Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Keymouse

With all the talk of Blackwings and Infernities in the upcoming set The Shining Darkness, it feels like some cards from the set simply got lost in the shuffle. However, today I bring you one of those interesting cards that's worth a notable mention.

Keymouse



When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can add 1 Level 3 or lower Beast-Type monster from your deck to your hand.
Now, why would this card be interesting, you ask? Simple. Moja decks have a field day with this! It's compatible with Kinka-Byo, One-for-One, searchable by Giant Rat, Super-Nimble Mega Hamser and Sangan, and searches for Moja, Airbellum, and Kinka-Byo.

So why would it be worth it besides just that? Some of you may simply wonder if it's worth the hassle, but this little mouse has another trick...it's a Tuner!

By making it a level 1 Tuner, it allows Moja decks to have constant access to lvl 8 Synchro Monsters, every 2 turns if possible.

For those of you who play Moja decks, you know that Moja gives access to King of the Beasts (KOTB) as it's main attacker most of the times. Kinka-Byo allows for Moja and KOTB to be constantly be returning to the field. But what do you normally do when you already have KOTB on the field? Kinka-Byo just sits in the hand waiting for it to return.

However, what if Kinka-Byo could also aid KOTB by bringing out a new friend? By using it's effect when KOTB is still out, bring back Keymouse and synchro for lvl 8, or a lvl 9 (Trishula and Mist Wurm) depending on your situation. Due to Kinka-Byo's effect to return to the hand, Keymouse and KOTB could become quite the troublesome duo.

Give it a try, you might like it!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Gizer's Gadgets

This is the Gadget deck I took to regionals for March 14th in San Juan, and managed to reach the Top 32, placing at 27th.


Monsters: 17

Green Gadget x2
Red Gadget x2
Yellow Gadget x2
Thunder King Rai-Oh x2
Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer x2
D.D. Warrior Lady x2
Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo x2
Breaker, the Magical Warrior
Blackwing, Gale the Whirlwind
Gorz, Emissary of Darkness

Spells: 12

Smashing Ground x2
Fissure x2
Lightning Vortex
Heavy Storm
My Body as a Shield
Shrink
Book of Moon x2
Mystical Space Typhoon
Brain Control

Traps: 11

Trap Hole x2
Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Widespread Dud
Dimensional Prison x2
Torrential Tribute
Royal Oppression x2
Solemn Judgment


Side Deck:

Consecrated Light x2
Twister
Soul Release
Light Imprisoning Mirror
Dark Imprisoning Mirror
Big Burn
Mind Crush
Cloak and Dagger
Trap Dustshoot
Banisher of the Radiance x2
Neo-Spacian Grand Mole
Dust Tornado

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Annoying card...Meganium, the new boss!


Recently, I have picked up the Pokemon TCG after a 10 year absence from the game. Yesterday I returned to the league with my deck and encountered the biggest obstacle yet...Meganium.

From all the new Gold/Silver structure decks, this one is probably the toughest of the 3 starters. Yes, Feraligatr and Typhlosion all have incredible attacks and all, but it's Meganium who gains a degree of control through the entire match.

If you see it coming, get rid of it quickly. It will take you down if you're not careful.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Rai-Oh observations...the final results.


Many of you who have either followed my blog for a while or know me personally know how I felt about Thunder King Rai-Oh in Gadgets. I had people left and right telling me to use them back since Vanity Gadgets was created. However, the fact that adding a monster that can contradict the main engine of your deck threw me off.

People most of the time said "learn when to play Rai-Oh" or "you aren't a good player" when asked about the matter. With such unclear answers, I was going farther and farther from understanding why this was done.

However, once I got my hands on 2 copies of Rai-Oh, I had the itch to try an experiment. I wanted to see why many players loved it in Gadgets, despite it's contradictory nature. If nobody would give me a clear enough answer, I was going to find out myself.

And so I placed my 2 Rai-Oh's in Vanity Gadgets. The first week or so of testing, I was confused as to why the contradiction wasn't showing up. I had many situations where a problem would occur, but it ended up giving me advantage.

However, the true test came during my first Regional Championship in San Juan last week. I decided to keep the Rai-Oh's because they were working too well for me. I had to test it against the top decks consecutively to really see if I was going to get any results.

And the results showed. Despite the fact that I had Gadgets in hand or anything, I adapted my strategy to fit the situation. I don't really know how to explain it 100%, but I somehow took out Raih-Oh only when needed. It didn't conflict with the Gadgets most of the time (only 1 match I was upset I couldn't search, but still won) and I ended up surprised.

So to report my final observations, Rai-Oh can be used in Gadgets, but with the right amount of caution. Use it against decks that recruit and search, and you will obtain some advantage. It does add some degree of control (especially in mirror matches), and 70% of the time it will be in your favor, while 30% of the time you might need to thin your deck via Gadgets and you can't.

To those who are skeptical about the idea (as I was a few weeks ago), I won't say "learn to play" or "learn when to summon Rai-Oh" but instead I will encourage you to test it out for yourselves. Some of you may like it, some of you won't. This game is all about what you want your build to be, and not what everyone else says. So if you have some spare Thunder Kings, test them out in Gadgets with some of your friends.

Your results may surprise you, because testing is the best way to solve skepticism concerning issues such as this.

Until then...

*rushes off to locals for yugioh and pokemon*

Friday, March 19, 2010

So much going on...

After regionals, I decided that my Gadget deck was finally 100% complete. However, that led me to take a decision to take a small break from building decks (doesn't stop me from making decks on the DS) due to lots of things going on (studies and such).

However, I will continue to be just as active in yugioh. I got my Gadgets, Gravekeeper's, and Fish all ready to duel with the same intensity as before.

However, with the stop of building in yugioh, I have returned to some of the other games I also enjoy.

First off, Magic the Gathering:

With Rise of Eldrazi around the corner, I'm hoping for further Kor support. Worldwake left me rather dissapointed due to the small Kor support, but I'm having high hopes for Eldrazi.

I must finish my Kor deck!

But MTG isn't the only game getting attention again. With the release of Pokemon Gold and Silver for the DS, not only have I returned to playing one of my favorite handhelds of all time, but I have decided to go back to the Pokemon TCG after a 10 year absence!

So now, I will have more stuff to report, since I will be paying attention to all 3 games and probably be bringing updates as well.

In my next blog...a short article about my final observations on Thunder King Rai-Oh.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Regional Report 3-14-10 in San Juan

Well, my very first regional is in the books. And it's been quite an experience, I have to admit. I was expecting it to be a cutthroat environment, but I really found it to be a fun environment where everyone (or mostly everyone ) is having a good time.

After all was said and done, I ended up getting into the Top 32, placing at 27th amongst nearly 130 players. I was quite impressed, to say the least. Gadgets really showed they have what it takes.

Round 1:

Gizer Gadgets VS Gigavise

Pretty back and forth match. Royal Oppression really saved me on this one, as well as my brand new Fossil Dyna Pachicephalo. I had some trouble with the constant remove from play engine it had, but in the end I was able to trump it with Rai-Oh. Won the match 2-1.

Round 2: VS Glads

Oh wow...I just got beat on this one. It's not even funny. It was the first time a Glad deck beat my Gadgets, but I went down with one heck of a fight. Sadly lost 0-2 on that one.

Round 3: VS Fortune Ladies

This was the most annoying match of the day. Future Visions slowed me down on so many levels it wasn't funny. Fossil Dyna helped me clear the field of all the FL's, while the gadgets slowly swarmed the field. Went into overtime to tie-break, but won the match 2-1.

Round 4: VS Blackwings

I knew it was inevitable, so I did the best I could to keep up. In the end, bad hands were my downfall, along with the swarm of 3 synchros. Lost 0-2 once again.

I was pretty much upset, since I was 2-2 and my chances for Top 16 looked slim. But I kept going.

Round 5: VS Blackwings

...again, seriously? I took a deep breath and got back into it. It was a pretty back and forth match, with Raih-Oh and Consecrated Light maintaining control of the field while the gadgets did their thing. Won 2-1 on that one.

Round 6: VS MOAR BLACKWINGS

This was truly the ultimate test. Same as before, maintained control with Rai-Oh and Consecrated, along with some assistance from the Trap Holes. Won 2-1 also.

Round 7: VS Anti-Meta Gadgets

Round 7 was strange. It was a mirror match against a deck that was about 90% identical to my own build (sad about that). Rai-Oh was the deciding factor in this game, along with the first set of mind games I play with my opponent. Won 2-0

Once that was done, they went straight to the Top 8 match, but I was happy to see I got 27th.

Rai-Oh proved to be quite helpful despite the logical contradiction in relation with Gadgets. But I guess I'm eating my own words. I learned it can be quite useful if you get the timing right.

Also, Widespread Dud has proven to be quite the excellent card. It turned the tables in every match it was played (nearly every round it saw play). And even though I had 1 lone copy in my deck, it proved to be quite useful.

Overall, that was my regional experience. Decklist coming soon...

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Interview with Alex "Mr.Suit" Mitchell

It's been a few weeks since Alex Mitchell came in top 16 at last month's Shonen Jump tournament with Starships. Today, I give you my brief interview with him.


Q: How long have you been playing this game?
A: Since metal raiders

Q: What motivated you to play Starships for the Jump? Was it something you wanted to try out, or did you pick it randomly amongst the other decks you have (if any others)?
A: It was a fun idea I wanted to try out

Q: Do you play any other decks?
A: GK power bond OTK dark scorpions

Q: How did you find the environment at SJC?
A: Almost like a nationals it was fun and i enjoyed myself

Q: Will you be attending the next SJC in NJ and if so, will we see a return of the Starships?
A: Yes I will and who knows what I will play

Q: What got you interested in the starship deck?
A: My friends put it together and I wanted to tinker with it and I decided to play it afterward

Q: Do you wear suits to every tournament you go to, or was this a "SJC Thing?"
A: I usually dress out of the norm the suit thing wll stick forever now

Q: Some said the Starships going far was a fluke and because "there weren't any good players at that jump," how do you respond to that?
A: I played the deck well I didn't stack nor misplay any deck can win so long as you know what to do

Q: What's next for Mr.Suit?
A: LOL nothing major just playing yugioh and doing my best in school and work

Q: Thanks for taking some time off for this interview. Any other words you have for the fellow readers?
A: Play what you feel no matter what is winning in major events if you find some broken combo in your commons make a deck with it

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Vanity Gadgets for San Juan Regionals

Well, it seems this is the version I will be taking to regionals.

Bueno, parece que esta será la versión que llevaré a regionales.

Monsters: 17

Green Gadget x2
Red Gadget x2
Yellow Gadget x2
Vanity's Fiend x2
Blackwing, Gale the Whirlwind
D.D. Warrior Lady x2
Breaker, the Magical Warrior
Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer x2
Thunder King Rai-Oh x2
Gorz, Emissary of Darkness

Spells: 11

Fissure x2
Smashing Ground x3
Book of Moon x2
Heavy Storm
My Body as a Shield
Brain Control
Mystical Space Typhoon

Traps: 12

Trap Hole x2
Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Royal Oppression x2
Widespread Dud x2
Dimensional Prison x2
Torrential Tribute
Solemn Judgment



I hope I can do quite well with this deck, since it's my first regional event ever. This is going to be the first true test for Vanity Gadgets, and I hope to go far. Here's hoping for at least top 32.

Espero llegar lejos con este deck, ya que es mi primer torneo regional. Este será la primera prueba verdadera para "Vanity Gadgets" y espero que vaya bien. Vamos a ver si llego al Top 32 por lo menos!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Regionals Countdown

7 days remain for the next regional. For my teammates and I, it will be our very first regional, so it will be quite interesting.

This tournament will also be the debut of "Team Facepalm" as we will try to go far this regional.

Team consists of:

Isgard (Team Captain)
Deck: DAD Recruiter

Gizer (Team Co-Captain)
Deck: Vanity Gadgets

Casper
Deck: X-Sabers

Juancho "The Milkman" Vazquez
Deck: Blackwings

Wolverine
Deck: Dark Zombie Synchro

Diego
Deck: Inca Assault

Rex
Deck: Cyber Dragon

Damien
Deck: Gigavise

That's pretty much the team for the moment. I'm hoping we can all compete this regional.

Also, a slight update on the testing I have been doing:

1. Warrior Lady is once again reinstated into Vanity Gadgets (Assailant simply didn't get the job done)

2. Widespread Dud has tested incredibly. D-Prison will go into the side deck for the event, just in case...

3. Thunder King has yet to conflict with my Gadgets, ironically. I'm expecting it to happen soon, as I was quite vocal about the contradiction. However, none of the games have shown that problem yet. More testing is required.

4. Tragoedia isn't doing it for me much, thinking about replacing it for a Kycoo instead. Perhaps also taking out Gale. Don't really know.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Doing some testing...

With regionals just a few weeks away, I have begun testing possible outcomes for what can go into Vanity Gadgets. And some things I have been testing have been showing some results already...

What I'm testing...

1. D.D. Assailant over D.D. Warrior Lady mostly for experimental reasons...

2. Widespread Dud over Dimensional Prison has been showing quite the interesting results. Dud has that "surprise factor" that D-Prison just doesn't seem to get. However, Prison's removal is quite better. So for now, Dud will be seeing some regional play.

3. Finally decided to try an experiment I normally wouldn't, but with regionals so close, I just had to see why people were doing it. I added Thunder King Rai-Oh to the Vanity Gadgets roster on a temporary basis. You know my view on the subject, but it's something I felt I had to see for myself to deliver final judgment on.

That's all the testing I'm doing for now...so I should update soon. Also, I will be making 2 versions of Vanity Gadgets for regionals, and I will let you (my fellow readers) decide which version to take!

This will probably be the only Anti-Meta deck that will be going amongst my teammates, as this regional is also the debut of "Team Facepalm" (name still under works...)

That's all for today!

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