifested Mikanko is definitely something that’s going to change the Mikankos, so I’ll add those very soon. But for now, this deck is good enough on its own.

While there isn’t a main strategy, you should always (and obviously) try to get Second every duel, as setting up your Mikankos on your first turn could lead them to get their Equip Cards, and then themselves destroyed. Some people don’t read, as I’ve noticed when playing this deck, but it’s easier to go Second. Cards like Lava Golem and Evenly Matched were added for this very reason. Your opponent may have set up a field that can someway, somehow get rid of your plays, so you’ll want to get rid of their monsters.

Hidden Armory allows you to send the top card of your deck to the Graveyard, then grab 1 Equip Spell from your Deck or GY. This is a great starter, and in my opinion, the best card to get (if you already have some Mikanko Equips in hand) is the Double-Edged Sword. Since your Mikankos has 0 ATK when equipped, they’ll get an even 2000 ATK that will deal a whooping 4000 ATK (when they attack directly) since you would take the same battle damage as your opponent.

Most of the Equip Spells are straightforward and are obvious to use in certain situations. The best ones to have in hand are Mikanko Water Arabesque to eliminate problematic monsters and Mikanko Reflection Rondo to take control of and negate the monster’s effects. I utilize Heavenly Gate of the Mikanko for mid-game plays when combo decks are usually drawing one-ofs and can’t really commit to any play, summon one monster, and I interfere with either Ni-Ni or a Mikanko hand trap like Mikanko Rivalry. In a word, easy to learn, hard to master.

Included an Extra Deck with viable synchros like Baronne de Fleur and Crystron Quariongandrax due to you having several tuners ready acting as hand traps, along with fan favorites like Underworld Goddess of the Closed World, Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess, and Accesscode Talker—easy summons since you can steal monsters with Equip Spells and effects alike.

Hope you have as much as I’ve had!