OCG 2022.01 Metagame Report #1, #2

by Akira · 15 January 2022

Welcome to Week #1, #2 of the OCG 2022.01 format.

This report will tabulate 156 top-performing decks from 31 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland and South Korea during 1 – 12 January 2022.

Metagame Breakdown

22 Branded Despia (19 Adventurer Branded Despia, 1 Branded Despia, 1 Frightfur Branded Despia, 1 Invoked Branded Despia)
22 Rose Dragon Adventurer Tenyi
16 Floowandereeze
11 Eldlich (5 Branded Eldlich, 2 Eldlich, 2 Adventurer Branded Eldlich, 2 Branded Invoked Eldlich)
10 Adamancipator (7 Adamancipator, 2 P.U.N.K. Adamancipator, 1 Prank-Kids Adamancipator)
10 Sky Striker
9 Adventurer Virtual World
9 Drytron
7 Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc
6 Swordsoul (4 Tenyi Swordsoul, 1 Swordsoul, 1 Branded Tenyi Swordsoul)
5 Marincess
4 @Ignister
2 Altergeist
2 Branded Thunder Dragon
2 Evil★Twin
2 Magician
2 Phantom Knights (1 Adventurer Danger Phantom Knights, 1 Danger Phantom Knights)
2 Tri-Brigade (1 Branded Zoodiac Tri-Brigade, 1 Branded Crystal Beast Tri-Brigade)
2 Zefra
1 Adventurer Good Stuff
1 Adventurer Prank-Kids
1 Adventurer SPYRAL
1 Branded Invoked
1 Branded Lyrilusc Ancient Warriors Tri-Brigade
1 Branded Shaddoll
1 Branded Zombie
1 Code Talker
1 Dinosaur
1 Dragonmaid
1 Salamangreat

Branded Despia

Kinonon (きののん) finished 2nd in “6th Sanuki CS” which had 52 participants.

Despian Comedy has become a standard additional to the Branded Despia build. Despian Comedy ① effect can be used against the opponent’s Effect Veiler or Infinite Impermanence to protect Aluber the Jester of Despia from being negated.

Despian Comedy ② effect can also protect Lubellion the Searing Dragon. When activating Lubellion the Searing Dragon ① effect, Despian Comedy can be discard as the cost. Then if the opponent targets Lubellion the Searing Dragon with Effect Veiler or Infinite Impermanence, Despian Comedy ② effect can be activated in a chain by tributing Lubellion the Searing Dragon as cost. Resolving the chain, Effect Veiler or Infinite Impermanence would lose their target as Lubellion the Searing Dragon is no longer on the field, Lubellion the Searing Dragon will resolve successfully and could still use itself as Fusion Material while in the graveyard.

Super Polymerization has also become a popular tech for the Branded Despia mirror match, with some builds even running them directly in the Main Deck.

Adventurer Tenyi

Dotsu (どつ) went 7-2 and finished 2nd in “11th RAM Cup” which had 80 participants.

He is using a build popularised by Sakuma (さくま), discernible by the 2 Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing in the Main Deck. Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing can be used with 2 “Mecha Phantom Beast Token” to Synchro Summon Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing. When Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing is destroyed by the effect of Baronne de Fleur, Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing can then Special Summon itself. It can then be used with Tenyi Spirit – Vishuda Special Summoned by the effect of Tenyi Spirit – Ashuna to Synchro Summon Swordsoul Grandmaster – Chixiao, whose effect is used to fetch Swordsoul Emergence, and in turn fetch Archnemeses Protos.

As Chiwen, Light of the Yang Zing is used for the Synchro Summon, another Yang Zing monster has to be summoned to enable Nine Pillars of Yang Zing. This can be fulfilled by having Yazi, Evil of the Yang Zing ③ effect Special Summon Swordsoul of Taia from deck. Swordsoul of Taia would banish Swordsoul Emergence to Special Summon 1 “Swordsoul Token”, while Swordsoul Emergence effect would increase Swordsoul of Taia to Level 5. Swordsoul of Taia and “Swordsoul Token” can then be used to Synchro Summon Chaofeng, Phantom of the Yang Zing.

Since no Yang Zing monsters were used for the Synchro Summon of Chaofeng, Phantom of the Yang Zing, its ① effect will not stop the opponent from activating monster effects. However, when Chaofeng, Phantom of the Yang Zing is later destroyed by Nine Pillars of Yang Zing, its ② effect would be able to fetch Ash Blossom & joyous Spring or Effect Veiler from the deck as an additional disruption.

Barricadeborg Blocker and a 2nd copy of Mecha Phantom Beast Auroradon were played in the Extra Deck so that the deck could still make another push if the initial copy Mecha Phantom Beast Auroradon was disrupted. However, Dotsu noted that he didn’t have the need to play the 2nd copy throughout the whole tournament.

Floowandereeze

Nekroz of Hanazawa Kana (花澤香菜の影霊衣) went 8-0 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 1st in “No-Face CS” which had 51 participants.

Floowandereeze builds have been running 1 D.D. Crow in the Main Deck. It can be fetched by Floowandereeze & Robina and it is useful against a variety of decks in the current metagame. Against Branded Despia it can be chained to Branded in Red to banish the target and stop the Fusion Summon. Against Adventurer Tenyi it can be used on the Tenyi monsters the moment they are sent to the graveyard, before the opponent has priority to activate their graveyard Ignition Effects. Against Eldlich and Sky Striker, it can banish Eldlich the Golden Lord and Sky Striker Ace – Raye to stop their recursion.

Conclusion

Branded Despia, Adventurer Tenyi and Floowandereeze takes the lead at the start of the year.

In addition to Effect Veiler and Infinite Impermanence, graveyard disruption ‘hand traps’ such as D.D. Crow and Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion are also gaining popularity. The bulk of threats and resources comes from Branded in Red during the opponent’s turn, so stopping it is an effective counterplay against Branded Despia.

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