Macro Cosmos really shouldn’t have legs and be a better Zoodiac Drident you say? Hello Pojo Readers, Crunch$G here to discuss the latest update to the TCG Forbidden and Limited List to go into effect on September 25th. This is coming out of a format with some of the top Decks being Kashtira, Purrely, Labrynth (with Eradicator Epidemic Virus), Rescue-ACE, and the newly added Unchained and Chimera just to name a few top Decks. We also recently saw Dragon Link win the World Championship, and of course that’s still viable in the TCG in stronger form than anywhere else. Overall, there aren’t a ton of changes to go over, so let’s see the little this list had to offer at the very least.
Kashtira Arise-Heart
From Limited to Forbidden
The first change is the only card on the list to get banned, and it’s more than fair to say that Kashtira Arise-Heart deserves to be banned. It’s not everyday you see a card get printed and then banned in just about 7-8 months in the same year, but here we are. Kashtira Arise-Heart invalidates a lot of graveyard strategies due to it being a Macro Cosmos on legs essentially, all while being extremely easy to summon in the Kashtira archetype. If the Macro Cosmos wasn’t enough, it also had the Quick Effect to banish a card face-down (helping trigger your Shangrai-Ira) while also being able to gain more materials each time a card was banished. This is one of the strongest boss monsters in the modern game for just how powerless some cards and strategies become to it. With the card gone, some other Decks might have an easier time rising to rogue status while also maybe being able to see a card like Forbidden Droplet able to see play once again. Goodbye, Arise-Heart, you won’t be missed.
Bystial Magnamhut
From Unlimited to Limited
Now we look at some Dragon Link hits since the Deck did just win the World Championship and is still relevant after over 4 years of being viable. Bystials, while strong, aren’t as in need of a hit as they were in the OCG. Druiswurm, Baldrake, and Lubellion are all fine over here for now while on the other side, their format is more volitale to them to a point where all of those cards were Limited. Magnamhut, on the other hand, certainly deserved a hit on the TCG side of things as well. Being the standard Bystial of Special Summoning itself by banishing a LIGHT or DARK from either grave, with the potential to be a Quick Effect is standard, but the main part of Magnamhut that makes him more broken is the ability to search any Dragon during the End Phase of the turn it was Special Summoned. The generic-ness of that, along with how good of cards all the Bystials are makes Magnamhut a bit too good to exist at 3 in any format, so now the TCG has followed suit with every other format and put the card to 1, where it really belongs to be honest. Easily the best Bystial, and now you’ll probably see more focus on Druiswurm now that Magnamhut went to 1.
Chaos Space
From Unlimited to Limited
Now for the other hit to Dragon Link, we got a card that honestly many could of seen as broken from day 1: Chaos Space. Having a card to be able to search LIGHT and DARK monsters with the only catch being it has to be the ones you cannot Normal Summon or Set is way too good. There’s still tons of great monsters with both Attributes that can’t be Normal Summoned, but have super easy conditions to be Special Summoned. No downside for the rest of the turn as well, but we also got a graveyard effect on this to banish itself to return a LIGHT/DARK monster that can’t be Normal Summoned or Set from the banished pile to the Deck for a free draw. It really helps make the already Limited copies of White Dragon Wyverburster and Black Dragon Collapserpent that much better since you can use each to search the other still due to Chaos Space. It was a big consistency boost to Dragon Link mainly, hence the Limit to slow the Deck down a bit more alongside putting Magnamhut to 1. Really, this feels like a card destined to get hit in some capacity.
Herald of Orange Light
From Semi-Limited to Unlimited
We end things off with the clean-up section where cards get to come back to 3, and we start with the traditional card that went to 2 on the last list and therefore is now back to 3 copies, this time with Herald of Orange Light. When we had stuff like Ishizu Tearlaments running around with 3 Orange Light to get some consistent negations of Monster Effects while also getting the mills or shuffles into the Deck off the Ishizu monsters, of course a card like this is a problem. Now with the best Tearlaments monsters either Banned or Limited along with all 4 Ishizu cards all Limited, the Deck isn’t as big of a threat that it once was, and there’s no real reason to keep Orange Light on the list any longer. The only other way to break this card, being with Eva, is also Banned, so Orange Light is just basically an unsearchable hand-trap that’s specific to Fairies at a time with no broken Fairy cards or Decks.
Salamangreat Gazelle
From Limited to Unlimited
We finally end things off with a card long overdue to come back, and I’m shocked it wasn’t on the previous list due to the upcoming Salamangreat support, and that is Gazelle finally coming back to 3. A few years ago, when Salamangreat were one of the best Decks, you could of easily justified Gazelle going to 1 when it did. It’s easily one of the best cards in the archetype. Advance a few years, however, and the Salamangreat end board of monsters isn’t too strong with a lack of disruptions in that department, and the best form of defense being Salamangreat Rage and Salamangreat Roar isn’t enough, no matter how many hand traps you also play in Salamangreat to fill up the space in your Deck. There are Decks now that can handle what Salamangreat put out, and they can also play the hand traps that they run as well. Only benefit in Salamangreat is the ability to recycle copies of Ash Blossom. Gazelle isn’t broken enough anymore to warrant being at 1, Salamangreat is a decent rogue option still, but it won’t tear the meta apart now that it’s at full power again.
In Conclusion
Really, an underwhelming list to be honest. Kashtira and Dragon Link both got hit, though I think it’s easy to see Dragon Link isn’t the best Deck, just one that’s been around so long, and Kashtira’s top spot has arguably been taken by Unchained for now. Arise-Heart, Magnamhut, and Chaos Space are still good hits since Kashtira is a frustrating Deck for many strategies to deal with an the other two are good future-proofing for the game. There’s honestly more that could of been done maybe like another Purrely hit or EEV getting the ban to keep Labrynth and anything else running it in check. Cards like Dimension Shifter and Dimensional Barrier getting banned might of been nice, but they are likely bound for Rarity Collection, so no bans there, and with Duelist Nexus failing, you don’t need to make it worse by hurting the power of Crimson Dragon and banning King Calamity, no matter how broken it is. Some cards could of came back besides what we got, like there’s zero reason Harp Horror should still be banned, and the OCG has had Glow-Up Bulb and M-X-Saber Invoker and, while good cards, they aren’t setting that format on fire. Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin feels obvious to come back soon with Majespecter support, but I’m sure the OCG wants to do that first and we’ll likely get another list before said support. Arise-Heart is finally gone, and that’s a positive, but I would of liked to have seen more.
Thanks for reading,
Crunch$G
