Top 10 TCG Releases of 2010: Part 2

Well, it's time to finish that list before I enter the new year and realize I left a list halfway. Let's begin then...

#5. XX-Saber Darksoul

X-Sabers were already becoming a powerful deck due to Emmersblade's release, but it was Darksoul who launched them into another level. It allowed for incredible speed since it managed to search for the Saber you need (*cough* Faultroll *cough*) even multiple times per turn should the situation need it. To this day, people are still debating it's rulings and no doubt it's one of the biggest impact cards of the year.

#4. Gravekeeper's Recruiter

The complete underdog of the list. It allowed Gravekeepers to finally break through the glass ceiling. It searches for any Gravekeeper except Spy and Guard, but the card alone has brought the archetype competitive accomplishments after it's PGD release back in 2004. Recruiter's release felt like the end of a 6-year journey for these tomb keepers, and rightfully so.

#3. Solemn Warning

Upon it's release, Warning was already making an impact on how we play the game. The ability to negate any summon (including effects that summon) for the cost of 2000LP is no laughing matter. The best part about this card? It's actually balanced. 2000LP is not always a cost one is willing to pay, and you can't just negate any summon with it. You have to really consider the consequences of a wrongfully negated summon. And it's also making players use their summons more intelligently, and not just go all crazy. Balanced card, but not too happy about the price...beggars can't be choosers I suppose.

#2. Ronintoadin

If anyone has read my previous article about Ronintoadin, they know how I feel about this card. This card took a deck from unknown status to world champion in half a format. While Substitoad was responsable for thinning the deck, Ronin was the key piece of the puzzle that allowed for the FTK. And even post-september, Ronin has still become a potent card in such decks as Frognarchs (or Formula Frognarchs) and Froggy Fish. A former world champion, and still a contender, Ronin takes the #2 spot.

#1. Unicycular!!!!!!!

I joke...here's the real #1

#1. Pot of Duality

Pot of duality gave many decks a much needed boost. It gave the consistency many decks lacked, just by being able to add some searching power to any deck it was in. Duality has certainly become a part of many of our current decks, and it's no surprise given the amount of help it can give. But the best part of all, it's a balanced card. Allowing yourself to pick any of your next 3 cards at the cost of being unable to special summon is quite the price to pay, but many can play around it...that's what makes it such a useful card. And just like Warning, it's price tag leaves a lot to be desired (it costs my left arm just to be able to get one), but it's definitely the card that had the biggest impact of the year.

And speaking of the year. Happy new year to all the fellow bloggers and readers here. Hope to see you around in 2011 as well.

Top 10 TCG Releases of 2010: Part 1

Well, the year is coming to a close soon and so I decided to count down the top 10 most influential releases in the YGO TCG during this year. While I originally thought of doing it just YGO in general, it was difficult due to differences in releases between OCG and TCG. But an honorable mention goes to Tech Genus Hyper Librarian for being made of pure awesome.

Anyways...here we go.

#10. Super Nimble Mega Hamster

Released quite early in the year, this little fella helped out plenty of Beast decks, but was responsible for the main engine in Hamster Monarchs. Allowing to fetch essential cards like Ryko, Airbellum, and Rescue Cat, Hamster was surely an interesting card to play.

#9. Consecrated Light

An excellent out to the stream of Dark decks that were contending, like Blackwings and Infernity. It slowed down their explosive plays and forced them to waste resources on this little guy just to be able to keep going. Still a worthy side card, but somehow outclassed by Crevice lately due to the decrease in Dark decks and the rise in other attributes (such as Earth for X-Sabers and Water for Frognarchs).

#8. Infernity Launcher / Infernity Barrier

Tied for the spot, these 2 cards made Infernities a top contender during the summer format. It also made things pretty chaotic with the loop and all, but at least we didn't have to suffer the triple Trishula like in the OCG. And as for Barrier, it's what gave Infernities that extra ingredient to make them a top contender in the TCG.

#7. Scrap Dragon

At last, we were once again given a great generic level 8 synchro. With the ability to destroy a card your opponent controls and one you control, it became a pretty useful card for decks that had cards to use for tribute fodder on a constant basis. That, and it's pretty strong to boot.

#6. Glow-Up Bulb

The so called "Pleaguespreader of 2010" is indeed a fun card that made an impact. It helps out decks such as Plant Synchro and Frognarchs go for Formula Synchron and Shooting Star Dragon respectively. It holds a great surprise factor and can reverse the game under the right circumstances.

The Top 5 will be revealed in the next few days. Until then, feel free to comment on the selection and check back to see which cards made the Top 5.

Wattsquirrel

This little guy is great side deck against Plant Synchro and Frognarch.

Este chiquitin es buen side deck para usar contra decks planta y sapo-monarca.

Wattsquirrel will negate their essential cards: Ryko won't destroy/mil, Treeborn won't come back, Sangan won't search and Dandylion won't produce tokens.

Wattardilla niega sus cartas mas esenciales: Ryko no destruye o bota del deck, Treeborn no vuelve, Sangan no busca y Dandylion no crea tokens.

Give this little sucker a try, you might be surprised how well it works.

Intenta a esta ardillita durante algunos juegos y veras cuanto ayuda contra estos decks.

Breaker, the Magical Warrior

It could prove useful during this meta, since there's a whole ton of spell/trap presence now. The way I see it, use it to bait a Solemn Warning for example. Either they pay 2000LP to negate Breaker, or you have a slight chance of hitting it.

Puede ser muy util durante con el meta corriente, ya que hay mucha presencia de magias y trampas en el campo. Como yo lo veo, puedes usarlo a tu ventaja para forzar activacion de cartas como Solemn Warning. O pagan 2000LP para negarlo o tienes una oportunidad de destruirla luego.

New Fish Support

Just checked the new promos for the Jump Fiesta 2011 in Japan and happened to have found 2 interesting things there...

Estaba viendo las nuevas promos de Jump Fiesta 2011 en Japon y acabo de ver dos cosas bien interesantes...

Nimble Manta

WATER/Fish - Effect/2/800/100

When this card on the field is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, you can Special Summon any number of "Nimble Manta" from your Deck.

Nimble manta is simply amazing. It's the brother of Nimble Sunfish, but doesn't thin the deck as much. It does however, swarm the field when it's sent to the grave via card effect, something that Sunfish is unable to do and is most vulnerable to. Imagine a Dark Hole with Manta on field, bring 2 out, tribute for Coelcacanth and proceed to wreck face.

Manta es una carta increible. Es como el hermano de Nimble Sunfish, pero no vacia el deck tanto. Pero puede sacar mas peces al campo si se va al cemeterio por efecto, algo que Sunfish no puede hacer y es bien vulnerable. Imagina un Agujero Oscuro con Manta en el campo, trae 2 copias, sacrifica ambas para Coelacanth y empieza la fiesta.

Don't be so quick to dismiss this ray, because if used correctly, it can set up some explosive plays. As a Fish player (a few years now), this is my christmas gift from Konami...even though it won't be here for a while.

No sean tan rapidos para ignorar este pez, porque en la situacion perfecta, puede montar unas jugadas explosivas. Como un jugador de pez (varios años ya), este es un buen regalo de parte de Konami...aunque no llegue ahora.

Rage of Deep Sea

WATER/Fish - Effect/5/0/0

This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the number of Fish-, Sea Serpent-, and Aqua-Type monsters in your Graveyard x 500.

Now this is actually ironic, since I had some friends telling me a Fish like this should exist. And behold, it's been created. I like the fact that it can increase it's attack with not just Fish, making it versatile with Frogs or Levia decks if you want to. But it's main use is in Fish. 500 attack for every Fish in the graveyard is nothing to laugh at, especially if you summon this late game after one or two Coelcacanth swarms. If used correctly, it might serve as an alternate boss for Fish decks. Not going to overlook this card, since it has some potential to be real nasty.

Esto es ironico, ya que unos amigos me han dicho que quieren ver un pez con este mismo efecto y unos dias despues ya lo han creado. Me gusta que su ataque incremente con cartas ademas de Pez, ya que puede ser versatil con Sapos. Pero su uso principal es en Peces. 500 ataque por cada pez en el cemeterio no es nada para reirse, especialmente si lo usas ya tarde en el juego despues que Coelcacanth ha sacado a su ejercito varias veces. Si se usa bien, puede ser un "boss" alterno a los peces.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL

So there's yet another new series after 5D's. While this series was fairly enjoyable, I was hoping it to be the last one (before they run out of concepts). But it seems we will have yet another series during the Spring season in 2011.

The story states that it's set in a near future, but I wonder what timeline that will be from.

I don't want to be quick to judge, because it may end up being a good series (remember everyone criticizing card games on motorcycles as being ridiculous?) or it may flop. But for now, only time will tell.

And it seems this has also been my first anime-related post, so perhaps more of these to come.

New Heroes Have Arrived

Managed to find some time to update some stuff here. I just had to, especially after seeing the new Masked Hero cards.

First off, the card that really grabbed my attention and makes the deck a lot more fun than before: Mask Change.

Quickplay/Spell

Send 1 face-up "Hero" monster you control to the Graveyard, and Special Summon 1 "Masked Hero" monster with the same Attribute as the selectedmonster from the Extra Deck.

This card is just amazing, especially if you combine it with Masked Hero Goka and Masked Hero Vapor (most notably Vapor). Goka is a fire Hero fusion that gets stronger for each Hero in the grave, and Vapor is a Water Hero fusion that is unable to be destroyed by card effects. Both can only be summoned via Mask Change from the Extra Deck.

Now here's the fun part, Masked Hero Vapor already has good compatibility with Absolute Zero, since you can use Mask Change to clear field for a direct attack and summon a Hero that can only be stopped by battle (or simple removal, but shhhhh...).

There's also another Hero, Vision Hero Adoration.

Warrior/Fusion/Level 8/Dark

2 "Elemental Hero", "Destiny Hero", "Evil Hero", "Masked Hero", or "Vision Hero" monsters
Once per turn, select 1 Hero monster you control other than this card and 1 monster your opponent controls. Your opponent's selected monster loses ATK and DEF equal to your selected monster's ATK until the End Phase. (Still unconfirmed at the moment, but just in case).

What makes this Hero interesting is the compatibility with all Hero cards, as well as finally having that Dark hero fusion that was missing (even though some wanted it to be an E-Hero). It also has an attack modifying effect (hopefully that's it, since it isn't bad) that can help cut your opponent's bigger monsters down to size.

And last, there's another spell for heroes...A Hero Arrives

Spell

Activate only if you control no face-up monsters. Pay half of your Life Points to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Hero" monster from your Deck, except "Hero Kid".

While it is a risky card to use and will probably the least used out of the previous cards mentioned tonight, it serves as a last resort for any Hero deck.

With the Masked Heroes finally arriving soon in the OCG, let's hope these aren't the only ones. They are very fun to use and could really give Hero decks a boost.

Slight Update...

Due to final exams and other college stuff that will be taking up most of my time, there will be no posting until I'm done with all the assignments (or until I finish enough classes to find the time to post).

However, in the meantime, you can also check my humor blog at http://lessonsoflifehumor.blogspot.com/

Once I return from finals, I will bring back a few new deck ideas, as well as a few other things.

1-2-3-Pescao! (Mausoleum Fish)

Well, my Fish deck has gotten a bit better since it's last version. It has gotten a bit of a remake while still keeping my old Mausoleum concept.

1- Removed EBI Chacu Challhua in favor of other tribute monsters.

2- Used Rai-Oh and Vanity's Fiend as discussed by a few members of the Fish thread to add a degree of control.

3- Now using 2-3 copies of Royal Decree as well as the lone Call of the Haunted as my only traps. Decree allows me to freely swarm without the worry of Solemn Warning, Solemn Judgment, Dark Bribe, Mirror Force, Torrential Tribute, and other disruptive traps.

4- Using a single copy of The Creator. While it may seem unorthodox, The Creator helps for those post-swarm plays and revival of used up synchros and/or Coelacanth to keep field advantage.

5- Using 2 Nimble Sunfish instead of 3. 2 Sunfish allows me to only dump Fishborg quickly and then use the second one for tribute or discard. 3 seemed a little redundant in this build.

6- This deck can summon Shooting Star Dragon so well, its not even funny! One game my field was Shooting Star, Stardust, and The Creator as a recovery play.

7- Gold Sarcophagus helps the deck move a lot better than I thought, since it allows for the only consistant search of Coelacanth.

8-Using 3 copies of Oyster Meister really helps summon Shooting Star Dragon a lot easier, hence why the 3 copies instead of the usual 2.

And now...for the decklist

Monsters: 22

Coelacanth x3

The Creator

Vanity's Fiend x2

Gorz, Emissary of Darkness

Thunder King Rai-Oh x2

Royal Swamp Eel x3

7-Colored Fish x2

Metabo Shark

Oyster Meister x3

Nimble Sunfish x2

Golden Flying Fish

Fishborg Blaster

Spells: 15

Mausoleum of the Emperor x3

Moray of Greed x2

Terraforming

Pot of Avarice

Mystical Space Typhoon x2

Book of Moon x2

Gold Sarcophagus x2

Monster Reborn

Dark Hole

Traps: 3

Call of the Haunted

Royal Decree x2

Extra Deck: 15

Shooting Star Dragon

Formula Synchron

Stardust Dragon

Scrap Archfiend x2

Mist Wurm

Colossal Fighter

Blackrose Dragon

Magical Android

Goyo Guardian

Iron Chain Dragon

Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

X-Saber Urbellum (soon to be replaced by Gungnir)

Thoughtruler Archfiend

Hopefully there should be some videos of the deck in action soon. But that's all for now.

So Gravekeepers topped YCS...

Really happy to see the deck top a big event. Even happier to see it getting the top 3 spots.

The deck has always been a great consistent deck that focused on control (both graveyard and hand to some extent), and it finally managed to come on top. However, I think this was all possible thanks to Gravekeeper's Recruiter.

By being able to search for any Gravekeeper with a DEF of 1500 or less upon being sent to the graveyard, not only does it speed up the deck, but allows quicker access to Necrovalley via Commandant. And by having valley out quicker, it makes for more consistent Royal Tribute plays. This allows for quicker hand control, as you will most likely be dumping essential cards at any stage of the game (as long as they have enough cards in hand).

However, I'm hoping that this YCS top isn't their only one. I would like to see them make a bigger impact than they did, but even if they don't win again, it would be nice to see them at least get some of the top spots. This meta is quite diverse, but having a classic deck finally top feels like a breath of fresh air. Here's to hoping Gravekeepers do it again!

Restoring the Lost Honor: Six Samurai

With the recent release of STOR in Japan and it's upcoming February release in the TCG, it's time to take a look at these warriors and follow their new path to redemption.

The Rising Sun

The original Six Samurai were released in Storm of Neos, along with their allies (Shien and Enishi) as a multiple attribute warrior deck focused on swarming the field. They also had an ability to let another samurai be destroyed instead, which allowed for some aggressive plays without having to lose your key players. They concentrated mostly on destroying opponent's cards, such as backrows, face-down monsters, and monsters after damage calculation.

They would be big players at the occasional tournaments, being a consistent deck that was easily able to push for some big plays. But people felt that something was missing...

Western Alliances: Shogun, Hand, and Gateway

TCG-Land brought these warrios some new help. First off, Grandmaster was an incredible boost to them, allowing for some quicker, more aggressive swarms and even more protection at the same time. Even today, Grandmaster is still one of the biggest players in any Six Samurai deck.

It wasn't until Duelist Genesis that they got a little bit more support in form of Hand of the Six Samurai, which allowed for even more destruction at the cost of 1 samurai on the field. Hand gave some incredible support as well, but it wasn't until SOVR that Samurais got their biggest tool...Gateway.

Gateway allowed Samurais to make an epic comeback (not so much in the big time competitions, but they were being played more at locals and regionals). Not only did Gateway allow them to search another Samurai from the deck (similar to Black Whirlwind) or graveyard, but also allowed revival of an effect Shien monster from the graveyard. Now, while the revival of a Shien didn't seem too practical at first, there's a new wave of Samurai that would love to revive their Shien.

Truly Legendary: The New Six Samurai

Storm of Ragnarok unveiled the "True Six Samurai" sub-archetype not too long ago. And with this, the samurai have a few new tricks up their sleeves, as well as their own tuner and synchro. And their synchro is...yes, a Shien effect monster. So Gateway can go nuts with that one. But these new samurai offer a new array of destruction abilities, as well as further swarms and compatibility with both old and new samurai alike.

As well as new monsters, they have gained a few new spells and traps to support them, including Magatama of Musakani. It will negate any destruction effect as long as you have a Six Samurai on your field, and it's a counter trap to boot. Along with a new field and few other spells and traps, it's no surprise these new samurai are here to stay. It seems they are already making an impact in the OCG meta, but only time will tell how great their era of dominance will be.

Rock n' Stun

Monsters: 18

Koa'ki Meiru Wall x3

Koa'ki Meiru Sandman x3

Koa'ki Meiru Guardian x3

Koa'ki Meiru Boulder x2

Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo x2

Big Piece Golem x2

Legendary Jujutsu Master x2

Neo-Spacian Grand Mole

Spells: 11

Book of Moon x2

Mystical Space Typhoon x2

Smashing Ground x2

Fissure

My Body as a Shield

Dark Hole

Nobleman of Crossout

Pot of Avarice

Traps: 11

Bottomless Trap Hole x2

Dimensional Prison x2

Skill Drain x2

Widespread Dud

Solemn Judgment

Torrential Tribute

Seven Tools of the Bandit

Royal Oppression

Widespread Dud increases destruction by designating a Koa'ki and another monster and then purposely negating something. Negate and destroy 2 all in one shot!

Boulder is there just to recruit my rocks in case I don't draw them early on.

Seven Tools is insane with all the traps being played!

Pot of Avarice has actually worked quite well, serves as late-game refuel for more control.

Gravekeeper's Recruiter

When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, add 1 "Gravekeeper's" monster with 1500 or less DEF from your Deck to your hand.

Now we can finally have an excellent way to move the deck besides Spy. Not only that, Recruiter gives us access to so many plays that can all give us the ability to keep hand advantage.

First off, Recruiter makes Chief worth using in the deck. Tribute Recruiter to summon Chief (add 1 Gravekeeper to your hand) and revive Recruiter for more searching later.

Combining with Descendant allows for more advantage since you destroy and now get to search. Definitely worth doing also.

A third play may consider the use of Creature Swap to keep searching while leaving your opponent one monster down, but it's something that's still in the theoretical stages.

I will post the deck and possibly a few videos as soon as I get to finish testing the changes.

Forbidden Cards for Europe and Latin America

Thanks to my friends at YGO Cordobes and the Facebook YGO Judges Group for relaying these news.

Gracias a mis amigos de YGO Cordobes y el foro de jueces Yugioh de Facebook por informar esta noticia.

Due to a new ruling from Konami, cards released originally from Shonen Jump (both magazine and manga promos) cannot be played in territories outside the States due to exclusive printing issues for that area only.

Un nuevo ruling de Konami ha dictado que cartas originalmente de Shonen Jump (ya sea de las revistas o manga) no seran legales en territorios fuera de Estados Unidos por razones de imprenta exclusiva.

Here's the list of cards banned outside North America:

Aqui esta la lista preliminal de las cartas prohibidas fuera de America del norte:

Unity,

Yu-Jo Friendship,

Judgment of the Pharaoh,

Arcana Force Ex - the Light Ruler,

Beast King Barbaros,

Tragoedia,

Genesis Dragon,

Orichalcos Shunoros,

Darkness Neosphere ,

Obelisk the Tormentor,

Golem Dragon,

The Tyrant Neptune,

Transforming Sphere,

Malefic Stardust Dragon,

The Winged Dragon of Ra,

Lightning Warrior,

Seven Swords Warrior,

Cyber Eltanin,

Hundred-Eyes Dragon,

Winged Kuriboh LV9,

Elemental Hero Absolute Zero,

Darklord Desire,

Elemental Hero The Shining

Tag Force 5

Sorry for the lack of posts, been working on a very intense college assignment and been having some personal issues I have been taking care of.

Anyways, I finally got my hands on Tag Force 5 and got to test out a few decks.

-The Inverz are a really fun archetype that can swarm really quick, but their effects seem to miss the timing when they stack.

-No Nimble Sunfish makes me sad...so my Fish deck won't be there.

-Waiting to unlock Gravekeeper's to make a newer version of Diva-Spy

-Juracs are awesome!

-Playing a normal monster deck just got a lot more fun with the stuff from Starstrike Blast

And speaking of STBL, the sneak is almost here...so my thoughts on some goodies from there in the next post.

Lanista and Nova Master

Finally the effects of both Gladiator Beast Lanista and Elemental Hero Nova Master have been confirmed.

Ya al fin los efectos de Gladiator Beast Lanista y Elemental Hero Nova Master han sido confirmados!

First off, Lanista's effect/Primero, el efecto de Lanista

When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast"monster, you can select 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster in your Graveyard.Remove it from play and this card's name becomes the name of the monster you removed from play until the End Phase. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" monster from your Deck, except "Gladiator Beast Lanista".

While I'm a bit relaxed that Lanista isn't treated as Bestiari at all times (as rumored), it still holds a lot of potential for two main reasons: Icarus Glads are more playable and secondly, it gives birth to a whole new playstyle for Glads (that is, if my idea catches on).

Mientras estoy relajado que el efecto de Lanista no lo trata como Bestiari en el campo (como se estaba rumorando), todavia tiene un gran potencial, ya que hace el deck Icarus Glads mas funcional y da a crear un nuevo estilo de juego a los glads (eso es, si mi idea llega a algun lado).

Lanista's ability to remove a Gladiator Beast in the graveyard from play and take it's name can be quite useful for when Equestes is already down or for an emergency Gyzarus/Heraklinos play.

La habilidad de Lanista para remover cualquier gladiador y coger su nombre es bastante util cuando Equestes ya esta fuera de uso o para una jugada emergencia involucrando Gyzarus/Heraklinos.

Having 1800 attack is also a nice boost, since it can stand on it's own if drawn early game. And as mentioned before, having it be a Winged-Beast gives it much more support for Icarus Attack.

Teniendo 1800 de ataque es bueno tambien, ya que puede manejar por si mismo en el campo si lo tienes temprano en el juego. Y como mencionado, le da mas ayuda a Icarus Attack por ser Winged-Beast.

The other idea for Lanista is yet to come...because it involves a deck with this other new card...

La otra idea para Lanista todavia falta en revelar...posiblemente porque involucra un deck con esta otra carta...

Elemental Hero Nova Master

Warrior/Fusion/Level 8/Fire

1 "Elemental Hero" monster + 1 FIRE monster This monster cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, draw 1 card.

Finally a hero to fuse with fire. Gemini City gets another nice card to add to it's arsenal. Not only can it run Absolute Zero with Gemini Lancer and/or Snowman Eater, but now Evocator Chevalier gives us access to Nova Master and still serves as great support for Gemini Spark.

Por fin un heroe que se puede unir con fuego. Gemini City recibe otra carta buena en su arsenal. Ya se puede combinar con Snowman Eater/Gemini Lancer para Absolute Zero, pero ahora Evocator Chevalier nos da acceso a Nova Master y todavia recibe gran ayuda de Gemini Spark.

And while this is great in Gemini City, it also adds some synergy to Prisma Glads. Now, while it's very rare for players to use the E-Hero fusions in Glad decks, Absolute Zero, Gaia, Great Tornado, and now Nova Master are all accessible in Prisma Glads.

Y mientras es bueno tenerlo en Gemini City, tambien añade una gran ayuda a Prisma-Glads. Y aunque es bien raro por jugadores usar fusiones de Heroes en sus decks gladiadores, cartas como Absolute Zero, Gaia, Great Tornado y ahora Nova Master son accesibles en Prisma-Glads.

This is where the new concept involving both Nova Master and Lanista comes into play...

Aqui es donde mi nuevo concepto usando ambos Nova Master y Lanista entra en juego...

Heroes of Rome / Heroes de Roma

Monsters: 16
Gladiator Beast Laquari x2

Gladiator Beast Bestiari

Gladiator Beast Lanista x2

Gladiator Beast Equestes x2

Gladiator Beast Darius x2

Gladiator Beast Murmillo x2

Gladiator Beast Hoplomus

Gladiator Beast Samnite

Elemental Hero Prisma x2

Elemental Hero Stratos

Spells: 15
Gladiator's Proving Ground x2

Reinforcement of the Army

Miracle Fusion x2

Parallel World Fusion x2

Book of Moon x2

Giant Trunade

Dark Hole

Monster Reborn

Cold Wave

Mystical Space Typhoon x2
Traps: 9
Gladiator Beast War Charriot x2

Trap Stun x2

Bottomless Trap Hole x2

Dimensional Prison x2

Torrential Tribute

Now then, let me explain why this deck has and doesn't have certain things:

Ahora a explicar por que el deck tiene y no tiene ciertas cosas:

No Test Tiger / La ausencia de Test Tiger

This deck just didn't have room for it, mostly since it's meant more as a fusion utility deck rather than just a full Gladiator deck. They can be added if you want, but this is what I have for now...

El deck no tenia espacio para el tigre, mayormente por la estrategia enfocada en fusiones y no tanto la estrategia tradicional de los gladiadores. Se puede añadir al deck, pero esta es la idea que tengo por ahora...

Miracle Fusion/Parallel World Fusion

Here's where Lanista comes in handy. While taking the names of other gladiators helps for fusions on the field, it also helps prepare the removed from play monsters for Parallel World Fusion. Parallel helps recycle all those monsters lost by either Miracle Fusion, Lanista's effect, or any other reason and replenishes the Graveyard for future Equestes and other fusion plays. In a way, it keeps recycling itself to keep the fusions coming.

Aqui es donde Lanista entra a su gran uso. Mientras su habilidad de coger el nombre de los otros gladiadores ayudan a fusionar en el campo, tambien prepara la zona fuera de juego para una jugada de Parallel World Fusion. Parallel ayuda reciclar esos monstruos perdidos por Miracle Fusion, el efecto de Lanista o alguna otra razon, y ademas vuelve a llenar el cementerio para jugadas futuras involucrando a Equestes y para mas fusiones.

And last but not least, the Extra Deck...

Y ultimamente, el Extra Deck...

Gladiator Beast Gyzarus x2

Gladiator Beast Heraklinos x2

Elemental Hero Absolute Zero x2

Elemental Hero Gaia x2

Elemental Hero Great Tornado x2

Elemental Hero Nova Master x2

Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste (with Super Polymerization in side deck)

Chimeratech Fortress Dragon (via Cyber Dragon in side deck)

That's probably all for this week...

Esto es todo por esta semana, o por lo menos pienso...

New Fish Deck: "ChacuCanth"

I have brought back an old form of my Fish deck which involved one of the Earthbound Immortals in it's key strategy. It didn't have a name before, but it's now called "ChacuCanth"

He vuelto a revivir una variación de mi deck Fish cual involucraba uno de los Inmortales Terrestres en su estrategia principal. Antes no tenía nombre, pero ahora se conoce como "ChacuCanth"

The basic concept of this deck: bring out Coelacanth or Chacu Challhua as quickly as possible with both Mausoleum of the Emperor and Gold Sarcophagus. While it still has the basic Coelacanth OTK in the deck, it revolves around a different aggro strategy that can have both big Fish attacking. The swarm now serves as support, but will occasionally be used as the classic OTK.

El concepto basico del deck: traer a Coelacanth o Chacu Challhua lo mas rapido posible por medio de Mausoleum of the Emperor y Gold Sarcophagus. Mientras el OTK clasico sigue en el deck, no es el fin principal, ya que tiene una estrategia agresiva cual coge ventaja de ambos peces.

Monsters: 18

Coelacanth x2

EBI Chacu Challhua x2

Royal Swamp Eel x3

Nimble Sunfish x3

Oyster Meister x3

Golden Flying Fish x2

Fishborg Blaster

Phantom of Chaos

Sangan

Spells:16

Pot of Avarice x2

Moray of Greed x2

Mausoleum of the Emperor x2

Terraforming

Giant Trunade

Mystical Space Typhoon x2

Book of Moon x2

Dark Hole

Monster Reborn

Gold Sarcophagus x2

Traps: 6

Fish Depth Charge x2

Trap Stun x2

Torrential Tribute

Call of the Haunted

Archfiend Empress

Well, regionals didn't go as well as planned. Dropped after being 2-3 due to exhaustion (no place for lunch nearby and was feeling bad), but oh well...that stuff happens.

However, today's other topic is a new card I discovered upon getting back home.

Archfiend Empress...the STBL sneak promo.

Level 8/Fiend/Dark

2900/2100

If exactly 1 face-up DARK Fiend-type monster on the field would be destroyed except this card, you can remove 1 DARK Fiend-type monster from your Graveyard instead. If this card is destroyed and sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can select 1 Level 5 or higher DARK Fiend-type monster in your Graveyard, except "Archfiend Empress" and Special Summon it.

Well, this is certainly an interesting card for Fiend decks.

Protect your Caius, Dark Ruler, Dark Necrofear, or any other Fiend (perhaps Infernities) from any single destruction, but that's a rare thing.

What makes this card interesting is that when it's destroyed you bring back a high level fiend from the graveyard in exchange. Now, Dark Necrofear would be my prime candidate (gotta check the rulings, not sure at the moment), as well as Ambitious Gofer, Dirg the Dark Monarch, and Gorz.

Something fun to keep an eye on.

Regionals: Slight Preparation Tips

Heading off to Regionals soon, but first I thought I would share some quick tips for those who are going to their first regional (whether it's today or any other time).

1. Have a good breakfast: Regionals last almost all day, sometimes without lunch break. So be sure to get a good meal and bring some extra snacks and drinks if you want.

2. Bring only the essentials: Don't bring too many things to the tournament. Don't take too much stuff, or else you might lose something (whether it's misplaced or stolen).

3. Keep your sportmanship: I cannot stress how important this is. I see people sometimes flip out over something simple or become enraged when they argue with the judge. It just makes you look bad...

4. Don't yell at the judges: From experience, it's very irritating. It complicates the explanation of rulings when you are being yelled at.

5. Don't rush any plays: Take your time (but don't stall) when thinking a move. Consider all possible scenarios before acting.

6. Locate nearby food establishments: If you need a quick lunch, locate them before you enter the tourney.

7. Bathroom breaks are golden: Go after every round. I dont know why, but it helps with concentration.

8. Just have fun with it: Remember, it's still a game. So go out there and give it your best shot.

Fossil Dyna

In preparation for this saturday's Regional, Diva-Spy has been getting a few tweaks here and there. However, it might just lose the Divas that day in favor of Fossil Dyna.

Why Fossil Dyna? It has brought me good luck in all my regionals. It has helped me turn the tide.

I can flip it to destroy a post-swarm Saber/Blackwing play, help control the field with Necrovalley in play, prevent Gorz/Fader plays, keeps Heralds at bay, and then some.

Still don't know whether to make this change or not, but I will be testing during the week.

Hoping to get some regional coverage videos as well...

My 2 Decks for 10/9 Regionals

Well, it's that time again! Time to prepare for an upcoming regional. And this time I'm trying to decide between my Blackwings or my Diva-Spy deck...but I can't decide on which.
First up: DrainWings

Monsters: 19

BW Shura x3
BW Sirocco x3
BW Kalut x3
BW Bora x2
BW Vayu x2
BW Blizzard x2
BW Gale
Thunder King Rai-Oh x2
Dark Armed Dragon

Spells: 9

Black Whirlwind
Book of Moon x2
Mystical Space Typhoon x2
Giant Trunade
Allure of Darkness
Dark Hole
Monster Reborn

Traps: 12

Skill Drain x2
Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Icarus Attack x3
Trap Stun x2
Torrential Tribute
Delta Crow
Royal Oppression


Next up: Diva-Spy
Monsters: 17

Deep Sea Diva x3
Reese the Ice Mistress
Gravekeeper's Spy x3
Gravekeeper's Descendant x2
Gravekeeper's Assailant x2
Gravekeeper's Commandant x3
Malefic Stardust Dragon
Thunder King Rai-Oh x2

Spells: 11

Necrovalley x3
Gravekeeper's Stele x2
Royal Tribute x2
Book of Moon x2
Mystical Space Typhoon
Giant Trunade

Traps: 12

Dimensional Prison x2
Bottomless Trap Hole x2

Compulsory Evacuation Device x2
Torrential Tribute
Solemn Judgment
Dark Bribe

Seven Tools of the Bandit
Deck Devastation Virus
Royal Oppression

Originality/Originalidad

Lately I have been reading a big debate concerning how original players can be when it comes to building decks and all that. However, I have been doing some thinking and want to add my 2 cents on this matter.

Recientemente he estado leyendo un gran debate sobre cuan original pueden ser los jugadores cuando llega la hora de hacer un deck y todos esos aspectos. Pero he estado dandole pensamiento al asunto y quiero añadir mi punto de vista.

It's hard to be original today when it comes to make a deck. Let's face it, original ideas aren't as unique as we think, since other players might have also thought about said idea. Either that, or a successful original deck quickly turns mainstream (look at Tele-DAD and Quickdraw Dandywarrior). But I think originality lies in something other than the deck building...

Es dificil ser original hoy dia cuando es hora de crear un deck. Vamos a ver la realidad. Ideas originales no son tan unicas como pensamos, ya que otros posiblemente esten creando la misma idea. Ademas, puede ser que un deck creativo que llegue a ser muy exitoso llegue a ser muy comun entre los jugadores (tal como Tele-DAD y Quickdraw Dandywarrior). Pero yo creo que la originalidad esta en un lugar fuera del deck.

The originality factor lies in the player's style. How so? Give 2 players the same X-Saber deck. Chances are they won't play 100% identical. Why? Players may sometimes differ in strategies or methods, even if the decks are the same. Maybe one player likes to play defensively. Perhaps going full aggro is better suited. Or perhaps having a touch of control.

El factor de la originalidad se ve en el estilo de juego de cada jugador. Como? Dale 2 decks identicos de X-Saber a 2 jugadores. Es posible que sus estilos de juegos no sean 100% identicos aunque los decks sean iguales. Por que? Los jugadores muchas veces tienen sus diferencias en su metodo estrategico, aunque los decks sean los mismos. Es posible que uno juegue defensivo, de forma agresiva o posiblemente con un aspecto de control.

The player's style will add that aspect of their strategy into the deck to modify it to fit their style. While it's still not an original deck, the strategy is perhaps the most original approach we can achieve today.

El estilo del jugador añadira ese aspecto de su estrategia al deck para modificarlo. Mientras el deck no sea original, la estrategia puede ser el aspecto mas original que podemos tener hoy dia.

Blackwings, a New Force in Anti?

Blackwings have taken a backseat to the meta during this format. But they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Blackwings han cogido un paso hacia atras en el meta durante este formato, pero siguen siendo una potencia competitiva.

During this time, perhaps we can consider new options for our feathered friends. What kind of options? Well, the arsenal of Anti just became an allied force for Blackwings. How so? With Black Whirlwind now limited, we have a few more options we can use in this deck.

Durante este tiempo, podremos considerar algunas nuevas opciones para nuestros amigos voladores. Pero que puedo considerar? Pues, cartas del arsenal del "Anti" se han convertido en un aliado para los Blackwings. Como es posible? Con Black Whirlwind ahora limitado, tenemos espacio para mas opciones en el deck.

First off, Thunder King Rai-Oh becomes a better option now. Yes, people used it back when Whirlwind was at 2 during the previous format, but it now has even less of a backlash. Not just that, but Rai-Oh can be used in conjunction with our next Anti contender for Blackwings...

Primero que todo, tenemos a Rai-Oh como una de esas opciones. Es cierto que en el formato pasado muchos lo usaron, pero ahora tiene menos concecuencia. No solo eso, pero Rai-Oh se puede usar en conjunto con la proxima carta "Anti" para los Blackwings...

Skill Drain! That's right, with so many effect monsters being crucial for victory nowadays (looking at you, Faultroll), it seems like a good idea to at least main 1 copy of Drain, since it can lock down your opponent at crucial moments.

Skill Drain es esa carta. Con tantos efectos siendo crucial para llegar a la victoria hoy dia (mirandote a ti Faultroll), se ve como una idea para tener aunque sea una sola copia en el deck, ya que puedes usarlo a tu ventaja.

Any other aspects of Anti that Blackwings can use? Of course! Kycoo is a fun option to try. While many would object to it, it can certainly inflict some serious hurt on big decks right now (X-Sabers, Glads, Lightsworn, and Infernity) by removing their key cards from play.

Que otro aspecto de "Anti" pueden usar? Kycoo es una opcion divertida para probar. Mientras muchos no le ven el punto, puede causar un gran daño a muchos decks (tal como Saber, Lightsworn, Gladiator e Infernity) al remover sus piezas claves del juego.

And while the other options of the deck may not be considered Anti, they do indeed help the deck a great deal. Delta Crow is that card. With people now losing their fear of Heavy Storm, Delta makes a great surprise move that I think all Blackwing decks should main.

Y mientras otras opciones no se consideran "Anti," pueden ayudar al deck. Una de estas cartas es Delta Crow, cual acaba de recibir una gran potencia ya que Heavy Storm esta fuera. Delta Crow es una carta que todos los decks Blackwing deben tener una copia si la pueden conseguir.

And for fun, add 7-Tools just to see your opponent's face when you get the upper hand with such an old card.

Y para divertirse un rato, añade 7-Tools para ver la cara de tu oponente al cambiar el juego con una carta tan vieja, pero util.

Creating Something New

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Been busy with a lot of stuff.

Anyways, I got yet another deck I feel like trying. It may not be the best thing ever, but it seems just too fun to pass up.

And it all started with just 1 card...

While I have no list yet, I will be trying to create something soon...just for fun.

Who knows? Maybe something good will come from it.

Mojaturia

A new deck has been reportedly been doing well in my area, and it's a concept that I suggested to my friend long ago. A mixture between a Moja beast deck and add the control aspects of Naturia, which gave birth to a deck I officially call "Mojaturia."

While I don't have time right now to post a guide for Mojaturia (have to go to work soon, and got lots of studying to do), it will be up soon.

However, here's a video of the deck in action so you can see how it works...

Frigg has 2 Apples, but I have 1 Apple...

Upon getting back from work, I noticed they had a few new cards revealed for Storm of Ragnarok.

Apple of Frigg

Trap Card

Activate only while you control no monsters. Gain Life Points equal to the total amount of Battle Damage you took this turn. Then, Special Summon 1 "Wicked Spirit Token" (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 1/ATK ?/DEF ?). Its ATK and DEF are equal to the Life Points you gained by this card's effect.

Move over Gorz, there's a new way to mess with opponents! Now then, this isn't a direct replacement to Gorz, but it's a pretty damn fun card. It's basically no damage and a token!

I like it a little better than Gorz since I can still have spells and traps to protect myself, and I can bait a big attack for a big token.

It's definitely worth testing out.

Scars of Mirrodin

I was talking with a few friends today about the new MTG booster and decided to take a look...

Estaba hablando con unos amigos hoy sobre los nuevos packs de Magic y decidí observarlos bien...

What I found were 3 awesome planeswalkers.

Lo que encontré fueron 3 planeswalkers increibles.

First off: Koth of the Hammer

Primero: Koth of the Hammer

When I looked at this card, I quickly noticed it's -5 ability. Red decks get a really good burn boost with this. But not just that, Red/Green aggro decks or even Naya Decks can get a kick from this as well.

A primera vista, rapidamente vi su abilidad de -5. Los decks rojo tienen una gran ayuda con el daño directo. No solo eso, sino que decks Rojo-Verde y hasta los de Naya pueden sacarle ventaja a esta habilidad tambien.

It's -2 ability is also amazing. It gives Red decks a much better access to mana without having to rely on the incredible resources Green has.

Su habilidad -2 es increible tambien. Le da a los decks rojo mejor acceso de mana sin tener que depender en los grandes recursos que tiene el verde.

Next up: Elspeth Tirel

Despues vemos a Elspeth Tirel

Holy crap! The ability to destroy all permanents except lands and tokens (and itself since the text specifies "other permanents") is no laughing matter. And getting it's -5 ability seems like an easy task, but it's not going to be easy. Keep the token production up and you will be having Elspeth destroy everything before you know it.

Anda! Tener la abilidad de destruir todos los permanentes excepto tierras y tokens (y si misma, ya que el texto especifica "otras permanentes") no es chiste. Y llegar a su abilidad -5 parece como lo mas facil, pero es todo lo contrario. Manten la produccion de tokens constantemente y protege a Elspeth y la tendras destruyendo todo.

And last, but certainly not least....Venser the Sojourner!

Y ultimo, Venser the Sojourner!

Exiling your own creatures in order to protect them from something and making them unblockable is all good, but wow, it's final ability is broke! Having the ability to exile any card by just casting a spell? Anything else you want to add? This planeswalker is incredible, but getting to 8 loyalty points is going to be no easy task, especially when it begins at 3. If you manage to guard this one well, you will be rewarded by one of the most awesome planeswalkers abilities out there.

Exiliando tus propias criaturas para protegerlas y hacerlas incapaz de ser bloqueadas es bueno, pero su ultima habilidad es algo increible. Teniendo la abilidad de exiliar cualquier carta al activar una carta? Esto es simplemente increible, pero llegar a los 8 puntos de lealtad no seran faciles, especialmente como empieza con solo 3 puntos. Si manejas protegerlo bien, vas a tener un gran premio a manos de uno de los mejores planeswalkers que he visto.

Birds of Chaos

So with the new format, my Blackwing deck lost just 1 Whirlwind (could have been worse, so I'm happy). With that, I decided to have some fun with the deck and try out something new.

Con el formato nuevo, mis Blackwings solo perdieron un Black Whirlwind (cual pudo ser peor). Y con eso, he decidido divertirme y probar una idea nueva para el deck.

What motivated me? My new copies of Vayu!

Que me motivó? Mis copias nuevas de Vayu!

I decided to try a new engine for the deck, combining the Blackwings with cards like Thunder King Rai-Oh, Chaos Sorcerer, and Dimensional Alchemist.

Traté de usar un nuevo "engine" para el deck, combinando mis Blackwings con cartas como Thunder King Rai-Oh, Chaos Sorcerer y Dimensional Alchemist.

My purpose was to make an engine that recycles. With cards like Allure of Darkness, Cards for Black Feathers, Vayu, and Dark Armed Dragon (still don't have one) that remove from play Blackwings constantly, why not have some of those cards come back for further use?

Mi propósito de el nuevo deck es hacer un "engine" que recicla. Con cartas como Allure, Cards for Black Feathers, Vayu y DAD (aunque no la tengo) que remueven Blackwings del juego, me parecio bien buscar una forma para darles mas uso a las cartas removidas.

That's where cards like Dimensional Alchemist and D.D.R. come into play. Recover a BW synchro used for Vayu's effect, a BW tuner used for Chaos Sorcerer, a Rai-Oh that got removed for some reason. Also, it makes Cards for Black Feathers hurt a bit less when it comes to decide what to remove.

Ahi es donde cartas como Dimensional Alchemist y D.D.R. entran en juego. Recupera un synchro de BW que se usó para el efecto de Vayu, un BW tuner usado para Chaos Sorcerer o hasta un Rai-Oh que ha sido removido. Tambien hace que Cards for Black Feathers no duela tanto al tiempo de remover.

What's the best card to remove and bring back via Alchemist? Blizzard would be my main choice.

Cual es la mejor carta para devolver a la mano por medio del efecto de Alchemist? Blizzard sería mi mejor opción.

Other than that, the deck remains mostly a standard Blackwing deck.

Pero ademas de estos cambios, el deck sigue siendo un deck regular de Blackwing.

So let's see how it goes...

Vamos a ver como va...

Monsters: 20

BW Sirocco the Dawn x2
BW Shura the Blue Flame x3
BW Bora the Spear x2
BW Blizzard of the Far North x2
BW Kalut x3
BW Vayu x2
BW Gale
Thunder King Rai-Oh x2
Chaos Sorcerer
Dimensional Alchemist x2

Spells: 11

Black Whirlwind
Giant Trunade
Book of Moon x2
Allure of Darkness
Cards for Black Feathers (still don't have it, so I'm using Return from the D.D. instead)
Dark Hole
Monster Reborn
D.D.R.
Mystical Space Typhoon x2

Traps: 9

Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Royal Oppression
Icarus Attack x2
Torrential Tribute
Trap Stun x2
Skill Drain

The deck isn't still 100% finalized, but this is the current version I'm going to test for the moment.

El deck todavia no está 100% completo, pero esta es la versión que estoy usando por el momento.

Players and Misplays...

Why do many players get all crazy when a player misplays? Everyone misplays, so I don't see why all the commotion.

Just my 2 cents for today...

Trying it out for the lulz

With Heavy Storm gone, many are now feeling a bit safer to set more Spells and Traps on their field.

This is making many considering using Trap Stun.

But while Trap Stun is a good choice, it's not a counter trap.

7 Tools of the Bandit...try it for the lulz to stop Chariot, Solemn (Judgment and Warning), Dark Bribe, and everything else.

No Power...

Well, I'm stuck with no power anywhere I go due to a hurricane that came here yesterday (and one storm supposedly on it's way). Until I can manage to get some electricity back, there will be no updates...

Hopefully there should be some power back soon (managed to update from Starbucks), but it's already day 2 without electricity.

Speaking of electricity, I have taken interest in the Watts.

More to come once the power is restored in my area...

End of the Format Duel Video

While this video was filmed during the summer break, it was by far one of the best duels of the summer. And what better way to close out the format than by a very good X-Saber vs Diva-Spy duel.

Diva-Spy for Regionals

Well, I got a Regional coming up on the 5th and my Diva-Spy deck is the top contender for action on that day. This is what I'm going with...so far.

Diva-Spy

Monsters: 19

Deep Sea Diva x3
Reese the Ice Mistress
Gravekeeper's Spy x3
Gravekeeper's Descendant x2
Gravekeeper's Assailant x3
Gravekeeper's Commandant x3
Sangan
Malefic Stardust Dragon
Thunder King Rai-Oh x2

Spells: 11

Necrovalley x3
Gravekeeper's Stele x2
Royal Tribute x2
Book of Moon x2
Mystical Space Typhoon
Giant Trunade

Traps: 10

Dimensional Prison x2
Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Torrential Tribute
Solemn Judgment
Dark Bribe x2
Deck Devastation Virus
Royal Oppression

Updating my Amazoness Deck

With the new format, all my decks had to go through their usual minor adjustments. However, a few things changed with the Amazoness more than my Fish or Diva-Spy decks.

Monsters: 19

Amazoness Swords Woman x3
Amazoness Paladin x2
Amazoness Trainer x3
Amazoness Chain Master x2
Amazoness Sage x2
Amazoness Queen x2
Amazoness Scouts x2
Warrior Lady of the Wasteland x2
The Immortal Bushi

Spells: 15

Solidarity x2
Reinforcement of the Army
Pot of Avarice
Book of Moon x2
Creature Swap x2
Mystical Space Typhoon
Amazoness Village x3
Terraforming
Dark Hole
Monster Reborn

Traps: 6

Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Royal Oppression
Dimensional Prison x2
Torrential Tribute


The changes are rather odd from my original build.

I decided to try Creature Swap because essentially you can swap away an Amazoness of yours, destroy it and get one from the deck for extra damage.

I noticed Pot of Avarice may have to be used in 2 here, since Village has often sped the deck a little too much and I often find myself running out of options in the deck. So that's a thought...

Banlist and My Thoughts

Banned:

Rescue Cat
Heavy Storm
Brain Control
Substitoad

Limited:

Black Whirlwind
Royal Oppression
Infernity Launcher
Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
Monster Reborn
Dark Hole

Semi:
Mystical Space Typhoon
Chaos Sorcerer
Snipe Hunter
Ojama Trio
Magic Cylinder

Unlimited:

Black Rose Dragon
Goblin Zombie
Cyber Dragon
Treeborn Frog
Royal Decree
United We Stand

Now then, let's break it down one by one.

The banned selection was a 50/50 for me. I did suspect things like Substitoad (Frog FTK) and Rescue Cat, but I didn't think it would happen. As for the rest, the banning of Heavy Storm and Brain Control is going to make the game a little more interesting now.

The limiting of Infernity Launcher was expected, and it's good to see Infernities slowing down a bit. Their main card got back to 1, but it could have been a lot worse for them.

Royal Oppression at 1 really hurt me, since most of my decks run them. However, this list will force me to revive Vanity Gadgets once again.

Black Whirlwind @1 slowed down my deck a bit as well, but it's nothing too serious.

The revival of Dark Hole and Monster Reborn just made this game a whole lot more interesting. Haven't seen Dark Hole be legal since I was in my senior year in high school during the chaos era. Going to have fun with those. This will be an interesting format.

Mystical to 2 is curious, but will make players think twice about using more equip/continuous cards.

Magic Cylinder to 2 seems fun, might try it out just for kicks. Might not make an impact on the meta, but burn decks must be happy.

As for the rest, pretty interesting results. Overall, this new list will bring us quite the interesting format. Playing without Heavy Storm will be a challenge to many, but it's not that big of a deal (getting flamed for this?) anyways.

Froggy Balboa: Ronintoadin's Quest to Become Champ

Well, another World Championship is behind us, and it's safe to say that Frogs have gone full circle. They went from ultimate underdog to world champ in half a format. And who is to thank for this great froggy success? Why none other than Ronintoadin, the Rocky Balboa of frogs.

Also, congrats to Galileo de Obaldia for winning the World Championship. Galileo, que bueno que el campeon del mundo es latino, te felicito!


Frogs had a humble start many years back when it was just Des Frog and his crew. Back then, there wasn't much to do to make a frog deck. However, Treeborn Frog was the star there, being used with Monarchs almost instantly.

Frogs would go on to wait for support until they got a boost from LOTD with cards like Substitoad, Wetlands, Unifrog, and Froggy Forcefield. By then, frogs were starting to make headway as a "Wetlands Deck" by pairing up with other monsters that were compatible with the field, but it was still not enough to make a dent, so to speak.

Then came Crimson Crisis, the booster that gave us Flip Flop Frog and Dupe Frog (along with Submarine Frog as a TCG exclusive, but I digress) and by then frogs had something going for them. They were finally a consistent Wetlands Deck that could create a lock and access Des Croaking via Dupe Frog if necessary. By then, frogs showed up in tournaments from time to time, but not making much of an impact.

During this time, everyone used Substitoad to fuel the deck and swarm, since the most common thing to do was tribute the Scapegoat Tokens and Substitoad itself to bring out enough frogs to potentially go for game. That, or use Substitoad to mill the deck to feed cards like Pot of Avarice or simply as an engine. Either way, Substitoad was giving Wetlands and Frog decks a reason to be. Frog decks became really good decks to take to small tournaments or to annoy friends.

However, that was soon to change. Frogs got some more support in the form of Swap Frog, allowing them to not only pull a froggy switcheroo, but also mill without having to depend on Substitoad. However, that didn't seem to give them the edge they needed...

And so came their champion...Froggy Balboa! Ronintoadin

Ronintoadin quickly changed the way people looked at and played Frogs all together. One card alone gave the deck so many possibilities. By combing Ronin with the Substitoad engine, it allowed for constant revival, which led to the discovery of it's synergy with Mass Driver. Frog FTK was born. This became the deadliest of all frog decks. Basically you mill your entire deck (mostly made up of frogs) and then revive Ronin and tribute it with Mass Driver as many times as you have to in order to pick up the win. It's an incredibly fast deck that can end a game faster than a Super Mario Bros speed run.

However, Ronin was also welcome in other decks like Frognarchs/Froggy Monarchs. By having enough frogs to supply a consistent tribute fodder, Ronin could easily become the tribute for any Monarch, LADD, Vanity's Fiend (told ya this card was good), Dark Dusk Spirit (old high school favorite), and many other tribute monsters. Ronin is also seen in other decks as tribute fodder as well, such as Fish (in some variants).

Due to Ronintoadin's potential with decks like Frog FTK and Frog Monarchs, frogs quickly hopped their way into the meta at last. They weren't the dominant species, but they were still making an impact and became a significant threat.

Today, uncertainty lies in the way of these strong amphibians, as nobody knows what the banlist may bring. Will they successfully be able to hop across the street back into their pond? Or will one of these frogs meet the same fate as Frogger during your first time playing?

Only time will tell...

Deck Frustration...

Since I didn't manage to get my Amazoness cards from the sneak, the urge to make a new deck has yet to be satisfied.

Instead, I'm stuck wondering about decks like Quickdraw Machina or Chaos Fiends.

One thing's for sure, Gravekeeper's are getting a slight change now that I got my hands on Malefic Stardust Dragon and Starlight Road.

Perhaps I should try my Arctic Deck, or some other crazy creation.

I'm off to the center of creation...let's see what I come up with!

Tournament Report: GW Local

Well, it looks like the local tournaments are making a comeback, even though it might be slow. While I did find out about it last minute, I decided to enter with my Blackwings to give them a try.

Round 1: VS Gato (Infernity)

Game 1 I opened with Thunder King and Oppression, so I pretty much had great control through the entire duel.

Game 2 was quite the opposite, got the OTK and bad...

Game 3 was pretty much back and forth, but in the end his Infernities proved to me too much for me to handle there...

Match 2: VS Lightsworn

A blast from the past, I faced the deck I once destroyed every week when I had Vanity Gadgets. I wanted to see if my Blackwings could take them on.

Duel 1 was a quick victory for me, but the other 2 duels weren't exactly the best games I have played.

The third round I won by bye, so it was pretty much 1-2 for the day. Not the best tourney, but that happens from time to time to everyone...

But I wasn't the only one down on luck...Casper managed to make it to the final round, but would his luck prevail?

Yugioh: A Lesson on Economics!

With many players today treating Yugioh as a geek's version of the stock market or an independent business, it seems this game is becoming more like it's own economy rather than just a fun hobby.

People now look at your binder and give you the monetary value of your stuff, rather than just their own individual values. Why is this? First, we have to check the various factors that have been turning this game into it's own economic system...

Reason #1: The Secondary Market

This is pretty much the cancer that has spread through all card games (because it troubles many players). By having a secondary market, card games can become expensive or cheap depending on the gods of the market. However, nobody knows who is to control this monetary dictator.

The secondary market has been influencing many players in this game for quite some time now (perhaps during the ReturnDAD or Tele-DAD days, I forget). This has been causing a great divide between players, since now not only do we have a great rift between casual and competitive players, but we now have a rift between players with big wallets and those who are on a budget (this may differ for some people).

The wallet players are mostly known for having binders full of multiple copies of rare cards, decks made out of the highest rarity and complaining when reprints cause their cards to drop in value. Budget players are quite the opposite. They use the lowest rarity (not always, but it's common), are known to complain about the high rarities (let's be honest, who wouldn't complain...but just to be fair and neutral), but love reprints.

Wallet players are also known to run meta decks most of the time (some wallet players play other decks, but that's not an easy thing to see), while budget players will most likely be running anti-meta or any other deck that was once expensive but is now affordable (such as Glads and Blackwings for example), as well as non-mainstream decks.

You can tell who falls into which category by the way they ask you for trades, by their folder content, and sometimes their general attitude.

However, there's another aspect that turns Yugioh into an economy besides the secondary market...

Reason #2: It's not just a game, it's a way of life....literally!

Many players nowadays turn to this game as a main source of income. While others have allowances, jobs, or any other source of income, there are those players who make a living from selling cards alone. These are the Yugioh businessmen who are constantly seen handling money during trades, knowing the value of everything (and I mean everything), and gaining massive amounts of profit in methods unknown to many (whether they are clean or not, it depends on the person).

The players who depend on this game to make a living are mostly known for being paranoid around February/September, since their source of income may be affected. They are seen in tournaments looking to score a deal, and mostly are the leaders of their own Yugioh Mafia (other article needed for this one). They usually have others do their work for them, and some are rarely seen playing at all (not applying for everyone, since some play anyways). To some extent, they also enter tournaments to win (cleanly or underhanded is up to you to judge) and sell their prizes for cash, whether they be promos or boosters.

Reason #3: The Stock Market at YCS

Like most players in this game, YCS and other events turn into a guide into what the meta is and what players will be using. However, it's not just a guide to the meta, but a guide to some cash. By having different results in the YCS, the placements decks get will sometimes dictate the prize of specific cards in proportion to it's usage.

For example: X-Sabers once didn't cost as much since they didn't top major events, but once they managed to win, their prices skyrocketed and became a good investment.

By using tournaments as guides, players can know what cards to invest in. This gives them an edge in terms of profit, since they can help both the secondary market and their wallets. There are times when underdog decks rise to fame and become a good investment, by which will cause a rise in the YGO Stock Market which feels like a wave of chaos ensuing the players as they quickly swarm to the new cards for profit.

So whether you play for fun, fame or profit...one can't deny that this game has developed it's own economy which has now become part of the very game itself. Remember to keep your wits at all times and make the best decisions that fit your style best. Don't let this internal economy get the best of you, or else it will be quite the frustrating time.