Ayakashi Triangle – Winds of Change (Y) [11/23/2023]

The Kazamaki clan are infamous for their use of wind magic as they battle against malicious ayakashi. Matsuri, the upcoming head of the clan, is an adept warrior ninja, capable of using wind to spur on his relentless attacks and increase his speed as he hops between trees. After an unfortunate incident with the king of ayakashi himself, Matsuri was subjected to the winds of change on his own.

Using the power of pure innocence and love, Matsuri sends a shot filled with overwhelming sweetness straight into your opponent’s heart. He’s a healer on play that allows you to pay a single stock when he swings with his climax in play to reveal the top three cards of your deck, dealing damage to your opponent equal to the amount of soul triggers revealed.

Matsuri also acts as our level one advantage combo. She’s a beater during your turn that has an on-attack ability with her climax to reveal the top three cards of your deck, add a character to hand, and then reveal the top of your deck to send it to stock (optionally) if it has a soul trigger icon. Matsuri is great because, with a bit of luck, we’ll be able to regenerate hand and gain additional stock from the same swing.

Rio provides us with a payoff for running eight wind triggers. Firstly, Rio’s brainstorm on the left is brainstorm that reveals five cards but with the demerit of only valuing off of wind triggers. She also gives one character the ability to surveil top on swing at the start of your climax phase. The support in the center is an activated power pump that lets you pay out wind icon triggers to salvage characters. Lastly, the 2/1 Rio is an additional wind trigger support that changes the ability of the wind trigger, allowing you to send characters to stock instead of bouncing them to hand. Just like her level zero version, she also carries a power pump ability, albeit slightly more powerful.

Outside of our level one combo, the Matsuri above on the left is a pseudo combo. When a wind climax is in the climax zone and he swings, he reveals the top card of your deck and adds it to hand if it is a level two or higher card. This pairs extremely well with the Matsuri in the center that lets you surveil the top of your deck twice on play. One of the best targets for this ability is that of the Matsuri on the right which lets you trigger twice on his swing for a low stock cost.

We also have ways to recycle and find our climaxes above. Matsuri’s card is a check four and add a card with a soul trigger on play if you pay her costs. Keep in mind that Matsuri adds any card with a soul trigger, meaning wind climaxes are perfectly legal targets. Rio is a climax swapper with alternative costs. Instead of the traditional cost of paying a stock in addition to discarding a climax, you must sacrifice another character instead, especially great if you send cards that have sent to waiting room timings for their effects.

Some last few cards to mention are shown above. Rio is an early play if you have full field, allowing you to either heal or check the top three cards and add one of them to hand on play. She also gets power on swing. Lucy is a secondary finisher that has an on-cancel ping one on the turn she’s played. We do not use her combo here.

As for backups, there’s plenty to choose from to suit your needs. If you wish for power, Matsuri is an oversized backup. Lucy is an anti-early play backup that sends a cheated target to stock. Souga is a specialized anti-soul backup, potentially saving you from taking damage.

Matsuri doing her hair is able to bounce herself back to hand with a friend at the start of your opponent’s attack phase while also being a climax discard salvager. Lucy is a level zero stock reverser while also being a Chiyuri profile when sent to waiting room. Matsuri with glasses gains power when other cards swing and also allows you to place a card from hand to stock on play. Matsuri staring outside the window is a cost zero bottom decker on play if there is only one character in your opponent’s front row on play. When he’s sent to waiting room, you may pay his costs to salvage a character. Kouga is a drop searcher that sends himself to the bottom of your deck while also discarding a card. Lastly, Matsuri looking smug is a check three and add one to hand profile on play by placing a card from hand to clock on play.

Use the power of the Kazamaki clan to blow your opponents (and their skirts) over. Matsuri always presses on knowing that the wind is always behind his/her back. As long as Suzu is calling for him or in trouble, Matsuri will always be first to arrive like a prince in shining armour, ready to ward away any evil spirits from trying to devour her.