Breaking The Curse, 11

I haven’t had much time to go online or blog lately as opposed to my own belief that October will be a slightly lenient month for me when it comes to work and personal priorities. But I did promise more post and insights. It’s been about a week and a half of absence for me in online social networking and blogging so here I am doing my best to catch up on loss time once again. Weird enough, as soon as I come online for some quick Yugioh catch-ups I see quite a number of players announcing their retirement or at least some point of reduction in their Yugioh-related activities. Nothing surprising to be honest as the game has taken a step of change from the times people were actually familiar with it. Having said that, there always will be those who stay and make the best of it I suppose.

Yesterday was one of the two days anime festival in Taiping. First of its kind in Taiping and my friends had a shop setup to promote and sell their items. Cross Game, Malaysian duelists should be familiar with this name. They organized a Vanguard and Yugioh tournament so I thought it would be nice to head down and give them a little support. So, off I went to participate in Cross Game’s Yugioh tournament. It’s been awhile since I played in any tournaments.

Cross Game’s Taiping Anime Festival Tournament

Format: 2 Rounds of Swiss cut to Top 4

Deck Used: Hieratics 

ROUND 1 (Evol, Yong)

GAME 1: Didn’t know what the fuck was happening but it was nothing out of control. Played around his Raggia with a Tragoedia and went for OTK the next turn. Dragons are bigger and stronger than dinosaurs I guess that makes all the difference.

GAME 2: He made a Soldde and ended his turn. I set two cards and end my turn. He attacked and I Compulse his dino back. When it came to my turn I drew into Tefnuit while holding double Su and a Seal of Convocation. Game over.

OO

(1-0)

ROUND 2 (OOPArts, Nicholas Ong)

GAME 1: Not sure what my opponent was playing so I made a Photon Streak Bouncer to hold my field while having Compulsory Evacuation Device and Forbidden Lance set as protection. Apparently that Bouncer alone was good enough to score me a game. Bad hand for my opponent I suppose.

GAME 2: My turn to draw into unnecessary cards. I took a few OOPArts poke and had to endure it out. It wasn’t long until I drew into the correct cards I needed for an OTK. End field consisted of Gaia Dragoon, Gaia Dragoon, Wattaildragon, and Gustav Max.

OO

(2-0)

Those with perfect scores were automatically qualified for a seat in the Top 4 and we were to wait for others to play it off before continuing our conquest to the top. For now, it was only me and a friend of mine that had full-win results so either way we would have to face each other later in the tournament.

TOP 4 (Hanzo Hieratics, Elvis)

The long wait is finally over!

GAME 1: Garbage hand and died to his OTKs. Double Veilers and a Gorz wasn’t enough to save me till my next draw. 

GAME 2: Back and forth farming at both ends. Frankly, it’s a waiting game if you know how to play in a mirror match. My opponent wasn’t patient enough so I dropped the great C-bomb on him. He thought he had no choice but to continue with his combos and I drew, drew, and drew. By the time he was done with his self-touch I was holding over 20 pieces of cards! Baited whatever he had with Gorz and dropped a Trag with 20k plus ATK. We all know what it means.

GAME 3: One Drago to rule them all. I kept his Hanzo under control with Veilers and I think he kept drawing into useless back-rows so that was all I need to wrap this one up. Good game it is.

XOO

(3-0)

FINALS (Mermail Atlanteans, Thian Siang)

One of the three players I consider as the best players in Taiping. I haven’t gotten any real chance to play against Mermail Atlanteans at a competitive level so this might come in handy as experience needed to combat them in the future.

GAME 1: I forgot how i lost. Probably some IMBA stuff happened. LOL!

GAME 2: He made a Gachi Gachi with Diva and an Atlantean. Next turn, he made a big push with Marksman and another Mermail (I don’t remember their names yet), I waited for the right time to drop Gorz and did that. When it came to my turn I combo off and made a field of Gaia Dragoon, Photon Streak Bouncer, Gorz, and 2200ATK Gorz Token. It wasn’t enough to kill him but definitely enough to clear his Gantetsu and Mermail. 

Going onwards, he made Scrap Dragon the next turn and ram into my Bouncer. However, he did not use Scrap’s effect to pop another monster. I was left with Gorz, Gaia Dragoon, and Gorz Token while holding a Heavy Storm. When it came to my turn I rip a miracle Forbidden Lance off the top of my deck and went for Game.

GAME 3: The game went a bit slower and we both farmed for what we needed. I dropped a Maxx “C” to stop him from going off as I am not confident enough to mount a comeback with the cards I was holding. The game dragged on a bit more as I fought off two major rush with Tragoedias. Thian Siang cleared the first Trag with Dark Hole and the second one with a Snow Giant. He ended without a set card. I drew into Tefnuit, the card I was waiting for. Combo off by going into Atumus and than a Volcasaurus to clear his Snow Giant. Made double Gaia Dragoons and paused to consider the possibility of a Gorz. I had the necessary means to handle Gorz but I wanted to end it this turn. I went for the first onslaught and he did nothing so that only means one thing, this match is as good as mine.

XOO

(4-0)

I got myself a play-mat and five packs of REDU as first place prizes which gave me absolute junk except for Soul Drain but life goes on. This was a good warm-up for the upcoming Asia Plus Qualifier. Here comes the end of today’s post. I’ll be sure to update again before October ends and hopefully with more exciting news. Before I forget, Hieratics are not dead. LOL! I’ll do a tech update for Hieratics within these few days and I promise you it is worth the read. Thank you for reading and remember to play smart, fight hard, or go home a loser!

Going Green With Benjamins

It goes to say the biggest news for now is the announcement of M7 and Ouroboros reprints in the month of November. Not to forget, Verz Ophion is entering the Asia Advanced Format. This again changes the Meta and competitive scene in multiple ways. Perhaps Hieratics might see more play now. Hopefully we get to see Verz Rabbits in action. Give me M7 and Verz Thunderbird I’ll be the happiest duelist alive! Putting that aside, in the previous article I picked a few cards and discussed their importance in the current format. Those were Monsters and today I would like to continue on the topic reviewing Traps that will be popular picks this format. First spot goes;

STARLIGHT ROAD

 

While Road was a card commonly seen in the TCG scene last format, it was the opposite in OCG. The biggest factor ruling out Starlight Road was the dominance of Inzektors and the lack of arsenals for us to run Dino Rabbits. In some a lot of obvious ways THE BEST deck during March 2012 in OCG was pesky bugs. It came to a point whereby you would have to run the deck if you wanted to stay competitive. Not in the case of experience and good players but many chose to rely on the viciousness of Inzektors last format. That is history and the progression has led us to worry about Heroes, Mermails, and Wind-Ups.

Back-rows has always been a big part of Yugioh and by reviewing this format it is clear a colossal part of the game will go back to the importance of having Spells and Traps as defensive and offensive maneuvers. If such is the case, Starlight Road in the eyes of many will immediately be nominated as a staple in order to protect their line of sorcery. It handles mass destruction and comes with a free 2500 beater with the ability to negate destruction in case there is a second wave. Frankly speaking, it is not a good card but at the same time not a bad card. A late Starlight Road isn’t exactly functional and playing multiple copies doesn’t guarantee anything as well. Considering the pros and cons I must say a means to protect your board against two of the power trinity (Heavy Storm and Dark Hole) while throwing in a free Stardust Dragon is indeed tempting. Thus why, by popularity, Starlight Road will be getting more spot-light this format in Malaysia. 

CALL OF THE HAUNTED

Living Dead has always been a popular power card. Not to mention it has been one of the most cunning power cards in the history of Yugioh. The myriad of tactics it opens up is nothing short of amazing and annoying in the face of your opponents. With ever popular targets like Sangan and Card Trooper seeing more and more play, Call of the Haunted is something you should be wary about. Simply wasting a Mystical Space Typhoon and having it hit Call while your opponent chains to revive likely targets like the ones mentioned above for a plus practically shortens your chances of being victorious. With search power being a major trend in every competitive deck, Call of the Haunted and T-King plays breaks a ton of game plans. 

I do not need to list down all the possibilities this card has to offer to make people understand this card is not overrated. Three copies alone can revive a so-called “dead deck” like Inzektors alive. Simply find a means to dump Damsel into Graveyard and do a Call stunts makes you wish you still Main-Decked those Veilers. It fits into a variety of deck nonetheless so being cocky while knowing the existence of this card means you shouldn’t be playing competitively. People barely get away with misplays in this format. Call of the Haunted, it could be the card that saves you or the card which made you scream “FUCK!” inside your head.

MIND CRUSH

 

What can I say? Mind Crush has never exactly been sidetracked nor has it ever been played as much as other cards. I am a little bias with this card as I believe Mind Crush is probably one of the most massive turn-around-cards in the hands of an experience player. Now I am not implying that only good players play this card but I am merely suggesting that Mind Crush is not something you can slap in your deck strategies and hope it turns out “as you planned.” No! It requires an uncanny ability to read the correct cards at the appropriate time. If one is not confident in that aspect of their game, stay away from this card. Unless if you are playing a deck which complements Mind Crush namely Dark Worlds.

It may not be the most popular card in the format but it is one of the most reliable countermeasures in our current Meta. Tons of searching going around and at times it plain simple to flip a Mind Crush up and name a card. Of course it doesn’t work all the time. However, the fact that good players are considered good players for a reason I predict this card to be one of the most popular Side-Deck card among reputable players. Mind Crush is not five star format or Meta defining material but it is a thing which stands out among all techs. Versatility and reliability with whatever can be said about this mind blowing card.

COMPULSORY EVACUATION DEVICE

 

To start off, i think it is fair to state that CED has never been this popular nor has it ever been considered a good problem solver as it is right now. The versatility and flexibility of this card in the current format needs no introduction. Probably one of the best ways to deal with Number 16: Shock Ruler the moment it hits the field. With the game moving towards the Extra Deck direction, Compulsory Evacuation Device is a stellar card that shines brighter than anything else. 

An amazing card that allows you to boot away your opponent's Face-Up or Face-Down monsters for aggression or defensive measures is nonetheless worth the minus when it comes to maintaining or building field control. You may find Compulsory often being the card that decides the flow in this format. Why? The answer is obvious enough. It is a chainable and reactive Trap card that shits on the face of MSTs and Heavy Storm so generally played back-row hate isn't exactly the best gun to blow it off. Bottomless Trap Hole, Dimensional Prison, and Solemn Warning are all hallmark traps but in a fast exchange format waiting to react don't pay off as much as being available at all times. Simply put CED doesn't crack under removal pressure. 

The level of complexity this card introduces may not seem like much in first impression but it capitalizes on an entire chain of tactics that only really existed in some formats as a single Book of Moon. Boot a Synchro or Exceed monster to gain a hefty plus, use it in Chain Links to allow important effects to go through, keeping it in for combo plays, whatever the reason is Compulsory Evacuation Device will hardly disappoint in the current format. Having Compulsory around justifies how well a player plays his Typhoons and Storms. Truly, this card deserves more attention and credits. If you're not a believer, i suggest you make it compulsory to do so. A big part of Malaysia's format will revolve around this one card. And with that, i end today's post. Next time i'll cover on Spells that have made a big influence in Malaysia's Meta. I hope this has been a good read. Thank you for reading!

Cocky Wednesdays

The format in Malaysia has made a huge transition compared to previous years likewise to other Asia countries playing under the Asia Advanced Format. Yugioh today has entered what many have named it the golden age. Why say so? For the first time in Yugioh history, if I dare say, almost everyone is happy with the format. The format is not 1-2 turns OTKish nor is it long-turn games. At the same time there are a variety of decks existing in the competitive scene thus making the game less one force dominant. Having said all that, there will always be people who would complain. Well, we all know it’s impossible to make everyone satisfied with how things are. 

In every format there exist good cards and then there are better cards. When it comes to better cards most of us took the habit of naming them format defining cards or simply the best card in the format. While I am not here to go on about recreational talks, I would like to discuss cards that play an important role in today’s format. As usual, this article will be geared towards Malaysia’s Meta. Moving on, here’s the first card in the list.

MAXX “C”

With Wind-Ups coming into the scene and Agents possibly returning to the competitive field, Maxx “C” has been the favourite go-to hand trap in this format. Not forgetting Atlantean Mermails. While Effect Veiler remains a devastating force, the lack of existence with Inzektors has immediately pushed players to make the transition between the two hand traps. In a way, the fall of Inzektors has given many the confidence to switch out their Veilers which aren’t exactly the wrong thing to do seeing how Extra Pack 2012 and the legality of promos have changed the competitive scene in most parts of Asia. When you think of it, why not? Maxx serves as a secondary draw power and a potential combo breaker. At some point, the famous Tragoedia+Maxx combination will save your life. 

With all that has been said, the most important role for Maxx “C” in this format is to hold off big plays and the flexibility of this card to fit in any deck has made it a VERY popular card. Looking at how trends are progressing, Maxx “C” is going to be effective against a variety of decks and it isn’t shy to say it out. Just in case there are still players out there having second thoughts about Maxx’s importance in this format, stop just stop and get your own copies if you haven’t got them yet.

THUNDER KING RAI-OH

 

This card has been discussed and reviewed a million times and yet people continue to talk about it as if it’s the new kid in the block. Honestly, Raioh deserves all the attention and credit it gets. Of course I do not need to tell you that. With promos legal here, Raioh is going to be another one of those cards changing the face of competitive Yugioh in Malaysia. Just about everyone will Main Deck or Side Deck T-King. There is no point trying to be stubborn on the fact that a LIGHT, Level 4, 1900 beater with the ability to negate Special Summons and providing a temporary lock on search power isn’t good. And yeah, it goes into and goes against a variety of decks. So, be prepared to face tons of TKR for the rest of this format. I probably should say for the rest of your competitive Yugioh career. Being a Level 4 comes with benefits this format especially with promos being legal.

TOUR GUIDE FROM THE UNDERWORLD

 

Remember when Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning was given his rights to parole after years of trial sentencing and jail time? When he was finally released everyone look to recruit him for their own personal gain. And yes, he has been wrecking a lot of well-played games. When BLS came back into the game, every deck out there looked for a method to include him into their game plan. Whether or not a deck has the ability to fit him in doesn’t matter. All that matters was BLS must be in the deck. That started a huge revolution in terms of deck construction and subsequently a single card defined the format. The same can be said with Tour Guide. Though the flexibility of TGU to include herself into a selection of decks is probably higher in some ways compared to BLS.

As of now Tour Guide cost a minimum of RM120 (approximately 39 USD and 30 Euro) yet prices are continuing to climb and duelists all around Malaysia are desperate to get their own copies even if it cost a staggering RM150. I will not waste your time by explaining how broken Tour Guide is and how well it fits into any deck. We all know what this little girl does. What I am stating is that BLS-Factor is about to repeat itself. Soon enough every deck will try to fit in their couple of little girls. Yes, this is another one of those deck construction revolution issues. Similar to how TGU made a format in TCG she will repeat her success in defining a format by popular means in the OCG.

NUMBER 16: SHOCK MASTER 

By now you’ve probably played it, or played against it. I hope you understood how Number 16: Shock Master is a force to be reckoned with. May it be Spells or Trap cards Shock Ruler has the capacity to keep them from ever seeing light. Also having the ability to chain down important monster effects that could potentially change the state of the game for you I suppose calling Shock Master a card with similar prowess as Trishula is no longer a joke. Again, both cards made the format and Meta.

Probably the biggest impact Shock Ruler has made is by announcing it's notoriety through pulverizing the idea of hand traps as a means of survival. Having the ability to choose between locking down effects. spells, and traps, Number 16 can easily allow a huge change of pace in the hands of an experience player. Provided if you can read your opponent's cards correctly. With the ability to seal cards like Gorz and Tragoedia this card can play straight through Maxx "C" creating a possible end game scenario for whoever dropped the great C-bomb on you. If it is Traps you fear, lock it down. If it is Spells you fear, lock it down. There are SO MANY options with Shock Master!

How big of a factor is Number 16: Shock Ruler? Not only does this card allow you to swing for game even when your opponent holds Gorz or Tragoedia, it raises questions and feeds doubt in the minds of your opponent. Much can be said with Shock Ruler but there is no denying that the threat of Shock Master will change and create many more trends in Malaysia’s Meta. Players will start to understand the concept of maintaining field control at a different level. I suppose I should say NEED instead of WILL. Will it be establishing early field dominance with a big monster or relying on more traps and spells to save you? There are a lot of questions. The more you think about it the better. 

Shock Ruler is a big factor to consider right now. If you can factor it to your deck construction and strategies the better your chances of winning. The way I see it any deck that doesn’t have access to Shock Ruler is at a virtual disadvantage going into a tournament. If you don’t run it, be sure to have a means to counter it. This is the first part of this topic. I’ll continue on with Spells and Traps another day. Thank you for spending time here!

Easy Way Out

I am on Facebook and the amount of duelists asking me about Asia Plus 2012 is slightly too many for me to reply to. Well, to be honest, I’m just lazy to keep on copy pasting so this is a short post directed to Malaysian duelists nationwide. Somehow ever since I started this blog my Facebook has somewhat become a concierge. No joke. All and all, this is all the information you need and the answers to everyone that has been asking.

 

We have approximately a month to prepare and I suggest you finalize everything in two weeks time. As usual, register early and train well. If you need cards on the tournament day don’t be shy to give me some business. LOL! This is the first major tournament that promos are legal. Let’s see how it turns out to be. With all said and done, I hope this is good enough and do spread the word. It would be nice if the turn out surpasses previous years. Once again, thank you for dropping by and see you on the tourney day!