Back to Basics [ABC]

[VCR_CAT]

 

Monsters

Destrudo the Lost Dragon's Frission x1

Galaxy Soldier x3

Cyber Dragon x3

A - Assault Core x2

B - Buster Drake x3

C - Crush Wyvern x3

Gold Gadget x3

Silver Gadget x2

Ash Blossom and Joyous Spring x3

Maxx "C" x1

 

Spells and Traps

Union Hanger x3

Dragon Ravine x1

Terraforming x3

Foolish Burial x1

Upstart Goblin x1

Burial from a Different Dimension x1

Transmodify x2

Cosmic Cyclone x2

 

Extra Deck

Skulldeat, the Chained Dracoserpent x1

Borreload Dragon x1

Decode Talker x1

Qliphort Genius x1

Ancient Fairy Dragon x1

Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon x1

ABC - Dragon Buster x3

Gear Gigant X x1

Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir x1

Bujentei Tsukuyomi x1

Number 39: Utopia x1

Number S39: Utopia the Lightning x1

Constellar Pleiades x1

 

 

Before anyone asks: Pleiades instead of CDI because 1: Megafleet's materials simply say "Cyber Dragon monster" and 2: less Extra Deck commitment which means more techs.

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

As hilarious as Megafleeting a Cyber Dragon Infinity with a Link Spider may be, Megafleet isn't seeing play outside of Cyber Dragons and Cyber Dragons could just Megafleet Pleiades anyway. That said, if you're not going to use Infinity, I'd cut the Galaxy Soldiers and Transmodifies since Pleiades alone isn't worth all that dedication. Then you can throw in extra copies of Ash/Evenly Matched/Cosmic Cyclone/Maxx "C"/Raigeki, as well as Diamond Dire in place of Pleiades for spot removal that gets your ABC pieces in the grave. 

[VCR_CAT]

As hilarious as Megafleeting a Cyber Dragon Infinity with a Link Spider may be, Megafleet isn't seeing play outside of Cyber Dragons and Cyber Dragons could just Megafleet Pleiades anyway. That said, if you're not going to use Infinity, I'd cut the Galaxy Soldiers and Transmodifies since Pleiades alone isn't worth all that dedication. Then you can throw in extra copies of Ash/Evenly Matched/Cosmic Cyclone/Maxx "C"/Raigeki, as well as Diamond Dire in place of Pleiades for spot removal that gets your ABC pieces in the grave. 

 

I think you misunderstand what I mean by Megafleet; the opponent doesn't need to summon anything at all to make Megafleet if I have CDI out on the field. If I have CDI out at all, it's either in the EMZ itself, or I have a Link in the EMZ; I will always have something in the EMZ if I have Extra Deck monsters on the field because, if you didn't notice, this deck lacks a means to summon monsters from the grave. By virtue of how Megafleet works, they don't need to summon or open with anything; they literally just get to remove 2 of my monsters absolutely free and then get one in return. As much as I can just risk it by running it anyways and hope the opponent doesn't run Megafleet, the other problem is working with the space it takes in the Extra Deck, and how that CDI, on its own, still isn't as great as many people think it is and doesn't warrant taking up 2 ED slots. I already have UTL for that, because it deals with particular threats nothing in else in the ED does, but CDI just ends up being excessive use of ED space I'd rather put towards other techs that do other things. I use Pleiades because, frankly, Pleiades is still a pretty strong card when complimented with a field. Drident should have shown to people that a simple quick-play removal, even if it targets, is still an effective tool, and increasing the number of quickplay removals I have access to during my opponent's turn is only going to make the field stronger. It's still an effective monster, but it's easier on the Extra Deck count.

 

You're also missing the bigger picture in thinking that I only use Galaxy Soldier for the one R5 play in the deck, because that's absolutely not true. It's a discard-summon that helps set up my grave for ABC plays while paying for itself and, being a machine effect monster, means I get to use it for a variety of Link plays as it's a viable material for all of my Link monsters, and its status of being below level 7 means I can also use it for Destrudo if I so happen to need to. It's a flexible card that works for the deck, and the value of using Transmodify on Buster Drake has not gotten worse over the years. It's still a good interaction.

 

Now, the change I am going to make, is Photon Thrasher. As I've tested the deck, I've found that the Rank 4 plays in setting up on turn 1 have, overall, gotten worse, and it's because of the EMZ play. If I'm fielding multiple monsters, through Gadgets or what-not, it just ends up being better value with the unions to be going for Link plays instead of the typical R4 plays. Tsukuyomi got a little worse because we don't have the 2-material LIGHT Link yet, and I need to be fielding a lot of monsters to be able to go into that and then use it for Decode, which just ends up being lost value when I could just use those monsters immediately for Skulldeat instead and get a better draw. GGX, while a machine, is more of a desperation play on turn-1 set-up and, if I am going for a Rank 4 on turn 1, it's probably going to be Baguska to try and stall a turn because I opened poorly. Thrasher not being a machine, just hurts quite a bit in the plays, and I've noticed this clearly.

 

Instead, I'm going to swap it out for the aforementioned Cyber Dragon. It fits the same niche of being "A monster I can puke onto an empty field" and, while not a level 4, still offers plenty of strategic value for its status as a machine, which makes it more immediately useful for Genius, still works towards Destrudo, boosts the Rank 5 plays as well, and gives me the option of playing Megafleet which helps me either break certain *cough*Tri-Gate*cough* boards, or if they see that coming, helps me by baiting out their quick-play removal at minimal loss.

 

Overall, the deck has strong Link play, and as I play it more I realize that I need to lean into that more, so the move to Cyber Dragon away from Thrasher is an intention for that. Once we get the LIGHT 2-mat I might consider going back to Thrasher, but this depends on how well CyDra plays out.

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

If you were to summon Infinity to an MMZ that your Link Monster points to then yes, they could contact both for Megafleet - but so long as Infinity is in your EMZ, they'd need both a monster of their own that is either in the EMZ and/or a Cyber Dragon monster. They can't use just your Infinity as both materials for Megafleet, so your "always having a monster in the EMZ" is irrelevant. Either way, Megafleet isn't seeing play outside of Cyber Dragons and ABC's are still running Infinity with the main relevant check to ABC's being Ghost Reaper with Buster Dragon, so if you're going out of your way to dodge Megafleet you might as well not play Machines for fear of Fortress Dragon. 

 

It's little coincidence that any deck that has topped with Galaxy Soldier (ABC or otherwise) happened to have Cyber Dragon Infinity in their Extra Deck. However, there have been ABC builds that have done well without either, and I think you'd be better off going that route if you're not running Infinity by cutting Galaxy Soldier and Transmodify for the extra Ash, Cosmic Cyclone, Evenly Matched, Maxx "C", and Raigeki - as all are critical cards that I think on the whole should give you better value than discard outlets that turbo out Constellar Pleiades.

[NotKrow]

Cut Galaxy Soldier, Cyber Dragon, Transmodify to 0 and side Evenly Matched. Put Ash up to 3. Cyber Dragon Infinity is overrated in this deck.

[VCR_CAT]

If you were to summon Infinity to an MMZ that your Link Monster points to then yes, they could contact both for Megafleet - but so long as Infinity is in your EMZ...

 

If you're summoning and leaving Infinity in your EMZ and that's your turn, you're either bad or you opened terrible. That's about as stupidly weak as a field can get these days.

 

 

 

BuT lOoK aT tHeSe RaNdOm ToPs

 

Pretty irrelevent. If you hadn't noticed, the small handful of ABC builds that have actually topped since 2016 aren't playing with the cards I am because this isn't a dedicated TCG-pool build. Qliphort Genius and Skulldeat change a lot of how the deck plays, and those decks are pretty much the definition of "Random Tops With Questionable Ratios". Also, yes, the Galaxy Soldier engine can do well, but it's not like I've done anything of significance with that before.

 

Overall, I won't be removing Galaxy Soldier or Cyber Dragon and I don't know why you think I actively work towards using those cards for Pleiades. Pleiades is there as a goodstuff option, not as a dedicated end-goal. But it's not like I didn't actually explain that before. Cutting engine cards for the sake of higher ratios or adding cards that don't actually do anything to make the deck more consistent or work better at getting monsters out is a pretty bad idea as far as deck building goes. Functionality should come first. That said.

 

 

 

Side Evenly Matched. Put Ash up to 3. Cyber Dragon Infinity is overrated in this deck.

 

I will be doing this; putting Evenly Matched in the side and adding a 3rd Ash and a Maxx "C". (I'll update soon). The Evenly Matched's are more or less filling the same role as non-engine cards, so I won't be sacrificing deck functionality by doing this change. If anything, I'm removing cards that I noticed I wasn't really using terribly effectively due to Evenly Matched being pretty situational.

 

And yes, CDI is overrated, which is why I swapped to Pleiades as my option to go into if I so please. Also I can't really listen to your advice of removing Galaxy Soldier/Transmodify/Cyber Dragon since that's 8 cards and you offered no opinions on what would work better in helping the deck as a whole, and if your ideas are just "More Traps/Raigeki/Hand Traps" then I have to say no, because making that change will absolutely not make the deck better, but rather it's just going to kill consistency and make it worse as a whole.

 

Brickier decks with more traps =/= better.

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

If you're summoning and leaving Infinity in your EMZ and that's your turn, you're either bad or you opened terrible. That's about as stupidly weak as a field can get these days.

 

This isn't how you'd want to open without support, but it could be a decent option in a mid-game grind or to compliment a field of ABC's left by a tagged out Dragon Buster. Of course, by then you'll have ascertained that your opponent isn't running Megafleet anyway. Megafleet itself can clog the EMZ, which I reckon is why it sees as little generic play as it does. Either way, I'd rather not run Galaxy Soldier/Infinity altogether. 

 

"More Traps/Raigeki/Hand Traps" then I have to say no, because making that change will absolutely not make the deck better, but rather it's just going to kill consistency and make it worse as a whole.

 

The reason people use as many hand traps nowadays as they do is because hindering opponents' consistency can be as good or better than improving your own depending on how you go about it. Maxx "C" also isn't going to hurt your consistency and could well be the best main deck card in the game now - you can run 2 in the OCG and why wouldn't you? 

 

Siding your Evenly Matcheds would be all well and good if you had a side deck - but your side deck isn't listed here, so I assumed this was just for single duels or something. 

 

Also, yes, the Galaxy Soldier engine can do well, but it's not like I've done anything of significance with that before.

 

Congrats on second place! Granted, it was an online tournament a year and a half ago in which half the players dropped by the third round, but considering the decent initial attendance well done all the same. Were you running Galaxy Soldier without Nova+Infinity in said build?

[VCR_CAT]

This isn't how you'd want to open without support, but it could be a decent option in a mid-game grind or to compliment a field of ABC's left by a tagged out Dragon Buster. Of course, by then you'll have ascertained that your opponent isn't running Megafleet anyway. Megafleet itself can clog the EMZ, which I reckon is why it sees as little generic play as it does. Either way, I'd rather not run Galaxy Soldier/Infinity altogether. 

 

Doesn't clog the EMZ in this case. It's a Machine, so it's really just a free removal of an opponent's monster and then use it for Qliphort Genius, which is not only easy, it's actually been good enough that I've loved seeing Cyber Dragon whenever I open with this deck. Honestly if it wasn't for Qliphort Genius I wouldn't have considered this combo at all.

 

Also, I'm not sure you know what the ABC mid-game looks like, because if the deck is rolling they have much bigger and better fields to go into than just dumping a CDI in the EMZ, and if they're not there's a good chance they're outright losing, or it's more efficient to just go for ABC-D instead. And yeah, I wouldn't run Galaxy Soldier/Infinity together either, which is why I'm not.

 

 

 

The reason people use as many hand traps nowadays as they do is because hindering opponents' consistency can be as good or better than improving your own depending on how you go about it. Maxx "C" also isn't going to hurt your consistency and could well be the best main deck card in the game now - you can run 2 in the OCG and why wouldn't you? 

 

Siding your Evenly Matcheds would be all well and good if you had a side deck - but your side deck isn't listed here, so I assumed this was just for single duels or something. 

 

Blah blah blah I know why people use hand traps and I never said they were bad. But sacrificing a deck's own ability to function properly and get its sheet out consistently for the sake of disruption is pretty bad deck building. In this case, I was lucky to have the extra slots to fill with cards like that, but cutting out my engine cards to make room for hand traps would just be pretty dumb. If all it took was a craptonne of hand-traps and traps for a deck to do very well, then I'm pretty sure the top meta would look very, very different. But no, it seems like there's something more important to what makes a deck good, huh.

 

And yeah, it would hurt. Cutting 8 cards for just "These are for going second" in a deck that's meant to try and go first if ever given the choice is just... really, really counter-productive, and cutting 8 cards is going to make a very noticeable and significant change. If something as little as a 3-card engine can make a noticeable difference in other decks I play, then 8 cards is basically cutting off a leg.

 

And yes, the side-deck exists, I just didn't post it here.

 

 

 

Congrats on second place! Granted, it was an online tournament a year and a half ago in which half the players dropped by the third round, but considering the decent initial attendance well done all the same. Were you running Galaxy Soldier without Nova+Infinity in said build?

 

I was because it was Master Rule 3 and I had the Extra Deck space for a card that was a lot better then than it is now. I also had space to be running a Torque Tuning tech along with the Trish/Omega techs to go with it, which also came in handy a lot back then as well, but look at that those are gone too. In changing things over with new techs and new strategies, the deck as a whole leaned more towards the Links than the TCG decks would have you think right now (because their pool of options, for now, is sheet).

 

It's kinda funny, but more annoying, that you're so hung up on CDI. Yeah, I made the choice for Pleiades because this was me noticing, in my own play, that the combos leaned more in favor of using Galaxy Soldier (and, consequently, Cyber Dragon) as essentially Link engines for the deck, with the Rank 5 as an option. The combos to get the tried and true "CDI + ABC" field became far more specific and inconsistent in the deck, and to favor more probable plays, I changed things to work in that favor. Pleiades is still a good option, and is useful in cases that I would need it, but the deck isn't "destroyed" as you're acting like it is because I'm suddenly not running a card that so many people still seem to think is really that great anymore. And it's not like I haven't been testing this, this some "theory-oh" bullshit where I'm going about talking about a deck building option despite hardly playing the deck and only going with a casual glance at Yugioh Topdecks for those couple random tops. If Galaxy Soldier and Cyber Dragon weren't good; if having the ability to plant more monsters on the field to go into the deck's cheapest Link plays to strengthen my fields wasn't good, I would've cut those cards a long time ago and tried for better engines.

 

And it's not like I don't have ideas for other engines. I've considered Red Resonator as an option for going into Needlefiber, and of course there's always the existence of Brilliant Fusion. But neither of those with the pool of Link monsters here are going to be as great, and this as a whole works more consistently and more efficiently with the extra deck. And no, replacing those cards with random limited cards under the myth that it's going to strengthen anything will actually do anything to make it better. If anything, I would just be removing the deck's ability to actually do things without a Normal Summon, and then it's going back to 2015 power levels and overall just gonna do jack-sheet against anything but the worst of casual decks.

 

 

 

 

And honestly, we're going to leave this at that. I don't want this thread to become you devolving things into arguments over your own ideas of what's "good", so please kindly leave it at that.

 

The decklist was also updated.