THE FUTURE OF YUGIOH - Post Ycs Brighton Format and March 2012 thoughts.

G'day my army of cynical followers,

I know I rarely update this blog and post important stuff but YCS brighton happened recently and as a brit I felt compelled to actually post something otherwise the yugioh community may unleash the hate upon me. Also Im going to do my "FAV CARD OF THE FORMAT" in a review which I havnt done in a while thought id treat you guys, and also pass my thoughts on the end of this format and looking towards the future :D

FIRSTLY YCS BRIGHTON.

MAin decks that emerged we're of course

Dino rabbit

Darkworld

Synchrocentric

These were apparently the three most played decks at Brighton, but the deck that came out on top was DINO RABBIT played by Ping Xiao, Deck list below. (https://tcg.konami-europe.net/coverage/6429/the-top-16-decklists-of-ycs-brighton/) Reference for other lists.

Ping Xiao (Dino Rabbit, Champion)

Monsters: 20

3 Jurrac Guaiba

3 Kabazauls

3 Tour Guide From the Underworld

3 Rescue Rabbit

3 Sabersaurus

2 Maxx "C"

1 Neo-Spacian Grand Mole

1 Sangan

1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

Spells: 12

2 Forbidden Lance

1 Pot of Avarice

2 Smashing Ground

1 Dark Hole

1 Book of Moon

1 Mind Control

2 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Gold Sarcophagus

1 Monster Reborn

Traps: 9

2 Dimensional Prison

2 Solemn Warning

1 Solemn Judgment

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Trap Dustshoot

1 Mirror Force

1 Bottomless Trap Hole

Extra Deck: 15

1 Number 39: Utopia

2 Evolzar Laggia

2 Evolzar Dolkka

1 Steelswarm Roach

1 Number 17: Leviathan Dragon

2 Leviair the Sea Dragon

1 Wind-Up Zenmaines

1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

1 Black Rose Dragon

1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

1 Ally of Justice Catastor

1 Chimeratech Fortress Dragon

Side Deck: 15

2 Cyber Dragon

2 Thunder King Rai-Oh

2 Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo

2 Fiendish Chain

2 Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror

2 Dimensional Fissure

1 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Heavy Storm

1 Spirit Reaper

So all my congrats to the boy. But in a typical cynical style we arn't BIG fans of the GOOD CARD DECKS, during the tournament there was a very unique deck which appeared simmilar to that of the psychic decks Pre September 2011, and that was Lars Junginger's Water synchro deck.

Lars Junginger (WATER Synchro, 4th Place)

Monsters: 24

3 Reborn Tengu

3 Swap Frog

3 Maxx "C"

2 Treeborn Frog

2 Caius the Shadow Monarch

2 Effect Veiler

1 Lonefire Blossom

1 Dandylion

1 Glow-Up Bulb

1 Spore

1 Junk Synchron

1 Genex Ally Birdman

1 Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning

1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

1 Ronintoadin

Spells: 13

3 Mystical Space Typhoon

3 Enemy Controller

1 Dark Hole

1 Heavy Storm

1 Monster Reborn

1 Pot of Avarice

1 Book of Moon

1 One for One

1 Foolish Burial

Traps: 4

2 Solemn Warning

1 Compulsory Evacuation Device

1 Trap Dustshoot

Extra Deck: 15

2 Gachi Gachi Gantetsu

1 Leviair the Sea Dragon

1 Number 39: Utopia

1 Formula Synchron

1 Armory Arm

1 T.G. Hyper Librarian

1 Ally of Justice Catastor

1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

1 Gaia Knight, The Force of Earth

1 Black Rose Dragon

1 Ancient Fairy Dragon

1 Stardust Dragon

1 Scrap Dragon

1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

Side Deck: 15

2 Ally of Justice Quarantine

1 Spirit Reaper

2 Penguin Soldier

1 Snowman Eater

1 D.D. Crow

1 Gemini Imps

2 Bottomless Trap Hole

1 Compulsory Evacuation Device

1 Dimensional Prison

1 Smashing Ground

2 Dust Tornado

This deck beat all plant synchro decks and proved to be the most fun looking deck also. Seems to be centred around abusing the frog engine and making gachi gachi gantetsu and reeks of a more consistent and aggressive Agent style deck. So well done sir you get my praise :D

Overall there we're 700+ people who attended the YCS Brighton event, so well dont to all top 32 players (my friend matt came 33rd :/) all playing excellent decks truly showing the best of the best in yugioh play but like in this game at the end of the day Money does talk, and Rescue Rabbit shouts the loudest.

CARD OF THE YCS AND OF THE FORMAT.

Now for my favourite part, over this format we have seen the return of the Chaos era due to the unbanning of BLS-Envoy of the Beggining. We've seen the transition of the agent deck domination period, to the incredible rise in price of Tour Guide from the underworld, more sought after than Pot of Duality in its day, and also the incredible banning of some of our favourite monsters due to the release of the XYZ monsters (MISS YOU FISHBORG). But at the end of the format, one card, in my eyes, has risen above the rest. 

This card, is none other than Number 39: Utopia.

Since the start of this format this guy instantly became a staple in nearly every extra deck. His 2500 attack and his ability to synergize with nearly every deck that uses level 4 monsters with the ability to negate 1 attack makes him a brilliant card. 

So here's the review. Guys. :D

NUMBER 39 Utopia

Effect:

2 level 4 monsters

When any player's monster declares an attack: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate the attack. When this card is targeted for an attack, while it has no Xyz materials; Destroy this card.

As you can see from the effect, 2 attacks negate, plus he blows himself up when he has no materials. But this in my opinion is another abusable effect.

STRENGTHS.

solid 2500 attack, very tough to beat without your opponent using a lot of resources, even then he can negate 2 attacks. He's a perfect anti-OTK monster. Also the fact he can negate ANY attack means that you can abuse the detach ability to get one of the monsters you used and place it straight into the graveyard if you please :)

Also because of decks like anti meta who use massive level 4 beatsticks, he is a great addition to add more flexibility to the deck. He also dragged some decks back into formats from the hell of tier 2 in a big way, namely Karakuri and gadgets who seemed to be lost after the banning of Royal Oppression and the limiting of Pot of avarice.

So we salute you number 39. One of the most played starter deck cards since Machina Fortress ;D

FUTURE THOUGHTS.

With this format drawing to a close with the release of another powerful rescue card and the upcomming rise of a new dark archetype which quite frankly will be meta breaking, and the possible insta ban of "convergence of nature" due to the gishki diamond dude deck that's lurking in the depths, the end of this format is sure to be interesting. 

Its going to be down to speed as to whether dino rabbit can get dolkka out before izektors/gishki can get their loops off and destroy everything they own. Which I can see leading to the banning and limiting of some cards that allow this.

Firstly Cards who are being played a lot right now which may be limited.

Tour guide I can see being limited to 1. Due to the release of Tour bus, who is rumoured to recycle tour guide.

After this dark hole. This card has been over played too much recently and I can see march's format being down to destruction effects with monsters rather than spells. This theory can be applied to storm, but because its come back recently i doubt it will go.

BLS - This guy, just should never have come back. Way too good still and decks still we'rent ready for him. Because if you drop him, its essentially game.

A mad Choice here but a possiblility of being limited, maxx C to one. Too much advantage and can be game breaking, either put to two or one seems a logical move for konami here.

Another crazy choice that ive been considering is the limiting or ban of rabbit. He's too good, and can clearly win a game solo.

which brings me to the next card. Leviair. Rabbit combo too good, enough said. But if my tour guide limitation prediction is true, then perhaps not touched at all.

Spells wise, i think instant fusion may be banned. With exceeds emerging and the abuse that can be had with certain decks i can see this guy being touched. If im wrong I will sing Friday by rebecca black on my youtube channel for you all, but in all seriousness this card has so much potential to allow huge plays at a small cost.

OKAY AFTER LOOKING AT CARDS BEING PLAYED NOW FOR FUTURE CARDS.

INSTA LIMIT in march from order of Chaos. Wind-up rat. The combo with this card using zenmaines is unreal. Played right with hunter and inzektor's it creates a stupidly broken combo which annihilates opponents hands and fields.

after this, Inzektor Hornet, too good, destruction look with multiple of these is mad, balances inzektors and slows the deck down to a better level.

Wind up zenmaighty - its either THIS or wind-up rat TBH.

and thats it really for future cards being banned or limited :)

Decks to look out for:

there are two main decks which I see emerging after march 2012 which can be considered strong for the TCG. This includes Inzektor, Wind-up zektor and gishki, as both these decks have some incredible loops available which are easily executed and powerful so expect these to be played a lot.

Well I hope you enjoyed this read and my introspection into the future of the game and what is to occur in the formats, obviously this is very basic as im not a wizard and cant predict the future :).

PEACE OUT GUYS AND HAPPY DUELLING.