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Article #70: No more Fusion of Disk into Chaos

Really, this article is just a tradition of me. Although I do not work for the R&D department of the game, I will, as usual, give out my 2 cents on why cards are ban or restricted in a way that they are. Of course, as usual, I would predict the next 6 months (hard especially since new cards were released and they may create new decks). Also, just a short look into the World Championship.

Banished:
Black Magician of Chaos - Well, it is a sad day for me to see this card go, but it is needed. While someone can argue that this card is just "good design" (because it is), this card can be just plain broken in a lot of decks. This "super" winning condition not only give you a 2800 monster, but also a Magic card. With [Monster Reborn] also back into the game plus the OTK of this card with [Imperial Fortress Wall], it's just time to say goodbye to this card for a while.
Destiny Hero Diskguy - This walking [Pot of Greed] is...well, more broken than [Pot of Greed]. With less and less drawers, this card becomes the best drawer in the game. Too much abuse of this card outside of the Destiny Hero deck equals ban. Really, the whole so-called "D-Hero engine" based around bringing out this guy ridiculous amount of time in a turn to give ridiculous amount of card advantage. Not to mention, there is the [Undead World] abuse with this card plus many many more.
Premature Burial - Living Dead gone, Premature gone, Reborn, of all cards, survived. This card is not super-broken (in a revival card sense)...but [Arms Hole] just ruins it.
Dimensional Fusion - It took too long already. One is the DAD deck abuse using this card, the other is...well, this card is just well beyond broken. 2000 lifepoints give you 5 monsters? I want it...(It does not matter if opponent also have some in his/her RFG zone, you always wins). Either way, TCG had banned it, why not?

Restricted:
Cyber Dragon - A part is Synchro abuse with this card, the other is that this card does it all for Aggro: the speed of special summon, the all anti-strategy card, the attacker, etc. 2 does nothing, really. Not to mention [Chimeratech Fortress Dragon] is just wild now-a-days.
Magic Warrior - Breaker - Repeat after me: this card is not as broken as you think. Welcome back...
Reasoning/Monster Gate - Mainly because of the now-outdated Magical Explosion OTK, but also just plain annoying getting a monster from deck at not much cost. I long call for restriction of this 2 OTK fueler...finally.
Return from DD - TCG restricted it, so does OCG. Why? With D-Fusion gone, people would just pack this card into deck...problem solved. Also, again, there is the forever stupid [Imperial Fortress Wall].

Semi-Restrict:
Judgment Dragoon/Dark Armed Dragon - Mainly limit metagame card. Lightlord and DAD decks are the 2 dominate forces in today's game and bring them to 2 means harder to find (both a almost impossible to be search, outside of by the Chest)
Phantom of Chaos - This card can be good with the correct cards in Graveyard. What I don't understand is 2 does just about nothing since nobody would use more than that amount in a deck anyway.
Rescue Cat/Summon Priest - They make Synchros too easy. Semi them does not limit the power of Synchros, however, maybe slow the deck down 10%.
Treasure of Rebirth - Undead World make this card just insane. Don't know why it's not banned as it would stop like 60% of the OTK combo in the game (if that's the intention)...semi it just does nothing.
Emissary of Obliteration - Never get why this card is brought to 1....
Chain Strike - When is the last time that Chain Burn is good?

Off:
LnDD - Really, this card is nowhere as good as it used to be.
Destiny Hero - Diabolicguy - Well, 2 of this just suck, bring it back to 3 would give us a better tribute engine, but wait...not much reason to use D-Heroes anymore without Diskguy.
Power of Magicians - Finally?
Calling Reinforcement - Really, with the power creep, no longer a "super special" search card anymore as every type gets one.
Royal Decree - Gadget is dead, this card is back to 3.

Other Comment? Well...what I think they did wrong and some of my opinion on why some are not restrict
1. This list, really, seems outdated to me. Magical Explosion was dead for a while...
2. This list does nothing to stop the power of Synchros. Goyou Guardian, Ice Barrier Dragon - Brionac and AOJ Catastor are just damn annoying and too easy to be brought out.
3. Gladial Beast? It's a pretty good deck right now...

Now, the metagame, I would not even attempt to say I will know what's coming...here is my 2 cents.

Tier 1:
Gladial Beast
DAD variant
Undead

Tier 1.5:
Lightlord

Tier 2:
Psychic?

Tier 5: Plants...it is just not good
Tier 10: Baroncaster - official end for my deck...for a while (no good alternative 2 tribute = good game)

World Championship:

Really, not much people in the world cares about the world championship with all the attention turned to the Olympics. First congrats to Kazuki Mutsuoka for being the newest World Champion.

As expected, and as noted in UDE's official WC2008 page, the tournament was dominated with the holy trio of deck: Gladial Beast, Lightlord, and DAD beats. In the end, Gladial Beast won (it is a mirror match in the final anyway). Not much to talk about there.

So where in the world Gladial Beast came from? Really, 2 cards: Kaiseris (Gyzarus) and Prisma. Gyzarus is Gladial Beast own little DAD while Prisma is everything else that supports the card.

Not much to talk about WC2008...really, such a small tournament, such a small sample...

- Baron, 8/24/2008