This current format has come and gone seemingly slowly, despite it being shorter than any previous format in recent memory. Coincidentally, the speed of the game has similarly dropped in pace. Most of my matches in the previous format were intense Dragon Ruler mirrors and -normally- not very drawn out. This format is the complete opposite, where every single game feels like a grind game. Whether you are grinding your opponent for advantage with Mermails or getting in there with Bears and Gorillas, the format is noticeably slower.
While I have enjoyed playing Mermails for the entirety of this format, I feel that it is coming time for something new. Looking forward to Primal Origin, there will be a new archetype on the horizon in Artifacts. Artifacts seem to be no less than the real deal and will pose a great task to those playing against them to play around. Sylvans obtain quality support and depending on how favorable the ban list is to them, could really pack a punch. Past those two decks, I have not looked in to too-too much from Primal Origins, however I realize that the set will once again break the game open. That said, I believe the changes I have made in my version of the list below would correct and -balance- some of what Yu-Gi-Oh! currently is. I would be a fool to think this list is perfect, and I certainly do not claim it to be, but I have put a lot of thought into many of the choices and what I have coming on and off of the list. Here it is.
Forbidden:
Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos
Genex Ally Birdman
Honest
Limiter Removal
M-X-Saber Invoker
Morphing Jar
Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders
Rekindling
Spellbook of Fate
Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms
Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls
Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos: All of the Dragon Rulers to me are poorly designed. At one, in theme specific decks they feel increasingly unfair. When one player gets it and the other doesn't having an insta-level 7-big beater/defender seems pretty unreal to me. Not only that, despite being a shadow of its former self, Dragon Rulers lived on in Hieratic-Ruler form in the current format. Thus, my list banishes the dragon rulers into the shadow realm.
Genex-Ally Birdman: Since this card was released, I long thought it to be a "waiting for something to break it" card. It was "good" in numerous decks, but nothing really broke it until Geargia. The card is entirely unfair creating an incredible string of wombo-combos.
Honest: When I first came back to Yu-Gi-Oh! after a four year hiatus, I could hardly believe this card existed, let alone was once at three. Numerous times it has made my blood boil when it has been topdecked against me for game. The title of this blog was thrown around a couple of times in those games for certain.
Limiter Removal: Poor card design makes this card what it is. Put simply, they make a special place for cards like this in Yu-Gi-Oh! and that is the forbidden list.
M-X-Saber Invoker: This card opens too many combos for decks that have good but fair cards in them. Numerous otks can exist with this card and cannot exist without it. The banhammer seems good for it.
Morphing Jar: Unbalanced in today's game, and with my unlimiting of Book of Moon, Morphing Jar has to go to prevent "Empty Jar" from rearing its ugly head.
Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders: Re: Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos
Rekindling: Another card with poor card design, that allows for lame topdeck situations or for you to outplay your opponent, only for them to have a Rekindling. Must be nice.
Spellbook of Fate: Spellbooks are a completely fair deck. Without Spellbook of Fate. They do a lot of things well, and they do a lot of things that will still be -really- good even without their incredibly broken, utility belt, quick-play spell card.
Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms: Re: Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos
Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls: Re: Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos & oh yeah, it is pretty good in Mermails I hear.
Limited:
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Rooster
Coach Soldier Wolfbark
Elemental Hero Bubbleman
Elemental Hero Stratos
Geargiarmor
Hieratic Dragon King of Atum
Lavalval Chain
Mermail Abyssteus
Reckless Greed
Tribe-Infecting Virus
Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Rooster: While this card is not exactly unfair, it is not exactly fair either. While I do not think hitting it to one will do much, at least the ability to repeatedly wash-repeat Tenki into Gyokkou is gone...more or less.
Coach Soldier Wolfbark: While it is a bit of a theme-specific Debris Dragon, it is also searchable by a searchable card and creates the best xyz monsters in the game. I would love to see it go to one, but would not be surprised if Konami only semi-limited or even left it completely untouched.
Elemental Hero Bubbleman: Creates a silly otk deck that leaves Elemental Hero Stratos banned and subsequently a pretty fair deck in Elemental Heroes from not being very competitive.
Elemental Hero Stratos: With Bubbleman limited to one, Elemental Hero Stratos still does what it has always done best, but does not create as many unreal Excalibur/Blade Armor Ninja otks.
Geargiarmor: One of the cards I would be most happy limiting. While at one it still has incredible tutorability, it does hit the consistency of the Geargia deck as a whole.
Hieratic Dragon King of Atum: This card is incredibly good and creates silly otks. Seems fair to levy a restriction on its use.
Lavalval Chain: While I believe hitting most other cards in Infernity would level the deck in its entirety, by limiting Lavalval Chain to one, they still have access to mostly everything they did before, but do not have the ability to dump more than one card with it in a turn. They do not have the ability to essentially tutor Stygian Street Patrols to their graveyard allowing them to "keep going".
Mermail Abyssteus: Mermail cannot simply go untouched. The deck is arguably one of the best decks in the format. Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls is a significant blow, but its consistency needs to take a hit. In my opinion, it was either Abyssteus or Mermail Abyssgunde, but I believe that in order to survive, Mermails would require Abyssgunde as they are a more level 4 centric deck under this list than ever before.
Reckless Greed: Decks that just "win" when they are allowed to use multiple Reckless Greeds in one turn, like Dark World and Mermails should have to turn to other cards to do their dirty work for them or grind out advantage more efficiently rather than being gifted it by drawing into multiple Reckless.
Tribe-Infecting Virus: While I would be more comfortable with this card coming off of the list if it were "Once per turn", I do not believe it to be entirely outrageous either.
Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier: While it sucked having this card played against you, it was a card that you could usually outskill your opponent with. Remember how good it felt when your opponent went into this card first turn? It does not seem unreasonable for Trishula to come back at one.
Semi-Limited:
Bottomless Trap Hole
Bujin Yamato
Fire Formation - Tenki
Bottomless Trap Hole: Additional removal should be in the game. It is good for the game and makes your opponents think about their plays more, as you are able to have a more quality backrow facedown.
Bujin Yamato: Bujins get additional support, and Yamato is already searchable. It does not seem unreasonable to have it semi'd at two.
Fire Formation - Tenki: This card is too good and prevalent at three but not prevalent enough at one. At one, it would cripple many decks in the format. Thus, having it at two seems like a compromise.
Unlimited:
Book of Moon
Dimensional Prison
Dragon Ravine
Gold Sarcophagus
Mirror Force
Reborn Tengu
Sacred Sword of Seven Stars
Thunder King Rai-Oh
Book of Moon: Again, a great responsive card and completely fair and skillful to use. I have no idea why this card has remained at one for so long.
Dimensional Prison: The game needs removal and Dimensional Prison does not deserve to be limited at all. Even in a Storm-less format.
Dragon Ravine: With all of the Dragon Rulers at 0, Dragon Ravine can be at three once again. Despite still being ridiculous in Dragunities, both Maxx "C" and Effect Veiler are highly effective against that deck, regardless if it is a level eight synchro toolbox.
Gold Sarcophagus: This card was unlimited and barely saw play prior to the Dragon Rulers, I do not see why it couldn't be the same if they are forbidden.
Mirror Force: There are numerous cards to play around the destruction of multiple attacking monsters. In addition, multiple Mirror Force promote "good" play and discourage over-extensions.
Reborn Tengu: This card is essentially irrelevant at anything other than three. For the most part, Glow-Up Bulb and Avarice made this card unbearably ridiculous. With both of those cards gone, I would be interested in seeing if it could exist in a somewhat fair manner.
Sacred Sword of Seven Stars: Absolutely no reason for limitation with the Dragon Rulers at zero.
Thunder King Rai-Oh: While I am not thrilled of the thought of this card at three in a Stormless format, "Summon Thunder King, set 4-5" was a common theme in the past, I see Thunder King as a necessary evil. Many decks played it in the past even without some relevance to its theme, just because Thunder King slowed the game down, was a good beater, and had the ability to prevent an opponent's future play. Meaning it required the opponent to think in order to get around it.
That about wraps up my ban list desires. Food for thought. Thanks for reading.
Seems to be well written overall buddy.
ReplyDeleteI haven't played nearly enough to make any really compelling arguments but I will explain why book of moon was limited.
At 3 every deck will play it (or they did anyways.) It's one of the best cards in the game and incredibly versatile. It's a defensive card, offensive card, shuts down xyz plays, synchroing and can be used during either player's turns.
I think that's the same logic that also drove the limiting of bottomless, mirror force, etc... To create diversity (although that might be better accomplished by releasing new and compelling cards rather than hitting the ones that work.)
I mean, I guess I realize -why- they limited Book of Moon to one. When in multiples, it is played in multiples in virtually everything, because it is one of the best cards, if not the best card in the game that is not ridiculously overpowered.
ReplyDeleteMy point, however, is that with Book of Moon in multiples it makes "playing around Book" a more accepted and common practice than just, "Well, hope you don't have Book of Moon."
There are always numerous cards that play around trap cards and easier ways to play around traps for the most part. Book of Moon is a card that is more difficult to negate, but when at one it almost creates a paradox of going for it with the fact that there could be a 1 of Book of Moon in their backrow or just deciding not to because the one of could be down. When in multiples, you would just rarely go for it unless you absolutely had to, similar to a Maxx "C" challenge type of thing.