Something weird on this new format

At the beginning of this format I did what I always do, testing old decks. Many of you do the same, however for me is bit different because I use to test my old weird decks. Usually I win most of those games because my opponent don't know what I'm playing or don't know what to expect (creativity win games sometimes).

However this format was different, I lost most of those duels. Also, some of my old decks wasn't really playable or able to adapt to the new ban list. The format was so shaped, that I found myself restricted to left behind many of old decks.

I keep thinking about it, but I'm not sure what happened. The lack of staple on the game have bigger consequences that I thought.

New trap or old trap?

First I want to apologize for not updating the blog recently, I have been a bit lazy this days (and I know that is not a good excuse). I want to things better for the blog and for you community, so you might see more post from now on.

Today I want to talk about and old trap card that might be in everybody side deck or main deck right now, and that card is Vanity of Emptiness.

Even though it didn't have too much impact during his release, You can see it everywhere by now. And if you still think this card doesn't suit your deck, you are either a fool or a bad deck builder.

With the decrease of trap staples on this game and/or good defense cards, vanity of emptiness fit the hole that royal oppression had left. In theory, you might think that vanity of emptiness can disappear easily, however some decks and some specific fields can find a away to keep it alive and win with it. The best example was Dracossack + tokens + vanity of emptiness. That was a really hard field because you had to destroy the tokens and dracossack the same turn to get rid of him, but you can't special summon and there is nothing else to destroy and blow away emptiness. The field was almost perfect.

Those situations are less common everyday and that's good. However, vanity keeps coming back in many duels even if it only purpose is avoid 1 special summon. It is a great deal if you think about it. With bottomless and warning at one, What other card can avoid an special summon better than vanity of emptiness? You don't need to pay, and you can easily destroy it yourself if you don't need it anymore. Of course there are many situations where is useless, but bottomless and warning also had drawbacks so....

Why don't give it a chance and try it your main deck?

Train of thought about the new format

I have been play testing the new format this last week and I end up following an interesting success of events which probably Konami already thought when they made this Ban list.

1.- No Heavy means set 5 five Spell and Trap cards and go:

 Even though dealing with huge backrow is awful, I don't think we have seen this in the other way around. Setting 5 cards means we have to play more trap cards, which is something we haven;t been doing for a year. After a few duels I managed to remember how to do it, however I found myself with a lot of problems either building or playing any deck. Setting 5 is not as easy as it used to be, which lead us to point 2.

2.- No Trap staple means few decks can really "set" a bacrow defense:

Decks like Heros, Teleport syncro, gadgets or Machine don't have any theme specific trap card. So any possible defense card may be a dead draw sometimes or be easy readable or easy destructible via Typhoon. If you don't have good trap or defense cards (Where are you royal oppression?), you can't try to control the duel with backrow cards.

3.- Specific Theme decks with great trap cards have control of the game:

Decks like Blackwings or Worms have huge possibilities since their trap cards generate huge advantage either by card advantage or field presence or tempo, and this is the first good line of decks that might shape the meta.This decks will be call "Tier 2 decks" and will be floating around many local players and YCS for the first month of the game. Any deck that can get through them will be the real contender.

3.- Floater, "Forbidden lance" decks, and searchable Typhoons:

Maybe all of you know about it, but Dragon Rulers have become a slow but strong deck, it was kind a obvious if you think carefully, any deck that can put a a 2400-2800 atk floater on the field his a bitch, and right know there is almost no consistence back row card  (no macro, no fissure, no soul drain) that can stop it.

In the other hand, decks like evilswarm and spellbooks share something that any other deck can, both of them have a searchable and exclusive forbidden lance card in the form of infestation pandemic and Spellbook of wisdom. Evilswarm still can put huge amount of damage on the field and create control situation similar to what oppression used to give. Spellbook in the other hand concentrate their effort on hand and field advantage. Also, World of prophecy is a demon that can easily clean the field and is stronger than any Dragon ruler monster.

And the last but not least strategy to deal with backrow cards successfully is to search for your own typhoon cards. This is something that Firefirst can easily do thank to fire formation - gyokkou, also they can even retrieve this fire formation among others in their grave to the deck. So there goes the fire, now let see the water. Mermail can easily deal with backrow cards using both atlantean monsters. They can search both cards from the deck with mermail abysspike and retrieve it to the hand due to salvage. They also have their own excellent floater and searcher.

With all these, I don't want to discourage anyone to try old decks or innovate something new in old decks. But if you are really going to fight in this new meta, you have to be prepare for what is come. I hope this wall of text have been useful for you.

New Banlist sept 2013 TCG

I don't know why we have a different Ban List than the OCG. I don't think it really matter, but this take all of us for surprise. Mainly to those who already bought Trishula.

I don't know what you may think, but this list is great, is the best banlist I have ever seen. They kill almost everything, reducing almost all broken things in this game to 0.

In the next four months many things can happen, who knows how the meta is gonna evolve after this. But we have some things for sure, all the "one card win" on the game are gone, so field presence mean something again. Also, now the game is going to be slower, so card advantage will be important again.

The next thing we all need to learn know is: How am I going to destroy a whole backrow?

Prohibidas:
Burner, Dragon Ruler of Sparks
Elemental Hero Stratos
Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts
Reactan, Dragon Ruler of Pebbles
Stream, Dragon Ruler of Droplets
Number 16: Shock Master
Card Destruction
Gateway of the Six
Heavy Storm
Monster Reborn
Pot of Avarice
Spellbook of Judgment
Super Rejuvenation
Solemn Judgment
Ultimate Offering (This card was banned the last format, right?)

Limitadas:
Atlantean Dragoons
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Spirit
Deep Sea Diva
Genex Ally Birdman
Rescue Rabbit
Thunder King Rai-Oh
Evigishki Mind Augus
Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier
Constellar Ptolemy M7
Dimensional Fissure
Gold Sarcophagus
Royal Tribute
Bottomless Trap Hole
Compulsory Evacuation Device
Eradicator Epidemic Virus
Macro Cosmos
Soul Drain
Torrential Tribute

Semi-Limitadas:
Mezuki
Plaguespreader Zombie
T.G. Striker
Fire Formation - Tenki
Dimensional Prison

Salieron de la Lista:
Destiny Hero - Malicious
The Agent of Mystery - Earth
Tsukuyomi
A Hero Lives
Black Whirlwind
E - Emergency Call
HIeratic Seal of Convocation
Pot of Duality
Scapegoat

The new Tool in Hieratic: Dragorado (Dragrad)

If you have played hieratic in your life, you only need to read the effect of this card to know is too good. For those than merely know the basic hieratic combos, I will explain further:

When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 Normal Monster with 1000 or less ATK in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Defense Position. Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 Dragon-Type monster, then target 1 face-up monster you control; until the End Phase, that target becomes Level 8 and gains 800 ATK.

First off, If you check my new build of hieratic on this blog, you will see that Electric Dragon have been replace for Labradorite Dragon, a dark tuner monster that gives the deck more versatility. With labradorite in the deck instead of electric dragon, Dragrad can be use it to make a lv10 syncro summon (Trident Dragon). You can put a 3000 atk monster in the field with only one card, but that is not all, if you have other cards on the field you can active Trident Dragon effect to push for 9000 damage in one turn. 

BUT THAT IS NOT ALL, If you have an hieratic on the field (Tefnuit for example), you  can active Dragrad second effect to tribute the hieratic and bring another normal monster. Then xyz summon Atum and bring Galaxy serpent. Galaxy serpent and Dragard will make Trident Dragon and Atum will become Gaia to deal 5600 Damage in one turn without losing cards or field presence. 

The combo can go on according to your hand and the situation. Also, Dragrad is Dark and have 1900 Def. It works fine with the chaos strategy and is a good opening card.

The Return of Goat Format

In this game, there are some cards that change the way we play, one of those relevant cards is Heavy Storm. Some of you may agree or disagree with his presence on the game, but that is not what I want to talk about today.

Today I want to talk about Scapegoat. A really old card that was limited after the goat format because summoning four monsters in the field using only 1 card was too overpower, and in my opinion it is still too overpower. However the game is a bit out of control (even without Dragon Rulers and Spellbooks in the spotlight) and cards like Threatening roar and waboku have seen competitive play because of this. Scapegoat is back to accomplish the protection goal of those traps, but with more versatility with combo decks (syncro summons) and other cards (Destiny Hero Plasma, Dire Wulf, etc).

With Scapegoat at three and Gorz at two, going for game is not gonna be easy. Also, cards like Creature Swap and Dark Hole will come back to the main deck.

So, Are you ready for the return of Goat Format?

Four Ban List each year = The Double edge Sword

I wont post the Ban List for the OCG because at this point everybody already post it. You can visit any blog in my blogroll and you can see it if you want.

In the other hand, I want to talk about the fast rotation format that we are going through from now on. It looks like Konami is forcing us to buy new material of every set no matter what, and many of you already think the same. But lets think twice, Are we already forced to change for a new deck every set? (Inzektor, Mermail, Fire Fist, Dragon Ruler) Yes. And to do so, the next deck has always be way stronger than the first one, which usually means that we end up with a deck too overpower at the end of the format (Dragon Ruler, Wind-ups, Six Samurais, Blackwings, and other decks that control the game upon their release). We always hate that situations because the power level on the game push off almost every other deck. If we use 4 banlist, then we can touch decks or cards too overpower, so the next set wont need to be extremely overpower to be sell. All this is good news.

However, there is a small problem. It is hard to be keep up in the game is it is changing too much. Even if you are not changing your deck, you have to make changes for the new format, for the new meta, for the new cards, and so on. Also it make hard for new player to join the game, probably we will have to explain cards and archetype that soon wont be use it. And the game as they met will be totally different.

I think 4 Banlist is a great idea, but we will have to wait and see how konami is going to explode this tool.