DJ CDisk Blog.... Breaking down the Meta

[DJ Cdisk]

Thanks to everyone who commented on my very first yugioh blog/article, I really enjoyed everyone’s feedback and hope you guys like what I continue to bring to the Yugioh Community. As we flourish in number let us always remember our past, It may have seemed that I was giving Konami a lot of praise while giving Upper Deck the negative, but without Upper Deck’s well ran organized play and the hundreds of volunteers/workers for Upper Deck, Yugioh wouldn’t be where its at now (probably just another game on the wayside of games). So thank you Upper Deck for that.

As months will go by you will probably see me less at regular Tourneys and hobby leagues mainly due to my future plans in getting married in July 2010. So to continue to help out I will try to keep up with the game as best as I can and giving my best analysis of the game. I know I may not be the best player around, but I can give many new players out there a better insight on the game we love to play. So from time to time I will give new deck ideas for people to try out, “tech” updates, and I will even try to do Player Profiles on Great players here in Hawaii. Metagame.com was such a big channel to improve your game; many will say metagame.com was only for people who “net-deck” which is true, but it also showed analysis of top players and tons of coverage (play-by-play) of the big events. I will try to give a “taste” of what that was to new players. I will try to write a blog every few weeks or so depending how busy I am. Please continue to Comment good/bad because it will help me improve my future writings as well as add some flavor and a different POV. Anyway, onto my topic for today

As our first Konami Regionals have come and passed, the “meta” has defiantly shifted from the last format where Tele-DaD roamed undaunted to other builds. With 96 players wielding so many different decks, what is the best deck to play? I will go through the top 2 decks (Tier 1) and then the 2 decks that are on the rise. These decks will continue to dominate til the next format (which by the way is only 2 months away!!!).

So the number 1 deck in this format is………………………………….Blackwings!
Now I’m not just saying this just cause it won at Regionals, or because 22 players played it then, here is why; it runs 3 Gales and 3 Black Whirlwinds! “Gale the Whirlwind” is probably the best card in the format right now. This little card can take out so many decks by itself, it can kill decks like GBs and Zombies with ease (“I summon Shura/Bora, Special Gale, Use Gales effect to cut Laquari/Gyzarus/Heraklinos by half and attack….gg people”). Against other decks, Blackwings are simply too fast for it. Their ability to swarm the field is mainly due to “Black Whirlwind”, the best support card for a sub-type ever made. The ability to search for a Blackwing is alone a powerful effect, but since it's a continuous spell, your opponent either has to get rid of it, thus losing a card; or let it stay on the field and watch you gain +1 or more card advantage with it. It’s a lose-lose situation for your opponent. With even more new cards coming out with Ancient Prophecy (i.e. Vayu, the Big Flag), Blackwings will be on top for a while.

Right next to Blackwings we have Twilight as like a 1B if Blackwings is 1A. Twilight is interesting because it’s like the two best deck choices from the last format (Tele-DaD & Lightsworn) fused together (Fusion-Hi!!) to try and beat the top dog in this format (Blackwings). Just like Blackwings, Twilight has 2 cards that make the deck so good… “Judgment Dragon”, and “Dark Armed Dragon”. These 2 cards took big hits from the last format by reducing their limits to 2 and 1 per deck respectively, but their powers caused that to happen. Both have huge attacks and field clearing abilities which can change a game so quickly if unprepared. What makes this my deck of choice (special thanks to all that help me finish it), is that it has so many outs if you’re playing from behind, from Celestia, Chaos Sorcerer, and Phantom of Chaos, you can never count a Twilight player down til they’re at 0 life points. They're always a top deck away from swinging momentum or even winning the game.

Regionals also did bring a few new decks to the forefront, Rock Stun and Syncro-Cat

Rock Stun is this formats “Little City”. “Koa’ki Meiru Guardian” from Raging Battle is a beast with his ability to negate a effect monsters effect and destroy it, along with a 1900 attack, it's so hard to get around this card. And speaking of Beasts, “Beast King Barbaros” is huge at 3000 attack and can be easily summoned to the field. Rock Stun is a pretty tough deck to beat using cards like Royal Oppression, Fossil Dyna and Skill Drain to negate Blackwings and Twilight, and should be here to contend with the best.

Lastly, another deck on the rise is Syncro-Cat. A very controlled based deck using the abilities of “Summoner Monk” and “Rescue Cat” to get Syncro Monsters like “Arcanite Magician” and Black Rose Dragon to clear the field. “X-Saber Airbellum” is what makes the deck tick not only because he’s the Tuner that does all the Syncro Summoning, but in his ability to hit your opponents hand if your opponents not prepared for is key. A loss of 1 or 2 key cards in your opponents hand can break the game wide open for you and you can just smack him with Gravekeeper Spies for game.

These 4 decks should continue to rule the tops of many Tourneys from now til September. I don’t see any other deck coming from left field and start winning in last 2 months of this format, so expect to see these decks at every Tournament you attend.

My Next Blog will either be a new deck idea or a player profile; I just gotta find someone to interview (LMK if you're interested). If not I have an awesome Deck Variant that should raise eyebrows if and when I play it. I might even do a Tech Update from a few interesting cards that I saw being used at Regionals. It’s all up in the air. Let me know what you guys want me to write next.

Til then keep playing, trading, and most importantly have fun out there!

Nick a.k.a DJ CDisk

[Derek]

No offense taken. To be honest I get horrible hands against Albert when he's playing BW. Stuck with 1 Lumina and a bunch of crap thats it. Then Albert comes in for FTK. And if my post above sounds a bit weird I feel like crap right now...I'm so sick...But thanks for the input Chad.

[chad]

yah, horrible hands cant be helped, playing twilight, u have to be prepared for that. but i know for a fact that twi can beat BW more often than BW can beat twi.

[Asar]

Problem is, Derek, that's not how Cat works at all.

Set Spy, yes? they normally attack, you ss another spy. Your turn, first thing, Cold wave/Heavy Storm/NoE/MST (secure the back row). Then, Monk discard spell, ss Cat. Cat into 2 airbellum. Field is TWO airbellum, 1 Monk, 2 Spy. Sync 1 Airbellum + Monk for Arcanite if you need to clear things, or DSF is you don't. Let's say you're under the Wave and opponent has a light monster. Take Arcanite, pop the 1 monster (to eliminate honest) Switch spies to attack mode. Attack with all, thats 1400+1600+1200+1200 = 5400. MP2, sync airbellum + spy for DSF. Tribute from low to high with DSF last. 800+1400+1400 = 3600. 5400+3600 = NINE THOUSAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!oneoneeleventy-one

it happens more often than not.

[Derek]

Most times though a simple Necro Gardna will screw the Kitties up (a main deck Threatening Roar is even better). After you chain a roar to their magic/trap destruction what do they do? I usually see them end their turn because they're not going to have their DSF or Arcanite sit there for a wide open swing. I've played at least 4 different Synchro-Cat players and if I'm not mistaken I've only lost once (not to brag or anything and I lost to Rowen with an incomplete deck). At most of the Tournaments I have yet to see a Synchro-Cat player win. I still think that deck is a far 3rd from BW and LS/Twilight.

[Asar]

Well quite simply if they chain the roar all you have to do is wait another turn. Roar is just that good of a card. Necro/Roar/Waboku etc is only the prevention of an attack. It will slow down the deck but it definitely won't screw them up.

Don't forget that Roar will slow down LS and BW as well....

[Derek]

Of course! Thats why I said every deck should either have it main decked or sided. I would rather have Syncro-Cats have an extra turn (an extra draw essentially) than LS or BW.

[kjay]

nice blog nick.
@kapono; synchro cat is awesome.but sided D.D.V. says wussup lol.
twilight and blackwings are pretty much on the same level. depends on your draw, your opponents draw, your skill and your opponents skill.

a lot of the osaka players use BW or cat. i seen zombie stuff too.

[The Dane Train]

Hey DJ, I don't even play YGO and have only skimmed through some of this article/thread, but I want to say thanks for taking the time to write this kind of stuff. I'm glad that at least a few people have the ability to write unbiased pieces about the things they enjoy.

[Jordan "The Dawn"]

***Good*** Rock Stun decks should run a des lacooda engine, making it much more consistent..

Des lacooda +xx over time > SOLARCHARGEALLURELOLTRADEIN

[DJ Cdisk]

Thanks Dane I appreciate that coming from a person doing the same, just on a little bigger scale :)

@ Jordan, funny I didn't even see 1 locuda when we played @ regionals. I wouldn't have known it was inthe deck til after the fact. If I just removed DAD itstead of tomato........ I think you still would have won :)