Breaking Down the Yu-Gi-Oh F/L List: April 1st, 2020 List
Crunch$G
Now look at what you did already, Halqifibrax. Hello Pojo Readers, Crunch$G here to break down the latest F/L List update. We are approaching the new Master Rule update and even due to tournaments being postponed for now, Konami decided to still prepare for the new rules by hitting cards before they can cause trouble in the tournament scene. We also have several hits due to the release of Crystron Halqifibrax. Some of this does come from the OCG’s April 1st list, but ours wasn’t as harsh. Let’s see what the TCG decided to do on this list.
Blackwing – Steam the Cloak
From Unlimited to Forbidden
The first piece of collateral from Halqifibrax’s release is Blackwing – Steam the Cloak. Steam the Cloak is a super powerful card with Halquifibrax and other Links considering it spawns a Token as it’s used as Link Material, and it can tribute a monster to revive itself once per Duel in order to get another Token when you Link it away again or whatever you opt to do with it on the field. Master Rule 2020 probably meant this was gonna be good Synchro fodder once again as well. The card could not exist alongside Crystron Halqifibrax due to how powerful they are together with other Links or whatnot. The ban was inevitable, but it might be nice to not have it be a big problem for major tournaments.
Destrudo the Lost Dragon’s Frission
From Unlimited to Forbidden
This is most certainly due to the new Master Rule, cause I don’t think Destrudo was a problem at the moment. I remember it helping players abuse Ancient Fairy Dragon for their Field Spell searching and Link Summoning needs, but after it was banned the next best play was going to be either Yazi into Mare Mare or an F.A. Dawn Dragster, and that’s not considering if you had more monsters on the field for different Synchro or Link plays. Getting this in the grave could help summon Halqifibrax as well, so that might be another reason. Destrudo, while it wasn’t a problem now, is something that does feel like it belongs here. Now could we get Ancient Fairy Dragon back maybe?
Glow-Up Bulb
From Unlimited to Forbidden
Well once again, Bulb returns to the list. At least this time it feels warranted to be banned compared to its first ban in March 2012. Bulb was probably the best target for Crystron Halqifibrax to use Bulb to go into Linkuriboh after it was summoned off Halqifibrax and then revive the Bulb for a Link-4. Or you could of just summoned Bulb, go into Linkuriboh or even Relinquished Anima, then revive the Bulb and go into Halqifibrax. Bulb was something that was going to have to go at one point or another if you wanted Crystorn Halqifibrax to exist as a “healthy” card in the format, emphasis on those quotation marks though. Maybe one day we can get Bulb unbanned for the second time, but for now it actually belongs here this time.
Lunalight Tiger
From Unlimited to Forbidden
Bet you didn’t miss Rank 4 Spam from the MR3 days of Zoodiac, Tellarknights, and Performages and Pals. Konami seems to not want a modern Rank 4 Spam Deck in the format, therefore Lunalight Tiger had to go. It allowed Lunalights to make a ton of Rank 4 plays, even though that wasn’t what the archetype was meant to do. At least it was the actual archetype that got it banned, even if it wasn’t the archetype being used the way it was meant to. Tiger seems warranted to get banned so Lunalights aren’t Xyz Summoning like crazy, but I hope it is errataed to make Lunalights locked to Fusion Summoning, or just make it a hard once per turn. This is a victim of flawed card design 100%.
SPYRAL Master Plan
From Unlimited to Forbidden
One run of SPYRALs in the meta was bad enough, so Konami made their second run at the top short lived. Master Plan was a card I’m sure Konami didn’t intend to be used with Magicians’ Souls, but alas it was. Master Plan could search for your SPYRAL Missions that Souls could pitch to let you draw while having their effects live. That on top of Master Plan searching a SPYRAL monster and SPYRAL Resort upon being link fodder. Only one of it was played as well with three Magicians’ Souls, so the only solution was a ban for the card. SPYRAL might go back to being rogue once again, but Master Plan is kind of a big hit to the archetype.
Danger!? Jackalope!?
From Semi-Limited to Limited
Last list we had Nessie join the limited section and now the other broken Dangers will be coming with it. Jackalope is one of those guarantee summon Danger monsters that hitting it in the hand got a Danger from the Deck and missing it summoned the Jackalope and drew a card. It was a Level 3, meaning it’s good Synchro Material for MR 2020, so limiting this Danger is a good call. Dangers with this hit and their next hit are still viable in Decks, you just have a lot less of the Danger monsters that gave you more consistency, but how much consistency can an archetype full of potential Upstart Goblins lose without banning the whole archetype?
Danger!? Tsuchinoko!?
From Semi-Limited to Limited
The second consistent Danger on the list, Tsuchinoko was another guaranteed body on the board whether the opponent hit or missed it in your hand. This one just summoned itself from the graveyard over fetching or summoning a card from the Deck, but it was still a guaranteed body on the board for an Extra Deck play. With all of the most consistent Dangers hit to 1, you are likely going to rely more on those other Danger monsters even more if you want to play them since 1 of each of the best ones alone is far from really being consistent. Again, they are Upstart Goblins that guarantee card advantage, but having 3 isn’t too reliable.
ABC-Dragon Buster
From Unlimited to Limited
Where did the ABC hate really come from? ABC-Dragon Buster is one of those hits that came over from the OCG, and yet I still don’t get it. ABCs aren’t really in their prime anymore. They still make for a great rogue Deck and MR 2020 means you can spam Dragon Buster without Links, though those Links did help boost ABC sometimes. Dragon Buster to 1 kinda puts ABC in a rough spot now. While it is good removal that can dodge any threat by tagging out to the ABC pieces, I don’t think ABC would of been that bad of a problem with three Dragon Buster, even with new support in Duel Overload and Eternity Code.
T.G. Hyper Librarian
From Unlimited to Limited
Well welcome back Hyper Librarian. The card was of course fine in MR4 considering how it was much harder to Synchro Spam, meaning it’d be harder to draw a ton off of Hyper Librarian. Now we’re back to where we were with why Hyper Librarian was limited in the first place. Synchro Spam is still a scary thing even in 2020, and Hyper Librarian makes that more terrifying, especially if you can get 3 out and continue to Synchro Summon. It’s much easier now that Synchro Decks have 6 Monster Zones to use now instead of 5. Hyper Librarian was going to limit future Synchro design if it stayed at 3, so it being back home at 1 is warranted.
Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
From Unlimited to Limited
Now, there was no real way of knowing if Trishula hand loops were going to be consistent in MR 2020, but it’s best to not find out. Trishula, despite being a Level 9 that needs at least three materials to summon, is a card with a history of destroying hands of opposing players. This added on with PSY-Framelord Omega being a thing and Synchro hand destruction was a real possibility. Trishula at 1 makes hand loops with Synchros still a possible thing I believe, but now it becomes much harder and less consistent to a point where it likely won’t be a meta threat. Time to welcome Trishula and Hyper Librarian back home now!
Toadally Awesome
From Unlimited to Limited
Another take from the OCG, but this one feels more warranted. Toadally Awesome was easy to spam out in Paleofrogs and you also had Bahamut Shark spam options to help summon more Toadally Awesomes. The negation this card has is insane to not only stop, but also take the card you negated. It can be insanely strong if you take away a power card from the opponent or a key piece of their Deck that they’re only playing one-of. They now would have to play around your card or do whatever it takes to get it back. Toadally Awesome is still good considering it’s still a negation that can recycle itself, you just have to use your lone copy wisely.
Zoodiac Drident
From Forbidden to Limited
Well this is going to be a fun one. Drident is back for the first time since the Tier 0 days of Zoodiac. Drident is a needed card for Zoo to thrive considering they lacked a real win condition before Megaclops became a thing. Now they got something to rely on more than a monster that’s weak to other Xyz Monsters as it helps give the archetype some removal now. Zoodiac now has some legitimate power to the archetype besides being able to go into Megaclops as fast as possible, meaning it’ll probably be a fun Deck to play around with once again. Maybe we can see variants similar to the stun options the OCG played after they lost Drident and Barrage initially, but I’ll get back to Barrage in a bit.
Instant Fusion
From Unlimited to Limited
My favorite card that aged like a fine wine. Instant Fusion was extremely versatile as it could get you any Level 5 or lower monster with varying different Types and Attributes, you could get a Tuner, or you can get some very powerful options like Thousand-Eyes Restrict or Millennium-Eyes Restrict. Add this with Predaplant Verte Anaconda from the Deck and all the searching options you have for Instant Fusion and it’s easy to see why it was going to be a problem now you can put the Fusions in the Main Monster Zone, especially keeping Millennium-Eyes around to negate hand traps while you combo off. It’s a warranted limit that I can see becoming a ban eventually.
Mind Control
From Semi-Limited to Limited
This should of just went to 1 last list, if not outright banned. Mind Control is an insanely powerful card with Links around, and that isn’t getting into Synchro and Xyz Spam going to be a thing again. Mind Control was also good at least for hitting a negate. It is kinda on the powerlevel of pre-errata Brain Control or Change of Heart nowadays with the stolen monster likely being used as a material for something. Difference is the monster stolen with Mind Control can’t attack or be used as tribute fodder, but that matters less with more summoning mechanics. This might be banned eventually, but 1 should suffice for now.
Zoodiac Barrage
From Unlimited to Limited
I guess we can’t have Drident back without a cost. Barrage limited is probably to prevent many Decks from splashing a Zoodiac engine in order to summon a free Drident. It’s limited in the OCG as well, even though they banned it at first while we always had it at three. This is fine, as it would make a potential Zoodiac engine less potent as well as keeping Drident more exclusive to the Zoodiac Deck. Zoo won’t be hurt by this that much, they’re all still searchable off Tenki. We only need Broadbull back for the whole family, but we should probably wait a while for that one.
Destiny HERO – Malicious
From Unlimited to Semi-Limited
Well this card can’t make up its mind, can it? HEROs might be one reason why this returned to 2, the Deck has been doing somewhat well in tournaments very recently after all the support they gave the HERO archetype. The biggest reason for this I’m sure is the upcoming Nemesys archetype in Eternity Code being able to keep recycling your Malicious to keep summoning more from the Deck in order to make a ton of different plays. Using Malicious too much does get insane, so I understand the semi-limit and if Nemesys makes the card a big issue, I can see it at one. Maybe Malicious will just stay here this time for a while, though idk if it’ll ever return to three after how much it’s come back here.
Sky Striker Mecha – Widow Anchor
From Limited to Semi-Limited
This is basically Konami throwing Sky Striker a bone after they destroyed the archetype with the banning of Engage. Having two Widow Anchor is great for the archetype to get more negation, especially now it’ll be harder to get to with no Engage in the game anymore. The archetype was going to need all it could get to get back to a better position, and I don’t imagine Engage coming back any time soon. Widow Anchor is going to be fine at two in a format where we don’t have Engage, and I can see it maybe coming back to three to help Sky Strikers even more. I wouldn’t expect Multirole or Hornet Drones returning to the game, so Widow Anchor will have to do for now.
Deep Sea Diva
From Semi-Limited to Unlimited
This is going to be a fun one with MR 2020 and the new Deep Sea archetype. Deep Sea Diva is insane in archetype like Mermail Atlantean where it can get Neptabyss out of the Deck. It’s also a Tuner for Synchro plays, which is always fun to have as well. Summoning from the Deck is very insane, so I am shocked we got to the point where Deep Sea Diva can come back to three. It wasn’t doing anything at two, but a new Sea Serpent archetype could really change the tides to a point where I can see Deep Sea Diva returning to limited once again. For now it’s at three and it’ll be perfectly fine and Mermail is going to be a ton of fun in MR 2020.
Necroface
From Semi-Limited to Unlimited
Now sure the prospect of hitting two Necroface off of the banishing of a single one is terrifying, but I don’t know a real Deck to consistently do that besides Gren Maju, and even they can’t do it too much with one Gold Sarc. Necroface is probably going to be perfectly fine at three. I don’t think it makes much of a different between two and three for this card. It’s going to be fun to see what players can do with the card. Banish Decks most certainly got a good boost, it’ll be fun to see what they do. Metaphys players rejoyce!
SPYRAL Gear – Drone
Master Plan or not, Tier 1 or not, Drone was honestly fine at three for a long time. Sure it stacks the Deck for cards like Super Agent and Double Helix, but it isn’t too much of a play enabler if you can’t do anything beyond that. Without Master Plan, SPYRAL could use some help and a way to hopefully get off a Double Helix more consistently with more Drones to see what the opponent is going to top deck is great. It isn’t like it was a great Machine Duplication target for the Deck like how Quik-Fix was when it was at three.
Pot of Avarice
From Limited to Unlimited
The last card to change on the F/L List is one that just recently came back. Pot of Avarice is now back to three just like in the OCG. I don’t imagine this being a big deal considering it’s a late game card in an era where early game cards are much more preferred unless they offer a ton of power. Pot of Avarice gives a lot more recycling in Decks that can really use it, though. A bunch of slower, casual Decks will probably love this. It is still dependent on how fast you fill the graveyard, meaning it has a good brick chance if you draw it in your opening hand. Pot of Avarice is still a good card, but not one that needs to stay on the F/L List anymore.
In Conclusion
We didn’t really need tournaments to know what was going to need to be cleaned up for the release of Crystron Halqifibrax and the upcoming MR 2020 Revision. I’d say Konami did a great job getting rid of the most broken Tuners for Halqifibrax to abuse, even if they did still leave Jet Synchro and O-Lion alone. The Synchro hits were likely going to be necessary, Dangers get a lot less consistent, and Zoodiac actually have another legit play with Drident at 1. They also got rid of SPYRAL and also Lunalight’s Rank 4 Spam. We got a weird one with ABC going to one and while Toad does seem warranted, it is still strange as well. I’d say this list did some good preparation though.
