Lore Archive

"The Yosenju are wind yokai out of Japanese folklore — they come, they strike, and they return from whence they came, leaving nothing behind. This mechanic of returning to hand at the End Phase, once perceived as a disadvantage, becomes the engine of their resilience: they cannot be answered because they refuse to stay long enough to be eliminated. Every turn they are summoned again from the hand, and every turn the opponent must deal with the same relentless assault as if encountering them for the first time."

The Yosenju are wind yokai from Japanese folklore, and their artworks keep turning up in each other: a shrine gate carved with the whole clan, three brothers who always travel together, and a gathering under a red sky. Follow a marked name to walk the trail.

Yosen Training Grounds
I · The gate
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  1. The Yosenju training grounds. From left to right: Shinchu L, Kama 2, Kama 1, Kama 3 and Shinchu R. The same structure returns in Dizzying Winds of Yosen Village and Wind Worship.

  2. The left half of a torii, the gate of a Shinto shrine; the name means "left sickle god pillar". Its blue face and the red one of Shinchu R follow the "red oni, blue oni" pairing, which also matches the blue and red Pendulum Zones. Carved on it, left to right: Tsujik, Magat, Misak and the lower half of Daibak.

  3. The right half, red-faced. Its carvings finish the picture: the upper half of Daibak, then Kama 1, Kama 2 and Kama 3. It was the first Pendulum Monster that could Pendulum Summon with a copy of itself in the other zone.

  4. The Kama brothers are the kamaitachi, weasels that ride whirlwinds and slice at passers-by. In the Hida Province version they are three brother gods who travel together, and the first knocks the victim down: hence his upward swipe. His name also holds a sickle (kama) and a great sword (tachi).

  5. The second brother cuts. The Japanese names count the three: the "i" in Kamaitachi can be read as "one", the "ni" in Kamanitachi means "two" and the "mi" in Kamamitachi "three".

  6. The third brother pours medicine into the wound to take the pain away.

  7. All three at once, as in the myth: Kama 1 stuns, Kama 2 cuts and Kama 3 heals.

  8. His name mixes tsujigiri, "crossroad killing", with tsujikaze, a whirlwind. He is the first carving on Shinchu L, and appears in Sword Sting and Wind Worship.

  9. Modelled on Sylvio Sawatari in the disguise he wore before his Duel with Yuya in Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V episode 31. His effect places Dizzying Winds of Yosen Village or Yosen Whirlwind face-up: the two cards Sylvio first used in that Duel.

  10. Tsujik (left) and Sabu (right) in one flash of wind.

  11. An oroshi is a strong wind blowing down a mountain slope. In the artwork: Shinchu L, Shinchu R and Oyam, who is based on the yamabiko, the mountain spirit of echoes.

  12. The clan gathers at the structure from the training grounds: Tsujik in the bottom-left corner, then Kama 3, Izna, Sabu, and Kama 2 and Kama 1 in the bottom-right corner. The red sky may mean Hitot is coming.

  13. Based on Hitotsu Me no Muraji, a one-eyed dragon god of Japanese mythology who controls the weather.

  14. Another kamaitachi, hence the weasel shape. Its Japanese name, Daibakaze, is written "large sword calamity righteousness", but also sounds like "large whirlwind". Its winds blow through Dizzying Winds of Yosen Village, and it is carved across both pillars: the lower half on Shinchu L, the upper half on Shinchu R.

Executive Summary

The Yosenju archetype is a unique collection of WIND monsters that operate on a principle of swift, overwhelming assaults followed by a tactical retreat. Their core identity is built around generating multiple Normal Summons in a single turn, allowing them to function effectively even under floodgates that restrict Special Summoning. This "hit-and-run" strategy allows the player to commit heavily to breaking an opponent's board, only to return their monsters safely to the hand, leaving the opponent to face a wall of powerful trap cards.

Core Mechanics

The Kama Chain

The heart of the deck. Each of the three "Kama" monsters, upon being Normal Summoned, grants an additional Normal Summon for another "Yosenju" monster. This creates a chain reaction, allowing a player to summon all three from the hand in one turn without a single Special Summon.

End Phase Retreat

Nearly all Yosenju monsters share a mandatory effect: if they were Normal or Special Summoned, they return to the hand during the End Phase. This mechanic is the archetype's greatest strength and weakness, enabling a powerful, evasive playstyle but leaving the field empty and vulnerable.

The Yosenju Pantheon

Yosenju Kama 1

The primary removal tool. If another "Yosenju" monster is on the field, it can target and return one face-up card the opponent controls to the hand'?a powerful form of non-destruction removal.

Yosenju Kama 2

The enabler. This monster can attack directly, albeit for halved damage. This is crucial for guaranteeing that battle damage is inflicted, which triggers the effect of Kama 3.

Yosenju Kama 3

The searcher and engine. When another Yosenju inflicts battle damage, it allows you to search for any "Yosenju" card from your deck, ensuring you have plays for the next turn.

The Foundational Combo: The Kama Chain

Combo Guide
These combos may contain errors or use banned cards. If you spot an issue, submit a replay to help keep this guide accurate.
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The entire non-pendulum strategy revolves around assembling the three Kama brothers. This sequence allows you to break boards, gain advantage, and set up your Extra Deck plays. The best part is you can find the Yosenju cards you need from your deck when you complete your combos.

Yosenju Kama 3
Missing: 28630501
1

Initiate the Chain

Normal Summon Yosenju Kama 3. Activate its effect to gain an additional Normal Summon.

Yosenju Kama 1
2

Summon and Remove

Use the extra summon to Normal Summon Yosenju Kama 1. Use its effect to summon Yosenju Kama 2. With three Yosenjus on board, use Kama 1's other effect to bounce a problematic card your opponent controls.

Yosenju Kama 2
3

Attack and Search

Attack directly with Yosenju Kama 2. When it deals damage, trigger Yosenju Kama 3's effect to search any "Yosenju" card from your deck, setting you up for your next turn.

The End Board: A Field of Traps

Unlike combo decks that build a board of negates, a Yosenju player's ideal end board is often an empty monster field. After the Kama trio returns to the hand, the player is left with a full hand for next turn and a backrow of powerful floodgates and traps to survive the opponent's turn.

Typical "Stun" End Board

  • Empty Monster Zones: All Yosenju monsters have returned to the hand.
  • Active Floodgates: Cards like Rivalry of Warlords or Lose 1 Turn are face-up, crippling the opponent's strategy.
  • Set Disruption: Multiple set cards like Yosenjus' Secret Move, Solemn Strike, or Infinite Impermanence are ready to interrupt plays.

The "Go-Second" Pivot

If the OTK fails, Main Phase 2 is used to create a disruptive Xyz monster before the Kamas return to hand.

Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir

Number 41: Bagooska

Summoned in defense, it forces all monsters into defense and negates their activated effects, stalling the game for a turn.

Competitive Analysis

Strengths

  • Floodgate Resilient: Functions incredibly well under cards that stop Special Summoning.
  • Evasive Power: Returning to the hand makes the deck naturally resilient to board wipes like Raigeki and Dark Hole.
  • Potent "Go-Second" Strategy: Excellent at breaking established boards through a combination of bouncing effects and Kaijus.

Weaknesses

  • Fragile Choke Point: The entire Kama chain relies on the first Normal Summon resolving. A single negate can end the turn.
  • Empty Board Vulnerability: If the backrow is insufficient, the empty field is completely open to direct attacks.
  • Anti-Search Effects: Cards like Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring can stop the crucial search from Kama 3.

Key Tech Choices

  • Fire Formation - Tenki: Essentially provides 3 extra copies of any Kama monster, drastically boosting consistency.
  • Kaiju Engine: Provides unparalleled monster removal and has a unique recycling synergy with Kama 1.
  • Stun Traps: Cards like Rivalry of Warlords and Gozen Match cripple many meta decks while leaving Yosenju unaffected.

Banlist Impact

The Yosenju archetype itself is largely untouched by the TCG banlist, but key synergistic cards it relies on are affected.

Affected Synergistic Cards

Limited

  • Card of Demise

Banlist Status Summary

+ analyzed • 0 archetype restrictions • 1 synergistic card restricted