Just over a year ago I wrote my most provocative and controversial article in my entire career, a little number by the name of Tears. That article was epic through my eyes at the time I wrote it. The passion I felt seemed to ooze through it, and I wrote things honestly, whole - heartedly .

Looking back at it it’s hard to see what made this little article such a big deal to me at the time, and indeed to all of you, my readers , whom responded so immediately and so passionately to what was said within it.

Word’s cannot describe how glad that made me feel, and I thank you for it.

When reading it now though, it’s meaning has diminished somewhat, as we’re no longer in that place anymore. Then game has moved on from obscurity, we’re better players now, with more resources open to us, and a generally competitive scene whatever deck is played . There’s no outright invincible deck right now, at least in my eyes. We’ve reached an era in Yugioh where things are generally original. D heroes are top tier for god’s sake !

This article was inspired by the somewhat recent article of Mofox’s which I have only just got round to reading. At the time of writing Tears, Mofox responded with a somewhat condemning review and response to it of his own, in an attempt to redeem me if nothing else, which I reluctantly obliged him to publish. Having read his recent Morphing Jar article I feel compelled to do the same. I don’t know what, if anything , is up with Mofox , but his previous article was not of his usual style, let alone standard.

The informal, censored swearing and general attitude of his piece was all wrong and I encourage him to return to his original work and style, one that we all appreciated. We loved you for it.

With regards to the other featured writers, new and old alike I regret to inform you that I’ve not yet taken the liberty to glance over or even bothered to visit Pojo over the last few months. By interests have somewhat been more diverse of late, and it has put a strain upon my Yugioh time most of all.

The truth is, the passion’s sort of faded for me in this game, hence the title. UDE are doing a great, great job and I don’t really feel compelled to do much within this game anymore, there’s so little to be fixed that my article inspiration has virtually been extinguished.

I first started playing Yugioh as a way of passing the time. I was 12 back then, and it was a (somewhat embarrassing) great way to pass the time. I visited Pojo frequently , practically every day, desperate to get the latest COTD, build upon my deck, (60 cards and counting), and generally, just play.

That’s all I was in it for. I just wanted to play the game and become part of the empire that was developing before me.

As the time passed I became deeper and deeper in with this game, still visiting pojo frequently, against the Chaos regime, and out there to make fiends happen. Through this game I matured into the person I am today, and tried to overcome the negative things that plagued my life for years. I had somewhere to direct my attention and energies, and I felt part of something.

When I was finally called up as a featured writer I couldn’t believe my luck, I was finally part of the establishment which had basically raised me as a player, and I was given the chance to do the same amongst my idols at the time. And I think I did pretty well to be honest. I always felt that I delivered a worthwhile article, one that could influence, entertain and inform. Eventually I even became a moderator on the forum, a long held ambition, although admittedly I performed far worse at that than I have as a writer.

The game has come along a long way since then, and I think we’ve all developed tremendously as players. The resources and original deck types available to us now are not only decent, they are top tier. I can’t see a reason why themed decks cannot be the next CC, if that term even exists anymore. I feel as though my work here is done, there’s nothing left to fight for.

Where in presents a problem. UDE have done everything right in 07, from the sets to the promo cards, and our every whim has eventually been provided for. We’ve got virtually everything we’ll ever need write at our fingertips, cheaply ready for use, which brings me to my next question , where to from here?

It had to happen eventually, a phase where eventually there was peace. The game is at a stage now where everything is tranquil , there is no upheaval.

No evil to conquer , no place to go really with this game. On the dawn of a new ban list, one which will undoubtedly prove to be the best yet considering UDE’s recent roll of success, and one which I think will eventually spell the end of this game in the long run. Without any spark to ignite the passion of the players sales will drop, and UDE will eventually have provided too much for their customers, left them too content. Why bother buying cards when you’re deck is already exactly how you like it. Why bother paying big bucks for a card that you know will eventually, somewhere down the line end up in a starter deck, or tin set or promotional pack?

It’s probably the cruelest twist of fate and irony of all that the things I campaigned for, for all these years will eventually be the downfall of this game, not the short lived, eventually reconciled problems of the time. The card game’s wealth will eventually bring about it’s own demise. Not with a bang , but with a whisper. The game will not just one day stop, it will just gradually fade away, deeper and deeper due to it’s new found longevity.

And it is with a whisper that I leave you. It’s been a great ride, it really has. I felt that if I was going to go, that I should at least let you know about it, and not just slip through the back door so to speak. I may pop up from time to time, the odd deck here, the odd fan fic there, but as of right now I consider this to be my final article as Dark Maltos. I thank you all for reading my articles, and Pojo for giving me the opportunity to write for you. It has truly been one of the defining moments in my life, and I’m glad that you were all a part of it. Don’t think of this as goodbye, but more hello, hello to a truly great age of dueling, the perfect Yugioh game.

Have a GREAT one guys.

Dark__Maltos@msn.com.