Rolling With The Top Dogs, 15

We are back with another segment of Rolling with the Top Dogs. For the next coming weeks, i will dedicate this segment into introducing a few of this year's World Championships participants. If everything goes well, you might be able to see all of them here. This is to all my readers that have been requesting for this duelist to appear. One of Oceania’s Worlds representative and coming all the way from New Zealand, Oliver Parle! Let see what today’s guest has to offer and I hope readers enjoy this one. Let’s start!

OLIVER PARLE

Notable Achievements:

1^st Oceania WCQ 2012

3^rd Oceania WCQ 2011

2^nd New Zealand National Championship 2011

(+ a fair amount of tops/wins in things like regionals and cash tournaments etc.)

1.Let's start of by introducing yourself. Please tell us a little bit of who you are.

I’m Oliver Parle, I’m 17 and from New Zealand.

2.Before going into serious business. Do you've a favourite deck, which deck(s) is it?

My favourite deck of all time is probably Strike Ninja, back when it ran 3 Don Zaloog 3 Creature Swap 3 Mystic Tomato etc. I really wish that deck would come back, but the format is way too fast for it now.

3.This is a 'lil something everyone wants to know. Are there any YGO cards you especially like? I mean, favourite card(s).

I collect Sonic Duck, I have about 150 of them. Others would be Strike Ninja and Frost and Flame Dragon.

4.First of all, congratulations for qualifying as New Zealand (Oceania)’s representative in the upcoming World Championships. How do you feel about it and in your opinion how do you think the Meta will be like in Worlds?

I’m expecting a lot of Inzektor and then a bunch of random decks like Dark World, Six Samurai etc. There’s also the chance that Final Countdown will be big, even though the rounds are 60 minutes long which makes it significantly harder to win in time.

5.Okay, going into business. How long have you been playing YGO and what is your personal opinion on the state of the game right now?

I’ve played on and off since 2006, and currently I think the state of the game is pretty bad. Since last years’ plant format (which is one of the best formats I’ve ever played in) it seems to have gone downhill. Every deck has a ridiculously unfair power play, and there are more cards than usual that shouldn’t exist/need to be hit. One Day of Peace and Future Fusion would be at the top of that list.

6.Apart from improving skills, being competitive means understanding the current situation of the format. What do you think of the format as of now and how is the Meta in your country performing at the moment?

The format is interesting because there are four main decks to prepare for (Chaos Dragon, Rabbit, Wind-Up and Inzektor), but they all do something completely different. I think big part of this format is knowing how to play against all four, and knowing them all inside out. This is important in every format but I think the variety in the top decks makes it even more so now.

7.What deck are you running at the moment and how is it performing in the format, in your opinion? And, just out of curiosity, why do you choose that deck as your weapon of choice?

At the moment I’m testing for Worlds format, which has no Tour Guide, Dolkka, Wind-Up Rabbit/Shark etc. I don’t think I’ve played a game where either player used Tour Guide in about 3 weeks. But testing for Worlds format pretty much means testing every possible deck and making a decision, so I don’t have a main deck at the moment. If I wasn’t testing for Worlds I would probably run Chaos Dragon or Wind-Up because I think those are the two best decks. Chaos Dragon mostly because the Lightsworn engine gives it natural answers to a lot of problem cards with Rykos and Lylas.

8.This is a personal interest of mine. Do you think TCG exclusives are capable of making an impact in the OCG competitive scene by the time they arrive? Will they be positive or negative changes?

I think Tour Guide will definitely make an impact when they get it if it isn’t limited/semi-limited by then. They’re probably better off without it though, a one-card Xyz toolbox is pretty bad for the game.

9.YGO is serious business nowadays. Are there any specific preparation taken by you to get yourself ready for major events? How does it help you?

Hand sanitizer before the tournament and after every round. It sanitizes my hands. No I’m not a clean freak.

10.Side-decking has always been an important part of the game and many players still aren't familiar with it. What does you focus on in your side-deck and how do you decide on which card is effective enough to be included?

Having cards that are good against multiple decks is extremely important. Cards like Snowman Eater and Forbidden Chalice (for example) can be used against so many decks, so in effect you have more than 15 slots. Also knowing exactly what you’re taking out of your main deck is equally as important as knowing what to put in. I see people losing to a deck, building a side deck with 10 cards just for that deck, and then being forced to take out important cards and messing up the flow of their deck.

11.Continuing from the question before. Side-decking sometimes reduces the synergy in your main-deck. Do you side in a specific order to prevent that from happening, is there a formula you apply while side-decking?

I sort it all out beforehand, knowing exactly what to side in and out for each match-up. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s difficult, like if I’m playing against Chaos Dragon I can easily just take out my MST’s and Heavy Storm, but against some decks it isn’t that simple. Planning before the tournament and not just winging it is key.

12.I'm sure a lot of players are interested in your methods of seeking improvement as a competitive player. What do you do exactly to be a better player?

Test a lot, and try to get familiar with every single deck. When you know the ins and outs of a deck you’re playing against you can make far better plays and not get sucked into making bad plays.

13.The banned list has always amused us. So, let's say Konami gave you the right to ban a card, which card(s) would it be? Why?

One Day of Peace, Future Fusion, Black Luster Soldier, Card Destruction, E-Hero Stratos, Leviair the Sea Dragon, I can’t pick just one. There are a lot of problem cards right now.

14.By banning a card, what if Konami again gave you the chance to unbanned a card, which card(s) would it be? Why?

Tsukuyomi or Sinister Serpent. Probably Tsukuyomi more than Serpent, but tributing Sinister Serpent for Spiritual Water Art – Aoi is really appealing.

15.Apart from the banned list, if you given an opportunity to change a part of YGO, what would it be and why?

I wish they would go back to having dots on duel terminal cards instead of that horrendous-looking shard pattern. But apart from the banned list I’d say they’re doing ok.

16.Last question, are there any players out there that you think should be in this section? Who do you think Digital Mortal should interview next?

Definitely Yugi Muto, I hear he’s the King of Games.

A bit of a troll ain’t it? LOL! Alright, we have come to the end of yet another segment of Rolling with the Top Dogs. I hope readers have found this interview interesting and informative. Before we end today’s post, I would like to wish Oliver Parle best of luck in Worlds. Hopefully he does well to represent his country. To readers, feel free to let me know if you have a request and suggestions regarding topics I should write about and I’ll do my best to work on them. Until next time remember to play smart, fight hard, or go home a loser! Thank you for reading!