Infernity Barrier
Counter Trap
Activate only if you control a face-up Attack Position "Infernity" monster and have no cards in hand. When your opponent activates the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster, negate the activation of that card and destroy it.
Secret Rare
--
Confirmed for TCG edition of The Shining Darkness (TSHD)
Monday, March 22, 2010
A Look At The Format So Far
The March 1, 2010 Advanced format is about three weeks old at this point, and we're starting to get a better grip on the top decks. As is usually the case in YGO, the top tier is an assortment of expected/preordained contenders, and a few surprises. At the top we have:
Tier 1
Rescue Cat Variants ("pure" Cat w/o Flamvell, Flamvell Cat)
Flamvell Variants (Flamvell with no Cat/Beasts, w/Battle Fader etc.)
Blackwings
Lightsworn
Machina/Gadget
Infernity (OCG only)
These decks appear to have distinguished themselves to a high degree. Right behind them:
Tier 2
X-Sabers
Final Countdown
Gladiator Beasts
Zombies
Plant Synchro
Light and Darkness Dragon/heavy Monarch
Dragunity (OCG only)
Below that, we have a variety of decks including
Tier 3
Codarus/A Legendary Ocean
Insect
Koa'ki Meiru
Aliens
Cyber Dragon/Machine
I'm probably leaving out a few decks. Either way, we are looking at one of the most diverse formats in a while, certainly more so than the dull hierarchy of last format, and perhaps even beyond the free-for-all of DSF format. This profound change can be attributed to several factors.
1. The Death of the Destiny and Ligthsworn engines
While I do not approve of Kevin Tewart's decision-making logic, or even his lacking professionalism (he has numerous times revealed obvious biases against cards like Tribe-Infecting Virus, Spirit Reaper, and the whole Destiny Hero archetype), the Destiny engine was a cancer that had been eating at YGO since 2007, and needed to go. The sheer power of Elemental Hero Stratos, its unintended synergies with the ancient Reinforcement of the Army, and the seamless ability of Destiny Hero - Malicious to fuel Tribute and Synchro Summons while also providing acceleration with Destiny Draw, made this "theme" a mainstay of tier 1 decks for almost 3 calendar years. T-Hero, DDT, PCM, LaDD, DAD Return, Prisma Glads, TeleDAD, JeffJones.dek, SalvoDAD, DHZ, AbsZero...the list goes on and on, spanning a wide range of disparate types, attributes, and formats unified in their love of Stratos and his cohorts.
With D-Draw, Allure of Darkness, and RotA all at 1, and Malicious at 2, the engine has become terribly shaky. The inability to have a D-Draw to pair with your Malicious/RotA/Stratos now gives rise to too many hands filled with dead cards and incomplete combos. The ultimate impact of this inconsistency is that players must now resort to alternative engines to emulate the advantage provided by the D-engine for years. The decline of Stratos et al has been the windfall of Flamvell and Machina in particular, and Setting in general. Without the accleration and rapid advantage of a RotA/Hero engine, many decks now resort to slower monsters like Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and the classic Gravekeeper's Spy to manufacture card advantage.
On the other end of Mr. Tewart's spectrum is the Lightsworn engine, with its RotA/D-Draw clones (Charge of the Light Brigade and Solar Recharge, respectively), which went untouched until just recently. With the limits on Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, CotLB, and Necro Gardna, the LS engine can no longer as consistently set up plays like Lumina + Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, mill copies of Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, and/or set up incredible fields of multiple Lightsworn monsters backed up by graved copies of Necro Gardna. This gives other decks a chance to breathe, further reinforcing the return to Setting and the pursuit of alternative engines that can now stand on at least equal footing with their Destiny and Lightsworn predecessors.
2. The Rise of Flamvell
Whereas Rescue Cat's attributes as a powerful, competitive engine in tandem with Summoner Monk, X-Saber Airbellum, and Arcanite Magician is well known, its newest ally, the Flamvell monsters, have only recently come to prominence. Competitive players immediately saw the brokenness inherent in Flamvell Firedog and Rekindling upon their release in Ancient Prophecy: after all, Firedog was a superior version of Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame, and Rekindling has a ridiculous swarm effect reminiscent of Dimension Fusion and/or Return from the Different Dimension. These cards were always good, but they haven't had a sufficient window of opportunity until now. The decline of the Destiny and Lightsworn engines, and the return of the briefly dormant Cat Synchro archetype, has given Flamvell an ample chance to becomea tier 1 engine. Flamvell Magician's attributes as a valid search target for Flamvell Firedog AND Summoner Monk, and its perk of being the only Level 4 Tuner which dodges the ubiquitous Bottomless Trap Hole, has cemented a decktype which can relentlessly spam Stardust Dragon.
Stardust Dragon is now arguably more powerful than ever. The relative weakening of Blackwings (until the next set, anyway), the banning of Dark Strike Fighter, and the typically sheepish return of many players to Gladiator Beasts, has made Stardust Dragon + fat Spell/Trap backrow a game-winning strategy. Starlight Road (see my previous article on that subject) has made Stardust itself even more decisive; having your Mirror Force or Heavy Storm negated by Road, and then having to deal with a floater Stardust thereafter, is more than many decks can handle. The overpowering position of Stardust has pushed GB back down to tier 2 at least. It has also quelled some of the hype around Super Nimble Mega-Hamster, due to the ability of Flamvell Firedog to run it over and then segue into a Stardust (via Magician) and make Hamster searches like Ryko into dead cards.
3. Cyber Dragon and the Machinas
Machina Gearframe is the new Elemental Hero Stratos. It can search an array of useful targets, including Machina Soldier, Machina Sniper, Machina Fortress, Machina Peacekeeper, and Machina Force. In tandem with Destiny's decline, it finally puts Gadgets over the hump of having lots of big bodies (mainly Gearframe + Fortress) to reduce their reliance on simplistic removal. Fortress is also one of the better anti-Stardust cards, in that it has enough ATK to at least trade with the Dragon, and can net a +1 in the process!
Cyber Dragon's return to 2 copies per deck has been a boon and a curse for this decktype, though, and for other decktypes, too. CyDrag's ability to be a high-utility offensive weapon, which also segue into an easy Synchro by simply Normal Summoning a Tuner, has thrust it back to the forefront of competitive play. It can bait out cards like Bottomless Trap Hole, run over the annoying Gravekeeper's Spy/Guard and Flamvell Firedog, and...it can make Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, the bane of Machine decks everywhere. CyDrag's default status as a Raigeki against Gadget/Machina keeps a potentially dominant deck in check, and also makes for a convenient out to Ally of Justice Catastor and Card Trooper, both common sites in this metagame.
While CyDrag may no have helped already dominant decks like Blackwings or Lightsworn, it has become a powerful, versatile tool for a variety of newly competitive decks, and has reinforced the strength of Flamvell/Cat.
That touches on some of the major tectonic shifts in this metagame. Some other shifts to be wary of:
-Nobleman of Crossout is amazing now that so many decks attempt to exploit Ryko, Spy, Guard, and Hamster.
-Dimensional Prison is arguably superior to Mirror Force and Torretial Tribute since it dodges common powercards like Stardust, Starlight, and My Body as a Shield. It also doesn't feed your opponent's lingering Pot of Avarice/Rekindling.
-Final Countdown is a real annoyance. A burn-oriented side with Stealth Bird can be one of the more effective counters to this decktype.
-The lack of Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier may hamper Infernity's power in the TCG; Mist Wurm, though powerful, simply cannot disrupt a game like Trishula can.
(Did you know that Trishula, Brionac, and Gungnir, the three most powerful Ice Barrier monsters, are all named after Scandinavian spears?)
My current decks are a Flamvell/Synchro variant without Beasts, and an Alien deck which now runs double Starlight as well as One for One. My next post will look at some of the cards from Duelist Revolution, the upcoming OCG set.
Tier 1
Rescue Cat Variants ("pure" Cat w/o Flamvell, Flamvell Cat)
Flamvell Variants (Flamvell with no Cat/Beasts, w/Battle Fader etc.)
Blackwings
Lightsworn
Machina/Gadget
Infernity (OCG only)
These decks appear to have distinguished themselves to a high degree. Right behind them:
Tier 2
X-Sabers
Final Countdown
Gladiator Beasts
Zombies
Plant Synchro
Light and Darkness Dragon/heavy Monarch
Dragunity (OCG only)
Below that, we have a variety of decks including
Tier 3
Codarus/A Legendary Ocean
Insect
Koa'ki Meiru
Aliens
Cyber Dragon/Machine
I'm probably leaving out a few decks. Either way, we are looking at one of the most diverse formats in a while, certainly more so than the dull hierarchy of last format, and perhaps even beyond the free-for-all of DSF format. This profound change can be attributed to several factors.
1. The Death of the Destiny and Ligthsworn engines
While I do not approve of Kevin Tewart's decision-making logic, or even his lacking professionalism (he has numerous times revealed obvious biases against cards like Tribe-Infecting Virus, Spirit Reaper, and the whole Destiny Hero archetype), the Destiny engine was a cancer that had been eating at YGO since 2007, and needed to go. The sheer power of Elemental Hero Stratos, its unintended synergies with the ancient Reinforcement of the Army, and the seamless ability of Destiny Hero - Malicious to fuel Tribute and Synchro Summons while also providing acceleration with Destiny Draw, made this "theme" a mainstay of tier 1 decks for almost 3 calendar years. T-Hero, DDT, PCM, LaDD, DAD Return, Prisma Glads, TeleDAD, JeffJones.dek, SalvoDAD, DHZ, AbsZero...the list goes on and on, spanning a wide range of disparate types, attributes, and formats unified in their love of Stratos and his cohorts.
With D-Draw, Allure of Darkness, and RotA all at 1, and Malicious at 2, the engine has become terribly shaky. The inability to have a D-Draw to pair with your Malicious/RotA/Stratos now gives rise to too many hands filled with dead cards and incomplete combos. The ultimate impact of this inconsistency is that players must now resort to alternative engines to emulate the advantage provided by the D-engine for years. The decline of Stratos et al has been the windfall of Flamvell and Machina in particular, and Setting in general. Without the accleration and rapid advantage of a RotA/Hero engine, many decks now resort to slower monsters like Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and the classic Gravekeeper's Spy to manufacture card advantage.
On the other end of Mr. Tewart's spectrum is the Lightsworn engine, with its RotA/D-Draw clones (Charge of the Light Brigade and Solar Recharge, respectively), which went untouched until just recently. With the limits on Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, CotLB, and Necro Gardna, the LS engine can no longer as consistently set up plays like Lumina + Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, mill copies of Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, and/or set up incredible fields of multiple Lightsworn monsters backed up by graved copies of Necro Gardna. This gives other decks a chance to breathe, further reinforcing the return to Setting and the pursuit of alternative engines that can now stand on at least equal footing with their Destiny and Lightsworn predecessors.
2. The Rise of Flamvell
Whereas Rescue Cat's attributes as a powerful, competitive engine in tandem with Summoner Monk, X-Saber Airbellum, and Arcanite Magician is well known, its newest ally, the Flamvell monsters, have only recently come to prominence. Competitive players immediately saw the brokenness inherent in Flamvell Firedog and Rekindling upon their release in Ancient Prophecy: after all, Firedog was a superior version of Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame, and Rekindling has a ridiculous swarm effect reminiscent of Dimension Fusion and/or Return from the Different Dimension. These cards were always good, but they haven't had a sufficient window of opportunity until now. The decline of the Destiny and Lightsworn engines, and the return of the briefly dormant Cat Synchro archetype, has given Flamvell an ample chance to becomea tier 1 engine. Flamvell Magician's attributes as a valid search target for Flamvell Firedog AND Summoner Monk, and its perk of being the only Level 4 Tuner which dodges the ubiquitous Bottomless Trap Hole, has cemented a decktype which can relentlessly spam Stardust Dragon.
Stardust Dragon is now arguably more powerful than ever. The relative weakening of Blackwings (until the next set, anyway), the banning of Dark Strike Fighter, and the typically sheepish return of many players to Gladiator Beasts, has made Stardust Dragon + fat Spell/Trap backrow a game-winning strategy. Starlight Road (see my previous article on that subject) has made Stardust itself even more decisive; having your Mirror Force or Heavy Storm negated by Road, and then having to deal with a floater Stardust thereafter, is more than many decks can handle. The overpowering position of Stardust has pushed GB back down to tier 2 at least. It has also quelled some of the hype around Super Nimble Mega-Hamster, due to the ability of Flamvell Firedog to run it over and then segue into a Stardust (via Magician) and make Hamster searches like Ryko into dead cards.
3. Cyber Dragon and the Machinas
Machina Gearframe is the new Elemental Hero Stratos. It can search an array of useful targets, including Machina Soldier, Machina Sniper, Machina Fortress, Machina Peacekeeper, and Machina Force. In tandem with Destiny's decline, it finally puts Gadgets over the hump of having lots of big bodies (mainly Gearframe + Fortress) to reduce their reliance on simplistic removal. Fortress is also one of the better anti-Stardust cards, in that it has enough ATK to at least trade with the Dragon, and can net a +1 in the process!
Cyber Dragon's return to 2 copies per deck has been a boon and a curse for this decktype, though, and for other decktypes, too. CyDrag's ability to be a high-utility offensive weapon, which also segue into an easy Synchro by simply Normal Summoning a Tuner, has thrust it back to the forefront of competitive play. It can bait out cards like Bottomless Trap Hole, run over the annoying Gravekeeper's Spy/Guard and Flamvell Firedog, and...it can make Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, the bane of Machine decks everywhere. CyDrag's default status as a Raigeki against Gadget/Machina keeps a potentially dominant deck in check, and also makes for a convenient out to Ally of Justice Catastor and Card Trooper, both common sites in this metagame.
While CyDrag may no have helped already dominant decks like Blackwings or Lightsworn, it has become a powerful, versatile tool for a variety of newly competitive decks, and has reinforced the strength of Flamvell/Cat.
That touches on some of the major tectonic shifts in this metagame. Some other shifts to be wary of:
-Nobleman of Crossout is amazing now that so many decks attempt to exploit Ryko, Spy, Guard, and Hamster.
-Dimensional Prison is arguably superior to Mirror Force and Torretial Tribute since it dodges common powercards like Stardust, Starlight, and My Body as a Shield. It also doesn't feed your opponent's lingering Pot of Avarice/Rekindling.
-Final Countdown is a real annoyance. A burn-oriented side with Stealth Bird can be one of the more effective counters to this decktype.
-The lack of Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier may hamper Infernity's power in the TCG; Mist Wurm, though powerful, simply cannot disrupt a game like Trishula can.
(Did you know that Trishula, Brionac, and Gungnir, the three most powerful Ice Barrier monsters, are all named after Scandinavian spears?)
My current decks are a Flamvell/Synchro variant without Beasts, and an Alien deck which now runs double Starlight as well as One for One. My next post will look at some of the cards from Duelist Revolution, the upcoming OCG set.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Nobleman of Crossout
It's been a long time since this card was any good, but with the recent uptick in play for the Gravekeeper engine (Spy + Descendant and/or Guard), Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, and Super Nimble Mega-Hamster, it's much more viable now than in years. I've been siding them in nearly everything, with pretty good results. Other sideboard favorites so far this format:
-Zombie World (anti-Monarch, anti-Plant)
-Stealth Bird (anti-Final Countdown)
I'm going on spring break so I may not be able to post for a few days. I'll be back up with more deck analyses soon, though.
-Zombie World (anti-Monarch, anti-Plant)
-Stealth Bird (anti-Final Countdown)
I'm going on spring break so I may not be able to post for a few days. I'll be back up with more deck analyses soon, though.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Legendary
Last format, I pioneered a WATER-based control deck with triple Tragoedia, Deep Sea Diva, and Fenrir, among other cards, making use of a full-fledged Moray of Greed/Salvage engine. The loss of 2 Trags to the list hurt, but the release of Absolute Powerforce has breathed new life into the deck
3 Codarus
3 Deep Sea Diva
2 Skreech
2 Warrior of Atlantis
2 Minefieldriller
2 Mermaid Archer
1 Card Trooper
1 Fishborg Blaster
1 Sangan
1 Treeborn Frog
3 Salvage
3 A Legendary Ocean
3 Moray of Greed
3 Enemy Controller
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Brain Control
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
This is a fairly straightforward deck that aims to 2-for-1 rapidly with Codarus and then beat down with a stream of floaters via the Minefieldrillers, Trooper, Divas, and company. Sarc can usually be used to feed your ALO combos, or push you toward more free cards with Salvage/Moray.
I considered a wide range of other cards for this deck, from Skreech to Lekunga to Aegis of the Ocean Dragon Lord, but I think simplicity may be best in this case. Codarus/Atlantis/Minefield/Salvage between them give you an amazing removal loop that is, more importantly, immune to the twin plagues of Stardust Dragon (rampant this metagame) and Starlight Road. The advent of Gungnir will add yet another amazing tool to this deck's toolbox in the coming months, too.
3 Codarus
3 Deep Sea Diva
2 Skreech
2 Warrior of Atlantis
2 Minefieldriller
2 Mermaid Archer
1 Card Trooper
1 Fishborg Blaster
1 Sangan
1 Treeborn Frog
3 Salvage
3 A Legendary Ocean
3 Moray of Greed
3 Enemy Controller
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Brain Control
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
This is a fairly straightforward deck that aims to 2-for-1 rapidly with Codarus and then beat down with a stream of floaters via the Minefieldrillers, Trooper, Divas, and company. Sarc can usually be used to feed your ALO combos, or push you toward more free cards with Salvage/Moray.
I considered a wide range of other cards for this deck, from Skreech to Lekunga to Aegis of the Ocean Dragon Lord, but I think simplicity may be best in this case. Codarus/Atlantis/Minefield/Salvage between them give you an amazing removal loop that is, more importantly, immune to the twin plagues of Stardust Dragon (rampant this metagame) and Starlight Road. The advent of Gungnir will add yet another amazing tool to this deck's toolbox in the coming months, too.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Dragunity Pt. 2
Dragunity is, for now, an OCG theme released through the Duel Terminals and an upcoming Structure Deck. The theme is unique in that it revolves around two specific subtypes of monsters, which don't have that much in common otherwise: Dragon and Winged-Beast. Dragunity borrows the monster-card-as-Equip-Spell-Card mechanic from the Cyberdark monsters, but executes it much more smoothly. It boasts a host of exclusive, unusual Synchros, collectively named the Dragunity Knights, and can exploit several subtype-specific support cards: Icarus Attack (for Winged-Beast) and Cards of Consonance (for Dragons). The latter card in particular makes its real breakthrough in this archetype. Largely impractical in standard Dragon builds, CoC feeds off of the abundance of small Dragon-type Tuners within Dragunity.
With that in mind, let's look at a potential build:
3 Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon
3 Red-Eyes Wyvern
3 Dragunity - Darkspear
3 Dragunity - Dux
3 Dragunity - Legionnaire
3 Dragunity - Phalanx
2 Dragunity - Primus Pilus
1 Dragunity - Corseca
3 Cards of Consonance
2 Book of Moon
2 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Future Fusion
1 Brain Control
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Foolish Burial
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Icarus Attack
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Torrential Tribute
It's a bit rough, but I'm open to suggestions. This build aims to abuse the insane toolboxing potential of Future Fusion with Five-Headed Dragon: in one fell swoop, you can dump an entire Red-Eyes engine (REDMD/Wyvern) and several of your Dragunity Tuners into the Graveyard. Dux and Legionnaire retrieve your Dragons, from which point, Dragunity - Phalanx become a nutty card that permits you to Synchro at will. Legionnaire removes monsters for free, too. Primus Pilus replaces itself with a Dragunity from the Deck when Summoned, and can be synced with Darkspear for the overpowering Dragunity Knight - Barcha.
I'm not sure about the Icarus Attacks, or even the Books of Moon, both of which seemed like filler to get this to an even 40. If anyone has more experience with Dragunity, let me see your build. Thanks.
With that in mind, let's look at a potential build:
3 Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon
3 Red-Eyes Wyvern
3 Dragunity - Darkspear
3 Dragunity - Dux
3 Dragunity - Legionnaire
3 Dragunity - Phalanx
2 Dragunity - Primus Pilus
1 Dragunity - Corseca
3 Cards of Consonance
2 Book of Moon
2 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Future Fusion
1 Brain Control
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Foolish Burial
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Icarus Attack
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Torrential Tribute
It's a bit rough, but I'm open to suggestions. This build aims to abuse the insane toolboxing potential of Future Fusion with Five-Headed Dragon: in one fell swoop, you can dump an entire Red-Eyes engine (REDMD/Wyvern) and several of your Dragunity Tuners into the Graveyard. Dux and Legionnaire retrieve your Dragons, from which point, Dragunity - Phalanx become a nutty card that permits you to Synchro at will. Legionnaire removes monsters for free, too. Primus Pilus replaces itself with a Dragunity from the Deck when Summoned, and can be synced with Darkspear for the overpowering Dragunity Knight - Barcha.
I'm not sure about the Icarus Attacks, or even the Books of Moon, both of which seemed like filler to get this to an even 40. If anyone has more experience with Dragunity, let me see your build. Thanks.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Dragunity
Review will be coming soon. I need to study up on some of the cards and construct a test build before writing an analysis.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Updated Alien Build
I've been toying around with Aliens again and so far, really like the results. Here's my build:
3 Alien Warrior
3 Alien Dog
3 Alien Ammonite
2 Alien Grey
2 Alien Telepath
2 Cyber Dragon
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1 Sangan
1 Chaos Sorcerer
1 Junk Synchron
3 Mysterious Triangle
3 Code A Ancient Ruins
2 Gold Sarcophagus
2 My Body as a Shield
1 Brain Control
1 Swords of Revealing Light
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Foolish Burial
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Planet Pollutant Virus
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Call of the Haunted
The CyDrags really help in tandem with the aggression of the Dogs/Triangles. Gorz/token + Ammonite into Ammonite allows for an incredible 2 LV8 Synchros for only two cards, lol. :P
3 Alien Warrior
3 Alien Dog
3 Alien Ammonite
2 Alien Grey
2 Alien Telepath
2 Cyber Dragon
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1 Sangan
1 Chaos Sorcerer
1 Junk Synchron
3 Mysterious Triangle
3 Code A Ancient Ruins
2 Gold Sarcophagus
2 My Body as a Shield
1 Brain Control
1 Swords of Revealing Light
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Foolish Burial
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Planet Pollutant Virus
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Call of the Haunted
The CyDrags really help in tandem with the aggression of the Dogs/Triangles. Gorz/token + Ammonite into Ammonite allows for an incredible 2 LV8 Synchros for only two cards, lol. :P
Sunday, March 7, 2010
X-Sabers
I've been surprised at how good X-Sabers are. The St. Clair build from the Nashville SJC is really a gem of deckbuilding skill. I've modified it just slightly.
3 X-Saber Airbellum
3 XX-Saber Emmersblade
3 XX-Saber Faultroll
2 XX-Saber Fulhelmknight
2 XX-Saber Ragigura
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1 Sangan
1 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
1 Rescue Cat
1 Summoner Monk
2 Saber Slash
2 My Body as a Shield
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Giant Trunade
1 Brain Control
1 Mind Control
1 Creature Swap
1 One for One
3 Saber Hole
3 Gottoms' Emergency Call
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
The ability to maintain constant field presence with Emmersblade, while controlling tempo with Saber Hole, really vaults this fringe deck into the realm of the contenders. St. Clair's build also demonstrate, at least imo, the overall mediocrity of Smashing Ground, even in decktypes like this one which ought to be able to capitalize on the simplification it supplies. Swap and Slash, in particular, can create huge momentum swings that cards like Smash simply cannot.
The sideboard for this deck would probably include the typical brigade of Dust Tornado, Light-Imprisoning Mirror, and Mirror of Oaths, along with Nobleman of Crossout - really good right now with the rise of Hamster/Ryko. XX-Saber Garsem may also be advisable depending on how much Smash/Fissure there is in your metagame. Players will try to play around your Saber Holes by removing your Saber monsters, but you can make them think twice by using a preemptive floater like Garsem.
Other cards like Call of the Haunted and Solemn Judgment just missed making this deck, though they would be ok additions. Call seems unnecessary except to grab Cat for a 2nd use (unlikely), and is largely overshadowed by the insane Gottoms' E-Call. I've been on the fence about Solemn recently. It certainly can be powerful, but I don't think it's a staple at this point.
3 X-Saber Airbellum
3 XX-Saber Emmersblade
3 XX-Saber Faultroll
2 XX-Saber Fulhelmknight
2 XX-Saber Ragigura
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1 Sangan
1 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
1 Rescue Cat
1 Summoner Monk
2 Saber Slash
2 My Body as a Shield
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Giant Trunade
1 Brain Control
1 Mind Control
1 Creature Swap
1 One for One
3 Saber Hole
3 Gottoms' Emergency Call
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
The ability to maintain constant field presence with Emmersblade, while controlling tempo with Saber Hole, really vaults this fringe deck into the realm of the contenders. St. Clair's build also demonstrate, at least imo, the overall mediocrity of Smashing Ground, even in decktypes like this one which ought to be able to capitalize on the simplification it supplies. Swap and Slash, in particular, can create huge momentum swings that cards like Smash simply cannot.
The sideboard for this deck would probably include the typical brigade of Dust Tornado, Light-Imprisoning Mirror, and Mirror of Oaths, along with Nobleman of Crossout - really good right now with the rise of Hamster/Ryko. XX-Saber Garsem may also be advisable depending on how much Smash/Fissure there is in your metagame. Players will try to play around your Saber Holes by removing your Saber monsters, but you can make them think twice by using a preemptive floater like Garsem.
Other cards like Call of the Haunted and Solemn Judgment just missed making this deck, though they would be ok additions. Call seems unnecessary except to grab Cat for a 2nd use (unlikely), and is largely overshadowed by the insane Gottoms' E-Call. I've been on the fence about Solemn recently. It certainly can be powerful, but I don't think it's a staple at this point.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Limiter Removal
Is one of the 5 most broken cards legal in the Advanced Format, now that we have the Machina archetype + double Cyber Dragon:
Machina Gearframe + Machina Fortress + Limiter Removal = 8600 ATK
CyDrag + (above) scenario = way over 9000 ATK
etc. etc.
Machines haven't been this good since 2007. Limiter is back with a vengeance, and the ever-ridiculous Overload Fusion is much more appetizing now that CyDrag has move off the Limited list. I think you could make a VERY good case for banning Limiter outright at this point.
Machina Gearframe + Machina Fortress + Limiter Removal = 8600 ATK
CyDrag + (above) scenario = way over 9000 ATK
etc. etc.
Machines haven't been this good since 2007. Limiter is back with a vengeance, and the ever-ridiculous Overload Fusion is much more appetizing now that CyDrag has move off the Limited list. I think you could make a VERY good case for banning Limiter outright at this point.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Machina
I recently posted a Gadget/Machina deck that sought to unite the card advantage prowess of the two archetypes into a formidable Machine deck. After some further testing, I have opted for a pure Machina build which incorporated beaters like Machina Sniper, Machina Soldier, and a pair of Cyber Dragons. The deck can be more aggressive than a Gadget-based build, is not prone to the awkward multiple Gadget hands, and doesn't have to commit so much space to simplistic removal like Smashing Ground. Here's the new list:
2 Scrap Recycler
2 Drill Synchron
2 Cyber Dragon
3 Machina Gearframe
3 Machina Fortress
3 Machina Peacekeeper
2 Machina Sniper
1 Machina Soldier
1 Drillroid
2 Machina Armored Unit
1 Smashing Ground
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Overload Fusion
1 Brain Control
3 Enemy Controller
1 Limiter Removal
1 Trap Dustshoot
2 Roll Out!
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Mirror Force
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Limit Reverse
I was initially queasy about CyDrag due to the constant threat of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon (CFD) in opposing Extra Decks, but I feel that that can be played around if we use CyDrag as fuel for Fortress, or as Synchro fodder with Drill Synchron. CyDrag is so good against Gladiator Beasts in particular that it's too good to pass up, especially in a deck that can support Chimeratech Overdragon and has 6 Unions to equip to a CyDrag.
I really love Enemy Controller right now. With this deck's commitment to strong, self-replacing fields, stealing a monster and attacking for game can become very common.
The Extra Deck will include staple Synchros + 2 copies of Drill Warrior, 1-2 CFDs, and of course 1 Overdragon. Side deck should include Dust Tornado, Mirror of Oaths, Light-Imprisoning Mirror, and maybe DEF hate for Hamster/Spy in the form of Nobleman of Crossout and/or Drillroid (synergy with Armored Unit and Recycler).
2 Scrap Recycler
2 Drill Synchron
2 Cyber Dragon
3 Machina Gearframe
3 Machina Fortress
3 Machina Peacekeeper
2 Machina Sniper
1 Machina Soldier
1 Drillroid
2 Machina Armored Unit
1 Smashing Ground
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Overload Fusion
1 Brain Control
3 Enemy Controller
1 Limiter Removal
1 Trap Dustshoot
2 Roll Out!
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Mirror Force
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Limit Reverse
I was initially queasy about CyDrag due to the constant threat of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon (CFD) in opposing Extra Decks, but I feel that that can be played around if we use CyDrag as fuel for Fortress, or as Synchro fodder with Drill Synchron. CyDrag is so good against Gladiator Beasts in particular that it's too good to pass up, especially in a deck that can support Chimeratech Overdragon and has 6 Unions to equip to a CyDrag.
I really love Enemy Controller right now. With this deck's commitment to strong, self-replacing fields, stealing a monster and attacking for game can become very common.
The Extra Deck will include staple Synchros + 2 copies of Drill Warrior, 1-2 CFDs, and of course 1 Overdragon. Side deck should include Dust Tornado, Mirror of Oaths, Light-Imprisoning Mirror, and maybe DEF hate for Hamster/Spy in the form of Nobleman of Crossout and/or Drillroid (synergy with Armored Unit and Recycler).
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tiers For The March 2010 Format
The new Advanced Format is only a few days, and to be honest we probably won't have a good grasp of the tier system til after SJC New Jersey. But until then, we can at least speculate based on our own results.
Tier 1: A tier 1 deck ought to be a favorite to win a large tournament like an SJC. It should routinely top and win regionals. In this category, I would place Blackwings with Skill Drain, Synchro Cat/Hamster, Lightsworn, Infernity, and maybe Gladiator Beast.
I'm still skeptical about the latter deck due to its relative mediocrity ever since the TeleDAD format. Though the formats have changed drastically every 6 months, GB's lack of both natural Synchro options and massive Special Summoning spam seems to fundamentally weaken it against post-The Duelist Genesis decktypes. The return of Smashing Ground/Fissure to 3 per deck, along with the potential upswing in Machine-Gadget decks heavy on removal, could further complicate GB's alleged trip back to the top.
As for LS and BW, they have proven to be resilient decktypes for over a year now (almost 2 in LS's case), and retained most of their power cards even after the recent format changed. Future sets also hold groundbreaking support for BW, too, which should secure their status as the top.
Cat/Hamster makes a return after a relevant nosedive last format. Hamster breathes new life into the deck, and it retains an amount of speed and disruption (esp. X-Saber Airbellum + Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter) that put the pressure on any deck it faces.
Infernity is an unknown quantity in the TCG, but its ability to create enormous Synchro spam, by investing all of its cards into the field/Graveyard, can end Duels in a flash. I'm further dreading the potential TCG exclusive support that they will receive in TSHD (see also: Allure of Darkness, Dark Grepher in regard to PTDN).
Tier 2: A tier 2 deck is playable and could compete at a high level in an SJC before collapsing due to lower consistency. It should be able to at least top a regional. I feel like this tier is really crowded right now. Plants, Dragons, X-Sabers, Machine-Gadgets, Flamvell, Codarus, Monarch w/Alchemist or Hamster engine, and Zombie could all be contenders.
Plants have a strong basic engine with Lonefire Blossom and Supervise. Upcoming support like Spore, Petite Inmato, and Rose Bird ought to cement its status as a tier 2, if not tier 1, contender.
I've covered one approach to Dragons in a previous article. The deck lost nothing to the list and retains an amazing engine in Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon/Future Fusion.
The recent top of X-Sabers at SJC Nashville shows the strides that the archetype has made with the release of the incredible Saber Hole and the stabilizing X-Saber Emmersblade. The fundamental power of Airbellum, along with the impressive defense of Fulhelmknight + Saber Hole, and the backbreaking Gottoms' Emergency CAll, will let the deck compete with nearly anything.
I've covered the newfound strengths of Gadgets in my previous article.
Flamvell possesses an almost unrivaled power card in Rekindling, and now has access to new tutors (Poun) and Tuners (Archer). It's too bad we won't see the powerful Neoflamvell Hedgehog for a while, though. This archetype can also incorporate the Blaze Accelerator engine.
Codarus strengthens WATER in general and turns A Legendary Ocean into a solid 2 for 1. I'm currently trying out a build with Deep Sea Diva and Skreech.
Monarchs always seems like a fringe deck early in formats. Cards like Battle Fader and Hamster make them easy to Summon, and the new semi-limitation of Treeborn Frog definitely doesn't hurt. But like GB, I feel the deck still lacks something basic in the way of tempo and explosiveness. For all of the advantage it can create, it still can be overwhelmed by a powerful turn or two from a Synchro-based deck, or simply ground down by something like Gadget.
Zombie took a big hit with the recent list, but they retain PSZ, Pyramid Turtle, Il Blud, and Goblin Zombie, as well a host of specific Synchros.
Tier 3: Tier 3 is playable and could potentially win a locals or top a regionals. I think that Gemini-based decks, Insect decks, Koa'ki Meiru decks, and maybe Reptilianne decks occupy this space. There are several more that I'm probably forgetting. I've covered most of the above types in previous articles, except Gemini. Gemini has access to powerful cards like Gemini Spark (removal and draw power in one package) and the aforementioned Supervise. Approaches may focus on either LIGHTs/Warriors (Elemental Hero Neos Alius, Crusader of Endymion), Plants (Gigaplant), or even Fiend (Doom Shaman) or Zombie (Il Blud).
Tier 1: A tier 1 deck ought to be a favorite to win a large tournament like an SJC. It should routinely top and win regionals. In this category, I would place Blackwings with Skill Drain, Synchro Cat/Hamster, Lightsworn, Infernity, and maybe Gladiator Beast.
I'm still skeptical about the latter deck due to its relative mediocrity ever since the TeleDAD format. Though the formats have changed drastically every 6 months, GB's lack of both natural Synchro options and massive Special Summoning spam seems to fundamentally weaken it against post-The Duelist Genesis decktypes. The return of Smashing Ground/Fissure to 3 per deck, along with the potential upswing in Machine-Gadget decks heavy on removal, could further complicate GB's alleged trip back to the top.
As for LS and BW, they have proven to be resilient decktypes for over a year now (almost 2 in LS's case), and retained most of their power cards even after the recent format changed. Future sets also hold groundbreaking support for BW, too, which should secure their status as the top.
Cat/Hamster makes a return after a relevant nosedive last format. Hamster breathes new life into the deck, and it retains an amount of speed and disruption (esp. X-Saber Airbellum + Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter) that put the pressure on any deck it faces.
Infernity is an unknown quantity in the TCG, but its ability to create enormous Synchro spam, by investing all of its cards into the field/Graveyard, can end Duels in a flash. I'm further dreading the potential TCG exclusive support that they will receive in TSHD (see also: Allure of Darkness, Dark Grepher in regard to PTDN).
Tier 2: A tier 2 deck is playable and could compete at a high level in an SJC before collapsing due to lower consistency. It should be able to at least top a regional. I feel like this tier is really crowded right now. Plants, Dragons, X-Sabers, Machine-Gadgets, Flamvell, Codarus, Monarch w/Alchemist or Hamster engine, and Zombie could all be contenders.
Plants have a strong basic engine with Lonefire Blossom and Supervise. Upcoming support like Spore, Petite Inmato, and Rose Bird ought to cement its status as a tier 2, if not tier 1, contender.
I've covered one approach to Dragons in a previous article. The deck lost nothing to the list and retains an amazing engine in Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon/Future Fusion.
The recent top of X-Sabers at SJC Nashville shows the strides that the archetype has made with the release of the incredible Saber Hole and the stabilizing X-Saber Emmersblade. The fundamental power of Airbellum, along with the impressive defense of Fulhelmknight + Saber Hole, and the backbreaking Gottoms' Emergency CAll, will let the deck compete with nearly anything.
I've covered the newfound strengths of Gadgets in my previous article.
Flamvell possesses an almost unrivaled power card in Rekindling, and now has access to new tutors (Poun) and Tuners (Archer). It's too bad we won't see the powerful Neoflamvell Hedgehog for a while, though. This archetype can also incorporate the Blaze Accelerator engine.
Codarus strengthens WATER in general and turns A Legendary Ocean into a solid 2 for 1. I'm currently trying out a build with Deep Sea Diva and Skreech.
Monarchs always seems like a fringe deck early in formats. Cards like Battle Fader and Hamster make them easy to Summon, and the new semi-limitation of Treeborn Frog definitely doesn't hurt. But like GB, I feel the deck still lacks something basic in the way of tempo and explosiveness. For all of the advantage it can create, it still can be overwhelmed by a powerful turn or two from a Synchro-based deck, or simply ground down by something like Gadget.
Zombie took a big hit with the recent list, but they retain PSZ, Pyramid Turtle, Il Blud, and Goblin Zombie, as well a host of specific Synchros.
Tier 3: Tier 3 is playable and could potentially win a locals or top a regionals. I think that Gemini-based decks, Insect decks, Koa'ki Meiru decks, and maybe Reptilianne decks occupy this space. There are several more that I'm probably forgetting. I've covered most of the above types in previous articles, except Gemini. Gemini has access to powerful cards like Gemini Spark (removal and draw power in one package) and the aforementioned Supervise. Approaches may focus on either LIGHTs/Warriors (Elemental Hero Neos Alius, Crusader of Endymion), Plants (Gigaplant), or even Fiend (Doom Shaman) or Zombie (Il Blud).
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Gadgets: The Return
In the years before YGO "went crazy" with the advent of decks like TroopDupeScoop, Diamond Dude Turbo, DAD Return, and TeleDAD, Gadgets were a perennial tier 1 deck. With the ability to maintain a constant stream of monsters and removal, Gadgets could simply overwhelm an opponent with raw card advantage and aggression. Although somewhat successful in the TCG, Gadgets never quite lived up to expectations. The almost simultaneous release of Elemental Hero Stratos, another search-upon-Summon monster, in early 2007 drew a lot of attention away from the smaller Gadgets.
But with D-Hero variants perhaps gone from competitive play forever with Destiny Draw at 1, and with the unrestriction of Smashing Ground as well as the release of Structure Deck Machina Mayhem, Gadgets may be poised to reenter the top tier. The Machina archetype has transformed overnight from a gimmicky theme into a card advantage machine (no pun intended) that augments everything that already makes Gadgets good. Machina Gearframe has a Gadget-like search function to go with its 1800 ATK body and Union effect. Machina Peacekeeper tutors Gearframe. Machina Fortress is a formidable boss monster, Machina Armored Unit lets you tutor the smaller Machinas and Gadgets directly from your deck, and Scrap Recycler functions as a monster-based Pot of Avarice for your Gearframes and Gadgets.
Let's take a look at a list:
2 Yellow Gadget
2 Red Gadget
2 Green Gadget
2 Machina Soldier
3 Machina Gearframe
3 Machina Fortress
2 Machina Peackeeper
3 Scrap Recycler
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
3 Enemy Controller
3 Smashing Ground
2 Machina Armored Unit
1 Trap Dustshoot
3 Dimensional Prison
2 Royal Oppression
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Roll Out!
1 Mirror Force
This deck ought to be a strong contender at the regional level at the very least. It has the aggression, size, and removal to dispatch most Gladiator Beast decks, and should comfortably flatten any Monarch variant. Blackwing and Lightsworn decks could pose an issue due to their peculiar mechanics, but that's where your sideboard can come in handy with cards like Consecrated Light and/or Light-Imprisoning Mirror. Be wary of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, too, both using it against your opponent and having it sprung on you; with Cyber Dragon's semi-limitation, Fortress is once again in play in the Extra Deck.
But with D-Hero variants perhaps gone from competitive play forever with Destiny Draw at 1, and with the unrestriction of Smashing Ground as well as the release of Structure Deck Machina Mayhem, Gadgets may be poised to reenter the top tier. The Machina archetype has transformed overnight from a gimmicky theme into a card advantage machine (no pun intended) that augments everything that already makes Gadgets good. Machina Gearframe has a Gadget-like search function to go with its 1800 ATK body and Union effect. Machina Peacekeeper tutors Gearframe. Machina Fortress is a formidable boss monster, Machina Armored Unit lets you tutor the smaller Machinas and Gadgets directly from your deck, and Scrap Recycler functions as a monster-based Pot of Avarice for your Gearframes and Gadgets.
Let's take a look at a list:
2 Yellow Gadget
2 Red Gadget
2 Green Gadget
2 Machina Soldier
3 Machina Gearframe
3 Machina Fortress
2 Machina Peackeeper
3 Scrap Recycler
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
3 Enemy Controller
3 Smashing Ground
2 Machina Armored Unit
1 Trap Dustshoot
3 Dimensional Prison
2 Royal Oppression
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Roll Out!
1 Mirror Force
This deck ought to be a strong contender at the regional level at the very least. It has the aggression, size, and removal to dispatch most Gladiator Beast decks, and should comfortably flatten any Monarch variant. Blackwing and Lightsworn decks could pose an issue due to their peculiar mechanics, but that's where your sideboard can come in handy with cards like Consecrated Light and/or Light-Imprisoning Mirror. Be wary of Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, too, both using it against your opponent and having it sprung on you; with Cyber Dragon's semi-limitation, Fortress is once again in play in the Extra Deck.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Spiders Are Insects?
Well, in Konami's universe they are lol. Anyway, Insects have recently received a nice boost from various core set support cards: Verdant Sanctuary, Lair Wire, Underground Arachnid, and the Spider archetype. Sanctuary in particular functions much like Black Whirlwind, allowing you to turn every monster you Summon into an additional copy from the deck. Lair Wire gives you versatile monster removal, Arachnid is one of the best Synchro monsters so far, and the Spider archetype boasts several card advantage machines in Spyder Spider and Mother Spider. Here's a rough decklist:
3 Koa'ki Meiru Beetle
3 Howling Insect
3 Magical Merchant
3 Spyder Spider
3 Mother Spider
2 Ground Spider
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Shiny Black "C"
3 Earthquake
3 Verdant Sanctuary
2 Book of Moon
2 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Brain Control
3 Lair Wire
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Curse of Anubis
1 Solemn Judgment
Merchant or Howling are our ideal openers. Howling can get Spyder Spider or Ground Spider, depending on your situation, while Merchant mills off Insects for Lair Wire while also loading up our Shiny Black "C" and Plague. Plague's self-revival effect allows us to bypass Mother Spider's "only Insects" drawback, by removing itself from play. Plague is a DARK Tuner and as such can be paired with any LV4 Insect to make Arachnid.
Beetle, Book, and Anubis all provide support for the DEF-mode minded Spiders. Earthquake/Mother Spider in particular is an amazing way to curb/punish your opponent's overextension. 2 monsters will fall just to her Summon condition, and you can take out the others by battle since their DEF likely can't withstand 2300 ATK.
The release of Infernity Beetle will make this archetype even more seamless, since it will open up more opportunities to spam Arachnids. It's both DARK and an Insect searchable by Howling, so its synergies with Arachnid's requirements and the deck's overall focus on the Insect-type should be obvious.
3 Koa'ki Meiru Beetle
3 Howling Insect
3 Magical Merchant
3 Spyder Spider
3 Mother Spider
2 Ground Spider
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Shiny Black "C"
3 Earthquake
3 Verdant Sanctuary
2 Book of Moon
2 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Brain Control
3 Lair Wire
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Curse of Anubis
1 Solemn Judgment
Merchant or Howling are our ideal openers. Howling can get Spyder Spider or Ground Spider, depending on your situation, while Merchant mills off Insects for Lair Wire while also loading up our Shiny Black "C" and Plague. Plague's self-revival effect allows us to bypass Mother Spider's "only Insects" drawback, by removing itself from play. Plague is a DARK Tuner and as such can be paired with any LV4 Insect to make Arachnid.
Beetle, Book, and Anubis all provide support for the DEF-mode minded Spiders. Earthquake/Mother Spider in particular is an amazing way to curb/punish your opponent's overextension. 2 monsters will fall just to her Summon condition, and you can take out the others by battle since their DEF likely can't withstand 2300 ATK.
The release of Infernity Beetle will make this archetype even more seamless, since it will open up more opportunities to spam Arachnids. It's both DARK and an Insect searchable by Howling, so its synergies with Arachnid's requirements and the deck's overall focus on the Insect-type should be obvious.
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