Article 73: The new era...or not?

As you can well see in the update box in the main page, the last update, before yesterday's update, was 3 weeks ago. As like last year, I traveled back home to Hong Kong and as usual...I was too busy doing other things outside of updating DMComet.

Now, this year should be a good one for the game, and had many (I do mean many) new things come to the game. The biggest news is of course the sudden end of Yu-Gi-Oh GX and the start of Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds. With the new anime, there is the introduction to a new type of monster that would pretty much define the 2008 metagame: Synchros/Tuners. Of course, there is also introduction to things like Duel Terminal, Psychic Type, new terms to the game (i.e. release), and of course, the long awaited OCG release of the TCG exclusives.

There is of course other big news: the unbanning of Monster Reborn, the rise and fall of few deck types (Gladial Beast, Lightlord, D.A.D), etc. etc.

But of course, the year cannot end without something from the TCG side. At the almost end of this year, there is the biggest and most shocking news in the TCG world in a while, with Konami suddenly announced their intention to takeover (by brute force) the TCG game. It's also crazier that the whole mess end BEFORE the end of year with Upperdeck slap Konami in their face with the assistance from Netherland and California court.

Again, I would follow last 2 years' format and review the set/structure, the lists, and writing the last word.

Sets/Related product
Like last year, this year have 4 "big" booster sets, with now 2 Structures, with 1 Duelist Pack and Duel Terminals and other promos. Again, I give scores based on the card designed, the impact on metagame, and what-not. And for the other things: like the Structure Deck (based on how good they're built and how good are the new cards), reprints, promos overall.

Light of Destruction: 8.3/10 - This set, overall, give us 1 theme deck with cards that can be abused in other decks: Lightlord. This set is also the end of the GX era, as shown by the lack of any E-Hero fusions. There are Arcana Forces, some Batterymen boost, the Gladial Beast Fusion that suddenly make Gladial Beast looks VERY good as a deck (plus some other cards, of course) and other random stuff...the set is like any of those Series 5 sets: theme that can be use, the anime theme that is just good in the anime. I would say this set is a success, and define the rest of the year that each set would gives the player something new to play.

The Duelist Genesis: 8.8/10 - This set introduced the 5Ds era and Synchro monsters (and Tuners, of course) plus the Psychics. But looking back at the set, this set is really kind of weak outside of the standouts from the Synchros (Red Demon's, Stardust, Goyou Guardian for few) and the 2 (or 3) Psychic monsters that create the whole Tele-DAD-Synchro deck. Really, the introduction DID shake up the tournament scene and thus a higher score for a normally average set.

Crossroads of Chaos: 8.6/10 - As a continuation of the 5Ds theme, this set continue to expand on the Synchro monster, while giving Plant type monster the first boost it had seen sense, never. There is the introduction to the Deformer monster that we will see more and more as the anime goes on. There is the fun to play with the Plants and other new themes, plus the single card that define the tournament sense, Zombie Carrier, did comes from this set...

Crimson Crisis: 8.7/10 - This set gives us the upgrade to the already powerful Synchros in /Buster monster, plus the introduction to the Black Feather monsters. The impact to the tournament sense, like TDGS, comes down really to only [Dark Dive Bomber]. There is other themes to play with using this set, like Aliens or Birds...the set is balance, nothing overpower.

Duelist Pack - Yusei: 6.0/10 - I'm just never fan of the Duelist Pack series. What's the point, to me, for reprinting all this new card at a WAY lower rarity? I don't know...I don't really know.

Duel Terminal - 8.5/10 - Really, the overall concept is very interesting: a whole new arcade game that in the end (or if you choose to, after paying) getting some cards as result. What I never really like is since it is not easy to program stuff, new cards from DT are relatively simpier but yet they are not elegant. It's not like it does not have good cards, because few good Tuner/Synchros came from the DTs themselves. Again, it gives us new series, but those series of cards may not be so playable without having the need of 2 cards doing the thing that a card can do from the main set.

Promo: 8.5/10 - This year's promo can be disappointing and exciting at once. For one thing, the TCG exclusives were released in the Extra Pack, another is that there are few good promos that is fun to play with (i.e. from REDMD to Tragoedia, etc.). The disappointing thing, outside of some cards are just being bad, is the tendency of re-releasing an existing cards...but it's OK, we get just enough so we would not be overwhelm.
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Structure Deck:
Undead World- 6.8/10 - The deck gives Undead some new toys to play with, even if they would not be use in the tournament scene (nor really in casual deck). The key to very good modern Undead deck, Zombie Carrier and Mezuki, are missing. Undead World is a good card...but that alone cannot do it. I know I'm expecting too much from structure, but the good thing about this structure is that it IS playable out-of-the-box. The biggest down of score? The inclusion of [Royal Iron Wall]...it's a good card, but REALLY bad in this deck!
Lord of Magicians - 7.4/10 - The new cards are fun to play with, there is Breaker and Summon Priest, but ehh...what else? The card choices in this deck is super-questionable, especially for the Magic cards. It have cards in this deck that are in because they can have Magic Counters put onto it...that's all, and it does not make any sense if that's the only reason.
Starter Deck 2008 - 9.0/10 - No, the high score is not about the cards in this deck being any good, because they DO suck. The high score is also inflated, I would admit, by that it is the product that introduce Synchro to this world. However, it is a very well deck to TEACH someone how to play the game, using the new concepts and terminology. Hey, that's the purpose of a starter, right?
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The ban/restriction list!
No matter what, really, I would never be 100% happy with any given ban/restriction list. WHY? Well, because I hate the idea, for one thing, and hate it more that it is once-in-6-months event and Konami seems to be outdated by 3 months each time.

Anyway, just brief rating:
3/1 banlist: 8.2/10 - This list, back then, is very controversial down to one decision: the unbanning of Monster Reborn. People just fear about what that card would do to change the game. The end result...it just did not do much. On the other hand, Konami again use it to be damage control to stop the weaken Monarch deck, for some reason crub ineffective decks like LnDD, and my hated banning of Breaker. On the other hand, Konami use the semi-restriction to do even MORE experimental restriction.
9/1 banlist: 7.5/10 - They FINALLY kill some of the most annoying cards around in the last 2 years. On the other hand, this list also creates a pretty boring metagame as we known now of "Synchro or die". Really, they kill just too much decks in this list, right now the metagame consisted of pretty much Undead Synchro or Rescue Synchro or Tele-Synchro...and really all those decks use similar cards with 5 cards difference anyway...
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The good, the bad, and the ugly
I just love this section...

Good: Synchros and 5Ds, it brings a whole new refreshing air to the game that was stuck with the excessive Heroes...also 5Ds is few times more interesting than GX ever was.
Bad: Stale metagame as we know of today...
Ugly: Duh...nothing is as ugly as the fail divorce between Konami and Upperdeck. However, this may creates even MORE interesting situation for next year (rumored to be Upperdeck's last year of contract) which we may never trust anything.

Hopes:
- My X times writing this: Parallel release, it's good for the game
- No more TCG exclusives, or 10 Secret Rares in packs for them, for that matter
- Please make something that stops all the Synchro madness...even if it means you must make Anti-Synchro
- Better cards, more creativity for next year
- Konami and Upperdeck divorce not gets uglier...hoping for a smooth transition if anything happened
- My future: finding a job, or getting into grad school...for that matter, getting my social life together...

That's it, happy new year to everybody, and see you in the card reviews and my next article should be set review.

- Baron, 1/6/2008

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