Fighter's Spotlight is an ongoing project concerned with tracking real-world professional cardfighters across the globe.
Murakami is to the right, holding the second place trophy.
Murakami Kazuya/村上和也
Age: Unknown; Seniors Division
Titles Won: Sendai Regional Champion (Senior Class), National Runner-Up (Japan, Senior Class)
Current Status: National Runner-Up (Summer 2011)
Deck Type: Royal Paladin (Alfred-Soul Saver Dragon)
Murakami made his first appearance in the competitive scene at the Summer 2011 Sendai Regional, in June of 2011. Taking first place with his Royal Paladin deck, he proceeded on to face
Shitakawachi in the first ever national-level Vanguard competition, held in August. However, Murakami ultimately lost this fight, placing as the runner-up. It is unknown if he participated during the following Grand Prix; he has not appeared on official listings since then.
Decks and Play Style
Murakami is noted primarily for paving the way for much of Japan's competitive scene, as Sendai was the first ward of Japan to have a tournament. As such, its results were available ahead of the other tournaments. He's also recognized as one of the earliest advocates for the Royal Paladin clan, defining what are internationally known as its primary strategies with his first decklist. Ironically, the very strategies that Murakami originated became the basis for the deck that would defeat him in the Summer of 2011.
His opponent in the final rounds of the Sendai tournament was
Gotou Hirotaka. Unlike Murakami, Gotou advocated for a more heavily Alfred-centric build, using Bors for support in their fight. Murakami's strategy was to superior ride from Barcgal into Blaster Blade, building up the soul for Soul Saver Dragon's soulblast; High Dog Breeder, Akane and Pongal were additional support cards for his strategy. His grade 1s included just three copies of the Flash Shield, Iseult--typical for the time, as Murakami only ran 2 draw triggers--Lien for her deck-searching capability, Marron as a universal booster, and Lionmane Stallion to support a rearguard Alfred. As Lionmane was also a viable target for Akane, Murakami could take advantage of this to use Alfred to superior call Akane and Akane to superior call Lionmane, building up for the turn in which he would ride Soul Saver Dragon.
Murakami's initial decklist included 3 copies of Blaster Blade, with one Gancelot to make up the difference--thus accounting both for the possibility of his Barcgal being retired, and that one may end up in the damage zone. While the build was somewhat rough for the time and likely ruled by budget, it was nonetheless able to either gain card advantage through superior ride and call, or else punish the opponent that attempted to break this advantage with retire skills.
Summer 2011 Regional Tournament, Sendai Seniors Division
Card Pool: TD01-BT02, PR 0001-0018
Grade 0
x1 Barcgal
x4 Future Knight, Llew CT
x3 Flogal ST (TD)
x2 Margal DT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT (TD)
x3 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT (TD)
Grade 1
x3 Flash Shield, Iseult
x3 Lake Maiden, Lien
x4 Pongal
x4 Little Sage, Marron (BT)
x1 Lionmane Stallion
Grade 2
x3 Blaster Blade (BT)
x4 Knight of Silence, Gallatin
x2 High-Dog Breeder, Akane
x2 Knight of Truth, Gordon
Grade 3
x4 King of Knights, Alfred
x1 Solitary Knight, Gancelot
x2 Soul Saver Dragon
The revised deck Murakami brought to Japan's summer national was, unfortunately, not up to par. Between the two decks, Murakami removed one of his Soul Saver Dragons and ditched Gancelot in favor of an additional Blaster Blade. With just five grade 3s and Akane absent from the deck, he would theoretically be dealing with ride problems in the finals--whether this was actually the case or not is unknown. Murakami appears to have substituted out several of his key cards in favor of other, less useful units--cutting Akane for Randolf and additional Gordons, and Margal for another Flogal, the changes are drastic enough that it becomes ambiguous if this Murakami Kazuya is indeed the same Murakami Kazuya from Sendai.
Murakami appears to have rather strangely cut the trial deck Marrons and Elaines in the transition, but on account of the identical kanji(there are around eight ways to write Murakami in Japanese, similar to the Fisher-Fischer shift in English) and the requirements for national participation, it must be concluded that these two cardfighters are in fact the same person.
Summer National Championship 2011, Seniors Division (Japan)
Card Pool: TD01-BT02, PR 0001-0018
Grade 0
x1 Barcgal
x4 Future Knight, Llew CT
x4 Bringer of Good Luck, Epona CT
x4 Flogal ST
x4 Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine HT
Grade 1
x4 Flash Shield, Iseult
x4 Little Sage, Marron
x3 Lake Maiden, Lien
x4 Pongal
Grade 2
x4 Blaster Blade
x4 Knight of Silence, Gallatin
x1 Covenant Knight, Randolf
x4 Knight of Truth, Gordon
Grade 3
x4 King of Knights, Alfred
x1 Soul Saver Dragon
