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FanatikMonk on Yu-Gi-Oh!

Beyond The Banned
March 24, 2006

            So, I think we see the pattern.  High Anticipation in March and September.  Long decisions by UDE.  Big let down come the first of the month.  Wow, did UDE ever balls out on this one, jeez.  There’s a lot that could be said about their decisions and what should’ve/could’ve been done, but when it comes down to it we’re stuck.  Hence, I’m going to put personal grief aside and help you out with how to change your deck for, what’s going to be, a very aggressive Meta.

The All-Powerful UDE

If the goal of the Ban List were to provide a deterrent to conservative play, then UDE is making headway (arguably the exclusion of spirit reaper from the ban list is a big obstacle to pure aggression), but if it’s to encourage smaller plays and more fair trades, UDE failed.  Taking a look at the average deck in the old Meta will show a lot of flip-effect monsters.  From spies to Merchants to Battlechanted Locomotives, we, as a community, have become dependant upon slowing game play via consistent hand advantage and have appreciated and enjoyed the multi-dimensional (both psychological and physical) support face-down monsters have provided.  In addition, advantage gaining mechanics have been magnified beyond anything imaginable.  Two years ago you’d never hear anyone arguing against swords because it was a “minus one.”  Lastly, what we haven’t seen much of, is the inclusion and evolution of Treeborn Frog.  Shonen Jump Orlando has proven the use of the frog and decks everywhere are expanding in new directions with its aid.  Forgetting the rising impact of the frog would be foolish and dangerous.

Transitions

So, why go over all of this?  Because transitions are important.  The shift from the old to the new Meta won’t happen in one swoop, just like this one didn’t.  Each tournament, duel, deck fix done in this format will gradually shift the meta towards an eventual destination, but that destination is months away and we aren’t dueling the future, we’re dueling the present. 

So, what can be expected?  Well first off, the flip-effect/Nobleman of Crossout tradeoff will cause similar levels of flip effect monsters with greater variation.  The comfort we’ve established with f/d monsters is not easily forgotten and while you may not see 3 merchants, 3 Dekoichi and 2 GK spies in the same deck, we are bound to see new monsters emerge into competitive play (skelengel, grenkappa, etc.).  The new tech that will emerge will work in conjunction with the inclusion of new cards.  Graceful Charity and treeborn frog support the Dark World archtype and Goldds, Silvas and Browws can and will be run in doubles in many decks.  Reinforcement of the Army defined the last format and for the beginning of this one, Dark World tech will dictate the meta for now.

Treeborn Frog’s addition (and limited status) has added value to every tribute monster in the game from Dark Magician of Chaos to Jinzo, a revival of certain “old-school monsters” is on its way.  Treeborn’s balancing effects will also alter trap lineups in both decks that include and exclude the frog.  Bottomless Trap Hole will be the new widespread ruin and Enemy Controller will replace most non-chainable traps in frog-friendly decks.  The trap lineup has now become a function of the frog’s effect and the importance of traps will fall significantly in the upcoming format.

Spells are back and with a vengeance.  Look for spellcaster control (2 x Apprentice Magician, 2x Magician of Faith, 1 x Old Vindictive Magician) to be splashed into many competitive decks and Graceful/Nobleman abuse to come with it.  Metamorphosis makes a big return with Treeborn floating around and scapegoat will come back to run side by side the other two.  Spell lineups will continually get bigger as the trap pool slowly shrinks.  Spell based decks have a second breath of life and mill returns as a legitimate threat.

So what am I getting at, what do you need to individually do?  Well, there’s a lot to be done, but I’ll summarize the biggest things right now.

1.                            Treeborn Frog is a threat.  Play or be played.  Failing to prepare to face frog based decks is a huge mistake.  Rumor has it that Zaborg will be released in TP8 as a common and that will only further frog abuse.  Have a plan to take it out and make sure it’s accessible and effective.

 

2.                            Don’t lose faith in flips.  It’s easy to turn your back on an entire deck idea, but marginal changes won’t annihilate your chances of victory.  The inclusion of a second Crossout only means you’ll have to get more creative with your face-downs and it’ll pay off.

 

3.                            Your Side Deck is your best friend!  A lot of people, especially new duelists, are afraid of side decking, but between ban lists it is what wins games.  New ideas will pop up and your side deck should be ready to take them down.  15 cards is a gift, use it!

 

4.                            Experiment!!!  You’ll learn so much about this format just from playing in it.  Duel over and over again and the strengths and weaknesses of the Meta will come to view very quickly.

So, take this as a warning.  Even though UDE screwed up, complaining will only get you so far.  This ban is here, hate it or love it, and you’ll have no choice but to adapt, exploit and overcome.  Good luck and Happy Dueling.

-FanatikMonk

Clayton_Nelson@brown.edu

P.S.  Facebook me, I need friends.