tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27311469565055608852024-02-02T11:21:00.283-05:00Lord Invishil's Yugioh News and DiscussionsA place for discussing Yugioh and highlighting the card game's biggest news stories.Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.comBlogger479125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-38471339120803044992016-02-15T17:03:00.001-05:002016-02-15T17:03:05.406-05:00Thoughts on PePe & the Adjusted List<a name='more'></a>Today I'm going to go over some of the implications of Konami's new Adjusted List. Yeah, I'm aware that this blog is basically dead and that barely anyone will see this. Also, keep in mind that I quit playing in the summer of 2014, so take my opinions with a HUGE grain of salt - but I'm here to offer them anyways.<br />
<br />
The idea of an Adjusted List is probably not a bad one in and of itself, but Konami really screwed up the implementation of it. It's essentially an emergency banlist change to prevent PePe from ruining the playing experience, but they're also trying to compromise by allowing it outside of high-level events in an attempt to soften the impact on the people who invested in the deck.<br />
<br />
So how did they screw it up? Well, the entire point of using PePe is to win, and winning is most important at the very kind of events that are affected by the Adjusted List - YCS, Regional, and UDS events. Meanwhile, regular people who go to locals expecting a lower level of competition can still get their asses destroyed by PePe decks.<br />
<br />
In other words, they got it backwards - destroying the value of the deck by preventing people from using it where it has the most worth, while still allowing regular people to be crowded out of their local scenes because of their inability to compete with PePe's power. Nice job, guys.<br />
<br />
Anyways, let's talk about the deck itself for a moment and how that relates to the creation of the list in the first place. <br />
<br />
The simple fact of the matter is that PePe is your stereotypical alpha-male Yugioh deck: too expensive for your average player to be able to justify picking it up, and too powerful for almost any other deck to compete with it. Allowing the deck to remain playable essentially ruins the experience of playing the game, because you either have it and win, or don't and lose. But at the same time, as we discussed earlier, freeing everyone else from the deck's wrath then proceeds to sink the investments of the small minority of the playerbase who decided to pick the deck up.<br />
<br />
If you're the (rather common) type of player who just doesn't like meta decks or the abundance of a specific kind of deck, then it's easy to just laugh at people who invested in the alpha-male deck and scold them for having done so. But in reality, not getting the deck is not always that simple. Yugioh is just not that much fun when you lose. Personally, as much as I hate the prevalence of strong decks that make it difficult to enjoy the game because they deal you losses all the time, I find it hard to blame people for trying to use whatever they think will reduce the chances of them losing the most. <br />
<br />
After all, deck choice is like an arms race. Just because you decide to try and protect your wallet doesn't mean anyone else will do the same - in fact, the more people shy away from powerful decks out of the fear of them getting hit, the easier it is for people who continue to play such decks to win. Conversely, once some people get these decks, more and more people will need to get their own in order to stay competitive, fueling a preponderance of the same strategy which everyone then begins to hate.<br />
<br />
One of the only ways to stop this cycle is by using the banlist to weaken things. So in the end, Konami made the right decision to stop the PePe train quickly before things stayed out of hand for too long. We just have to remember not to blame people who obsessively reach for whichever decks they feel are the best, because at the end of the day, they're just trying to make this experience suck a little less.<br />
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-15331148092933323142015-06-28T22:32:00.002-04:002015-06-28T22:50:03.215-04:00NOAH GREENE WINS THE 2015 NORTH AMERICAN WCQ!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Noah Greene, who just won the North American World Championship Qualifier in Nashville, Tennessee with
his Burning Abyss deck! Also, congrats to Chase Cunningham for
coming in second place; he was also playing Burning Abyss. Continue
reading for highlights from the event coverage collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutndAIzXWs5iY1rGR4Gnr_PjVKwMzgj5a8-YohO3g46eUHpCj-JzgwZWc8E6gc_7n1izlJbVsv-5oU1Pg-S3DA5x0f6XoH0eoy_jwvga7p0sFg4ewINoB4_aD9sFrfYAd3zioO3dQY6I/s1600/nawcq2015winner-noahgreene.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutndAIzXWs5iY1rGR4Gnr_PjVKwMzgj5a8-YohO3g46eUHpCj-JzgwZWc8E6gc_7n1izlJbVsv-5oU1Pg-S3DA5x0f6XoH0eoy_jwvga7p0sFg4ewINoB4_aD9sFrfYAd3zioO3dQY6I/s320/nawcq2015winner-noahgreene.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<u>1. Top Cut</u><br />
<br />
Finals: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=21020<br />
<br />
Top 8: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=21008<br />
<br />
Top 16: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=21002<br />
<br />
Top 32: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=21000<br />
<br />
Top 64<br />
Names: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20965<br />
Breakdown: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20980<br />
<br />
<u>2. Feature Matches</u><br />
<br />
Round 1: Nekroz tie with Shaddolls <br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20806<br />
<br />
Round 3: Star Seraph Traptrix defeat Satellarknights<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20825<br />
<br />
Round 5: Nekroz defeat Dark Law Heroes<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20837<br />
<br />
Round 5: Nekroz defeat Secret Village Burning Abyss<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20845<br />
<br />
Round 6: Masked Heroes defeat Star Seraph Shaddolls<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20867 <br />
<br />
Round 7: Lightsworn Infernoid Shaddolls tie with Burning Abyss<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20903<br />
<br />
Round 8: Burning Abyss defeats Qliphorts<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20889<br />
<br />
Round 8: Burning Abyss defeats Nekroz<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20909 <br />
<br />
Round 10: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20934<br />
<br />
Round 10: Ritual Beasts defeat Nekroz<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20927<br />
<br />
Round 11: Ritual Beasts defeat Nekroz<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20953<br />
<br />
Round 11: Ritual Beasts defeat Nekroz<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20946<br />
<br />
-<br />
<br />
Top 64: Heroes defeat Qliphorts<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20995<br />
<br />
Top 32: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=21014<br />
<br />
<u>3. Top Tables Updates</u><br />
<br />
Round 6: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20860<br />
14 Nekroz<br />
2 Burning Abyss<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
2 Qliphort <br />
<br />
Round 7: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20875<br />
14 Nekroz<br />
3 Qliphort<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Round 8: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20899<br />
13 Nekroz<br />
3 Ritual Beast<br />
2 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
<br />
Round 9: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20907<br />
15 Nekroz<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Ritual Beast<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Round 10: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20922<br />
14 Nekroz<br />
2 Ritual Beast<br />
2 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
<br />
Round 12: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20963<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
3 Burning Abyss <br />
3 Qliphort<br />
2 Ritual Beast <br />
<br />
<u>4. Tech Updates</u><br />
<br />
Secret Village: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20821<br />
<br />
Naturia Beast: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20835<br />
<br />
Droll & Lock Bird: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20873<br />
<br />
Exa, Enforcer of the Nekroz: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20863 <br />
<br />
<u>5. Miscellaneous</u><br />
<br />
Welcome: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20794<br />
<br />
End of Day 1 / Round 9 Standings: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20915 <br />
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-63128825727657387132015-06-21T16:45:00.003-04:002015-06-22T06:22:17.296-04:00TOMMY ROWE WINS ARGCS SYRACUSE!!! <a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Tommy Rowe, who just won ARGCS Syracuse, New York with
his Nekroz deck! Also, congrats to Frazier Smith for
coming in second place; he was also playing Nekroz. This event didn't feature much written coverage and any potential video coverage hasn't been posted as of yet, but you can continue
reading for details from the Top 16 collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnxN7WhINulYITOH3TR_EUenu-5tD3IXj-u6H0FoGwtTA8w94Xiq6Y-6JbuufnFL4YdqzWFpsO-121vmcgucCfxoz4yi9GxUD5pvwcb67Zm9I00yTg-th7c2dEhXk8Xkd8blTxAVWDpk/s1600/argcssyracusewinner-tommyrowe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnxN7WhINulYITOH3TR_EUenu-5tD3IXj-u6H0FoGwtTA8w94Xiq6Y-6JbuufnFL4YdqzWFpsO-121vmcgucCfxoz4yi9GxUD5pvwcb67Zm9I00yTg-th7c2dEhXk8Xkd8blTxAVWDpk/s320/argcssyracusewinner-tommyrowe.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Top 8: [https://www.facebook.com/234021296510/photos/a.10151380931751511.1073741842.234021296510/10152785999696511/?type=1]<br />
6 Nekroz<br />
2 Shaddoll <br />
<br />
Top 16: [http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-syracuse-top-16-decklists/]<br />
8 Nekroz<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
2 Shaddoll <br />
1 Nekroz Shaddoll<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-21368791785652745902015-06-15T02:32:00.001-04:002017-06-10T20:22:37.906-04:00MATTHEW MONAHAN WINS ARGCS EDISON!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Matthew Monahan, who just won ARGCS Edison, New Jersey with
his Burning Abyss deck! Also, congrats to Calvin Tahan for
coming in second place; he was also playing Burning Abyss. Continue
reading for highlights from the event coverage collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Top 16: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-edison-top-16-decklists/<br />
9 Nekroz<br />
6 Burning Abyss <br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
<br />
Top 16 Player Profiles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd9ANLrAKxs <br />
<br />
Players to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfk4x_vZS5E<br />
<br />
Round 6 Top Tables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPO5hHFhNeg <br />
<br />
Deck Tech - Dan Barnes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYmXnIsYx0M<br />
<br />
Deck Tech - Nicholas Ma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOgWCcfAaQU<br />
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-41856944717768469592015-06-08T00:19:00.000-04:002015-06-08T00:21:07.860-04:00WILLIAM WILSON WINS ARGCS ST. LOUIS 2015!<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to William Wilson, who just won ARGCS St. Louis 2015 with
his Nekroz deck! This event was very short-notice, having been announced within the week before it was held. This likely contributed to its low turnout (rumored to be around 80 players) and lack of online coverage.<br />
<br />
Winner source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10152761535611511&id=234021296510 <br />
<br />
Top 16: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-st-louis-top-16-decklists/<br />
(Matt Kolenda's list is missing, but he is rumored to have been playing Burning Abyss. The breakdown below incorporates this information taken as truth until further notice.) <br />
<div>
7 Nekroz</div>
<div>
<div>
3 Qliphort</div>
</div>
<div>
2 Nekroz Shaddolls </div>
<div>
2 Shaddolls </div>
<div>
2 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
</div>
Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-18868168767980019342015-05-24T18:25:00.003-04:002015-05-25T02:18:01.521-04:00TERRANCE KINSLEY WINS THE 150TH YCS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Terrance Kinsley, who just won the 150th YCS event in Columbus, Ohio with
his Nekroz deck! Also, congrats to Christopher Pobee-Mensah for
coming in second place; he was also playing Nekroz. This landmark event had a massive attendance of nearly 1,800 people and occurred soon after the release of the latest major booster, Crossed Souls. It's also very important to note that this is the first North American YCS since Atlanta in February 2014 to not switch into Battle Pack format after the Top 32, instead continuing with constructed play throughout the entire tournament. Continue
reading for highlights from the event coverage collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZCSq_28GNZt1hBxlO8-TlVY24E2RUb1XTX9jifi5P6pxyvnxRh8Y7_GdtchFZ8lXPXiak_a631MIdJko2domjqXjtk-Ew4o58lO_z6Yod5TAY5Ew8lY-W1RvWi14Tuqm2PYkVFw-yp0/s1600/2015-05-24+18_10_24-%25E2%2596%25B6+150th+Yu-Gi-Oh%2521+Championship+Series+Livestream+Sunday+-+YouTube.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZCSq_28GNZt1hBxlO8-TlVY24E2RUb1XTX9jifi5P6pxyvnxRh8Y7_GdtchFZ8lXPXiak_a631MIdJko2domjqXjtk-Ew4o58lO_z6Yod5TAY5Ew8lY-W1RvWi14Tuqm2PYkVFw-yp0/s320/2015-05-24+18_10_24-%25E2%2596%25B6+150th+Yu-Gi-Oh%2521+Championship+Series+Livestream+Sunday+-+YouTube.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>1. Top Cut</u><br />
<br />
Top 4: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20525<br />
3 Nekroz<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
<br />
Top 8: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20518<br />
6 Nekroz<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
1 Ritual Beast <br />
<br />
Top 16: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20508 <br />
11 Nekroz<br />
2 Burning Abyss<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
1 Ritual Beast<br />
<br />
Top 32<br />
Rankings after Round 11: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20500 <br />
Pairings: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20498 <br />
<br />
Top 32 Breakdown (written by DuelistGroundz user Ieatgoodfood) <br />
<div>
20 Nekroz<br />
6 Burning Abyss<br />
4 Qliphort<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
1 Ritual Beast<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
1 TJ Kinsley (Nekoz)</div>
<div>
2 Josh Bovarnick (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
3 Justin Russell (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
4 Ned Salkovich (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
5 Luke Feeney (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
6 Justin Huskey (Burning Abyss)</div>
<div>
7 Adrian Shakir (Burning Abyss)</div>
<div>
8 Barrett Keys (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
9 Max Reynolds (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
10 Christian Georges (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
11 Austin Neimer (Burning Abyss)</div>
<div>
12 Feng Chen (Burning Abyss)</div>
<div>
13 Bo Tang (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
14 Benedikt Junk (Qliphort)</div>
<div>
15 Matthew Vanden Hueval (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
16 Spencer Beinish (Qliphort)</div>
<div>
17 Jordan Lee (Qliphort)</div>
<div>
18 Tyler Prinzo (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
19 Peter Cheng (Saellarknights)</div>
<div>
20 Omar Daoudi (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
21 Mark Velez (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
22 Irvin Tostado (Ritual Beast)</div>
<div>
23 Anand Beniprasad (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
24 Luis Poma (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
25 Tyree Tinsley (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
26 Christopher Pobee-Mensah (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
27 Denny Yu (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
28 Galo Orbea (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
29 Roy St. Clair (Qliphorts)</div>
<div>
30 Fletcher Thomas (Burning Abyss)</div>
<div>
31 Ben Burns (Nekroz)</div>
<div>
32 Faisal Khan (Burning Abyss)</div>
<u><br /></u>
<u>2. Feature Matches</u><br />
<br />
Round 1: Nekroz defeat Yang Zing<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20362 <br />
<br />
Round 2: Yang Zing Zefra defeat Dark Trap Control<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20374<br />
<br />
Round 3: Madolche defeat Shaddoll Seraphs<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20388 <br />
<br />
Round 5: Nekroz defeat Evilswarm<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20408<br />
<br />
Round 7: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20427 <br />
<br />
Round 8: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20443 <br />
<br />
Round 9: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20463<br />
<br />
Round 10: Nekroz defeat Yang Zing<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20485<br />
<br />
-<br />
<br />
Top 32: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20502<br />
<br />
Top 16: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20510<br />
<br />
Top 8: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20520 <br />
<br />
<u>3. Top Tables</u><br />
<br />
Round 5: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20401<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
2 Shaddoll<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Yosenju <br />
1 Evilswarm<br />
<br />
Round 6: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20423<br />
15 Nekroz<br />
3 Qliphort<br />
1 Ritual Beast <br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
<br />
Round 9: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20472<br />
11 Nekroz<br />
3 Qliphort <br />
2 Burning Abyss<br />
2 Ritual Beast<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
<br />
Round 10: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20481<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
4 Burning Abyss<br />
3 Qliphort <br />
1 Ritual Beast<br />
<br />
<u>4. YouTube Coverage </u><br />
<br />
Day 1 Stream 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ib3noF_Ww<br />
<br />
Day 1 Stream 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYmRfr7EUPo<br />
<br />
Day 2 Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvCRr6_--BQ<br />
<br />
<u>5. Miscellaneous</u><br />
<br />
Welcome: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20356<br />
<br />
Livestream Experience: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20483 <br />
<br />
Tech Update: Anti-Djinn Warriors<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20360<br />
<br />
Tech Update: Beating Crush Card Virus<br />
https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20474 Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-28044908737597334612015-05-03T16:47:00.001-04:002015-05-03T22:20:09.134-04:00NICHOLAS MA WINS ARGCS RICHMOND 2015!!!<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Nicholas Ma, who just won ARGCS Richmond 2015 with
his Nekroz deck! Also, congrats to Maxwell Schrack for
coming in second place; he was also playing Nekroz. Besides the standings, there isn't much public coverage for this event at this time (most of the coverage currently consists of Twitch.tv stream clips, which appear to
only be available to people who subscribe to <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/arglive/profile/past_broadcasts" target="_blank">ARG's Twitch channel</a>), so for this post I'll just link you to the standings updates and top cut.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxe4Enbv8CNJ6piH4rrC1iDFYdXPVs7aFv0dCNDAZgyTtrPRDQ4FUYa6YDI3h6PI9N-rM3stoMNS0u5hk9OFLzEzOG9ByAqQ9PSlUL0sPI9gm7fAaYmXXgyD54N6dQTObAVPzxMZtl2g/s1600/argcsrichmond2015winner-nicholasma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxe4Enbv8CNJ6piH4rrC1iDFYdXPVs7aFv0dCNDAZgyTtrPRDQ4FUYa6YDI3h6PI9N-rM3stoMNS0u5hk9OFLzEzOG9ByAqQ9PSlUL0sPI9gm7fAaYmXXgyD54N6dQTObAVPzxMZtl2g/s1600/argcsrichmond2015winner-nicholasma.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Top 16: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-top-16-decklists/<br />
11 Nekroz<br />
4 Shaddoll<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 1: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-standings-after-round-1/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 2: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-standings-after-round-2/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 4: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-standings-after-round-4/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 5: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-standings-after-round-5/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 7: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-standings-after-round-7/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 8: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-standings-after-round-8/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 9 (Final Round of Swiss): http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-richmond-standings-after-round-9/Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-9772259502131587542015-04-27T02:43:00.002-04:002015-05-03T15:09:46.166-04:00LUCA CHETONI WINS YCS BOCHUM 2015!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a> Congratulations to Luca Chetoni, who just won the 2015 edition of YCS Bochum, Germany with his Nekroz deck! Also, congrats to Eugen Heidt for coming in second place; he was also playing Nekroz! Continue
reading for highlights from the event coverage collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/yugicontentoh/uploads/2015/04/Top85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/yugicontentoh/uploads/2015/04/Top85.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
1. Top Cut - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-bochum-the-final-results/<br />
<br />
Top 4<br />
3 Nekroz<br />
1 Shaddoll Seraph<br />
<br />
Top 8<br />
3 Nekroz<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
2 Shaddoll variants<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
<br />
Top 16<br />
8 Nekroz<br />
3 Shaddoll variants<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
<br />
Top 32 - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-bochum-whos-playing-what-in-the-top-32/<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/yugicontentoh/uploads/2015/04/breakdown_t32_deck-600x338.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/yugicontentoh/uploads/2015/04/breakdown_t32_deck-600x338.png" width="320" /></a></div>
21 Nekroz<br />
5 Shaddoll variants<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
1 Mecha Phantom Beast<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
2. Feature Matches<br />
<br />
Round 1 - Shaddolls defeat Nekroz<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6596281<br />
<br />
Round 2 - Nekroz defeat Yang Zing<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6596458<br />
<br />
Round 3 - Nekroz defeat Satellarknights<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6596770<br />
<br />
Round 4 - Shaddolls defeat Lightsworn<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6597106<br />
<br />
Round 5 - Mecha Phantom Beasts defeat Nekroz<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6597273<br />
<br />
Round 6 - Ritual Beasts defeat Satellarknights<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6597860<br />
<br />
Round 7 - Nekroz defeats Satellarknights<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6598048<br />
<br />
Round 8 - Infernoids defeat Shaddolls<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6600988<br />
<br />
Round 9 - Nekroz defeat Satellarknights<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6601210<br />
<br />
Round 10 - Heroes defeat Satellarknights<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6601515<br />
<br />
Round 11 - Volcanic Heroes defeat Shaddolls<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6601754<br />
<br />
-<br />
<br />
Top 32 - Qliphort defeat Shaddoll Seraphs<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602049<br />
<br />
Top 16 - Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602267<br />
<br />
Top 8 - Shaddoll Seraphs defeat Qliphorts<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602355<br />
<br />
Top 4 - Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602572<br />
<br />
3. Deck Profiles<br />
(*I chose not to record every single deck profile or interview; the ones listed below are either high-finishers in the tournament or simply of interest to me.)<br />
<br />
Luca Chetoni's Nekroz Deck Profile - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-profile-nekroz/<br />
<br />
Nino Zimmerman's Mecha Phantom Beast Deck Profile - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-profile-nino-zimmermanns-mecha-phantom-beasts/<br />
<br />
Ben Lovell's Star Seraph Shaddoll Deck Profile - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-profile-ben-lovells-shaddoll-star-seraph-deck/<br />
<br />
Kai Lin's Spirit Beast Deck Profile - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-profile-kai-lins-spirit-beasts/<br />
<br />
Merlin Schumacher's Shaddoll Deck Profile - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-profile-merlin-schumachers-shaddoll/<br />
<br />
4. Interviews<br />
<br />
Eugen Heidt Interview - http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602597<br />
<br />
Jeppe Pepperkorn Interview - http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602371<br />
<br />
Federico Zoppini Interview - http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602288<br />
<br />
Pitai Meyer Interview - http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6602058<br />
<br />
Lars Junginger Interview - http://www.twitch.tv/officialyugiohchannel/c/6601766<br />
<br />
5. Miscellaneous<br />
<br />
Welcome - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/welcome-to-yu-gi-oh-championship-series-bochum/<br />
<br />
Tech Update - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/tech-update-ycs-bochum/<br />
<br />
Day 1 Deck Breakdown - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-bochum-day-1-deck-breakdown/<br />
<br />
Day 2 Deck & Nationality Breakdowns - https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-bochum-day-2-deck-duelist-breakdowns/<br />
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-52219701297105125222015-04-25T21:59:00.000-04:002015-06-04T22:53:48.942-04:00Premier Event Schedule: May - July 2015<a name='more'></a>Time for a schedule update! This list only covers North America and Europe. As always, the date listed is the Saturday upon which the event officially begins.<br />
<br />
ARGCS Richmond, Virginia: May 2<br />
<br />
YCS Columbus, Ohio (150th YCS or Shonen Jump): May 23<br />
<br />
ARGCS St. Louis, Missouri: June 6<br />
<br />
ARGCS Edison, New Jersey: June 13<br />
<br />
ARGCS Syracuse, New York: June 20 <br />
<br />
2015 North American WCQ (Nashville, Tennessee): June 27<br />
<br />
2015 European Championship (Dublin, Ireland): July 4<br />
<br />
ARGCS Charlotte, North Carolina: July 18<br />
<br />
ARGCS Providence, Rhode Island: July 25<br />
<br />
[Sources:<br />
<a href="http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/">http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.yugioh-card.com/uk/events/ycs.html">http://www.yugioh-card.com/uk/events/</a><br />
<a href="http://articles.alterealitygames.com/events/">http://articles.alterealitygames.com/events/</a>]
Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-1364853932686683442015-04-20T16:32:00.001-04:002015-04-20T16:36:04.975-04:00BARRETT KEYS WINS YCS BOGOTA, COLOMBIA!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Barrett Keys, who just won YCS Bogota, Colombia! Although he was
originally playing Nekroz throughout the majority
of
the tournament, players had to switch to Battle Pack 3 Draft format
after the Swiss rounds ended and Top 16 began. Also, congrats to Galileo de Obaldia for
coming in second place; he was also originally playing Nekroz. Continue
reading for articles from the event collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjmTJxoXVqE0FXofrgcNc30mAc61S4fCZvP-UOdc1CS0_Snr_sEz60n6Q8X76680MYB5lnpPf8K_zy6BUZGcSml2usTMLIqNNjlKG_kVzRqL5rx7P6ZxVLv-kTvNVKFjBpXubQmpsOJE/s1600/ycsbogotawinner-barretkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjmTJxoXVqE0FXofrgcNc30mAc61S4fCZvP-UOdc1CS0_Snr_sEz60n6Q8X76680MYB5lnpPf8K_zy6BUZGcSml2usTMLIqNNjlKG_kVzRqL5rx7P6ZxVLv-kTvNVKFjBpXubQmpsOJE/s1600/ycsbogotawinner-barretkeys.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Winner source: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20339<br />
<br />
Finals: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20319<br />
<br />
Top 4: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20312<br />
<br />
Top 8: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20302<br />
<br />
Top 16: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20314<br />
10 Nekroz<br />
2 Shaddoll<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 4: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20247<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 5: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20249<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 6: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20251 <br />
<br />
Standings after Round 7: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20253<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 8: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20258<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 9 (End of Swiss): https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20260<br />
<br />
Welcome: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20196<br />
<br />
Day 1 Start: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20219Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-77286375289535181642015-04-12T20:17:00.002-04:002015-04-13T00:04:01.624-04:00STEVEN DE LARA WINS YCS CHICAGO 2015!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Steven De Lara, who just won YCS Chicago 2015! Although he was
originally playing Nekroz throughout the majority
of
the tournament, players had to switch to Battle Pack 3 Draft format
after winning their Top 32 matches. Also, congrats to Barrett Keys for
coming in second place; he was also originally playing Nekroz. While <a href="http://lordinvishilwants.blogspot.com/2015/02/barrett-keys-wins-ycs-seattle-2015-with.html" target="_blank">the last North American YCS</a> saw Keys earning the victory over De Lara, Chicago created the opposite outcome for the two back-to-back finalists. Continue
reading for articles from the event collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKy7UoRuRk8fI0jJbReC4tGU__BJeecLqEoqHJB-MK3TPzZbGrlhRaX-l3fqJoWGhW2u-cmN8fcDxajKT1nyv3b0N-HcJ1J6WXcLlZkzz6COnuj78VpPjeG8ISGqvSAem2OYdopwGTGQ/s1600/ycschicago2015winner-stevendelara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKy7UoRuRk8fI0jJbReC4tGU__BJeecLqEoqHJB-MK3TPzZbGrlhRaX-l3fqJoWGhW2u-cmN8fcDxajKT1nyv3b0N-HcJ1J6WXcLlZkzz6COnuj78VpPjeG8ISGqvSAem2OYdopwGTGQ/s1600/ycschicago2015winner-stevendelara.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<u>A. Top Cut</u><br />
<br />
Top 16: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20140<br />
11 Nekroz<br />
3 Satellarknight<br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
<br />
Top 32: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20117<br />
17 Nekroz<br />
6 Satellarknight<br />
3 Shaddoll <br />
3 Burning Abyss<br />
2 Qliphort<br />
1 Ritual Beast<br />
<br />
<u>B. Feature Matches</u><br />
<br />
Round 1: Qliphorts defeat Nekroz [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19923] <br />
<br />
Round 1: Heroes defeat Qliphorts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19933]<br />
<br />
Round 2: Shaddoll Traptrix ties with Nekroz [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19944] <br />
<br />
Round 2: Ritual Beasts defeat Burning Abyss [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19951]<br />
<br />
Round 3: Burning Abyss defeat Yosenju [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19948]<br />
<br />
Round 3: Nekroz defeat Burning Abyss [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19965]<br />
<br />
Round 4: Nekroz defeat Shaddoll Agents [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19980]<br />
<br />
Round 5: Nekroz defeat Burning Abyss [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19990] <br />
<br />
Round 6: Satellarknights defeat Heroes [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20004] <br />
<br />
Round 7: Nekroz defeat Hand Gadgets [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20025]<br />
<br />
Round 8: Nekroz defeat Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20042]<br />
<br />
Round 8: Nekroz defeat Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20060] <br />
<br />
Round 9: Nekroz Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20074]<br />
<br />
Round 9: Nekroz defeat Shaddolls [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20067]<br />
<br />
Round 10: Shaddolls defeat Nekroz [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20084]<br />
<br />
Round 10: Shaddolls defeat Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20094]<br />
<br />
Round 11: Shaddoll Dragons (played by a girl!) defeat Shaddoll Artifacts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20119]<br />
<br />
Round 11: Qliphorts defeat Nekroz [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20107] <br />
<br />
-<br />
<br />
Top 32: Nekroz defeat Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20121]<br />
<br />
Top 32: Nekroz defeat Ritual Beasts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20125]<br />
<br />
<u>C. Top Tables Updates</u><br />
<br />
Round 5: [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19988]<br />
13 Nekroz<br />
3 Shaddoll variants<br />
1 Hero<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Round 6: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20002<br />
14 Nekroz<br />
2 Shaddoll<br />
1 Gadget Hand Traptrix <br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
<br />
Round 8: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20038<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
3 Shaddoll variants<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
2 Burnng Abyss<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
<br />
Round 9: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20069<br />
13 Nekroz <br />
4 Satellarknight<br />
3 Shaddoll variants<br />
<br />
Round 10: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20096<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
3 Satellarknight<br />
3 Shaddoll variants<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
Round 11: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20105<br />
11 Nekroz<br />
4 Shaddoll variants<br />
3 Satellarknight<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
<u>D. Miscellaneous Updates</u><br />
<br />
Welcome: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19920<br />
<br />
Favorite April 1 Banlist Changes: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19963<br />
<br />
Tech Update: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=20142 Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-16897008386136714592015-03-27T15:51:00.001-04:002015-03-27T15:51:52.120-04:00In-Depth April 2015 YGO TCG Banlist Discussion<a name='more'></a>Hey there! Another format is ending, and another banlist update has come out. Thus, it's time for me to release a new review of what I personally think about the changes.<br /><br />
As is the case with the past couple of lists, since I don't play anymore any specific speculation on where a given deck or card is going to end up because of this new list should be taken with a pretty big grain of salt.<br />
<br />
I'm going to do a LOT more grouping when discussing the changes this time around, since there are a lot more changes than usual and many of them are related to each other. If you need to review the news update covering the list changes, <a href="http://lordinvishilwants.blogspot.com/2015/03/april-1-2015-yugioh-tcg-banlist-revealed.html" target="_blank">click here</a>. Let's start!<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Four adult Dragon Rulers [Blaster, Tidal, Tempest, and Redox] (1 to 0); four baby Dragon Rulers [Burner, Stream, Lightning, and Reactan] (0 to 3); Dragon Ravine (0 to 1); Sacred Sword of Seven Stars (1 to 2)<br />
<br />
I have very mixed feelings about this. While it's good that the four adults can no longer pose the threat of coming back as a deck or transforming other decks (like Lightsworn or Hieratics) anymore, I think it does suck that the power they could individually bring to disaffected strategies and the potential for creativity in general is no longer there.<br />
<br />
Since the Dragon Rulers are now officially dead (and not dead in the sense that ygo players mean it, which is when something has simply taken any kind of hit whatsoever), Dragon Ravine is back, but I'm not aware of any deck that really gets off on this card other than Dragunities, and I'm pretty sure that deck wouldn't even be viable nowadays.<br />
<br />
Also in the wake of the great Dragon-slaying, Sacred Sword is moving up to 2, which is another case of a card that's pretty useful in the right hands, but for whom there may not be any hands willing to pick it up at this point.<br />
<br />
2. Snatch Steal (1 to 0); Goyo Guardian (2 to 3)<br />
<br />
This is another mixed bag. On the one hand Konami "realized their mistake" with Snatch Steal and re-banned it, which is great news. The reason for my obnoxious parentheses up there is because, as my regular readers probably all know, I'm <a href="http://lordinvishilwants.blogspot.com/2014/12/in-depth-january-2015-tcg-banlist.html" target="_blank">very skeptical</a> of the notion that each of Konami's bad list decisions are all mistakes and not just purposely trying to make the game sackier in order to make it easier for worse players to stick with it. I'm guessing they either a) always planned to bring it back for just one format to shake things up, b) realized that it was just a little bit more than they were comfortable with, or c) decided to take player input/complaining into account, which DOES happen from time to time, believe it or not.<br />
<br />
Goyo Guardian on the other hand has become fully Unlimited, which doesn't happen to matter much right now because it seems as if very few worthwhile decks want to play it. Also, even fewer decks would have the space to play 3, assuming they even wanted to play it in the first place. I hate to be a buzzkill (not really), but this card is still obviously powerful and there may come a time in the future where a deck is able to truly abuse it again. If that happens, I won't say I told you so, I'll just say "tell Konami to put it back where it belongs."<br />
<br />
3. Sinister Serpent,
Temple of the King, Crush Card Virus, Exchange of the Spirit, and Ring of Destruction (0 to 1)<br />
<br />
I'm only mentioning these at all because I just want to say that I wish Konami had left these cards where they are and simply made new ones if they wanted these kinds of effects to be playable that badly. I think they care too much about making the list as short as possible. Despite being watered down, each of these cards appear to still be playable in specific ways (except for Exchange of the Spirit); whether or not that translates to the most relevant decks in the meta during this upcoming format remains to be seen.<br />
<br />
4. Tour Guide From the Underworld, Preparation of Rites, and Saqlifice (3 to 1)<br />
<br />
These are all grouped together because they are each Unlimited-to-Limited hits that affect a premier deck in the outgoing format. Tour Guide becoming Limited has been in the works for quite some time now; if you couldn't see that coming you might want to step your article reading game up. Many are saying that Burning Abyss are still very playable without it, but if you can't admit to the fact that this limit hurts the deck then you're not being honest with yourself. Meanwhile, good ol' Preparation H getting hit makes Nekroz less insane, but they also remain extremely usable (and are even likely to remain the dominant deck regardless), and Saqlifice is, by contrast, actually a somewhat heavy-handed hit to Qliphorts (or at least that's how it looks to me). To be clear, Saq was always a weirdly good card and very emblematic of the power creep the game has been sustaining lately, but this hit in concert with other changes presents very severe challenges to the current Qliphort playbook going forward. <br />
<br />
5. Skill Drain and Vanity's Emptiness (3 to 1)<br />
<br />
I've <a href="http://lordinvishilwants.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-do-we-handle-hate-cards.html" target="_blank">talked before</a> about how floodgates should probably come with a timer installed, and failing that, they are probably best kept at Limited status when they're as powerful as stuff like Skill Drain. Good riddance to this piece of shit card.<br />
<br />
I have mixed feelings about Emptiness, though: while it is much more powerful than most floodgates since Special Summon restrictions hurt a LOT of decks, it's also way easier to get rid of. Still, I think it's philosophically good that this is getting Limited even though it likely means Nekroz will have even less standing in their way now.<br />
<br />
6. Qliphort Scout and Nekroz of Brionac (3 to 2)<br />
<br />
Another pair of hits aimed at two of the biggest decks in the game right now. Interesting that these are both searching cards and both taking the same changes.<br />
<br />
7. Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En and Charge of the Light Brigade (1 to 2)<br />
<br />
I'm actually really disgusted with these changes, which should be unsurprising given how much you guys have seen me rail against these kinds of sacky "go big or go home" strategies throughout the history of this blog. I'm literally so disappointed (<b>but not surprised</b>) in Konami's will to overfeed bad players by making their shitty lovechild decks better (instead of, you know, educating them) that I won't even talk about these cards in specific terms.<br />
<br />
8. Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Spirit and Gladiator Beast Bestiari (1 to 3); Lonefire Blossom (2 to 3) and Symbol of Heritage (3 to 1)<br />
<br />
This is (mostly) another set of relaxations intended to help people play their pet decks more easily, but I'm not exactly grossed out with these unlike in the previous section. I do think changing Lonefire to 3 is really, really ridiculous, but hey, it's whatever. I'm pretty sure they'll have to knock it back down to two within the next year anyways. It's also likely that they hit Symbol of Heritage precisely because of the truckloads of fertilizer that were brought in with this list, because Heritage and Lonefire are both very loop-friendly cards.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I think Spirit at 3 is massively fair (probably even too fair; I re-read it and wtf is up with those restrictions???) and I'm personally not aware of any good reason why this shouldn't have happened sooner. On the other hand, I've never liked Gladiator Beasts so I'm not happy that Gyzarus spam is potentially a thing again, but at least they made the Gladiator players wait a long damn time before finally giving it back to them.<br />
<br />
9. Gorz the Emissary of Darkness and Hieratic Seal of Convocation (2 to 3)<br />
<br />
While I don't think Convocation moving up is a big deal considering that the Dragons are gone (in fact, this change is probably a direct result of the Dragon-slaying), I'm not fond of Gorz at three. It's another case where not many decks can really exploit the full three copies and many of those same decks probably don't even want to, but I don't really believe it should be an option in the first place. You can check out <a href="http://lordinvishilwants.blogspot.com/2014/09/in-depth-october-2014-banlist-discussion.html" target="_blank">my October 2014 list discussion</a> for a little more on it, but the basic gist is that I feel it's too easy to turn a game around with this guy for this to be healthy in multiples. Just get your ass kicked enough, and boom: free beater with token at your service. That's a nice comeback to have around at one, but more than that seems like too much to me.<br />
<br />
<br />
So that's it! We've covered all 32 of the changes, and I have to say, I am really impressed this time around. It's unfortunate that Nekroz may remain unchallenged at the top of the meta totem pole, but I really do think this is a good list update and I praise them for touching Nekroz even though the deck hasn't been out that long. Since I like this list so much, it definitely feels awfully ironic that this'll be the anniversary of the list that helped play a big part in pushing me away from the gameLord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-91025704519365621432015-03-20T14:03:00.000-04:002015-03-20T15:29:30.444-04:00April 1, 2015 Yugioh TCG Banlist revealed!This is one big list.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
This list is effective from April 1, 2015 until some date that Konami strangely has not yet listed on the official site. Source: <a href="http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/limited/index.html">http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/limited/index.html</a><br />
<br />
Newly Forbidden: 5<br />
Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos (was Limited)<br />
Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders (was Limited)<br />
Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms (was Limited)<br />
Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls (was Limited)<br />
Snatch Steal (was Limited)<br />
<br />
Newly Limited: 12<br />
Sinister Serpent (was Forbidden)<br />
Tour Guide from the Underworld (was Unlimited)<br />
Dragon Ravine (was Forbidden)<br />
Preparation of Rites (was Unlimited)<br />
Saqlifice (was Unlimited)<br />
Symbol of Heritage (was Unlimited)<br />
Temple of the Kings (was Forbidden)<br />
Crush Card Virus (was Forbidden)<br />
Exchange of the Spirit (was Forbidden)<br />
Ring of Destruction (was Forbidden)<br />
Skill Drain (was Unlimited)<br />
Vanity’s Emptiness (was Unlimited)<br />
<br />
Newly Semi-Limited: 5<br />
Qliphort Scout (was Unlimited)<br />
Nekroz of Brionac (was Unlimited)<br />
Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En (was Limited)<br />
Charge of the Light Brigade (was Limited)<br />
Sacred Sword of Seven Stars (was Limited)<br />
<br />
Newly Unlimited: 10<br />
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit (was Limited)<br />
Burner, Dragon Ruler of Sparks (was Forbidden)<br />
Gladiator Beast Bestiari (was Limited)<br />
Gorz the Emissary of Darkness (was Semi-Limited)<br />
Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts (was Forbidden)<br />
Lonefire Blossom (was Semi-Limited)<br />
Reactan, Dragon Ruler of Pebbles (was Forbidden)<br />
Stream, Dragon Ruler of Droplets (was Forbidden)<br />
Goyo Guardian (was Semi-Limited)<br />
Hieratic Seal of Convocation (was Semi-Limited)<br />
<br />
(List typing credit goes to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YuGiOhEditionSingapore/posts/457832314367477" target="_blank">YGO Edition Singapore</a>) <br />
<br />
Why am I hearing Christmas jingles in my ear when it's the last half of March? Strange. Anyways, I'll have an analysis up within the next week. By the way, if you like music, how about checking out <a href="https://soundcloud.com/explosive-urchin/sets/crossturn" target="_blank">my newest release on Soundcloud</a>? Thanks!<br />
<br />
Update: Konami released an article detailing the new errata on five of the unbanned cards: <a href="https://yugiohblog.konami.com/articles/?p=7038">https://yugiohblog.konami.com/articles/?p=7038</a> Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-10781317468947019762015-03-16T23:46:00.001-04:002015-04-26T16:49:39.357-04:00BEN LEVERETT WINS ARGCS HARTFORD!!!<a name='more'></a>The ARGCS in Hartford, CN this past weekend is reported to have had the largest attendance of any ARG Circuit Series thus far. Congratulation to Ben Leverett for winning the event with his Nekroz deck! There isn't much public coverage for the event at this time (all coverage currently consists of Twitch.tv stream clips, which appear to only be available to people who subscribe to <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/arglive/profile/past_broadcasts" target="_blank">ARG's Twitch channel</a>), so my only link to leave you guys with are the Top 16 deck lists: <a href="http://articles.alterealitygames.com/argcs-hartford-top-16-decklists/">http://articles.alterealitygames.com/argcs-hartford-top-16-decklists/</a><br />
<br />
The top cut distribution was 12 Nekroz, 3 Qliphort, and 1 Burning Abyss. <br />
<br />
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-72709426421121042582015-03-10T00:42:00.000-04:002015-03-10T00:42:02.698-04:00Djinngate 2015<a name='more'></a>In case you guys didn't know, a scandal named "Djinngate" erupted at the ARGCS in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend.<br />
<br />
This is the basic background of it: In the Nekroz mirror, players have recently been agreeing to side out <a href="http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Djinn_Releaser_of_Rituals" target="_blank">Djinn Releaser of Rituals</a> in order to create a more skillful match. However, this type of agreement can be exploited because unlike past agreements involving cards like Return from the Different Dimension or Sixth Sense, Djinn is not Limited. Your opponent can tell you that they're removing Djinn while either a) siding in another copy, or b) leaving in the main decked copy and using the sided copy to make you believe that they sided it out.<br />
<br />
Apparently, a few players at the tournament including Patrick Hoban decided to engage in this trick to get their opponents to remove Djinn while still keeping a copy in for the match. You can see screenshots of such a discussion in this video: [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX8BwewZ18Y">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX8BwewZ18Y</a>]<br />
<br />
People have been debating about whether or not this is cheating. The thing is, sometimes there are multiple ways to define a single word. There are several different dictionary definitions of "cheat" on this page: [<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cheat?s=t">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cheat?s=t</a>]. Several of them refer to tricking of deceiving somebody, but I did also find one that says cheating is the violation of rules or regulations.<br />
<br />
Since Konami's policy documents don't say that lying to your opponent about something that isn't public knowledge (in this case, the contents of your deck and/or side deck) is cheating, technically, Hoban didn't actually cheat. It's also worth noting that in scenario 'a' from earlier (which Hoban does allege happened to him at one point), you aren't even lying to begin with.<br />
<br />
But at the same time, is there really anybody who would dispute the idea that doing this is absolutely morally wrong, or at the very least detestable? If such a person does exist, then I sincerely hope I <i>never </i>meet them. For me personally, it just seems like we would all be better off if out-of-game trickery was just a bit more limited in its legality. But hey, maybe that's just me.<br />
<br />
<br />
Situations like these are useful to those with an interest in philosophy because they help prod people into using a greater extent of their critical thinking skills, which most people simply don't do on a regular basis. It also helps to reinforce one of the biggest philosophical points of competitive gaming: for some people, there is a large amount of moral fiber that instantly goes out the window once you agree to play a game. I'm not sure why people <b>still </b>don't seem to be realizing this or that situations like these are the hideous results of it, but events like these are probably bringing us a step closer at least.Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-29115086469482862222015-03-08T17:33:00.000-04:002015-03-08T17:33:31.435-04:00ERICK VILLANUEVA PRIEGO WINS YCS GUATEMALA CITY!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Erick Villanueva Preigo, who just won YCS Guatemala City! Also, congrats to Eddy Estuardo Palala Ortiz for coming in second place. Unfortunately, at this time there is no official confirmation of what either finisher was playing before the Draft portion of the tournament. Continue
reading for articles from the event collected below! <br />
<br />
Winner source - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19906 <br />
<br />
Top 4 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19895<br />
<br />
Top 8 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19891<br />
<br />
Top 16 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19877<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 4 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19864<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 5 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19866 <br />
<br />
Standings after Round 6 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19868<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 7 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19870 <br />
<br />
Standings after Round 8 - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19873<br />
<br />
Welcome - https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19853Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-56782578182148286292015-03-08T16:52:00.001-04:002015-03-08T17:48:00.445-04:00CHRIS ABELLA WINS ARGCS FORT LAUDERDALE!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Chris Abella, who just won ARGCS Fort Lauderdale with his Nekroz deck!
Also, congrats to Travis Smith for
coming in second place while also playing Nekroz. However, it's currently being reported that Smith was actually disqualified for cheating (such as stacking) before the Finals took place, so take his 2nd place achievement with a grain of salt for now. Continue
reading for articles from the event collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTJXdHzdL-H-V-upLHblWdYjn5tfj23fOAdThrrQmqdUeLdq5KvAxjYIhi5-Njm3K6Zw2Jax2N8_jwoSp4nkagGBEO3L3uzKqHx3qwOD6_ryGydwY3sp7kZremLqEcBqlP1PclffaxGo/s1600/argcs-ftlauderdale-winner-abella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTJXdHzdL-H-V-upLHblWdYjn5tfj23fOAdThrrQmqdUeLdq5KvAxjYIhi5-Njm3K6Zw2Jax2N8_jwoSp4nkagGBEO3L3uzKqHx3qwOD6_ryGydwY3sp7kZremLqEcBqlP1PclffaxGo/s1600/argcs-ftlauderdale-winner-abella.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Winner source: https://www.facebook.com/234021296510/photos/a.234049876510.143377.234021296510/10152569575206511/?type=1<br />
<br />
Top 4 - https://www.facebook.com/234021296510/photos/a.234049876510.143377.234021296510/10152569239966511/?type=1<br />
3 Nekroz<br />
1 Qliphort<br />
<br />
Top 8 - https://www.facebook.com/234021296510/photos/a.234049876510.143377.234021296510/10152569239966511/?type=1<br />
3 Nekroz<br />
3 Qliphort<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Top 16 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/argcs-ft-lauderdale-top-16-decklists/<br />
9 Nekroz<br />
5 Qliphort<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 2 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/round-2-standings-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 3 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/round-3-standings-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 4 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/round-4-standings-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 5 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/round-5-standings-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 6 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/round-6-standings-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 7 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/round-7-standings-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 8 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/round-8-standings-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/<br />
<br />
Standings After Round 9 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/final-swiss-standings-round-9-arg-circuit-series-ft-lauderdale/Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-39776854758592513062015-03-01T22:46:00.001-05:002015-03-01T22:46:29.134-05:00VALENS LETEURTRE WINS YCS PRAGUE!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Valens Leteurtre, who just won YCS Prague with his Burning Abyss deck!
Also, congrats to Denis Begirl for
coming in second place with his Nekroz deck.<br /><br />
For the first ever YCS in the Czech Republic, this event definitely proved itself interesting with the victory of Burning Abyss even after Nekroz proved their dominance in Seattle. To be fair though, there was no official constructed winner in Seattle - does this mean that Burning Abyss are still a viable winning choice going forward? Continue
reading for articles from the event collected below! <br />
<br />
<u>A. Top Cut</u><br />
<br />
Top 32: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-prague-the-decks-duelists-of-the-top-32/<br />
23 Nekroz<br />
6 Qliphort<br />
3 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
<u>B. Feature Matches</u><br />
<br />
Round 1: Qliphorts defeat Yosenju<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-1-feature-match/<br />
<br />
Round 2: Nekroz defeat Satellarknights<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-2-feature-match/<br />
<br />
Round 3: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-3-feature-match/<br />
<br />
Round 4: Volcanics defeat Nekroz<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-4-feature-match/<br />
<br />
Round 5: Nekroz defeat Ritual Beasts<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-5-feature-match/<br />
<br />
Round 6: Nekroz defeat Qliphorts<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-6-feature-match/<br />
<br />
Round 7: Burning Abyss defeats Yosenju<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-7-feature-match/<br />
<br />
Round 8: Nekroz Mirror Match<br />
https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/on-demand-round-8-feature-match/<br />
<br />
<u>C. Deck Profiles</u><br />
<br />
Yosenju Deck Profile: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-feature-bernd-seyfrieds-yosenju-deck/<br />
<br />
Hero Deck Profile: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-feature-roman-porubskys-hero-deck/<br />
<br />
Satellarknight Deck Profile: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-feature-camiller-fellers-satellarknight-deck/<br />
<br />
Qliphort Deck Profile: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-profile-niklas-lindroths-qliphort/<br />
<br />
Nekroz Deck Profile: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/deck-profile-alpay-engins-nekroz/ <br />
<br />
<u>D. Miscellaneous Updates</u><br />
<br />
Welcome: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/welcome-to-yu-gi-oh-championship-series-prague/<br />
<br />
Tech Update: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/tech-update-ycs-prague/<br />
<br />
Round 3 Top Tables: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/top-tables-round-3/<br />
<br />
Round 6 Top Tables: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/top-tables-round-6-3/<br />
<br />
Round 9 Top Tables: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/top-tables-round-9-5/ <br />
<br />
Complete Deck Breakdown: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-prague-overall-deck-breakdown/<br />
<br />
Day 2 Deck Breakdown: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-prague-day-2-deck-breakdown/ <br />
<br />
Complete Nationality Breakdown: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-prague-overall-Duelist-breakdown/ (lol Germany had over ten times as many representatives as <i>the country the event was held in</i>)<br />
<br />
Day 2 Nationality Breakdown: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-prague-day-2-duelist-breakdown/ <br />
<br />
Complete Day 1 Coverage: https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/ycs-prague-day-1-coverage-overview/ <br />
<br />
(Stay tuned to the coverage page at [<a href="https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/event/ycs/2015-ycs-prague/">https://tcg.konami-europe.com/coverage/event/ycs/2015-ycs-prague/</a>] for additional updates throughout the week, as technical difficulties have prevented several articles from being uploaded at the moment.)Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-80731871002480890562015-02-22T12:40:00.002-05:002015-02-22T12:41:01.825-05:00New Advanced Formats<a name='more'></a>One thing that always seemed like a big issue with Yugioh was the sheer lack of choice the players have in how the game is played. There are only two formats that are really relevant, and that's Advanced and Battle Pack Draft.<br />
<br />
It would be an extremely interesting change of pace if we had two Advanced Formats. Imagine if the April 1 format was split between two brand new choices:<br />
<br />
--a "Relaxed" Advanced Format list, wherein the current list would be changed to relax a number of its current restrictions (ex. cards generally going up, from 0 to 1, 1 to 2, etc.)<br />
<br />
--a "Restricted" Advanced Format list, with basically the opposite happening and stronger restrictions placed on a number of cards.<br />
<br />
A YCS held under this system would essentially have two tournaments going on at the same time; one for each format. (Of course, in an ideal world I would do away with the drafting portion of the tournament too, but I digress.)<br />
<br />
I just think it'd be a really nice breath of fresh air to give the players the option of what format they want to play in - people are often not happy with how the banlist turns out, and this would give you a small measure of choice in how you want it to be. In particular, it would definitely be interesting to see which format turns out to be the battleground of choice for well-known players.<br />
<br />
In any case, this probably won't ever happen, but it'd definitely be nice to see.Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-84210337981941142022015-02-15T23:58:00.002-05:002015-02-15T23:58:42.291-05:00BARRETT KEYS WINS YCS SEATTLE 2015!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Barrett Keys, who just won YCS <strike>Nekroz</strike> Seattle 2015!
Although he was
originally playing Nekroz throughout the majority
of
the tournament, players had to switch to Battle Pack 3 Draft format
after winning their Top 32 matches. Also, congrats to Steven De Lara for
coming in second place; he was originally also playing Nekroz. As the first major event since the release of The Secret Forces mere days ago, this tournament demonstrated one thing pretty well: Nekroz are a force to be reckoned with. Taking about 69% of the Top 32 and displacing pretty much every other relevant deck right out of the gate, even despite their impressive price tag, the deck has proven that it is definitely the top contender most people expected. Continue
reading for articles from the event collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQj1tyJvrKO3wyaPMVKGj4nLuaKDiwtK4ev2iI4S80205RF8aWYMJgN7HanrMOcZ3PDr4xWumaL8h6tawUwJQlnh4bwsFM1Kdo6Mm2L7ctWhnE30kYwO0k0x1SxTtS42eEfobSdetqGE/s1600/ycsseattle2015-winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQj1tyJvrKO3wyaPMVKGj4nLuaKDiwtK4ev2iI4S80205RF8aWYMJgN7HanrMOcZ3PDr4xWumaL8h6tawUwJQlnh4bwsFM1Kdo6Mm2L7ctWhnE30kYwO0k0x1SxTtS42eEfobSdetqGE/s1600/ycsseattle2015-winner.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>A. Top Cut</u><br />
<br />
Winner Source [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19820]<br />
<br />
Top 4 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19815] <br />
<br />
Top 8 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19794]<br />
<br />
Top 16 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19782]<br />
11 Nekroz<br />
3 Qliphort<br />
2 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
Top 32<br />
Decks [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19784]<br />
Pairings [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19772]<br />
22 Nekroz<br />
6 Qliphort<br />
4 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
<u>B. Feature Matches</u><br />
<br />
Round 1: Nekroz defeats Ritual Beasts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19595]<br />
<br />
Round 1: Yosenju defeats Rock Stun [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19590]<br />
<br />
Round 2: Burning Abyss Agents defeat T.G. Madolche [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19604] <br />
<br />
Round 2: Qliphorts defeat Ritual Beasts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19609]<br />
<br />
Round 3: Nekroz defeats Burning Abyss [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19615]<br />
<br />
Round 3: Nekroz Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19620] <br />
<br />
Round 4: Qliphorts defeat Burning Abyss [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19629]<br />
<br />
Round 5: Burning Abyss defeats Yosenju [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19661]<br />
<br />
Round 6: Satellarknights defeat Nekroz [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19672]<br />
<br />
Round 7: Satellarknight Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19702]<br />
<br />
Round 8: Nekroz Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19695]<br />
<br />
Round 8: Nekroz Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19720] <br />
<br />
Round 9: Nekroz Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19740] <br />
<br />
Round 9: Nekroz Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19735] (yes, I'm not kidding)<br />
<br />
Round 10: Nekroz defeats Burning Abyss [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19749]<br />
<br />
-<br />
<br />
Top 32: Nekroz Mirror Match [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19787] <br />
<br />
Top 32: Nekroz defeats Qliphort [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19777] <br />
<br />
Top 16 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19806]<br />
<br />
Top 16 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19812]<br />
<br />
Top 8 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19817]<br />
<br />
Top 8 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19831]<br />
<br />
Top 4 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19838]<br />
<br />
Finals [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19843]<br />
<br />
<u>C. Top Tables Updates</u><br />
<br />
Round 5 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19656]<br />
9 Nekroz<br />
5 Qliphort<br />
3 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Round 6 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19677]<br />
10 Nekroz<br />
6 Qliphort<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
1 Burning Abyss<br />
1 Infernoid<br />
<br />
Round 7 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19686]<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
4 Qlphort<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
2 Burning Abyss<br />
<br />
Round 8 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19700]<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
3 Qliphort<br />
3 Burning Abyss<br />
2 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Round 9 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19733]<br />
12 Nekroz<br />
3 Satellarknight<br />
3 Qliphort <br />
2 Burning Abyss <br />
<br />
Round 10 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19754]<br />
13 Nekroz<br />
4 Burning Abyss<br />
3 Qliphort<br />
<br />
<u>D. Miscellaneous Articles</u><br />
<br />
Introduction [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19567] <br />
<br />
How will you beat Nekroz? [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19635]<br />
<br />
Anti-Nekroz Tech Update [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19792] <br />
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-27578947659130861272015-02-08T18:06:00.000-05:002015-02-08T18:06:12.663-05:00DAVID PAGE WINS ARGCS FORT WORTH 2015!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to David Page, who just won ARGCS Fort Worth 2015 with
his Satellarknight deck! Also, congrats to Yobani Martinez for
coming in second place with his Shaddoll deck. This event had limited written coverage, but you can continue
reading for articles from the event collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2_kOfAP3_7obMGJJQv5jR0qS8BaWYYtbMRBAk8H4fGazTY9pMV9IxLYMp3OYbrOgUSmx4XuzMfY3Lzm4-eJHMSbq9HuKooa-XIXtOrMQtBdIm2svbknfwcx2H6wl2NsJi0kKEt3HLw0/s1600/argcsfortworth2015-winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2_kOfAP3_7obMGJJQv5jR0qS8BaWYYtbMRBAk8H4fGazTY9pMV9IxLYMp3OYbrOgUSmx4XuzMfY3Lzm4-eJHMSbq9HuKooa-XIXtOrMQtBdIm2svbknfwcx2H6wl2NsJi0kKEt3HLw0/s1600/argcsfortworth2015-winner.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Top 16: [<a href="http://articles.alterealitygames.com/argcs-fort-worth-tx-top-16-decklists/">http://articles.alterealitygames.com/argcs-fort-worth-tx-top-16-decklists/</a>]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbJK-jlbx0fnzyoX-5NP6D_UQWavcEd8fD-DMZN-oChzXUGSD3DFdKMATsQt2Nbbfvh8o4wl81_aywC2yeQlNbmZrhcP3-7hyphenhyphenfcBWQ8-X_DWDud_pTCy6t85SySwR6d5afuCty7qglXI/s1600/fw2015-top16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbJK-jlbx0fnzyoX-5NP6D_UQWavcEd8fD-DMZN-oChzXUGSD3DFdKMATsQt2Nbbfvh8o4wl81_aywC2yeQlNbmZrhcP3-7hyphenhyphenfcBWQ8-X_DWDud_pTCy6t85SySwR6d5afuCty7qglXI/s1600/fw2015-top16.png" height="174" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Standings after Round 1: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-1/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 2: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-2/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 4: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-4/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 5: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-5/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 6: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-6/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 7: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-7/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 8: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-8/<br />
<br />
Standings after Round 9: http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-dallasfort-worth-standings-after-round-9/<br />
<br />
Complete Deck Breakdown:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrb36mFSuTEJ5AcfJ44KMlV3RZubTwlqb2MsJt-2AXYcYE9nB3U9DcIs7sAVE7o6mmFGtDKUcYBKHZDd72bLiwH9EbP7wp5HmRuZ-n0bO0vdCGrt3XPR9duJOMR888Lu0GjqjZE8JZWQ/s1600/fw2015-fulldecks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrb36mFSuTEJ5AcfJ44KMlV3RZubTwlqb2MsJt-2AXYcYE9nB3U9DcIs7sAVE7o6mmFGtDKUcYBKHZDd72bLiwH9EbP7wp5HmRuZ-n0bO0vdCGrt3XPR9duJOMR888Lu0GjqjZE8JZWQ/s1600/fw2015-fulldecks.png" height="176" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-36144424252171185212015-02-01T20:01:00.000-05:002015-02-01T21:06:07.504-05:00JONATHON CASTILLO WINS YCS CHARLESTON!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Jonathon Castillo, who just won YCS Charleston!
Although he was
originally playing Burning Abyss throughout the majority
of
the tournament, players had to switch to Battle Pack 3 Draft format
after winning their Top 32 matches. Also, congrats to Patrick Hoban for
coming in second place; he was originally also playing Burning Abyss. Continue
reading for articles from the event collected below!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKxv6bzD7aO30YnfFm_i1uMNZ7LuNFMe00ZVtYbodbXiECS3sMWKvI-lyyqEqmhyphenhyphenp0NRiQvXwX3QQEq8toLBVP9mK1dQmdpLZMFOT0pTFBSG2F7WIQJiNJRyqfUmYRk4PlwHgTuGaRnI/s1600/ycscharleston-winner-castillo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKxv6bzD7aO30YnfFm_i1uMNZ7LuNFMe00ZVtYbodbXiECS3sMWKvI-lyyqEqmhyphenhyphenp0NRiQvXwX3QQEq8toLBVP9mK1dQmdpLZMFOT0pTFBSG2F7WIQJiNJRyqfUmYRk4PlwHgTuGaRnI/s1600/ycscharleston-winner-castillo.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>A. Top Cut</u><br />
<br />
Winner source [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19518]<br />
<br />
Top 4 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19504]<br />
<br />
To 8 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19495] <br />
<br />
Top 16 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19468]<br />
10 Burning Abyss <br />
5 Qliphort<br />
1 Artifact Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Top 32<br />
Players and Decks [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19470]<br />
Pairings [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19456]<br />
<br />
18 Burning Abyss<br />
9 Qliphort<br />
3 Satellarknight variants<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
<br />
<u>B. Feature Matches</u><br />
<br />
Round 1: Burning Abyss defeats Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19311]<br />
<br />
Round 1: Infernoids defeat Burning Abyss [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19317]<br />
<br />
Round 2: Hero Mirror [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19328]<br />
<br />
Round 3: Burning Abyss defeats Infernoids [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19337]<br />
<br />
Round 3: Shaddolls defeat Qliphorts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19343]<br />
<br />
Round 4: Qliphorts defeat Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19348]<br />
<br />
Round 4: Shaddolls defeat Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19378]<br />
<br />
Round 6: Shaddoll Artifacts defeat Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19388]<br />
<br />
Round 7: Volcanics defeat Qliphorts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19401]<br />
<br />
Round 8: Burning Abyss defeats Qliphorts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19414] <br />
<br />
Round 9: Burning Abyss defeats Qliphorts [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19435]<br />
<br />
Round 9: Infernity defeats Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19450]<br />
<br />
Round 10: Satellarknight Artifacts defeats Denko Shaddolls [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19459] <br />
<br />
Round 10: Burning Abyss defeats Satellarknights [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19445]<br />
<br />
-<br />
<br />
Top 32: Burning Abyss Mirror [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19472]<br />
<br />
Top 32: Burning Abyss defeats Volcanics [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19488]<br />
<br />
Top 16 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19506]<br />
<br />
Top 16 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19499]<br />
<br />
Top 8 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19513]<br />
<br />
<u>C. Top Tables</u><br />
<br />
Round 4 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19358]<br />
11 Burning Abyss<br />
4 Qliphort <br />
2 Shaddoll<br />
2 Infernoid<br />
1 Satellarknight <br />
<br />
Round 5 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19363]<br />
11 Burning Abyss<br />
5 Qliphort<br />
3 Shaddoll<br />
1 Satellarknight<br />
<br />
Round 6 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19395]<br />
9 Burning Abyss<br />
9 Qliphort<br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
1 Volcanic <br />
<br />
Round 7 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19399]<br />
8 Qliphort<br />
8 Burning Abyss<br />
2 Shaddoll<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
1 Satellarknight <br />
<br />
Round 9 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19432] <br />
12 Burning Abyss<br />
4 Qliphort<br />
3 Satellarknight<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
<br />
Round 10 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19443]<br />
12 Burning Abyss<br />
3 Qliphort<br />
3 Satellarknight<br />
1 Volcanic<br />
1 Shaddoll<br />
<br />
<u>D. Miscellaneous</u><br />
<br />
Welcome [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19304] <br />
<br />
Tech Update [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19326]<br />
<br />
Tech Update #2 [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19477]<br />
<br />
What deck will get the most Top 32 spots? [https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=19430]Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-85740983677680138402015-02-01T14:32:00.002-05:002015-04-25T21:54:47.822-04:00Premier Event Schedule (Feb - Apr 2015)<a name='more'></a>Hey guys, here's another event schedule covering all of the big Konami and ARG events for the next couple of months. The date listed is always the Saturday upon which the event officially begins. <br />
<br />
ARGCS Fort Worth - Feb 7<br />
<br />
YCS Seattle - Feb 14<br />
<br />
ARGCS Louisville, KY - Feb 21<br />
<br />
YCS Prague - Feb 28<br />
<br />
YCS Guatemala City - Mar 7<br />
<br />
ARGCS Fort Lauderdale - Mar 7<br />
<br />
ARGCS Hartford - Mar 14<br />
<br />
YCS Chicago - Apr 11<br />
<br />
YCS Bogota - Apr 18<br />
<br />
YCS Bochum - Apr 25 <br />
<br />
[Sources:<br />
<a href="http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/">http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.yugioh-card.com/uk/events/ycs.html">http://www.yugioh-card.com/uk/events/ycs.html</a><br />
<a href="http://articles.alterealitygames.com/events/">http://articles.alterealitygames.com/events/</a>]
Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-70812796656091141982015-01-04T21:00:00.001-05:002015-01-04T21:00:58.277-05:00GUSTEPH PATIGO WINS ARGCS Orlando!!! (with coverage highlights)<a name='more'></a>Congratulations to Gusteph Patigo, who just won ARGCS Orlando with
his
Burning Abyss deck! Also, congrats to Melvin Torres for
coming in second place with his Shaddoll deck. This event had limited written coverage, but you can continue
reading for articles from the event collected below!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Top 16 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-top-16-decklists/<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw9KvodEfocNo8z6HW6Le3TXdh3DFEjY93n6Pqva-909XFLzQImTZy1K6XCDp-zd21DDy8_Lw_rGGMQyB-ouu_T4Htg9Cyikfkzg557jnkDoJgzU5ykFdqvP0KJQgWr535GcnQFJMKKA/s1600/argcsorlando-top16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw9KvodEfocNo8z6HW6Le3TXdh3DFEjY93n6Pqva-909XFLzQImTZy1K6XCDp-zd21DDy8_Lw_rGGMQyB-ouu_T4Htg9Cyikfkzg557jnkDoJgzU5ykFdqvP0KJQgWr535GcnQFJMKKA/s1600/argcsorlando-top16.png" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>Standings</u><br />
<br />
After Round 1 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-1/<br />
<br />
After Round 2 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-2/<br />
<br />
After Round 3 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-3/<br />
<br />
After Round 4 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-4/<br />
<br />
After Round 5 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-5/<br />
<br />
After Round 6 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-6/<br />
<br />
After Round 7 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-7/<br />
<br />
After Round 8 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-8/<br />
<br />
After Round 9 - http://articles.alterealitygames.com/arg-circuit-series-orlando-standings-after-round-9/<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Complete Deck Breakdown</u><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaYyuslYIMsrDzEX5MqOA-ymyGe0NDM-6LBC78f0XPM_1DJw-l8L0rWyAo5yIvCXNI0P8a47u1PZGE-hBgcTM2lbZas5D8N8HRziDPuB14OpkWEN5fAmf0jFyeWGD6Y7TKlZPxp9DcxU/s1600/argcsorlando-fullbreakdown.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaYyuslYIMsrDzEX5MqOA-ymyGe0NDM-6LBC78f0XPM_1DJw-l8L0rWyAo5yIvCXNI0P8a47u1PZGE-hBgcTM2lbZas5D8N8HRziDPuB14OpkWEN5fAmf0jFyeWGD6Y7TKlZPxp9DcxU/s1600/argcsorlando-fullbreakdown.png" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2731146956505560885.post-7769737267880008212014-12-19T13:08:00.000-05:002014-12-19T13:08:42.671-05:00In-Depth January 2015 TCG Banlist Discussion (plus a random rant)<a name='more'></a>Hey there! In Yugioh, we like to take one step forward and three steps backward.<br />
<br />
Before I talk about the actual details of the list, I'm sorry but I have to get into a short discussion. Many people more important than me have said this before, but I just want to remind you guys of something before we go forward: <b>Konami does not make weird and sacktastic changes because they're stupid.</b> <b>They do it because they want to make lucksacks easier and more available.</b> As fun as it may be to pretend that we are all ruled by idiots and that any half-dead Yugioh player could run the game better, this is simply not true. These changes are not made out of stupidity. Konami usually has a good idea of the consequences that can come from any given list change, and they do it on <i>purpose </i>because they <i>want</i> those consequences.<br />
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Why? Because to them, this game is not meant to be solely based on skill. They make anti-skill changes in order to help worse players have a better chance against great players, thereby buttressing the size of the overall playerbase and protecting the company's profit motive. I'm not trying to say that this is inherently a bad thing, this is just how companies work: they try to protect their profits. (It obviously can <i>lead </i>to bad things, but we'll get to that.)<br />
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You would think that I, as an average player, would love these things. Konami says, "hey, wanna take home the greatest ass-kicking memories of your lifetime (that also just so happen to make you want to play the game more)? Take them! Take them ALL! In fact, we'll <i>help</i> you take them!" But no, I really don't love it. Getting sacked out of a game you deserved to win isn't something that only happens to good players - it happens to all of us, and when Konami makes these changes, they are only making it even easier. This is relevant in regards to every list, but this one in particular is especially significant due to things like Snatch Steal and Honest.<br />
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That being said, let me go ahead and give my thoughts on the actual changes. I'll summarize this since I took time for other things first. To review the list, <a href="http://lordinvishilwants.blogspot.com/2014/12/january-1-2015-tcg-banlist-revealed.html" target="_blank">check here</a>.<br />
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<b>Super Polymerization (1 to 0):</b> Obviously a nice change. Cards that are this powerful and that can't be responded to are an issue, especially when prominent decks can abuse them. <br />
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<b>Artifact Moralltach (3 to 1):</b> I was starting to get scared that they'd never address this engine. Hitting Moralltach stops the engine while still allowing 3 Sanctum to help actual Artifact decks, so this is a great change. I'm not that mad for this not having come sooner, as we have learned to expect that Konami likes to provide a certain period in which new cards are nearly immune to unfavorable list changes. <br />
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<b>Dark Strike Fighter (0 to 1):</b> Looks like he's finally back after his errata crossed over to the TCG. The errata makes him balanced so I'm happy about him coming back.<br />
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<b>Snatch Steal (0 to 1):</b> Well, it was good up until now. See, this is why I said we take one step forward and three steps back. In <i>the same fucking list</i>, they took a stand against decks like Shaddolls being able to grab your shit without response, then simultaneously gave <i>everyone </i>the ability to steal nearly any monster for nearly any purpose whatsoever. Great! Can this be errata'd, please? It might suck but it'd definitely be better than doing this alone.<br />
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The existence of backrow removal does not suddenly mean that any card affected by it is fair. This is a <i>card game</i>, and you have to <i>draw</i> answers to these things for them to actually not become a problem. And I'm not saying this to Konami - as you could have guessed from earlier, we all know why they did this. I'm saying it to anybody that thinks this is a positive and healthy development for the game.<br />
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<b>Honest (1 to 2):</b> This is an absolutely awful and frankly sacktastic change, notable for how extremely difficult it is to counter with cards that typically see play. This is arguably the worst change on the entire list. <br />
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<b>Goyo Guardian (1 to 2):</b> Please stop encouraging people to steal monsters. It is literally one of the worst mechanics in the entire game. I'm not saying Goyo at 2 is the end of the world (far from it at this point), just stop making it easier for people to abuse this mechanic. It doesn't matter if it sees less play, please stop making it easier.<br />
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<b>Dark Hole (1 to 2):</b> I honestly don't think we need more "whew, if I hadn't drawn this giant red button I'd be <i>fucked</i>" cards in the game, but hey maybe that's just me. Most people won't pay much attention to this change since we have Raigeki, but I feel that this is a strong sign of how far afield Yugioh has gone over the past few years.<br />
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<b>Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind (2 to 3):</b> This puts a good deal more gas in the tank for Blackwings. But despite being a former Blackwing player, I can't be sure if it's a fair change. Gale is a Tuner, easy to summon, has a strong effect, and has relatively low ATK in terms of Black Whirlwind. Semi-Limited might be better if we weren't dealing with such steep power creep.<br />
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Normally I'd say this + Goyo is great for Blackwings despite being iffy for the overall health of the game, but having played the deck myself, I can sincerely say that Extra Deck space is a serious challenge and these new options definitely exacerbate that problem (though still making it better overall).<br />
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<b>Mermail Abyssgunde (1 to 3):</b> This change kind of reminds me of Gale, in that it's a big Special Summon-related boost to a deck that was once really good. I'm sure plenty of Mermail enthusiasts will have fun <strike>busting a nut on her</strike> executing cool combos with this card being Unlimited again. I actually still don't agree with the level of flexibility the Mermail deck is capable of, but hey since they're not topping right now I guess it's just not a big deal at all. /sarcasm<br />
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<b>Reborn Tengu (2 to 3):</b> One of my favorite cards and, at first glance, least favorite changes. It's funny and ironic how mindless this card is since one of the decks it supports the most is one that gives you plenty of options, thereby connecting it to skillful play. Of course, I'm talking about none other than Plant Synchro. But apart from Tengu's use in Synchrocentric strategies, or with multiple Tenki, I'm actually no longer convinced that it's broken. The problem is that both of these things are currently alive and fully capable of <strike>using this to bust a nut</strike> exploiting this in ways that are likely to be unhealthy (by my own definitions; obviously not Konami's). We'll just have to see.<br />
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<b>Reasoning (2 to 3):</b> As conservative as I am when it comes to the list, I actually think this should have been Unlimited a while ago. I'm not aware of any reliable and threatening way people can abuse this in modern times, so if something comes up then oh well I guess. But with what I know right now, it definitely should have left the list sooner.<br />
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<b>The Transmigration Prophecy (2 to 3):</b> This is another card I would've liked to see released more quickly due to its status as a skillful Side pick, but in this case I'm vaguely aware of some kind of combo loop you can create with this. However, I'm not sure if that's an actual problem. I also think it's pretty likely that newer cards could be abused with this, but I'll wait to see that for myself before reversing my positive judgment. So this is likely to be a good change in the mainstream, but very degenerate for the people who want to make it that way.<br />
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Alright, so the basic takeaway from this entire thing is this: Konami likes the sack factor. Even to the point where many of us think it's actually pretty unhealthy and not even fun anymore. Also notable is the fact that the top decks suffered very little as a group. You would think that four months (or whatever) since Burning Abyss came out would be enough by Konami standards<span class="_Tgc"> </span>to start giving them some kitten scratches here and there, but apparently not. I also think Qliphorts deserved a tiny nick to make them a bit less... well, the complete epitome of what this game has come to, but hey, whatever. Thankfully I don't have to care quite as much since I don't play anymore, but that doesn't mean that these changes are the right decisions.<br />
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Anyways, thanks for reading. I've also recently put out <a href="https://soundcloud.com/explosive-urchin/sets/explosive-urchin-challenges" target="_blank">a new album for free</a> on Soundcloud, so if you're into music and want to check it out, that'd be appreciated. Later!Lord Invishilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08938984351421022264noreply@blogger.com0