Although Dragon has traditionally been a high-turnout Clan for the Atlanta Kotei, it mustered only 8 players this time around. It was still a solid day for the clan, however, as two Dragon made the T8 and a third finished in the T16. Not only did three Dragon do 5-2 or better in Swiss, but they did it with three completely different archetypes.

The top Dragon (6th after Swiss) was a Kensai deck piloted by Corey Beahen. That’s right, the same Kensai theme that’s frequently maligned on-air here at Strange Assembly. Have we changed our minds? Well . . . not yet. But maybe if more people do well with Kensai we’ll consider it.

Corey Beahen’s Kensai (can also be seen here):

Farthest Fortress
Dynasty Deck (41):
Personalities (20):
1 Mirumoto Hojatsu
3 Mirumoto Ishino
1 Mirumoto Kenzo (Exp 2)
3 Mirumoto Satobe
2 Mirumoto Tsubasa
3 Mirumoto Mori
2 Mirumoto Dakotsu
3 Mirumoto Kondo
2 Mirumoto Tobushi
Holdings (16):
3 Tsi Mokotsu
3 War Encampment
3 Gold Mine
2 Wooden Barricade
2 Oyo Seido
1 Tetsu Kama Mine
1 Chugo Seido
1 Traveling Peddler
Events/Regions/Celestials (5):
1 Crossing the Forbidden Sea
1 Inheriting an Heirloom
1 Alter History
1 Plains of Resolution
1 The New Order
Fate Deck (41):
Weapons (12):
3 Rising Sun Blade
3 Modifications
3 Blade of Perfection
2 Daisho
1 Heavenly Daisho of the Dragon
Strategies (29):
3 Hundred-Fold Cut
3 Unstoppable Cut
3 Superior Mobility
2 Cost of Pride
3 Iainuki
3 Fearless Defense
2 Inexorable Defeat
2 Retribution
3 1,000 Cuts Technique
3 Deathly Aura
2 Yarijutsu

The other Dragon deck in the T8 was a straight up Monk military number, with lots of dishonor meta:

Jon Hanna’s Monks
Pillars of Virtue
Dynasty (40):
Events/Regions/Celestials (3):
1 Togashi’s Guidance
1 Alter History
1 Wisdom Gained
Holdings (14):
3 Border Village
3 Gold Mine
1 Counting House
1 Kitsune Den
2 My Father’s Shrine
3 Oyo Seido
Personalities (23):
3 Togashi Chunoken
3 Togashi Kanmu
1 Togashi Kazuki xp
3 Togashi Kyoshi
1 Togashi Nakahara
1 Togashi Ochimo
3 Togashi Osawa
1 Togashi Satsu xp5
3 Togashi Shintaro
1 Togashi Shiori xp
3 Togashi Sho
Fate (40):
Strategies (37):
1 Chasing Osano-Wo
1 Claw and Shell
3 Cold Hands, Stone Heart
1 Dance of the Void
2 Deception Revealed
3 Disarm
3 Dove Tattoo
3 Hand of Osano-Wo
3 Kami Unleashed
3 Learn by Doing
3 One With the Flame
2 Panther Tattoo
2 Pure Breath
3 Sneak Attack
2 Sohei’s Duty
1 Ultimate Sacrifice
Rings (3):
1 Ring of Air
1 Ring of the Void
1 Ring of Water

Finally, Robbi Robison – after detouring last year into Ninja – is back to his Dragon dueling roots, going 5-2 with an LSC switch/superfriends deck:

Robbi Robison’s Last Step
Last Step Castle
Dynasty (43):
Celestials/Events/Regions (3):
1 Well-Defended Border
1 Military Alliance
1 Togashi’s Guidance
Holdings (18):
3 Wooden Barricade
3 Tsi Moketsu
3 Family Keep
3 Gold Mine
1 Chugo Seido
1 Counting House
1 Public Records
1 Traveling Peddler
Personalities (22):
3 Kitsuki Bokuko
3 Mitsuki Yodo
3 Kitsuki Berii
3 Mirumoto Eikaru
2 Mirumoto Asakazu
1 Mirumoto Hojatsu
1 Tamago
1 Mirumoto Ichizo
1 Mirumoto Shiki
1 Togashi Satsu
1 Utagawa
1 Tsuruchi Gidayu
1 Mirumoto Kenzo
Fate (41):
Strategies (31):
3 Defensive Nature
3 Steel on Steel
3 Wall of Honor
3 Outer Walls
3 Hamstrung
3 Stolen Property
3 Imperial Adjudication
3 Impetuous Challenge
3 Impromptu Duel
2 Restoring Order
2 Retribution
Items (8):
3 Chrysanthemum Blossom
2 Armor of the Heavens
1 Chagatai’s Armor
1 Heavenly Daisho of the Dragon
1 Armor of the Ryu
Rings (2):
1 Ring of the Void
1 Ring of Water

Dragon Monks will certainly be a common scene at Kotei this season, but Kensai generally and Robbi’s clearly functional switch deck probably aren’t the sort of thing that could be included in a playtesting gauntlet at this point. Perhaps they will inspire future successes, and those decks can earn their way into the gauntlet.