Here's the best fake September 2012 Banlist I've seen so far. It's actually still being debated whether or not it's fake.
Images:
http://webpaper.co/img/34727.jpg
http://webpaper.co/img/34711.jpg
http://webpaper.co/img/34728.jpg
EDIT: Here's another Image from the same website that was uploaded this morning. A bit clearer but the Semi-Limited cards look a little squashed. It's probably fake but it's intriguing to see that clearer pictures are coming through now.
http://webpaper.co/img/34876.jpg
Forbidden
Brionac, Dragon of The Ice Boundary.
Dark Armed Dragon.
Card Destruction.
Mind Control.
Sangan.
Wind-up Hunter.
Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the beginning.
E- Hero Electrum.
Monster Reborn.
Limited
Rescue Rabbit.
Dark Magician of Chaos.
Super Polymerization.
Inzektor Centipede.
Witch of the Black Forest.
Ultimate Offering.
Solemn Warning.
Semi-Limited
One For One.
E- Emergency Call.
Legendary Six Samurai - Shi-En.
Gladiator Beast Bestiary.
Unlimited
Necro Gardna.
Primal Seed.
Formula Synchron.
If this list is actually real, then a lot of my predictions came true!
TheTCGLover out!
Showing posts with label Limited. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Limited. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Monday, 30 July 2012
September 2012 Forbidden & Limited List Predictions
Hello readers. I apologize for my lack of content recently but I promise I have a lot to talk about.
Anyway today's post is my idea of a realistic but good banlist that could be implemented in the near future. A banlist should address the main problem cards. For a card to be worthy of going on the list, it needs to be potent. Of course, if a card is archetype specific, then it will normally be more powerful than a splashable card (Compare Tour Guide to Wind-Up Hunter). Konami knows this and designs archetypes in a way that if the right card is hit, the entire deck becomes crippled, therefore allowing new archetypes to come in and have their own reign of terror.
Here is the list. I decided to use pictures because it's more fun to look at. Under the list are reasons for each choice.
Unlimited
Forbidden
Monster Reborn - Lets face it, this card is and has always been overpowered. It's not fun dismantling your opponent using skill and they topdeck this card. Its usable in every deck and therefore your deck will always be Monster Reborn + 39 cards (apart from Gravekeeper's, but there's nothing really wrong with playing it in that either). When used in conjunction with other standalone advantage cards it becomes ridiculous. If you reborn Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, it lets you get Lightpulsar and that's 5300 damage from one card, and for your opponent who might have 3-4 cards on their side, they can't dismantle that combo without wasting all of their cards. That might be a Problem to do with Chaos Dragons rather than reborn, but if you take it out of the equation, then the performance of that deck as well as every other deck decreases significantly. That's the first step to diversity and ultimately fun.
Future Fusion - It's time for it to go. Whenever it's being used in a deck it's either to be abused repeatedly or to summon something too powerful. Five Headed Dragon is only being used in chaos dragons so that Future Fusion (FuFu) can dump their Eclipse Wyverns and Red-Eyes to be brought back with the Lightpulsar in their hand. However if Konami wants to specifically target Chaos Dragons, then they could hit Five Headed Dragon instead. But it's not just that deck that it's being abused in. I've recently taken a liking to Alive Heroes and their ability to send a Hero and Zephyros for Escuridaó and then bounce FuFu back to summon the Zephyros is Retarded. However it could be argued that the best fusion monsters couldn't possibly be summoned without this card (Unless you want to -3 your hand) so for casual players it fuels their imagination and keeps them interested in the game. My biased opinion wants it to stick around but the competitive playerbase wants this card gone.
Wind-Up Hunter - Without the Wind-Up hand loop, the deck becomes a xyz spam deck, which is very competitive if you look at Hieratics which can do it too (Photon Bounzer is pretty good when timed right). The deck wouldn't even need to make any changes either, it was just more potent being able to completely destroy your opponent's hand on the first turn rather than put 3-4 xyz monsters on the field. The effectiveness between both strategies is minimal, but one of them is going to lose you friends.
Mind Control - It's been around for a while now and with Synchro/Xyz monsters around, it's only to be abused now. While it is a combo card, at the very least you can just take their monster and attack with your other monsters for game. In a mirror match it makes for some lolzy plays, but that becomes a luck of the draw rather than skill.
Limited
Inzektor Centipede - A bad player would say that Hornet is the problem since the other cards depend on it. A decent player would say that Dragonfly is the problem since it gives free plusses. However, without Centipede, the dreaded loop can only be executed once and without Centipede in multiples, the Zektkalibur OTK and dragonfly's overall usefulness drops. I personally wouldn't bother hitting the deck, but Konami is going to hit them because of how good they are in the OCG.
Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon - To be fair, if Future Fusion does go, this can be let off the hook. It's a very powerful card and it's effect means any deck that can utilise it will instantly become 2 tiers better than without it. If REDMD didn't exist, chaos dragons would be a terrible deck due to the loop being impossible. Having it at 1 means it can still be dropped and win games, but once you bottomless it, you can be happy knowing you're not going to get sacked, yet still allow other dragon decks (Disaster, Hopeless) to use it.
Solemn Warning - I personally feel that this card's power is incredible. What it does, it does very well. If your opponent's deck is slow and relies on a normal summon to be of any use, then this deck becomes something more than the level of power it should be. It's ability to shut down your opponent's summoning capabilities makes it almost impossible to make a comeback if they are on the losing end. If you swarm the field and then set this after doing 6000~ damage, then your opponent will just be annoyed. Laggia does not need to waste it's effect on a summon if you have warning set, which makes the whole matchup so much more annoying. Having it at 1 means you will only see it once and mean you will have to save it for the right moment rather than just hitting anything that might pose some threat.
Semi-Limited
T.G. Striker - Why is this card on the list? Oh that's right, it was a target for Konami's "Lets ungracefully push Xyz monsters by destroying synchros" campaign in March. It was used in T.G. Agents which was quite good in the OCG but why they hit the deck so hard is just for reasons I don't like to talk about. Because everytime I do, It makes me want to punch Kevin Tewart (The head of the Campaign) in the face.
The Agent of Mystery - Earth - Same reason as Striker. It was helping the deck and gives it tonnes of search power. The card is so much better at 2 than 1. Being able to search Venus more consistently is irrelevant. The fact that it's another agent in the deck that helps the cause and allows it to be banished for hyperion is what makes it's place on the list important. I have an Agent deck prepared for when this card comes back (If it does).
Rescue Rabbit - This card is really good. It's just a shame that Konami decided to make Laggia and Dolkka Type Specific rather than Archetype due to their effects being absolutely ridiculous. Being able to utilise an archetype's xyz monster better than the archetype itself is retarded and shouldn't exist. I remember when people were splashing Elder of the Six Samurai in a T.G. Stun deck to be able to make Shi en. While I don't like that, at least it needed a samurai. In this case, the two decks (Dino Rabbit and Evols) bear no relation to eachother in terms of their playstyle. Putting it at 2 hurts the deck's consistency and you will be more likely to not open with one. Players would be forced to run more Dualities which will slow the deck down to a snail's pace.
Tour Guide from the Underworld - I don't really think it's a good idea to say anything about this one. I will only say one thing though: If this stays at 3, then Sangan must get banned. If this goes to 2, then Sangan can stay.
Mystical Space Typhoon - In March 2010 we had one of the best formats in the entire game. The 3 months at the beginning of it were incredibly diverse and that was due to there being a fair amount of backrow removal. That was the format that proved that having Storm at 1 and MST at 2 was the best way to go. Sure the decks that existed in that format are not played anymore, but it was not about the decks rather than the fact you could run a fair amount of traps and games would be FUN. And this is all before Night Beam was released.
Unlimited
Spore - Another quarantine done due to the same Campaign that killed of Agent - Earth and T.G. Striker. It was really good in plants when they were big but by the end of the September 2011 format, Dino Rabbits, Wind-Ups and Inzektors proved to be better. Konami Intervened way too late and it was an uncalled hit. Spore's effect is once per duel so it's either banned or at 3. I chose this over glow-up bulb due to spore being able to reach the higher levels and allow for high rank xyz summons.
Reborn Tengu - Same reason as spore. It's a really good card but it was hit way too late. By the end of the September 2011 format Xyz was the way to go and Tengu doesn't get it's effect when it's detached. If it's brought back to 3 now, decks would play it but it would go against their win condition and will just make the deck clunky and slow.
Summoner Monk - You activate this card and pay the cost of discarding a spell card. I discard Effect Veiler negating Summoner Monk's effect. You don't get your spell card back and it's a 1600 sitting duck just waiting to be destroyed. It's also a spellcaster which helps push the Prophecy in REDU.
Thanks for reading. Comment if you have any opinions about my choices!
TheTCGLover Out!
Anyway today's post is my idea of a realistic but good banlist that could be implemented in the near future. A banlist should address the main problem cards. For a card to be worthy of going on the list, it needs to be potent. Of course, if a card is archetype specific, then it will normally be more powerful than a splashable card (Compare Tour Guide to Wind-Up Hunter). Konami knows this and designs archetypes in a way that if the right card is hit, the entire deck becomes crippled, therefore allowing new archetypes to come in and have their own reign of terror.
Here is the list. I decided to use pictures because it's more fun to look at. Under the list are reasons for each choice.
Forbidden
Limited
Semi Limited
Unlimited
Forbidden
Monster Reborn - Lets face it, this card is and has always been overpowered. It's not fun dismantling your opponent using skill and they topdeck this card. Its usable in every deck and therefore your deck will always be Monster Reborn + 39 cards (apart from Gravekeeper's, but there's nothing really wrong with playing it in that either). When used in conjunction with other standalone advantage cards it becomes ridiculous. If you reborn Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, it lets you get Lightpulsar and that's 5300 damage from one card, and for your opponent who might have 3-4 cards on their side, they can't dismantle that combo without wasting all of their cards. That might be a Problem to do with Chaos Dragons rather than reborn, but if you take it out of the equation, then the performance of that deck as well as every other deck decreases significantly. That's the first step to diversity and ultimately fun.
Future Fusion - It's time for it to go. Whenever it's being used in a deck it's either to be abused repeatedly or to summon something too powerful. Five Headed Dragon is only being used in chaos dragons so that Future Fusion (FuFu) can dump their Eclipse Wyverns and Red-Eyes to be brought back with the Lightpulsar in their hand. However if Konami wants to specifically target Chaos Dragons, then they could hit Five Headed Dragon instead. But it's not just that deck that it's being abused in. I've recently taken a liking to Alive Heroes and their ability to send a Hero and Zephyros for Escuridaó and then bounce FuFu back to summon the Zephyros is Retarded. However it could be argued that the best fusion monsters couldn't possibly be summoned without this card (Unless you want to -3 your hand) so for casual players it fuels their imagination and keeps them interested in the game. My biased opinion wants it to stick around but the competitive playerbase wants this card gone.
Wind-Up Hunter - Without the Wind-Up hand loop, the deck becomes a xyz spam deck, which is very competitive if you look at Hieratics which can do it too (Photon Bounzer is pretty good when timed right). The deck wouldn't even need to make any changes either, it was just more potent being able to completely destroy your opponent's hand on the first turn rather than put 3-4 xyz monsters on the field. The effectiveness between both strategies is minimal, but one of them is going to lose you friends.
Mind Control - It's been around for a while now and with Synchro/Xyz monsters around, it's only to be abused now. While it is a combo card, at the very least you can just take their monster and attack with your other monsters for game. In a mirror match it makes for some lolzy plays, but that becomes a luck of the draw rather than skill.
Limited
Inzektor Centipede - A bad player would say that Hornet is the problem since the other cards depend on it. A decent player would say that Dragonfly is the problem since it gives free plusses. However, without Centipede, the dreaded loop can only be executed once and without Centipede in multiples, the Zektkalibur OTK and dragonfly's overall usefulness drops. I personally wouldn't bother hitting the deck, but Konami is going to hit them because of how good they are in the OCG.
Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon - To be fair, if Future Fusion does go, this can be let off the hook. It's a very powerful card and it's effect means any deck that can utilise it will instantly become 2 tiers better than without it. If REDMD didn't exist, chaos dragons would be a terrible deck due to the loop being impossible. Having it at 1 means it can still be dropped and win games, but once you bottomless it, you can be happy knowing you're not going to get sacked, yet still allow other dragon decks (Disaster, Hopeless) to use it.
Solemn Warning - I personally feel that this card's power is incredible. What it does, it does very well. If your opponent's deck is slow and relies on a normal summon to be of any use, then this deck becomes something more than the level of power it should be. It's ability to shut down your opponent's summoning capabilities makes it almost impossible to make a comeback if they are on the losing end. If you swarm the field and then set this after doing 6000~ damage, then your opponent will just be annoyed. Laggia does not need to waste it's effect on a summon if you have warning set, which makes the whole matchup so much more annoying. Having it at 1 means you will only see it once and mean you will have to save it for the right moment rather than just hitting anything that might pose some threat.
Semi-Limited
T.G. Striker - Why is this card on the list? Oh that's right, it was a target for Konami's "Lets ungracefully push Xyz monsters by destroying synchros" campaign in March. It was used in T.G. Agents which was quite good in the OCG but why they hit the deck so hard is just for reasons I don't like to talk about. Because everytime I do, It makes me want to punch Kevin Tewart (The head of the Campaign) in the face.
The Agent of Mystery - Earth - Same reason as Striker. It was helping the deck and gives it tonnes of search power. The card is so much better at 2 than 1. Being able to search Venus more consistently is irrelevant. The fact that it's another agent in the deck that helps the cause and allows it to be banished for hyperion is what makes it's place on the list important. I have an Agent deck prepared for when this card comes back (If it does).
Rescue Rabbit - This card is really good. It's just a shame that Konami decided to make Laggia and Dolkka Type Specific rather than Archetype due to their effects being absolutely ridiculous. Being able to utilise an archetype's xyz monster better than the archetype itself is retarded and shouldn't exist. I remember when people were splashing Elder of the Six Samurai in a T.G. Stun deck to be able to make Shi en. While I don't like that, at least it needed a samurai. In this case, the two decks (Dino Rabbit and Evols) bear no relation to eachother in terms of their playstyle. Putting it at 2 hurts the deck's consistency and you will be more likely to not open with one. Players would be forced to run more Dualities which will slow the deck down to a snail's pace.
Tour Guide from the Underworld - I don't really think it's a good idea to say anything about this one. I will only say one thing though: If this stays at 3, then Sangan must get banned. If this goes to 2, then Sangan can stay.
Mystical Space Typhoon - In March 2010 we had one of the best formats in the entire game. The 3 months at the beginning of it were incredibly diverse and that was due to there being a fair amount of backrow removal. That was the format that proved that having Storm at 1 and MST at 2 was the best way to go. Sure the decks that existed in that format are not played anymore, but it was not about the decks rather than the fact you could run a fair amount of traps and games would be FUN. And this is all before Night Beam was released.
Unlimited
Spore - Another quarantine done due to the same Campaign that killed of Agent - Earth and T.G. Striker. It was really good in plants when they were big but by the end of the September 2011 format, Dino Rabbits, Wind-Ups and Inzektors proved to be better. Konami Intervened way too late and it was an uncalled hit. Spore's effect is once per duel so it's either banned or at 3. I chose this over glow-up bulb due to spore being able to reach the higher levels and allow for high rank xyz summons.
Reborn Tengu - Same reason as spore. It's a really good card but it was hit way too late. By the end of the September 2011 format Xyz was the way to go and Tengu doesn't get it's effect when it's detached. If it's brought back to 3 now, decks would play it but it would go against their win condition and will just make the deck clunky and slow.
Summoner Monk - You activate this card and pay the cost of discarding a spell card. I discard Effect Veiler negating Summoner Monk's effect. You don't get your spell card back and it's a 1600 sitting duck just waiting to be destroyed. It's also a spellcaster which helps push the Prophecy in REDU.
Thanks for reading. Comment if you have any opinions about my choices!
TheTCGLover Out!
Monday, 5 March 2012
March 2012 Banlist Discussion Part 3: The Semi-Limited List
Now for the longest discussion out of the four parts. Only one card was taken off the list this time around so that makes my life easier. But I would have like to have seen more cards come off the list purely because Emergency Teleport and other cards are not worth bothering about anymore. Konami is just trying to play safe and it stifles our creativity because of that.
Now, for the discussion. A total of 8 cards have come onto the Semi-limited list. A few surprises but overall they make me shrug. We all know what Semi-Limits would have really helped this format run smoother, but talking about them will just make this a rant rather than a discussion.
Marshmallon
In all honesty, this card was limited so long ago that it's place was not justified anymore. Even at 2, it's not really that hard to break through. Sitting behind this can be a really nice wall against dino rabbits, but spirit reaper's ability to rip cards from your opponent's hand makes it the overall better choice. The burn damage is actually very respectable and at 2 gives it a tiny boost to an already trollish deck called chain burn. Setting this and then setting 5 chainable traps is just painful. But in terms of general play, it's not that great and should be at 3. I mean, when was the last time you attacked into a Marshmallon?
Exactly.
Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
Now this is a semi-limit I agree with. Konami was nice to look at an old archetype and give it a little more consistency. They are slowly bringing cards back for the deck and while this card was always good, sadly it's still not enough.
As much as I love playing the deck, the overall archetype lacks the kind of power that can contend with the decks currently destroying the game right now. Call me crazy but if Konami actually brought Lumina off the list, and brought Charge of the Light Brigade back to 3, the deck might stand a chance. However, with Charge at 3, it becomes splashable as a mill engine for decks like Infernity, so it will never go up from limited and the deck will never be as powerful for as long as the game exists.
It's depressing in it's own way. All I can suggest is to avoid Lightsworns for the rest of your dueling days. Don't see this card going up on the list as a big boost and hoarding Lightsworn cards will only leave you will a stack that you won't be able to trade off for a very long time. At least the Ultra Rare version of the card is awesome.
Reborn Tengu
What's this? A TCG Exclusive getting hit before the OCG get their hands on it? Unspeakable!
But yes, it happened. Tengu is a stupid card. It replaces itself and combined with librarian allowed you to draw cards while filling the field with loads of synchros. It can also be used in Monarchs as tribute fodder. It really is a great card.
However, the banlist hit it a little too late in my opinion. This format is promoting Xyz and it's "Play them or lose" mentality has brushed tengu aside. In case you do not know, it does not get it's effect when it's detached as an xyz material, therefore making it incompatible with xyz monsters and making it a good card to steal off your opponent to xyz with. All of those points combined makes putting it to 2 a bit pointless. All it does is blatantly promote xyz and puts Konami in a worser light than they already are, wouldn't you agree?
Emergency Teleport
Not much to say about this one. It was brought down to 1 to slow down Tele-DAD during it's reign. It's pivotal place in the deck's success is why it was called Tele-DAD. It can bring out a level 3 or lower psychic from your hand or deck (Prefably the latter). It was used to combine with Destiny HERO Malicious to synchro into level 8s, which back then was broken if you could do it with no disadvantage to your hand size.
The deck is dead, psychics are not really played aside from the ones that came out in Extreme Victory and it promotes xyz by being able to make rank 2s and 3s. All valid reasons to come back.
Shien's Smoke Signal
It was brought down to 1 in September 2011, which almost knocked the Legendary Six Samurai completely off the radar. They managed to take 1st place in YCS Mexico a couple of months ago so it was still capable of good things even with this card at 1.
But in OCGland the deck was not being played at all. Most banlist decisions are made by the OCGs meta, which explains why T.G. Agents were hit so badly.
Anyway, with it at 2, the deck's a little more consistent than last format but with only 1 Shien to synchro into, the deck still gets itself into problems when it hits the graveyard.
Level Limit Area B
I don't really know why this card was on the list in the first place. It somewhat promotes Xyz due to having Ranks which means they are unaffected by this card. It was not being played AT ALL for the last few years and should have come off the list a LONG time ago.
There is really not much else to say. It could go to 90 for all I care.
Torrential Tribute
Well this is a surprise. Most players are going to replace the Trap Dustshoot they lost for a second copy of this. It's ability to wipe the field upon summon allows it to be used offensively and defensively, which makes it a versatile card. You can just sit back and wait for your opponent to fill their field before activating it, making it capable of producing immense amounts of advantage. And now it's at 2?
I think this might be my favourite change to the banlist. I honestly feel that this card being at 2 is a good thing. It forces Solemn judgments and is usually more effective than bottomless at the moment.
Cool call Konami. Good call indeed.
Ultimate Offering
With Rank 4s getting better now, it's about time that Gadget offering was brought under control before they become a big problem. Cards like Daigusto Emeral and Shock Ruler allowed you to recycle and shut down a card type respectively, while only costing you 1 card.
But really, putting this card at 2 is not really good enough. The deck is still viable since all you have to do is get offering into your hand and there is so many ways to do it. The only way to truly kill the deck off is to ban this card, which probably wont happen.
Phew, that's the largest part discussed. There is a trend in the cards that have been hit this time around and it's quite clear what that trend is.
Just for the people who still can't see it: they are all pointless hits.
Now, for the discussion. A total of 8 cards have come onto the Semi-limited list. A few surprises but overall they make me shrug. We all know what Semi-Limits would have really helped this format run smoother, but talking about them will just make this a rant rather than a discussion.
Marshmallon
In all honesty, this card was limited so long ago that it's place was not justified anymore. Even at 2, it's not really that hard to break through. Sitting behind this can be a really nice wall against dino rabbits, but spirit reaper's ability to rip cards from your opponent's hand makes it the overall better choice. The burn damage is actually very respectable and at 2 gives it a tiny boost to an already trollish deck called chain burn. Setting this and then setting 5 chainable traps is just painful. But in terms of general play, it's not that great and should be at 3. I mean, when was the last time you attacked into a Marshmallon?Exactly.
Lumina, Lightsworn SummonerNow this is a semi-limit I agree with. Konami was nice to look at an old archetype and give it a little more consistency. They are slowly bringing cards back for the deck and while this card was always good, sadly it's still not enough.
As much as I love playing the deck, the overall archetype lacks the kind of power that can contend with the decks currently destroying the game right now. Call me crazy but if Konami actually brought Lumina off the list, and brought Charge of the Light Brigade back to 3, the deck might stand a chance. However, with Charge at 3, it becomes splashable as a mill engine for decks like Infernity, so it will never go up from limited and the deck will never be as powerful for as long as the game exists.
It's depressing in it's own way. All I can suggest is to avoid Lightsworns for the rest of your dueling days. Don't see this card going up on the list as a big boost and hoarding Lightsworn cards will only leave you will a stack that you won't be able to trade off for a very long time. At least the Ultra Rare version of the card is awesome.
Reborn TenguWhat's this? A TCG Exclusive getting hit before the OCG get their hands on it? Unspeakable!
But yes, it happened. Tengu is a stupid card. It replaces itself and combined with librarian allowed you to draw cards while filling the field with loads of synchros. It can also be used in Monarchs as tribute fodder. It really is a great card.
However, the banlist hit it a little too late in my opinion. This format is promoting Xyz and it's "Play them or lose" mentality has brushed tengu aside. In case you do not know, it does not get it's effect when it's detached as an xyz material, therefore making it incompatible with xyz monsters and making it a good card to steal off your opponent to xyz with. All of those points combined makes putting it to 2 a bit pointless. All it does is blatantly promote xyz and puts Konami in a worser light than they already are, wouldn't you agree?
Emergency Teleport
Not much to say about this one. It was brought down to 1 to slow down Tele-DAD during it's reign. It's pivotal place in the deck's success is why it was called Tele-DAD. It can bring out a level 3 or lower psychic from your hand or deck (Prefably the latter). It was used to combine with Destiny HERO Malicious to synchro into level 8s, which back then was broken if you could do it with no disadvantage to your hand size.The deck is dead, psychics are not really played aside from the ones that came out in Extreme Victory and it promotes xyz by being able to make rank 2s and 3s. All valid reasons to come back.
Shien's Smoke SignalIt was brought down to 1 in September 2011, which almost knocked the Legendary Six Samurai completely off the radar. They managed to take 1st place in YCS Mexico a couple of months ago so it was still capable of good things even with this card at 1.
But in OCGland the deck was not being played at all. Most banlist decisions are made by the OCGs meta, which explains why T.G. Agents were hit so badly.
Anyway, with it at 2, the deck's a little more consistent than last format but with only 1 Shien to synchro into, the deck still gets itself into problems when it hits the graveyard.
Level Limit Area BI don't really know why this card was on the list in the first place. It somewhat promotes Xyz due to having Ranks which means they are unaffected by this card. It was not being played AT ALL for the last few years and should have come off the list a LONG time ago.
There is really not much else to say. It could go to 90 for all I care.
Torrential Tribute
Well this is a surprise. Most players are going to replace the Trap Dustshoot they lost for a second copy of this. It's ability to wipe the field upon summon allows it to be used offensively and defensively, which makes it a versatile card. You can just sit back and wait for your opponent to fill their field before activating it, making it capable of producing immense amounts of advantage. And now it's at 2?I think this might be my favourite change to the banlist. I honestly feel that this card being at 2 is a good thing. It forces Solemn judgments and is usually more effective than bottomless at the moment.
Cool call Konami. Good call indeed.
Ultimate OfferingWith Rank 4s getting better now, it's about time that Gadget offering was brought under control before they become a big problem. Cards like Daigusto Emeral and Shock Ruler allowed you to recycle and shut down a card type respectively, while only costing you 1 card.
But really, putting this card at 2 is not really good enough. The deck is still viable since all you have to do is get offering into your hand and there is so many ways to do it. The only way to truly kill the deck off is to ban this card, which probably wont happen.
Phew, that's the largest part discussed. There is a trend in the cards that have been hit this time around and it's quite clear what that trend is.
Just for the people who still can't see it: they are all pointless hits.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
The 2011 March ban list: Semi-Limited discussion
Hey. To show some actual continuity on this blog, the next set of cards on the banlist to discuss are the newly semi limited ones. They are:
Archlord Kristya
Card Trooper
Debris Dragon
Spirit reaper
Megamorph
Overload fusion
Royal Tribute
Icarus attack
Solemn warning
Archlord Kristya has been at 3 since its release, but thats not to say its a powerful card. With a high attack power, a rather easy summoning condition with added hand advantage, an increasingly useful continuous effect while on the field AND the ability to recycle itself back to the top of your deck, its got something for everyone. It limited its playability with it only being usable in a fairy deck, or a deck that splashes many fairies (Which does not really exist, except for maybe Perfect Herald decks). But to me, many players that played fairy decks played Kristya at 2 anyway, so semi limiting it really does not hurt it whatsoever.
Card trooper is the big one for me personally. As I've reviewed before, it has a built in milling ability that pumps its attack into a beatstick and replaces its self if it gets destroyed. Its a brilliant card and now that its at two, it can be used to replace the lost Dandylion in Plant synchro decks. There was no need to put it at 1 when you cannot perform the Card trooper OTK with 2 of them anyway. Expect to see this card become a semi-staple in this upcoming format with it being able to get under bottomless and +1 you if it runs into a mirror force.
Debris Dragon has been brought down to 2 from unlimited. It is abused too much in plant decks with dandylion. But has putting it to 2 really made a difference? The only difference i can see is consistency issues, but thats about it.
Spirit reaper has been at 1 for a long time. I do not know the exact banlist that it was limited though. Its a powerful card that provides a nice wall to protect you if a combo went wrong or you need to stall for something like Final countdown. In my opinion, i had enough trouble dealing with one, but maybe two is a little too annoying for my taste.
Megamorph , Like spirit reaper, has been limited for quite a while. Nobody plays equip spells anymore, and this card is not very special. Sure, it doubles your monster's attack power when you're losing, but people do not build their decks to win when they're losing.
Overload fusion is usually combined with Future fusion to make a mean OTK. you use future fusion to send Cyber Dragon (which is at 3 now) along with many machine types from your deck to the graveyard for Chimeratech Overdragon. Then you use Overload fusion to remove all the machine types from your graveyard to summon that Overdragon. You now have a huge beatstick that tends to mean OTK. With Overload fusion at 1 and Future fusion at 1 too, the deck was incredibly inconsistent. But with this card at 2, the deck might shine again.
Royal Tribute at 2 is not really a big deal. Gravekeepers players can still get this card into their hand with Pot of Duality or Gold Sarcophagus. Putting it to 1 or banning it entirely would have been much better.
Icarus attack is Konami's attempt to damage blackwings alongside limiting Blackwing - Kalut the moon shadow. While blackwings get top 32 in the tournaments in america/europe, they are a tier one deck in the OCG, which explains why blackwings have been hit hard this banlist. It is also an amazing card which can blow up any 2 cards you choose, so it was always a gorgeous 2-for-2 card.
Lastly, Solemn Warning is a powerful card which in my observation of decklists and duels, were played at 2. That's not to say that they were never played in 3s, but hitting it to 2 is not that painful. The idea of paying up to 6000 life points seems absurd, but it was used at 3 for consistency because once you drew it, you had the opportunity to stop a deadly play right in its tracks.
Next up, the UNLIMITED LIST!
Monday, 21 February 2011
The 2011 March ban list: Limited discussion
It's time to discuss the next part of the banlist; the limited list.
Limited:
Honest
Dandylion
Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow
Book of Moon
Gateway of the Six
Honest has been limited from 2. It seems that with honest at 1 and Kalut the moon shadow at 1 too, konami is trying to aim for a format that emphasizes attack points. With Honest, one could attack with a ryko, knowing that it could get over any monster. While light is not the most supported attribute, it is an amazing support card that could be reused with Monster reborn and Beckoning light. But now that honest is a one man band, if you draw it, you better use it when you need to.
Dandylion was semi-limited back in march 2010. A professional duelist called Jeff Jones saw the synergy that Dandylion had with Debris dragon and Quickdraw Synchron as well as Drill warrior. With that, and a few other powerful cards, he created a tournament winning deck called Quickdraw dandywarrior. One year later, and that deck is dead, but Plant synchro took its place, which abuses dandylion to a much further extent (Mat Collins won YCS Milan with Plant synchro in November). With Debris dragon being so abusable with Dandylion, with the main combo is to summon Black rose dragon and get two tokens, it was limited to one. Konami tried to compromise this change by Semi-limiting Card trooper, which i will talk about when i write the Semi-Limited discussion
Blackwing - Kalut the moon shadow is in the same boat as Honest. It provided any blackwing monster with the attack power it needed to get over any monster. Your opponent uses his resources to summon a big monster with a beefy attack power. But with Kalut at 3, there was no need to worry about being attacked. It could be combined with shura the blue flame to ensure that you always get it's effect to special summon.
Book of moon was the big limit of the banlist. It has been at 3 this format and some people considored it a staple at 3. With its unmatched versatility (Stop attacks, flip a tuner face down to stop a synchro summon, flip your monster down to get past bottomless, flip your ryko face down when its attacked to get its effect again ETC), It is one of the best -1 cards in the game. I feel that the game is better with Book of moon at 1. However, there is now a bigger emphasis on trap stun and royal decree now that most of the backrow cards will be traps. You could run Enemy controller to replace book of moon, but it just does not compare in terms on versatility. Make sure you're running your backrow hate next format!
Lastly there is Gateway of the six. The Legendary Six Samurai have been in the OCG for almost a whole format, so the Six samurai have had enough time to prove their position as a tier one deck. But the reason why it is such a good deck is because of the broken combos when combined with Gateway of the six. With 2 Gateways on the field, you could summon one six samurai and have enough counters to search for a monster. Repeat this and you suddenly have a field full of monsters. That is why Gateway is fine at 1. The deck is still functional and Shi en is still as powerful of a card. I'm glad i traded my Gateway when it was still $30.
So thats my quick take for the Limited list. I'll post my semi-limited verdict soon!
Limited:Honest
Dandylion
Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow
Book of Moon
Gateway of the Six
Honest has been limited from 2. It seems that with honest at 1 and Kalut the moon shadow at 1 too, konami is trying to aim for a format that emphasizes attack points. With Honest, one could attack with a ryko, knowing that it could get over any monster. While light is not the most supported attribute, it is an amazing support card that could be reused with Monster reborn and Beckoning light. But now that honest is a one man band, if you draw it, you better use it when you need to.
Dandylion was semi-limited back in march 2010. A professional duelist called Jeff Jones saw the synergy that Dandylion had with Debris dragon and Quickdraw Synchron as well as Drill warrior. With that, and a few other powerful cards, he created a tournament winning deck called Quickdraw dandywarrior. One year later, and that deck is dead, but Plant synchro took its place, which abuses dandylion to a much further extent (Mat Collins won YCS Milan with Plant synchro in November). With Debris dragon being so abusable with Dandylion, with the main combo is to summon Black rose dragon and get two tokens, it was limited to one. Konami tried to compromise this change by Semi-limiting Card trooper, which i will talk about when i write the Semi-Limited discussion
Blackwing - Kalut the moon shadow is in the same boat as Honest. It provided any blackwing monster with the attack power it needed to get over any monster. Your opponent uses his resources to summon a big monster with a beefy attack power. But with Kalut at 3, there was no need to worry about being attacked. It could be combined with shura the blue flame to ensure that you always get it's effect to special summon.
Book of moon was the big limit of the banlist. It has been at 3 this format and some people considored it a staple at 3. With its unmatched versatility (Stop attacks, flip a tuner face down to stop a synchro summon, flip your monster down to get past bottomless, flip your ryko face down when its attacked to get its effect again ETC), It is one of the best -1 cards in the game. I feel that the game is better with Book of moon at 1. However, there is now a bigger emphasis on trap stun and royal decree now that most of the backrow cards will be traps. You could run Enemy controller to replace book of moon, but it just does not compare in terms on versatility. Make sure you're running your backrow hate next format!
Lastly there is Gateway of the six. The Legendary Six Samurai have been in the OCG for almost a whole format, so the Six samurai have had enough time to prove their position as a tier one deck. But the reason why it is such a good deck is because of the broken combos when combined with Gateway of the six. With 2 Gateways on the field, you could summon one six samurai and have enough counters to search for a monster. Repeat this and you suddenly have a field full of monsters. That is why Gateway is fine at 1. The deck is still functional and Shi en is still as powerful of a card. I'm glad i traded my Gateway when it was still $30.
So thats my quick take for the Limited list. I'll post my semi-limited verdict soon!
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