Well, although DC/DS isn’t really meta anymore, as a DC/DS main I thought I would take it upon myself to do a thorough deck building analysis of the current builds for a serious competitive environment. In order to keep this post from going too long, I will be refraining from giving card text translations within the post, and instead will link the card text the first time a specific card is mentioned. But first of all, what are the pro/cons of this build?
Strengths/Reasons to play the deck
+ Very high finishing power with Himari + Bouncer
+ Great early milling power using Shiina and Sakura
+ Decent toolkit of tech cards to use
+ Hazuki Level 0
Weaknesses:
– Himari limits deckbuilding
– Deckbuilding can be troublesome
– Level 2 game is non-existent/abysmal
– Has issue getting over cards/not having enough power
In order to help get over the hurdle of this meta build having a deckbuilding issue, this post aims to discuss the most popular build options (and my personal opinions) that the meta DC/DS build takes, so without further ado let us start with the “Necessary” cards that are used as the backbone of almost every build.
- 8x Climaxes (4x Finisher 4x Level 1)
- 4x Himari, Lively Morning
- 4x Level 1 Combo Piece
- 4x “Special Day – God of the Sun -” Nemu
- 4x Shiina, Pale Feeling
- 3x Brainstorm Option
- 2x Early Play Healer Option
- 1x Arisa, Special Time for Two
- 1x Noeri, Commitment to the Younger-sister Character
The backbone of every meta build will most likely consist of these 31 cards at the minimum. Breaking them down further;
The main reason you would even play the DC/DS set currently, the infamous Himari, Lively Morning finisher. Extremely strong finisher, great kill power, and relatively cheap cost. The cornerstone of the deck. 4x for max consistency.
Level 1 Combo Piece:
The choice of your level 1 combo here is completely dependent on personal preference between the choice Arisa or the bar Nino. I will write a future in-depth discussion on the differences between the two level 1 combos, but for the purposes of this post I will be using the choice level 1 as a reference.
Your core level 0 game, consisting of the Nemu Cleancut and Shiina for your main offensive attackers and 3 brainstormers, generally using the salvage Sorane. There are some arguments to whether the Shiina can actually be considered a necessary card, with some builds opting to run either the Sakura as the main memory mill pusher or the Hiyori level 0 as an attacker, however this puts even more of a reliance on the Nemu, and thus I believe that the 4x Shiina is much better choice for ease of mill and also lets you play the level 0 game more aggressively, as the Shiina can help refill back your hand.
The absolute minimum number of the other level 3 cards you can run. The Arisa bouncer and Noeri stockswapper are necessary techs, the bouncer especially synergizing very well with your finisher, while the Early Play Healer slot helps round out the level 2 game albeit just slightly. The choice of EP Healer is usually better to go for the Ricca, as although on paper the Nino seems better with an always active condition and being a stock healer instead of a normal healer, the 3x memory condition is a lot more stock intensive than initially thought, and Dacapo in general has a much bigger hand issue compared to a stock issue.
Highly Recommended:
- 2x Otome, Perfect Affection
- 2nd Arisa, Special Time for Two
- 2x Hazuki, Time to Spend Together
- 1x Sumomo, Secret of a Secret
- 1x Arisa, One-day Wedding
As this deck’s finisher synergizes extremely well with a bouncer, having the 2nd bouncer for extra added consistency is very highly recommended, alongside using the Otome alternate finisher as a plan B in case you do not draw into any climaxes, need extra points of burn damage, or you need the untargettable effect against decks like Charlotte.
For the other level 0 cards, the Hazuki can honestly be said to be another main reason to play Dacapo in the first place, as a global +500 alongside being able to get rid of troublesome cards by sending it to clock is an extremely valuable effect that not that many sets have the luxury of running. A climax swapper usually helps as a 1 of to get out of some awkward situations of drawing the wrong climax, while the Arisa level 0 helps put your bouncer into memory to summon it without stock later on, and also helps you dig your deck for a crucial climax draw.
And with these cards out of the way, The rest of the deck slots are usually filled with various tech/flex cards depending on what you expect the meta to be in addition to cards to help fit your personal playstyle better. I will list the most relevant cards to consider down below.
Extra Consistency Boosters
Meta Relevant Tech
If you are running a more heavy memory based level 0 game alongside the bar combo, the Mahiru is generally the better pick for anti-early play, however the Miu helps play against standby decks much better as the Miu can actually kill 2/2s. Miu coupled with Hazuki also helps get rid of the card on board, getting around pesky encore cards standby usually runs. The Aisia is a very specific tech into the Kaguya matchup, as it is extremely good at getting over their Miyuki early play while also leaving you with an empty board to play around Kaguya’s on reverse effects and finisher.
Backrow Memory Pushers
These backrow are usually worth considering as a 1 of, as both of these can be used as a secondary option to put your bouncer into memory while also giving power. However, as hand is a very valuable resource for Dacapo, do not be afraid to use these cards to just crash into a lane for a turn to preserve hand. The Nino is generally more used in bar builds while the Arisu is more used in choice builds.
Events
The main 2 events to keep an eye out on are the xylophone event and the horror event, as the xylophone event can help prolong certain game states with extra heals while the horror event is very meta dependent on whether there are certain problematic finishers you absolutely must stop damage on. The Paradise System event is a bar build only option, as it helps keep your hand up while also milling through the deck faster, which the bar build can have troubles doing.
Mill Cards
Cards that help fill out the void and helps mill faster. I personally recommend running 2~3 of any of these, and mostly recommend Sakura as the Sakura synergizes extremely well with the rest of your level 0 game, as a Nemu + Shiina + Sakura going 2nd turn is an extremely aggressive but strong power play that this deck has access too. However, as the Sakura requires extra stock, the easier option of faster mill would be to just use the Sorane or Mikoto as a costless mill, with the Sorane synergizing better with the Nemu level 0 while the Mikoto is a bigger beater for your level 1 game.
Level 0 Red Attackers
Mainly used to help fill out extra red colors. Honestly, the Hiyori is such a great card that is unfortunately held back by its very low 1000 power, as a free runner and a twin-drive would probably see massive play in some other set. Miu is another option to run for a more heavy emphasis on memory compression, and in general is another salvage option as a red card.
Others
The Noeri is very useful in giving extra power, as the deck generally suffers from having too weak power, and is especially relevant for the bar build. Similarly, the Otome Recording effect is a more relevant card for the bar build to help increase consistency and get out of brick hands better, but can be added as an extra red option for the choice build. Using one of the many drop search or salvage options you have access to can be very helpful in smoothing out your middle game, and which one you choose ends up depending on your personal preference. (I personally prefer Aoi, however the Otome is generally more used).
Interesting Considerations
Although risky, if you think that your current local area is unequipped to deal with it, you may consider running the Otome change package for your level 2 game. If the opponent does not have a 1/1 or 2/1 anti-early play reverser, having 1 lane of Otome, Perfect Affection out at level 2 can be seriously problematic and can just help you win games out of nowhere. To add to this, the 2/1 Erica, Touching Heart is also another good consideration, as a global 500 and hand encore while it itself having hand encore lets your board be a lot more stickier than it should be.
The Mikoto is an interesting card, as on paper its not that good. However, being able to hand fix from clock gives you slightly more selectivity which the deck can lack sometimes, while also having a semi-relevant sent to waiting room effect that can help you get out of a level locked situation, pushing yourself up to level 3 in order to play your finisher for lethal.
Finally, although not that good, the Chiyoko may end up being relevant for future sets, as more and more sets are getting more problematic backup cards or events. Generally it is probably better to run extra bouncers, but this is a consideration nonetheless as it helps secure a lane for an Otome, Perfect Affection instead of your normal Himari Finisher.
My Current Build:
As the Circus 20th Anniversary set is a very variable building set, I would only use this post and its information as a baseline to start, and experiment heavily for yourself in order to find the build that fits your personal playstyle/plays into the meta best.
Currykaesu - Fair Curry Gamers 