YCS Skill Drain Heroes-Taking a look

Hi guys Michael here to provide you all with my Analysis of the top 4 Skill Drain Heroes deck from YCS Long Beach.

So YCS Long Beach was won by Darkworlds as I am sure you all know by now. The top 4 was perhaps one of the most varied top 4 I have seen in a long time, with Darkworld Heroes and Chaos Piper builds joining Dino Rabbit in the top 4.

Here is Joesph Giorlando's Skill Drain Heroes deck

3 Elemental HERO Neos Alius
2 Beast King Barbaros
2 Thunder King Rai-Oh
1 Elemental HERO Stratos
1 Crusader of Endymion

3 Miracle Fusion
3 Gemini Spark
3 Pot of  Duality
2 E-Emergency Call
1 Book of Moon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Dark Hole
1 Monster Reborn
1 Reinforcements of the Army

2 Skill Drain
2 Solemn Warning
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Dark Bribe
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Hero Blast
1 Mirror Force
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Starlight Road
Side
3 Snowman Eater
2 Maxx C
2 Forbidden Chalice
2 Smashing Ground
2 Super Polymerization
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
2 Shadow Imprisoning Mirror

Extra
3 Elemental HERO The Shining
2 Elemental HERO Zero
2 Elemental HERO Nova Master
1 Elemental HERO Great Tornado
1 Elemental HERO Gaia
1 Wind-up Zenmaines
1 Number 30: Acid Golemn of Destruction
1 Blade Armor Ninja
1 Number c39: Utopia Ray
1 Number 39: Utopia
1 Stardust Dragon

This deck is perhaps of the most interesting builds I have seen, with some interesting ideas and amazing deck choices. On the other hand the deck is lacking certain things that i feel keep Joesph from the top spot, however first things i will explain the choices he made that i liked.

1. Beast King Barbaros
This makes me very nostalgic for the days of Little City, one of the first Hero decks to run skill drain. Barbaros was a staple in this deck because of his 3000 attack in a deck that also ran 3 2100 attackers in Elemental HERO Captain Gold. Over all a solid choice since Skill Drain is shutting down Dino Rabbit and Inzektors making it hard for your opponent to easily produce a monster that can match Barbaros in attack power.

2. Skill Drain
I myself side deck Skill Drain, but i also play in a smaller meta. In a big tournament Skill Drain will win you games as it will shut down your opponents effects while in this deck not hurting any of yours as your only monsters effect you need is Stratos, I myself will be testing Skill Drain in the main board heading into the Montreal Regional April 21.

3. Forbidden Chalice
I myself had completely forgotten this card was even out as i find Lance tends to overshadow it. Chalice is a nice one turn Skill Drain if you didn't draw 1 and also serves as attack increase for your 1900 monsters allowing them to run over some bigger threats.

4. No Effect Veiler
This may seem odd to most but i am actually a fan of the lack of this hand trap in the deck. Veiler is not necessary in a Skill Drain build at all as your Skill drains will already be doing Veiler's job. Not having to run this in the deck gave Giorlando open spots for more protection cards like Dimensional Prison.

Now as much as i myself liked these choices, there are a few things in this deck that i really don't like at all.

1. No Main Deck Super Polymerization
Mario and I were discussing this alot today and neither one of us could think of a reason not to run this card. I can see that's it kind of a dead draw against dark based decks like Darkworld and Inzektors, its amazing against the Dino Rabbit match up. Against Dino Rabbits you one hundred percent need that first game win, its crucial as the deck will explode on you in game 2, then leaving you the first turn going into game 3. Super Poly helps you net that first game win by removing your opponents Dolkka/Laggia from the field with ease.

2. No Main Deck Mystical Space Typhoon
This seemed like a odd choice to me as it severely limited the ability to make a big rush. Spell and Trap destruction is a big thing in this game and i don't see having 1 lone Heavy Storm in this deck is gonna allow you to make those big rushes. Plus Mystical Space Typhoon cant be negated with Starlight Road a card that has spiked in play in a format with Dark Hole, Heavy Storm, Mirror Force and two Torrential Tributes.

3. Crusader of Endymion over Evocator Chevalier
This is really just a matter of being able to Miracle Fusion Nova Master. Evocator and Crusader are both 1900 attackers and the decks not running Honest so in my opinion there isn't a reason to run Crusader over Evocator.

The HERO deck is a deck that's on the rise as its capable of turning your opponents move against them with Super Poly and Control the field with cards like Heroes Blast and Gemini Spark. This deck even though its not running some good main deck cards is a example of just how potent the HERO archetype can be and when the dark attribute hero fusion is released hopefully this summer the deck is gonna join Inzektor,Wind-Up and Dino Rabbit in tier 1.