Control: The Overplayed Deck Type

11.30.04  Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. I was recently in Colombia for Thanksgiving and I just got back. So anyway, I’m back to share my thoughts on Control: The overplayed deck type.

Control first made its debut at the 2003 YuGiOh World Championships. The metagame at that time was flooded with Beatdown variants. The more popular Beatdown cards at the time were Injection Fairy Lily, Gemini Elf, Bazoo the Soul Eater, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Jinzo, Marauding Captain, Goblin Attack Force, Exiled Force, and the fearsome crow Yata-Garasu. The main stratagem was to attack as fast and as brutal as possible to win the game quickly. This was accomplished by using a combination of Pot of Greed, Graceful Charity, and the 3 Reborn cards to set up a deadly over extension that was nearly unstoppable. Equip Spell cards were also key to the success of Beatdown. United We Stand, Mage Power and Axe of Despair were quite popular then since they were able to grant the user large amounts of offensive force to conquer his/her opponent quickly.

When Control came into the picture, it naturally fitted with its name. This deck was designed to Control the tempo of the Beatdown’s game. Mystic Tomato’s effect was perfect for stopping the large over extensions made by the beatdown variants reducing the damage taken considerably. His effect can reduce the damage of 4 consecutive attacks; searching out another Mystic Tomato each time it is destroyed in battle and then finishing up by fetching a Witch of the Black Forest or Sangan to get the monster needed to clean up. In the previous World Champion’s deck he also combined the Beatdown tactic to fluctuate his strategy in response to his situation. Gemini Elf was run in three’s by him and Don Zaloog was also one of his key cards. The Beatdown/Control deck formerly known as the Hand Destruction Deck also spawned the “net-deck” craze since it was truly the #1 deck out there at the time. I must admit that I was one of the many duelists out there who tried to adopt his strategies and use them as my own. Most if not all duelists in 2003 tried out this deck type to see how it functioned and attempted to master its complexities.

Control has shaped the YuGiOh metagame since its birth. Control led to the increased usage of Torrential Tribute and Exiled Force in nearly every deck to trump the Yatas and Mystic Tomatos. Every card expansion after Pharonic Guardian provided Control with new weapons for its vast and deadly arsenal. Shortly after the 2003 World Championships, Magician’s Force was released and brought with it three of Control’s key cards; Breaker the Magical Warrior, Magical Scientist, and Tribe-Infecting Virus. The Dark Crisis expansion brought D.D. Warrior Lady, Reflect Bounder, and Vampire Lord. Invasion of Chaos brought Chaos Emperor Dragon-Envoy of the End, Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning, Dark Magician of Chaos, Berserk Gorilla and Smashing Ground. Ancient Sanctuary brought with it the multi purpose quick-play; Enemy Controller and Soul of the Duelist brought Mobius the Frost Monarch and the Horus family of monsters. These cards also brought about the creation of a myriad of Control variants: Horus/Control, Metamorphosis/Control, Beatdown/Control, Warrior/Control, Zombie/Control, Gravekeeper/Control, and Chaos/Control just to name a few. When attending a Regional event in the coming months, don’t be surprised if you encounter many Control variants running around as well as the other popular decks out there.

Strengths

Now as I move on to the strengths of the Control type I would like to let all of you know something you must remember. When I am speaking of Control for the rest of this article I am speaking in general terms of the Control deck type and I will not be discussing the intricate details of the many Control variants that exist in this game.

Control boasts the uncanny ability to control the tempo of the game. The Control deck takes advantage of the shortcomings of every other deck type. The key stratagem of the Control deck is to make the opponent do what you want him/her to do. Basically, nothing the opponent does should be out of your immediate control and you should be able to quell any threats to your board position or your tempo. When the tempo of the Control deck gets going, it functions like a well oiled machine. At one point during the game your opponent will find that you have a response or rather a way to stop everything he can bring out against you.

A large hand size is another typical characteristic of a Control deck functioning at its full potential. The Control deck is known for its large hand size and this is very important since the Control player needs options and counters to nearly every one of the opponent’s actions. As arbitrary as it may sound to have a counter to everything, this concept is key to the Control deck’s success. On the offensive, the Control deck is designed to limit the usage of the opponent’s hand and field. This deck employs the services of the 2 pre-negators, Drop Offs, Time Seals, hand manipulating monsters like Don Zaloog and Spirit Reaper, battle searchers; like Mystic Tomato, Shining Angel, Giant Rat, and Pyramid Turtle, monster removal, Beatdown type monsters and field manipulating cards like Enemy Controller and Creature Swap. On the defensive, Waboku, Magic Cylinder, Ring of Destruction, Book of Moon, and Enemy Controller are just a few of the cards that are main decked or side decked by this deck type.

Weaknesses

So, how do you combat a deck type that matches up well against nearly every deck type? The answer is that you fight back with the same weapons it uses against you. You essentially “Fight Fire with Fire” as the proverbial phrase exclaims. Using Control cards against a Control deck is very effective. However, not every Control-type card will work so pay careful attention.

Since Control decks are more dependent on the hand than anything else, it would make sense to use cards that either deplete the hand or limit the hand size to “cut off the supply lines”. Don Zaloog, Drop Off, Spirit Reaper, Time Seal, The Forceful Sentry, and Confiscation are all the weapons of war used against you but are just as effective when used against a Control deck. The only problem is proper timing when using these cards. Keep in mind that sticking these in the Side Deck or Main Deck to combat will not work if you do not use them properly. The sense of timing and efficiency when using Control cards comes with experience and testing.

It does take quite a bit of time for the Control deck to reach its correct tempo. If some of you readers are wondering what tempo is, look up the Beatdown/Control list of the 2003 World Champion and test it out for a while. You will begin to get a feel of the nature of Control and how the “engine” gets up and running. You will also notice how you will seem to have the card you need to respond to almost anything that comes your way. Your opponent will not only be frustrated but he/she will be at a disadvantage most of the time.

Another weakness of the Control deck is its initial speed which is relatively slow. Since Control is naturally slow, it would make sense to use cards that would make your deck faster than Control. The goal is to outwit and out-speed the Control player and fast decks can do that. Warrior decks, Earth decks, and other decks that deal damage quickly will force the Control player to over commit resources to defend and re-establish field dominance. Swiftness forces to the Control player to use his/her hand faster than usual. Speed and Control is an effective combination which is why Warrior/Control, Zombie/Control, and Gravekeeper/Control can be extremely effective but difficult to master and build. Now I’ll leave you all with an Aggro/Control deck list built by my brother for competitive play. If you have any questions about this deck list feel free to email me at deathjester86@yahoo.com

Remember to play hard, play well, and most importantly have fun.

Deck Total: 40

Monsters: 15

3x Blade Knight
3x D.D. Warrior Lady
2x Berserk Gorilla
2x D.D. Assailant
1x Jinzo
1x Exiled Force
1x Tribe-Infecting Virus
1x Breaker the Magical Warrior
1x Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer

Spells: 18

2x Reinforcement of the Army
2x Scapegoat
2x Nobleman of Crossout
2x Book of Moon
1x Swords of Revealing Light
1x Pot of Greed
1x Change of Heart
1x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Snatch Steal
1x Heavy Storm
1x Painful Choice
1x The Forceful Sentry
1x Confiscation
1x Premature Burial

Traps: 7

2x Solemn Judgment
2x Sakuretsu Armor
1x Torrential Tribute
1x Call of the Haunted
1x Ring of Destruction