Introduction
Mayakashi (jap: 魔まや妖かし) is an archetype of Zombie monsters with various Attributes revolving around Synchro Summoning that debuted in Deck Build Pack: Hidden Summoners in the OCG and in Hidden Summoners in the TCG.
The members of this archetype are based on yōkai from Japanese folklore and from Chinese mythology. The Main Deck monsters appear to be the humanoid form of the Synchro Monsters of the same kind of "Mayakashi" (e.g. Loading... transforms into Loading... ).
It may also be relevant that まやかし (mayakashi) is a Japanese word with meaning including "counterfeit, fake, deception". Japanese folklore contains many stories about magical beings who can take on human form, mirroring the link between this archetype's Main Deck monsters and their Extra Deck counterparts.
- Core Cards
- Tech Cards
- Combos
- Tips
- Sample Decklists
Mayakashi Main Deck monsters
Hajun, the Winged Mayakashi
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 "Mayakashi" monster from your Deck (except itself). This card is your main starter – you can either summon Loading... to go for the Synchro climb plays or Loading... if you want to set up your GY or just to have a Link to tribute via Loading... . Keep in mind you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except "Mayakashi" monsters while this card is face up on the field.
Running 3 copies of Loading... is mandatory, as this is your main combo piece!
Yuki-Musume, the Ice Mayakashi
This card is an extender that can be Special Summoned from hand or GY if you control a "Mayakashi" card (inluding spells like Loading... or traps like Loading... ), all while giving you a Loading... of any Zombie in your Deck. For example, you can send Loading... while Loading... is on field to get Loading... ; set up Zombie World by sending Loading... ; setting up Loading... to reborn a Zombie, etc – check combos for more details. Similar to Loading... , you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except "Mayakashi" monsters while this card is face up on the field.
Running 2 copies of Loading... is highly recommended.
Dakki, the Graceful Mayakashi
The main strategy of this archetype is to rapidly climb through the Synchro Summons, from Level 3 to 11, and then climb via Links until you go into either Loading... or Loading... . The lynchpin of this mechanic is the one and only Loading... . It can be easily Special Summoned by Loading... , enabling the first Synchro Summon.
NOTE: If you use Dakki's effect to reborn herself from the GY you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck the turn you activate this effect, except "Mayakashi" monsters. This essentially means that if you summoned a non-Mayakashi Extra Deck monster you cannot use Dakki’s effect. Also it’s worth mentioning that Dakki doesn’t prevent you from summoning non-Mayakashi Extra Deck monsters while on the field unlike Hajun and Yuki, meaning you could Synchro Summon cards like Loading... or other powerful Synchros.
Running 1 copy of Dakki, the Graceful Mayakashi is mandatory, but you can run 2 in some versions.
Other less used Main Deck monsters
Loading... is your other Level 2 Tuner, but his summoning condition is a lot less ideal than Dakki’s (same rule from above applies – locks into Mayakashi only Extra Deck summons). Since it requires a specific interaction from your opponent it is not played.
Loading... is basically a Mayakashi Loading... in a sense – on Normal or Special Summon you can target 1 "Mayakashi" monster in your GY, except itself; Special Summon it in Defense Position, but its effects are negated. Generally it’s not worth running as you have more than enough ways to reborn your cards and without negating their effects. Same on field lock applies as for Loading... and Loading... .
Loading... can be Special Summoned from the hand by discarding 1 other "Mayakashi" monster. Since there are no good discards except Yuki and since it’s not a Tuner, it’s not worth running. Again same soft lock as Loading... , Loading... and Loading... applies.
Mayakashi Spells/Traps
Mayakashi Return
This card is your in-archetype Loading... , but better since you can either add a Mayakashi card to your hand or send it to the GY. Essentially your extra copy of Loading... or Loading... .
Quick Tip: This card can be used as a form of an extender in some cases – for example Loading... gets hit by Loading... or banished – you can send Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga with this, then banish it to return Dakki to the GY (or in some other cases Mezuki or another Zombie).
Running 3 copies of Loading... is mandatory!
Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga
Let’s get the pretty obvious one out of the way – Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga is one of the most recent support cards that the Deck received across all formats.
This floodga.. I mean really good trap (see what I did there – smile) allows you to tribute 1 "Mayakashi" or "Shiranui" Synchro or Link Monster for cost and after it resolves neither player can Special Summon monsters from the hand, Deck, or Extra Deck (yes you read that correctly) for the rest of this turn.
This card is basically used to completely stun your opponent while you can still summon from the GY and Banish Zone. Not many Decks can play through this so it enables you to survive the turn and then OTK with your boss monsters and heavy hitters.
The 2nd part – yes there’s a 2nd part it’s not just a stun trap, don’t worry it has more to it – you can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 of your banished Zombie monsters; return it to the GY. In other words you can return a banished Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , … yeah a lot of options as you can see.
Keep in mind that you can only use 1 "Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga" effect per turn, and only once that turn (similar to Loading... if you’re more familiar with "Eldlich").
Running 1-2 copies of Loading... is extremely recommended!
Other less used Spells/Traps
Loading... – this card has a passive effect that decreases ATK/DEF of your opponent’s monsters by 100 for each "Mayakashi" monster with a different name in your GY.
You can use 1 of the 2 effects of this card once per turn and only once that turn – similar to Loading... . The first one allows you to send this card and 1 "Mayakashi" monster you control to the GY to draw 1 card, while the 2nd one allows you to banish it and 1 Zombie monster from your GY and then target 1 "Mayakashi" monster in your GY and Special Summon it.
Since it doesn’t give you much value, except for the reborn effect in some niche cases (you have a lot of better options to reborn Zombies and this only reborns Mayakashis), it’s rarely used. If you want you can run 1 copy, but it’s not recommended.
Loading... – a Main Phase only (see the first problem?) Quick-Play Spell that allows you to reborn a Zombie Monster from the GY/Banish Zone for the turn with a restriction of it being the same attribute as the Zombie Synchro Monster you control (yeah not that good I know…). Its limited application is the main reason this card is not played.
Loading... – by discarding 1 card you can target 1 of your "Mayakashi" monsters that is banished or in your GY and Special Summon it and this turn it has targeting protection from your opponent’s card effects. It is also a once per turn and you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck the turn you activate this card, except "Mayakashi" monsters (at this point let’s call this the Dakki lock). Generally doesn’t bring anything to the arsenal of cards you already have so it’s not played.
Loading... is an interesting card - If a Zombie Synchro Monster(s) is Special Summoned, except from the Extra Deck, even during the Damage Step you can apply 1 of the following 4 effects:
● Draw 1 card.
● Set 1 "Mayakashi" Spell/Trap directly from your Deck, except Mayakashi Mayhem.
● Send the 1 monster with the lowest ATK your opponent controls to the GY (your choice, if tied).
● Inflict 800 damage to your opponent.
You cannot apply that same effect of Mayakashi Mayhem for the rest of this turn, but it is however a once per chain, meaning you can use all 4 effects during a turn once each. It can be played at 1 in more casual builds – but it is not recommended, even though it looks like a fun card to play.
Mayakashi Extra Deck Yōkais
The Synchro Monsters are side-unique and have 2 effects, following the pattern below:
● If your Synchro Monster whose original Level is [two Levels higher than its own original Level] is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect while this card is in your GY: You can banish 1 other Zombie monster from your GY, and if you do, Special Summon this card.
● If this card is Special Summoned from the GY: You can [...]
The only exception to the first effect is Loading... , a Level 11 monster that requires a Link Monster to be destroyed, instead.
Because of this pattern we are only going to run through the 2nd effect of each of the Yōkai Synchros – which is the more important part.
The second trigger effect of the "Mayakashi" monsters ranges from immunity against destruction/effects to card destruction and Deck milling. They can be used by being preemptively Special Summoned from the graveyard by generic effects such as Loading... , Loading... or by the effect of Loading... .
NOTE: You can only control 1 copy of each of the Extra Deck monsters. Keep that in mind!
Oboro-Guruma, the Wheeled Mayakashi
Yōkai form of Loading... .
If this card is Special Summoned from the GY - this turn, your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle – So battle protection for all monsters you control for that turn.
Running 1 copy of Loading... is mandatory (2 in case of a FTK build).
Tsuchigumo, the Poisonous Mayakashi
Yōkai form of Loading... .
If this card is Special Summoned from the GY you can have EACH player send the top 3 cards from their Deck to the GY. – yes obviously don’t do this vs any mill Deck – especially not vs Tearlaments.
Running 1 copy of Loading... is mandatory (2 in case of a FTK build).
Tengu, the Winged Mayakashi
Yōkai form of Loading... .
If this card is Special Summoned from the GY - you can destroy 1 Spell/Trap your opponent controls. Notice how it doesn’t say target, meaning Tengu is your non-targeting backrow removal solution.
Running 1 copy of Loading... is mandatory (2 in case of a FTK build).
Yoko, the Graceful Mayakashi
Yōkai form of Loading... .
If this card is Special Summoned from the GY: You can destroy 1 monster your opponent controls. Similar to Tengu, Yoko doesn’t target, so this is your non-targeting monster destruction.
Running 1 copy of Loading... is mandatory (2 in case of a FTK build).
Gashadokuro, the Skeletal Mayakashi
Yōkai form of Loading... .
Unlike the other Synchro Yōkai Gashadokuro, the Skeletal Mayakashi requires a Link Monster to be destroyed, since he’s the highest level of all Synchros. Also worth mentioning unlike the other Synchros which specifically require a higher Synchro to be destroyed, Gashadokuro requires ANY Link, meaning if for example Loading... gets destroyed, you still get to trigger it. If this card is Special Summoned from the GY it is unaffected by other cards' effects for the rest of this turn.
Running 1 copy of Loading... is mandatory (2 in case of a FTK build).
3 stages of "Winter" – the Yuki-Onnas
You think you were done with Dakki once you hit the highest Synchro? Well, sorry to tell you there’s more – A LOT more. The 3 Links represent the evolution of Yuki-Onna with each being more powerful than the other. Let’s cover those shall we?
Yuki-Onna, the Ice Mayakashi
1st Stage/Form of Yuki-Onna.
This card has 2 effects – both come up rarely due to the fact that this monster is mainly used as a bridge into higher Links; the first one gives attack protection while this card points to a Synchro Monster(s) – meaning your opponent's monsters cannot target this card for attacks, while the 2nd effect allows you to target 1 face-up monster on the field and half its current ATK/DEF until the end of this turn if a Synchro Monster(s) in your possession is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect while Yuki-Onna, the Ice Mayakashi is on the field.
NOTE: Unlike the other 2 Links this one is not "generic" and requires Mayakashi monsters.
Running 1 copy of Loading... is mandatory (2 in case of a FTK build).
Yuki-Onna, the Icicle Mayakashi
2nd Stage/Form of Yuki-Onna.
Ah yes the 2nd new support card – and just what we needed – a Quick Effect that reborns from GY OR Banish Zone that DOESN’T TARGET. Pretty neat right? It also has good synergy with Loading... , meaning you can end on Yuki-Onna, the Icicle Mayakashi turn 1 + Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga with a full setup, stun the opponent then freely reborn a Zombie Synchro Monster of your choice that is banished or in your GY. Also, if this card is Special Summoned you can target 1 effect monster your opponent controls and negate its effects (it’s NOT until the end of turn).
Running 2 copies of Loading... is highly recommended.
Yuki-Onna, the Absolute Zero Mayakashi
Final Form of Yuki-Onna.
This card is your boss monster that, as her name suggets, "freezes" the effects of your opponent’s monsters – translation: up to twice per turn if a monster is Special Summoned from the GY, or a monster effect is activated in the GY (except during the Damage Step) you can target 1 other face-up monster on the field; change its ATK to 0, and if you do, negate its effects – so a permanent on field negate up to twice per turn + ATK reduction to 0. It also, on top of this, negates any activated effects of your opponent's banished monsters.
It is a "semi-generic" Zombie Link-4 (similar to its previous form) and can be splashed in many Zombie Decks.
NOTE: This card's effect that makes the ATK of another monster become 0 and negates its effects is a Trigger Effect – it targets 1 face-up monster in the Monster Zone other than this card, and cannot be activated during the Damage Step. However, if the opponent controls a monster that has 0 ATK, Yuki-Onna, the Absolute Zero Mayakashi cannot negate its effects since it first has to target, then reduce the ATK to 0 and only then negate that monster's effects.
Running 1 copy of Loading... is mandatory (2 is also nice sometimes).
Core Decklist
Consistency Cards
One for One
This card allows you to access Loading... (or any Level 1 – like Loading... or Loading... ) by discarding a monster for cost. Since this Deck likes monsters in the GY (like Glow-Up, Mezuki, Eldlich, Banshee, etc) it is a very good card since you essentially get double value from it. This card with Loading... in hand gives you full core combo potential (Hajun + Yuki), allowing the Glow-Up Bloom that was sent via Yuki-Musume to Special Summon Doomking Balerdroch from the Deck upon being sent to the graveyard once Zombie World is active + setting up a Link 3 - Loading... as well at bare minimum.
Running 1 copy of the limited to 1 Loading... is highly recommended.
Foolish Burial
Foolish Burial allows you to send a card from the Deck to the graveyard. Use this to bait an Loading... or even play through it, setup a Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , Loading... or even Loading... into your graveyard in a pinch! This card is rarely a dead draw in Zombies, whether in the starting hand or late in the game; allowing you to set up your graveyard based on the situation at hand.
Running 1 copy of the limited to 1 Loading... is highly recommended.
Small World
This card is another consistency card. It allows you to banish 1 monster (A) from your hand and 1 monster (B) from your Deck, then add 1 monster (C) from your Deck, given that monsters (A) and (B) share exactly 1 trait (i.e. Type, Attribute, Level, ATK or DEF), and monsters (B) and (C) also share exactly 1 trait. Thus, this card allows you to search combo pieces, handtraps, or even board breakers.
Your main target is Loading... .
Some popular Loading... lines include:
- some Light monsters or Ghost Girl handtraps (except Loading... ) – Loading... – Loading...
- bridging Zombies with different stats (ex. Loading... – Loading... – Loading... )
NOTE: to make it work you need to run certain handtraps or bridges.
3 Loading... are highly recommended in pure versions.
Trap Trick
This card gives a lot of flexibility at the cost of being able to activate only one trap this turn after its activation. Being able to choose any normal trap from your Deck and activate it immediately after that is really huge. This card works wonders when paired with powerful traps like Loading... , Loading... or even Loading... . Its main purpose is to act as an extra copy of Ghost Meets Girl - A Masterful Mayakashi Shiranui Saga, to stun the opponent.
Running 2 copies of Loading... is highly recommended in pure versions.
Staple Zombie Cards
Mezuki
Loading... ’s effect is simple - you can banish Mezuki from your graveyard to summon any other Zombie monster from your graveyard. The beauty of this effect is its lack of a once per turn restriction. This means that if you’re able to send multiple copies to the graveyard, you can start flooding your board with extra monsters to extend your plays or bring back important boss monsters. Mezuki is typically one of your main mill targets when using Loading... ’s mill effects, second only to Loading... .
Gozuki
Loading... functions as a back-up Loading... , sharing the ability to mill any Zombie monster. While Gozuki isn’t as versatile as some other Zombie techs; it can still serve to set up the general Zombie World combo with the right hands. Additionally, when sent to the graveyard, Gozuki can banish any other Zombie monster from your graveyard to Special Summon a Zombie monster from your hand, which can be helpful to extend your board presence.
Avendread Savior
Loading... has a Battle Phase oriented effect which makes it less than ideal to summon turn 1 in a Deck that prefers to go first and has a lot of locks. Despite this, Avendread Savior can quickly turn duels in your favor in situations where you’d otherwise have no options. Its first effect to add its archetypal Ritual Spell to the hand does not apply here. Rather, the second effect, which triggers when Avendread Savior battles a monster, allowing it to mill ANY Zombie monster from your Deck during the damage step to reduce the attack of the opponent’s monster by 200 x the Level of the monster you milled, is the one that comes up. While the attack reduction can be beneficial to out certain problematic monsters, it’s the mill effect of a Main Deck monster where Avendread Savior’s role shines the most, allowing you to have a way to continue milling as long as you have two Zombie monsters on field to Link off (which becomes easier with Zombie World on the field – NOTE: You can’t make Avendread Savior with Loading... and Loading... nor if you used Loading... ’s effect that turn). This allows you to extend your combos by milling essential pieces, whether a Loading... to activate Zombie World, Loading... to extend your board during Main Phase 2, high level Zombie boss monsters that can summon themselves from the graveyard (Loading... and Loading... ) all while providing a significant attack reduction with Avendread Savior’s effect, and even allowing you to mill Loading... to summon Doomking Balerdroch from the Deck during the damage step. This last benefit is especially useful as cards that can’t respond during the damage step become less of a nuisance to us - e.g. Loading... isn’t able to negate during the damage step, which means it won’t be able to negate Glow-Up Bloom’s effect to Special Summon Doomking Balerdroch from the Deck.
NOTE: About Avendread Savior’s mill effect – the mill itself is the cost, meanwhile the attack reduction is the effect. This means that even if Avendread Savior’s effects are negated, it will still be able to mill a Zombie monster from your Deck.
Vampire Sucker
Loading... is a great card for advantage, especially when using Loading... as one of the materials for its summon, allowing you to draw a card at the start of the next Standby Phase when Doomking Balerdroch revives itself with Loading... live. However this is very risky and considered a generally greedy play, unless you have guaranteed protection from banishes.
Vampire Sucker’s second effect allows you to Special Summon any monster from your opponent’s graveyard to their side of the field, and treat it as a Zombie monster - this will in turn trigger the aforementioned effect to draw a card. While providing extra bodies for your opponent may seem risky on the surface, the extra card advantage is usually worth it if we know we can remove that summoned monster (either via battle or through spot removal, such as Doomking Balerdroch’s banish effect). Keep in mind that summoning an opponent’s monster from their graveyard to their side of the field can be a benefit in certain situations, turning off cards that require your opponent to control no face-up cards - the most notable card being Loading... , which otherwise puts a dent in our strategy by destroying Zombie World or just being able to lock your opponent into Zombies via Loading... . This also serves to stop Decks like Numeron, Sky Striker and Kashtira since they need to meet specific zone requirements.
Vampire Sucker’s last effect allows you to tribute summon your Zombie monsters using your opponent’s Zombie monsters as the tribute targets, but this effect doesn’t come up frequently in most variants.
Vampire Fascinator
Loading... is a great option to use for Link climbing with opponent’s monsters from their graveyard, stealing a monster on field to provide disruption, or XYZ Summon with a card such as Loading... which forgoes its Level requirements if using an opponent’s monster. You can easily Link climb into this and extend your plays using your opponent’s monsters as fuel!
The Zombie Vampire
Loading... can be utilized in any Deck that makes use of level 8 monsters, or any Deck that can easily steal opponent’s monsters to forgo the material Level requirement. Since many Loading... plays benefit from sending cards from the Deck to the graveyard this card can be used to quickly get useful materials set up for your plays and continue to extend. Since this mill effect applies to both players, be mindful that you can also give your opponent graveyard resources that may benefit them, just as much as you – example Tearlaments or Ishizu cards.
Zombie World Engine + Rivalry of Warlords lock package
Loading... makes all monsters on the field, and in the graveyards Zombie type monsters, and restricts tribute summoning to Zombie types only. Zombie world is a "floodgate" style card as its effect supports the controlling player's monster type, but can severely limit your opponent and lock them out of making their own plays (example – this hard counters a Deck like Floowandereeze). Paired with cards that help you cheat it out like Loading... it is easily accessible via Loading... or Loading... while cards like Loading... help cheat out big boss monsters such as Loading... .
Loading... is the main boss monster of this strategy, with multiple powerful effects that make it worthy of the title of king. First and foremost, Doomking Balerdroch can Special Summon itself from the graveyard during each Standby Phase as long as there is a field spell on either player’s field - the field spell we rely on for this being Zombie World. Additionally, Doomking Balerdroch has two effects it can choose to activate in response to the activation of ANY Zombie monster’s effect whether your own or your opponent’s - it can either negate that Zombie monster’s effect OR banish one monster from either field or graveyards. Both effects are a hard once per turn, but you can use both effects during the same turn. Keep in mind, you cannot use both effects within the same chain with the same copy of Doomking Balerdroch.
Loading... feels like a card MADE for this Deck (well any Zombie Deck let’s be honest). This trap card is a powerful floodgate that has the ability to completely lock your opponent out of the game. On activation this card restricts each player to controlling only 1 type of monster, and with Zombie World on the field that one type becomes Zombie. Since your opponent has a monster under the effect of Zombie World, it is a Zombie, thereby the user activating Rivalry of Warlords is now able to force this user into only being able to control, or summon Zombie type monsters while it is on the field, and no player can attempt a summon of a monster that is not of that type. This is fine for us as a vast majority of our plays involve monsters that are already of the Zombie type, however if our opponent is not running a Zombie Deck, … well tough luck … they will be unable to make any summons as Zombie World only makes the monsters on field or graveyard Zombies, not the hand or Extra Deck.
Eldlich Engine
Eldlich can function as both a removal tool and combo piece that can provide additional resources thanks to the ability of the Eldlich spells & traps to banish themselves to set other spells & traps to maintain resources. Additionally, while cards such as Loading... and Loading... are often associated for bringing out Loading... , they can be used to summon any Zombie monster from our Deck once Eldlich the Golden Lord is already on the field, allowing us to bring out whatever Zombie is needed based on the situation - whether Loading... and Loading... to set up our combo or Loading... to have access to Loading... (particularly useful to summon during your opponent’s turn when they clear your first Zombie World so that you can play another Zombie World from the hand/Deck as a quick effect). Eldlich’s ability to summon itself easily also lends itself in bringing extra bodies onto the field to OTK with your other Synchro and Link monsters, generate advantage with Zombie Links or even Special Summon cards from the hand saving your Normal Summon – which is kind of a big deal here.
In the version that focuses more on the Eldlich package and splashes Zombie World as a small engine, you typically retain the general floodgate & control playstyle many come to know Eldlich by, but putting the OTK spice that the Mayakashi Extra Deck Yōkais enable, while providing the ability to lock-out the opponent from summoning monsters with the Rivalry of Warlords & Zombie World combo and providing an additional boss monster in Doomking Balerdroch.
Ishizu Grass Engine
Each of these cards has 1 of 2 primary functions: Miller or Shuffler. Millers such as Loading... and Loading... send additional cards from the Deck to the graveyard, while Shufflers such as Loading... and Loading... return cards from the graveyard to the Deck – either messing up your opponent’s setup or just getting your resources back.
As the primary objective of this Deck is being able to set up plays in your graveyard, this package can find great synergy with the Zombie World/Mayakashi/Eldlich strategy. Ishizu cards trigger when sent from the hand or Deck to the graveyard. They can be activated to trigger the additional sending of cards from the Deck to the graveyard allowing you to quickly begin milling, or chain milling strategies together.
Common methods to begin this milling engine can involve activating cards such as Loading... or Loading... hence why these versions are usually 60 card Decks.
FTK Engine
Your main goal here is to set up at least 1 Loading... and Loading... or have ANY way to start the Mayakashi “Conga line“ alongside Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to enable this strategy – hence why you’re running consistency cards for draws such as Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , Loading... etc; cards that help you set up your GY or fix your hand or field such as Loading... , Loading... ; cards that reborn monsters such as Loading... , Loading... and cards like Loading... if you open or have both cards that you need in your hand. With Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower sending 2 cards for every successful Special Summon of a Zombie, you can climb up the Mayakashi Synchros/Links two to three times (aka the Mayakashi “Conga line“) milling four cards for every summon thanks to Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, as a result you will win as your opponent cannot draw for their turn.
NOTE: With Shufflers such as Loading... and Loading... returning cards from the graveyard to the Deck – this strategy is borderline unplayable until the said cards stop being played as frequently as they are in these current and upcoming formats.
Mayakashi as an Engine + additional pieces
Thanks to the most recent support in the form of Loading... , some of the cards can now be included as engine pieces in other Decks.
I know, I know, you’re probably going to ask me: "But haven’t you said that there’s a specific lock that prevents you from going into non-Mayakashi Extra Deck monsters?" – Well let me explain how to "unlock" that lock.
The 2 quote unquote locks are none other than Loading... and Loading... – while either of those 2 are on the field you are prevented from summoning non-Mayakashi Extra Deck monsters – key part while on the FIELD!
Here’s how you do it:
You Normal Summon Loading... , use its effect to Special Summon Loading... , then Link into Loading... , Special Summon Yuki-Musume, the Ice Mayakashi back form the GY sending Loading... which allows you to Special Summon Loading... or Loading... from hand and then either Link into Loading... with Yuki-Musume, the Ice Mayakashi or you can just use Solitaire to tribute Yuki-Musume, the Ice Mayakashi and just like that boom! – now you're un-Maya locked.
This then allows you to set up boards such as:
- a 3/4 material Loading... + Loading... with 2 negates;
- Loading... setup that searches Loading... , then going into Loading... to Special Summon Loading... ;
- more in-depth Loading... setups.
Other Useful Non-Zombie Extra Deck Monsters
Baronne de Fleur
A generic Level 10 Synchro negate in a Deck that makes those really easily with Loading... and Loading... – however usually not turn 1 due to locks! It can also revive a Mayakashi Synchro from the GY to trigger their effects; so it has double usage here.
Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying
Chengying is less important, but still quite the beast. In terms of Level 10 Synchros, it's outclassed by Loading... , however it's almost always your second best option. Good protection, a powerful banish effect (even if it's not always the easiest to use efficiently) and a stat manipulation effect which can get quite massive during the late game makes for an overall great card.
Psychic End Punisher
Loading... (or PEP for short) is absurd and it’s ridiculously easy to make late game, unless you’ve locked yourself by any chance. As long as your LP are Lower OR Equal to your opponent, PEP becomes unaffected by all of your opponent’s activated effects. It’s a towers, that also has 2 more effects. You can Pay 1000 LP, target 1 monster you control and 1 card your opponent controls in order to banish them. It can even make itself technically immune to Loading... and other big boss monsters as well with its third effect, wherein PEP increases his ATK by the difference between your and the opponent’s LP, permanently.
NOTE: Again, please keep in mind that PEP is only immune to activated effects. This makes it vulnerable against some very annoying cards, most notably Loading... ’s GY effect and Loading... .
Linkuriboh
Loading... can be used on Loading... to search out Loading... in a pinch. Technically this slot can go to any generic Link 1 monster (the other notable choice being Loading... ), however Linkuriboh is listed due to having greater versatility within the strategy.
Linkuriboh’s on field effect to tribute itself to reduce an opponent's battling monster’s attack to 0 is a nice bonus to make it more difficult for your opponent to clear your Synchros or boss monsters by battle before activating their on field/graveyard monster effects. Additionally, with Loading... on the field, Doomking Balerdroch can respond to this effect with a non-target banish, allowing you to essentially stop two monsters from running over Doomking Balerdroch.
Linkuriboh’s graveyard effect to resummon itself by tributing a level 1 monster on your side of the field is another added bonus, allowing you to tribute another level 1 monster such as Loading... or Loading... to enable your non-Mayakashi plays if you need them.
Typically only played in variants that run at least one copy of Glow-Up Bloom if there is room in the Extra Deck.
Accesscode Talker
The game ending card Loading... is usually a must have especially for Decks that can easily bring out Links like Mayakashi. However, since Mayakashi can easily lock you into Mayakashi only Extra Deck monsters it makes your Accesscode Talker harder to bring out, although it’s still an insane game ender – hence why it can deserve a spot in the Extra Deck if you have the space.
If summoned with a Link-3 this card can go all the way to 5300 ATK and can pop cards up to different attribute Links that you can banish from your field or GY. And the best fact is that your opponent cannot respond to its effects.
NOTE: Be careful though, you always want Accesscode Talker to be last in the chain in scenarios where you have another effect that triggers when he is summoned.
Underworld Goddess of the Closed World
This card can provide multiple forms of disruption. Importantly, this card is a Kaiju that can be Link Summoned using 1 monster your opponent controls as material. If this card is Link Summoned, you can negate the effects of all face-up monsters your opponent currently controls. In addition, it can negate the activation of a card or effect that Special Summons a monster(s) from the GY. Finally, this Link Summoned card is unaffected by your opponent's non-targeting activated effects.
Handtraps, Board Breakers & Other Staple Cards
Maxx "C"
This powerful handtrap can severely limit your opponent's plays. It also severely limits your plays (since you’ll be special summoning – A LOT) unless you’re going for the mill FTK strategy. Run it either as a handtrap or a Loading... target.
Running 3 copies of Loading... is highly recommended.
Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring
This versatile handtrap is useful against most Decks. In addition, it can negate your opponent's Loading... . Since it’s a Zombie it can also trigger your Loading... to non-targeting banish a monster.
Running 3 copies of Loading... is mandatory.
Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion
This handtrap can protect effects that Special Summon from the GY such as Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , etc. It can also protect your Synchro reborns from cards such as Loading... or Loading... . This ensures that your big Synchros can be summoned using their effects when a higher Level is destroyed, while also having their secondary effects activate upon hitting the field. It’s also a Zombie so the previous statement for Loading... applies here as well.
At least 1 Loading... is highly recommended.
Effect Veiler
This versatile handtrap is useful against most Decks. Moreover, it is a Loading... bridge to Loading... .
At least 1 Loading... is highly recommended if you’re running Small World.
Called by the Grave
This card can help you deal with your opponent's handtraps, including Loading... .
Running 2 copies of Loading... is highly recommended.
Crossout Designator
Similar to Loading... , this card can help you deal with your opponent's handtraps.
Forbidden Droplet
Loading... is a very powerful negate that can help you play through established boards on turn 2, or simply negate the effects of your opponent's monsters. This synergizes well with the Deck since it can help send resources from your hand to the graveyard, while you disable your opponent. Since this is a quick effect you can even chain this card to the activation of one of your own spell or trap cards before they leave your spell/trap zone, and use said activated card as part of the cost for Forbidden Droplet. Very powerful if we have cards in hand that we want to get to the graveyard, but can be awkward if we have cards that we want to use for other purposes.
NOTE: Keep in mind, if you have a hand of Loading... , Loading... and Forbidden Droplet going second - if you toggle on and activate Forbidden Droplet in the Draw Phase or Standby Phase to send both Doomking Balerdroch and Necroworld Banshee to the graveyard to negate your opponent’s monsters, and then activate Necroworld Banshee’s effect in the next chain to activate Zombie World from the Deck before the end of the Standby Phase, you will then be able to summon Doomking Balerdroch right back onto the field within that same Standby Phase, allowing you to start your turn with one of your boss monsters already in play.
Triple Tactics Talent
Loading... (or TTT for short) is always live! You can always expect your opponent to use a monster handtrap, or monster effect, if available. While some players may blind Loading... in the Standby Phase, most uses of monster effects occur in the Main Phase, and if it does you can activate TTT after. This card can be activated even if said effect is negated by a card such as Loading... , as it is still considered activated even though its effect has been negated. You will most commonly use this card to draw 2 cards, but you can easily also choose to steal a monster from your opponent’s board for damage, or Link material, or gain information by reading into their hand and sending a card back into their Deck such as future disruption or a vital starter they may need (this option comes up more often than you might think).
Infinite Impermanence
This handtrap is similar to Loading... . However, since it is not a monster, it cannot be used as a Loading... bridge. Furthermore, because this card can only be activated from your hand if you control no cards, it does not synergize well with Loading... and the whole Eldlich engine (in short – you need to keep track of columns). Unlike Effect Veiler, however, this card can be activated outside of your opponent's Main Phase.
Evenly Matched
This is an insanely powerful board breaker that allows you to banish almost all cards your opponent controls face down by paying a small price of sacrificing your Battle Phase – keep in mind you MUST control NO cards to activate it from your hand and the opponent will still have 1 card on field left (which is usually their best one).
Other Handtraps
These other handtraps can be useful in certain scenarios, depending on the format.
NOTE: Do NOT run Loading... in Mayakashi nor ANY Zombie Decks.
Backrow Removal
These cards can help you deal with backrow-heavy Decks.
In this tab, I will present some standard combos.
Combo #1 - Loading... – 1 card combo – Loading...
END BOARD: Loading... + 4 cards in hand to use freely + GY setup
- Normal Summon Loading... .
- Activate Loading... 's effect to Special Summon Loading... from the Deck.
- Synchro Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
- Synchro Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
- Synchro Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
- Synchro Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
- Synchro Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
- Link Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
- Link Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
- Link Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
NOTE: If you have Loading... in your hand or Loading... to search it – you usually end on Loading... instead of Loading... . In the Draw/Standby Phase you’ll flip Loading... by tributing Loading... and completely stun the opponent and you’ll reborn a Synchro monster if needed during that turn.
Combo #2 - Loading... – 1 card combo – Loading... setup
END BOARD: Loading... + Loading... + 4 cards in hand to use freely
- Normal Summon Loading... .
- Activate Loading... 's effect to Special Summon Loading... from the Deck.
- Link Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading...
- Activate Loading... 's effect to Special Summon itself from the GY and foolish Loading... .
- Link Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... .
- Activate Loading... 's effect to activate Loading... from your Deck.
Combo #3 - Loading... + Loading...
END BOARD: Loading... + Loading... /Loading... /any Zombie in GY + 4 cards in hand to use freely + GY setup
- Normal Summon Loading... .
- Activate Loading... 's effect to Special Summon itself from the hand and foolish Loading... /Loading... or a Zombie from Deck to GY.
- Synchro Summon Loading... using Loading... and Loading... – trigger Loading... ’s effect and reborn her.
The rest of the combo is the same as Combo #1 with the only difference being that 1 foolish to give you additional options to work with.
Deck Building Tips
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Mayakashi cards can be found in the Secret Pack: Fires of This World and The Next. The cards you need are listed below:
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Sadly, both Loading... and Loading... were part of the expired Selection Pack: Passage of the Sun which also included some other monsters, but oh well, can’t be helped, you’ll just have to craft 1 of each at least.
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Eldlich and Vampire cards can be found in the Secret Pack: Immortal Royalty. The cards you need are listed below:
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In addition Loading... and Loading... are not found in this Secret Pack – so you’ll have to craft those as well!
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Zombie World and Vendread cards can be found in the Secret Pack: Abyssal Underworld. The cards you need are listed below:
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Loading... package and Loading... can also be found in the Structure Deck: Immortal Glory. This is a great way to start with any Zombie Deck by getting 3 of the Structure Deck.
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Most handtraps can only be found in the Master Pack. Thus, I recommend that you craft these cards instead.
References
- Yugipedia – Mayakashi page
- MasterDuelMeta Necronomicon by and .
- Mayakashi Discord channel
About the author
Hello there, I'm
. I'm a Deck Helper in the MasterDuelMeta Discord and have been playing Yu-Gi-Oh! since the release of the Structure Deck - Blaze of Destruction back in 2005. Mathmech is my go-to Deck in Master Duel and the TCG, but I also play a bunch of other Decks – including Mayakashi of course.Final Thoughts
And that's all there is to say about this Deck! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or the mayakashi channel in the MasterDuelMeta Discord. Otherwise, if you notice any mistakes or have any suggestions, let me know - any feedback is really appreciated! I also want to say a big thank you to
, , , and who provided feedback while I was creating this guide, as well as and for helping out with the aesthetics and art details – you guys are the best!