OCG 2022.04 Metagame Report #0

Welcome to Week #0 of the OCG 2022.04 format.

This report will tabulate 78 top-performing decks from 15 tournaments that were held in Japan during 19 – 30 March 2022, played under the new OCG 2022.04 Limit Regulation.

 

• The Valuable Book EX 2 promotional cards
  • Chronicle Sorceress
  • Stardust Wurm
• Deck Build Pack: Tactical Masters

 

• 13 Branded Despia (8 Adventurer Branded Despia, 1 Destiny HERO Branded Despia, 1 Destiny HERO Adventurer Branded Despia, 1 Destiny HERO Predaplant Branded Despia, 1 Dinomorphia Branded Despia, 1 Invoked Branded Despia)
• 12 Floowandereeze
• 7 Rose Dragon Adventurer Tenyi
• 7 Drytron
• 4 P.U.N.K. Therion
• 4 Tenyi Swordsoul
• 4 @Ignister
• 3 Adamancipator (2 P.U.N.K. Adamancipator, 1 Grass P.U.N.K. Adamancipator)
• 3 Adventurer Virtual World
• 3 Therion ABC
• 3 Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc
• 2 Runick (1 Runick, 1 Invoked Runick)
• 2 Salamangreat
• 2 Sky Striker
• 2 SPYRAL (1 SPYRAL, 1 Adventurer SPYRAL)
• 1 Branded Eldlich
• 1 Code Talker
• 1 Destiny HERO Branded Tri-Brigade
• 1 Grass Invoked Shaddoll
• 1 Marincess
• 1 P.U.N.K. Phantom Knights
• 1 Zefra

 

Giamoke (ギアモケ) went 8-0 and finished 1st in “13th RAM Cup” which had 78 participants.

With Fusion Destiny back to 1, some players had experimented with the Destiny HERO package in Branded Despia, but without Predaplant Verte Anaconda, the bricks outweigh the power of Destiny HERO – Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer.

Despite both Water Enchantress of the Temple and Rite of Aramesir became limited, Adventurer package remains as the dominant build for Branded Despia. The semi-limitation of Branded Opening saw an increase of Aluber the Jester of Despia from 2 to 3 copies.

 

Shirax (しらっくす) went 6-0 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 2nd in “7th Asaka★Goyusai (5v5 Team Tournament)” which had 25 teams (125 participants).

He ran 2 Retaliating “C” in the Side Deck, against Branded Despia, Drytron and Runick.

Against Branded Despia, Retaliating “C” can be Special Summoned from hand when the opponent activates Branded Fusion and Branded Opening. Fusion Materials will be banished due to Retaliating “C” ② effect, and with no Despia monsters or Fallen of Albaz in graveyard to target, Branded in Red cannot be activated. Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon ② effect also cannot be activated since the activation cost of sending 1 Fusion Monster that lists Fallen of Albaz as material from your Extra Deck to the graveyard cannot be fulfilled.

Against Drytron, Retaliating “C” can be Special Summoned from hand when the opponent activates Drytron Nova, Meteonis Drytron or Dawn of the Herald. Drytron monsters, Herald of the Arc Light and Eva relies on the graveyard to get their effects, and Drytron would be quite impacted by Retaliating “C” ② effect.

Against Runick, Retaliating “C” can be Special Summoned from hand when the opponent activates a Runick Quick-Play Spell while choosing the effect to Special Summon 1 “Runick” monster from your Extra Deck to the Extra Monster Zone. Retaliating “C” ② effect will cause Spell cards to be banished instead of going to the graveyard after resolving, suppressing Spring of the Runick effect to recycle and draw cards.

 

Kumaken (くまけん) went 6-0-1 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 1st in “7th Asaka★Goyusai (5v5 Team Tournament)” which had 25 teams (125 participants).

As both Water Enchantress of the Temple and Rite of Aramesir became limited, he decided to cut back on 1 Wandering Gryphon Rider and 1 Illegal Knight, and instead went for a heavily Tenyi count. Destrudo the Lost Dragon’s Frisson was also added back into the Main Deck as an additional option for Foolish Burial to send from deck to graveyard.

 

Asagi (アサギ) went 7-1 and finished 1st in “77th Next Play Cup” which had 32 participants.

He ran 1 Herald of Green Light in the Side Deck, against Branded Despia and Runick. Herald of Green Light has the advantage of being able to be added to hand by the effect of Eva and Cyber Angel Benten, but it has the weakness of negating the activation.

Branded Fusion and Branded in Red are written as “can only be activated once per turn”, if their activation were negated by Herald of Green Light, then a second copy can be activated again in the same turn. Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring negates the effect but not the activation, hence if Branded Fusion has its effect negated, a second copy cannot be activated in the same turn. This is different from Branded Opening which is written as “can only be used once per turn”, no matter its activation or effect was negated, a second copy cannot be activated in the same turn.

As such, if you have both Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Herald of Green Light in hand, then it is better to hold Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and use it to negate the opponent’s Branded Fusion.

 

Despite another wave of limitations, Adventurer remains a popular choice in the current metagame. The initial OCG 2022.04 format remains largely similar, Branded Despia and Floowandereeze taking the top spot, while Adventurer Tenyi and Drytron trails behind.

Droll & Lock Bird is the tech choice for the new format, effective against Floowandereeze, Drytron and Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc, resulting in many decks running the full playset of 3 in the Side Deck.

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• 2022-03-30 | 77th Next Play Cup
• 2022-03-27 | 1st Tegami CS supported by Taiyo
• 2022-03-26 | 7th Asaka★Goyusai (5v5 Team Tournament)
• 2022-03-26 | 96th Taiyo CS
• 2022-03-23 | 76th Next Play Cup
• 2022-03-21 | No-Face CS Team Tournament
• 2022-03-21 | 14th Wayo CS (1st: A, B, C | 2nd: A, B, C)
• 2022-03-21 | 95th Taiyo CS
• 2022-03-21 | 16th Echigo YCS 3v3 Team Tournament
• 2022-03-20 | 13th RAM Cup
• 2022-03-20 | 3/20 Tsukuyo CS (1st: A, B, C | 2nd: A, B, C)
• 2022-03-20 | 94th Taiyo CS (2v2 Team Tournament)
• 2022-03-20 | Tochigi CS Final (2v2 Team Tournament) (1st: A, B | 2nd: A | B)
• 2022-03-20 | Asaka Cup (2v2 Team Tournament)
• 2022-03-20 | Mirin CS Individual Tournament