OCG 2016.04 Metagame (1 Apr – 30 Jun 2016)

Blue-Eyes received multiple new support from “Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions” promotion and Shining Victories in late December and early January, but was overshadowed by Performapal Dracoslayer. The end of Performapal opens up the format for Blue-Eyes to shine in the competitive scene.

The Dark Illusion introduced Metalfoes, a new theme revolving around Pendulum Summon and Fusion Summon. New support cards also allowed D/D to climb up in ranks.

Compiled from a total of 559 top-placing decks from 75 competitive tournaments held in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and China Mainland, here is the final metagame breakdown of the OCG 2016.04 format.

• 171 Blue-Eyes (155 Blue-Eyes, 13 Ritual Blue-Eyes, 1 Fusion Blue-Eyes, 1 Speedroid Blue-Eyes)
• 103 Burning Abyss (82 Speedroid Phantom Knights Burning Abyss, 9 Speedroid Burning Abyss, 9 Ritual Burning Abyss, 1 Blue-Eyes Burning Abyss, 1 Nekroz Burning Abyss, 1 Shaddoll Burning Abyss)
• 89 Metalfoes (88 Metalfoes, 1 Amorphage Metalfoes)
• 62 D/D (61 D/D, 1 Shaddoll D/D)
• 24 Monarch (8 Brilliant Monarch, 7 Monarch, 4 Artifact Monarch, 3 Speedroid Monarch, 1 Domain Monarch, 1 Super Quant Monarch)
• 18 Majespecter (6 Majespecter, 5 Igknight Odd-Eyes Majespecter, 3 Odd-Eyes Majespecter, 2 Magician Odd-Eyes Majespecter, 1 Performapal Odd-Eyes Majespecter, 1 Speedroid Majespecter)
• 15 Dracoslayer (9 Performapal Odd-Eyes Dracoslayer, 3 Performapal Igknight Dracoslayer, 2 D/D Performapal Dracoslayer, 1 D/D Igknight Dracoslayer)
• 13 Qliphort
• 10 HERO
• 10 Nekroz (9 Nekroz, 1 Shaddoll Nekroz)
• 5 Dark Magician
• 5 DARK Synchro
• 5 Infernoid
• 4 Atlantean Mermail (3 Atlantean Mermail, 1 HERO Atlantean Mermail)
• 4 Evilswarm
• 4 Performapal Odd-Eyes Magician
• 3 Meta Beat
• 1 ABC
• 1 Blackwing
• 1 Buster Blader
• 1 Cubic
• 1 Deskbot Shaddoll
• 1 Junk Doppel
• 1 Performapal
• 1 PSY-Frame
• 1 Ritual Beast
• 1 Train Shaddoll
• 1 Shiranui
• 1 Six Samurai
• 1 Speedroid
• 1 Speedroid Phantom Knights

Blue-Eyes was well positioned in the OCG 2016.04 format, having various tools in the deck that could deal with the other top decks, while putting out huge Dragons on the field.

Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon has a Continuous Effect that prevents Special Summoning 2 or more monsters at the same time, effectively restricting Pendulum decks from making big plays. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon also has Quick Effect that could negate a graveyard effect, and that is useful against Phantom Knights Burning Abyss.

Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon could also Tribute itself to Special Summon a LIGHT Dragon Synchro Monster on the Extra Deck. Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, Black Rose Moonlight Dragon and Stardust Spark Dragon are some of the option that Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon could bring out, providing either disruption or protection against the opponent.

Dragon Spirit of White effect to banish an opponent’s Spell/Trap card is useful to take out Pendulum Scale. Banishing also prevents Metalfoes Combination and Metalfoes Counter from using their graveyard effect.

Sage with Eyes of Blue could add a Level 1 LIGHT Tuner from deck to hand, and could search for Effect Veiler as a disruption against the opponent. Then as a Level 1 Tuner monster, it could be used with a Level 8 Blue-Eyes monster to Synchro Summon Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon. It also has another effect that discard itself and sending a targeted Effect Monster on your field to Special Summon a Blue-Eyes monster from deck.

Skill Drain in the Side Deck negates all Monster Effects on the field, allowing Blue-Eyes White Dragon to reign supreme with its high ATK.

Speedroid Phantom Knights Burning Abyss opened strong in the new format.

The addition of Phantom Knights provides access to Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade, giving the deck more disruptions during the opponent’s turn.

Anti-Spell Fragrance in the Main Deck is a great tech against the metagame. Blue-Eyes rely on their Spells such as The Melody of Awakening Dragon, Dragon Shrine, Trade-In and Return of the Dragon Lords to setup their board. Metalfoes and the other Pendulum decks would be unable to play their Pendulum Scales while under Anti-Spell Fragrance.

Leeching the Light is a stealthy tech in the Side Deck that makes all face-up Attack Position monsters you control gain ATK equal to the ATK of the targeted opponent’s monster. This could pump up all your monsters with ATK 3000 and go for an OTK.

Metalfoes is a new theme that revolves around Pendulum and Fusion. The Metalfoes monsters come with a Pendulum Effect that could destroy a face-up card you control to set a Metalfoes Spell/Trap from your deck to field. This allows them to search out Metalfoes Fusion ensuring that they could consistently perform their Fusion Summon. While Metalfoes Fusion is in the graveyard, it could be shuffled back to deck to draw a card. Metalfoes Combination and Metalfoes Counter are Metalfoes Traps that could be searched out too, and they provide additional Special Summon to quickly build the board, or search for a Metalfoes monster.

Metalfoes could bring out Ultimaya Tzolkin using Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow. While controlling no monsters, Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow could be Special Summoned from hand, then Special Summon 2 “Vague Shadow Tokens”. Metalfoes Adamante is then be Fusion Summoned using 1 “Vague Shadow Token” and another Metalfoes monster. Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow a Level Tuner Monster and Metalfoes Adamante a Level 5 Monster could then be sent to the graveyard to Special Summon Ultimaya Tzolkin. Activating Metalfoes Pendulum Effect to sets a Metalfoes Spell/Trap from deck woudl trigger Ultimaya Tzolkin and Special Summon a Level 7 or 8 Dragon Synchro Monster. Black Rose Moonlight Dragon, Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, Void Ogre Dragon and Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer are some of the options that could be brought out.

Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin is also another powerful threat that Metalfoes could bring out. Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin cannot be targeted and destroyed by opponent’s effect makes it very difficult to deal with. Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin could return a Pendulum Monster to hand to return a monster opponent to hand. This could be activated by returning itself, then simply Pendulum Summon it back on the next turn.

It came as a surprise when D/D broke into the competitive scene. D/D is a powerful combo deck that could quickly flood the board with powerful monsters from the Extra Deck, but was initially counted out by most players as it relied on 3-cards or 4-cards combos to pull off their opening play. Generally 3-cards or 4-cards were thought to be inconsistent, but D/D had multiple combinations that could work and could setup the most powerful opening board in the OCG 2016.04 format.

A standard opening would consist of D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried and Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon to negate a Spell/Trap and a Monster Effect. Bringing out D/D/D Duo-Dawn King Kali Yuga is also an option against Pendulum decks to destroy their Pendulum Scales.

However, D/D is one of the most difficult deck to pilot with multiple complicated combo lines. Performing the combo incorrectly would often result in a weak opening board, thus few players are willing to learn and play D/D.

There were little changes in the new OCG 2016.07 Limit Regulation, and we could expect the above decks to continue to perform well in the new format.

Structure Deck: Seto Kaiba was released near the end of the format, and it would introduce ABC to the competitive scene. Asia Championship 2016 was won by ABC in a sea of Blue-Eyes, showing that the deck has potential to be a top contender.