31 changes, oh boy this article will be long. Hello Pojo Readers, Crunch$G back here to talk about the Forbidden and Limited list after how I’ve already done it with every other Forbidden and Limited card and the updates from the last list, but now we have a new one and it is much longer than last time around. A ton of changes, mostly in the Limited, Semi-Limited, and Unlimited sections with the Semi-Limited section feeling less empty now. There’s a lot of cards to discuss, so I’ll assess how this changes the meta or helps boost other decks.
Eclipse Wyvern
From Unlimited to Forbidden
This hit really caught me off guard. The obvious here is that this will hurt the consistency of the Guardragon engine, but this isn’t the way I honestly thought they’d go about this. I thought Chaos Dragon Levianeer would of been a prime target to get limited and REDMD getting banned, but I guess they want Guardragon variants, especially the Thunder Dragon versions, staying strong enough to sell this year’s Mega-Tins. The banning of Eclipse Wyvern means you can’t easily get to Chaos Dragon Levianeer anymore in your Guardragon decks by just sending Wyvern to the grave and banishing it with the baby chaos dragons. The hit does affect Guardragons, so this is a warranted hit I guess.
The Phantom Knights of Rusty Bardiche
From Unlimited to Forbidden
In what seems like the traditional Link Monster getting banned of every list now-a-days, we have The Phantom Knights of Rusty Bardiche banned. This card was so good for many DARK decks just by adding some Phantom Knights cards into the deck. It helped get combos off easily by helping access Silent Boots and Shade Brigandine as well as getting to negates like Fog Blade and previously helping summon Azathot on the opponent’s turn when the PK Rank-Up was legal. It also popping cards when you summoned your DARK Xyzs to zones it pointed to was icing on the cake, especially in Orcust after they got their own Xyz. It is a banworthy card, it just stings for people using Phantom Knights for other uses.
Altergeist Multifaker
From Unlimited to Limited
This hit seems random right now considering Altergeist weren’t really doing too well in this meta of Salamangreats, Thunder Guardragons, Orcust, and Sky Strikers, but at the same time I guess this will curb Altergeist a bit from being a cut above the rest after they all took hits. Multifaker is a big hit to the deck as it helped generate so much advantage with getting to cards like Meluseek and Silquitous to keep searching for cards or bouncing Multifaker for more uses. This doesn’t straight up kill the deck, as if you wanted to you can now play Sangan to summon Salamangreat Almiraj just to search for Multifaker or you can use Meluseek to go into said Almiraj or instead Linkuriboh. The OCG has proven that Altergeist can be viable still with one Multifaker, but that doesn’t take away from the impact this will have on Altergeist.
Black Dragon Collapserpent
From Unlimited to Limited
One of the two baby chaos dragons, Collapserpent helped you get into your Elpy and Pitsy with great ease while also banishing your Eclipse Wyvern from the grave to get to your Levianeer and searching for his counterpart when it is used as the Link Material. You also got the synergy with Thunder Dragons having their own LIGHT monsters to banish if so needed like the og Thunder Dragon or even Dragonhawk to use its effect to reset your hand. Limiting this card does hinder the power of the baby chaos dragon engine being used in Dragon decks, but it is still a viable option to play because free bodies are great. The card does deserve its limit.
Salamangreat Gazelle
From Unlimited to Limited
Basically here we are just following up from what the OCG did as well very recently. Gazelle was so easy to summon since all it wanted to be Special Summoned was for you to send a Salamangreat to the grave, which is easy with Link Summoning, and don’t forget how easy it is to summon with Miragestallio and recover with Sunlight Wolf. Hitting this card does make the deck less consistent as you can no longer dump a disruptive Trap to the grave for Sunlight Wolf to get back as often. This isn’t that bad with Cynet Mining at three, Lady Debug at one, and Salamangreat Circle not getting banned (I’ll get to that), but it does hurt the consistency and it’ll hurt Salamangreats if something happened to the one Gazelle in the duel.
Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms
From Forbidden to Limited
Just like the OCG, we now have a Dragon Ruler back into the format and just like the OCG we got the worst one considering WIND is one of the weakest attributes in the game, but it is still a welcome addition back to the game. This can give decks like Ritual Beasts a boost and Dragon decks can still make use of this as well since it can banish Dragons and/or WINDs at the same time to summon. It also searches for any Dragon by discarding it and another WIND and upon being banished searches for any WIND Dragon, which will boost Dragunities as well. The hard once per turn for only getting one of Tempest’s effects in a turn will make it worse in 2019 than it did in 2013, but it is still a great card. It’s cool to see Tempest back, and Lightning is at three as well still, but my OCD might be bothered a bit by the other three Rulers being banned still, but you never know if they could return as well.
White Dragon Wyverburster
From Unlimited to Limited
If they were going to hit Collapserpent, then it would of made no sense to keep Wyverburster at three still, so here it is at one at well. This really makes the baby chaos dragons less potent as they can’t keep searching for each other and having this one at one means you won’t be banishing good DARK monsters as well. This means you’ll need more ways to banish cards like Thunder Dragondark and Dragonroar and this does affect when the Rokket deck comes to the TCG since that’ll be full of DARK monsters, meaning Wyverburster would be home in there at multiples while less Collapserpents could of been done, so both baby chaos dragons being here is warranted.
Daigusto Emeral
From Forbidden to Limited
The only other unbanning on the list goes to Daigusto Emeral, which makes sense at this point. This was banned right when they were finishing off Zoodiacs on the F/L list to stop them from being meta, but the hit kinda didn’t make sense considering they already killed Zoodiacs off basically. At the time, though, it proved that multiple Daigusto Emerals could be abused by looping them to make sure you never run out of resources as long as you can keep summoning Emeral. One Emeral prevents any kind of abuse, so it’ll probably stay there for a while. It’ll help right now for it that Rank 4 decks aren’t as powerful as they were just a few years ago.
Salamangreat Circle
From Unlimited to Limited
Salamangreat took a bigger hit to consistency as most would of expected since the deck is still fairly new. Salamangreat Circle gets rid of an easy, generic, recyclable searcher being in opening hands as often as it was, this also makes the one of Gazelle being harder to get to as well. Now as I mentioned earlier, you still got Cynet Mining at three and Lady Debug is also still at one and Salamangreat still have access to other consistency cards like Flame Bufferlo and Salamangreat Foxy, but those aren’t directly getting you what you want all the time. This is a big consistency hit to the deck, but it doesn’t outright kill the potential of it just yet.
Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole
From Unlimited to Limited
If Kagari wasn’t a big enough hit to Sky Striker’s grind game, losing Multirole to one is a big deal. They still have this card and Engage is still at three, meaning the grind game the deck has isn’t completely gone yet, but losing your Multirole will hurt when it is destroyed or, even worse, banished. This deck was similar to how Spellbook of Judgment was for Spellbooks, this card just resetting your Sky Striker cards every turn just for using them allowed for this deck to grind it out until it won. This is a great hit to the deck’s best trait. The deck isn’t dead really, since this card isn’t banned yet, but the power of this deck has been curbed a lot by limiting this card.
Terraforming
From Semi-Limited to Limited
I mean, what needs to be said here? The card searches for literally any Field Spell in the game. This basically means if your archetype has a really good Field Spell, then Terraforming basically allows you to have more copies of it in your deck. Field Spells, while maybe not as powerful as in previous formats, are still key for several different decks and having one less Terraforming means decks will see their Field Spells less consistently. One day this card could get banned, but a limit is fine for now since Field Spells aren’t getting too out of control.
Trickstar Light Stage
From Unlimited to Limited
Now this will make the Reincarnation/Droll combo less consistent, but hitting Trickstar Light Stage allows for more to be put in check. This makes the Candina/Carobane/Light Stage package decks play less consistent, and that engine was good mostly to get your Knightmare engine going to do Orcust plays and stuff. Light Stage being a searcher for Trickstars when they already had Candina as well as shutting down and later removing backrow if it isn’t usable is very good, maybe doesn’t make this card banworthy, but a limit puts Trickstars in check properly as well as that Trickstar engine.
Metaverse
From Unlimited to Limited
If Terraforming wasn’t already enough to curb the consistency of Field Spells, the hit to Metaverse to one makes them even less consistent. This one affects certain Field Spells more than other ones, as this can get to cards like Mystic Mine or Secret Village of the Spellcasters on your opponent’s turn to really shut down their plays and really put the duel in your control. It’s funny how this was once seen as a replacement to Terraforming after we were expecting it to get limited and now Metaverse is proving to be almost as good as Terraforming is. A worthy limit, though I’m sure most would of loved a Mystic Mine ban more.
Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End
From Limited to Semi-Limited
You know an errata was pretty harsh on a card when it can peel away from being limited after it is unbanned, but here we are with the once mighty Chaos Emperor Dragon. Sure this can support Thunder Guardragon variants, but you still got better options for that like Levianeer now. It not allowing you to use effects before or after using CED’s own effect is what really hinders this card from being the monster it once was and I’m completely expecting this to come back to three on the next list. What a fall from grace this card is seeing now, especially with Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning now being much better than it now.
Danger! Nessie!
From Unlimited to Semi-Limited
We got three Danger cards in a row to go through, so we’ll start off with the searcher of the archetype. Nessie was the biggest body of Dangers to be Semi-Limited now, but it isn’t Semi-Limited because it is the biggest body. It summoned itself and drew you a card if your opponent didn’t know where it was in your hand and if they did know, you got to search for another Danger card to reveal and try to summon. Nessie going to two doesn’t kill Danger as a whole just like the other hits the archetype took, but this is a minor tap to consistency for the Danger package as a whole until they get reprinted and become more prime to bigger hits on the list.
Danger!? Jackalope!?
From Unlimited to Semi-Limited
The second of three Dangers is Jackalope, another one of the three best Danger monsters I’m sure we can agree on. Jacaklope has the same effect of Nessie and the other Danger monsters to reveal and see if your opponent can find it and if they fail you get to summon it and draw a card, which allowed for crazy advantage, but you also got the fact that Jackalope summoned a Danger from the deck if your opponent did hit the Jackalope. This was literally a guaranteed body on board if you revealed Jackalope, whether it was discarded or not. Again, they probably didn’t want to hit this too hard to sell Mega-Tins, but this does hinder consistency a bit.
Danger!? Tsuchinoko!?
From Unlimited to Semi-Limited
The final one of the three Danger monsters to go to two, once again probably to sell Mega-Tins by not completely killing them, is the one announced for the tins, Tsuchinoko. Tsuchinoko does what you expect at this point, reveal it to see if your opponent can find it and then summon it and draw a card if they fail. Tsuchinoko though is similar to Jackalope, though, where if your opponent finds it and makes you discard it, you get a guaranteed body on board as if you did get the original summon effect off minus the draw. What make Tsuchinoko different from Jackalope was that Tsuchinoko summoned itself from the grave, and while it didn’t deck-thin like Jackalope, it was just as good for getting a body on board. All three are worthy limits to make Danger less consistent and making the best three a 6-card engine instead of 9-card.
Ehther the Heavenly Monarch
From Limited to Semi-Limited
I did say before this could peel off the list and here we are. Ehther the Heavenly Monarch is a nice little boost to the deck as now you can see this more often to get cards from the deck like Erebus or Kuraz for future disruption or to gain more advantage. It also gives you one more way to dump your Monarch Spells and Traps from the deck and gives you more to do on the opponent’s turn, especially with Stormforth at three from last list. Still having Pantheism at one and this at only two instead of three means the deck isn’t what it once was, but I’m sure we are just getting closer to that point. Monarchs at full force will be fun to play with again once that happens.
Elemental HERO Stratos
From Limited to Semi-Limited
I still remember the days players in the TCG kept begging for this card to be unbanned while at the same time the OCG peeled this off to two and just recently put it to three. Stratos deserves to be at two once again, especially since this isn’t Airblade format anymore. This gives HERO decks more consistency, especially since the TCG never limited Shadow Mist, as well as more backrow removal to help their ever-so-expanding plays go through without a hitch. This will probably come to three for the first time since it was released eventually, but having it at two is very nice and surreal at the same time.
Inzektor Dragonfly
From Limited to Semi-Limited
We had Hornet come back to three not long ago, so here is Dragonfly now following suit and coming off the list, only more slowly compared to Hornet. Konami must of feared Inzektors being able to Link Spam with three Dragonfly, but even if they did, other decks do it better and I doubt it would be a meta contender. Maybe rogue at best, but not Tier 1 like in 2012. Anyway, the card is at two to make Inzektor plays more consistent and I will love to see us get the third copy of this back sometime soon. It is long overdue for this card to come back to three over here in the TCG, but having two of this back in the format is most certainly a step in the right direction.
Performage Damage Juggler
From Limited to Semi-Limited
We most certainly aren’t in Performages and Pals format anymore. Damage Juggler coming to two is a very safe move at this point, especially since the TCG has Brilliant Fusion limited, and brings consistency to Performages as an engine to be ran in other decks. We are still safe from Plushfire for now, but even then I doubt Plushfire would do that much if it came back, but I digress. Having this can allow for some cool stuff with Performages like Trick Clown and Hat Tricker, so having a second copy of this is nice and I wouldn’t be shocked if we got the third copy of it back in the format very soon.
Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz
From Limited to Semi-Limited
Nekroz get better and better now they have a second copy of Shurit back in their hands. This makes the deck more consistent at searching and summon Nekroz of Trishula, which is what Nekroz are mostly known for. A second copy of this will help Nekroz keep its currently rogue status, but it doesn’t make the deck suddenly boost back up to Tier 1 status like it was 4 years ago. Still, it’s nice to have a searcher for cards like Brionac, Clausolas, and Trishula just for using it to Ritual Summon back at multiples in the deck, and it being an entire tribute is great to have at two. It’s a nice addition to the arsenal of the deck and I see this coming to three eventually just like it already has in the OCG.
Royal Tribute
From Limited to Semi-Limited
The final semi-limit was probably the most unexpecting one considering we don’t have the OCG to go off for peeling this off the list since they never limited it in the first place I don’t believe, but Royal Tribute is now at two. The deck to benefit from this the most is obviously Gravekeeper’s as they want to get to Necrovalley as soon as possible, and now they got this for a power play to get rid of their opponent’s monsters. I don’t see people trying to throw in Necorvally in their decks just to throw in two of this as well, and I doubt they’ll rush to do it with three unless their deck really benefits from it, but Royal Tribute at two should be fine, I don’t imagine Gravekeeper’s making this meta if anything is going to do that.
Qliphort Scout
From Limited to Unlimited
Weird for Konami to Semi-Limit certain cards while straight-up unlimiting others, but I guess they’re free to do what they desire. Qliphort Scout being back at three brings the full consistency back to the deck and basically puts it back at full power, if you don’t count Vanity’s Emptiness being banned and Skill Drain still being limited, but things are probably better off that way. You can now pay 800 and keep searching without too much fear of losing your Qliphort Scout because now you got other copies in your deck to draw or search. A fine addition back at three, I know Qliphorts really needed this.
Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer
From Semi-Limited to Unlimited
It went to two a while back, so it oddly took a while to bring it back to three. Luster Pendulum being back at three can help Pendulum decks be more consistent as well as having access to another Tuner for Ignister if they so desire. When a card is at two, you can usually make an argument for it being back at three with rare exceptions, and Luster Pendulum is one of those cards that if Konami was going to Semi-Limit, they should of just brought it back to three when they chose to, but alas here we are with three Luster Pendulum once again, because as I said earlier we are no longer in Performages and Pals format.
Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
From Limited to Unlimited
Well the OCG just recently brought this back to two, but the TCG decided to raise them one and straight up bring Trishula back to three. Now if this wasn’t in Master Rule 4 with Link Summoning being a factor, this would probably of still been limited and rightfully so because it’s easy to abuse three Trish when an Extra Monster Zone isn’t in play, but having it as a factor makes abusing multiples of this card harder. I’m sure it can be done, but it won’t be as consistent compared to the meta as it would of once been and I doubt decks that do it would be meta unless they were really good at what they did. It’s another surreal sight to see, but Trishula at three is welcome just as long as no one finds an easy way to abuse it. I guess having three Trish make sense with Duel Devastator around the corner.
Dark Hole
From Limited to Unlimited
This is odd because when the OCG decided to bring this to three, the TCG brought it from two to one and went in the opposite direction, but here we are putting it from one to three. We’ve come a long way from LOB and if Raigeki wasn’t too staple at one, what would of made anyone think Dark Hole would see play. Dark Hole at three won’t matter too much because you know players will gravitate towards Raigeki before they start to consider this card, assuming they aren’t considering Interrupted Kaiju Slumber first. It’s still decent, but not amazing anymore. Now I just wonder if Konami would actually considering bringing Raigeki to multiples at some point.
Monster Gate
From Limited to Unlimited
This card will be a nice boost to certain decks now that it is at three. Monster Gate was limited mostly cause I assume Infernoids and maybe Kozmo since I know they ran Reasoning back then, so I don’t know if they went with Monster Gate as well. Monster Gate will guarantee you a summon just as long as you can summon it, but the tribute as a cost might be the reason why it went back to three instead of Reasoning. I can imagine Reasoning being at three eventually, but Monster Gate at three is fine considering I doubt Infernoids will be meta with this at three, especially with Grass still banned.
Rekindling
From Limited to Unlimited
We’ve come far from fearing a two/three card combo summoning a Shooting Quasar Dragon being a scary thing. Rekindling is basically Soul Charge for FIRE decks just as long as said FIRE monsters have 200 DEF exactly. It’s pretty specific, which is why it is now back at three, but there are still some solid FIRE monsters with that 200 DEF stat to where I can imagine it seeing some use. Lavals might use it for Link Spam and Infernoids might love it for reviving their Decatrons. It’s a great addition to have back at three, now I just wonder how many of the new Fire Fist cards coming will have 200 DEF.
Super Polymerization
From Semi-Limited to Unlimited
The more this card peels off the list, the better check it is for decks that like establishing big boards, and now Super Poly is at the maximum three copies per deck. This will really help decks out boards with options like Salamangreat Violet Chimera, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, and Mudragon of the Swamp, so having as many of it as possible is great in these build-a-board formats we’ve seem to entered. Other decks like Shaddoll and Elemental HEROs might love it as well considering they have attribute specific Fusions and I know Predaplants will love it with their new Fusion that needs three DARKs coming soon. Super Poly is going to be perfectly fine at three unless some powerful Fusion deck that can abuse it comes along.
Solemn Judgment
From Limited to Unlimited
We end this whole thing off with the Solemn I wouldn’t of expected to come off the list first compared to the other. Solemn Judgment is an interesting card to bring back to three as it can be high cost with a potential high reward, so having multiples means more rewards to reap assuming you use all three of these. Counter Fairies can use this for three, but they already had Ultimate Providence for that as well and I doubt Counter Fairies will be meta from this. I’ve kinda felt the more Solemn Judgments you’ve had in a format, the less perseverant you could be with it, but considering a lot of decks can run through a couple of negations, you losing those life points from it could be a big detriment to you if you didn’t negate the right card or if your opponent could of just played through it anyways. I’m sure this will be fine at three and eventually I assume Solemn Warning will follow suit and be at three.
In Conclusion
These hits didn’t really kill the meta, mostly cause what would we really fall towards in terms of new products to be the next meta deck? Nothing coming up doesn’t seem to really shake things up except the Rokket deck currently, and them hitting Dragons harder could of changed that in an instant. This is a good check to see if any other decks can compete now, though, and we got a ton of cards off the list that most certainly deserve to be off. It’s a big list that changes a lot, nothing that peeled off will break the meta wide open, though Tempest and triple Judgment could see play more than anything, and the meta seems more balanced now for some more competition to come into the fray.
Thanks for Reading,
Crunch$G
