What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate
 
This is one of the most interesting formats that we have ever have. I am speaking from experience as there once was a time where there was only one top tier deck and a change of five cards from deck to deck was considered crazy. back in the day, your deck was profiled based on the type and amount of Monarch monsters in your deck. So basically, all of you haters out there that want to whine incessantly about "The worst format ever" things could be a lot worse.
 
As I am saying that this format is not the most fun ever. There are a ton of rock-paper-scissors matchups out there where decks just lose to eachother and there are seriously some unbalanced issues. But this article is going to be an analysis of the top-tier decks, basically the decks and cards that you will be seeing in a Regional event or at a YCS Championship. This is going to include matchups (both good and bad), key opponent's cards and plays, tech for and against the deck which includes some good side deck choices for the deck and in their bad matchups.
 
I think it is important for not only new players, but also experienced players to have a go-to guide on what the format is going to be like. That being said, this is still my own opinion and based on my own experience as well as what I have seen from other players. This is not the end-all be-all for the game this format. I will welcome criticism, comments and ideas for this guide, as I intend to update it for new events, releases and trends ad they come online. So without further ado, enjoy my guide on the current format as I enjoy my day off. (The list is in no particular order and variants are all included under the super-type)
 
Say hello to my little friend!
 
Dark World
 
-Key Cards
(Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World)(Snoww, Unlight of Dark World)(Dragged Down Into the Grave)(The Gates of Dark World)(Trance Archfiend)
 
-Key Plays
(Trance Archfiend->Discard Grapha)(Bounce Dark World Monster-> Summon Grapha)(Dragged Down Into the Grave + Mind Crush)
 
-Good Matchups
(Lightsworn)(TG)(Anti-Meta)
 
-Bad Matchups
(Dino-Rabbit)(Chaos Dragons)(Wind-Ups)
 
-Tech For
(Sillva, Warlord of Dark World)(Skill Drain)(Effect Veiler)(Tragoedia)
 
-Tech Against
(D.D. Crow)(Dimensional Fissure)(Macro Cosmos)
 
-Summary
The deck relies completely on discarding their Dark World monsters and claiming their effects as they cycle through their deck. This makes them very resilient to decks like Inzektors as they can come back with bigger plays. A sub-theme of the deck allows you to pick apart their hand with Mind Crush and Dragged Down. The deck is generally slow, but can be super-explosive with the right draws. It has few weaknesses that are unique to the deck, and is more resilient than most in the face of adversity. Destroying their hand is the best way to beat them, and Wind-Ups are their worst mathup.
 
Dino-Rabbit
 
-Key Cards
 (Evolzar Dolkka)(Evolzar Laggia)(Rescue Rabbit)(Tour Guide from the Underworld)
 
-Key Plays
(Rescue Rabbit->2 level 4 Normal Dinosaurs->Evolzar monster)(Tour Guide->Leviair the Sea Dragon->Rescue Rabbit)
 
-Good Matchups
 (Heroes)(Lightsworn)(Inzektors)
 
-Bad Matchups
(Chaos Dragons)(Samurai)(TG)
 
-Tech For
(Jurrac Guaiba)(Jurrac Velo)(Tragoedia)
 
-Tech Against
(Effect Veiler)(Chain Disappearance)(King Tiger Wanghu)(Skill Drain)
 
-Summary The deck is pretty much a one-trick pony. It summons Evolzar monsters to stop other decks from making their key plays while the medium attack monsters bet down. Their spell and trap card lineup is preventative, focusing on stopping threats before they hit the board. This makes it hard for them to deal with big monsters that hit the field before they can negate them. If the deck does not draw Rabbit, it has few great options. Stopping Rabbit is key, as the deck loses momentum fast if it loses access to it.
 
Samurai
 
-Key Cards
(The Legendary Six Samurai Kizan)(Gateway of the Six)(Six Samurai United)(Legendary Six Samurai Shi-En)(Grandmaster of the Six Samurai)(Legendary Six Samurai Kageki)(Legendary Six Samurai Kagemusha)
 
-Key Plays
(Gateway/United->Kageki+Kagemusha->Shi-En/Naturia Beast)(Kagemusha+Kizan->Naturia Barkion)(Kizan+Kizan/Zanji->Shadow)
 
-Good Matchups
(Troll Decks)(Wind-Ups)(Dino-Rabbit)
 
-Bad Matchups
(Lightsworn)(Chaos Dragon)(Inzektors)
 
-Tech For
(The Six Samurai Zanji)(The Six Samurai Irou)(Great Shogun Shien)(The Six Samurai Yaichi)
 
-Tech Against
(Kinetic Soldier)(Bottomless Trap Hole)(Torrential Tribute)(Chain Disappearance)
 
-Summary The deck is based on negation and swarming. Multiple Naturia monsters and Shi-En summons makes it hard for other decks to get off the ground against them or defend against them without Tragoedia or Gorz. The deck is very consistent with multiple tutors, draw cards and easy summoning. If the deck cannot get a monster to the field however, it is easy as pie to beat them. Also a high ATK monster will easily beat over the lesser negation monsters as well as the Samurai themselves. A very reliable deck for an uncertain format.
 
Heroes
 
-Key Cards
(Elemental Hero Neos Alius)(Miracle Fusion)(Super-Polymerization)(Elemental Hero Absolute Zero)(Elemental Hero The Shining)
 
-Key Plays
(Elemental Hero Neos Alius+Gemini Spark)(Elemental Hero Neos Alius+Hero Blast)(Hero+Super-Polymerization)
 
-Good Matchups
(Dino-Rabbit)(Inzektors pending the release of the Dark Generioc Hero)
 
-Bad Matchups
(Lightsworn)(Chaos Dragons)(TG)(Samurai)
 
-Tech For
(Skill Drain)(Card Car D)(Masked Hero Acid)(Masked Hero Dian)(Masked Hero Vapor)(Starlight Road)
 
-Tech Against
(Kinetic Soldier)(My Body As A Shield)(Compulsory Evacuation Device)
 
-Summary The deck is very similar to Samurai in that it is very useful against a plethora of decks and has weaknesses to very few common side-deck cards. It is essentially a control deck, using spell and trap cards to keep monsters off the field while abusing Neos Alius with Hero Blast and Gemini Spark that can explode using Bubbleman and Miracle Fusion once your opponent is down to few cards. A very technical deck, be very clear when opponents ask you if you want to make plays or chain effects/cards. The best players use this deck to great effect, often catching uninformed and new players completely off guard. That being said it is very easy to outswarm this deck, but it has very good matchups against Dino-Rabbit especially with Super Poly.
 
 
Chaos Dragons
 
-Key Cards
(Lightpulsar Dragon)(Eclipse Wyvern)(Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon)(Future Fusion)
 
-Key Plays
(Future Fusion->Five Headed Dragon)(Lightpulsar+Red Eyes)(Chaos Monster+Eclipse Wyvern)
 
-Good Matchups
(Dino-Rabbit)(Samurai)(Heroes)(Dark World)(Wind-Up)
 
-Bad Matchups
(Anti-Meta)(Inzektors)(Lightsworn)(TG)
 
-Tech For
(Deck Devastation Virus)(Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon)(Prime Material Dragon)(Burst Breath)
 
-Tech Against
(Dimensional Fissure)(Macro Cosmos)(Torrential Tribute)
 
-Summary The deck is a swarm deck with massive monsters. The cards themselves are very awkward when taken apart, but blended correctly can seriously outstrip almost any deck in contention today. It has many very good matchups, often outswarming other swarm decks and fighting back from impossible odds with a series of incredible plays. It is very weak to removal, as the deck plays little to no defense of its own. If the deck fails in its major push it will likely lose. Since most other decks use mostly small monsters to make big ones, this deck can just bludgeon through them and win in one turn easily. Usually you will have 2 or 3 turns before they go off but after that your chances of success go way down.
 
You call that a knife? That’s not a knife. This is a knife
 
Inzektors

 
-Key Cards
(Inzektor Hornet)(Inzektor Dragonfly)(Inzektor Centipede)(Inzektor Sword Zektcaliber)(Inzektor Giga Mantis)
 
-Key Plays
(Inzektor Dragonfly->Equip Inzektor Hornet->Destroy a card and Special Summon Inzektor Centipede->equip Hornet and destroy a card and add an Inzektor to your hand)(same series of moves can be done with Giga mantis and Zektcaliber)
 
-Good Matchups
(Dark World)(Wind-Up)(Chaos Dragons)(Samurai)
 

-Bad Matchups

(Dino-Rabbit)(Lightsworn)(Troll Decks)(Dragunity)(Hieratic)

-Tech For

(Armageddon Knight)(Inzektor Ladybug)(Inzektor Hopper)

-Tech Against

(Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror)(Chain Disappearance)(Macro Cosmos)(Dimensional Fissure) 

-Summary This deck is a looping deck, nmeeding the component cards on the field and in the hand in order to function. It will often play Tour Guides in order to help get big bodies to the field as the Inzektors are all very small themselves and wihtout the loop are almost a non-threat. The deck is very easily controlled with side deck tech, but since it requires many cards not useful against other decks you might want to devote a significant portion of your side to this deck, as it is very popular.

Lightsworn 

-Key Cards

(Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress)(Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner)(Judgment Dragon) 

-Key Plays

(Solar Recharge->dump Garoth->revive with Lumina->milling plus card advantage)(Lyla->destroy facedown->Judgment Dragon) 

-Good Matchups

(Heroes)(Samurai)(Chaos Dragon)(Inzektors) 

-Bad Matchups

(Macro)(Anti-Meta)(Dino-Rabbit) 

-Tech For

(Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon)(Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid)(Forbidden Lance) 

-Tech Against

(Macro Cosmos)(Dimensional Fissure)(Light Imprisoning Mirror) 

-Summary This deck focuses on gaining advantage through milling your deck, thinning it of cards you do not need and getting to powerful game enders like JD and Celestia. It is one of the faster decks because of this and can even outspeed Chaos Dragons. It does have drawing issues due to dead cards but can swarm consistently and control the field with Judgment Dragon very well. It is very cheap to make and is a favorite with players who are new but understand how to play the game well. It is based a lot on luck and can be very fickle so most expereicned players discount it.

Wind-Ups

 
-Key Cards
(Wind-up Zenmaighty)(Wind-up Shark)(Wind-up Rabbit)(Wind-up Rat)(Wind-up Hunter)
 
-Key Plays
(Zenmaighty+Hunter+Shark+Rat=Handless Opponent)(Swarm with Wind-Up)
 
-Good Matchups
(Dark World)(TG)(Lightsworn)(Chaos Dragon?)
 
-Bad Matchups
(Inzektors)(Dino-Rabbit)
 
-Tech For
(Effect Veiler)(Forbidden Lance)
 
-Tech Against

(Chain Disappearance)(Effect Veiler)(D.D. Crow) 

-Summary This deck relies on a combo to win most of it's games. You loop with Zenmaighty, Rat and Hunter to make your opponent lose their hand on the first turn. This is the reason that hand traps like Veiler and Crow are so integral at this point to stop the loop. Afterward the opponent can swarm with Wind-Up monsters or XYZ very easily and crush a weakened opponnent. If the loop is disrupted, the deck has very little chance to recover but is very versatile and can pull off astonishing first turn plays if unhindered.

Well that is all for this article. Keep in mind that even though your favorite deck might not have made it to my list that doesn't make it bad, just less likely that you are going to see it at tournament play. If you have any questions regarding this or other articles, or have comments or requests, please email me (not Pojo) at alarbios@live.com and put Yugioh in the subject section so it isn't junked. 

Thanks for reading!

GZ