Inzektors

If you haven't heard by now then I suggest you learn all you can about them.  Inzektors are are on the horizon, and if you haven't played some version of them on dueling network, then take my word for it when I say they're really good.

I personally hate the meta.  It doesn't really matter what the meta is, I just hate it.  It's mindless and takes so much fun out of the game.  Netdecking has become an epidemic recently, and when everyone is netdecking the top deck then you kind of have to ask what's the point.  Netdecking certainly has a place in the game as it allows newer players to see what other people are doing so they can learn the game faster.  Abusing it by just copying exactly what someone else has already done, just seems like a waste of time.  My favorite part of this game is the ability to be creative in deck design and do things other people haven't thought of or haven't been able to make work efficiently before.  I know I am just stubborn, but what's the fun if someone else just shows you how to win and you win all the time?  It seems like a waste of time.  Regardless the reason I like to talk about these meta decks is because I spend a decent amount of time breaking them down and doing my best to pinpoint their weaknesses whenever a new idea surfaces. 

Sorry about the rant, but if you ask anyone who knows me they know that's how I feel,  but back to Inzektors.  You use a three card base with Inzektor Dragonfly, Inzektor Hornet, and Inzektor Centipede to keep a constant card advantage making huge pluses.  You can also go about using a mini Wind-Up engine capitalizing on Wind-Up Rat, Wind-Up Hunter, and Wind-Up Zenmaighty to go about making you discard their hand in a nice little loop.  I think the design that uses the Wind-Up monsters is far more lethal and is certainly the one to watch out for.  The idea is to make huge pluses off of card advantage destroying a card and special summoning at the same time, and then methodically eliminating their hand.  If I could pick an ultimate strategy it would probbaly include my opponent having no hand and no cards on the field, but that's not very realistic, well at least until now. 

Fortunately you are here though and I'm going to shed some light on a couple of nice ways to stop them.  They work off of equip effects much like Dragunitys do, so naturally they fall to some shortcomings.  I'm going to do my best to highlight those, and then outline a good inexpensive deck that should put up a tough fight.

Weakness #1: Graveyard Reliant
Weakness #2: Effect Reliant
Weakness #3: All of them are DARK attribute monsters
Weakness #4: Relatively low ATK monsters

Despite that low attack they just reload every turn, your best option is to eliminate that ability to reload.  It's usually nice to just be able to play your main strategy and beat decks relatively easily, but with decks with potential like this you have to know how to stop the engine from ever starting.

Exploiting Weakness #1.
So think of all our basic removal cards.  Those are all good here.  When they summon Dragonfly and try to equip Hornet from the graveyard, use a card like D.D. Crow on that Hornet or maybe you use Crevice into the Different Dimension.  Whatever option you choose, a good chainable removal card will serve you well in this match-up.

Now the biggest removal card in the game is surely Dimensional Fissure.  Decks that can main a
Dimensional Fissure are going to have huge success against Inzektors.  All they're effects revolve around sending cards to the graveyard that are equipped to an Inzektor Monster, With Dimensional Fissure up they won't go to the graveyard but will in fact be removed from play. 

Also cards like debunk can help you a little as well when they try to use their effect in the graveyard you can negate it and remove it from play.  So the Inzektor on the field may still go off, but the one in the grave won't.

Exploiting Weakness #2
They do rely on effects while they are on the field that activate on the field and in the graveyard.  So if they summon Dragonfly and try to equip Hornet an Effect Veiler can stop that play and set them back a good turn.  However if you don't remove that dragonfly the next turn it will likely come back to hurt you in a big way.  So it is a good one turn solution, but something like Skill Drain can make sure they don't continue to equip monsters and build their hand over and over again.

Exploiting Weakness #3
They do fall victim to a major weakness and perhaps their biggest weakness, that they are all DARK monsters.  Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror.  Welcome to the one card shutdown if you can pull it off and keep it alive.  A huge part of why Dark Worlds can't be viable long-term is this card and, it has some more use here.  Shadow Imprisoning Mirror is a side-deck must.  It really doesn't matter what format it even is because it has so much playability.

Blackwings, Infernities, Dark Worlds, even decks that tech powerful dark monsters like Caius, Chaos Sorcerer, Sangan, and now Inzektors can be crippled by just one card.  My suggestion would be to side at least 2 if not 3, it will be worth your while.  However expect them to expect this and know how Inzektor players try and combat this option

Exploiting Weakness #4
This can be summed up with about 4 cards that are relatively self explanatory. 

1. Chain Disappearance
2. Trap Hole
3. Doomcaliber Knight
4. Deck Devastation Virus

The first 3 are very easy to use, the last one is a lot more tech based depending on what you are running.  Say you use blackwings and you can't afford to use Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, then this is a great option for you.  Cripple their hand after seeing it and make sure they can't ever come back.

Chain Disappearance is good for many reasons.  Remove all copies in their hand and deck from play as well as the one they summoned.  Potential plus 3 because I say removing anything is a plus 1 regardless, but that's my personal opinion. 

Trap Hole may seem kind of like the odd man out here, but I find it to be a very good side deck card.  Many decks rely on that first normal summon and trap hole in many cases can be quite disruptive.  Now they may recover relatively quickly, but they will be forced to use more cards to do so.  A deck that just normal summons Thunder King Rai-Oh a lot can easily be touched up by Trap Hole.  When a Blackwing deck normal summons Shura or Sirocco, its a simple one for one.  That's all it is at the end of the day, a one for one trade, and if they can't afford that loss at the time then you may be in very good shape.

Doomcaliber Knight is constantly seeing more play these days.  With the increased reliance on effect monsters , you can see the reason why.  Many players will attempt to draw out the effect and force the tribute via a nonconventional manner.  By all means let them.  If they have to alter their style of play to adjust the situation you have presented them, then that means you're doing well and if you can keep that up, they won't likely be able to win.  It's just too tough to win when you play someone else's game.  Work on establishing your game and make them play in such a way that they have to play scared of what you might do.

So What is This Good Deck to Combat Inzektors and the rest of the Meta?

Gladiator Beasts
It seems like they come up every format, and I'm not sure why they surface every format but they do. The main problem with this deck is that many of the elite players choose not to play Gladiator Beasts and thus they get very little hype, and are a deck people know the in's and out's of.  I honestly don't care much for the deck, but as I was writing this was the one deck that kept coming to mind. I personally think Inzektor players will dread this matchup and be forced to side heavily and strategically for it because of the following reasons:

1. Removal Ability 
2. Effect Negation
3. Mass Destruction
4. Large amounts of spell/trap destruction/support

Reason #1:
Gladiator Beasts remove cards in two basic ways.  The first is via Retiari.  The little 1200 attack monster who gets to remove a card when special summoned by a Gladiator Beast Effect.  1200 attack may seem low but in this match-up it isn't.  Dragonfly and Hornet have lower attacks, while Centipede does not, but Centipede plays are not what an Inzektor player wants to make and forcing him to make a play like this means he is playing in a way that you are forcing him to.

In addition many Gladiator Beast players play multiple copies of Dimensional Fissure.  Whether this be a main-deck or a side-deck choice, it has huge serviceability here.  It doesn't tend to hurt their general strategy as the cards all return to the deck when used properly, and at the same time can cripple opponents.

Reason #2:
Gladiator Beast War Chariot.  Enough said with this card.  Most people know exactly what it is.  It's a nightmare card.  The only cost is controlling a Gladiator Beast monster and that's not very hard for them to do.  They can use Gladiator Beast Equeste to functionally recycle the card and use it over and over again.  A strategy that would completely eliminate the Inzektor gameplan.

Reason #3:
We all know about Gyzarus.  You know when he's coming and when he does you better hope you have an answer.  If you don't their goes your two cards you had and then if he attacks you get another one.  I'm not a Gladiator Beast player so I actually diagrammed the play on paper and here's what it revealed.

You need a GB monster and Test Tiger.  Tag for Darius.  Use Darius to get Bestiari, and contact for Gyzarus.  Attack and likely kill something.  Then tag for Laquari, Darius, and use Darius' eff to get another GB monster and Make Heraklinos.  If you have War Chariot down that't the right play, if not use Equeste and another monster of choice to return a used War Chariot which you should then set and Contact for Essedarii.  So at the end of the sequence two cards can net you the destruction of 4 potentially while slapping down a big beater with backrow support.  Sounds like a situation I'd rather not be in.

Reason #4:
It basically goes off of reason 3.  They can pop cards all over the place and get their pluses.  They have cards like Respite, Proving Ground, and War Chariot to keep themselves in a constantly threatening position while using cards like Bestiari Murmillo, and Gyzarus to destroy cards and using Equeste to recycle War Chariot until they can throw down Heraklinos which usually ends up meaning game for most players.

Conclusion
The following generic cards have a lot of potential use against inzektors

1. D.D. Crow
2. Crevice into the Different Dimension
3. Chain Disappearance
4. Dimensional Fissure
5. Debunk
6. Effect Veiler
7. Skill Drain
8. Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror
9. Trap Hole
10. Doomcaliber Knight
11. Deck Devastation Virus 

Of all the decks I see out there, the one that seems to have the best match-up against Inzektors that is relatively inexpensive and easy to put together is Gladiator Beasts.  They have a lot of good abilities and this match-up will put them on display if done right.

Comments are always appreciated and if you feel I missed something don't hesitate to point it out, so that other players can benefit from the shared knowledge.

Happy Dueling,
Michael