Why anyone would ever microwave a banana is beyond my wildest guesses. Bananas are a strange fruit. The modern banana is quite different from its supposed native origin. Furthermore, a certain worldwide pandemic almost wiped out bananas as we know it. The bananas tasted by our grandparents are quite different from the common yellow Cavendish banana that is the signature image of the banana most individuals know. The modern banana is a significantly altered species designed to be able to survive against its predecessor’s dangerous banana-killing strain.
Mayushi, captain of the banana squad, is the finisher of choice for the deck. For a cheap cost, when she attacks with her climax in play, Mayushi gains enormous power and the ability to deal two damage to your opponent should they cancel her damage.
For our early game combo, we will be using Christina shown here. Christina, another member of the banana gang, is instrumental in acquiring our early game resources. Christina is a reverse combo that lets you salvage either a character or the event D-Mail [Dメール] from your waiting room. Additionally, she will let you grant power to one of your other characters to help them secure subsequent reversals.
Okabe, the absolute leader of the banana army, is a clock swap with the bottom card of your clock on play (optional). His second ability lets you bond to the aforementioned D-Mail event. D-Mail is an event that can be played as a backup. You do require either an Okabe [岡部] or Kurisu [紅莉栖] on field to play the event. When the event is played, you may perform two different effects with the first being to level swap, and the latter being to give power to one of your characters.
The event is essential to the functioning of the back row support cards shown above here. Okabe allows you to pay a stock once a turn whenever a card enters your level zone (including levelling). And if you pay his costs, you may perform either one of two abilities: check three cards from the top of your deck, add a character or D-Mail event from among them or give a character 1500 power for the turn. Okabe is a versatile pseudo-brainstorm and power pump. D-Mail triggers Okabe’s ability, ensuring you can perform it both during your turn and your opponent’s. Kurisu is a global support which can also forcibly tap two characters to swap level, thus triggering Okabe’s ability, while also granting one of your characters a level for the turn, helping you cheat over level reversers potentially.
Kurisu returns with another powerful beater that has the demerit of being unable to side attack. However, as an upside, Kurisu gains power once per turn whenever you swap a card into your level zone. This can be applied through levelling, using the Kurisu support in the backrow, or a single use of the D-Mail event. Just like Kurisu, I also believe DK. Pepper is a wonderful choice among soda drinks.
One other card to mention before reaching the end of our post here is that of early-play Okabe. If you have the Mayuri Riki and another copy of the support Kurisu in your level zone, Okabe can come out early. On play, he can bounce an opposing character back to hand while also potentially refunding stock if the top card of your deck is a level zero character.
Last but not least, we have the beautiful microwave banana (please do not do this in real life). The banana event is our emergency option. If we are forced to level three and have a large amount of damage in our clock, we can use the banana event to essentially cleanse our clock (up to four damage) and reset time itself. This does come at the cost of also healing our opponent, but it’s fine since both players will be reset to a more even playing field. Keep in mind that Mayushi herself can potentially draw the event through her on-play ability.
In terms of backups, Captain Mayushi is more than ready to defend our cards with her anti-change sack counter, ridding the field of any cheated out targets or early played threats.
Some other soldiers for our righteous crescent moon-shaped fruit brigade are displayed. Captain Mayushi staring into space is a salvage Riki profile that helps us fill our waiting room while deciding what to place into our clock (potentially fixing our colours). 3/2 Mayushi is a vanilla restand profile as a secondary finisher. Daru is a forced refresher to help us get out of tight situations. Kurisu in her kimono is a drop salvager with an on-play surveil ability. Suzuha is a climax swapper when she’s sent to waiting room from field. Lastly, Mayushi looking menacingly at the sky is a cantrip profile that fixes your hand on play while also being a power pump on attack to help with reversing targets (particularly useful for assisting your 1/0 Kurisu combos).
The future is an uncertain place where all kinds of horrors, joys, and revelations can take place. However, one thing we can be assured of is that despite everything, the banana shall reign supreme. Believe in the banana gang, and the banana gang will believe in you.