SiphonX

The Intricacies of Chaos
1.24.05

I decided to refurbish an article I had created a while back for today’s topic, but do not worry; today’s material is quite different.

Within the trading card game of Yu-Gi-Oh!, the Chaos deck asserts itself as an excellent pick for almost any metagame as a sturdy competitor. Many duelists have chosen this route, and sometimes, it pays off. Others, however, are of a decidedly opposite turn of mind: many feel that the Chaos deck is quite unoriginal, as many play almost the exact deck that another plays, for it is most certainly widely played. This is true to a certain extent, but of course, there are decks that resemble a Chaos deck only in theory. These decks are often times the tournament-winners, separating themselves from the mindless horde of everyday Chaos. This article is devoted to being able to better fix your very own original Chaos deck - to meet your needs and create a stable and competitive deck.

The first step in understanding the synthesis of any deck is to understand the theory behind the deck. In this case, one of the Chaos deck’s main objectives is to be able to quickly beat the opponent down while retaining a positive hand and field advantage. This is done by cards that preserve hand maintenance and cards that maintain a longer on-field presence. Theme is another important issue, as there are many different archetypes within the world of Chaos. Do you want to go the route of the norm (Chaos/Control), or possibly fit in a Warrior theme? This question will often answer which cards you need in your deck, and which ones that would be better left out.

Initiating a balance of strength (on-field presence), removal, speed, and protection is of utmost importance in a Chaos deck. None of these aspects of the game is more important than another. Without any one of these elements of the game, the deck would fall apart. Chaos decks necessitate an especial need for a balance of these four elements. Each element is founded by the other three elements, and none would be effective without the others.
This is often times why extremist decks like First-Turn-Kill can fail simply because they don’t have a balance between these elements.

The cards’ need to “agree” with each other – the deck’s equivalent of homeostasis - is known as synergy. In a Chaos deck, this is excessively important because Chaos decks tend to run cards that adhere to the rest of the deck. Who would run a Reflect Bounder in a Warrior/Chaos deck, or for that matter, a Marauding Captain in a Chaos/Control deck? Avoid placing emphasis on certain combinations, for it detracts from overall synergy.
Synergy becomes very important in the later stages of the duel whenever well-fitting cards become a catalyst for destruction. A vital part of the Chaos deck’s creation, synergy is the means through which one selects cards for their deck upon basis of need.

By using these tips, a player can easily select cards to add to his deck by importance and how it fits within the deck. I would suggest any Chaos player to run between 15-20 Monsters, 14-20 Spells, and 3-7 Traps. Any more or less could damage the chances of success. Allow your ratio to be a manifestation of your Chaos theme. Also, I would suggest the Chaos player to refrain from using archaic cards, but unique and challenging cards can work well. Magical Merchant and Cannon Soldier can work well in the right Chaos decks. Consequently, don’t be afraid to use single copies of cards.
Sometimes the best solution to a deck’s makeup doesn’t focus upon a singular element, but rather, focuses upon versatility.

Here is an example Chaos/Warrior deck I concocted a while ago.

16 Monsters:
1 Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning
1 Jinzo
1 Breaker the Magical Warrior
1 Zombyra the Dark
2 Blade Knight
1 Command Knight
1 Don Zaloog
3 D. D. Warrior Lady
1 Exiled Force
1 Magical Scientist
1 Tribe-Infecting Virus
1 Sinister Serpent
1 Fiber Jar

18 Spells:
1 Pot of Greed
1 Painful Choice
2 Reinforcement of the Army
1 The Forceful Sentry
1 Confiscation
1 Smashing Ground
2 Nobleman of Crossout
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Premature Burial
1 Change of Heart
1 Snatch Steal
1 Creature Swap
1 Swords of Revealing Light
2 Scapegoat

6 Traps:
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Sakuretsu Armor
1 Torrential Tribute
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Ring of Destruction

As you can see, this deck utilizes a rather unique myriad of Monsters. The strength is centralized upon the versatility of them and their abilities. I only included a single copy of Don Zaloog and Zombyra the Dark each because I felt that their presence within this deck signaled versatility. Two copies of Blade Knight ensure field presence, and D. D. Warrior Lady comes to the rescue in threes. Command Knight and Exiled Force were included for some additional technical Warrior support. I decided to add a few cards I felt were too good to pass, like Magical Scientist, Tribe-Infecting Virus, and of course, the Reset Button, Fiber Jar. A Jinzo was included to maximize attack strength capabilities.

The Spells of this deck are basically assorted to assure the Warrior-themed Monster selection additional support. I’m not a big fan of direct removal, but due to the lack in strength, I added a single Smashing Ground. The prenegators were added for hand maintenance and control, as well as some cards I felt that would be folly to leave out. The Warrior Returning Alive is not present, for I felt that this deck did not mandate en-masse assaults initiated. Change of Heart, Creature Swap, and Snatch Steal are present to control opposing threats. A bit of stall is present as well in the form of Scapegoat and Swords of Revealing Light.

The Trap selection of this deck was a no-brainer. The Big Three (Call of the Haunted, Torrential Tribute, Ring of Destruction) were included, as this is a conventional deck. Bottomless Trap Hole was added to control the field and the Graveyard, and since I decided it was time to let poor man’s Mirror Force take a stand, I included one copy of Sakuretsu Armor as well. Mirror Wall and Time Seal could fit nicely in this deck as well, but I felt that they were too situational.

The Chaos deck as a whole is most definitely a tournament-contender. It has won many major tournaments, including National and World Championships, but is often considered a deck made for the masses, the uneducated. It is not.
With the right theme and the proper cards, the Chaos deck can be deemed one of the most original and influential decks of its time. One only needs to make it correctly. Some play a Chaos deck for the speed; others play it for the raw power and strength. Myself? I play Chaos for that lovable Black Luster Soldier.

Feel free to email me with questions regarding my articles, comments about them, or ideas for the future at pyroboy72@hotmail.com

Until next time, duel hard, play well, and most importantly, have fun.
~SiphonX~