Dueling like a Mad Scientist: Wind-Up Combos I

Introduction!

In my "Dueling like a Mad Scientist" series of articles, I will be detailing my latest and greatest experiments with the Wind-Up archetype. Pushing Wind-Ups to the limits and finding out everything and anything that they're capable of is my ultimate goal...and then passing the knowledge I learn to you the player! Plus these toys make marvelous test subjects... +_+. It's not torture if it's in the name of science!

Now please enjoy the main article!


Data Log 33:

I took out Wind-Up Hunter from my build, at least for now. The hand loop is getting boring and losing me friends (lol), plus it's hard to see how much Xyz spam Wind-Ups are truly capable of when I'm tributing off my Zenmaitys for Hunter. Not even sure if its worth it, you lock yourself out of the game if they can clear your field after you go into the loop because you have 0 Rats and 0 Zenmaitys. Short of Pot of Avarice or Monster Reborn your pretty low on options left in the deck. And there are a surprising number of decks that can topdeck answers to your field after you loop their hand (HEROs being at the forefront of my mind). Its my current belief that looping your opponents hand is only worthwhile if you have Pot of Avarice in hand to make sure you take everything from them as well as end with a stronger field, as taking 3-4 cards from them is not worth the price of robbing yourself of your best monsters when the game has barely begun. But I digress...here are some basic to intermediate Wind-Up combos I discovered that you might not be aware of...

SS=Special Summon

COMBO 1: The Infinite Blocker (Requires Rabbit in grave and Rat in hand)


1. Summon Rat, SS Rabbit from graveyard with effect
2. Use Rabbit to banish Rat
3. Rat comes back during your next standby phase
4. Switch it from defense to attack, then activate its effect again to SS Rabbit if it died.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 ad infinitum

ENDING FIELD: [Used Rabbit in defense mode] WITH Rat coming back next standby phase.

CARDS USED: 1

Comments: Simple, easy to do combo that juggles a Rat and blocks an attack till whenever you feel like stopping and getting serious.

COMBO 2: The Wombo Combo (Requires Magician and Shark in Hand with with Factory faceup.)



1. Summon Magician.
2. Activate the trigger effect of Shark in your hand.
3. Resolve the effect, SS Shark and activate Magician 1's effect, then resolve it in a separate chain, SS  Magician 2.
4. Activate Sharks effect to make him/her/itself(?) level 3.
5. Activate Factory to add Shark 2 to your hand
5. Activate Magician 2's effect to SS Rabbit.
6. Activate Rabbit's effect to banish Magician 1.
7. Xyz Rabbit and Shark for Zenmaity.
8. Zenmaity SS Rat from the deck.
9. Rat SS Rabbit from the grave.
10. Activate the effect of Shark 2 in your hand; SS it.
11. Rabbit banishes Rat.
12. Activate Shark 2's effect to make it level 3.
13. Xyz Rabbit and Shark for Zenmaity 2/M. X-Saber Invoker
14. Zenmaity 2/M. X-Saber Invoker SS Any Level 4 Wind-Up Monster/Soldier/Warrior
15. Xyz Magician 2 and Any Level 4 Wind-Up Monster/Soldier/Warrior for Rank 4 of choice

ENDING FIELD: [Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity, Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity/M. X-Saber Invoker, Any Rank 4 (preferably Number 39: Utopia)] WITH Rat and Magician coming back during your next standby phase.

CARDS USED: 2 (- 2 Sharks and -1 Magician, + 1 from factory)

Comments: This is a powerful 2-stage play. You get 2 dangerous combo monsters (Zenmaitys) and the means to protect them (Utopia). Not only that, but if somehow your field doesn't survive, you can make another Rank 3 and 4 of your choice next turn with Magician and Rat coming back due to Rabbits effect during your next turn. This play offers unparalleled power and safety and is highly recommended if you think can pull it off.

COMBO 3: The 1 Card Wonder (Requires Rat in hand and any level 3 Wind-Up monster in the graveyard, has 1 variation.)


1a. Summon Rat, activate effect to SS level 3 Wind-Up from grave.
2a. Xyz Rat and level 3 Wind-Up for Zenmaity
3a. Zenmaity SS Rat from the deck.
4a. Activate Rat's effect to SS level 3 Wind-Up from grave.
5a. Xyz Rat and level 3 Wind-Up for Zenmaity 2.
6a. Zenmaity 2 SS Rat from the deck.
7a. Activate Rat's effect to SS level 3 Wind-Up from grave.
8a.Xyz Rat and level 3 Wind-Up for Zenmaity 3.
9a. Zenmaity 3 SS Soldier from deck, activate effect to boost attack. (6700 damage total) OR IF SHARK IN HAND
9b. Zenmaity 3 SS Soldier from deck, activate effect to boost attack.
10b. Activate Sharks effect in hand; SS it (8200 damage total)

ENDING FIELD, SCENARIO A: [Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity x3, Wind-Up Soldier with 2200 ATK]
CARDS USED IN SCENARIO A: 1 Card, 6700 Damage.


ENDING FIELD, SCENARIO B: [Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity x3, Wind-Up Soldier with 2200 ATK, Wind-Up Shark]
CARDS USED IN SCENARIO B: 2 Cards, 8200 Damage.

WILD WIND-UP DECK USED 8200 DAMAGE INTO OPEN FIELD!

ITS SUPER EFFECTIVE! 



Comments: The true power of Wind-Up Rat unleashed! 1 Card making 6700 damage is ludicrous, it's very easy to win games with this combo after your opponent has taken the tiniest scratch. With a Factory or Shark in hand, the damage is lethal instantly. Don't be afraid to use this combo the instant you smell blood, but watch out for Gorz!

COMBO 4: The Dark Option (Requires Magician and Shark in hand.)



1. Summon Magician.
2. Activate the trigger effect of Shark in your hand.
3. Resolve the effect, SS Shark and activate Magician's effect, then resolve it in a separate chain, SS Magician 2 from deck.
4. Activate Sharks effect to make it level 3. SS Rabbit from deck (you can substitute Rabbit for any level 3 Wind-Up monster).
5. Xyz Rabbit and Shark for Zenmaity 1.
6. Xyz Magician and Magician 2 for Utopia.
7. Zenmaity SS Rat from deck.
8. Rat SS Rabbit from grave.
9. Xyz Rat and Rabbit for Zenmaity 2
10. Zenmaity 2 SS Rat from deck.
11. Rat SS Rabbit from grave.
12. Xyz Rat and Rabbit for Zenmaity 3
13. Zenmaity 3 SS Any Wind-Up with 1000+ from deck. (8000+ Damage)


ENDING FIELD: [Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity x3, Number 39: Utopia, Any Wind-Up with 1000+ Attack]
CARDS USED: 2 Cards, 8000+ Damage.


Comments: Why loop the hand when you can attack for game? Variations of this combo make it workable in a non-open field (summoning Kitten at the end of the combo for a face-down monster, Snail for a face-down trap) at the cost of your opponent having to take a bit of damage in order for you to get game (200 for kitten, 900 for snail.) I will present variations and improvements of this combo in future articles as admittedly its probably the most important one.



COMBO 5: The Illuminati Agenda (Requires Magician and Shark in hand, a returning or already present Rabbit, and a open field on your opponents side to attack for game.) [WARNING: EXTREMELY SILLY COMBO]


1. Summon Magician.
2. Activate the trigger effect of Shark in your hand.
3. Resolve the effect, SS Shark and activate Magicians effect, then resolve it in a separate chain, SS  Magician 2 from deck.
4. Activate Sharks effect to make him/her/itself(?) level 3. SS Magician 3 from deck.
5. Activate Rabbits effect, triggering Magician 3's effect; SS Rabbit from the deck with Magician 3 (you can substitute Rabbit for any level 3 Wind-Up monster).
6. Xyz Magician 1, 2 & 3 for Number 10: Illumiknight!
7. Activate the effect of Number 10: Illumiknight (Optional)

9. Xyz Rabbit and Shark for Zenmaity 1.
10. Zenmaity SS Rat from deck.
11. Rat SS Rabbit from grave.
12. Xyz Rat and Rabbit for Zenmaity 2
13. Zenmaity 2 SS Rat from deck.
14. Rat SS Rabbit from grave.
15. Xyz Rat and Rabbit for Number 20: Giga Brilliant! (In keeping with the whole light motif.)
16. Activate the effect of Number 20: Giga Brilliant. (8400 Damage)


ENDING FIELD: [Number 10: Illumiknight, Number 20: Giga Brilliant, Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity x2] All monsters have 300 more attack.

CARDS USED: 2 Cards (Rabbit will come back next turn. Not that there will be a next turn...), 8400 Damage

Comments: My personal ace combo, this will embarrass anyone you use it on guarenteed, especially if you shout something corny like "FADE TO THE LIGHT!" or "YOUR DEFEAT WILL BE HERALDED BY A SHINING LIGHT!" before you attack for game. A waste of resources unless you plan on winning in 1 turn (or you want to have a awesome looking field!).

And that concludes the first "Dueling like a Mad Scientist" article. Thank you for reading and please tell me what you thought of it by commenting! Until next time!