Disclaimer: This article was written with the April 2020 OCG banlist in mind.
Introduction
Celebrated heroes of legends clash with religious cultists under the imminent threat of Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon. An assembly of critters lurks within the shadows, biding their chance to grab the spotlight. They are the 3-Axis Synchro, a collection of impactful level 3s that are accomplished monsters in their aspects. By blending several strong cards, this deck summons multiple powerful monsters from the Extra Deck amidst increased consistency with little expenses.
The 3-Axis of OCG's MR5 core is triangulated into three cores:
Level 3 monsters that seek to achieve their deck's combo through its single presence, Level 3 handtraps to supplement the deck's values, and non-Level 3 cards that support the consistency of the combo's performance.
Despite all that, no deck lists are the same. The level 3 toolbox is perpetually evolving with unique entrants, the combos and end goal for 3-Axis are remarkably flexible. Today, I will delve into the workings of several interpretations of the deck.
The Level 3 Toolbox
Before we dive into the inner workings of 3-Axis, it is essential to understand how powerful Level 3s have become. Many notable Level 3s engines are made up of memorable monsters that grant instant advantage. Tour Guide from the Underworld tutors an extra body to the field. Mathematician mills relevant cards, and replaces itself on death. Speedroid Terrortop supplies two free bodies without using up your normal summon OR hand resources!
Possible entrants include:
- Junk Forward
- Mathematician (with Edge Imp Sabres)
- Psychic Wheelder/Psychic Tracker
- Sangan (With Crusadia Arboria)
- Speedroid Terrortop (with Speedroid Taketomborg)
- Tour Guide of the Underworld (with Sangan and Edge Imp Sabres)
The Core Components
Despite the synergistic nature between Level 3s, some bricks are necessary to build strong foundations. Examples include Guardragon Justicia, a Tuner monster borne from the effect of Carboneddon to perform Synchro Summons. Jet Synchron and O-Lion are cards that are better left in the deck, as they cannot contribute to the game from hand. These examples may be awkward to open with, but their inclusion is the key to developing your win conditions.
Possible entrants include:
- Guardragon Justicia/Galaxy Serpent (with Carboneddon)
- Mecha Phantom Beast O-lion
- Deskbot 001
- Jet Synchron
- Black Garden (With Garden Rose Maiden)
- Nine Pillars of Yang Zing (with Denglong, First of the Yang Zing, and a Yang Zing representative)
The Plan B's
Sometimes life doesn't go the way you want it to. So you force it to. A plethora of counters to your opponent's disruption will assist you during your board-building moments. Interestingly, several choices for handtraps perfectly synergizes with the 3-Axis philosophy as Tuners.
Possible entrants include:
- Called by the Grave
- Crossout Designator (Along with your intended targets!)
- Ghost Sisters (Notably Ash Blossom)
- Handtraps (Monster handtraps are preferred)
The Extra Deck
So what if you summoned a bunch of monsters in one turn? Use them! Level 3s with their natural swarming capabilities can result in a variety of several boss monsters. But most combos orbit around Crystron Halqifibrax, a controversial Link Monster that develops into more bodies through Mecha Phantom Beast Auroradon or Linkross. Cherubini is also a core unit in the deck for additional field presence. The Extra Deck is merely limited by your combo requirements.
Possible entrants include:
- Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss
- Crystron Halqifibrax
- Linkross
- Mecha Phantom Beast Auroradon
Now that we have covered the essentials, let us observe the top three variants with their combos.
Good Stuff Link
This is admittedly the most faithful variant of the deck. With no extra waste to disrupt your own plays, you can expect to resolve your combo consistently. However, the lack of spice makes it predictable and easy to counter. The current variant ends on Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, Adamancipator Risen - Dragite, and Borreload Savage Dragon. Sometimes, with an additional Herald of the Arc Light, and Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, or Accesscode Talker to conclude the game.
Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon
...PLAN D! Many 3-Axis pilots may feel stressed when their combo is interrupted. This is especially true in a handtrap-heavy format blessed with Maxx "C". As a result, when you have nothing but two punks left, just make Predaplant Verte Anaconda! It summons the unfair Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon to tide you across turns while you pick yourself up. Alternatively, players expect to perform their standard 3-Axis combos and end with an additional Dark Dragoon for further warranty. This spice comes with a price of three Garnets. But with consistent one card combos, you can alleviate such risks. The combos do not vary, but here is a sample list.
Denglong, First of the Yang Zings
The first of many strong Level 5 Synchros to come. Denglong provides a Counter Trap to deal with Dark Ruler no More, at the low cost of diluting the deck with its Yang Zing brethren. Similar to its tricks in 2017, Denglong is able to summon another Herald on the opponent's turn.
Examples:
This is 許嘉仁's spin on the modern OCG 3-Axis. His list is completely standard, opting to cut Denglong and friends for a more consistent approach.
You may find out more from his victory post here.
Is this possible in the TCG?
Without the presence of Crystron Halqifibrax in the TCG, I would disagree.
But a certain player did not!
Matteo Bertulezzi brought his pet 3-Axis Dragon Link to YCS Utrecht 2019. Matteo performed strikingly till finals, where he met an unfortunate end against a stronger sideboard. His variant melds the best of Burning Abyss, Dragon Link, and 3-Axis elements together to produce a tumultuous factory that spews out threats after threats.
You may find out more from his deck profile interview.
Sidedeck and Answers
Like many other combo decks, this deck is susceptible to the timely presence of any Ghost Sister. The biggest flaw within this deck is the inability to present a counter-answer whilst assembling its boards, thus making Nibiru the ideal counter. Despite the consistent nature of the deck, encountering awkward hands also spells impending doom. A monster-focused deck like this can also fold to Dark Ruler No More, should the 3-Axis player cut the Yang Zing package out. 3-Axis is susceptible to common handtraps in the meta, but you may choose to run even more, should 3-Axis become a threat to you.
My Thoughts and Conclusions
As the metagame continues to develop, and varying monsters printed in new products, 3-Axis Synchro wields limitless development potential. This concept may remain niche, but it bears a timeless tribute to several influential monsters of the game. Piloting this deck may not be an easy task, but you know what they say, third time's the charm!
If you are interested in the development of 3-Axis, I have provided this Japanese link here for further reading.
