Lotus of the Mizuryuu

Most entities in today’s decks cost 3 or less. In nine community lists posted on The Gate, 223 of 297 entities do, from 12 of 33 in Cat’s Bobu list to 38 of 40 in the Kagoro list. Lotus almost always has a target, and against wide, cheap boards it takes two or three.

For 3 IKZ and one card, taking one entity is an even trade. Taking two or three puts you one or two cards ahead.

It reaches what your attacks can’t. You can only attack tapped entities in your opponent’s Garden; Lotus also takes untapped ones, Defenders included. Cast it before you attack to clear Foamback Crab, Penny, Raimaru the Stolen or Lone Journeyman out of the way. Foamback Crab, in every Water list, can’t take damage from card effects, so most removal can’t touch it; Lotus can, with room for a 1-cost entity next to it.

Most of Water’s other cheap removal returns entities to hand, which decks built on On Play effects like Hayabusa Itto and Fumiko are happy to replay. The bottom of the deck doesn’t give the card back.

Take entities that will keep mattering, not ones that already did their job. A searcher like Hayabusa Itto or Ruby has used its On Play; Mocking Dummy, Black Jade Crewleader, a Defender or Silver Current, Haruhi will matter again next turn.

It only reaches the Garden. Entities waiting in the Alley are safe, so against Water, keep your important cheap entities there until you need them. Anything costing 4 or more needs a bigger answer, like Mizuryuu’s Torrent, Pulled Under, Puddle Abduction or Vessel of Mizuryuu.

With The Sisters as your Leader, the removal should trigger their ability once, for a weapon costing up to a removed entity’s base cost. A 3-cost target opens Lightning Kanabō or Tenraku; three 1-costs only open a 1-cost weapon like Hidden Dagger.