My humblest appologies for my absence. I'd been 36 in work and 36 in a no longer internet ready classroom, but no more. I've got some ability to write again, and just in time it seems. OK duelists, lets get into this week's article!

We’ve finally received our new list ladies and gents, and my I say I’m probably more stunned than any of you. The list is now, more or less, every card we could have come together and thought of and then some. We have at last departed from the stringent rigidity of the Japanese’s schedule and seemingly random re-introduction of cards. Such a policy seemed about as ludicrous as taking an alcoholic on his second AA meeting and telling him to bartend. I must say though, we’re missing some crazy cards, and the list seems balanced at last. How’s that you say? I’m always here to answer that very why?


We have to go with the obvious first: Pot of Greed. We all saw the signs, but when the Japanese winter list made its appearance, it was still grinning at us with its tea stained teeth. With Pot of Greed’s banning, drawing out of your draw phase is going to be tougher than ever, and more emphasis will be placed on deck thinning to get to the core of your strategy. The biggest switch from this to the previous is most definitely Exodia, having lost both Graceful Charity AND Pot of Greed this list, the Forbidden One will have to take solace in knowing that quite a few of his enemies are now gone. Enemies, such as a Nobleman of Crossout are now restricted to one. With Dark Hole back as well, Exodia now has plenty of ways to get those Emissaries and Sangans to the grave for the win.

Taking a look at things in the “lets make Horus as strong as possible news”, Tribe Infecting Virus getting the axe means definite trouble for defensive options. Without him, there are going to be a large number of high attack power monsters that will be a serious problem. Horus esecialy, who’s self protection from magic in numerous forms, is usually backed up by a decree or two. You can be bet your bottom dollar that Exiled Force and DD Warrior Lady will be the new stars of monster removal. To take another look at essential monster removal, though we lost Tribe and gained Dark Hole, Cyber Jar was inexplicitly still in the Japanese game, and its yet again in the English game. How is this? The seat of its power is now restricted to one: Book of Taiyo. Without the spell speed one monster flipping that Book of Taiyo brought, they are now forced to deck in Dark Piercing Light, which may or may not work as well, considering Cyber Jar usually clutters the field with other flips that may or may not want to be activated at that time.

What can we look for in a dominate deck type? Luckily for me, it seems my previous ideas are still keen: invulnerability. Each of the Tribute monsters in my deck is immune to a good fraction of cards in an opponent’s deck. Sacred Phoenix might as well be immune to “Destroy” effects, Jinzo won’t be touched by a trap unless touched by Skill Drain first, and Silent Swordsmen is flat out immune to opponent’s magic effects. You can go even further and see that Spirit Reaper is immune to battle damage, and sending Sangan to the graveyard is 100% beneficial. A monster with immunity is probably equal to ½ the card advantage if it could simply negate or destroy another card. Breaker’s continued existence is proof of this.

Who can tell what the meta will bring? We have our ideas, the giant metal parrot (Phoenix), the giant metal chicken (Horus), or the Giant Metal Dragon (Cyber End Dragon), but whatever it is, it’s going to have a lot of metal.

ya cant wait for this new list

it does seem as if this list wants us to concentrate on taking out our opponent's options instead of just increasing our own

whats interesting is how ppl will fill these opens spots which were usually the core of a deck, will they be filled with a new core or with more support and rely on a card-by-card strategy

Ahh, due to certain circumstances, we have all the play-test time we could want. Horus will be popular. And when I find its weakness, I will have to find ways to counter that in my side deck. I guess thats just how things go. I can only say one thing of this list.
I R Love List.
'Nuff said.
Azurai Aeon

I've been addicted to the Pot of Greed ever since Legend of Blue Eyes, but I guess it's its time to leave. To me Jar of Avarice has a better effect, even though you have to have 5 monsters in the grave to use it but I could be broken if you combo it with Card Destruction. Aside from that the new banlist is great because I can use new combos in my Chaos Deck, which is now evolved into a Chaos Sorcerer/ Sorcerer of Dark Magic deck. Kudos to Konami and UDE. Oh ya I love your articles Agent, keep it up. ^_^

@@@Tyrant Dragon 06@@@

It's a ban list. It's good, it's bad, and it sure as hell is ugly!!! My Exodia deck hates PoG and GC being banned, but Exodia is smiling down on us with Dark Hole now on the restricted list. I'm even tempted to try and run it at SJC in Atlanta seeing how well it played under the current list.

With virtually no fear of attacking now, 90% of all decks now have a decent shot at possibly winning a duel. It will be an interesting 6 months, but we all know how Konami and UDE are. This will be the greatest 6 months since Yu-Gi-Oh's US release, but it will end. Konami/UDE can't do a lot things right, so it seems anyway. This is a good start to bring a lot of old players back. More players will return than those who will quit because of the list.

So what if Pot is gone. BLS is sleeping in his cave with CED. Chaos is virtually dead, and it's a shame. Now fusions will have to be summoned properly. Except I think Summoner of Illusions is the best way to go now. Duels will be slower, but not enough to hurt anything. I would recommend having 45 minute time limits instead of just 40 though. Nothing major.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Dueling is now 200% more fun!!! Let's enjoy while we can, but I'm sure someone will screw it up.............*stares at Konami*...............eventually..... Let's all have fun and party with the new list!!!

WWOOOOHHHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEATH TO THE COOKIE CUTTER!!! DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!!!

i gotta say i am very shocked by the list. seeing tribe and mirror force on this list totally caughtme off guard, but i'm lovin it. even magician of faith getting restricted along with book of moon and scapegoat, man this is awsome! my archfiend deck is gonna rule the roost in october. my deck might have lost a couple of cards but it gained a serious advantage seeing mirror, tribe, and goats all get screwed.

Good to know I'm not the only one that plays horuses and calls them chickens.

And all- in- all I'd say this list is the best thing to happen to the game since they printed cyber dragons(BTW, I'm somewhat annoyed as a machine guy that Cyber dragons are now the 'flavor of the month')

Although I'd say with Tsuku, goats, and TER down to one morph really didnt need restriction.

i believe injection and exiled will once again be staples... cyber dragons will be in almost every deck possible.. and it will be beat down, theme decks, or hand control to win tournys.. (which is almost every deck before that would win:P)

I am very excited to use my horus and ben kei deck again. cause both of them are beneficial to dark hole. and now that horus and ben kei have no fear of attacking, losing seems almost impossible IMO. (especially with 3 DDA's)....

All I Hear Now Is Horus This And Horus That. The Way I See It People Will Try To Play Horus, And Will Be Successful Until They Try To Take It To A Big Tourney Like A Regional Or A Shonen Jump. At These Tourney, People Without The Proper Resources To Deal With Horus Will Be Able To Side In Options To Take Him Out... A Few Of These Include:
Exiled Force
Injection Fairy Lily
D.d. Warrior Lady
D.d. Assaliant
Zaborg The Thunder Monarch
Ter
Tsukuyomi
Divine Wrath
Torrential Tribute
Bottomless Traphole
Sakaretsu Armor
Widespread Ruin

Not To Meantion The Bad Topdecks That Can Occur With This Deck As Well That The Lv. 8 Is A Nomi Monster. People Will Try This Deck And Fail Horribly, Then Move On To Something Else.

Now, now, half those cards are going to be "maindeck" in the first place, for the new cookie I feel coming along. Its different to take horus to a regional, as I plan to, and its another thing to take it into a totally brand new ban list. I can only speak for myself saying, I will have my deck and side deck prepared for all countermeasures I can.
Thank you, and wtg at the SJC,
Azurai Aeon

don't forget my feindish little favorite dragon seeker

Nice article adam and you keep playtesting and we'll see the metagames turnout eventually. lol.