Triumvirate And The Devil

Lately the September banned list has been getting a lot of attention. With opinions from various perspective there is bound to be disagreement and argument. However, it is certainly not a negative thing to know and hear that more people are beginning to have their own idea and perception on how the game should progression. Ideals are meant to stay as ideals and yet again there is nothing personal to it unless it is made personal. Though this is not what we are here to talk about today. Upon the banning of Reborn Tengu, many have speculated that Tour Guide From the Underworld would be hit considering the damage it has done in the TCG community. Despite the OCG not having received the card itself yet. I understand there is a probability of it happening and I am taking a neutral stance as I always have even though I have my own perspective on how the transformation should take place. A revolution needs to have a cause, an ideal that is beneficial to everyone. At least, that is what I think.

Getting into today’s topic, Tour Guide being one of the most broken cards ever existed in the open era of Yugioh it has been accepted involuntarily and indirectly as one of those cards that will define the Meta for a long time. Similar to the old timers, for example, Sangan, Dark Armed Dragon and Stardust Dragon, Tour Guide has definitely found its way almost immediately as one of the sole-driver of the game. May it be in a negative or positive outlook I believe Tour Guide should not be hit in the upcoming banned list. Now many have stated the commercial reason behind this choice, which is one of the many truths, TGU has the ability to unlock many new possibilities and at the same time revive what was once forgotten. This one card is capable of becoming the backbone of a variety of decks and old decks deserve to be given a second chance to once again debut in the competitive scene. It is an engine by itself. Now I know many will disagree with what I am proposing but let’s take a minute to reconsider, is TGU the only card causing problems in the game or should I say the main culprit?

Again, it is not an unstoppable card. The existence of balancers such as Effect Veiler, Herald of Orange Light, Solemn Warning, Skill Drain and more helps to neutralize or prevent the damage from being done when necessary. So, what is the problem? In my opinion, the problem is there are currently too many cards that need to be countered but the game lacks proper means to keep all of them within reach. Top-decking situations, opening hand situations and such. Does that mean Konami should be making more of what I call stabilizer cards? That is, of course, a valid solution but what they really need to be paying attention to is not producing more cards but to learn which are the ones bringing “broken” to a whole new level. Having the privilege to befriend many good players, we have discussed enough to come to an agreement that in TGU’s case, Sangan is the one that needs to go. Why? Banning Sangan cuts down almost half of TGU’s capabilities to continue making broken decks even more imbalanced, I know it sounds half-ass. 

See, the problem right now is the existence of too many power cards that are truly power cards. I am much aware of the fact that the game needs a universal search card to function properly. But Sangan is no longer just a “universal search”. There are much worst power cards that needs to be given the banned list treatment compared to Tour Guide, in my opinion. In the eyes of Inzektors and Dino Rabbits, Sangan is a poison strong enough to inflict lethal injuries. That is why Sangan is the card that should be banned to give space for different plays and tactics to emerge. With that, no player will be able to go first turn Tour Guide and sit with them forcing the opposition into a Zugzwang. Take out Sangan from the picture players are forced to incorporate other Level 3 Fiends into their deck to solidify TGU’s function and position in one’s deck. The result might seem the same as you still get to thin out your deck or top-deck it to change your position in the game but at the very least one does not have to submit to a position whereby it is a disadvantage no matter what move or play he or she makes. In a way, it is a form of creativity and innovation. Not only that, with Sangan out of the picture, TGU because another support card similar to the likes of Junk Synchron or The Agent of Creation-Venus. That also means we are slowing down a number of dominant decks that is controlling the flow of the competitive scene. 

All and all, Tour Guide is still a necessary piece to ensure the game evolves further. I agree that it should not exists in the game but at the moment such cards are needed to make sure the state of the game continues to move forward in order to utilize or to counter such cards. Yugioh has come to a point where we as players can never escape from the reality that a triangle of Meta decks will come into existence no matter how the banned list functions. It is not a newborn game instead a game that has tasted the reality of needs. Having said that, some power cards can no longer be allowed to be played and that does not mean steps cannot be taken to keep the game in a healthy mood. So to say, one banned list cannot solve every problem. It is a wiser decision to solve one problem at a time and observe what happens in the meantime to reconsider options that should and can be taken. But that is a topic for another day. I hope this article has not caused any misunderstanding and if it has, I apologize. I am merely sharing what I have in mind. We have come to the end of today’s topic and hopefully it has given you something to think about. Thank you for reading!