[Metagame] The Unofficial Survival Guide to the "Spooky Halloween Bash" Tournament

[VampireofDarkness]

 

With the next tournament just a bit of time underway, I think it's about fair time to deliver the guide to surviving the event. For this, an extensive look at possible Side Deck, Extra Deck, and tech options will be discussed throughout. Not much more to be said, so let's start by giving a look at the format and its contenders

[spoiler Format Summary]

While things haven't come to a complete turn of the tide, the format has quite taken a shift in itself compared to the last major tournament. First of all, the speed has toned down some. While there are a share of fast Decks and Decks with a bit of resilience, the speed is definitely down some, and the format is very centered around having less monsters on board and more well rounded bosses in your opponent's face. Essentially, most Decks reach their biggest plays while they have little to no front row. As such, the main goal is to combat aforementioned bosses made by these explosive plays and keep them down. How do those bosses come about a majority of the time? Surprisingly, Synchro Summoning. With the exception of Mechanica, Leviathan, and Conqueror, each Deck in the format has its own catered pool of Synchros to combat against and it's very much of a combat of each of these. Whether it's JADE's Shimmered Dragon, Angel Command's Lord of Spirits, Alcadeias, or Hellion's demonic dragon, Bahamut, the Decks of this format have clearly defined their cards and pool, catered to fit their own desire of play and needs to combat the opponent. Topping this all off is the as usual backrow sections. 8-9 backrow is somewhat common, and 10+ isn't unheard of. This comes from a combination of a lax set of spells and an increased amount of recycling and searching that allows a Deck to have more durability, and thus dedicate spots to effective and much desired disruption. If you aren't running the backrow, you are either combatting it directly or trying to push through it all. It all depends on what the desired end result is. Speaking of which, let's get into what the Decks themselves are.

 

 

 

[spoiler Mini Summary of Contenders]

Conqueror - As the longest standing Deck in Duel Portal's series of formats, Conqueror has proved resilience time and time again, and will prove to do such against. The Deck is your simple Fusion Deck, using Polymerization to fuse into solid bosses with a well rounded set of effects. In addition to these, Conqueror run various techs to keep themselves afloat, such as Masked Chameleon and Fusion Reserve.

Angel Command - Angel Command are somewhat of a combination of engines rather than a full archetype, but they well round themselves into a very solid Deck. Combining a Sanctuary in the Sky engine, several Fairies, and the archetypes Synchro enablers and lineup, the Deck has a lot of resilience as a result of having many Cyber Dragon/Photon Thrasher clones and their own Salvage. Their Synchro bosses back it up as much, with Urth providing constant advantage and Alcadeias slowing down the opponent unless they are prepared. In addition to all of this, the Deck also can and will tech Artifacts to further control the opponent.

Reticulant - Based on the rather strange import released in 2006, Reticulant focuses on a strategy of banishing the opponent's monsters and generating Eva Tokens, which are used for various effects throughout the Deck. While rather reliant on their main engine of their Field Spell, Zeta, and their archetypal Tuner Theta, the Deck when running can be rather cold, making brutal use of cards like Karma Cut and Mask Change II.

Leviathan - Joining the banishing series is a more centered archetype. Benefitting from several banish synergy cards and a solid set of draw power, this Infernoid esque Deck that has no Graveyard behind it has proved itself to be a solid runner. In particular, their boss Primordias is a rather frightening sight to see, and combined with the engine they rack can be rather exhausting. Topping all this off is random techs like Fish Depth Charge and Oh F!sh that lacked play until this day.

Monsoon - Ending the banishing family is the most straight forward of the bunch. Combining Tellar esque tactics and Agent esque bosses, this Synchro based WIND Deck not only puts its own synergy into good work, but makes use of a good amount of techs. Gentle Breeze aside, the most notable is Silpheed, a rather alarming encounter with the Deck that can be R4 fodder, Synchro fodder, or a standalone monster that can potentially swipe a card form your hand. On top of the WIND Xyz and Synchro pool, Monsoon looks like a rather strong wind.

JADE - Taking notes from Synchrons and Speedroids, JADE shimmer in the ability to quickly deal in damage and back that up with a solid boss lineup. Amongst others, Archangel and Shimmer JADE Dragon stand out as quick removal and recovery respectively, while JADE Crash Dragon acts as a more practical themed Quasar. The Main Deck lineup is equally solid, running Fire Formation esque Spell/Traps and being able to make use of these with various effects from the Tuners and the Non Tuners focusing on either recycling or Special Summoning more monsters, Gentle Breeze topping the whole party off. If any one thing can be declared about JADE, it's that they are at the very least the fastest Deck of the format.

Mechanica - Rising up after a rather bitter fall last event, Mechanica have rather solid odds going into this by the fact of everything being panned together so well. The Deck itself focused around combining several of the Machina supports with several of their own Fields and Continuous Spells, consistently earning itself advantage turn after turn to mitigate discards from Machina Fortress and further on card advantage. This is all rounded up with a set of R4 and 7 Machines, ranging from their own party to TCG options like Draccosac and Gear Gigant X. While not exactly as excelled in anything as well as other Decks, the overall well roundedness of the Deck earns itself a round of applause and a possible place in the top cut.

Hellion - If JADE are the fastest Deck of the tournament, Hellion are the most explosive. Backing on a rather risky self burn engine, Hellion wastes no time to stack up their engine and acquire pluses through counters and several power cards that result in a series of Synchros with rather large amounts of removal. As a result, the main goal becomes to push on through rather aggressively while keeping yourself ahead of your opponent through Hellion Inferno, Reccuring Nightmare, and the pressure put on constantly through the damage they take turning into advantage through their own counter system. Aside from their own round of bosses, (Including the always alarming Bahamut) Hellion take a rather large tip from the Red Dragon Archfiend lineup, and also run the DARK Xyz Trinity that has been a part of the format from time to time.

Reverse-Ascendants - Tieing with Reticulants as the most interesting Deck of the format, Reverse-Ascendant work around a rather odd mechanic of bouncing their own cards to trigger combos with rather aggressive potent. Aside from being solid at Synchro 7, they also have the feature of being the format's very first Pendulum Deck. As such, many Pendulum techs come in to look for, such as Wavering Eyes, Luster Pendulum, and of course Explosive Dracoslayer Ignister Prominence. The combination of the two is rather unexpected, but is expected to be a rather solid outing.

Black Omen - Turning the Spell Counter engine into something rather effecient without the infamous trouble it brought along, Black Omen quickly rose up to a solid status as a result of very solid synergy and a well rounded pool of monsters. Making solid use of powerful Spell Counter cards like Magical Citadel of Endymion and Spell Power Grasp, Black Omen uses their Spell Counters not only to set up their solid momentum driving Synchro lineup, but for searching their solid library of Spells that will go out of their way to interrupt your plays. The Deck is further backed by a set of strong techs, such as searchable a Rank Up Magic and a not so hard to summon Sorciere De Fluer, which add to the variety and threat of the Deck that consistently runs itself off out of a small combination of cards.

 

 

 

[spoiler Side Deck Options]

[spoiler Main Deck Monsters]

[spoiler Artifact Lancea/Chaos Hunter]

Some Decks like floodgates and closing off their opponent in some way, but they don't really like the drawback it gives them. Low and behold, you have cards like Artifact Lancea and Chaos Hunter. Both as lighter Imperial Iron Walls with a more one sided intention, both hurt a solid selection of Decks, ranging from keeping Leviathan out of the game almost literally and keeping Monsoon at a lower pace and unable to drop Silpheed, these are some rather solid options if you wish to not be on the other side of the gate, and are certainly not bad even if not. However, it is more of a matter of what works with you best. If you can handle a discard and can keep a field presence, Chaos Hunter is definitely the way to go. If something cheaper is desired and you only need one turn, then Lancea is probably your best bet.

 

 

[spoiler Effect Veiler]

Let's be real, Veiler has never been bad. In fact, it always has been quite good. However, it boils down to are there enough times to where it is worth it in said situation. On one hand, you have Reticulant where you can make them use up their Tokens for nothing, and on the other you have JADE, who couldn't really care less since they will have other plays, cards, and Synchro options than the one they were going for.

 

 

[spoiler Maxx "C"/Clockseal Demon]

This one here I would like to say is quite a trap. While you may be inquired to believe Maxx "C" is the better card, I'd like to talk about our good friend Clockseal Demon. So in this format of Synchronicity, we have several Decks that will Special Summon many times to make big Synchros, some which require more effort to bring out than others. As such, sometimes interrupting in the middle of that play or leaving it to just a standard play can really help in the long run, and is where Clockseal Demon really kicks in. The difference between stopping say a Bahamut and stopping a Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss on a clear field is rather huge, and as such is where Clockseal can come in if you need to and say "Not this time around". That is not to discount Maxx "C", as given those extra cards, especially in a Deck that can draw into a lot of answers and plays, is definitely worth the run for its money. However, it is worth considering that there is the other option, and if you find yourself needing that shut down before the extra cards, give it a piece of your time.

 

 

[spoiler Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit]

Surprisingly enough, I think I have been starting to like this card over Veiler this format. While negation has always been a great thing in DP, what has always been the most effective is disruption that leaves the opponent with one less monster. Especially now that we have a Synchro format, destroying the opponent's monster just as they are about to make a big play with it is huge, which is where the Rabbit comes in to snatch the monster off board. It disrupts Spells and Traps equally as well if not better, being able to be used against Mechanica's many Spells and Traps and Reverse Ascendant's Pendulums, but unfortunately is not quite as effective at directly negating. That being said, I still find it amongst the top of options and is more than worth considering a spot for the Side.

 

 

[spoiler Tribute Floodgates]

[spoiler Vanity's/Majesty's Fiend]

 

 

[spoiler The End of Anubis]

 

 

[spoiler Jinzo]

 

 

Floodgates have always had a rather strong power in DP. How about throwing the floodgate on legs? Welcome to the Tribute Floodgates. Although a little harder to drop, a fair share of Decks around here don't have the hardest of times dropping these gates, having a rather large impact on board. More props to you if your Deck is unaffected by said floodgate. Vanity's and Majesty's Fiend are probably the best generally, but The End of Anubis and Jinzo are both quite effective at what they do in spite of being niche. The End of Anubis has a particularly friendly matchup against Monsoon and JADE, while Jinzo will be better combating Angel Command and Hellion. It's a matter of what your matchup is like, and what in particular is the more favorable card to your own Deck to work with. As one of the more fearsome set of floodgate options to work with, I recommend giving it a try.

 

 

 

 

 

[spoiler Spells]

[spoiler Controlled Explosives]

In general, Mystical Space Typhoon has always been nice around here, but sometimes it doesn't always feel valuable. With Field Spells, Continuous Spells, and other such around much more frequently than TCG, it's fair to say it can feel overwhelming. Explosives comes at some of those Decks and just swipes their field and monster, which is impressive value to say the least. Doesn't even have to destroy the S/T to destroy the monster either, so you could even use it against Black Omen and Hellion to force out counters and pop a monster while at it. Quite the value I'd say.

 

 

[spoiler Dark Hole]

It feels like this should be a given, but seeing as though the card has yet to pop up recently, I thought I would bring it up. Legitimately, Dark Hole is a really good card and while it isn't as obvious of a card to throw in as before, it is a really solid card. The field clear is really nice and being able to follow that up with a big play is rather solid. Probably your best bet to drop this on is Hellion or JADE, both which can make bigger boards, but have little recovery options. It is less effective against Hellion because of Recurring Nightmare, but if you pull it on a Bahatan or a Bahakuma board, it can be game changing.

 

 

[spoiler Book of Moon/Eclipse]

Quite possibly the most diverse -1, I dig Book of Moon not only for its options to close off attacks, but in the Main Phase to disrupt various plays and effects. They attack? You Book it. They try to Xyz? You Book their material. They try to Synchro? You Book their Tuner. They try to target your monster when it requires a face-up card? You Book your monster. When they summon BLS and banish your monster? You Book that BLS on summon. Sometimes though, in Decks that can make larger fields, the 1 Book isn't enough, which is where Eclipse comes in. It's a matter of whether the disruption is worth it and if you have the Deck that can make the power play right after. Eclipsing your opponent and not following up such a play will always be subpar, and you probably shouldn't give more than 2 cards, but if you can go into a big play, that IS that card.

 

 

[spoiler Crystallize]

Some people really like Book of Moon. Some people like Book of Moon as a disruption card. Well, for all of those BoM lovers, this is that card. Being able to take out a monster for a turn is nice, and it really helps in getting around stuff. The drawback is kinda big, but if you prepare yourself for that, it's really not all that bad. Sitting on a boss that has protection or that acquires you advantage in some way with this card set is probably the best way to go, as to keep that flow of advantage going and follow up next turn.

 

 

[spoiler De Fusion]

This card proved to be good against Shaddolls, it proved to be win games against Helicrons last tournament, and it will prove to be a solid contender vs. Conqueror. Being able to just freely bounce their Fusion like nothing is always gonna be solid, and even better if you hit it on something that requires more resources. In particular, hitting Bloodscythe or Undine right on the spot is quite a ball, both placing you in a rather large lead after quite some investment.

 

 

[spoiler Forbidden Lance]

Much like Book of Moon, this has quite a bit of diverse use. While it can be used on your monster for protection or your opponent's monster to lower their ATK, there are other possible uses. Not a Crush Card target? Lance it. They Fiendish/Breakthrough'd your monster? Lance it. Conqueror activate their Fusion card? Lance one of their monsters, can't be used as material. Reticulant uses Mask Change II? Lance the target. It's a very interesting card with a quirky set of applications that can potentially put in quite a bit of work this time around.

 

 

 

 

 

[spoiler Traps]

[spoiler Breakthrough Skill vs. Fiendish Chain]

While Fiendish Chain for the longest time has remained a DP staple is still rather strong now, I think now it's about time we address Breakthrough Skill here and why it is solid this time around. Formerly in formats, Fiendish Chain settled on the fact that it essentially made a monster useless on board, similar to what a card like say Book of Moon could do. However, the change in Synchro format has made Fiendish Chain a lot less demeaning, and Breakthrough Skill's niche in Grave effect is becoming more and more prevalent with cards like JADE's own Archangel, Leviathan's Primordias, and Hellion's Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss. I wouldn't count Fiendish Chain out of the picture, both cards are excellent at what they do and worth the spots, but it's now a matter of choosing what works for your specific Deck and what you are looking to do when you resolve that Fiendish or Breakthrough. If you want to prevent a boss from getting at your Life Points while also killing its effect, you got Chain. If you just need the negation, Breakthrough is your best bet.

 

 

[spoiler Bottomless Trap Hole]

I think it's safe to say that this is quite a useful card around here. Not a lot to say about it. When a card can literally take a boss out of the duel right at the summon of it, that is rather huge. Drop a Bahamut? Bottomless. Drop a Conqueror Fusion? Bottomless. Ritual Summon? Bottomless. Normal Summon Masked Chameleon? Bottomless. Even using it on a Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss or Leviathan Primordias baits it out, in which you can follow up with another card that can take it out for good. It's a really nice card overall and has a lot of utility in this format.

 

 

[spoiler Chain Break]

Who here has ever made an attempt to go for a big play, only to get disrupted by your opponent while you lack an answer because the answer for it was a bit niche?

Now that we all settled on that, we now have Chain Break, the answer you now have. While yes, it's a card that requires your opponent to respond to what you are trying to do, you now have an uninterrupted play on your hand, which is really nice, especially for more aggressive Decks or even just Decks that are a little fragile and need a second hand. Even if you don't use it to have an uninterrupted play, you can also use it if your opponent is trying to chain say a search off Hellion Inferno or the effect of Archangel of JADE as they are trying to destroy it. Either way, Chain Break ends up as a really solid card this format that I highly recommend.

 

 

[spoiler Compulsory Evacuation Device]

I think it's been established that Evac is a good card, but how good it is here is really the determining fact. Looking it at it now we are in:

1. A Synchro Format

2. A format with 2 Fusion Decks

3. A format with 2 Decks frequently using monsters that stack counters

That sounds like a good format for Evac to me. Evac plays essentially as a more diverse De Fusion in most cases of DP's format overall, and we established De Fusion is solid. That being said, it is worth taking a run with this, and I almost would consider it a Main Deck worthy if you have the space. Otherwise, to the Side it goes.

 

 

[spoiler Daring Strike]

Sometimes, there just aren't enough attacks. Sometimes, you want to make that last push that you couldn't cause you couldn't attack that turn. Other times, you want to prevent your opponent from finishing you off. Here we have Daring Strike, a card that can solve all these problems. It's rather niche and I only really recommend it to Decks with higher ATK beatsticks, but realistically, we have a lot of those this format. Going against say JADE where they try to attack with a vulnerable Archangel after using its effect and being able to flip this and take it out is definitely a nice perk, being able to force off the counters of a Hellion Belphegor is another. While maybe not the most obvious of the bunch, it's at least worth testing and see how it plays out.

 

 

[spoiler Deep Dark Trap Hole]

I think we established already that Bottomless is a good card, so I think this card is sort of the next down the list. We are in a less than Xyz heavy format, so Levels do matter, especially high Level monsters. While there are a lot of them around, they tend to fall to the Trap Hole lineup, this being among the example next to Bottomless. However, I mostly would treat this card as additional copies of Bottomless if you so wish to run it.

 

 

[spoiler Different Dimension Ground]

One thing I noticed in DP is a good amount of Decks on here are largely affected by Macro Cosmos. While some are definitely more than others, I don't see many Decks warranting the card. It becomes a different story, however, when you have a 1 turn Macro Cosmos that's a Normal Trap, we now are talking. Different Dimension Ground covers just that, and has a few niche but quite good applications. Being able to banish the materials used in a Conq Fusion, preventing JADE from recycling their cards that turn, keeping Hellion's Disciples and Lizards from hitting the Graveyard, and even Reverse Ascendants lose out due to some of their self destructing effects. It's a nice addition I can see a few Decks taking for a minor spin.

 

 

[spoiler Fairy Wind Vs. Spell Shattering Arrow]

I thought it would be safe to talk about these two. However, in this case, there is a clear cut winner in this decision: Fairy Wind. Originally with all the Continuois Spells and Fields from the last event and faster cards was an advantage, it was an even plate between Spell Shattering Arrow and Fairy Wind. However, the problem now lies that we not only have less Continuous Spells, but we have both Hellion and Black Omen who have Field Spells that protect themselves. While Citadel is the only card you want to kill and thus eliminates either card, vs Hellion you want to hit the Infernos and Fiendish Chains, which is where Fairy Wind can come in handy to close the door on those cards. In addition, most plays with such card will be done during your opponent's turn anywho, so it's not like you need to hit that Field Spell right away. Being able to hit floodgates as well if needbe since those would be in application when this is sided in, so overall Fairy Wind pops in with a nice set of utility, while Spell Shattering Arrow leaves to be desired.

 

 

[spoiler Holy Art - Kyrie Eleison Vs. Magic Cylinder]

So you have a format with a lot of high ATK monsters and sometimes stopping one of the attacks from those is rather impactful. Now said card burns your opponent for the same amount they would have done to you if not more. That's where Cylinder comes in. Decks like Hellion, Angel Command, and Monsoon on the regular put you in a tight spot with at least 1 really high ATK monster to which you can get 2500+ damage in easily. The matter then becomes whether Spell Speed or not being able to take a direct attack is the more important factor. I wouldn't consider Kyrie to be any better or worse than Cylinder for that reason, and is largely up to player preferences.

 

 

[spoiler Holy Art - Praefatio]

Sometimes I am sold on a card because of its potential it can do with other cards. Sometimes I am sold on a card because of how much it hurts their opponent. Sometimes I'm sold because the drawback can be rather lessened. All of these options apply here. Praefatio is all of that. One thing about this format is we have a good amount of E Teles floating around. Gentle Breeze, Call of the Command, Endymion's Forbidden Tome of Summoning, and Bahamut's Calling are all rather swell in their respective Decks, making Praefatio a rather amusing combo piece where you can flip said E Tele, summon a monster, flip Prae, then shuffle an opp monster and shuffle their monster. Sure they get a monster, but you get the same one you just summoned, so essentially you just lowered the threat of their field by a long shot. There are other methods of course, but this is the most workable and really makes Praefatio a wonderful card to try out.

 

 

[spoiler Hot-Drop Assault]

As was established how to benefit off of a format full of E Teles vs Prefatio, going against such a format is also an important thing to note. Most of the Tuners that float around from said cards, while particularly useful in utility, are not really big in ATK stat. While this is normally irrelevant, Hot Drop Assault forces this to become relevant while also putting a monster on your side of the field. In addition to using this against E Teles, this also has the benefit of working against Tokens, becoming then really useful against Reticulants and Hellions, particularly the former.

 

 

[spoiler Lightning Blast]

For Deep Dark Trap Hole is additional copies of Bottomless, then this card is surely more copies of Compulsory Evacuation Device. While not doing the same thing and you do take some damage, the drawback really isn't that bad. Being able to eliminate the usual round of bosses and enablers while also being chainable is always a great factor, and Lightning Blast is good at doing exactly that. In addition, it is better than Evac vs. Hellion, where there is plenty of room to make another of the same monster, but not as much room to make spot for multiple of most monsters.

 

 

[spoiler Mirror Forces]

[spoiler Mirror Force]

 

 

[spoiler Blazing Mirror Force]

 

 

[spoiler Storming Mirror Force]

 

 

Mirror Force will always be that classic Trap. Attack, all the force that was about to strike you is reflected back, but now it has some buddies. Really explanatory for the most part, but it's a matter of which are more applicable where. OG Mirror Force has the benefit of simply destroying while also the simply destroying triggering float effects and other such. Storming Mirror Force, which usually solid against Extra Deck monsters, has the downside of this format being home to a lot of Photon Thrasher and Cyber Dragon clones, essentially making it rather hard to make the best out of. Blazing Mirror Force can inflict a nice amount of damage to your opponent sque of Cylinder, but at the same time it hurts you and ultimately could backfire. Ultimately though, it probably is the one you would pick if you don't pick regular Mirror Force. These other forms really have their niche, but this format just really doesn't have what it going for them.

 

 

[spoiler Torrential Tribute]

Not much to say other than Chainable. Dark. Hole. That's a pretty nice factor right then and there. Some Decks in the format have some pretty explosive combos upon them, but at the same time said combos are rather fragile and can be disrupted easily. Meet Torrential, the end to most of these situations. Being able to flip this on Hellions attempted to make Bahatan or RDAA or JADE attempting one of their big Synchro shenanigans with Soveriegn is always welcome.

 

 

[spoiler Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare]

If there is one quite underrated card in DP's many passing tournaments, the card has got to be Traptrix Trap Hole Nightmare. I feel like this card has so much potential, being able to be used on most of Black Omen and Hellion, disrupt JADE's Synchro effects, and eliminate most Conqueror Fusions at ease, Nightmare essentially is a Fiendish Chain, except it actually rids of the monster, which makes it a lot more welcome in a group of Decks. I see this card in the future having a lot of potential, with it not getting any less relevant anytime soon, and right now it's just as solid.

 

 

[spoiler Void Trap Hole]

Void Trap Hole has always been in the main and side decks of many DP Decks and for good reason. In most Decks, the range of Bottomless and Void is barely a stretch, and you'll want to hit the same cards. Because of this, Void can at times be superior for negating that effect. Close the door on Bahakuma, Shimmer JADE Dragon, and Bloodscythe are all nice options, each of which take a good amount of resources out of the opponent that they invested a bit into. Trap Holes have always done it best, and this one does it while taking out protection and effects. Can't say anything bad about that.

 

 

[spoiler Whack-A-Hulcus]

Alongside Hot Drop as one of the more interesting side options of the format, this card's applications are as odd as its effect. You drop any card off the board, except the 2000 or less ATK summoned monster, which leads to applications of which to hit. Against Hellion, this can mean punishing the summon of a token and popping Mistress. JADE? Interrupt a Synchro play and pop the Tuner. Against Black Omen, this can mean ridding of Nerak and thus forcing out a subpar Xyz play over a Naimed play. Against Conqueror, you can destroy a Masked Chameleon after it summons a monster by its effect, locking out their field to an awkward position. Where this really shines though is Reticulant, where you can pop one of their cards for summoning an Eva Token, which you are bound to encounter at some point or another. I see its uses only increasing, and thus I shall leave this as a future potent.

 

 

[spoiler Anti-Spell Fragrance]

With this format debuting Pendulums for the tournaments in the form of Reverse Ascendants, I do believe it calls for this card to be considered. Other uses also come in combating various Continuous Spells and Fields played by the likes of Angel Command, Mechanica, Hellion, and JADE. The slow down is really nice and especially in a more aggressive Deck allows you to forward your plays with fewer interruptions, which tends to be the best part about this card. However, against some matchups, you have to et it early to make good use of it, otherwise it becomes rather obsolete by the time you draw it. A double edged sword as a result, but a rather solid one at that.

 

 

[spoiler Imperial Iron Wall]

Already covered this card in the Lancea and Hunter thread earlier, but this is a longer lasting and a Spell/Trap version of those two essentially. However, it does affect both players, so I suppose use it wisely.

 

 

[spoiler Black Horn of Heaven]

Black Horn has earned its spot in most of the Sidd Decks in past tournaments, and fits in this one just as well. Being able to halt Synchros, Xyz, BLS/Sorcerer, Photon Thrasher and Cyber Dragon clones, and other interesting conditions is just flat out amazing especially since it is a Counter Trap and free. Particularly in this format this seems best for combating Archangel in JADE, Primordias in Leviathan, and Abyss in Hellion. Hitting it right before it comes out with the opportunity to hit other cards if you don't encounter that threat is rather golden, and is a testament to how Black Horn is here to stay.

 

 

[spoiler Forced Back]

Of the many interesting things I took note to this format, one common thing I took note of was the frequency of cards with effects on Normal Summons. These lead to a bit of advantage which lead to the start of solid plays. This card essentially says No to those plays and returns the monster to the hand, sometimes ending their turn. As such, it becomes rather potent, and combined with a solid board and other backrow could become a bit more than frightening. While it is more niche than other options on here, I do find it to be a lot more impactful in practice and is something I suggest going for a spin.

 

 

[spoiler Fourth Trap Hole]

Ending the list of Side Deckers is one of the more surprising but solid entries here. While Rank 4s aren't as prominent as they were before, cards like Hellion Caster and Mistress, JADE Pikeman, Machina Gearframe, and Cloud Conqueror all spell out hate for this card. Being a Counter Trap gives it a huge benefit, and the way it comes out on board can at times become a slightly better Solemn Warning if timed right. As such, it becomes more of a weighing scale, and if the card that matter in said matchups really affect you or if you wish to resort to the usual. However, I will say on down the line this is the other card aside from Nightmare to look out for, as I see it being staple in a more Xyz centered format.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spoiler Extra Deck Options]

[spoiler Synchros]

[spoiler Hi-Speedroid Chanbara]

Ladies and gents, generic Blade Armor Ninja for Synchros! Quite a solid card with the ability to attack twice and increase its ATK by up to 400 a turn, quickly turning itself into a threat. If nothing else, it is 4000 direct damage on board, which is rather deadly in a Deck that could quickly make it or accompany it with other options. Armades isn't quite as good this time around, so this becomes a nice replacement for it as the ideal Synchro 5 option.

 

 

[spoiler River Guardian]

If Chanbara wasn't enough to convince you that Armades is out of style, meet River Guardian. River Guardians double Farfa for discard is quite nice, especially offensively if you are able to take advantage of said cards being on the field. It's CARDS too, so you can use this to heavily disrupt Decks like Hellion or Black Omen that use counters and completely throw off their system and protection. This is one of those few times where the discard is more than worth the outcome, and as such I recommend tossing this in if your Deck can make it.

 

 

[spoiler Angel of Retribution]

 

 

[spoiler Goyo Guardian]

So I heard this is a Synchro Format, and a format with a lot of accessible Tuners. This guy can fetch you some Non Tuners by killing them in battle. It so happens to also have a rather high ATK stat that gets over a lot of cards. That sounds like a nice option to me.

 

 

[spoiler HTS Psyhemuth]

Some cards are best banished instead of hitting the Graveyard. Some Deck have a harder time to get over monsters with specific stats or protection. For all of those needs, there is HTS Psyhemuth.

 

 

[spoiler Lightning of the Violet Sky]

With the arise of the WIND attribute, we now have a new toy for the family. Similar to other new archetypes and Synchro options, Violet follows the counter pattern, but instead turns it into a form of protection. The protection is also a fancy. WINDs also have the advantage of having some of the best on Normal Summon effects, which makes its counter for each Normal Summon quite a factor to account in. Combined with 6s not being the hardest to make, this is a rather solid option for WINDs and equally so a diverse one I think will continue to see play.

 

 

[spoiler Alcara/Vulcan the Divine]

Sometimes I look at a card and see how it has become much better since the last time I looked over it. Possibly the best example of this is Vulcan and Alcara the Divine. Alcara's effect has improved in the format with the addition of cards to re use with it and cards that don't have a ton of drawback to return to hand. Its typing as a Fairy also allows it to be used in more Decks than Vulcan, and thus is a great option to consider. The float into Vulcan is also nice, and comes in handy in random moments.

 

 

[spoiler Black Rose Dragon Vs. Shiida, Silver Rose Outcast]

Shiida and Black Rose go hand in hand with one another, one covers the field while also hitting itself, the other hits the front row only. While both have their benefits, I do believe that for this format, Black Rose is the better card. While in some Decks the option to not hurt your own backrow is nice, Black Rose also takes out the opponent's backrow, which becomes huge when you want to make bigger pushes or set your opponent back. Multiple Spell/Trap destruction is rather small in a format where backrow is rather prominent, so a way to eliminate such is quite needed at times. For those situations, there is Black Rose.

 

 

[spoiler Black Rose Moonlight Dragon]

So we have already established that:

1. We are in a Synchro heavy format

2. Evac is a rather good card this format

3. One of the 3 Xyz based Decks has several Level 7s.

I don't think much needs to be said further in the power of Moonlight Rose and how solid it is.

 

 

[spoiler Clear Wing Synchro Dragon]

Most of what applies to Moonlight also applies here. However, in such a Synchro heavy format and also having targeting protection, I would argue this is the better card this time around. The on summon bounce does help in the favor of Moonlight, but at the same time you more need the negation and protection on Clear Wing, which quickly makes it the more solid card.

 

 

[spoiler Storm Dominator, Admiral Max]

Talk about well rounded! We have a card here that's quite something in both offense and defense. Offensively, the Armades effect is nice, whereas they either lose potential floating or they banish 1 of their cards, which is solid and with Armades not being as good as it was before, this is a bit more pressuring against the Decks actually affected. Defensively, the targeting from effects or attacks is rather solid, the Qli condition for the most part not being as relevant as it should be. If Alcara is the first welcomed custom Synchro 7 staple, this card is right on down the line as the next.

 

 

[spoiler Hellion Dragon Bahamut]

Low and behold, the main boss of Hellion and one of the most sudden Synchros out there. While rather vulnerable in many different ways, Bahamut has a very high reward set in on it with a lot of muscle on top of it all. There is a bit of risk, however, but you mind it about as much as you mind making Black Rose. In fact, this does come off as Black Rose for 8s in many ways. That being said, like Black Rose, it serves as multiple backrow destruction, which is rather huge, but can't follow it up quite as well because of the limitations. It still works just as well, and as such is more than likely the ideal Synchro 8 to run if you wish to run a generic offensive option.

Tip: Bahamut's effect is an "If You Do" effect, which means you can freely pop cards with protection without the drawback it normally would have. (But if you destroy even 1 card successfully the draw still kicks in) The drawback is also something to take advantage of, being able to use Blazing Mirror Force and Ring of Destruction as one sided answers to this card. In fact, resolving a Ring on Hellion after Bahamut's effect resolves is a huge form of disruption since more times than not, they will not have a play for the rest of that turn, allowing for you to inflict game ending damages to them.

 

 

[spoiler Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Vs. Scarlight Dragon Archfiend]

As a Hellion player and as a runner of DARK Decks in general, I have tended to rather value these 2 as solid options in the Synchro 8 pool. Whereas you have your solid multiple S/T destruction in Bahamut, the RDA lineup takes care of multiple monsters a lot better. It becomes moreso a matter then of what you need to clear and if it is worth the extra monsters Hot Red can clear or if your Deck is a bit hurt by the range. In this format, I think it would be safe to say that Scarlight is the winner in this case. Not only can Scarlight still attack AND burn the opponent, but not many monsters that need to be destroyed exceeds over 3000. There are a few different targets Hot Red can hit that Scarlight can't, so run both if you can, but if you have to run one only, then Scarlight would be the better.

 

 

[spoiler Stardust Dragon]

Amongst the many other commonplaces in the game this time around, destruction has to be one of the most common. At the same time, there are a lot of Decks limited to WINDs. Meet Stardust, the answer to all of that. Whereas Spark only protects and doesn't cover a wide spectrum of Decks, Stardust answers cards that Spark normally couldn't. In particular, this card covers Wavering Eyes and JADE Compression Sprite, both which are major cards in the Deck they play in. On top of covering Bahamut (with protection), Naimed, and Archangel, this feels like the Synchro 8 defensive staple.

 

 

[spoiler Blademaster - Noctem]

Many things we have established already:

1. 3000 or close to 3000 ATK with an effect in which its stats matter is great

2. Floating on Synchros is nice

3. Destruction is common this format

Noctem comes out of the blue with all 3 answered and ready to sweep its opponent. While this won't be as effective at facing Bahamut and RDA, it covers the ground of Naimed, Archangel, and Alcara, which makes it a rather solid play nonetheless. On top of the burn or discard eff, it well rounds itself, and the nice typing leaves it for a nice future.

 

 

 

 

[spoiler Xyz]

[spoiler Abyss Dweller]

This is one of those cards that while you don't always think of it first, this card is definitely THAT card to have around. Quite a few Decks in DP have random Graveyard effects and for those, you'll want to have Dweller around to halt them. While it is not nearly as amazing as it is in the TCG, it still has a solid amount of uses and warrants a spot if there is one.

 

 

[spoiler Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer Vs. Number 101: Silent Honor ARK]

I think it has been said enough times the power in these two, so not much to say in that. However, it is to be said which is worth including and when. Castel is the more obvious one, but 101's protection and extra 100 ATK is something to be of said. Another thing to be said is how 101 puts the card in the Graveyard when it is removed from the field. While spinning is definitely nice, sometimes vs Decks like Hellion it is better to have that Synchro in the Graveyard so it cannot be used again. In addition, it becomes rather redundant to bounce any face up card when Vivyzian can cover Spells and Traps while being safe from the latter and covering Sets . This makes 101 a little more something to consider as a result, but Castel is still a rather solid option as always.

 

 

[spoiler Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon Vs. Thunderous Kaiser]

I think it's fair to say that aside from perhaps Vivyzian, Kaiser stands amongst the strongest of the new additions of Xyz. Whilst other removal options in the Xyz pool have targeting protection to go on about, Kaiser dodges this and is as such able to get over most monsters under 4000 ATK relatively easily. Random piercing is also nice. Let's not forget about his fellow friend Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon though. While a single use and it targeting matters in comparing the two, Rebellion does end on the side of remaining as a big beatstick to walk over, which especially combined with backrow is a fierce sight. I think the matter of these two is a more of how much damage you can put out and what you can make. Kaiser would be better for Decks that can't push through everything right away, and Dark Rebellion is a better option for Decks that can rush rather quickly.

 

 

[spoiler DARK Xyz Trinity]

[spoiler Haunter the Neverending Nightmare]

 

 

[spoiler Heiress of the Lich King]

 

 

[spoiler Absol the Emissary of Darkness]

 

 

While this may or may not be as much of something to watch this tourney, I do feel this is a bit of a topic worth discussing due to this trinity always being a power house in the format. DARKs and Xyz have always been best friends. Why? Because they have multiple mini bosses on hand with a bit of field presence. Absol was the first of these, and still is rather fierce. The generic Catastor and 2400 is solid enough, but on top of that if itself or another monster you control is destroyed by battle, the monster can't attack next turn. While effect removal does hurt it a lot, in a battle phased setting, Absol comes out as a difficult answer. Heiress of the Lich King was the next in line, being a godsend to several different combos with its revival tactics and acting as some sort of Starleige Paladynamo. Both effects make for it to be one of the best Xyz options in DP period, and is quite a card to face if unprepared. Haunter is the most recent, and is more focused on what the other 2 options fail to cover: Defense. In addition to a nice ATK boost, Haunter's Destiny Bond esque effect essentially says if it's about to leave the board, it takes out an opponent's card with it. The removal doesn't target as well, which makes it all the more better. While you do have to be pre emptive, flipping such effect wards off most removal options and is more to the power of why the Red Dragon Archfiends are a solid answer.

 

 

[spoiler Latias]

Some cards like to have other cards around to make them work best. Meet Latias. This taken to the extreme. Latias not only goes out of its way to protect your monsters the turn it hits the board, but also has the opportunity to boost itself based on the rest of your field. The float is the icing on the cake but most times it realistically won't matter. I think the disadvantage of this card though is rather stated in the card, and while it seems like it wouldn't be an issue, lacking another monster (Effective monster at that) to back up Latias can sometimes be a bit of a problem. If this isn't an issue though, Latias is quite the accompanist to a solid board.

 

 

[spoiler Poker Joker Yarliqueen]

Poker Joker is a rather underrated Xyz option and I see it being a really solid disruption card against a few Decks. Namely, this card is the bane of Black Omen and Hellion, closing it off from being re activated in addition to ruining their counter setup. It's not bad against other Decks either. Forcing out backrow or shutting off Continuous Spells/Traps is rather solid as a whole, and makes it a rather solid option as a whole. It also has other properties which make it a lot cuter, but that will be discussed later.

 

 

[spoiler Scyther, the Razor's Edge]

It's almost Absol......... for WIND! WIND is becoming a more prominent attribute, and as such gained friends. While Violet was Synchro assistance, Scyther came in for the Xyz pool as one of the more impressive options. While it doesn't quite have the oppressive level of Absol, it makes up for it in a lot more offense being able to attack a monster again as a 3k beater. WIND Decks have a bit of aggression in them already, so it essentially becomes a way to clear through more powerful threats like the RDA/Bahamut lineup, Galicia, and even such Xyz previously mentioned as Absol and Haunter.

 

 

[spoiler Trap Engineer Vivyzian]

Ending the list of Extra Deck options is quite possibly the most memorable. Vivyzian has always been rather dominant in the format because not only has the Trap immunity always been relevant, but the Spell/Trap pop has always been rather strong. The second effect tends to be less than relevant, but otherwise the card is solid. 2200 beater immune to one of the most relevant card types in the game and being able to be an on the spot MST is quite the value.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spoiler Tech Options]

[spoiler Ballcadeias, The Beginning and the End]

Behold, Synchro's own Chaos boss! While this card requires dedication, Ballcadeias has such a set of muscle, and with it comes 2 rather solid effects. You either get Farfa or you get Psyframe Overload. On either player's turn with a 3200 body, that is quite formidable if you ask me. Where it lacks protection, it has in strength, similar to its own brethren, and will stop at nothing once it arrives. As for potential techs to make it work, other Sync Decks can tech out their own E Teles, hop on to another Synchro, use its effect, then got straight into this. Perhaps not the easiest

thing to go about, but it is a rather solid option, and one that with the right dedication, I can see being a 1 of in a few sets of Decks.

 

 

[spoiler Soverign Star Dragon, Black Hole Dragon]

I think the definition of straight up boss has now been clearly defined. This card takes a bit of work to make in most Decks, but for the most part is worth it. The effect itself is amazing, and then it goes on ahead and gives a R7 Felgrand...... But then it requires a Synchro, Xyz, Fusion, or Ritual. This isn't the hardest of things though. With a bit of work and some overextending albeit, some Decks will happily be able to throw out 2 Synchros. That's where this card gets to work, and rewards you for such play where your Decks limitations might not be able to. I'm not entirely sold on this being 100% of a fool proof card, but I do see it ending up as a rather solid boss, especially if we end up with a Rank 7 arch in the future.

 

 

[spoiler Centripetal Field]

Quite possibly the most hilarious card on this list, Centripetal Field's effect quite literally comes out of nowhere and does something. This card early game can become rather dead, but picking this up after a couple of plays can be rather amusing, and can turn into a rather amusing set of games while attempting to get a play. For this reason, Centripetal can be the Field Spell card for Decks without a Field Spell card, and for Decks with a Field Spell it could possibly warrant the running of Terraforming or more copies of it's run already. It's a solid card overall that while more gimmicky, gets its comical job done.

 

 

[spoiler Core Launcher]

More times than not, Equip Spells just do not do it for the person using them. Moon Mirror Shield was close, but not really enough. This card will probably be the closest thing we got to a satisfying Equip Spell. Low and behold, Core Launcher not only acts as the infamous Spell Card Dark Core, but also gives the DARK monster equipped 800 ATK and banishes monsters the equipped monster destroys. These are 2 rather solid effects and together they work in a great card. The big thing that halts it, however, is the discard. With DP having far and few many ways to manage discards, it's a lot harder to embrace this sort of card, but there are a select bit of Decks that can do this. Lack a target? Use Poker Joker Yarliqueen. You now have a rather solid beater on top of S/T lockdown. There are several ways to work with this really, and if you can manage the discard, you got the card

 

 

[spoiler Doom Desire Dragons]

If Centripetal Field is the most amusing card in this list, this card is the most frightening. While we were just talking about the discard turning Launcher into a tech since it is a one shot threat, Doom Desire lasts an entire turn and has the potential to make a lot more impact. What are your options to summon with it? Well, you most notably have:

- Infernity Doom Dragon - Pop a monster for half ATK in damage while you have no cards in hand

- Void Ogre Dragon - Negate a S/T while you have no cards in hand

- Hot Red Dragon Archfiend - Destroy all other attack position monsters on the field

- Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend - Destroy all Special Summoned monsters with lower than 3000 ATK and opp takes 500 for each

- Hellion Dragon Bahamut - Pop 3, but no damage until the end of opp turn

- Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss - Negate any card for a turn

None of those options are really bad at all. Some are definitely more useful than others, but they all have quite a bit of utility. Your best bet will be Scarlight + Bahamut during your turn or Void Ogre + Abyss during the opp turn. Those are pretty effective boards even with no damage this turn! However, because of the Extra Deck space and discard, I do find that it becomes on the line that Mask Change II is in the TCG. It's definitely good, but it does require a bit of dedication that may or may not be worth it. However, if it is, this is definitely the tech to consider.

 

 

[spoiler Emergency Teleport]

I think at some point most people amongst the people who have participated throughout DP's formats have all tossed around using E Tele for Synchro plays with Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, saying how it also could double as a way to trigger Rabbit. However, it hasn't really been done. That being said, a recent addition to the pool might desire the ability to give this thought another chance:

[spoiler Moriana the Bejeweled Telepath]

 

 

Moriana is a rather solid card in many rights. For one, it's a floater off of one of a rather powerful Spell Card. Even if it gets destroyed in battle or by an effect, it still triggers itself, which makes it rather offensive of a card. Second, it's a slow Compulsory Evacuation Device. That type of removal against a few specific Decks is rather solid, especially during the End Phase where, if flipped during the opponent's turn, can deal with a threat before you have to fight with it. This combined with Rabbit would be a rather deadly combination, being able to either destroy or bounce with just an E Tele and a well timed play being able to severely disrupt the opponent, while also doubling as a way to grab Tuners for further Synchro shenanigans. I don't consider it to be more than a tech idea, but I do think it has potential and room somewhere in the Decklists.

 

 

[spoiler Rank-Across-Magic Generation Stride]

Let's talk about Poker Joker Yarliqueen. Amongst other things it stands out as, it stands out as a solid DARK Spellcaster that can be generically used. Rank Across ranks up a monster of the same Rank with same Attribute and Type, but requires one more material. There's one main card I can think of that's a 3 Mat Rank 4 DARK Spellcaster:

[spoiler Alchemic Magician]

 

 

Alchemic Magician is a rather powerful card. Being able to at the end of your turn set a Spell, usually a Quick Play, is rather nice to fetch many solid options. While Mystical Space Typhoon and Forbidden Lance come to mind, let's combine options we talked about earlier. You use Poker Joker's effect, activate Rank Across for Alchemic, and at the end of the turn set Emergency Teleport. You essentially turned that discard into a solid set of disruption, something that definitely would be strong considering your Alchemic will then surely be at least 21-2300 ATK, and by resolving Teleport will keep it going. That's definitely Val-UE right there!

 

 

[spoiler Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force]

Let's talk more about Poker Joker Yarliqueen. In addition to being Rank Across fodder for Alchemic, it also has the potential to be fodder for Astral Force. For what card exactly? Well:

[spoiler Black Omen Commander - Leiad the Coming]

 

 

Leiad is a rather solid option for Astral Force, instantly paying for itself...... By recovering any Spell Card in your Graveyard. In most Decks here, this is rather powerful being able to recover cards like Gentle Breeze, Polymerization, and Hellion Crusade is quite impressive when on the fly. If nothing else and you have the Extra Deck space, you can also recover the Rank Up Magic itself to go into Gallicia, Queen of the Citadel, a rather strong R8 who while not paying for itself, has a rather strong disruption in the form of Special Summoning your opponent's monsters during either player's Main Phase. (Albeit no effect and losing them at the end of the Phase) Either result turns into a rather amusing power play, and is worth tapping into if your Deck can afford the ED slot(s) for your Rank Up card.