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"Yata-Garasu Lockdown" is a Deck build whose goal was to clear both the opponent's field and hand; from there, you would continually Summon "Yata-Garasu" and attack. Since the effect of "Yata-Garasu" causes the opponent to skip their Draw Phase if it attacked and did damage, and the opponent has no hand, they are effectively taken out of the game. Since the September 2004 banning of "Yata-Garasu", this lockdown has been eradicated in Advanced Format Duels. This is one of the most infamous lockdowns ever played and is also very easy to accomplish.

Contents 1 Deck Types 1.1 Lockdown 1 1.2 Lockdown 2 1.3 Lockdown 3 2 Weaknesses

Deck TypesEdit

Lockdown 1Edit

The most popular method involves three cards:

• "Yata-Garasu"
• "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End"/"Sky Scourge Norleras"
• "Sangan"/"Witch of the Black Forest"

"Sangan" or "Witch of the Black Forest" must be on the field, preferably Special Summoned, although "Double Summon" or "Ultimate Offering" can amend this. "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End" or "Sky Scourge Norleras" (preferably "CED" due to its easier summoning conditions) must then be Special Summoned and its effect activated. "Sangan"/"Witch" will be sent to the Graveyard, allowing you to pick out "Yata-Garasu". Normal Summon it and switch to your Battle Phase; when it attacks, your opponent cannot draw a card on their next turn, and, thanks to "CED"/"Norleras'" effect, they will have no cards to play. This creates an inescapable lock.

Lockdown 2Edit

For this lockdown to work, you must have "Painful Choice", "Monster Reincarnation" and "Monster Reborn" in your hand.

• Activate "Painful Choice" and select:
  • "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End"
  • "Sangan"/"Witch of the Black Forest"
  • A DARK monster
  • Two LIGHT monsters.
• If "Sangan"/"Witch" is not picked, activate "Monster Reborn" and revive "Sangan"/"Witch". If "Sangan"/"Witch" is picked, activate "Monster Reincarnation", discard "Sangan"/"Witch" and add "CED" to your hand. Either way, make sure "CED" is in your hand and "Sangan"/"Witch" is Special Summoned with "Monster Reborn".
• Special Summon "CED", and so on.

Lockdown 3Edit

• This third lockdown requires "Ocean Dragon Lord - Neo-Daedalus" and "Umi"/"A Legendary Ocean" in place of "CED".
• Demise, King of Armageddon and Yata-Garasu can also work.

Your basic requirements are:

• Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End
• Yata-Garasu
• Sangan or Witch of the Black Forest
• Call of the Haunted or Premature Burial

WeaknessesEdit

It is assumed that the player is either playing a video game, or is playing Traditional Format. In either case, it is also assumed that the relevant cards needed (i.e. those mentioned above) are used at no more than one.

Weaknesses of the Deck are numerous. At the time of the strategy's height, very little could stop it. However, with increasingly-centric play towards the Banished Zone, this is now an exploitable weakness. Summoning "Chaos Emperor" requires one DARK and one LIGHT monster in the Graveyard to banish for the card to be Special Summoned to the field. If this cannot be satisfied, the strategy is dead in the water.

"Yata-Garasu" is also a weakness that can be exploited. If it is sent from the hand to the Graveyard (such as with, say, the effect of "Spirit Reaper"), it is very difficult to recover from that (unless the player specifically structures part of the Deck to cover this potential eventuality).