#strong oni

[ygoreviews]

Gouki The Great Ogre ———————————————— 2+ "Gouki" monsters All monsters on the field lose ATK equal to their original DEF. If this card would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can destroy 1 of your monsters this card points to instead. ———————————————— Can Be Found In: Code of the Duelist (COTD-EN045)

Gouki is a strong archetype just by the fact its monsters will constantly replace each other. Most of them share the ability to obtain a new Gouki to add in our hand, therefore keeping the momentum at all times no matter how they leave the field. Even if we are the ones responsible of their destruction, Gouki keeps the pressure from the first turn with constant Link Summons and stat manipulation to overwhelm the opponent in no time.

"Gouki The Great Ogre" is one of the lead monsters the archetype will offer us, and can become quite troublesome to face against. While on the field "Great Ogre" will weaken every monster's ATK by their original DEF, staying the strongest on the board given Link Monsters have no DEF. Clearly this can make "Great Ogre" a target of many counters, but fortunately it can destroy a monster pointed by its arrows to avoid any destructive effect. Overall, "Great Ogre" can become quite resiliant as assures high damage input as well benefits from its own archetype by working along its abilities.

With its summon requeriments making "Great Ogre" exclusive for the archetype, "Great Ogre" is part of a build greatly prepared to gather enough materials at any moment for its Link Summon. "Gouki Suprex" arrives from our hand along other Gouki, while members like "Gouki Headbatt" and "Gouki Riscorpio" will provide effects for their own summoning. As the Duel progresses revival effects will take over, with "Gouki Re-Match" bringing two materials and "Gouki Face Turn" replacing a Gouki with another (Useful to revive a Link-2 Gouki to cheapen the Link Summon). Together with Goukis constantly searching each other at the end of each turn, all these options will work together so "Great Ogre" is always assured by little to no effort.

"Great Ogre" is a strong pressence on the board and quite sturdy when played along its own archetype. Although "Great Ogre" also weakens our monsters, every Gouki has no DEF to be worried about this effect affecting them. Additionaly, since Goukis' searching effect triggers when leaving the field, "Great Ogre" can use them as cost to protect itself and get a replacement to our hand afterwards. As the opponent's field stays weakened by this monster, "Great Ogre" and the rest of Goukis will take this chance to either defeat potential threats and/or deal solid damage. The latter can become quite devastasting with some of the stat boosts in the archetype, ranging from "Gouki Twistcobra" ATK boost when tributing a Gouki, to a potential OTK if played along "Gouki The Master Ogre" and its multiple attacks.

With plenty of tools for a quick arrival and sinergy with its own archetype, "Gouki The Great Ogre" has a great opportunity to lead the board with its pressence. While keeps the opposite field slightly or considerably weakened by its effect, Goukis will gather behind its arrows to protect it from destructive effects as we add new members to our hand. But while seems "Great Ogre" has all the options to become a true menace, there are some obvious flaws on its abilities. The weakening effect is potentially dangerous but really depends of the Deck we're confronting, as defensive builds like Superheavy Samurai as well other Link Monsters will completely ignore "Great Ogre" main effect. The protective ability on the other hand while highly valuable at all times, is unable to deal with counters like negating its effects or other methods to get rid of "Great Ogre" outside destruction. Nonetheless, with powerful support from its archetype in both summon and abilities, "Great Ogre" is worth a spot in every Gouki's Extra Deck due the incredible performance that will provide to the field.

Personal Rating: A-

+ Weakens every monsters' ATK equal to their original DEF + Avoids destruction by destroying a monster behind its arrow(s) + Great sinergy with its own archetype in both summon and effects

- Weakening effect varies in results depending of what monsters we're facing against - Various methods to deal with it outside destruction

[ygoreviews]

Gouki Face Turn ———————————————— Target 1 "Gouki" card you control and 1 "Gouki" monster in your GY; destroy that card on the field, and if you do, Special Summon that other monster from your GY. You can only activate 1 "Gouki Face Turn" per turn. ———————————————— Can Be Found In: Flames of Destruction (FLOW-ENJP056)

Gouki is a wrestler themed archetype that keeps the aggresiveness at all times. With the majority of their monsters searching archetype cards once they leave the field, the Deck overall keeps a healthy hand at all times no matter if their setups are disrupted or working arround certain plays that will trigger this ability. With strong cards and preparatives for their Link Summons, soon enough Goukis will bring their lead monsters and use their stat changing effects to have a lead in battles at all times.

"Gouki Face Turn" is a Spell with a revival effect capable to provide something beyond summoning a monster from our Graveyard. To summon a Gouki in our Graveyard, first "Gouki Face Turn" must destroy a Gouki card in our field to be played. This might seem a pretty expensive card when compared to one of many revival options we can focus on instead. However, due the shared ability among Goukis and a few liberties, "Gouki Face Turn" actually provides more than summoning a Gouki upon its activation.

With virtually every Gouki in our Main Deck letting us search for this card when leaving the field, we have several chances to obtain "Gouki Face Turn" during the progress of a Duel. This same ability will also be triggered by the use of the Spell Card, therefore not only replacing a Gouki in our field with another in the Graveyard but gaining a Gouki card for immediate or later use. Obviously the Gouki we might revive by "Gouki Face Turn" will also have their own searching effect, further increasing our hand if we use the summoned monster for other purposes like as material. Otherwise, "Gouki Face Turn" can use Main Deck monsters to revive some of their Link Monsters for any purpose needed at the moment. If combined with other archetype cards like "Gouki Suprex" and "Gouki Re-Match", is quite likely that we swarm the board right from early turns and still have plenty of cards at hand to further strength board. Don't forget that "Gouki Face Turn" is not limited to using monsters to be activated, and instead can use a permanent Gouki card like "Gouki Deathmatch" to be played while keeping our monsters on the field.

While might not be as strong as other summoning options the archetype can play along with, is the interactions "Gouki Face Turn" arround Goukis that makes it a reliable card to depend on. It might simply replace one Gouki with another, yet in many cases we will obtain a new Gouki card in the process thanks to the archetype's main effect to search their cards. If not reviving potential materials it will become our best option to recover Link Monsters, recovering from any losses by not only reviving our ace monsters but also searching a Gouki card in the process. However, while luckily using Gouki monsters as cost is the best option thanks to their searching effects, there's a massive lack of permanent Spells and Traps we can mitigate its cost with "Gouki Deathmatch" as the only potential candidate at the moment. While not as important as other archetype cards such as "Gouki Re-Match", "Gouki Face Turn" has clear outcomes to become a solid choice in the Deck's strategy.

Personal Rating: A-

+ Trades a Gouki card in our field with a Gouki monster in our Graveyard + In most scenarios we will obtain a Gouki card from our Deck due the searching effect of the archetype's monsters + Solid results specially when playing along other summoning options

- Not as effective as other revival effects - Complete lack of Spells and Traps to use as cost and slightly mitigate its activation

[ygoreviews]

Gouki Twistcobra ———————————————— (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 "Gouki" monster, then target 1 "Gouki" monster you control; it gains ATK equal to the original ATK of the Tributed monster until the end of this turn. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 "Gouki" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Gouki Twistcobra". You can only use each effect of "Gouki Twistcobra" once per turn. ———————————————— Can Be Found In: Code of the Duelist (COTD-EN009)

Gouki is an archetype that combines perfect hand management with an oppresive offense by manipulating monster stats. Either powering up their members or weakening enemies, Goukis will often have the upper hand in many Battle Phases as they Link Summon their key monsters without many difficulties. This is further assisted with the shared ability to search each Gouki cards when sent to the Graveyard, keeping the user with a steady hand no matter if their Goukis are defeated or used as materials.

"Gouki Twistcobra" is able to take full advantage of the core mechanics of the archetypes with its unique ability. Like many other members, "Twistcobra" will search for a Gouki card (Excluding itself) if is sent to the Graveyard from our field. The main effect of "Twistcobra" however is what makes it interesting, as during any turn we can tribute a Gouki to give another member a temporal ATK boost equal to the ATK of the monster used for the activation. The main effect of "Twistcobra" might seem expensive, but with the searching and retrieving abilities of the archetype it can become an abusable ability to either overcome strong enemies or simply deal solid damage with "Twistcobra" itself or other Gouki monsters.

In an archetype with searching abilities when sent to the Graveyard, is obvious that "Twistcobra" is in a great position to become available as soon as its assistance is required. The archetype overall might be small, but that doesn't stop the Goukis residing our Main Deck from looking for "Twistcobra" once the leave the field to go in our Graveyard. The shared stats among Goukis also lets "Twistcobra" to be obtained by many other sources, which can include "Reinforcement of the Army" adding it to our hand, or cards like "M-X Saber Invoker" and "Ties of the Brethren" summoning it from inside our Deck. Once in hand, the Gouki will probably come along other monsters like "Gouki Suprex" and "Goblindbergh" due their abilities to come along other monsters from our hand. "Twistcobra" is well assisted in late game as already is in early turns, with many revival effects ranging from "Gouki Re-Match" reviving it along another Gouki, or monsters like "Masked Chameleon" and "Motivating Captain" bringing it back once they are summoned.

Although at first "Twistcobra" might seem to carry a heavy cost, once we check the cards and effects that will often interact with makes it much more efficient than it looks on its own. The effect can be activated virtually during any turn, therefore it can go from chaining against certain effects to simply responding incoming attacks. Obviously if we tribute Goukis we will trigger their searching effects, making the loss of a monster not that severe specially with the many revival effects assiting the Deck afterwards. This also goes for "Twistcobra" itself, using Goukis brought to the field by cards like "Gouki Re-Match" or "Feast of the Wild LV5" that won't provide much on their own. Keep on mind that "Twistcobra" can increase its own ATK if needed, so if is brought along monsters like "Gouki Suprex" or revival tools it will be more than prepared to confront powerful enemies on its own.

"Gouki Twistcobra" summarizes how the entire archetype works with its two abilities. The ATK boosts might be costy, but with the powerful assistance from many sources and the searching effects we will gain in the process makes the loss of a Gouki far less severe than might apparent. The searching effect of "Twistcobra" works as good as any other Gouki, allowing us to obtain key cards no matter if is used as cost or material of other cards or even if fails to take down monsters with its own effect. Like most of the archetype "Twistcobra" is heavily reliant on other cards to stay efficient at all times, but is not a big problem as will start coming along other members to later on abuse the many revival effects keeping the pressence of Goukis under any circumstances.

Personal Rating: A

+ Searches a Gouki card when sent from the field to the Graveyard + Tributes a Gouki to provide a temporal ATK boost equal to the ATK of the monster used + Greatly assisted by the archetype and many revival effects + Chainable ATK boost

- Relies on other cards to stay efficient - ATK boost might become expensive in some circumstances