If you missed my previous deck analysis article on Index & Railgun, do sure to give it a look!

This time, we are doing a review on my Sword Art Online (SAO) deck (powered by Death Gun and Sinon) that I brought it with me to the Singapore WGP2015 Regional Qualifiers, held at the Suntec Convention Centre on 11th October. Though I did not make it to the top 16s, the deck stands at the 23rd placing out of a massive 300 player base, only losing to Vividred Operation on the 5th round due to lack of time.

Here are some photographs from the event:

My tag number for the event A peek at the event! A warm-up session while queuing

Card names will be matched to the translations provided by Heart of the Cards. Images are courtesy from littleAKIBA.

Here’s my deck list that I brought that day:

Level 0

Level 0 runs a total of 18 characters.

Silica, Straightforward Trust is a reliable card that retrieves characters with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait from the waiting room for 1 cost and resting 2 characters. This card can used to deplete the deck if you are close to a refresh to play Kirito, to Obtain the Holy Sword at Level 2.

Silica, Gathering Materials allows you to look at the top card of the deck and places it into your hand if it is character card with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait (Otherwise, it remains where it was). She also serves as a Level 0 reverser.

One of the key cards at every level, Shouichi Shinkawa gives other characters you have on stage with the <<Weapon>> trait +500 power and gives all characters in the opponent’s front row the <<Target>> trait. He also required for the activation of Unnerving Gaze “Death Gun”, Unidentified “Death Gun” and Sterben “Death Gun” abilities.

Running the only copy of Sinon, Ideal Self (how I wished I ran 2 of these), she allows you to pay 1 cost and add the top card of the deck to clock to search a Level 2 or above character (Normally, Kirito, to Obtain the Holy Sword) and place it into your hand. She serves as an early game transition to Level 1, making this card valuable at times.

Another singleton, Sinon, Ideal Self gives another character on the center slot +1000 power during the opponent’s turn. She has a Brainstorm ability that allows you to search for characters in your deck with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait, then discard cards from your hand equal to the number of climaxes revealed this way.

The key card at Level 0, Kirito, Temporal Alliance is your runner. He gives another card named “Sinon” an additional +2000 whenever he attacks. However, his next ability is probably the reason why you need him.

Kirito, Temporal Alliance allows you to place the top card of your deck to the waiting room before the opponent’s attack phase. If it is a character card with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait, you may place Kirito, Temporal Alliance to an empty on the front row. This effect can be used even if your entire front row is populated with characters.

Unnerving Gaze “Death Gun” has a Brainstorm ability for 1 cost that allows you to place your opponent’s Level 0 characters with the <<Target>> trait into the waiting room. This card is to be used with Shouichi Shinkawa in the early game.

Level 1

The Level 1 game is run by 11 characters.

A key card at Level 1, Lizbeth, Changing gets +500 power for each other character with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait. She grows as huge as 7000 to ensure a wall for your opponent to defeat.

Another key card at Level 1, Sinon, Temporal Alliance gets +500 power for each other character with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait on your stage. The key difference between her and Lizbeth, Changing is her lowered starting power but with an clock encore ability to ensure survivability on the stage.

Unidentified “Death Gun” is a Level 1 reverser with a slight drawback. His ability only works on when Shouichi Shinkawa is on the stage or if the opponent opposite him has the <<Target>> trait, in addition to being Level 1. He also has another ability that allows you to pay 1 cost and rest 2 characters to give an opponent’s character -1 Level and the <<Target>> trait. This card may be useful in situations where a Level 2 character on the opponent’s front row needs to be rid of.

Sinon, Angered has a Backup ability that gives a character an additional +2000 power. Also, she places the top 3 cards of your deck to the waiting room when you use her Backup ability. She is useful in situations where deck compression is needed to avoid potential clock damage.

Level 2

A total of 4 cards is run at Level 2.

Leafa, Gathering Materials gives a character an additional +2500 power, in addition to revealing the top card of the deck when used as a Backup. If it is a character card with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait, you place it into your hand, then discard a card from your hand into the waiting room. Like Sinon, Angered, she is also useful in situations where deck compression is needed to avoid potential clock damage.

Running alongside with Shouichi Shinkawa, Kyouji, Overly Attached is another card required to activate Sterben “Death Gun” ability. He also gives all your other characters with the <<Weapon>> trait an additional +1500 power.

Level 3

At Level 3, I deploy a total of 9 characters.

Considered to be the deck’s backup, Sterben “Death Gun” allows you to deal 1 damage to your opponent whenever he attacks if all of your opponent’s characters have the <<Target>> trait. Unfortunately, due to the choice of climax used in this deck, his second ability is never activated.

The key card in Level 3, Sinon, the Last Strike is the most powerful card in your arsenal. With Phantom Bullet in the climax zone, you may pay 2 cost to activate her ability to deal 4 damage, and if cancelled, she gains an additional +3500 power till the end of the opponent’s turn before triggering soul damage. However, the drawback of her reversing at anytime will require her to go to memory.

Kirito, to Obtain the Holy Sword is a card that irritates opponents if successfully played in Level 2. His requirement of no more than 2 climaxes in the waiting room can be met easily before deck refreshes or with a newly refreshed deck. He allows you to draw 2 cards from the deck, then discarding 1 card from your hand to the waiting room. He gains an additional +500 power per character with the <<Avatar>> or <<Net>> trait on your stage during your opponent’s turn.

Climaxes

This deck runs 4 copies of the Book trigger, Phantom Bullet (Sinon, the Last Strike‘s climax combo) and 4 copies of the Gate trigger, Power of “Death Gun” for maximum hand size.

Playing the Phantom Bullet

The deck has a nice balanced curve at each level. At Level 0, your aim to have Kirito, Temporal Alliance for stock generation and to maintain hand size during the first few turns of the game. Silica, Gathering Materials serves as a Level 0 reverser and allows you to filter cards from your library throughout the game. With Shouichi Shinkawa on the stage, he allows characters to have an additional +500 power. (The only cards that does not have the <<Weapon>> traits are Kyouji, Overly Attached and himself).

If you are at Level 0 with 5 damage in clock, by clocking to draw 2 cards, then playing Sinon, Ideal Self, you can force yourself to Level 1 to run down your opponent’s Level 0 characters.

This deck has access a total of 3 different Brainstorm abilities across 5 cards. Silica, Straightforward Trust is a great card that allows you to retrieve characters from the waiting room. Sinon, Ideal Self searches for characters and Unnerving Gaze “Death Gun” rid off difficult Level 0s.

The Level 1 game consists of Lizbeth, Changing and Sinon, Temporal Alliance. Like my previously reviewed Raildex, the costless Level 1 approach allows for deck compression.

At Level 2, the objective is to quickly set the board up for the Sterben “Death Gun” with Kyouji, Overly Attached and Shouichi Shinkawa on the stage or have Kirito, to Obtain the Holy Sword as early as possible on the stage.

By using Sterben “Death Gun” and Sinon, the Last Strike‘s climax combo, this deck aims to finish off the opponent through a quick and silent death.

Conclusion

This deck is inspired from Japan’s BCF2015 Sapporo 2nd Place, Japan’s BCF2015 Sendai Title Cup and Japan’s WGP2014 Trio Survival. It runs quite efficiently due to its 2 colour distribution. Some drawbacks in this deck can include:

Not using Sterben “Death Gun” second ability

Deck compresses too fast with no option of paying out climaxes in stock during the early to mid-game

Ineffective due to the anti-heal and/or anti-salvage mechanism

Do leave a comment or any questions! Thanks for reading!