Is Narukami just that good?

I've been reading the Australia decklists for first and second place along with Mexico... I presume those were first off relatively small turnouts but WTF decklists....


(i) Australia
Champion: Lam Nguyen
Narukami (TBD/DKV Version)

Grade 3 (8):
3x Thunder Break Dragon
3x Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion
2x Dreadcharge Dragon

Grade 2 (10):
4x Thunderstorm Dragoon
2x Dragonic Deathscythe
2x Demonic Dragon Berserker
2x Brightlance Dragoon

Grade 1 (14):
3x Dragon Dancer, RaiRai
4x Red River Dragoon
4x Wyvern Guard, Guld
3x Photon Bomber Wyvern

Grade 0 (18):
4x Yellow Gem Carbuncle (Critical)
4x Demonic Dragon Nymph, Seiobo (Heal)
4x Lizard Soldier, Saishin (FV1)
4x Zephyr Kid, Hayate (Stand)
2x Old Dragon Mage (Draw)
2x Dragon Dancer Catharina (Stand)
1x Spark Kid Dragoon (FV2)

Total: 50 Cards

So WTF? I love Narukami but this is just wierd...

Grade 3 line-up is fine until instead of Breakthrough Dragon he decides to put in Dreadcharge Dragon... Dafuq??

The list seems fine until Brightlance Dragon but that can be overlooked as it's basically Thunderstorms 5-6...

Triple Rai Rai no comment...
6x Stand no comment...

4x Saishin...
1x Spark Kid... 
How the hell will you know which one you need? for the matchup? Obviously he is going to use Spark Kid for the Starting Vanguard... but Saishin is going to be mostly just useless chaff unless he is able to call it out when there is a target for it's skill consistently not to mention it's not going to be free. Just a more restrictive less good Kimnara at that point.

Then there is Mexico!!


(ii) Mexico
Champion: Alam Baruch
Narukami (TBD Version)

Grade 3 (5):
2x Thunder Break Dragon
1x Dragoni Kaiser Vermillion
2x Plasmabite Dragon

Grade 2 (12):
3x Dragonic Deathscythe
3x Demonic Dragon Berserker, Garuda
3x Hex Cannon Wyvern
3x Thunderstorm Dragon

Grade 1 (16):
2x Dragon Dancer, RaiRai
4x Wyvern Guard, Guld
4x Red River Dragoon
3x Desert Gunner, Raien
3x Photon Bomber Wyvern

Grade 1 (17):
1x Spark Kid Dragoon (FV)
4x Demonic Dragon Nymph, Seiobo (Heal)
4x Yellow Gem Carbuncle (Critical)
4x Old Dragon Mage (Draw)
4x Malevolent Djinn (Critical)

Total: 50 Cards

So hmm 5 Grade 3.. 1 Spark Kid... but in exchange he gets to run 2 Extra Grade 1 Rairai for his 2 count em 2 Thunderbreak Dragon... Fact remains he won... somehow he won I'll never understand this but one more list remains to validate this awkward situation of only the least orthodox Narukami builds winning and this one is for America!


(viii) USA (Seattle)
Champion: Poj Tony Sirisakdiwan
Narukami (Vermillion Version)

Grade 3 (7):
1x Riot General, Gyras
1x Thunder Break Dragon
1x Breakthrough Dragon
4x Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion

Grade 2 (12):
3x Demonic Dragon Berserker, Garuda
3x Dragonic Deathscythe
4x Thunderstorm Dragoon
2x Hex Cannon Wyvern

Grade 1 (14):
4x Red River Dragoon
2x Desert Gunner, Raien
2x Photon Bomber Wyvern
2x Rising Phoenix
4x Wyvern Guard, Guld

Grade 0 (17):
1x Spark Kid Dragoon (FV)
4x Old Dragon Mage (Draw)
4x Demonic Dragon Nymph, Seiobo (Heal)
4x Yellow Gem Carbuncle (Critical)
4x Malevolent Djinn (Critical)

First you may all notice that he runs 1 Thunder Break and 1 Gyras... You'd think that's wierd but then you look once more... at the 4 Vermillion... he has 2 separate Backup Vanguards both of which can actually help out in different situations. Along with 1 good Grade 3 Rearguard.

Grade 2 is quite standard

Grade 1 has 2 Rising Phoenix... I run 1 but have recently adopted Gyras and a second for testing purposes.

So basically two awkward Narukami builds outside of USA and 1 relatively standard build inside of USA... I'm starting to wonder are the players just on the level of consistent Final Turns or are they just in really small turnouts or relatively unskilled ones?

No matter how awkward the builds though they still won and will be getting a free flight to Nationals...