The New Format has Arrived!

Konami released the new Forbidden and Limited List about a week ago – I have to say that I’m impressed with their exciting decisions! The format has been stale due to the scarcity of premier events in the United States post-NAWCQ, so many duelists ached for this list since the release of Duelist Alliance. Duelist Alliance introduced the current best 3 decks: Satellarknights, Shaddolls, and Burning Abyss. Konami kept up the trend of not immediately neutering the power level of any new archetypes; with new decks in the metagame and old decks untouched, we’re sure to see a diverse field. YCS Dallas is right around the corner and this weekend will be the first event with the new F&L List. I think that the changes will improve the metagame and I expect the event to have monumental attendance! Keep reading to find out how I feel about the changes on the list, the decks that I expect to see, and a couple of decks that I have been testing.

What’s Changed?

No cards were Forbidden this time around, but there were multiple cards added to the Limited List. People at my local ask: why did Konami ignore ?  Simple – Vanity’s Emptiness is healthy for the game.  In some scenarios it’s more powerful than Solemn Judgment – in others it taxes you more than the opponent.  It’s a card that is easily overcome by cards that put one of your opponent’s cards in the graveyard.  Every deck should have a way to easily remove it!  It keeps other decks in check during deckbuilding by reducing the amount of degenerate special summon effects that exist in the game, similar to the presence of  in previous formats.  I hope that Vanity’s Emptiness is never less than Semi-Limited; it’s good for the evolving metagame.

Dragons of Legend introduced what has been the most format-defining card over multiple set releases: .  It was reduced to Limited and didn’t really warp the ranking of tier 1 decks; it just increased the variance in drawing the card.  I’m pleased that it’s Limited and it’s totally deserved. It’s easier to abuse than  and causes a vast swing in the favor of the duelist who activated it.  The drawback of Life Point loss plus the Battle Phase skip were not enough to reduce the power level of the card or the potential output of your deck if you drew it in your opening hand.  I wouldn’t have been surprised if it ended up on the Forbidden List, but its Limited status amplifies the drawback of the paying of Life Points late-game.  Ultimately, I feel that the decision on Soul Charge was appropriate for the metagame.

Every duelist can agree one deck needed to have its power level reduced: Infernities.  Sehabi Kheireddine qualified for and won the World Championship with Infernities.  He piloted the deck at its full potential –  you couldn’t play YuGiOh if he went first! Konami decided to Limit  along with Soul Charge, which should be the nail in the coffin for Infernities.  Infernity Archfiend was the entire engine of the deck and it can’t work without Archfiend. It was the only deck that was surgically removed from the metagame.  It was so powerful that many people expected this list to put it down.

The other three cards added to the Limited List were welcome additions to the family.   and  were both removed from the Forbidden List and I would be disgusted if they don’t make their way into current decks.  Glow-Up Bulb should influence a Plant engine, which should spring up in new Plant strategies at YCS Dallas.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Plant decks are a significant chunk of the field or considered tier 1 after the event. Glow-Up Bulb is also an incentive to include more Synchro Monsters in your Extra Deck, which have slowly declined in popularity since the release of XYZ Monsters.  Dark Hole would already act as Raigeki most of the time, so I would only expect to see Raigeki in aggressive strategies.  was the last card added to the Limited List, and it seems similar to the Limiting of Soul Charge. It’s a very powerful card for Shaddolls to have (especially in the mirror) and the outcome of matches will be more skill-dependent since Super Polymerization blowouts will occur infrequently.

The cards added to the Semi-Limited List all came from the Limited List.  They’re all appropriate moves and should have an insignificant effect on the metagame.  Blackwings may have some potential; you can now play an additional copy of one of the best Blackwings, . , , and  should make their way into the Side Deck more often now. It’s hard to Side Deck Limited cards and incorporate the likelihood of you drawing them with the percentage that it should help the matchup.  The option to play an additional copy of those three cards will make them a more viable option out of the Side Deck.

 is now Unlimited.  Who cares?  YuGiOh is still more tempo-based than ever, making Magician of Faith too slow to see play in the current metagame.   was the main engine of the Brotherhood strategies; they vanished when Coach Soldier Wolfbark was reduced to Limited, so the Unlimiting of Coach Soldier Wolfbark should return those strategies to the current metagame.    helps Satellarknights (the third best deck) and leaves room for Noble Knights to reign supreme in November.  will probably be included with Glow-Up Bulb strategies and is probably necessary to create the incentive to play more Synchro Summoning strategies.

The Big Three

It’s hard to say which pre-List deck claimed the throne for the best deck, but it was either Shaddolls or Burning Abyss.  Satellarknights was probably the third best deck and I expect the exact same scenario at YCS Dallas.  Those three decks will be the most frequent followed closely by the new addition of Fire Fists and Plants.  The absence of Infernities should shape deckbuilding in a positive way; now duelists don’t have to commit half of their Side Deck to combating one degenerate combo deck.  The decks all seem to be willing to play the grind game (the marker of a skill-intensive format) and Konami created potential for a diverse format. I am going to go over my build of each deck: “the big three” and a couple new ideas of my own.  Find out why I think these are good choices for YCS Dallas!

Shaddolls

I’m starting with Shaddolls – it was the best deck in the metagame to play before the F&L List.  Shaddolls didn’t rely on Soul Charge; it only became more powerful with it.   is the most powerful card and main incentive to play the deck.  Your opponent has to be conscious of keeping Extra Deck Monsters off the field because Shaddoll Fusion will punish him if he fails to do so.  Shaddoll Fusion can give you a +2 or +3 if your opponent doesn’t play around it, so the mere threat of the card will generate value against opponents who assume it;s in your hand and act accordingly.  The deck has access to another one of the most degenerate cards in the format: Super Polymerization. The fact that it can’t be responded to nullifies any skill that a player may have if they are not specifically playing around it. Vanity’s Emptiness is probably the best card against Shaddolls, but it’s just as powerful if you are on the play and lead with it paired with an El Shaddoll Fusion Monster.

I’m always going to be a fan of a deck that has trees of options of plays on every turn. The ability to search your deck for a card that you need paired with an easily accessible Extra Deck will allow you to shift gears at your convenience, always following the most optimal route to victory.  Shaddolls is a deck that exemplifies this – your mistakes are not forgiving but you’ll be rewarded for optimal play.  The deck is closer to control than combo or tempo.   You can gain tempo through your Shaddoll Fusions but lose just as much of it to a Vanity’s Emptiness. You’ll often setup on your first turn; the remainder of the game you’ll usually make plays based on your opponent’s deck/field. I’m playing some different cards in my Shaddoll deck than other lists I’ve seen, so I’m going to go over so of those decisions.

I have a hole in my heart that only  (and cards like it) can fill.  I want all of my cards in my hand to have multiple applications that open up a wide range of lines of play.  Mathematician takes the spot of most lists 4-5 Lightsworn monsters, inspired by Patrick Hoban’s YCS Toronto list.  Patrick’s theory of wanting to “play unfair decks” has a concept that requires a minimal amount of Normal Summons.  It’s a concept I’ve applied to every deck I’ve piloted since; I feel good about it.  Even though Shaddolls isn’t classified as an unfair deck or a tempo deck, too many Normal Summons can clog in your hand, causing a loss of card advantage and tempo.  I bring up this concept because Shaddolls plays more Monsters than Satellarknights and Burning Abyss. There are many builds of Shaddolls and I just wanted to emphasize minimizing your Normal Summons.

I can’t justify playing the White and Black Dragons from Shadow Specters if I’m not playing the Lightsworn Monsters.  Raiden pairs with them optimally, allowing you to Synchro Summon Level 8 Monsters and still get their search effects.  I want  in the deck since it’s a Light Monster that can +1 paired with a Shaddoll Fusion.  I like  as it banishes all of the important Monsters rather than destroying them, which is incredibly relevant in the metagame.  I needed more cards to turn on Eclipse Wyvern so Chaos Sorcerer became a staple in this build.  Dark Armed Dragon’s summoning condition is easy to meet in this deck, too.  I like all of the one-of Light Monsters, especially .  It has an effect that can be utilized after it gets sent to the grave (value) for a Shaddoll Fusion, but it’s particularly good against Fire Fist.  You lose to Fire Fistif they gain momentum; Rainbow Kuriboh is effective against them because it keeps their Fire Fists from connecting with you.  I want my Traps to remove monsters off of the field without destroying them which influenced my Trap lineup.   plays the role you want your s to fill and additionally can dispose of  and Dante.

Burning Abyss

Jeff Jones crushed ARG Indianapolis with a new take on Burning Abyss: he played 20 Monsters and 20 Traps, making his deck a consistent tempo deck.  Burning Abyss is similar to Shaddolls in that all of the cards replace themselves when they’re sent to the graveyard.  The Burning Abyss monsters are even better than Shaddolls since their effects activate when they are sent to the grave for a cost.  I love Phoenix Wing Wind Blast in Shadolls, and Burning Abyss can utilize the card even better.  Jeff showed his brilliance with his decision to Main Deck 3 .  I’d have to guess it’s one of the most important cards that contributed to his success.  You don’t “lose” anything if you’re incorrect; in fact, you still get to see their hand!  I really appreciate Jeff’s build and I laud it as the best build, but I wanted to share a build of Burning Abyss that I have been working on:

Main Decking Monarchs and  might seem foreign to some, but don’t bail yet – I’ll explain my decision.  The Monarchs Stormforth keeps you from losing tempo for summoning your Monarchs and it’s an out to .  Raizas and Caius(es?) aren’t ever completely dead, as your 9 Burning Abyss Monsters can be easily Special Summoned in the same turn.  Mathematician and Tour Guide are the main Normal Summons of the deck, and once again they’re powerful because they leave multiple options at your disposal.  Tour Guide is the main incentive to run this deck, as it triggers your Burning Abyss Monster effects and can be tutored by Scarm to fuel the engine.   is almost a crisp $100 bill, for good reason.  A list with 3 Dante allows ridiculous card recycling; if you don’t lose tempo of the game, your Dantes will grind out matches.  2500 DEF is often an insurmountable rear, which keeps momentum in your favor.

Burning Abyss has some variations in their Spell lineup.  Jeff Jones decided to play none!  I love , but this deck is too aggressive for it.  When you have the ability to Special Summon multiple Monsters on your first turn, Caius and Raiza on successive turns keep your opponent from progressing their board position combined with universal Traps usually put your opponent under intense pressure.  Some decks play , which isn’t terrible; I just feel that the deck would function better as a tempo deck.

Satellarknights

I’m not a fan of this deck or strategy – Burning Abyss is a better, similar deck.  The incentives to play Satellarknights are mostly and .  You get to play  to smoothe out your draws, then activate Call of the Haunted during your opponent’s turn and then activate your Satellarknight effects again.  I was under the impression that Call of the Haunted would end up Semi-Limited (at least), but it was untouched.  This is the main reason why Satellarknights is viable; most builds are standard and similar to this:

When this deck first came out, it had a very similar feel to the HAT deck I piloted at the NAWCQ.  You’re basically an anti-meta deck, using Pot of Duality to sift.  It’s hilarious to look at the deck on paper and see an average of 10 Monsters.  Reinforcement of the Army at 3 is particularly good for this deck and will allow you to search Satellarknights.  Stellaralpha Nova should always be available; you’ll aggressively activate it to negate your opponent’s card and then revive it with a Call of the Haunted to trigger its effect.  This deck can often grind at the level of Burning Abyss and Shaddolls, which keeps it a main contender in the metagame.

The optimal scenarios I’ve explained in the Satellarknight deck could be considered a tempo-based strategy.  Call of the Haunted allows you to flood the field faster and can +3 if you target a Satellarknight Altair, then revive a Deneb to search out another.  There’s another positive aspect to this deck: it plays Vanity’s Emptiness optimally and it isn’t affected by opposing Vanity’s Emptiness like Shaddolls and Burning Abyss.  This deck is much more linear with its strategy – there are fewer branches on your decision tree, which makes it easier to play than other tier 1 decks.  I’m always a fan of playing a deck you are comfortable with, so I would approve of anybody playing Satellarknights if they perform well with it.

New Forces?

I expect a smattering of Plant decks and Fire Fist decks to show up at YCS Dallas.  These archetypes defined a format and I expect them to hold their own against the big three tier 1 decks.  Plants generally act as combo decks, which makes them vulnerable to floodgates and hand traps.  Fire Fist tends to act like a tempo deck; two additional two Coach Soldier Wolfbarks should put the deck into the top ranks.  I’m going to start off with a Plant deck, then share my take on Fire Fist:

Joe Giorlando’s Plants

I’ve never played Plants before the Limiting of Glow-Up Bulb.  I know it was a dominant force when Billy Brake reigned the competitive scene and duelists told me it was the best deck to play.  This deck has numerous options at its disposal – I was immediately drawn to it.  Without a doubt, this deck is the most difficult deck I’ve ever played!  On the day that I started to research the deck, Joe Giorlando posted a video on YouTube demonstrating multiple combos enabled by Glow-Up Bulb.  I was stupefied.  There were a few 2-card combos displayed in Joe’s video that had the option trees I wanted, along with raw power.  Many people can see the potential of Glow-Up Bulb in Plants and I expect it to be a force to be reckoned with.  After my talk with him, I feel confident that the deck is a real contender and even though Joe hasn’t posted his list, this is my take on Plants:

You can summon Mathematician and send Spore, Glow-Up Bulb, or  to the graveyard to utilize their effects – all of these plants work well with  to other combo pieces.   and  look very poor on paper, but they’re the reason for 2 Power Tool Dragons in the Extra Deck.  The D.D.R. combos well with Dragon Rulers and Spore while Supervise combos well with Gigaplant and any Tuner.   has an effect that isn’t particularly powerful but is a convenient Level 6 to remove to Spore, making Spore a Level 7.  You can see that a Level 7 Tuner pairs with a lot of cards in the deck.  I could sit here and describe all of the combos, but it would be easier to just watch Joe Giorlando’s videos of the combos.  This is a deck that I know little about, so what do you guys think of it?  Be sure to let me know what you think about your/my build in the comments!

Fire Fist

Fire Fist is an archetype that you should be familiar with, as it dominated the competitive circuit from its release until Coach Soldier Wolfbark landed on the F&L List.  Its Unlimited status puts the deck back into full swing; I expect it to be similar to Satellarknights.  You run Pot of Duality to help smooth your draws and to capitalize on your Traps for any given situation.  Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear paired with Wolfbark is the main engine of the deck.  Bear is card advantage with the ability to recycle your Fire Formations, popping any Monster your opponent puts in front of you.  Once again, this is a deck that can easily play Vanity’s Emptiness and isn’t weak to it.  This is what I expect a standard Fire Fist deck to look like for YCS Dallas:

The deck plays with tempo-based strategies and may actually be more powerful than Satellarknights.  Satellarknights don’t have access to any spot removal, while Bear is enough removal by himself.  I mentioned earlier that Raigeki wouldn’t be particularly powerful, but this is probably the best deck for it.  Once again, I would like it in aggressive tempo decks but Bear needs to connect with your opponent’s Life Points to continue the engine, so you’re justified jamming it in the Main Deck.  I like that the deck isn’t weak to  or Super Polymerization.  It’s worth noting that this is a deck that doesn’t rely on the graveyard, so including or  in your list is alright.  In fact, any deck that could support Macro Cosmos and Dimensional Fissure has enough potential to keep opposing tier 1 decks from playing.

On the Runway to Dallas!

I think this is the most excited I’ve ever been after the release of a F&L List!  I feel like Konami is doing a good job supervising which cards are too powerful and make the player base salty.  I expect YCS Dallas to be a debut for not only the archetypes I mentioned above, but for the clash of the best players in the country to put their skills to the test!  The state of the top tier should bring in the most competitive players: high grind, high skill.  I’d love to hear your opinions about my theory, Konami’s banlist decisions, and what you would play at YCS Dallas! Also feel free to come say hey if you’re there!

-Korey McDuffie