Hello everyone. Today I'm presenting a decklist I've been playing around with for a while. I've suddenly taken an interest in D/D/Ds, as they are an explosive combo deck, and will only be getting a lot better. I've gotten most of the basic combos memorized in standalone D/D/Ds, and they are pretty cool. The problem is (right now) the deck can struggle to get 8000 damage on board, sometimes. The player needs as certain amount of resources to do over 8000 damage, and getting them isn't the easiest task right now.
And now enter the Burning Abyss Engine. A good mill or two with Dante can get you the resources to OTK, not to mention already having a monster on board. Doing test-hands with the deck has revealed that most openings can do 8000 damage or more, without too much effort.
Now I will provide my decklist:
1 Tour Guide
3 Speedroid Terrortop
1 Speedroid Taketomborg
1 Cir
1 Graff
1 Alich
1 Calcab
1 Barbar
2 Scarm
3 Farfa
2 D/D Savant Thomas
3 D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok
2 D/D Swirl Slime
3 D/D Necro Slime
3 D/D Savant Kepler
1 Dark Contract with the Swamp King
1 Foolish Burial
2 Pot of Desires
2 Twin Twisters
3 Allure of Darkness
3 Dark Contract with the Gate
3 D/D/D Flame King Genghis
1 D/D/D Oracle King D'Arc
1 D/D/D Wave Oblivion King Caesar Ragnarok
3 Dante
1 Beatrice
1 Super Quantal Mech Beast Grampulse
1 Leviair
1 Phantom Knights of Break Sword
1 Alsei, the Sylvan High Protector
1 Number 38: Hope Harbringer Dragon Titanic Galaxy
Here's how the deck works, at an elementary level: Summon your BA monsters first, make Dante and mill some cards, then made D/D plays. Those plays will depend on what you mill and what's in your hand.
This deck is meant to go second, hence the mained Twin Twisters. In my testing, I lost to floodgate monsters, like Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon and Amorphage Goliath. Sometimes, I had the outs to them, but cost too many cards to deal 8000 damage and I couldn't win. Sometimes, I didn't have any outs at all. Finally, I had games where I could clear them and still had enough resources to win. To make it more smooth, I'd want to throw in some kind of monster removal, rather than relying solely on Farfa and Alich.
Currently, I'm also working on a variant of this deck that can go first, but it seems this deck does so much better going second. However, i'll conclude this post for now. I think D/D/Ds are a good deck, right now, but the BA engine might be perfect for the deck, at least until the new support. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Every Little Detail
Decisions... Life is full of them. What do I want to eat today? Should I go to work today? What do I want to do today? What do I want to say to this person?
Most card games are founded by the decisions of players. In a lot of cases, the plays aren't black and white. What appear to be the smallest decisions can be the most game-changing, and you may not even realize it.
One of my Facebook friends posted an example on Zodiac Duelist. After seeing this, I immediately started thinking about writing this post. Here's the example:
"Suppose you just searched for a Fog Blade via Silent Boots yet you're already holding another Fog Blade in hand.
You don't know what you're going against and you went first. Do you set 1 or 2 Fog Blade?"
I am avoiding the Facebook comments until I finish writing this post. This will act as a good brain exercise; determining all the possible outcomes and suggesting the best play. Here is everything I've come up with:
How explosive are the current decks of the format? Currently, most decks can get through a single Fog Blade, and some can get through two Fog Blades. Keeping that in mind, let's go through the rest of the points:
What else is in your hand? Did you mill a Scarm and add Tour guide to your hand? Do you have a Kaiju in hand, which will replace the opponent's strongest threat next turn? Do you have Maxx "C", to draw cards if the opponent explodes? Consider this: If you have a Dante and a Fog Blade, and the opponent starts going off and you play Maxx "C", one of two things will happen. If the opponent has enough power to blow through a Fog Blade and Dante, to win that turn, Maxx "C" won't be as intimidating. Otherwise, the opponent will stop at the best position possible. If you set two Fog Blades, and activate Maxx "C", the opponent will be more likely to stop.
How did you summon the Dante? You probably used two Phantom Knights, one of them being Silent Boots, because you did search the trap. However, you could've made it with two Burning Abyss monsters, and just milled the Silent Boots. Do you have a Farfa as one of the materials? That could be used as an additional form of defense, and you might be more inclined to only set one Fog Blade.
If you set both Fog Blades, the opponent will automatically assume one of them is Fog Blade, but won't know what the other one is. The opponent will have to play around one Fog Blade, and is going to want to bait out the other set card. You could use this to your advantage.
On the other side, you can choose to only set one of them. Many players would assume it's a Fog Blade, and decide to play around it. However, some players can use this to trick an opponent. That "Fog Blade" could really be a Solemn Warning, getting ready to punish a big play (I think I did this twice at YCS Toronto and it was powerful swing in my favour). Again, this depends on what you have in your hand.
How is spell/trap destruction looking in the format? Right now, it seems to be split between Twin Twisters, and MST/Cosmic Cyclone. On the other hand, some players don't play any of these cards in the main-deck. Unfortunately, this doesn't make the decision any easier. Last format, almost everyone played Twin Twisters if they played a form of main-decked spell/trap generic destruction. This re-enforced the notion of "set 1 card, or 3 cards, so Twin Twisters doesn't completely blow you out". Mathematically, these cards take up very little deck space, so the odds of encountering them isn't the highest. Honestly, if you set both, and the opponent had the Twin Twisters, you'll probably lose. If you set one, and they have a Cosmic Cycle, you'll probably lose.
Don't forget that Fog Blade can summon a Phantom Knight from the graveyard, once per turn. If that Dante milled some Phantom Knights, you could merit from setting two, if both are eliminated: You could activate one in the end phase to summon one, then use the second Fog Blade during your turn to summon a second Phantom Knight. The odds of this situation happening is uncommon, but still a possibility. Alternatively, you could set both, and have them both eliminated, but with only one Phantom Knight in the graveyard. At the end phase, summon that Phantom Knight with Fog Blade. On your turn, you can easily get another Phantom Knight in the graveyard and use that Fog Blade to immediately summon it. This way, you still get full value from both of them being destroyed, or baited out, and you'll have multiple rank 3s on the field.
Now, let's consider some alternate situations:
If you had a Fog Blade in hand, and the only Phantom Knight in the graveyard was Silent Boots, would you want to banish it to search another copy? Doing this might be a horrible decision, as you're one Fog Blade will have nothing to summon, which might end the game.
If you were able to summon Beatrice, would you need to set two Fog Blades, since Beatrice acts as a trap?
With both of these situations, the thought process will be similar in the decision-making process. Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut correct answer that encompasses all possible scenarios. It's one of the reasons why this game can be a lot of fun.
Let's say I opened with a mediocre hand, and had the Dante on board and a Fog Blade in hand, with a Silent Boots in graveyard. What would I do...
If I had multiple traps in my opening hand, I'd personally grab the Fog Blade, set everything, and get my helmet on. Next turn, my Dante will probably survive, and I can continue on. If I only had the Fog Blade, and nothing else in my graveyard, except Silent Boots, it would depend if I had another monster in hand. If so, I wouldn't banish Silent Boots and I'd set the one Fog Blade, so I can make a rank 3 next turn.
There are a lot more possibilities, but i'll leave it at this. Hopefully everyone reading this can truly comprehend the complexity of this game, and how every little play could make or break the game. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.
Most card games are founded by the decisions of players. In a lot of cases, the plays aren't black and white. What appear to be the smallest decisions can be the most game-changing, and you may not even realize it.
One of my Facebook friends posted an example on Zodiac Duelist. After seeing this, I immediately started thinking about writing this post. Here's the example:
"Suppose you just searched for a Fog Blade via Silent Boots yet you're already holding another Fog Blade in hand.
You don't know what you're going against and you went first. Do you set 1 or 2 Fog Blade?"
I am avoiding the Facebook comments until I finish writing this post. This will act as a good brain exercise; determining all the possible outcomes and suggesting the best play. Here is everything I've come up with:
How explosive are the current decks of the format? Currently, most decks can get through a single Fog Blade, and some can get through two Fog Blades. Keeping that in mind, let's go through the rest of the points:
What else is in your hand? Did you mill a Scarm and add Tour guide to your hand? Do you have a Kaiju in hand, which will replace the opponent's strongest threat next turn? Do you have Maxx "C", to draw cards if the opponent explodes? Consider this: If you have a Dante and a Fog Blade, and the opponent starts going off and you play Maxx "C", one of two things will happen. If the opponent has enough power to blow through a Fog Blade and Dante, to win that turn, Maxx "C" won't be as intimidating. Otherwise, the opponent will stop at the best position possible. If you set two Fog Blades, and activate Maxx "C", the opponent will be more likely to stop.
How did you summon the Dante? You probably used two Phantom Knights, one of them being Silent Boots, because you did search the trap. However, you could've made it with two Burning Abyss monsters, and just milled the Silent Boots. Do you have a Farfa as one of the materials? That could be used as an additional form of defense, and you might be more inclined to only set one Fog Blade.
If you set both Fog Blades, the opponent will automatically assume one of them is Fog Blade, but won't know what the other one is. The opponent will have to play around one Fog Blade, and is going to want to bait out the other set card. You could use this to your advantage.
On the other side, you can choose to only set one of them. Many players would assume it's a Fog Blade, and decide to play around it. However, some players can use this to trick an opponent. That "Fog Blade" could really be a Solemn Warning, getting ready to punish a big play (I think I did this twice at YCS Toronto and it was powerful swing in my favour). Again, this depends on what you have in your hand.
How is spell/trap destruction looking in the format? Right now, it seems to be split between Twin Twisters, and MST/Cosmic Cyclone. On the other hand, some players don't play any of these cards in the main-deck. Unfortunately, this doesn't make the decision any easier. Last format, almost everyone played Twin Twisters if they played a form of main-decked spell/trap generic destruction. This re-enforced the notion of "set 1 card, or 3 cards, so Twin Twisters doesn't completely blow you out". Mathematically, these cards take up very little deck space, so the odds of encountering them isn't the highest. Honestly, if you set both, and the opponent had the Twin Twisters, you'll probably lose. If you set one, and they have a Cosmic Cycle, you'll probably lose.
Don't forget that Fog Blade can summon a Phantom Knight from the graveyard, once per turn. If that Dante milled some Phantom Knights, you could merit from setting two, if both are eliminated: You could activate one in the end phase to summon one, then use the second Fog Blade during your turn to summon a second Phantom Knight. The odds of this situation happening is uncommon, but still a possibility. Alternatively, you could set both, and have them both eliminated, but with only one Phantom Knight in the graveyard. At the end phase, summon that Phantom Knight with Fog Blade. On your turn, you can easily get another Phantom Knight in the graveyard and use that Fog Blade to immediately summon it. This way, you still get full value from both of them being destroyed, or baited out, and you'll have multiple rank 3s on the field.
Now, let's consider some alternate situations:
If you had a Fog Blade in hand, and the only Phantom Knight in the graveyard was Silent Boots, would you want to banish it to search another copy? Doing this might be a horrible decision, as you're one Fog Blade will have nothing to summon, which might end the game.
If you were able to summon Beatrice, would you need to set two Fog Blades, since Beatrice acts as a trap?
With both of these situations, the thought process will be similar in the decision-making process. Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut correct answer that encompasses all possible scenarios. It's one of the reasons why this game can be a lot of fun.
Let's say I opened with a mediocre hand, and had the Dante on board and a Fog Blade in hand, with a Silent Boots in graveyard. What would I do...
If I had multiple traps in my opening hand, I'd personally grab the Fog Blade, set everything, and get my helmet on. Next turn, my Dante will probably survive, and I can continue on. If I only had the Fog Blade, and nothing else in my graveyard, except Silent Boots, it would depend if I had another monster in hand. If so, I wouldn't banish Silent Boots and I'd set the one Fog Blade, so I can make a rank 3 next turn.
There are a lot more possibilities, but i'll leave it at this. Hopefully everyone reading this can truly comprehend the complexity of this game, and how every little play could make or break the game. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
The Value of Playtesting and Thoerizing
How can I be the best? What's holding me back? Why can't I get that Regional invite/top/win? Why can't I top a YCS? What am I doing wrong?
Recently, I've been watching and reading interviews with "pro" players, and how they got to achieve the success they obtained. Between most of them is a common theme: They all playtest a lot, and they all theorize a lot. Let's analyze the common trends and discuss them:
1. Many of them play in a couple Local level tournaments every week, as well as playtesting with friends for numerous hours, every week. We're looking at people that consistently test 20-30, maybe 40 hours a week!
2. Many of them are part of a team, or sponsorship. It is easier for them to obtain the cards they need for playtesting, and tournaments. Having a team of trusted people also helps with the playtesting and theorizing.
3. Many of them travel to many different tournaments. Having a team, and going with multiple people, is really helpful from a financial standpoint. It's a lot cheaper to split a hotel room with 6 people than 3 people.
Expanding on the first point:
Most communities have two-three Local tournaments every week. For the competitive players, this gives people with more opportunity to test their ideas against a wider variety of decks. It also gives more opportunity to win prize support, which helps with getting the cards and other accessories to play the game. Local tournaments are a casual, yet serious environment, as people are playing for a prize and looking to experiment with deck ideas.
Don't forget about the extensive hours of playtesting. Some people might read this and think "That is way too much time spent playing a Children's Card Game" or "I don't have that kind of time". Allowing yourself the time for testing is important. You know the saying, "practice makes perfect"? In any game, this statement bears some truth. While I can promise no one will become perfect and win all their matches. practice provides the opportunity to practice your plays and combos, and test deck ideas. Doing this will allow you to be the most prepared for those tournaments: You'll have an idea of what to play, and you'll know the combos and how to play out of certain situations.
In relation to this, many "pro" players don't test against "helmet" decks. In this current format, the obvious "helmet" decks are Qliphorts, Yosenjus, Psy-frames, Paleozoics, and anything else that plays Card of Demise. I believe the reasoning for this is simple: What's the point testing against floodgates? If I'm playing against any of these decks, and they open Anti-Spell Fragrance and it shuts down my hand, what do you learn? Honestly, nothing. Everyone knows what each floodgate does to certain matchups. I understand playing a "helmet" deck once in a while, just to see how it goes. However, this playtesting is better spent with two combo/thought-involved decks going at it.
Expanding on the second point:
I've always said it: It's better to pool everyone's resources together than going solo. If each person had $300 to spend, a team will be able to obtain more than an individual.
In regards to playesting, most people will provide feedback as testing goes on. This feedback and constructive criticism can help so you don't make the same mistakes multiple times, or make the better plays going forward. Bouncing ideas off of your team will also help all of you. Coming up with better ideas and strategies can provide a whole team the edge in any tournament. As well, if someone comes up with a terrible idea, it's better that your team or friends tells you it's terrible, instead of finding out at a Regionals.
Expanding on the third point:
When I had a car, I drove all over the place for tournaments. I attended a bunch of Regionals, one YCS, and other special tournaments. Playing against the same 16 people every week will stop your growth at a certain point, for the most part. Reaching out and playing different faces, and making new acquaintances can assist your growth in the long run. Odds are you'll come across people as serious as you are. You'll battle other players that are hungry for success, and it will bring out your competitive nature and prompt you to play better and better. Each competitive player might have slightly different goals, but it focuses around the same common ground: Topping and winning bigger tournaments.
Reflection:
I've been a competitive player (on and off) for almost 7 years now. What accomplishments do I have: Multiple regional invites, 3 tops, and that's it. Honestly, it's terrible in my opinion. I know that I have grown a lot in that time, but it seems like I've stopped growing. Everything has become restrictive as well. Currently, I do not have a car, which impacts travel by a lot. The money going into the card game has decreased. My community as a whole has decreased. The amount of time I spend playtesting is pitiful, compared to the past, and I never playtested close to 20 hours at any point in my life. Writing this has actually been depressing...
Personally, I will make some changes to the way I do things, because I've been hungry for success more than ever. After losing on the bubble of YCS Toronto, I realize how much I've grown, but how much growth is still required. In the grand scheme of things, I suck at this game, but I want that to change.
For anyone with the same ambitions that I have, you'll get the most out of this post. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.
Recently, I've been watching and reading interviews with "pro" players, and how they got to achieve the success they obtained. Between most of them is a common theme: They all playtest a lot, and they all theorize a lot. Let's analyze the common trends and discuss them:
1. Many of them play in a couple Local level tournaments every week, as well as playtesting with friends for numerous hours, every week. We're looking at people that consistently test 20-30, maybe 40 hours a week!
2. Many of them are part of a team, or sponsorship. It is easier for them to obtain the cards they need for playtesting, and tournaments. Having a team of trusted people also helps with the playtesting and theorizing.
3. Many of them travel to many different tournaments. Having a team, and going with multiple people, is really helpful from a financial standpoint. It's a lot cheaper to split a hotel room with 6 people than 3 people.
Expanding on the first point:
Most communities have two-three Local tournaments every week. For the competitive players, this gives people with more opportunity to test their ideas against a wider variety of decks. It also gives more opportunity to win prize support, which helps with getting the cards and other accessories to play the game. Local tournaments are a casual, yet serious environment, as people are playing for a prize and looking to experiment with deck ideas.
Don't forget about the extensive hours of playtesting. Some people might read this and think "That is way too much time spent playing a Children's Card Game" or "I don't have that kind of time". Allowing yourself the time for testing is important. You know the saying, "practice makes perfect"? In any game, this statement bears some truth. While I can promise no one will become perfect and win all their matches. practice provides the opportunity to practice your plays and combos, and test deck ideas. Doing this will allow you to be the most prepared for those tournaments: You'll have an idea of what to play, and you'll know the combos and how to play out of certain situations.
In relation to this, many "pro" players don't test against "helmet" decks. In this current format, the obvious "helmet" decks are Qliphorts, Yosenjus, Psy-frames, Paleozoics, and anything else that plays Card of Demise. I believe the reasoning for this is simple: What's the point testing against floodgates? If I'm playing against any of these decks, and they open Anti-Spell Fragrance and it shuts down my hand, what do you learn? Honestly, nothing. Everyone knows what each floodgate does to certain matchups. I understand playing a "helmet" deck once in a while, just to see how it goes. However, this playtesting is better spent with two combo/thought-involved decks going at it.
Expanding on the second point:
I've always said it: It's better to pool everyone's resources together than going solo. If each person had $300 to spend, a team will be able to obtain more than an individual.
In regards to playesting, most people will provide feedback as testing goes on. This feedback and constructive criticism can help so you don't make the same mistakes multiple times, or make the better plays going forward. Bouncing ideas off of your team will also help all of you. Coming up with better ideas and strategies can provide a whole team the edge in any tournament. As well, if someone comes up with a terrible idea, it's better that your team or friends tells you it's terrible, instead of finding out at a Regionals.
Expanding on the third point:
When I had a car, I drove all over the place for tournaments. I attended a bunch of Regionals, one YCS, and other special tournaments. Playing against the same 16 people every week will stop your growth at a certain point, for the most part. Reaching out and playing different faces, and making new acquaintances can assist your growth in the long run. Odds are you'll come across people as serious as you are. You'll battle other players that are hungry for success, and it will bring out your competitive nature and prompt you to play better and better. Each competitive player might have slightly different goals, but it focuses around the same common ground: Topping and winning bigger tournaments.
Reflection:
I've been a competitive player (on and off) for almost 7 years now. What accomplishments do I have: Multiple regional invites, 3 tops, and that's it. Honestly, it's terrible in my opinion. I know that I have grown a lot in that time, but it seems like I've stopped growing. Everything has become restrictive as well. Currently, I do not have a car, which impacts travel by a lot. The money going into the card game has decreased. My community as a whole has decreased. The amount of time I spend playtesting is pitiful, compared to the past, and I never playtested close to 20 hours at any point in my life. Writing this has actually been depressing...
Personally, I will make some changes to the way I do things, because I've been hungry for success more than ever. After losing on the bubble of YCS Toronto, I realize how much I've grown, but how much growth is still required. In the grand scheme of things, I suck at this game, but I want that to change.
For anyone with the same ambitions that I have, you'll get the most out of this post. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Locals Report for 9/24/2016 and Metalfoe Deck Analysis
Hey everyone. Today I want to discuss the Metalfoe deck I
played today, at Locals. I’m not going to go too in-depth with my rounds, but I
will be providing my decklist and provide feedback on some of the cards. Today’s
post will benefit those that are trying to play Metalfoes, as well as those
that would like hints on how to beat the deck. Here is the very simplified
version of my matches:
Round 1 vs Empowered Warriors (2-0)
Round 2 vs Burning Abyss (2-0)
Round 3 vs Deskbots (2-0)
Round 4 vs Psy-frames (2-1) *Only lost a game due to facing
Omega and Vanity’s Emptiness, and not drawing answers.
Round 5 vs Burning Abyss (2-0)
We split after that, so things went well. Here is my deck:
3 Metalfoe Steelen
3 Metalfoe Silverd
3 Metalfoe Goldriver
3 Metalfoe Volflame
2 Guiding Ariadne
3 Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow
3 Majespecter Racoon – Bunbuku
1 Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin
1 Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer
1 Metalfoe Fusion
2 Pot of Desires
1 Instant Fusion
2 Painful Decision
1 Upstart Goblin
1 Summoner’s Art
3 Solemn Strike
1 Solemn Warning
2 Mind Over Matter
2 Metalfoe Combination
2 Metalfoe Counter
2 Metalfoe Adamante
2 Metalfoe Orichalc
1 Ultimaya Tzolken
1 Void Ogre Dragon
1 Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer
1 Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn
1 Mecha-Pantom Beast Dracossack
1 Totem Bird
1 The Phantom Knights of Break Sword
1 Number 11: Big Eye
1 Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon
1 Nirvana High Paladin
1 Psy-framelord Omega
Starting with the monsters:
The 12 Metalfoe monsters seemed mandatory. Whenever I had
one of them, it always extended my plays. There was never a point where I wish
I had removed any of them for anything else. Blackwing – Gofu is obviously the
perfect partner for the Metalfoes. I didn’t actually draw it a whole lot, but
when I did, I made a strong board. Eventually, I might cut one of them, but
that is to be determined, since the card feels like a blowout.
The 4 Majespcter monsters were enough, even though I always
ended up having multiple Bunbukus. Kirin really is a great card, whenever I had
it. Originally, I was playing a lot more Majespecter cards, like Fox, Tornado
and Tempest. I hated playing all of these cards, only because there was a lot
of clogging, in this deck. Majespecters are fantastic, in their own deck, if
you want to rely on playing with their traps.
Guiding Ariadne was pretty good today. There were a few
times today I would destroy the same one twice, and search two counter traps.
Even on the games where I only did this once, having the counter trap kept me
in some kind of control. Originally, I was playing 3 of this, but it really clogged.
Right now, I think 2 is the perfect number.
Luster Pendulum was the final monster, and it did a good
job. I never used it to Synchro Summon Ignister, but I did use it to get an
additional Metalfoe, and then I would destroy it and use it a beater. The only
other time it was summoned was when I used Ignister’s effect to summon it.
Honestly, I’d leave it in, since it’s not a terrible card.
Metalfoe Fusion, Upstart Goblin and Summoner’s Art are all staples,
in my opinion. I don’t have anything to say. There was only one point where I
wish I played 2 Fusions… because of the next card choice.
Pot of Desires… Oh man. This card is discussion for a
different day. Sometimes, I would resolve the card and the two cards I drew
allowed me to win that time. Other times, it made me hate life. Every single
time I played the card, I banished Luster Pendulum, Kirin and Metalfoe Fusion
if I didn’t have access to them before I resolved the card. Honestly, I really
don’t know how I feel about it right now, but I never hated the drawing it
provided. I guess Pot of Greed is banned for a reason…
2 Painful Decision was just for consistency. There was only
one time where I had both, and it was too late into the game to do anything.
Finally, the one Instant Fusion is just an additional extender. I think I drew
it once, but it put me into a good position.
In regards to traps, the 4 Solemn traps were fantastic. In
addition to the counter traps, I decided to play 2 Mind Over Matter. For those
who does not know, you tribute a psychic monster and negate a normal/special
summon, or spell and trap activation. These cards were also pretty good, as it
allowed me to play a little more aggressively, with no fear of Solemn Strike,
Warning, and Majespecter’s Tempest. Of course, I made sure I had a Metalfoe on
the field before going crazy. I played this because I wanted answers to Spells
and Traps, and that’s what I did. It was a fun experience, but I could see
myself cutting the Ariadnes and Mind over Matters, and potentially more
Solemns, for the sake of playtesting other things.
I enjoyed playing 2 Counter and 2 Combination. A lot of
people dislike Combination, but I kept putting it to work to search my scales,
and summon Metalfoes from the graveyard when I fusion summon. Counter is
definitely better, right now, in most Metalfoe variants. I’ll probably end up
cutting one Combination, but not both.
In the extra deck, I did not summon Big Eye, Crystal Wing,
Omega or Nirvana. I went through 2-4 of the Fusions during most of my games,
because I wanted to keep recycling Fusion, as much as possible. Tzolken is
mandatory, and I enjoyed summoning Ignister, Void Ogre, and Michael, depending
on the situation. In testing, I also summon Crystal Wing quite a bit, but it
just never came up. I used Dracossack once, and it let me destroy two backrows
which needed to go. I made Totem Bird twice so I could secure my win against
one backrow. I made Break Sword once, and I wouldn’t have beat Psyframes if I
didn’t have access to this card to pick off two traps. Dracossack was the other
option, but thanks to Desires, I had no way to summon it.
And there you have it. This deck list will be changing, for
the sake of playtesting, to see what I like better. I have 6 different variants
ready to test, and this isn’t including the new support in the Invasion of
Venom set. Let me know what you all think, and thanks for reading.
A Brilliant Draco Engine
Hey everyone. I wanted to share an awesome Draco Pendulum
engine that I’ve found to accomplish great heights, and here it is:
3 Brilliant Fusion
2 Gem-Knight Lazuli
1 Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer
3 Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer
2 Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord
1 Lector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord
1 Draco Face-Off
Here’s the basic combo: Activate Brilliant Fusion and send
Lazuli and Master Pendulum to summon Gem-Knight Seraphinite. Lazuli will
activate in the graveyard to add Master Pendulum to hand.
That’s really it… The applications this combo provides are
extensive, and numerous. You now have two
normal summons. You can do whatever you want with that Master Pendulum.
This invites you to play rank 5s, and implement the Draco engine into any
pendulum deck.
What if you had a Metalfoe monster in the graveyard, that
you want in your hand? You can activate Brilliant Fusion, and use the Lazuli to
add the Metalfoe to your hand. This will continue any combo you wish to pursue.
I’ll end the post here, as I don’t think I need to provide
all of my ideas. Part of learning is discovering the truth on your own. Happy
experimenting!
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Locals Report for 09/17/2016
Today, a very small local tournament was held... 8 players. So we played 3 rounds, and store credit was split among the top 3 players. I decided to play my Blue-Eyes deck, because it's just so much fun. Here's what happened:
Round 1 vs Josh (Qliphort)
Game 1 he didn't open anything amazing, and I proceeded to make a really strong board to win the game with. Game 2 he kept me stalled with Lose 1 Turn. On his next turn, I destroyed it and his Scout with Twin Twisters, after he payed 800, and I destroyed another scale and trap with another Twin Twisters. I managed to make a decent board on my turn, and do some damage. Then he drew Pot of Riches, shuffled the Scout and two others back, and drew Scout and was able to beat my board. I won next turn with Raigeki and a Return of the Dragon Lords.
1-0
Round 2 vs Blake (Majespecters)
Game 1 I went first and made a strong board he wasn't able to surpass. Game 2 he didn't start strong, but my only play was summoning Amorphage Goliath, with a Return of the Dragon Lords for some protection. Eventually, he got rid of it, and I didn't have the cards to continue playing, and he setup an impressive board. Game 3 we eventually went into time. However, he didn't have too many traps, so I was able to deal a lot of damage early on, and eventually he scooped when he drew a Solemn Strike.
2-0
Round 3 vs Randy (Evilswarm)
Thankfully I went first, and made a really strong board, and he scooped. Game 2 he started with Steelswarm Roach, because he didn't have two Evilswarm monsters. However, he had the Pandemic to protect it from Raigeki, since it works on "lswarm" monsters. It took two turns for me to get a dragon to the graveyard, to summon with Return and kill the Roach. By that point, I was too low in life points, and he drew Rescue Rabbit and made Utopia the Lightning for game. Game 3 I bricked... Yeah... I set a Stone of Ancients and passed. He summoned Ophion and attacked it, and he had another Evilswarm monster on the field as well. On my turn I set a White Stone of Legend and passed. He summoned another Ophion and did some attacking. On my next turn, I played Soul Charge to summon my two Stones, then tribute summoned for Goliath. For the entire game, he never drew an answer for it, as I had Twin Twisters to control any traps he drew. Eventually I cleared the Ophions, and I summoned some more dragons, and eventually beat him down to death. This match was honestly too close for comfort.
3-0
So that's it for the tournament report. Besides some trading, nothing else really happened. Hopefully you enjoyed this really short tournament report!
Round 1 vs Josh (Qliphort)
Game 1 he didn't open anything amazing, and I proceeded to make a really strong board to win the game with. Game 2 he kept me stalled with Lose 1 Turn. On his next turn, I destroyed it and his Scout with Twin Twisters, after he payed 800, and I destroyed another scale and trap with another Twin Twisters. I managed to make a decent board on my turn, and do some damage. Then he drew Pot of Riches, shuffled the Scout and two others back, and drew Scout and was able to beat my board. I won next turn with Raigeki and a Return of the Dragon Lords.
1-0
Round 2 vs Blake (Majespecters)
Game 1 I went first and made a strong board he wasn't able to surpass. Game 2 he didn't start strong, but my only play was summoning Amorphage Goliath, with a Return of the Dragon Lords for some protection. Eventually, he got rid of it, and I didn't have the cards to continue playing, and he setup an impressive board. Game 3 we eventually went into time. However, he didn't have too many traps, so I was able to deal a lot of damage early on, and eventually he scooped when he drew a Solemn Strike.
2-0
Round 3 vs Randy (Evilswarm)
Thankfully I went first, and made a really strong board, and he scooped. Game 2 he started with Steelswarm Roach, because he didn't have two Evilswarm monsters. However, he had the Pandemic to protect it from Raigeki, since it works on "lswarm" monsters. It took two turns for me to get a dragon to the graveyard, to summon with Return and kill the Roach. By that point, I was too low in life points, and he drew Rescue Rabbit and made Utopia the Lightning for game. Game 3 I bricked... Yeah... I set a Stone of Ancients and passed. He summoned Ophion and attacked it, and he had another Evilswarm monster on the field as well. On my turn I set a White Stone of Legend and passed. He summoned another Ophion and did some attacking. On my next turn, I played Soul Charge to summon my two Stones, then tribute summoned for Goliath. For the entire game, he never drew an answer for it, as I had Twin Twisters to control any traps he drew. Eventually I cleared the Ophions, and I summoned some more dragons, and eventually beat him down to death. This match was honestly too close for comfort.
3-0
So that's it for the tournament report. Besides some trading, nothing else really happened. Hopefully you enjoyed this really short tournament report!
Friday, September 16, 2016
A Short Post About Resource Management
It's been a busy week at work, but it did get me thinking about the topic of today's quick post... Resource Management.
Every time I go to a card tournament, I always see people using cards unnecessarily. Why waste cards when you don't need to? Why waste Dark Hole or Raigeki when you have other ways to clear a board of monsters? Why waste your Veiler on the first thing you see, when that monster isn't the best one to negate? Those are common examples of what I'm talking about, and below is some more food for thought.
Limted cards... Once they're gone, they're gone, unless they are recovered. A lot of these cards are power cards. Once eliminated, it lets the other player make different plays. (If you use Warning or Strike on a Kirin, you become in a really good position against that Pendulum deck.)
Faster decks tend to burn through their cards faster. When playing the Monarch mirror match, if you managed your resources, and made your opponent run out, you probably ended up winning. Back in the day, the Nekroz mirror match was another prime example of keeping as many resources as possible. If you're playing a Helmet mirror match, traps are really important, and wasting your traps on the first thing you see can cause you to lose.
So here's the pro-tip: Think about what you play, before you use it up. Your deck is a utility belt of resources, and you need to make the most effective use of a resource. Before you use something, think about it: Do I need to play this card right now? Is there a better card to play right now? Can I wait to use this card until later?
That's all for today. Just a little post to help your game improve. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!
Every time I go to a card tournament, I always see people using cards unnecessarily. Why waste cards when you don't need to? Why waste Dark Hole or Raigeki when you have other ways to clear a board of monsters? Why waste your Veiler on the first thing you see, when that monster isn't the best one to negate? Those are common examples of what I'm talking about, and below is some more food for thought.
Limted cards... Once they're gone, they're gone, unless they are recovered. A lot of these cards are power cards. Once eliminated, it lets the other player make different plays. (If you use Warning or Strike on a Kirin, you become in a really good position against that Pendulum deck.)
Faster decks tend to burn through their cards faster. When playing the Monarch mirror match, if you managed your resources, and made your opponent run out, you probably ended up winning. Back in the day, the Nekroz mirror match was another prime example of keeping as many resources as possible. If you're playing a Helmet mirror match, traps are really important, and wasting your traps on the first thing you see can cause you to lose.
So here's the pro-tip: Think about what you play, before you use it up. Your deck is a utility belt of resources, and you need to make the most effective use of a resource. Before you use something, think about it: Do I need to play this card right now? Is there a better card to play right now? Can I wait to use this card until later?
That's all for today. Just a little post to help your game improve. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!
Monday, September 12, 2016
Snorlax GX - The Deck!
When Snorlax GX was first revealed, I immediately knew that the best partner for it is the Hypno in Breakpoint. For those of you that do not know what these card do, here they are:
Hypno will put Snorlax to sleep, then you can use its Reverberating Snore (5 energy, 180 damage) which can be used only when asleep. This will knock out most strong basic Pokemon, making it fantastic.
Unfortunately, the Internet also came up with this idea. I was considering blogging about this idea when the card was first revealed, just so I could be the first. Moving on, I've searched the Internet, and I have not found anyone draft any decklists for this idea. I will be the first, and here it is:
2 Snorlax GX
2 Solgaleo GX
2 Darkrai EX (Breakpoint)
1 Yveltal EX
2 Shaymin EX
1 Yveltal (XY Base Set)
2 Drowsee (Breakpoint)
2 Hypno (Breakpoint)
4 Professor Sycamore
2 N
1 Lysandre
1 Hex Maniac
1 Pokemon Ranger
4 Max Elixir
4 Ultra Ball
4 Puzzle of Time
4 Trainer's Mail
3 VS Seeker
3 Fighting Fury Belt
1 Super Rod
1 Level Ball
2 Parallel City
7 Dark Energy
4 Double Colorless Energy
Snorlax GX is the main attacker, but needs Hypno to get going. Darkrai EX is the other main attacker. Dark head does 160 damage for 3 energy, if the opponent's active Pokemon is asleep. Again, this is where Hypno comes in. Solgaleo EX is there for its ability, Ultra Road. You can switch your active Pokemon with one of your benched Pokemon, once per turn. If you don't have Snorlax ready to go, after you use Hypno's ability, just switch whatever your active Pokemon is with Darkrai EX, and start attacking. Additionally, if the energy requirements for Sol Burst are achievable, this will be a great help to the deck.
The rest of the Pokemon have their specific purposes. Yveltal EX is the attacker if you need it. Yveltal is there for energy acceleration. Shaymin EX is there to draw cards. Finally, Drowsee is there to evolve into Hypno.
The Supporters are really straight-forward: Sycamore and N let you draw cards, with N providing late-game assistance, if necessary. Lysandre is to get any knockout that's required. Hex Maniac should be used after you use your Pokemon Powers (Hypno and Solgaleo GX), then your opponent can't use powers. Finally, Pokemon Ranger is there to stop annoying things, like Jolteon EX for example.
Max Elixir is the energy acceleration that's needed in this deck. It also lets you play the Dark Pulse route of Darkrai EX, if necessary. Ultra Ball, Trainers' Mail and VS Seekers are all staple. Puzzle of Time is a card I think would fit well, as getting any two resources in the late-game would be amazing. Fighting Fury Belt gives Snorlax GX extra power and HP. With this, it can knock out Zygarde EX and an opposing Snorlax GX. Super Rod is there for recovery of resources. Level Ball searches Drowsee or Hypno.
Parallel City is my stadium of choice, as this deck will have an upfill fight against Mega Rayquaza. I didn't find any other stadium I liked, so I included this one. It also lets you participate in stadium wars with your opponent, as sometimes, the opponent will need their stadium
That's all for this list. I'm sure it will be edited in the future. All I wanted to do was get this out there, and get people thinking about. I'm hoping we get Snorlax GX soon...
Hypno will put Snorlax to sleep, then you can use its Reverberating Snore (5 energy, 180 damage) which can be used only when asleep. This will knock out most strong basic Pokemon, making it fantastic.
Unfortunately, the Internet also came up with this idea. I was considering blogging about this idea when the card was first revealed, just so I could be the first. Moving on, I've searched the Internet, and I have not found anyone draft any decklists for this idea. I will be the first, and here it is:
2 Snorlax GX
2 Solgaleo GX
2 Darkrai EX (Breakpoint)
1 Yveltal EX
2 Shaymin EX
1 Yveltal (XY Base Set)
2 Drowsee (Breakpoint)
2 Hypno (Breakpoint)
4 Professor Sycamore
2 N
1 Lysandre
1 Hex Maniac
1 Pokemon Ranger
4 Max Elixir
4 Ultra Ball
4 Puzzle of Time
4 Trainer's Mail
3 VS Seeker
3 Fighting Fury Belt
1 Super Rod
1 Level Ball
2 Parallel City
7 Dark Energy
4 Double Colorless Energy
Snorlax GX is the main attacker, but needs Hypno to get going. Darkrai EX is the other main attacker. Dark head does 160 damage for 3 energy, if the opponent's active Pokemon is asleep. Again, this is where Hypno comes in. Solgaleo EX is there for its ability, Ultra Road. You can switch your active Pokemon with one of your benched Pokemon, once per turn. If you don't have Snorlax ready to go, after you use Hypno's ability, just switch whatever your active Pokemon is with Darkrai EX, and start attacking. Additionally, if the energy requirements for Sol Burst are achievable, this will be a great help to the deck.
The rest of the Pokemon have their specific purposes. Yveltal EX is the attacker if you need it. Yveltal is there for energy acceleration. Shaymin EX is there to draw cards. Finally, Drowsee is there to evolve into Hypno.
The Supporters are really straight-forward: Sycamore and N let you draw cards, with N providing late-game assistance, if necessary. Lysandre is to get any knockout that's required. Hex Maniac should be used after you use your Pokemon Powers (Hypno and Solgaleo GX), then your opponent can't use powers. Finally, Pokemon Ranger is there to stop annoying things, like Jolteon EX for example.
Max Elixir is the energy acceleration that's needed in this deck. It also lets you play the Dark Pulse route of Darkrai EX, if necessary. Ultra Ball, Trainers' Mail and VS Seekers are all staple. Puzzle of Time is a card I think would fit well, as getting any two resources in the late-game would be amazing. Fighting Fury Belt gives Snorlax GX extra power and HP. With this, it can knock out Zygarde EX and an opposing Snorlax GX. Super Rod is there for recovery of resources. Level Ball searches Drowsee or Hypno.
Parallel City is my stadium of choice, as this deck will have an upfill fight against Mega Rayquaza. I didn't find any other stadium I liked, so I included this one. It also lets you participate in stadium wars with your opponent, as sometimes, the opponent will need their stadium
That's all for this list. I'm sure it will be edited in the future. All I wanted to do was get this out there, and get people thinking about. I'm hoping we get Snorlax GX soon...
Sunday, September 11, 2016
I'm Back... For the Moment... 9/10/2016 Local Report
Hey everyone,
I stopped blogging on here because I quit 7 months ago. I decided to come back into the game, for some unknown reason, before YCS Toronto. I had a month to prepare, and most of the month was spent getting a decent collection going. Then I played at YCS Toronto, made it to round 10, and lost on the bubble to uncontrollable things... It's really disheartening, but life happens.
At my Local's last week, I played Blue-Eyes and went undefeated. Yesterday, my brain wasn't functioning at full capacity, so I decided to play my girlfriend's Yosenju deck. I put in some cards to make it better, like Solemn Strikes, and Floodgate Trap Holes, and Card of Demise...
Round 1: Damian, someone brand new to the scene (Blue-Eyes)
I won game 1 in a few turns, due to overwhelming trap cards, and having enough Yosenjus to actually win at a decent phase. Game 2 took a while, and was a lot more interesting. I had him locked down with Rivarly of Warlords, for the whole game (he never drew an answer to it). I would've run a lot sooner, but he had a Mirror Force when I had a few couple monsters. I couldn't draw another monster for a while, and he was just beating me down slowly with a weak spellcaster. Eventually, I drew a monster, and then I won a few turns later.
1-0
Round 2: Ian (Kaijus)
The match took about 7 minutes. He was playing Fire and Ice Hands, that I could answer without them using their effects. I had a few Yosenjus both games. He could never get off any cool Kaiju plays, because Yosenjus are just that great.
2-0
Round 3: Blake (Performapal Majespecter)
Game 1 he had an amazing hand, but I went first and had Anti-Spell Fragrance, so he lost. Game 2, I dealt with his first-turn play, then he spent some time beating me down with some weak monsters. Eventually, I had the monsters to beat his poking, and Majespecter Tornado only hits one card, not several Yosenjus. Also, Pendulum Hole was amazing during Game 2. I resolved it twice, and it put in work. To be fair, Solemn Strike or Warning would've been equally amazing.
3-0
Round 4: Josh (Qliphort)
Game 1, he started with a Scout, payed 800 for a Helix. He summoned it, equipped Saqlifice, set a trap and passed. I bounced it back with Kama 1, and started the beatdown. I think I had Anti-Spell to prevent him from completing his other scale, but I don't clearly remember. I know I won a few turns after that awesome turn one play (it wasn't really that awesome...). Game 2 he summoned Helix, played Necrovalley, and set 3 cards. I honestly don't remember this one, but I won, somehow.
4-0
Top 4 was myself, Josh, Blake and Randy (Evilswarms). We decided to split for Top 4, but I played Randy in a fun match. Our game 1 was a lot of draw and pass, draw and pass. Eventually he ran out of answers for the monsters, as I drew them, while I kept having answers for his monsters. Game 2 he didn't open great, but on his second turn, he tried to Full House me, and I responsed with Starlight Road (yeah, I played that card... specifically for Twin Twister, but if the shoe fits...). I won almost immediately after,
It was enjoyable playing a deck, wearing a helmet (literally, I wore a helmet for the tournament) and just sitting back and relaxing, not having to use my brain in the slightest. In reality, I hate these kind of decks, but I really didn't feel like playing anything with a high enough though ceiling.
Anyway, I'm probably going to continue this blog, and post every day or two. I have lots of ideas for this card game, and the Pokemon TCG, that I want to write somewhere and be provided with feedback. Of course, I'm open to any content suggestions, questions, or anything else. Don't forget, the main purpose of this blog is to help everyone else.
Have an awesome day!
I stopped blogging on here because I quit 7 months ago. I decided to come back into the game, for some unknown reason, before YCS Toronto. I had a month to prepare, and most of the month was spent getting a decent collection going. Then I played at YCS Toronto, made it to round 10, and lost on the bubble to uncontrollable things... It's really disheartening, but life happens.
At my Local's last week, I played Blue-Eyes and went undefeated. Yesterday, my brain wasn't functioning at full capacity, so I decided to play my girlfriend's Yosenju deck. I put in some cards to make it better, like Solemn Strikes, and Floodgate Trap Holes, and Card of Demise...
Round 1: Damian, someone brand new to the scene (Blue-Eyes)
I won game 1 in a few turns, due to overwhelming trap cards, and having enough Yosenjus to actually win at a decent phase. Game 2 took a while, and was a lot more interesting. I had him locked down with Rivarly of Warlords, for the whole game (he never drew an answer to it). I would've run a lot sooner, but he had a Mirror Force when I had a few couple monsters. I couldn't draw another monster for a while, and he was just beating me down slowly with a weak spellcaster. Eventually, I drew a monster, and then I won a few turns later.
1-0
Round 2: Ian (Kaijus)
The match took about 7 minutes. He was playing Fire and Ice Hands, that I could answer without them using their effects. I had a few Yosenjus both games. He could never get off any cool Kaiju plays, because Yosenjus are just that great.
2-0
Round 3: Blake (Performapal Majespecter)
Game 1 he had an amazing hand, but I went first and had Anti-Spell Fragrance, so he lost. Game 2, I dealt with his first-turn play, then he spent some time beating me down with some weak monsters. Eventually, I had the monsters to beat his poking, and Majespecter Tornado only hits one card, not several Yosenjus. Also, Pendulum Hole was amazing during Game 2. I resolved it twice, and it put in work. To be fair, Solemn Strike or Warning would've been equally amazing.
3-0
Round 4: Josh (Qliphort)
Game 1, he started with a Scout, payed 800 for a Helix. He summoned it, equipped Saqlifice, set a trap and passed. I bounced it back with Kama 1, and started the beatdown. I think I had Anti-Spell to prevent him from completing his other scale, but I don't clearly remember. I know I won a few turns after that awesome turn one play (it wasn't really that awesome...). Game 2 he summoned Helix, played Necrovalley, and set 3 cards. I honestly don't remember this one, but I won, somehow.
4-0
Top 4 was myself, Josh, Blake and Randy (Evilswarms). We decided to split for Top 4, but I played Randy in a fun match. Our game 1 was a lot of draw and pass, draw and pass. Eventually he ran out of answers for the monsters, as I drew them, while I kept having answers for his monsters. Game 2 he didn't open great, but on his second turn, he tried to Full House me, and I responsed with Starlight Road (yeah, I played that card... specifically for Twin Twister, but if the shoe fits...). I won almost immediately after,
It was enjoyable playing a deck, wearing a helmet (literally, I wore a helmet for the tournament) and just sitting back and relaxing, not having to use my brain in the slightest. In reality, I hate these kind of decks, but I really didn't feel like playing anything with a high enough though ceiling.
Anyway, I'm probably going to continue this blog, and post every day or two. I have lots of ideas for this card game, and the Pokemon TCG, that I want to write somewhere and be provided with feedback. Of course, I'm open to any content suggestions, questions, or anything else. Don't forget, the main purpose of this blog is to help everyone else.
Have an awesome day!
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