With SJC Durham now in the books, we now look ahead for the next SJC to come, and this time we are heading to the west coast (where I happen to reside at) for SJC San Mateo. This format we have seen the rise and fall of many decks.
            Demise was and still is a threat, yet with more people playing Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, Demise has come to a halt, not to mention the side deck techs that everyone does still have against Demise decks, ranging for Pulling the Rug for searchers, D.D. Crow for Doom Dozer and even just Threatening Roar to buy themselves a turn. Every SJC has had the Demise Threat, this format alone we saw back to back top 16 appearances of Demise, which now seems to be on the fall.

Gadgets have seen quite a bit of play with Washington D.C. and Marc Glass and others. Gadgets have still been a formidable deck this format with all the removal and the monster control they have. Though the match up against Burn can virtually be an auto-loss at times, that hasn’t really stopped many players from bringing back Gadgets to this format. With the limitations on them, it’s been hard to really get the perfect Gadget decks we’ve seen last format.

Monarchs have and still are one of the decks of choice by many players, some with their own style of monarchs like Miguel Albarran and his Volcanic Monarch variant, to even Keanson Ye and what everyone thought would be the reigning deck of the format in Apprentice Monarchs. Though more now than ever there have been many variants to Monarchs this format, especially with now the ever growingly popular Perfect Circle Monarchs. Since Jon LaBounty took PCM to a SJC win, many people have been teching Phoenix Wing Wind Blast and many have started to jump on the deck, like the Austin Ruggieri of SJC Chicago losing to the CO Burn of Louie Raimondo.

            Then we move to what many call CO Burn, CO meaning the famous team from SoCal Comic Odyssey. From what was an ingenious deck of last format, Kenny So, and others of the team like Hugo Adame have been able to take CO Burn to the new format. Skill Drain, Wave-Motion Cannon have been the nucleus of the deck. With the addition of Solemn Judgment and the new hot card of this format, next to Il Blud, Dark Bribe has not only helped support the burn deck, but many others as well flourish in the current fields. Louie Raimondo capped off his SJC Chicago win, with a Top 16 appearance in SJC Durham. Though the deck can have dead draws many times, players have been able to adjust  and play through and use this deck to it’s potential. There are also Machine Variants to this deck, with 3 UFO Turtles and 3 Cyber Phoenix replacing what was Dark Mimic LV3 and some variants, Mystic Tomato. SJC Durham saw this deck once again in Top 16 and it was good, until the Semifinals, though it did good in it’s own respects.

            Now to the talk of the format, Zombies. Finally Zombies were able to take the cake at an SJC with SJC Durham. Phillip Anthony this time was behind the win, With the build with 2 Il Blud and Deck Devastation Virus, Phillip Anthony was able to do damage against all decks. The hottest card by far in this format has for sure been Il Blud. Zombie have been everywhere all format, and even 5 made it to Top 16 at SJC Durham and 2 in the finals. This all started with Lazaro Bellido and his regionals in Canada which his Zombie deck swept the field and his team took the deck with all the success to SJC to Washington D.C. where Dale Bellido was the one to get through the field, and though he has lost to burn in the Semifinals for the 3^rd time this year, nothing can diminish his feats of this year and his team that have started the Zombie madness.

            Yet, what we know as the format now, can be changed in such little time with the new sets coming out that can really affect the current metagame. For premier events, as of this weekend, Premium Pack 1 cards are finally legal (October 20, 2007). There has been much talk and speculation of what cards will be good from Premium Pack 1. Marshmallon is the card with the most talk, one of Yugi’s cards, is finally making an appearance here in the USA. With an effect like Spirit Reaper, Marshmallon also has the effect of dealing 1000 LP damage when it is attacked face down. People who like the defensive mindset, or even those who like to tech cards, this is going to be the monster to do it. Another will be Shield Crush, though there has been a big decrease in play of Nobleman of Crossout, I can see this card being used a lot more than Nobleman of Crossout at times. Shield Crush can destroy any defense monster, let it be face up or face down. You can get rid of that face up Big Shield Gardna even easier now with Shield Crush or anything that can get in its way like Spirit Reaper and even Marshmallon.
            The new Structure deck will also be coming out. The big cards for all decks many people have been talking about, and often is Foolish Burial and Malevolent Catastrophe. Foolish Burial puts any monster in the graveyard from your deck, so beast players will put Green Baboon there, Monarch players with Treeborn Frog, Perfect Circle with whatever they need at the time, Disc Commander, Malicious, etc. Though it will be a card for all decks and other techier decks like putting in Jinzo, Dark Magician of Chaos or other monsters needed to pull off many combos. Then we have the trap form of Heavy Strom. Though Heavy Storm can be used at anytime, Malevolent Catastrophe can only be used when an opponent attacks, this can set you up for next turn or it can just get rid of back row problems. These 2 cards will surely be around come SJC San Mateo and can make a big impact as well.
            Lastly, Light and Darkness Dragon will finally see play in the USA. Coming in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Manga, Light and Darkness Dragon has been a major card in Japan’s Metagame. With the universal list out there for this game, many players are flocking to Japan Yu-Gi-Oh! Sites to get the inside scoop on many decks which have been using cards like Foolish Burial, Marshmallon and Light and Darkness Dragon. Light and Darkness Dragon has been a monster in Japan, though it can’t be special summoned, and is a 2 tribute monster, it can negate anything until the attack becomes 0. Though when it does go to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon a monster from it, so Disc Commander, Dark Magician of Chaos, Jinzo and many others will see more play thanks to Light and Darkness Dragon. Finding answers to Light and Darkness Dragon, aren’t always so easy, but it can be done.

            We will see quite a change in decks played in the upcoming months, and maybe we’ll see some surprise decks take a spot in Top 16. I will be there at SJC San Mateo, don’t know what I’m going to run yet, but with so much out there, the possibilities are endless.

 

- Tomas Mijares

P.S. I’d like to apologize for my absence lately, so much has been going on with school and college applications, and it’s been hard to really find time even for Card of the Day. I have not vanished and I’m still around. Feel free to PM me with any ideas or if anyone needs help with anything, if I get the time, I will help you. Feel free to introduce yourselves to me at SJC San Mateo if you are attending.