Invoked Shaddoll

Back on Invoked Shaddoll, since my foray into Nekroz basically made me wish I was playing Shaddolls instead. The goal was to flex somewhere between the combo version and the straight Winda Turbo version, and running a lot of very specific interaction pieces to try and combat the format.

I wanted room for at least 9 interaction in the deck, to increase the odds of seeing a hand-trap. However, I also felt that Called By The Grave was essential for Eldlich the Golden Lord, which natively outs Winda. It seems like the matchup against Eldlich is super rough, so I wanted to run cards that were good against Eldlich or Adamancipator. With Eldlich heavy on the combo build and most decks incorporating a Needlefibre Package, Nibiru seemed like an obvious pick, particularly since it is a light monster. I went with D.D. Crow over Effect Veiler, mostly because it helps make Winda in a pinch, but also to snipe Golden Lords out of the GY while still stopping or stalling Adamancipator combos.

The Invoked engine is obligatory. These cards are very powerful, and have huge synergy in the fusion deck. 3 of all of them, and Terraforming to search Meltdown. After that its pretty ordinary numbers of Shaddoll cards for a deck without Desires. Juggler and Trick Clown are the last engine, they just help make the 1 card combos off of Shaddoll Fusion much better and give us light fodder to use to make Constructs or Mechaba.

I almost never go into Apkallone, but monster negation comes in clutch, and it's searching/sending ability is super useful as a floating effect. 2 Construct and 3 Winda are my usual numbers. I want to have multiple Winda for when 1 gets broken, and I like running 3 so that when people are sniping my extra deck with Lysogasm they have to go for all the Winda to deny me it. Mechaba is the main Invoked card, it gives us a good negate, even if its rarely an omni-negate. Purgatrio breaks boards, and Raidjin turns things face down. Almiraj and Gardna give us ways to get Aleister in the GY, while giving us access to 1 card Mechabas or Purgatrios that add Aleister to the hand. Cross Sheep makes the link 4 plays possible, with Borrelsword to OTK and Apollousa for some added negation, which also makes it possible to combo off to end on a board with Winda, Apollousa, and Mechaba.

3 Effect Veiler and 3 Impermanence are for combo decks, particularly Amamancipator. Sometimes you need all 9 hand traps. Cyclone and Lightning Storm are for Backrow decks, with Cyclone also coming in over Nibiru against Eldlich game 2. Dark Ruler No More is just a habit, it will allow the deck to break a lot of otherwise completely unbreakable boards even if it falls short against the main meta decks.