Hey, Kiddos. I have been messing around with a variety of decks recently on the Dueling Network website and have decided to share with you my opinion on some decks that try to enable the Exxodia win condition.
Managing to get five useless cards from the deck to your hand is much harder than it sounds, considering you have to run 35 floaters to get there. There are a variety of decks out there that attempt to accomplish that win condition with different engines but largely it is considered the most practical to have a Exxodia deck that can win on its first turn instead of needing some set up, so that eliminates some variants using cards like Appropriate or Heart of the Underdog.
In my few experiences against Exxodia decks, I found that largely the most consistent variants of a deck built around an inconsistent win condition, were Dragon Draw Exxodia and Dark World Exodia. Dragon Draw uses cards like Super Rejuvenation, Cards of Consonance, Trade-in, Future Fusion, The White Stone of Legend and Blue Eyes White Dragon as fillers. The deck is capable of large card advantage compared to the Dark World Variant but tends to be less consistent in that it can dead draw quite easily due to its high monster count, or not running into the draw card for a particular monster in hand.
The Dark World Ex variant on the other hand tends to be very consistent in being able to get at least through 20 cards on a given turn, but unlike Dragon Draw cannot rack up a whole lot of card advantage necessary for good Magical Mallet or Card Destruction plays. Yet, I prefer the Dark World Variant as I find it less cloggy, offering more outs to potential side deck cards, as well as feeling like you still have a chance if you do get a cloggy hand. Without further ado, here is my personal decklist I came up with after a small amount of testing.
Monsters: 17
5 Exodia pieces
3 Snoww, Unlight of Dark World
3 Grappha, Dragon Lord of Dark World
3 Thunder Dragon
2 Broww, Huntsman of Dark World
1 Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon
Spells: 23
3 One Day of Peace
3 Upstart Goblin
3 Trade-in
3 The Gates of Dark World
3 Dark World Dealings
3 Toon Table of Contents
1 Pot of Duality
1 Card Destruction
1 Allure of Darkness
1 Magical Mallet
1 Pot of Avarice
Side would generally consist of MST's, Heavy Storm, or Dimensional Alchemist if they remove from play an Exxodia Piece.
Yea, it is not gonna win you a YCS. Yea, it is not gonna always be fun to play cause your opponent is a male genitalia. Yea, you will lose mostly to the male genitalias of the world.
But then, it is Exodia and you are gonna Troll when you show them your hand with all five pieces.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Back, from Outer Space (I'm still alive!); Comparisons
Oh my, I have been away for some time from this blog for a long time, but do not fear! I have still been going to locals(and topping a modest amount) with my (new, not Nordic)Karakuri deck and keeping tabs on the competition at the larger scale in Toronto. What I wish to discuss since my inconvenient departure a few weeks ago is the differences between my local venue(and perhaps yours) and my (wholly perceived non-participative) view of the national level.
I, like many of you, get onto the Konami Blog to read about the YCS coverage over the weekend, or even look at past YCS's to see past decklists for whatever insight I might find. So, last night I got on to review YCS Toronto's Top 16, and read further about Billy Brake with his historic victory over Nicky Lasaille: the drama between both of them at YCS Orlando and what not.
I finished reading and quietly sat there, somewhat wishing I could watch some Star Trek: The Next Generation before going back to the grindstone that is college when I had a question arise. It really was not a unique question and it runs like this: "Billy Brake has been to how many YCS's? Why does he, and other veterans of past YCS's, get to the top more readily than those randoms who are lucky enough for the YCS to be near their local?
The proper response may be, "Well, they are good. They deserve it. They are better players than those players at that locale."
Well, I had a different thought. Before I get to it, I wanted to talk about my locals. I live in Tulsa, OK and go to a store called Alien Games in Jenks, OK. This store is the most competitive locale I have been to in Tulsa, counting a Vintage Stock and another minor game store. We often have between 10-15 competitors on a Friday or Saturday night, with about 3-4 casual players. We adhere to Konami scripture and tenements for the rules regarding time and other hobnob.
There are notable players there, some that have been to many YCS's, won many regionals, and gone to Nationals. Never one that has won a YCS, or won nationals. These are competitive little peeps mind you, not afraid to rule shark and be male genitals when it comes down to it. They can net deck and come up with very good tech, or invent something all their own and be competitive. Yet, they tend to lack the ability to top a YCS, let alone reliably make it to day two. Billy Brake on the other hand can, a total of seven times in three years to the top 16.
"Billy Brake has adapted to his environment."
Those players like Mr. Brake have adapted to play on a national level against a variety of decks. They make decks, side decks, extra decks and plays appropriate to the expectations of a national opponent. I, on the other hand, and limited in scope to the locals in which I play. When players from my locals go to a national event, they evaluate with their experiences and what they can guess will come at them.
So in short, when a local player gets lucky enough to have a YCS in their locale, he does not get to have a home field advantage. He is stepping into the evironment of the Billy Brake's of Yu-Gi-Oh. So, if you want to win a YCS, you need to go to many YCS's. Do you really think Billy Brake got to day 2 on his first or second YCS? I doubt it.
Imagine, the creepiest looking YCS topper and get a image of him playing Yu-Gi-Oh with the words "Welcome to the Jungle" over his head, Scary.
I, like many of you, get onto the Konami Blog to read about the YCS coverage over the weekend, or even look at past YCS's to see past decklists for whatever insight I might find. So, last night I got on to review YCS Toronto's Top 16, and read further about Billy Brake with his historic victory over Nicky Lasaille: the drama between both of them at YCS Orlando and what not.
I finished reading and quietly sat there, somewhat wishing I could watch some Star Trek: The Next Generation before going back to the grindstone that is college when I had a question arise. It really was not a unique question and it runs like this: "Billy Brake has been to how many YCS's? Why does he, and other veterans of past YCS's, get to the top more readily than those randoms who are lucky enough for the YCS to be near their local?
The proper response may be, "Well, they are good. They deserve it. They are better players than those players at that locale."
Well, I had a different thought. Before I get to it, I wanted to talk about my locals. I live in Tulsa, OK and go to a store called Alien Games in Jenks, OK. This store is the most competitive locale I have been to in Tulsa, counting a Vintage Stock and another minor game store. We often have between 10-15 competitors on a Friday or Saturday night, with about 3-4 casual players. We adhere to Konami scripture and tenements for the rules regarding time and other hobnob.
There are notable players there, some that have been to many YCS's, won many regionals, and gone to Nationals. Never one that has won a YCS, or won nationals. These are competitive little peeps mind you, not afraid to rule shark and be male genitals when it comes down to it. They can net deck and come up with very good tech, or invent something all their own and be competitive. Yet, they tend to lack the ability to top a YCS, let alone reliably make it to day two. Billy Brake on the other hand can, a total of seven times in three years to the top 16.
"Billy Brake has adapted to his environment."
Those players like Mr. Brake have adapted to play on a national level against a variety of decks. They make decks, side decks, extra decks and plays appropriate to the expectations of a national opponent. I, on the other hand, and limited in scope to the locals in which I play. When players from my locals go to a national event, they evaluate with their experiences and what they can guess will come at them.
So in short, when a local player gets lucky enough to have a YCS in their locale, he does not get to have a home field advantage. He is stepping into the evironment of the Billy Brake's of Yu-Gi-Oh. So, if you want to win a YCS, you need to go to many YCS's. Do you really think Billy Brake got to day 2 on his first or second YCS? I doubt it.
Imagine, the creepiest looking YCS topper and get a image of him playing Yu-Gi-Oh with the words "Welcome to the Jungle" over his head, Scary.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Rescue Rabbit Hype
So, there is a card that has been discussed quite a bit recently by my fellow bloggers called Rescue Rabbit. It seems that most of these individuals believe it will herald a new Synchro Cat like format. I think this is a little skewed as the deckspace required to run the little Rabbit already offsets the benefit to a point that is uncomfortable.Of course the bloggers that I am referring to are also the ones who generally threaten to quit the game all too often but nonetheless, let us address the issue of Rescue Rabbit.
Rescue Rabbit reads:
"This card cannot be Special Summoned from the Deck. During your Main Phase: You can banish this face-up card; Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters with the same name from your Deck. Those monsters are destroyed during the End Phase. The effect of "Rescue Rabbit" can only be used once per turn."
The big deal about this little bunny is that it will supposedly herald a new age for the dinosaur and gladiator beast archetype. Each deck type has a normal monster that is level 4(Gladiator Beast Andal and Kabazauls) that can be used for the effect of Rescue Rabbit and each stands to gain from his effect in different ways.
But first let us take a look at what cards we would need to put in a deck to gain the effect of Rescue Rabbit.
First you would need to run at least 3 Normal Monsters for the first Rescue Rabbit(with two it is more likely you will draw a normal monster before your Rescue Rabbit so its effect would be moot), then probably 1-2 more Normal monsters for each additional Rescue Rabbit(so the other ones will not be dead in hand after your first Rescue Rabbit).
Seriously, that is 4 spots of deckspace for one Rescue Rabbit effect going off at the bare minimum. And for three Rescue Rabbits? Somewhere between 5-7 spaces. That sounds more than a little unhealthy, but what is even more unhealthy is that those monsters have to be of the same name!
If you have only one target you want for your Rescue Rabbit play such as Gladiator Beast Andal, you are limited to running one Rescue Rabbit simply for the sake you can only run three Gladiator Beast Andal. Further, if you did run different named normal monsters for your Rescue Rabbit plays, you would find yourself forced to pick a different normal monster pair for every subsequent Rescue Rabbit play.
Even worse, even if you get a perfect hand of a Rescue Rabbit and no normal monsters, you still leave at least one dead draw in your deck later on, due to the fact you can only grab two monsters with Rescue Rabbit.
Now as for Gladiator Beasts and Dinosaurs: Rescue Rabbit can give Glads two Monsters who can possible tag out if combined to a Heraklinos or a Gyzarus and keep Chariots active. Dinosaurs get the ability to combine to their Rank 4 Evolkaiser Ragia which is pretty OP but still, we just went over the consistency issues of Rescue Rabbit and I think they will be better suited to doing that with the Evol or Jurrac archetype.
Now what deck already runs enough Normal Monsters of the same name and could use some Xyz beatsticks from Rescue Rabbit?
Perfect Herald.
Rescue Rabbit reads:
"This card cannot be Special Summoned from the Deck. During your Main Phase: You can banish this face-up card; Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters with the same name from your Deck. Those monsters are destroyed during the End Phase. The effect of "Rescue Rabbit" can only be used once per turn."
The big deal about this little bunny is that it will supposedly herald a new age for the dinosaur and gladiator beast archetype. Each deck type has a normal monster that is level 4(Gladiator Beast Andal and Kabazauls) that can be used for the effect of Rescue Rabbit and each stands to gain from his effect in different ways.
But first let us take a look at what cards we would need to put in a deck to gain the effect of Rescue Rabbit.
First you would need to run at least 3 Normal Monsters for the first Rescue Rabbit(with two it is more likely you will draw a normal monster before your Rescue Rabbit so its effect would be moot), then probably 1-2 more Normal monsters for each additional Rescue Rabbit(so the other ones will not be dead in hand after your first Rescue Rabbit).
Seriously, that is 4 spots of deckspace for one Rescue Rabbit effect going off at the bare minimum. And for three Rescue Rabbits? Somewhere between 5-7 spaces. That sounds more than a little unhealthy, but what is even more unhealthy is that those monsters have to be of the same name!
If you have only one target you want for your Rescue Rabbit play such as Gladiator Beast Andal, you are limited to running one Rescue Rabbit simply for the sake you can only run three Gladiator Beast Andal. Further, if you did run different named normal monsters for your Rescue Rabbit plays, you would find yourself forced to pick a different normal monster pair for every subsequent Rescue Rabbit play.
Even worse, even if you get a perfect hand of a Rescue Rabbit and no normal monsters, you still leave at least one dead draw in your deck later on, due to the fact you can only grab two monsters with Rescue Rabbit.
Now as for Gladiator Beasts and Dinosaurs: Rescue Rabbit can give Glads two Monsters who can possible tag out if combined to a Heraklinos or a Gyzarus and keep Chariots active. Dinosaurs get the ability to combine to their Rank 4 Evolkaiser Ragia which is pretty OP but still, we just went over the consistency issues of Rescue Rabbit and I think they will be better suited to doing that with the Evol or Jurrac archetype.
Now what deck already runs enough Normal Monsters of the same name and could use some Xyz beatsticks from Rescue Rabbit?
Perfect Herald.
-Methus0
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Greetings to the World(and Karakuri Nordics!)
Hello Yu-Gi-Oh players of the blogosphere, I am Methus0 and I have begun my first Yu-Gi-Oh blog A Plethora of Decks. In due time you may meet two(or more) friends of mine who will begin to contribute to the blog but for now it is only me. So to break the ice, here is a couple of nuggets of info about me: I am going to college at a private university as a sophomore(yes it is preppy and somewhat snobby place), and I have played Yu-Gi-Oh for about three years now.
Now as for the reasons that I created this blog, well... I really like Yu-Gi-Oh and I think it is a very clever card game and I enjoy discussing decklists with fellow players. But, as with all things, I had an ulterior motive for creating this blog. Simply said, I find that many of the bloggers of this great card game are like those angry kids you see at Walmart yelling, as high their little voices can, about not getting what they wanted in the toy aisle.
Really, I (and Konami) could not even care less for your ego driven card mentality, or whether Yu-Gi-Oh Armageddon is nigh and that we all will soon quit the game. We will each know when we feel like it is no longer fun to play Yu-Gi-Oh and that is(sure-as-hell) not going to be dependent on your feelings. So go sit in your corner and be angst-y.
With maybe(a BIG maybe) the exception of a new banlist, I think there is nothing that you should be threatening X person(your mom, Konami, whatever) to quit the game over. You should quit the game when you are no longer having fun or can't pay for it.
So, I created this blog so as to have a place to discuss deck ideas without the occasional curse thrown at Konami or threat to quit Yu-Gi-Oh. But mostly to rant on my ideas.
Before I get on to the decklist for this week, I wanted to note that as I begin these decklists I try to make them as competitive as I can, but this may conflict with my desire to introduce a new spin on a deck or that I just may not be that great. So, as the blog's name suggests, we will be seeing a great many different decks.
KARAKURI NORDICS
Monsters (18)
3 Karakuri Soldier
3 Karakuri Ninishi
3 Karakuri Merchant
2 Karakuri Muso
3 Tanngnjostr , of the Nordic Beasts
Now as for the reasons that I created this blog, well... I really like Yu-Gi-Oh and I think it is a very clever card game and I enjoy discussing decklists with fellow players. But, as with all things, I had an ulterior motive for creating this blog. Simply said, I find that many of the bloggers of this great card game are like those angry kids you see at Walmart yelling, as high their little voices can, about not getting what they wanted in the toy aisle.
Really, I (and Konami) could not even care less for your ego driven card mentality, or whether Yu-Gi-Oh Armageddon is nigh and that we all will soon quit the game. We will each know when we feel like it is no longer fun to play Yu-Gi-Oh and that is(sure-as-hell) not going to be dependent on your feelings. So go sit in your corner and be angst-y.
With maybe(a BIG maybe) the exception of a new banlist, I think there is nothing that you should be threatening X person(your mom, Konami, whatever) to quit the game over. You should quit the game when you are no longer having fun or can't pay for it.
So, I created this blog so as to have a place to discuss deck ideas without the occasional curse thrown at Konami or threat to quit Yu-Gi-Oh. But mostly to rant on my ideas.
Before I get on to the decklist for this week, I wanted to note that as I begin these decklists I try to make them as competitive as I can, but this may conflict with my desire to introduce a new spin on a deck or that I just may not be that great. So, as the blog's name suggests, we will be seeing a great many different decks.
KARAKURI NORDICS
Monsters (18)
3 Karakuri Soldier
3 Karakuri Ninishi
3 Karakuri Merchant
2 Karakuri Muso
3 Tanngnjostr , of the Nordic Beasts
2 Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts
1 Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
Spells (12)
2 Karakuri Anatomy
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
3 Karakuri Cash Cache
1 Monster Reborn
1 Giant Trunade
1 Book of Moon
1 Dark Hole
1 Pot of avarice
1 Limiter Removal
Traps (9)
3 Gleipnir, the fetters of Fenrir
1 Solemn Judgement
1 Mirror Force
2 Trap Stun
2 Solemn Warning
Extra
2 Karakuri Shogun Burie
2 Karakuri Steel Shogun Buriedo
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Scrap Archfiend
1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Mist Wurm
1 Stardust Dragon
2 Black Rose Dragon
1 Scrap Dragon
1 Thor, Lord of the Aesir
1 Gaia Knight the Force of Earth
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
While the main purpose of Karakuris is generally taken to be spam Burei and Buriedo, they also can exist as a deck that can gain consistent hand advantage with Karakuri Merchant comboing with Karakuri Cash Cache or Karakuri Anatomy. I find the combination of Karakuri and Nordic to be a very fitting one, with the Karakuris always shifting to defense and thus easily destroyed by battle, Tanngjostr brings the best of the nordic cards to the table, not to mention he is searchable by Gleipnir. Further, Guldfaxe and Tanngjostr bring easy Black Rose plays and Burie or Buriedo if you have a Karakuri in hand. Karakuri Ninishi also really helps with the somewhat high monster count hands due to all the searching going on and to make Black Rose plays.
A fun deck to play, pretty defensive in its setups and probably one of the better applications of a Nordic influence in an archetype.
I always want to hear what you all have to say so please comment below.
-Methus0
1 Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
2 Karakuri Anatomy
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
3 Karakuri Cash Cache
1 Monster Reborn
1 Giant Trunade
1 Book of Moon
1 Dark Hole
1 Pot of avarice
1 Limiter Removal
Traps (9)
3 Gleipnir, the fetters of Fenrir
1 Solemn Judgement
1 Mirror Force
2 Trap Stun
2 Solemn Warning
Extra
2 Karakuri Shogun Burie
2 Karakuri Steel Shogun Buriedo
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Scrap Archfiend
1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Mist Wurm
1 Stardust Dragon
2 Black Rose Dragon
1 Scrap Dragon
1 Thor, Lord of the Aesir
1 Gaia Knight the Force of Earth
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
While the main purpose of Karakuris is generally taken to be spam Burei and Buriedo, they also can exist as a deck that can gain consistent hand advantage with Karakuri Merchant comboing with Karakuri Cash Cache or Karakuri Anatomy. I find the combination of Karakuri and Nordic to be a very fitting one, with the Karakuris always shifting to defense and thus easily destroyed by battle, Tanngjostr brings the best of the nordic cards to the table, not to mention he is searchable by Gleipnir. Further, Guldfaxe and Tanngjostr bring easy Black Rose plays and Burie or Buriedo if you have a Karakuri in hand. Karakuri Ninishi also really helps with the somewhat high monster count hands due to all the searching going on and to make Black Rose plays.
A fun deck to play, pretty defensive in its setups and probably one of the better applications of a Nordic influence in an archetype.
I always want to hear what you all have to say so please comment below.
-Methus0
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