Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck Debut: PHNI Kozmo
The history of TCG-exclusive archetypes for Yugioh has been a harrowing adventure, coming out of the gate with the power of Burning Abyss and radically changing the meta landscape, with Kaiju and today’s topic, Kozmo, quickly following. These strategies often try to disrupt the meta compared to the OCG’s, so that the western territories have a fresh, unsolved metagame compared to their import schedule, when players often know what’ll be good or bad based on Asian tournament results. It’s been a while since our TCG exclusives have truly shaped the meta, despite getting some tops here and there, but Phantom Nightmare brings with it some promising new tools for a much-beloved strategy that just might bring it into the modern age. There’s support for Machines & Psychics, of course, but the newly-released Veidos engine synergizes perfectly with Kozmotown, which comes together as a midrange pile unlike any other in the format. Resisting targeting and benefitting from destruction are in vogue, and Kozmo’s got just the tools to potentially deal with those metagame threats, so it warrants an earnest look! Presenting: PHNI Kozmo.
As background, Kozmo are a group of Psychic “pilots” and their Machine “ships”, which pivot into one another from the hand and deck. This can allow them to dodge certain removal options, as your pilots banish themselves for cost, and ships tend to resist targeting, and float into pilots on destruction like I said, which matches up extremely well versus anything Snake-Eye. Kozmo has since fallen out of the meta due to lacking a true 1-card combo aside from Kozmo Tincan, which is extremely slow in spite of its high setup potential. Much of what Kozmo does requires 2 cards, and if it ever meets a negation that doesn’t target, you’ll find the deck has few ways to readily recover. That’s where the new cards from Phantom Nightmare come in, unassuming as they may be.
First, let’s cover the Psychic-Machine support, starting with Psychic Processor. Processor is akin to a generic Kozmo, with the ability to port itself out into Machines, Psychics, or Cyberse, recurring itself to the hand on the following turn. Crucially, it’s a DARK Psychic monster (which we’ll get into shortly), but it also benefits Kozmo Farmgirl specifically, because her main effect triggers on battle damage — Processor allows the monsters it Special Summons to attack directly, meaning Farmgirl usually resolves unopposed.
The other key card in this wave is Psychic Arsenal, which is so obviously Kozmo support that I’m surprised they didn’t name it as such. Arsenal targets a Psychic you control, and searches a Machine of the same Attribute, but a higher Level, providing recovery on the following turn. This means that targeting a DARK Psychic opens your searches to Kozmo Dark Destroyer & Kozmo Dark Eclipser, and your LIGHT Psychics to Kozmo Sliprider & Kozmo Forerunner. Overall, you get the luxury of playing a lower density of ship names, because of this card giving you ready access to them via the pilots (and Processor), with turn-over-turn value provided after the search resolves.
The next point requires talking about the deck’s Field Spell, Kozmotown, which filters your hand & banishment a bit, but crucially searches a Kozmo on destruction. Enter Veidos the Eruption Dragon of Extinction; this behemoth is Summoned to your opponent’s side via a Quick Effect Field Spell pop, then providing a free Set for its Continuous Trap, Ashened for Eternity, that either recurs a spent Veidos, or steals it back with an ATK drop. Not only does this match up well into the Field Spell-centric meta we’re currently in, it also triggers Kozmotown readily, letting you play maximum copies guilt-free.
This mini package is likely to see heavy experimentation as years go on, and while this may not be the perfect home or meta for it, there’s certainly merit to Veidos. Unless Fire King opens its Continous Spell to protect the Island, popping it via Veidos will often simply end their turn. Additionally, Veidos is smaller than every ship, and destroys all monsters when it leaves the opposing field, in turn triggering your ships! That means giving the opponent Veidos, beating it in battle with a ship, and floating into Farmgirl leads to an easy OTK.
The rest of the deck is chock-full of competent nonengine for going-first or second setups, with a bit of hedging as to be alright on either side of the coinflip. I’ve chosen to go with a Pot of Extravagance package, given the deck doesn’t really need the Extra Deck, and enjoys a higher density of cards in hand. You’d also be very well-served by Bystials, if your meta has a lot of LIGHTs & DARKs (as the Kozmos themselves enjoy banishment, and are Chaos-Attributed), or Super Polymerization (the best board-breaker in the format). Fenrir, I feel, is a great means of playing it safe in both respects, as it can be a free Summon, search another copy, and Processor can port into Fenrir+a Kozmo, putting massive damage on the board, and the resilience to beat a negate on one Fenrir. You could also, by way of Psychic Arsenal, play either Jizukiri, the Star Destroying Kaiju and/or Therion “King” Regulus, both searchable with the right targets. Fenrir is a Level 7 EARTH Psychic, after all, and any of your LIGHT Kozmos can search for the high-level LIGHT Machine of Jizukiru. Much like Small World, Arsenal allows many decks to toolbox into amazing options where they’d otherwise not have access.
For the sidedeck, Super Polymerization is almost certainly a must, alongside the Bystials and Soul Release. You’d have to adjust the Extra Deck accordingly if you’re on such a package, but it is recommended for consideration, as the below Extra Deck presents options you’d use if not on a Poly-board. This strategy matches up shockingly well into Labrynth, as you dodge many interruptions via the Kozmos, and Dark Eclipser has a non-opt Trap negate, whole cloth, with Veidos also popping their Castle. Really, the main worry is the near-Tier-0 Snake-Eye Fire King, though few decks can truly stand up to it at the moment without entirely tailoring their nonengine to deal with it, and it alone. The ratios for Kozmos could also be swapped, though it is crucial to have at least 1 DARK Kozmo pilot (here, Soartroopers) for the purposes of Arsenal and Emergency Teleport. Processor takes the place of what would otherwise be more DARK Kozmos, so we’re still on a 3:3 ratio of Pilot Attributes.
One engine I’ve omitted is the Dogmatika engine, which tries to play a much slower and less consistent game, using cards like Dogmatika Punishment to pop our own ships, and force interaction early. I feel it’s a fool’s errand to play slow right now, as so many midrange decks do that better, so I’ve instead cut down Tincan to 1 copy as a control piece, playing none of the “classic” Trap Reborn cards that often see Kozmo play, like Back to the Front. Other decks just do that better. Instead, we’re relying on a suite of handtraps & nonengine to pull us through, but you could certainly go deeper via Super Poly in the Maindeck. Definitely ignore the 3 copies of S:P; it’s there as an idealized Extravagance board, but in reality you’re likely cutting it down to save on cost & room.
For the Extra, Salamangreat Almiraj is mandatory as a means to put some of your small monsters into the GY, to break locks, and Relinquished Anima can help you deal with problematic monsters in bad zones. Puzzlomino is interesting as well, triggering your ships and Veidos in one go, and TY-PHON assists in breaking boards after you run out of means to extend.
With that, I hope you have a grasp on where Kozmo sits in 2024! The archetype has such a history, and hasn’t received “direct” support like this since its final wave. What are you playing this strategy with? What else do you want to see me cover from Phantom Nightmare? Let me know in the comments below!
Community
Related Products
Accessories
