OCG 2015.10 Metagame (1 Oct – 31 Dec 2015)

Largely untouched by the new Limit Regulation, Performapal Performage would go on to dominate the OCG 2015.10 format.

HERO, Nekroz and Altantean were hit by the new Limit Regulation, opening up for Burning Abyss and Monarch to move up in the competitive scene.

Compiled from a total of 518 top-placing decks from 51 competitive tournaments held in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and China Mainland, here is the final metagame breakdown of the OCG 2015.10 format.

• 309 Performapal Performage (308 Performapal Performage, 1 Performapal Performage Magician)
• 96 Burning Abyss (95 Burning Abyss, 1 Speedroid Burning Abyss)
• 67 Monarch (48 Ex0 Monarch, 17 Ex15 Monarch, 2 Ex8 Monarch)
• 6 HERO (4 HERO, 1 Artifact HERO, 1 Magician HERO)
• 6 Infernoid (5 Infernoid, 1 Lightsworn Infernoid)
• 5 Artifact Chronomaly
• 4 Nekroz
• 4 Qliphort
• 3 Majespecter (1 Majespecter, 1 Magician Majespecter, 1 Speedroid Majespecter)
• 2 Atlantean Mermail (1 Artifact variant)
• 2 Shaddoll
• 2 Volcanic Clown Blade
• 1 Artifact Constellar
• 1 Artifact Super Quant
• 1 Artifact Volcanic
• 1 D/D
• 1 Deskbot
• 1 HERO
• 1 Hieratic Volcanic
• 1 Meta Beat
• 1 Performapal Dracoslayer
• 1 PSY-Frame
• 1 Ritual Beast
• 1 U.A.

Performapal Performage completely dominates the scene, taking up almost 60% of the metagame.

Performapal Performage was already coming in strong from the OCG 2015.04 format, and Breakers of Shadow gave them Performapal Monkeyboard and Draco Face-Off, boosting their power level over every other decks in the competitive scene.

Performapal Monkeyboard Pendulum Effect could add a Performapal Monster from deck to hand, and together with Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, they ensure that Performapal Performage could consistently setup their Pendulum Scales.

Draco Face-Off would also provide anyway to setup the Pendulum Scale if Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer was randomly chosen. Otherwise Vector Pendulum, the Dracoverlord would be Special Summoned and could be used as Synchro or Xyz Material.

Performapal Performage could consistently open with Number 16: Shock Master, and would typically lock out the opponent’s Monster Effects.

OCG 2015.10 → OCG 2016.01 Limit Regulation changes:

• Performage Damage Juggler 3 → 0
• Performage Plushfire 3 → 0
• Number 16: Shock Master 3 → 0

With both Performage Plushfire and Performage Damage Juggler going straight to forbidden, the Performage package is no longer viable. However, Performapal could still carry on with Dracoslayer.

With a new support in Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, Burning Abyss could now send a specific card from their deck to graveyard and not just hope for a random chance with Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal effect could also be activated during the opponent’s turn, and could function as a disruption by sending Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from deck to graveyard to temporary banish an opponent’s monster.

Mask Change II allows Burning Abyss to go into Masked HERO Dark Law, which would caused Pendulum Monsters to be banished instead of going to the graveyard and preventing Performapal Performage from building up Pendulum Monsters in their Extra Deck. This also prevents Performage Damage Juggler from getting its graveyard effect.

Anti-Spell Fragrance is a fantastic card against Pendulum decks. While Anti-Spell Fragrance effect is applied, Spells have to be set before they can be activated, effectively blocking out Pendulum Monsters from being played as Pendulum Scales.

Xyz Universe is also another great tech card in the OCG 2015.10 format. Both Performapal Performage and Burning Abyss rely largely on Xyz Summon. Xyz Universe could send 2 opponent’s Xyz Monsters to Special Summon an Xyz Monster of an equal or 1 less of the combined original Rank. D/D/D Duo-Dawn King Kali Yuga is a popular Rank 8 monster to bring out as it could be easily satisfy with 2 Rank 4 monsters and has a Quick Effect that destroys all Spells/Traps on the field, useful to disrupt the opponent from setting up their Pendulum Scales.

The Ex15 (Extra Deck 15) build was initially hyped up due to the that Zaborg the Mega Monarch could generate by sending Elder Entity N’tss and PSY-Framelord Omega from Extra Deck to graveyard, while depleting the opponent’s Extra Deck. However, destroying your own Zaborg the Mega Monarch is too costly is often only good when already in a winning position.

The Ex8 (Extra Deck 8) build runs exactly 8 Extra Deck monsters so that after using Zaborg the Mega Monarch effect the Extra Deck would go down to 0 and enable Domain of the True Monarchs. This has the same issue as the Ex15 build in relying on Zaborg the Mega Monarch.

The Ex0 (Extra Deck 0) build became the popular trending build that makes use of Domain of the True Monarchs to lock out the opponent of their Extra Deck. Vanity’s Fiend and Majesty Fiend would further lock out Special Summons and Monster Effects. Majesty’s Fiend has ATK 2400 and DEF 1000, allowing it to be searched out by Return of the Monarchs.

Monarch relies on their On-Summon Effect to gain advantage, and thus is weak against Effect Veiler, which was seeing widespread play in the metagame.

The new OCG 2016.01 Forbidden and Limited List has weakened the top contender Performapal Performage, but it was merely a flesh wound as Performapal would simply alter into Performapal Dracoslayer.