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Mike "Dawn Yoshi" Roseberg

Is Return Broken, or are you broken?
By Mike “Dawn Yoshi” Rosenberg
June 28, 2006

An observation by Mike “Dawn Yoshi” Rosenberg

(Note: I wrote this article a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, within that short time the Recruiter-Chaos deck began to dominate Shonen Jump Championships. While this article is a little outdated, it still addresses points I would like to convey, especially with the nearing release of the new advanced format forbidden list.)

“Return is broken! It needs to be banned.”

“Return is so unfair.”

The Yu-Gi-Oh community has been filled with some comedic lines lately. Such as the ones above! Here’s one for people saying that at their local shops.

“If Return from the Different Dimension was SOOOOOO powerful, it wouldn't have been collecting dust in people's binders for so long after it came out.”

Thanks Kevin Tewart. Some of your posts on the forums make for some very entertaining quotes.

One of the largest complaints I have been reading lately is how unfair Return from the Different Dimension apparently is. It is considered a blow-out trap card that can single-handedly turn a duel upside down. Some players also claim that it completely wrecks the purpose of maintaining card advantage over your opponent in the control match-ups since one Return from the Different Dimension can end the game despite your +5 over the opponent.

For those of you unfamiliar what a +5 or a -2 means, don’t worry about it. It’s an archaic form of keeping track of card advantage you have over your opponent. It no longer matters since the Goat Control format doesn’t exist anymore. That’s what happens when the game progresses, after all. Card advantage only players part of a factor in a duel, while tempo can actually play a much more important role. Obviously when you play a card that involves making your opponent lose more resources than what you invest, it is a good thing. Getting more resources in exchange for a smaller amount of resources is also a good thing. That’s all you need to know.

When it comes to looking at the Return-Chaos decks that currently exist, it is easy to notice a recurring pattern in the decks. For a deck that is so easily powered by Return from the Different Dimension, there sure aren’t a lot of ways of removing your own monsters from play with the exception of your own Chaos Sorcerers (or a timely Nobleman of Crossout on your own face-down Dekoichi so you can score that lethal 4200 damage. Have fun with that play everybody). The only reason that Return-Chaos variants right now can successfully thrive is through the aid of the opponent’s “remove from play” effects. It is a lot easier to make Return from the Different Dimension effective for you when your opponent is also running three Chaos Sorcerers, two Nobleman of Crossouts, D. D. Warrior Lady, and a Bottomless Trap Hole or two (oh yeah, I heard that Bottomless was good against a Return activation as well).

So what does that make the Return-Chaos deck right now? Oh, I know. It makes the deck an incredibly slow control deck that relies heavily upon a half-decent draw in order to really work. That means that the Return-Chaos deck can easily succumb to a multiple Sorcerer opening hand, or a situation where the only cards that the Return user draws is Zaborg the Thunder Monarchs, Book of Moon, and Enemy Controllers.

Of course, a Return-Chaos player is more likely to lose against decks that are not based on removing cards from play. This means that any deck that can take advantage of the Return-Chaos deck’s unbelievably weak tempo can most likely win before the Return player can build up enough steam and resource-generation through its late game effects. And Return From the Different Dimension will probably suck for them in their match.

The answer seems so simple, doesn’t it? So why exactly haven’t we seen this effectively DONE? The top 8 decks for the past two Shonen Jump Championships are still littered with Return-Chaos variants, although the Recruiter strategy has picked up some popularity in making sure that they can actually build up to their “Remove Light and Dark” late game at a faster pace. Despite that, the Return-Chaos decks are still vulnerable in the early portions of a duel. So why, exactly, are people still sticking to the Return-Chaos variants? It’s obviously not working well enough for a lot of players, and it’s only making the luck factor WORSE for you.

Are many players just afraid of running anything else? Or are they lazy, and just aren’t bothering to think outside of the box and find answers? Perhaps you just need a deck-list.

3|Mrl|Shining Angel
3|Mrl|Mystic Tomato
3|Crv|Cyber Dragon
3|Pgd|Newdoria
1|Mrd|Sangan
1|Lod|Exiled Force
1|Dcr|D.D. Warrior Lady
3|Eoj|Majestic Mech - Ohka
3|Ioc|Chaos Sorcerer
1|Mfc|Breaker The Magical Warrior
3|Psv|Dust Tornado
1|Lon|Torrential Tribute
1|Mrd|Mirror Force
3|Dcr|Skill Drain
1|Mrd|Heavy Storm
1|Mrl|Snatch Steal
1|Sdj|Scapegoat
1|Sdy|Last Will
1|Sdp|Graceful Charity
2|Ioc|Smashing Ground
2|Lod|Creature Swap
1|Mrl|Mystical Space Typhoon
-SIDE DECK-
1|Mrl|Confiscation
1|Tp4|Royal Decree
1|Pgd|Book of Moon
3|Pgd|Spirit Reaper
3|Sod|Mind Crush
1|Psv|Premature Burial
2|Psv|Nobleman of Crossout

That deck-list is from Kill_Switch on the Pojo message boards. He ran that at the Arlington Shonen Jump Championship, and also feels that the best way to deal with this current Return-infested metagame is to run a deck that…well, doesn’t aid the Return-Chaos players. His Skill Drain deck shuts down the early-game sifting effects such as Dekoichi the Battle-Chanted Locomotive, and it also shuts down opposing Chaos Sorcerers. Before you comment on Kill_Switch’s use of Chaos Sorcerers, don’t forget that it still acts as a special summon and an easy 2300 damage to the opponent’s face. That seems relevant for a fast deck such as this, doesn’t it?

Another strategy to consider is an Aggro-Burn deck. The one that top 8ed in Arlington isn’t the best example since it’s a little everywhere, but the concept of fast and aggressive monsters with burn effects can do a good job at shutting down a late-tempo metagame such as this one. Ask any Magic player about this and they’ll probably follow your question with an explicative and then a word such as “Boros” or “Zoo”. The concept has been proven well in games such as Magic the Gathering and Vs System, and it applies well enough to Yu-Gi-Oh as well.

Most importantly, run something you are comfortable with. This does not mean running your Harpie Lady deck or Elemental Hero deck will cut it at a Shonen Jump Championship, but if you have a competitive strategy that has tested well but are afraid to run it at a major tournament simply because it hasn’t been proven, take a chance! Most likely you will be benefiting yourself quite a bit, and most of your rounds during the tournament will be primarily based upon how well you play your deck and react to your opponent. The more skill you add to your tournament experience, the better.

Above all, make sure you play-test different strategies. Don’t just stick with a cookie cutter 30 cards and change the strategy from there. Think outside of the box, test these strategies against some teammates or some play-testing partners, and then see what works and what doesn’t. I assure you that doing this and then finding a strategy that works for you and your group will ultimately benefit you at a regional event or a SJC. Good luck at your next event!

As always, if you wish to comment on this article, I will have a thread created in the Yu-Gi-Oh TCG General Gossip section of the Pojo Message boards. This article will also be linked from “The Binder on Myspace” if you wish to comment there (see below). I’d like to see what discussions can come out of these articles, and I appreciate feedback.

-Mike “Dawn Yoshi” Rosenberg

(As a side note, be sure to check out “The Binder on Myspace” by <A HREF=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=83187884>clicking here</A>. Joining my friends list there allows you to comment on my articles on this and other web sites, and is also a space where other readers and discuss the topics within the articles with other people. There will also be some exclusive content posted there that will only be found on the Myspace blog.)