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Article #84: One year after When I checked when was the last article, the date is 8/7/2010. Today: 8/25/2011 This is not necessary a bad time to restart my article stream and get to it again, especially that I can write my favorite type of articles at one time: Ban/Restriction list thoughts and a very belated set review (for Photon Shockwave, released a whooping 1 month ago). Let's start by just saying that there had been a lot of things happened for the last year for the game. First, there is the introduction of Exceeds monster (or as they call it in TCG, "Xyz" monster, which I will continue to refuse to call). Also, the whole game environment changed especially the last 2 Structures actually produce results in tournaments (plus a lot of changes in the metagame). Also, the 5D's anime finally ended (and it is a pretty good anime), replaced only with a GX-lite in Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXAL (had only watch the first 2 episodes, it may had got better??). 3 new booster sets released since I last wrote an article, providing new themes for people to try. Synchro did not yield way (yet) to Exceeds in terms of power...but who knows what that will bring in the near future? And why not an article for 1 year? I HAD work...and I took a big vacation just this past summer, which means I would not want to spend much time updating the site. Now that I'm (still) unemployed and getting myself back into caring about the game, it may actually means more update. Anyway, let me start with the latest ban/restriction list. 9/1/2011 Ban/Restriction List: Every 6 months, the Yu-Gi-Oh world get enraged with the latest ban/restriction list. No matter what happens, there will be some people that are unsatisfy with the changes. This time around, something happened that made Hitler pissed off. Spoof from the movie "Downfall" aside, it's time for my unofficial reasoning of why cards are put in ways (in my viewpoint). Banished: Fishborg - Gunner - A Tuner that keeps coming back? Umm...the combo of this card with [Yomigaeru] to bring out millions of [Formula Synchron] the first few turns create a game-changing advantage. Although Fishborg OTK is gone with banning of Dark Dive Bomber, and so did the banning of [Card of Safe Return]...but see Formula Synchron below on why that card is so good. For now, I believe this is the second card in the history of the game that goes straight to ban list from non-restriction (the other one is the infamous [Dark Dive Bomber]/Dark Striker Fighter), which says a lot. Mental Master - The combo with [Brain Research Lab] and [Calmer of Gusta - Calm] to create infinite draw is the last straw for this card. This card itself is a powerful tutor AND a Tuner that can bring out a Synchro monster in no time (and Exceeds) Hurricane - Your choice: Heavy Storm or this card? The environment is backrow-heavy right now, so Hurricane is actually more one-sided than Storm. Royal Oppression - This card is the "tech card" for a while now, especially used in so-called "Anti-meta" deck. The environment right now actually make this card super powerful as it can "shut down" an opponent (especially also one can abuse this card with decks using special summoning in Damage Step). Given that games now-a-days usually do not last more than 10 turns, so shutting down one turn equals to game over. It is just too big of a "game changer" that needs to be banned, period. Restricted: Chaos Soldier - Messenger of Beginning - - The most controversial change this time around. My view on this card had not changed much: it is still powerful, easy to bring out, and have almost no downside. Decks now-a-days have all sort of Attribute in them that finding a Light and a Dark attribute monster in Graveyard is not hard at all. Of course, it is more controversial in TCG with the priority-activation rule change NOT in effect, but even with the lack of priority-activation in OCG side, this card is definitely still a game changer (especially 3000 attack is still very high and the ability to remove a monster). Yes, there are more ways to counter this card compared to few years ago, but I still don't see the reason why this card is unbanned, outside of maybe Konami making money? (BTW, even I still have 2 copies of this card, I should have brought more when it is cheap...UGGGHHHH) Debris Dragon - This card is great with [Lonefire Blossom] and [Doppel Warrior] (to bring out what else but Trishula). Now with restriction of Lonefire, slowed down of [Formula Snchron] abuse, officially Debris Junk Doppel deck is much slower and inconsistent. Lonefire Blossom - The best Plant card in the history of Plant (number 2 is Dandelion). Easy and fast tutor with lots and lots of combo with it (Debris Dragon and Avarice) make this card restrictable. True Six Samurai - Shien - The great weakening of Six Samurai deck, part 1. This card is easy to brought out. Why restriction? Because one Shien is not enough to finish opponent but two or three easily summonable Shien can cause a LOT of trouble. Tech Genus Hyper Librarian - The "engine" of Synchro based deck. This card is a great early game advantage card, add this card with Formula Synchron would create havoc amount of card advantage in early game that unless opponent is lucky in his/her draw, then it is game over. Think also if more than 1 Hyper Librarian is on the field... Formula Synchron - This card is limitless in what it can do. Level 2 Synchro is not hard with all those Fluff Tokens, Doppel Warrior tokens, Glow-Up Bulb/Spore. Then combo this card with Hyper Librarian create a big card advantage for you to do whatever you want for higher level and more powerful Synchros (Trishula, Shooting Quasar) Heavy Storm - Trade with [Hurricane]. The back-row dependent format, especially for decks like Agent Angel, make this card necessary again. Primal Seed - A overreacted restriction on a combo that is slow and not well used. Smoke Screen of Shien - Konami is just not that friendly to tutoring card, especially one that can tutor any monster in your deck. This restriction slows down Six Samurai quite a bit... Pot of Avarice - This card is a favorite for many semi-combo aggro deck. It is well used in any deck using [Lonefire Blossom] and [Reborn Tengu] (and others). It is a good card to recycle deck-recruiters, and make those cards more powerful than necessary. So yeah, not surprising restriction for a draw card that gives you advantage and no drawback. Semi-Restrict: Summon Priest - The abuse of [Rescue Cat] is what lands this card in restriction list in the first place. Now [Rescue Cat] had been banned, and Konami wants to promote Exceeds monster... Tragoedia - This card itself is pretty slow and not super powerful. Yes, it is great with Exceeds, but it is not easy to be special summoned. It just takes a lot of skill to master this card, but when a card takes skill to be great, it is just not "great enough for restriction" (Restriction worthy = one can look at a card and know what EXACTLY to abuse it with in many situations) Necro Guardna - This card is not restriction worthy anyway, outside of the fact that it is used in Lightlord or "Twilight" deck Tiger King of Ice Barrier - Dularen - Stupid [Symbols of Heritage]...as long as there is the combo, there is some way to abuse this card. Destiny Draw - Any draw cards that draw more than 1 is too good? I don't see how people can use Destiny Hero monster in today's game, not without the Diabolicguy abuse. Sealing Swords of Light - 3 Cyclones, 1 Storm, plus never seen this card use EVER Mind Crush - Just because Hand Destruction is not that popular right now. This card itself is only great when combo with [Trap Dustshoot]. When Dust Shoot is restricted, I see no reason why this card would still be. Cry of the Living Dead - If [Monster Reborn] is at a level where it is only restriction-worthy, then I don't see why this card is then restricted. Not to repeat the 3 Cyclones, 1 Storm fact, this card is pretty slow and inconsistent. Off: Judgment Dragon - Yes, this card is the finisher in Lightlord deck. However, the change in priority-activation rule make this card a little easier to counter Spirit Reaper - Because this card is simply not that powerful anymore. Overload Fusion - Future Fusion is at one with Limiter Removal, so Chimeratech deck is actually not that powerful. Plus, it's not like other decks now-a-days don't kill opponent in 3-4 turns anyway. Cyclone - I never get the restriction of this card. Now that Trap cards run like crazy again, it is not surprising to see this card back at 3. Of course, more surprising is how much Konami wants to curb all those backrow abuse by unrestricting this AND unbanning Storm (of course, lack of [Mirage of Nightmare] :p) Megamorph - Chimeratech deck loves this card, but not much use outside of that deck. Gravity Bind - Good comboing with Exceeds, but come on...3 Cyclones + 1 Storm + other backrow removals make this card not so great. God Bird Attack - This card, to me, was semi-restricted for no reason anyway. This card is always a 2 for 2 removal, and just because Black Feather can use it does not make it semi-restrictable. Overall comment? 1. Chaos Soldier will be seen in a lot of decks, but I really do not know if it would hit the ban card again or not. It is still powerful but equally powerful to a lot of other cards that are right now on the restriction list anyway. 2. The one thing that surprised me is the lack of any change to the most used deck in the Japanese side (e.g. Agent Angel, Black Feather, Dark World, Lightlord). Yes, TG Plant and Six Samurai get weaken quite a bit... 3. I saw a lot of comment on the TCG side is the lack of restriction on [Reborn Tengu] and/or [Tour Guide of Underworld]. I really do not know what to say on this one...there are several combo with these cards, and definitely powerful enough to warranty restriction (Tengu for Synchro, Tour Guide for Exceeds). However, you know, Konami do not like restricting card not released on OCG side for some unknown reason (see Charge of Light Brigade). 4. Weird TCG rulings of Exceeds (I refuse to call them Xyz) and Priority-activation make people on TCG side more pissed off... Now, the metagame. With the upcoming Extra Pack and newer set, this list can changed in no time at all. Tier 1: Agent Angel Chaos/Twilight variants Tier 1.5: Lightlord Black Feather Plant/TG Plant Gadget Dark World Six Samurai Makushin Tier 2: Chimeratech Hero (XD) Tier 999: Baroncaster (it is worse and worse) Photon Shockwave Review: It has been the longest time since I last wrote a set overview. It is actually difficult to do a set review when I did not do 3 sets in a row, destroying any continuity in articles. Maybe I should do a super super super late reviews on those, I have no idea...but for now, let me restart it with Photon Shockwave. Card Trends and theme: As the 6th set of Series 7, the set continue the theme from last set (Generation Force), which introduced Exceeds monster into "main pack". The pack is also continuation in chagning the pack from 5D's world into ZEXAL world. Therefore, like Generation Force, it includes 0 Tuner and 0 Synchro monster, but include 7 Exceeds monsters. In this case, this is also the first time in a while that a monster that can be normal summoned is the cover card (it had been dominated by Synchros). Archetype wise, this set introduced Evoldo/Evoldar series, which is a bunch of Reptile-Dino related cards. It also includes more Zenmai card, as continue from last set. It then includes some cards from Yuma, Ryoga, Kaito, and Fuya (sorry if I missed anyone). For last count if I did not miscounted, there are only 32 anime related cards in this set, which is considerably few in modern day sets. The other themes include in the set included Eleki, Natural, Ice Barrier, and Ninja. Oh, and there are 2 Normal monsters just in case anyone like them... Deck Types: Here are some of the new deck types that I think people could create after this set, competitive or not. - Evoldo-Evoldar theme - Rescue Exceeds (not sure how it will work) For deck types that get boosts: - Water type - Zenmai - Eleki (not really) - Natural - Dragon (not really) - Light/Makushin(??) - Wight (XD) Useful cards : As usual, I will write down a list of cards that I think that can help some deck. Again, this list merely means that you should at least look at the card and somehow find space for it...or at least try.... - Kagetokage (build for Exceeds, and ends there, limited in use) - Killer Rabuka - Shark Sucker (again, ZEXAL hate Synchro) - Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (hey, it IS the cover card...) - Light Serpent (poor Dark World copy that hate Synchro again) - Evoldo Gephiros/Vestro/Odokeris (special summon effect from different places...) - Evoldar Urucanodon (again, they love Exceeds, hate Synchro) - Evoldar Cerato - Zenmai Warrior - Zenmai Hunter - Zenmai Bat - Elekingcobra - Natural Malon - Silver Ninja - Houou (hey it's decent...) - Tribe-Shocking Virus (VERY poor-man Tribe Infecting Virus) - Rescue Rabbit (poor attempt copying Rescue Cat) - No. 83 Galaxy Queen (umm...) - Black Ray Lancer (high attack, but limit to Water) - No. 20 Ant Rock-Ground Brill-Ant - Evolkaiser Ragia - Thunder End Dragon (and with all this requirement, still halfway to Judgment Dragon) - Exceeds Gift (umm somewhere in the future it will be good) - Photon Veil (Makushin deck screams "USE ME!!!") - Photon Lead (Angel, Makushin, Lightlord...) - Extra Gate - Kakera of Greed (super slow draw) - Triwight Zone (Wight wight all the way) - Damage Diet (super anime card...but at least it is a little useful??) - Copy Knight (when BOTH Synchro AND Exceeds can use this card if they want, it goes on the list) - Photonize (a much worse Trap version of Honest) - Spring Rewinding - Elekiancel - Self-Abandonment of Tyrant (LOL, weenie deck wins?) - Withdrawal Order (like all other Normal Rares...I can see it be used somehow) - Eisbahn - Water Releasing Seal Act Now, of course, my choice of worst card in the set...and it is? All Evoldo support: I had never seen worse support cards than those... Last word: The set continue from last set continue hard to sell Exceeds monster and have card effect that help you Exceeds summon. Also, there is some reason few cards that is a "worse" version of previous cards. As like any new sets, there are not really "eye-popping" cards but many that can be good. I still do not like how dumbed down the cards from ZEXAL are...but I guess when the main character is kind of dumb then... Until next time, where I will have no idea when I will write my next article. I do have plenty of time in my hand right now with no employment...but I can also write so much on a game that I half-heartedly care about now. - Baron, 8/25/2011


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