OCG 2016.01 Metagame (1 Jan – 31 Mar 2016)

While Performage may be gone, but Performapal Dracoslayer continues to reign supreme in the OCG 2016.01 format.

Compiled from a total of 412 top-placing decks from 32 competitive tournaments held in Japan and Singapore, here is the final metagame breakdown of the OCG 2016.01 format.

• 244 Performapal Dracoslayer
• 80 Burning Abyss (38 Burning Abyss, 17 Speedroid Burning Abyss, 10 Speedroid Phantom Knights Burning Abyss, 10 Phantom Knights Burning Abyss, 2 Nekroz Burning Abyss, 2 Ritual Burning Abyss, 1 Speedroid Volcanic Burning Abyss)
• 40 Monarch (16 Ex0 Monarch, 14 Super Quant Ex0 Monarch, 4 Super Quant Ex15 Monarch, 2 Artifact Ex15 Monarch, 2 Ex15 Monarch, 1 Artifact Super Quant Ex15 Monarch, 1 Brilliant Super Quant Ex15 Monarch)
• 13 Infernoid
• 6 Blue-Eyes
• 5 Majespecter (3 Performapal Majespecter, 1 Majespecter, 1 Magician Majespecter)
• 4 Nekroz
• 3 D/D
• 1 Artifact Constellar
• 1 Cyber Galaxy
• 1 Deskbot
• 1 Evilswarm
• 1 Rainbow Neos HERO
• 1 Magical Explosion FTK
• 1 Meta Beat
• 1 Performapal HERO
• 1 Performapal Infernity
• 1 Performapal Magician
• 1 Performapal Volcanic
• 1 Plasma
• 1 Raidraptor
• 1 Shaddoll Phantom Knights
• 1 Speedroid Phantom Knights
• 1 Volcanic Empower Clown Blade
• 1 Volcanic Empower HERO

Performapal continued to dominate with the aid of Dracoslayer, representing almost 60% of the metagame.

Besides using Draco Face-Off to Special Summon a Dracoslayer or Dracoverlord, Rescue Rabbit could also used to Special Summon 2 Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer to make Rank 4 plays. Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer and Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer comes with an effect to Special Summon Dracoslayer monster allowing the deck to extend their plays, while being Level 8 monsters they could also be used to Xyz Summon Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy.

Performapal Dracoslayer could also go into Naturia Beast. By using Lavalval Chain to send Glow-Up Bulb to the graveyard. Glow-Up Bulb is an EARTH Tuner and Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer is an EARTH Monster, together they could be used to Synchro Summon Naturia Beast.

Traptrix Rafflesia is another Rank 4 that provides disruption in the form of Treacherous Trap Hole or Time-Space Trap Hole. The Trap Holes could get rid of multiple monsters and are efficient in dealing against Pendulum Summon.

Guiding Ariadne could be destroyed by Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer to trigger its effect, fetching Solemn Strike or Solemn Judgment from the deck. Solemn Strike and Solemn Judgment could be activated to negate opponent’s Pendulum Summon.

OCG 2016.01 → OCG 2016.04 Limit Regulation changes:

• Performapal Monkeyboard 3 → 0
• Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer 3 → 1
• Performapal Skullcrobat Joker 3 → 1
• Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer 3 → 1
• Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer 3 → 1
• Lavalval Chain 3 → 0
• Draco Face-Off 3 → 1
• Wavering Eyes 3 → 1

Massive hits to both Performapal and Dracoslayer brings an end to the Pendulum dominance.

A small Speedroid package consisting of 3 Speedroid Terrortop and 1 Speedroid Taketomborg were ran for quick access to Rank 3. Speedroid Terrortop would be Special Summoned from hand when you control no monsters, and its effect would add Speedroid Taketomborg from deck to hand. Speedroid Taketomborg could then be Special Summoned from hand as Speedroid Terrortop a WIND monster is on the field. Both are Level 3 monsters and could be used to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.

The prevalence of Performapal Dracoslayer in the metagame saw Anti-Spell Fragrance and Typhoon being played in the Main Deck. Horn of Heaven in the Side Deck functions as additional copies of Solemn Counter Traps, mainly to negate the opponent’s Pendulum Summon.

Ghost Reaper and Winter Cherries and Flying “C” in the Extra Deck are for the Burning Abyss mirror match. Ghost Reaper and Winter Cherries would banish all of opponent’s Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss from the Extra Deck. Flying “C” prevents the opponent from performing Xyz Summon, and also causes the Malebranche of the Burning Abyss monsters to self-destruct.

Mask of Restrict stops Tribute Summon and is used to shutdown Monarch.

OCG 2016.01 → OCG 2016.04 Limit Regulation changes:

• Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss 3 → 1
• Tour Guide From the Underworld 3 → 1
• Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss 3 → 1
• Mask Change II 3 → 1

Burning Abyss has been heavily hit by the OCG 2016.04 Limit Regulation, forcing them to adapt by transiting to Speedroid Phantom Knights Burning Abyss build.

Super Quant Ex0 Monarch has become one of the more successful build. Emergency Teleport or Super Quantum Red Layer are Special Summons and do not up the once-per-turn Normal Summon, making them much more reliable than Edea the Heavenly Squire.

The deck struggles after the Side Deck as the opponent would bring in Mask of Restrict. Mystical Space Typhoon, Twin Twisters and Typhoon are commonly ran in the Side Deck against Performapal Dracoslayer and could also be used to break out of Domain of the True Monarchs.

OCG 2016.01 → OCG 2016.04 Limit Regulation changes:

• Domain of the True Monarchs 3 → 1
• Pantheism of the Monarchs 3 → 1
• Emergency Teleport 3 → 1

Monarch’s biggest weakness is opening with bricked hands and having Pantheism of the Monarchs limited further hurts their inconsistency. With Domain of the True Monarchs down to 1, Monarch would likely abandon the idea of playing with no Extra Deck. Brilliant Fusion build is an option that brings out Gem-Knight Seraphinite and provides an additional Normal Summon.

The OCG 2016.04 Limit Regulation hits the big three Performapal Dracoslayer, Burning Abyss and Monarch.

Speedroid Phantom Knights Burning Abyss takes the lead in the new format, but Blue-Eyes slowly rise from behind.