The Horus Bible

Today I'll be doing a deck profile and analysis on one of my favourite decks, Horus. This is a new deck that came out during this season featuring a new mechanic, 'Triple Buddy'! Yes 3 buddies, means 3 health from Buddycalling which racks up overtime. That's essentially a free 2 additional life gain which translates into +1 card advantage. This deck took Worlds by storm garnering half of the Top 4 slots and winning 2019 BCS Worlds. 

So why did it win Worlds?

With S-BT06 Horus got what it needed, which was additional ways to gain gauge and filter their deck, not to mention disruption spells and a third buddy! With the meta prediction going into Worlds being flooded with Dimension Dragons, Horus was a no brainer choice as it was a natural counter to Dimension Dragons. Having access to ability nullification/bounce and rest spells, you end up trading one-for-one with the DD player and when you stop their Agonia and Epis the DD player will be low on resources making them weak to your offence. Horus is the true midrange deck of the format with many ways to play, knowing when to use your resources and when to bait out cards from your opponent. Now I'll go into detail with each key card in the deck as well as tech choices. 

The Key Cards

First off would be the Triple Buddies! Flame Horus has the effect of popping 2 cards on your opponent's field and drawing 2 when buddy called by Freezer Horus, amazing effect that lets you replenish your hand and take out key pieces on your opponent's board such as a set spell that prevents ability nullification. Moreover when Freezer Horus is on board it gives all Dragod on your field Triple Attack which is extremely important for the aggro. Moving onto Freezer Horus, this card protects all your Dragod on board as well as your King items, it prevents them from being destroyed/bounced by your opponent's card effects! Splendid effect to keep your board sticky and presenting a near unanswerable board. Last but not least the main buddy, Ra. If Ra is in the center it protects your Flame and Freezer Horus from being destroyed, that means even by battle! Moreover it gives all Dragod and King on your field +10000 power, +1 crit and Penetrate. This is where you can deal a total of 27 damage alone from your monsters not including your item and additional spells. Last but not least Ra has an inbuilt Zodiac effect which prevents your opponent's cards from standing by card effects, this acts as a pseudo boost in combination with any rest spells that you play. 

Luucy is by far the main reason why Horus is such a dominating deck. Being able to access a bounce or an ability nullification on 3 monsters at a time is an extremely strong effect. You can stop key cards that your opponent plays with this card preventing them from getting additional advantage, moreover if you have 2 copies in your hand. You can first nullify the ability on the board, cast it again for a clean bounce! Leaving your opponent's board empty for you to go all face! Usually having 2 of this in your hand is enough to win you the game.

Kifu is the ultimate defensive and offensive card all rolled into one. The best card to synergise with Ra. Resting 3 cards or standing 3 cards on board is an extremely potent effect. Not to mention if you are standing your board thats an additional 9 damage! This card stops many cards from attacking ensuring you survive the turn.

Yes a Super Hero Time for Horus, with benefits of adding 2 life! Horus lacks the gauge generation without discard effects so this is a must have, not to mention this card can let you fish for an important card. 

Victory!! The best advantage engine card, gauge 2, draw 2 and gain 2 life. Such an amazing effect. Casting this will put you in the lead and help you comeback from dire spots. 

Horus lacks a way to protect their board from ability nullification so this is a must have! Moreover this acts as a pseudo Nice One in your hand, so by discarding a card any paying 1 gauge you can draw 2. This in conjunction with on discard effects makes for a very strong card.

De ju Mau the ultimate tutor card and not to mention discard synergy. Also an added effect to stand all your Legend Dragon in your Buddy zone, so what that means is more Buddy Calling! More life gain and more Magma Horus effects.

Ara Saas is by far one of the more important cards to continue your offence and defence. By bouncing your Dragods and calling new ones, you still can continue your Triple Attack onslaught because Magma Horus gives Triple Attack for the turn to all Dragod. 

Al Coronation is an item searcher for your Victory Spell cast condition and a way to retrieve your Legend Dragon from drop, adding a discard synergy. 

Spell nullification is always broken, having access to it in a hyper aggressive deck? Yes please. 

Your ultimate searcher and discard synergy card. It lets you check the top 5 cards to add a Dragod and a Legend Dragon. The key part is that you can take any Legend Dragon card, be it spell or item even the impact! Such a strong effect that lets you tutor for key cards.

Your discard synergy fodder. Personally I would not play Alwidol in my Horus decks as most of the discarding requires you to discard a Legend Dragon, thus picking Jutha over Alwidol. The 2 gauge is extremely important and if you have a dead hand, you can call it for a draw and a life.

Overturn Miserea has a broken effect of resetting the board. Once you reset the board you can go ham with your Horus monsters on an open field. Essential in getting you out of tricky situations and resetting your opponent's board if they have tons of gauge and hand.

The chair that makes everything good and right. Free fishing for a Legend Dragon Monster every turn, and most importantly a protection effect. So its a one time protection against cards like Vanity and Time Ruler.

Additional power is a bonus for reaching numbers if you do not have Ra on board. The retrieval effect is extremely strong and the 1 life equip cost is an integral part as well. 

Tech Cards

Negates are currently out of flavour especially in Horus when you have access to Luucy and Kifuu. However if you want to play the mirror this is a good choice in combination with Ra. Discard synergy is a bonus.

To counter single boss monster decks. Extremely potent against Athora.

Destroy those pesky ability nullification protection set spells on board so your Luucy will be able to affect your opponent's monsters. 

Anti reduce crit effects to go for that push, not to mention a free bonus of clearing your opponent's board.

Loyalty seems like a no brainer in every format, the ability to lock your opponent down is extremely strong. Sweet Happy Time protects your Horus from being rested or their effects from getting nullified, super potent.

Because your whole deck functions on having a Horus on board for your important spells to be able to cast. Going into Lost means you are trading away your board. Great in combination with Overturn Miserea as you can draw a fresh 6 cards and 2 gauge, retaining your main deck cards since it cannot be shuffled into your Lost Deck. 

Sample Decklist

Theres no true 'Rule of Thumb' ratio, it all depends on the player. You can take out cards here and there for Loyalty & Sweet Happy Time. 

Matchups & Strategy

 

Dimension Dragons, you are favoured if you go first. If you go second it will be a question if you can survive their T1 Lost. Moreover Ranma prevents you from gaining life. However, if you go first you can set up and your Luucy is online locking down their Agonia and Epis. Having access to Spell Nullification also stops their end battle phase and farming spells. (55%-45%) 

Well its a matter of not dying to Athora's overturn and being able to consistently rest the main Athora with the eternity rings stacked onto. Once that is settled, the game is easily won. If you can take down their item, thats a bonus and you can just Luucy away the main Athora. Spell Nullification is extremely important to stop their key farming cards and revival spells. (55%-45%)

You are extremely favoured in this matchup because of Freezer Horus, if you have loyalty thats pretty much game. Nothing much to navigate in this matchup. (60%-40%)

Time Dragons the big baddie. Unfortunately they have too much control and can stop you easily in your tracks. Luucy is a key part of this matchup and your set spell has to stick to protect yourself from ability nullification. (40%-60%)

A one sided matchup for you, just go all face and rest their board on their turn to prevent them from using their impact. (70%-30%)

This matchup depends on if the IdolM@ster player has the protection spell. If they don't you just run through them easily. (65%-35%)

Wonky matchup but as long as you can rest their board with Ra, you stop them dead in their tracks. Miserea is another way to win this matchup. But overall your board is more offensive compared to theirs. Spell Nullify their end battle phase and thats GG. (55%-35%)

Thats all, I hope you have learnt abit about Legend Dragons.

Peace