Monthly Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament - September

Though this event was eagerly anticipated by those with whom I most frequently test, disappointment was to be had. Following the staggering turnout of 20+ players that has since become a regular occurrence, a large turnout was certainly expected for an event offering chase cards such as Steelswarm Roach as prizes. However, a mere 11 players turned up to compete on the day. Whether it was the cost, prizes, time or the expected difficult competition that put people off, this was a major blow for the competitive scene in Liverpool. Following my success in the weekly event, I continued to wield a tweaked version of Agents to a relatively successful finish.

Round 1 - Dragons - 2-1

I essentially hand my first game of the day over to my opponent with a single utterance of “ok” in response to his activation of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon’s revival effect. Clearly unfocused, I allowed this activation despite having Herald of Orange Light in hand with another Fairy to discard. I calm myself swiftly, and attempt to bring my mind under control as I sideboard. Game 2 starts with his summoning of a Koa’ki Meiru Drago, which paralyses my mind with fear that my ridiculous errors would leave me with a loss in the first round. Thankfully his summoning was merely for tempo, as he proved to have no access to dragons and only sought to set up the dragon for reanimation later. I leapt on the opportunity, and won that game and the one that followed.

Round 2 - Lightsworn - 2-0

Paired against my round 4 opponent from Wednesday, I knew a good match would follow. His practice was evident in skillful plays throughout, but despite that and the powerful tweaks that had been made since the previous match I felt far more confident with the matchup than expected. Thrown into focus by fear in the first round, I continue to push for the win.

Round 3 - Blackwings 0-2

As one of the more unique decks seeing play at the event, I wasn’t quite prepared to face down the winged menace. Though I played carefully around the various traditional pieces of the puzzle, the inclusion of Ryko to feed Black Luster Soldier was a devastating surprise. Both games ran long, with him dutifully pushing through my misplays to seize the win.

Round 4 - Macro Cosmos 2-0

Yet again I’m paired against an opponent from Wednesday night, and yet again the deck and player have greatly improved. Having pushed consistently to improve upon my play since my initial misstep at the start of the day, I’m very much in the zone as I fight past the grave hate and seize every opportunity presented to efficiently win.

Quarter Final - Gladiator Beasts - 2-0

Following a lengthy break the quarter finals begin, and I am dreading it. Having built momentum throughout the constant play of the last three rounds, I could feel myself lacking in focus as the match began. With little experience against Gladiators I was incredibly wary of the use of my counters. Extensive experience in using counterspells in Magic allowed me to gauge the right timing for my limited responses, and I managed to push for the win in both games.

Semi Final - Blackwings - 0-2

I fall to the naive mindset of hoping to face Lightsworn in the semis, and so it was inevitable really that I face Blackwings yet again! The match plays out quite similarly to the previous one, though in this case with the added difficulty factor of drawing numerous copies of Mystical Shine Ball. Once my Gachi Gachi Gantetsu’s fall, the match up is lost yet again.

Conclusion - 3/4th

I’m relatively happy with my result, especially considering my lack of time for preparation. The turnout was very disappointing, but the concentration of solid players with strong decks made it worthwhile. With another Agent deck falling to Blackwings in the finals, to very much the same horrendous draws as I saw in my semi final match, I felt at least confident that I am finally on track to developing my skills ready for the next wave of competitive events.

Wednesday Night Yu-Gi-Oh! 14.09.11

This week I turned to the dark side. Or perhaps that should be the light side, as I set aside Reborn Tengu and Debris Dragon to seize the raw power of Agents. I’d been working on the deck for some time, and having finally got a hold of the Heralds of Orange Light I felt it was time to test the deck before the weekend’s big local tournament. With a turnout of 20+ players, five rounds make for a challenging trial run!

Round 1 - Lightsworn - 1-1-1

The first game swung back and forth, but I seized the win through relatively solid play, bolstering my confidence in the deck and myself. That confidence was torn apart in the following game when I horribly misplay my use of Honest in response to Honest. Instead of thinking and running through the required timing steps, I eagerly just drop Honest onto the table. As a result, my Kristya still dies, jumps to the top of my deck and locks me out of responses next turn. Epic fail isn’t even a strong enough description. The match results in a draw, which surprises me as it is the first time I’ve seen a draw enforced in Yu-Gi-Oh!, and it leaves me fairly disheartened. The one thing I am determined to do tonight as a result, is play the game better!

Round 2 - Macro Burn - 2-0

An obvious pairing with a player with a single loss leads to a very unexpected deck. The use of Macro Cosmos and similar banishing effects slows my deck to a crawl, but building up a critical mass in order to sweep and explode, seizing control of the board in one fell swoop seems to be my route to victory.

Round 3 - Macro Cosmos - 2-0

Defeating an opponent maindecking graveyard hate left me a little bit more confident in my ability to play the game well when focused. What I didn’t expect was yet another banishing deck! Patience yet again led to answers, allowing me to grind my way through each game, and thankfully getting some unexpected use of Leviair in returning his Cyber Valley to give me the advantage to turn the game around. Caius proves to be a spectacular answer to Kristya right now, but thankfully the brutal speed at which Master Hyperion allows you to react makes Monarchy little more than a speed bump.

Round 4 - Lightsworn 2-1

Though seemingly a match with plays carried out at blinding speed, the sheer force of will behind each set of actions resulted in the lead being passed back and forth as fast as priority was passed between players! The true highlight of the match was when Mist Wurm was selected as a preferable target to Trishula, utterly destroying my field presence in a way the dragon never could. In time I managed to push through for enough damage to win on life points, and though doing so always makes me feel a step away from an actual win, it does leave me feeling far more confident and comfortable with my deck.

Round 5 - Agents - 2-1

As the first time playing both the mirror match and one of the most skilled players in the local group, nervous doesn’t quite describe my state of mind when I shuffled up. With an unshakable grin masking my fear, and my focus bouncing around the room in the least useful manner, the match begins. My opponent handily seizes first blood when I gamble in negating his Venus’ summoning with Solemn Judgment, only to be beaten down when he casts Monster Reborn. This punishing play serves as a wake up call to the competitive player deep within. Gears start to turn, my focus narrows and the desire to win rises to the surface. I play carefully throughout both of the following games, making misplays but adapting and learning from my mistakes swiftly. Careful calculation and fortunate draws allow me to win the following games, surpassing my own expectations for sure.

Conclusion - 4-0-1, 1st

This night I felt as though I had truly earned my victory, Having played against several strong players and a mixed field of top tier decks and anti-meta hate, I eagerly look forward to the competition to follow on the weekend. 

Wednesday Night Yu-Gi-Oh! 07.09.11

This will be a relatively brief recap of the event, but I was thoroughly thrilled to be able to give my Tour Guides a shot in Plants, despite the rules change.

Round 1 - Bye!

Round 2 - Fabled - 2-1

Fabled decks always prove to be quite stressful for me to face, as a strong first turn off the die roll is often unbeatable. Thankfully I manage to grind my way through to victory, simply through being patient and not letting my focus waver.

Round 3 - Psychics 2-0

A difficult match in which the opponent was always little more than a turn away from victory, but explosive synchro abuse remains as powerful as ever.

Round 4 - Agents 0-2

This is a matchup that I have no real idea on how to approach. Plants is a solid control deck in having access to a variety of Synchro and Xyz monsters for all sorts of situations...but once Kristya lands, there’s little I can do to turn the tide.

Conclusion - 3-1, 1st

Through colossal luck with tiebreakers, I managed to win the event, though I certainly don’t feel it was deserved. Though I feel I played solid games against my round 2 and 3 opponents, the bye feels unbelievably cheap and the total destruction by Agents in the final round makes me feel far less a winner than one should feel in this position.

Plants were quite an enjoyable deck to play, but my list was far from refined. Despite what many will say, the deck is far from dead, but as a player I need further practice and need to learn how to handle the latest powerhouse deck in the format, Agents.

A Return to Form!

It’s certainly been a while since I last posted, and it’s about time that changed! With the start of a new term at work as well as personal emergencies, working on any serious posts simply couldn’t happen. As things are now slowly settling, I intend to push through a wave of posts. Here are the highlights I’m working on for the near future:

Magic the Gathering

Innistrad Reviews - I will be working through a review of the set for Standard, Modern, Legacy over the coming weeks, focusing on actual testing and results. A limited review will follow if and when time allows!

Deck Features - I will be carrying out new deck features, both of my own and those that break out at large events, with a focus on the design, function and potential of the decks. Expect the format focus to shift towards the most important formats with each qualifier season.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Reviews - With a strong wave of releases between September and December, I will carry out reviews of multiple new releases at once. Konami plan their releases in such a way that this is the best means of gaining a full view of the evolving game.

Deck Features - As with Magic, I will be carrying out new deck features, both of my own and those that break out at large events, with a focus on the design, function and potential of the decks. The first such feature will be on the Agent deck that has led me to great success most recently!

Poke’mon - yes, I will finally be featuring articles on the game!

Format Analysis - An overview of the evolution of the HeartGold&SoulSilver onwards format, particularly focused on the impact of the Black&White sets thus far.

Deck Features - As with the other games, I will be carrying out new deck features, both of my own and those that break out at large events, with a focus on the design, function and potential of the decks. These features will come slowly as I (hopefully!) gain experience in the game over time.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 09.11 Ban List Analysis

With the new Limited and Forbidden list finally confirmed for the Autumn-Winter season, it is finally time to start analysing the new format. What strategies have been damaged the most by the list, and could we see the revival of forgotten strategies as a result? And just how different will this format be to the last? Let’s find out!

The September Impact!

In forming an opinion on the new format, it is important to first take into account the “Power Card” availability that the list leaves us with. Power Cards can be anything from something widely considered a staple, to threats and solutions that were previously unavailable. So let us begin by taking a look at five of the most impacting factors leading into the new format.

1. The Perfect Storm

Once Heavy Storm found its way onto the Forbidden list, players across the globe were ecstatic. And I won’t lie, I was one of them! Players could finally play the controlling Traps and theme-empowering Field Spells they’d always wanted to, and surely the potential for crazy combinations and One Turn Kills were impossible! 

It turns out that a single back row sweeper is enough for combo players to work with, especially when that sweeper is Giant Trunade. The fact the format shifted towards the use of such controlling traps as Solemn Warning and Royal Oppression resulted in Giant Trunade being doubly advantageous. Should it resolve, the player can generally pull off any major play they need to with minimal fear, needing only to play carefully to avoid Effect Veiler when possible, and then follow up by resetting their defenses to force the opponent into having one real out. And that, of course, would be their own Giant Trunade...

With Giant Trunade leaving the format, Heavy Storm makes its triumphant return. As ever, the presence of Heavy Storm will result in far more calculated, careful use of the spell and trap zones, whilst bringing Stardust Dragon back to higher levels of play. Much hype has been given to the supposedly inevitable maindecking of Starlight Road thanks to the staple status of Dark Hole and Heavy Storm.The problem with this is Mystical Space Typhoon, and its long awaited (or feared?) return to 3 copies per deck. This change alone makes the playability of Starlight Road fall dramatically, but will yet again drive up the presence of Stardust Dragon. The return of Heavy Storm brings the game back to a state in which reckless and mindless play are punished severely, but only time will tell whether or not the unlimiting of Mystical Space Typhoon will prevent the formation of a skillful format.

2. A Legend Stands Alone

When Lightsworn and Blackwings tore apart their respective formats, Konami took every necessary step to eradicate the problem with the following Limited and Forbidden list, and often going too far just to ensure the problem is dealt with. The release of Storm of Ragnarok revived the Six Samurai theme with superior Legendary versions, whilst bringing the theme up to date by introducing a powerful Synchro “Boss Monster” to work with. 

Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En swiftly became a powerhouse in the format, and Konami’s precautionary response in March was to restrict Gateway of the Six. One format later, and the restriction has proven fairly meaningless to decks seeking to swarm and lock up the game as fast as possible. As a result, Konami made the decision to restrict both Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En and the theme-specific tutor Shien’s Smoke Signal. I believe that this decision was the best that Konami could possibly make, as for once they’re actually tackling the problem cards without butchering the theme entirely. 

3. Freedom from Oppression

Of all the Traps in recent years to produce one-sided games, Royal Oppression is the worst offender. Similar in many ways to the sheer power once displayed by Imperial Order, Royal Oppression was very rarely used in the manner originally intended. The design idea behind the card is clearly to impose a soft lock on special summons in order to control the pace of the game. The reality of the game, however, enables the player to run through their own explosive turn and only then follow up with Royal Oppression. In doing so, a player can utterly dominate the board unfairly in a game that is ever shifting towards utility through special summons, firstly with Synchro’s and today with Xyz. 

Many argue that the return of Heavy Storm and unlimiting of Mystical Space Typhoon would have been enough to counter the oppressive Trap card, but should we really have to answer such a card? It isn’t an engine, or a win condition to build a deck around. Royal Oppression had simply become an abusable game changer, and its move to the Forbidden list is long overdue.

4. Unique Individuals

A major sweep of six major card restrictions have been enforced with the new Limited and Forbidden list, and the majority of which were to keep the previous format’s top deck under control. The first of these restrictions brings the TCG in line with the OCG by limiting Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Trishula has clearly had a powerful effect on the game since its printing, and has had long enough to be experimented with in multiples in the TCG.

The next pair of limitations were those of Lonefire Blossom and Debris Dragon. The plant engine has made its presence known for quite some time, and though the limitation of their tutor does hinder the engine, it certainly doesn’t kill it. With the arrival of Leviair the Sea Dragon, the plant engine gained another level of play in being able to retrieve whatever plant was removed in order to revive Spore. This gain is more than enough to make up for the minor decrease in opportunity of drawing into the powerful tutor. 

Debris Dragon has long abused the plant engine, and its limitation will be most strongly felt in the TCG. The OCG has frequently seen the combination of Junk Synchron and Doppel Warrior take precedence over Debris Dragon techniques, particularly with the release of Shooting Quasar Dragon and the removal of ignition priority. With the TCG behaving as quite a different beast to the OCG recently, it will be interesting to see whether or not Junk Synchron can make such an impact this season.

The next pair of limitations came as a result of Synchro spam abuse. Yes, everyone predicted the limitation of the draw engine that is T.G. Hyper Librarian, and Konami were wise enough to realise that the card severely needed restriction to make it a powerful card not to be wasted recklessly. For some strange reason though, the limitation of Formula Synchron came as a surprise to many, and I can’t quite understand how anyone who has played the card can possibly be surprised by this. If Hyper Librarian is the engine, then Formula Synchron is the enabler. Without multiple copies to work with, chaining Synchro summons into Shooting Quasar Dragon will require greater patience and skill.

But why do all these restrictions matter so much? Pot of Avarice has now regained its limited status, and in doing so has phenomenally raised the level of skill involved in playing such engines as the plant engine. This limitation will also have an effect on the reliability of such combo decks as Fabled, decreasing the ease of pulling back into the game when the combo fizzles. This again promotes skillful play, and increases the consequences for playing recklessly.

5. Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

When Gold Series 4 telegraphed the return of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, forums erupted in rage. To many, the Envoys are symbolic in the need of the Limited and Forbidden list, with Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End hitting the first list before being swiftly followed by the Soldier. But with time the game has changed dramatically, and though the Dragon would still be very much overpowered, the Soldier is no longer the unstoppable titan that he once was. 

Though infinitely more splashable than similar cards such as Dark Armed Dragon and Judgment Dragon, the Envoy is now little more than another Boss Monster to work with. In the OCG the Envoy is weaker still due to the loss of ignition priority, which has resulted in an excess of hype surrounding the use of either Honest or Armory Arm to finish the opponent in an instant. Though clearly possible, potential One Turn Kills involving attacks involve such a risk that they can be deemed fair, particularly with Tragoedia now an ever-present fear in its semi-limited status.

With the Envoy in mind, it is worth taking a moment to respect Konami’s instinct in answering any potential madness before it can emerge by restricting Primal Seed. Though the card is far from insane on its own, in multiples it can produce an infinite loop. With a field containing the Envoy and a card with a Macro Cosmos effect, two copies of Primal Seed and an Ookazi can loop for infinite damage with ease. Though a seemingly unrealistic combo, the potential to make games dull and uninteresting was there and has been dealt with efficiently.

To the Future!

As the Limited and Forbidden list comes into force, I will start looking at a variety of decks that show potential as the new format develops, how the current top tier can potentially evolve to survive, as well as the projects that I intend to work on myself. 

Exceeding Expectations?! Xyz Shōkan!

With the conclusion of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, yet another era came to a close for the game. With their introduction in Duelist Genesis, Synchro monsters quickly became a force to be reckoned with. The final duels of the 5D’s series led Synchro monsters to their peak; an incredible engine in T.G. Hyper Librarian and a powerful win condition in Shooting Quasar Dragon. Synchro monsters have been the dominant force in the Japanese metagame, and clearly the most popular strategy in the TCG. 

As Yu-Gi-Oh! enters its fourth era, a new type of monster intends to build upon the success seen by Synchro monsters. Tuners were made with a single intent; to be low-level, underwhelming monsters with Synchro assisting abilities that can be splashed into any deck. They act as the “cost” you are required to pay in terms of space when deck building, in order to grant access to such a wealth of utility and power. However, Konami has instead designed a new breed of monster that can be splashed into the Extra deck of any deck playing monsters! 

Xyz monsters are unique in their nature. The material used in summoning remains trapped under the card until either it leaves the field, or the materials are detached by an effect. This is clear evidence of Konami wanting to avoid the speed Synchro tricks we’ve seen most recently from decks using Plant engines. The truly unique aspect, however, is the fact that Xyz have no Levels, and instead have Ranks. This again acts to prevent any connection with Synchro monsters, whilst also granting immunity to many of the threats faced by Synchro monsters. 

          

When introduced, Synchro monsters made an impact with such powerful monsters as Stardust Dragon, Colossal Fighter and Goyo Guardian. Can the introduction of Xyz monsters match up to the expectation set by their predecessors? In this article I intend to give an overview of the Xyz monsters being introduced both in this month’s Starter Deck 2011 and in the August set, Generation Force.

Starter Deck: Dawn of the Xyz

Number 39: Utopia

Following in the footsteps of Stardust Dragon, Utopia clearly shows us how far the game has come from the vanilla wielding heroes of GX and the original series! Utopia’s epic Gundam-esque design is supported by aggressive stats and the ability to play defender for a couple of turns. This card clearly embodies the idea behind Xyz monsters, a solid win condition worth protecting, with a drawback that discourages reckless use of his ability. As a Rank 4, Utopia also has the benefit of being incredibly simple to summon in a wide array of decks, be it through use of Gadgets, Gravekeeper’s Spy, Reborn Tengu or recruiters of all flavours. Utopia will see play, and lots of it.

Grenosaurus

Our first Rank 3 Xyz follows in Utopia’s footsteps by wielding aggressive stats. Grenosaurus’ ability allows you to push for damage with ease, preventing defenders like Dandylion, Treeborn Frog and Reborn Tengu from giving the opponent time to recover. Unlike Utopia however, Grenosaurus is of a Rank that is harder to form, requiring genuine monsters rather than tricks in the majority of decks. However, being able to summon a 2000 atk beatstick when in a pinch is always worth taking into consideration for decks running level 3 monsters that have space in their Xyz deck. Grenosaurus will, however, be swiftly outclassed in Generation Force.

Gachi Gachi Gantetsu

This monster presents us with something quite different to consider. Unlike the win condition that is Utopia and the beatstick that is Grenosaurus, Gantetsu is very much a supporter monster. Gantetsu has sturdy defensive stats, providing a boost more akin to a field spell than a monster. However, the fact Gantetsu protects himself from destruction twice is surprisingly relevant, making him an incredibly resilient defender. It is likely that Gantetsu will be the most played Xyz from the starter deck as he already has a home in Agents, making Venus’ ability to swarm the field with Mystic Shine Balls far more powerful than ever.

Generation Force

Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon

The first TCG exclusive Xyz is quite a monster. With 2600 atk it’ll beat down over most monsters, but Adreus’ ability is the show stealer. Being able to destroy any face up card is just incredible, answering Necrovalley, Gateway of the Six and any threatening monster standing in its way. At Rank 5, Adreus is a little optimistic at the moment, but in October Structure Deck - Gates of the Underworld will pull the Dark World theme back into the spotlight. Summoning Goldd and Silva with ease, Dark World will be a welcome home for Adreus this Winter.

Tiras, Keeper of Genesis

Sharing Adreus’ basic stats, Tiras plays a very different role to its demonic alternate. Whilst Adreus lands and destroys threats there and then, Tiras requires a well timed summoning to punish the opponent. Though Dimensional Prison and Book of Moon are dangerous threats, Tiras can force through many traditional defences and should it battle, any single card on the field can be destroyed. Destroying set cards following a combat situation seems relatively awkward, but remember that Tiras can act as a wall for two turns quite happily, before leaving you with a powerful beatstick. It is also worth remembering that Honest works wonders with Tiras, should a light based deck be able to support it adequately in future.

Steelswarm Roach

The inclusion of this card in Generation Force shows Konami’s determination to drive people away from Synchro’s and towards their latest creation. With 1900 atk, Roach leaves a lot to be desired when compared to Utopia at the same rank, but Roach is all about the effect. Being able to negate the special summon of anything from Hyper Librarian to Chaos Sorcerer, Roach threatens the vast majority of todays top decks. With an ability that demands respect, Roach is already seeing widespread play in Japan, and is played heavily alongside Utopia in the Gadget + Ultimate Offering strategy that is seeing an increase in popularity. Expect people to find means of splashing Xyz into their extra decks just to deal with these Roaches.

Wind-Up Zenmaister

This Rank 4 machine enters play with stats closer to Utopia, with an intriguing ability to work with. The ability to flip-flop your own monsters is a curious effect, and anyone who ran Tsukuyomi will remember how rewarding it can be to rest your effects. Ryko seems to be the prime target right now, but with Gravekeeper’s keeping their levels primarily at 4, Zenmaister could prove to be an attrition engine with Spy, should the peculiar situation arise. Zenmaister, for his effect, appears to be quite underwhelming upon release, but could well become a powerful engine with further additions to the Wind-Up theme. As a machine type though, expect him to be splashed heavily in Gadget Offering decks for ease of OTK via Limiter Removal.

Submersible Carrier Aero Shark

Let’s get the underwhelming Rank 3 out of the way, shall we? Aero Shark has very little going for it, with relatively disappointing stats and a painfully nerfed ability from its anime incarnation, I sincerely doubt Aero Shark will see play.

Number 34: Terror-Byte

Terror-Byte has the honour of being the first Xyz in the TCG to require more than 2 materials to form it. Though this makes it more challenging to summon, the ability to take control of an opponent’s monster three turns in a row is certainly powerful. If Terror-Byte were Rank 4, Gadgets would find a use for this monster, but at Rank 3 it will likely struggle to see play. However, with the TCG exclusive access to Tour Guide from the Underworld it is worth keeping an eye on a card with such a powerful effect.

Leviair the Sea Dragon

Leviair was the most powerful Xyz monster in Generation Force when the set released in Japan, and though Steelswarm Roach poses a strong challenge it is very likely to be the star of the TCG release as well. Tour Guide from the Underworld will be key to this card’s success in the TCG, working independently with a Sangan as well as finding homes in decks such as Dark World in the near future. Summoning the materials is easy enough, but what are the benefits? Likely the best use for the card will be in combination with Genex Ally Birdman, Plaguespreader Zombie and Spore. These Tuners are incredibly powerful, and can see exceptional abuse through Leviair. Infernity may well prove to be the best deck to make full use of this Xyz, though time alone will tell. Levaiel is a very exciting card, and will only get better with time.

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon

And so we end our look at the initial wave of Xyz monsters with the cover card of Generation Force. Leviathan Dragon initially received a lukewarm response from players, essentially being a vanilla 2500 atk monster that can, if it survives the turn, jump to 3000 atk at the cost of being able to attack for game. Time has certainly worked in the favour of this card, as making a powerful beatstick out of the blue is still strong! Leviathan Dragon can beat over a wide variety of powerful, widely played monsters on the first turn, whilst being able to trade with Stardust Dragon and Legendary Six Samurai Shi En. Should Leviathan Dragon survive a turn, very little will be able to stand in its way. 

The initial wave of Xyz monsters were treated very warily upon release in Japan, but time has revealed that they compare very strongly to the initial wave of Synchro monsters. The difference is application, as Synchro’s were obvious powerhouse monsters, Xyz are far more subtle and controlling. Xyz monsters are here to stay, and it will be vital to learn to wield and answer their powerful abilities in the near future.

Wednesday Night Yu-Gi-Oh! - 29.06.11

I was ecstatic on Monday that my T.G. Hyper Librarians had finally arrived, and as we aren't running officially yet it would provide a good couple of weeks testing for the future. Despite playing Junk Doppel for so long before now, the addition of Extreme Victory certainly makes deck building far more of a complex task than before. I dedicated my initial testing run to a build running Reborn Tengu, assuming he'd be just as good as I'm sure we're all used to by now. Surprisingly, Tengu plays horrendously in the deck, and due to (yet again!) a severe lack of time in which to test I put together a list largely reminiscent of the generic Japanese list, but favoring Solemn Warning over excessive numbers of Limit Reverse. Limit Reverse is vital in the Japanese meta due to the loss of the priority rule, making Lonefire Blossom very vulnerable to a variety of threats.  We maintain our priority rules for the foreseeable future, Warning is far more important as we have Reborn Tengu to answer.

Round 1 - Scraps - OXO

I manage to sweep game 1 without too much difficulty, as I've heard Trishula's pretty good these days. Game 2, however, took a very long time. My opponent synchro'd into 2 Scrap Dragons and 3 Scrap Twin Dragons during the game, and threatened to go again if possible. I picked off each threat, but a couple of painful errors in judgment (and, admittedly, card reading...) eventually cost me the game. In game 3 we swing back and forth, and as I'm readying an alpha strike time is called. He manages to disrupt my push with an unexpected and problematic Lava Golem (!). Thankfully I squeeze a small amount of damage through his defenses and stall out the last turn of time on higher life.

Round 2 - Fabled - OO

Having tested pretty exclusively against this deck in my most recent testing run, I shuffled up expecting him to swiftly dispose of me via turn 1 Reborn Tengu, turn 2 OTK. Whilst he managed the first turn Tengu, I was lucky enough to be able to pick apart the rest of his attempts with well-timed responses followed but a synchro rush. In game 2 he starts yet again with a Reborn Tengu and 3 set spell/traps. Obviously I manage to draw MST off the top of the deck and by sheer luck pick off his set (card name)! Back and forth pushes and stalling end with a pivotal Book of Moon on his tuner before I synchro rush for game.

Round 3 - Agents - XX

As a powerful deck with a wide variety of competitive structures to work with, I eagerly anticipated this matchup to see the performance of whatever variant he was running. I very suddenly regretted being so eager as the match reached its swift, brutal conclusion. Game 1 involved Pot of Duality into (card name) into Agent of Mystery - Earth, finally tutoring Agent of Creation - Venus, which was followed by minimal action by me allowing him to use Venus to swarm with Mystic Shine Balls and synchro into a devastating Trishula, which he rides to the win. I approach the second game optimistically thinking I just needed to start more effectively, and going first should help in that respect, but my optimism is ripped away when Valhalla lands and allows him to special summon Archlord Kristya. I stall for several turns, trying desperately to find an answer whilst he struggles to hit another monster. Ryko eventually provides me a window, but by this time he is easily able to respond to my attempts to strike back. He ends up finishing me swiftly with two copies of Master Hyperion cleaning up the board for the kill.

Round 4 - KMP - XOX

This match was a true testament to the power of the combo-enabling cards in the game right now. Each game came down to the activation of either a Giant Trunade or a Trap Stun, making Solemn Warnings feel like dead weights whilst combo loops are carried out without fail. A total lack of Effect Veiler action with him going first in games 1 and 3, I don't really need to say much as to how resilient the combo is. Chimeratech Fortress Dragon led me to my win, but my deck is far less refined and practiced in performing its combo's than KMP. And it showed clearly.

Conclusion - 2-2

Though I'm obviously fairly disappointed in what was expected to be an explosive debut for T.G. Hyper Librarian, I am now more eager than ever to unlock the potential of the card. Without Shooting Quasar Dragon at our disposal we lack the utterly dominating combo finisher a deck like this needs. A few of us at the event, by sheer coincidence, ran T.G. Halberd Cannon, and the more I see it in action the more convinced I am in its potential. But for me, this list was clearly sub-par and needs a dramatic amount of work to stand against a format of reliable powerhouses like Samurai and Agents. I'll follow up soon with my thoughts on potential routes to take.

Dueling Network, Revived?!

DN Lives!

Well this has certainly been a memorable week. Starting with the good news, it seems that Dueling Network is live once more, and this is how:

That's right. By replacing the image of the card back with their own! This supposedly removes it from being the intellectual property of Konami. Time will tell if this lasts, but in the mean time it's definitely a tool worth using. The one colossal weakness to DN right now has to be the lack of ability to test out Xyz, so let's hope that will be worked in sometime in the near future as they become a relevant force in the TCG as well as the OCG.

Fool's Gold and a falling Net

Due to an incredibly heavy workload this week I haven't been able to attend any events. Instead, I decided I'd make a brief couple of comments on the latest news in Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Gold Series 4 - The Original Series

Now that we've seen the full spoiler for Gold Series 4, it isn't hard to feel disappointed. Only one high demand, competitive Gold Rare (Doomcaliber Knight) and no Synchro reprints in sight? Looking closer at the set reveals what we all should have feared once the name was backed up by the included playmat designs...this set is entirely focused on the original series.

No Absolute Zero, Fossil Dyna or Kristya. They're GX cards.

No Brionac, Formula Synchron or Black Rose Dragon. They're 5D's cards.

As a result of this thematic design, we have been painfully deprived of many cards that are in serious need of reprinting to prevent the price barrier growing out of control. Thankfully, it does appear that the first wave of tins this year will each include 1 reprint monster that isn't currently legal outside of the US (The Shining? Wisel?), 2 rare and in demand monsters (Kristya and Fossil Dyna?) as well as 1 high demand spell card. Now, most spells currently played in the vast majority of decks have seen common reprints, special edition reprints and/or gold series reprints. Is Pot of Duality too much to ask for? In this game, probably. But hope remains!

The Fall of the Dueling Network

Unfortunately the inevitable has happened, and Konami has filed a DMCA on Dueling Network. Though not without its flaws, DN was a fantastic tool for deck builders to test out new ideas and prepare for big events by testing with friends. It seems now we'll all have to return to paper proxies, as the state of the current Yu-Gi-Oh! Online offering is still far from the overnight success of DN, and further still from the money making engine that is Magic Online. I guess we can hope that Konami take a few hints from the site's popularity, but I'm sure we all know the more likely outcome...

Wednesday Night Yu-Gi-Oh! - 15.06.11

Well this will be a short report! I prepared a nice and interesting Dragunity list for this week. Alas, the sideboard was a mess as I left it til last minute, and forgot to bring several key tools with me to build it on site!

Round 1 - X-Sabers - XOX

Interesting games, but my total lack of experience with the deck is my excuse for the horrendous mistakes I made. I lost game 1 on the back of synchroing into Thought Ruler Archfiend instead of Stardust Dragon when he clearly telegraphed having a set Mirror Force and not a third Dimensional Prison, and game 3 I forgot completely that Dragunity Dux has a continuous pump ability, which might have allowed me to seize the kill if I'd realised sooner. Not the greatest start to an evening.

Round 2 - Bye!

Round 3 - Plants - XOX

The first two games are fairly solid back and forth. When it came to game 3 I was too unfocused and easily distracted, and rushed to kill after a couple of turns of setting up. I glance at life totals, see 6000 and synchro into Trident Dragion for game, destroying all my backup utility...only to realise I was on 6000 and I hadn't dealt damage to him this game whatsoever. I realise I'm incapable of playing well today and call it a night.

*Drop*

Conclusion

Well this week was clearly a disappointment, but I did however enjoy the games I played. My crazily heavy workload recently amongst other things has prevented and real practice, and it does feel a bit meaningless to prepare with no definite major events to work towards pre-Librarian, and even pre-Xyz. I suspect I'll fall back into playing Junk Doppel in order to prepare for Librarian, whilst looking into working T.G. variants. It's quite disappointing to see Kristya still has no confirmed reprint for the near future, which along with Duality makes strong builds of Agents out of easy reach. It will be curious to see how Junk Doppel operates without it's easy Shining Quasar Dragon OTK strategy. I suppose time will tell.