Introduction
Labrynth is a trap-based archetype that has recently set its bases up from the Deck Build Pack: Tactical Masters. This archetype challenges their opponent to deal with their multiple removal-based traps, similar to trap-based dungeons. These traps will remove all their invaders with trap after trap, and wear the opposition to frustration.
Can you survive the numerous dangerous traps embedded within the Labrynth Labyrinth to face the mischievous Labrnyth of the Silver Castle? Let's start exploring, and be careful of those traps!
The Lay of the Land
This archetype focuses on using Normal Trap cards to eliminate monsters from the board, and benefiting from said action. So naturally, most of the cards will trigger after a monster leaves the field by your Normal Trap effect. To supplement this strategy, Labrynth cards will often include effects that help set-up this particular interaction to occur.
These three are your ideal play starters, and can tutor a Labrynth spell/trap from the deck. They will also constantly recur themselves per successful removal. The idea is to use these to tutor your Welcome Labrynth or other Spell/Traps. Then in the later stages, act as repeated fuel for your various traps. These decorations are essential in the deck, naturally.
Cuclock is optional, but greatly helps with the maidservant's effect to directly set a trap from hand, or resolve Welcome Labrynth going second.
Next, are the maidservants of the Labrynth!
These two maidservants are arguably the central pieces of the Labyrnth strategy, and accumulates advantages per removal. Arianna tutors Labyrnth cards, while Arianne fetches either her sister or the other Labrynth decors - or even any other fiend! These two sisters pack hefty stats to hold their ground while you flip traps at your opponent, and supplements the continuation of this strategy.
All in all, these sisters are your best normal summons to set the ball rolling.
And lastly, the master of Labyrnth herself - the great Labrynth of the Silver Castle!
Labrynth of the Silver Castle is the boss monster of this deck. Due to her high level, you will normally summon her through Welcome Labrynth, Labrynth Labyrinth or one of the maidservant's ability to summon from hand. She will reward your efforts in summoning her with great effects. One which prevents your opponent's monsters from interacting with your Traps, so you can safely trap them out of your presence. Secondly, she destroys any card after removal, from the field or even the opponent's hand! This further increases the gap your resources generates. Lastly, she can reset one of your used traps again. As the perpetrator of this Trap-filled mansion, she generates massive advantage alone!
Tricks and Traps
What is a trap-filled mansion without traps?
Welcome Labrynth is the main to-go to trap of the deck. This card functions similarly to Scarlet Sanguine, summoning any Labrynth monster from the deck. Ideally, you would want to summon one of the two maids, or Silver Castle herself. Labrynth Labyrinth upgrades this trap by giving Welcome Labrynth an additional destruction effect, which makes it a Normal Trap that removes monsters! These two cards will start the ball rolling, trigger the effects of your decor, maids and Silver Castle. Labrynth Labyrinth also summons a fiend upon monster removal, which happens to be this deck's only form of revival. These are currently the only useful cards you would want in your deck, but let us go over the other ones.
Fairwelcome Labrynth is an in-themed Normal Trap that removes monster, but diluted with the condition of needing the opponent to declare an attack. This particular requirement is valued by the forgotten Labrynth member, Labrynth Archfiend who can set such traps to your field. This trap also happens to be the only direct monster removal archetypical trap, so although I will not recommend it, it is worth consideration.
If you start to run out of Labrynth tricks, Labrynth Setting is the card to use! Not only does this card recycle your traps, it supplies you with any two traps in return! This is a great card if you are expecting a long, grindy game.
And lastly, Labrynth Barrage does not contribute to the Labrynth game plan at all. It is extremely unique in that it copies any trap that you chain this to. Although this card bypasses the "once-per-turn" clause, not many traps need their effects duplicated. This card is searchable with Arianna, so as a standalone card, this card could see use in other concepts.
The Labrynth archetype has a lot of cards with different confusing effects, so how do we piece them together? Here are a few lists to refer to, as I explain what you should be looking out for while navigating this tricky archetype.
Decklists
Labrynth Pure
The general idea is to constantly remove the opponent's monsters with your numerous Normal Trap cards. This will often set off a chain of reactions that will generate massive advantage every turn. Welcome Labrynth is the only decent Normal Trap in the archetype, so it is the only archetypical trap being played. Otherwise, the Labrynth decor will set Labrynth Labyrinth from the deck.
The rest of the deck is filled with generic good Normal Trap cards, such as Dogmatika Punishment, Compulsory Evacuation Device and Archfiend Glitch to trap your opponent monsters out of the field. This sort of playstyle is a slow and grindy one, but eventually you will clear a path to your opponent's life points! Absolute King Back Jack is a staple in this deck as an alternative fiend monster to use. Otherwise, this deck is very flexible when it comes to deck slots, so you can easily mess around with ratios.
In a normal game, you can expect to summon Arianna and set Welcome Labrynth along with multiple Normal Traps. By clearing opposing monsters, you can start to activate each one of your Labrynth monster effects, and this will cause each one of them to generate advantage. Ultimately, by repeating this process, you will have a lot of resources, and even more Traps to use.
As a side note, deck space is extremely tight due to the reliance of needing to draw Trap cards, so I chose to omit generic handtraps from this build.
Labrynth Unchained
It just so happens that Arianne is able to summon any low leveled fiend from the deck, so why not Unchained? The Unchained provides great stalling potential while the Labrynth clears out the opposition. With strong Link Monsters like Unchained Abomination, this variant is much more aggressive and will wipe out an entire board quickly for game. Otherwise, the thematic Trap cards will clean the opponent card by card without you depleting resources.
This idea can also be replicated to create Labrynth Burning Abyss, or even Labrynth Fableds! The possibilities are endless.
Labrynth Archfiend Turbo
Admittedly this is just a meme I wanted to share. This is a ridiculous build solely centered on powering up Labrynth Archfiend's attack to absurd levels through Reasoning. Otherwise, each Trap card alone is powerful enough to trade resources with the opponent until your Labrynth Archfiend shows its face. There has been a lot of powerful Normal Trap cards printed since the start of Yugioh, and identifying each one of these Traps is my challenge to you!
Disarming these Devices
Labrynth is extremely reliant on resolving their Trap cards, and often pack little insurance against backrow removal like Solemn Judgment. You can expect your Lighting Storm or Harpie Feather Duster to resolve almost every time, unless they choose to include Lord of Heavenly Prison. Otherwise, your generic handtraps can be shotgunned on the appearance of any of the sister maids. As this deck is forced to relegate to Normal Traps, you can be assured of a lack of unfair Trap cards like Skill Drain, Solemn Strike or even There Can Be Only One. Avoid giving the opposing Labrynth players too many bodies to pick off, or overwhelm them with numbers!
My Traps and Conclusion
Labrynth is a very interesting yet complex archetype, having split its members into multiple roles. This deck really does feel like a trap-them-out sort of experience, and Konami has replicated this experience into the card game perfectly. In fact, for a Trap card, limiting the archetype to Normal Trap cards feels extremely balanced, and the deck does not need to default into floodgates and such. The feeling is so much more positive compared to facing Eldlich.
I have had the pleasure of piloting this expensive deck to multiple wins at my locals, and I really love the feel of this deck. The cards are generic enough to add any new Normal Trap support in the future, and this archetype will surely appreciate as much. It is worth understanding this deck at the very least!
If you are looking to burn a hole in your pocket to have fun, this is the perfect deck for you. Trap them up, protect your castle, and clear all these threats!
