OCG 2022.10 Metagame (1 Oct – 31 Dec 2022)

Photon Hypernova brought along several new supports for Kashtira, propelling it to the top of the competitive scene. However, Tearlaments also received serveral new supports giving them a stranglehold over the metagame.

Compiled from a total of 542 top-placing decks from 115 competitive tournaments held in Japan, China Mainland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam, here is the final metagame breakdown of the OCG 2022.10 format.

• 299 Tearlaments (118 Kashtira Tearlaments, 91 Ishizu Kashtira Tearlaments, 70 Ishizu Tearlaments, 6 High Spirits Ishizu Tearlaments, 5 Ra Ishizu Tearlaments, 2 Grass Branded Bystial Tearlaments, 2 High Spirits Tearlaments, 1 Branded Bystial Tearlaments, 1 Branded Ishizu Tearlaments, 1 Branded Kashtira Tearlaments, 1 Grass Ishizu Kashtira Tearlaments, 1 Nemeses Ishizu Tearlaments)
• 69 Kashtira (64 Kashtira, 2 Dinomorphia Kashtira, 1 Dinosaur Kashtira, 1 Invoked Kashtira, 1 P.U.N.K. Kashtira)
• 24 Runick (23 Runick, 1 Invoked Runick)
• 14 Labrynth
• 10 Dragon Link (9 Bystial Dragon Link, 1 Grass Bystial Dragon Link)
• 9 Floowandereeze
• 8 Swordsoul (5 Tenyi Swordsoul, 1 Swordsoul, 1 Bystial Swordsoul, 1 Dinomorphia Swordsoul)
• 6 Bystial (4 Branded Bystial, 1 Dragonmaid Thunder Dragon Bystial, 1 P.U.N.K. Bystial)
• 6 Grass Tearlaments Thunder Dragon P.U.N.K. Bystial
• 6 Spright Gishki
• 6 Tri-Brigade (5 Spright Tri-Brigade, 1 Tri-Brigade)
• 6 SPYRAL (3 SPYRAL, 2 Kashtira SPYRAL, 1 Libromancer SPYRAL)
• 5 Adamancipator (2 Grass Adamancipator, 1 Adamancipator, 1 Vernusylph Adamancipator, 1 Grass Vernusylph Adamancipator)
• 5 Eldlich (3 Eldlich, 2 Branded Bystial Eldlich)
• 5 Magician
• 5 Shaddoll (1 Grass Invoked Shaddoll, 1 Grass Branded Despia Tearlaments Shaddoll, 1 Grass Branded Despia Kashtira Tearlaments Shaddoll, 1 Grass Ishizu Kashtira Tearlaments Shaddoll, 1 Grass Kashtira Tearlaments Shaddoll)
• 4 Blackwing
• 4 Bystial Dragonmaid
• 4 Exosister (2 Exosister, 2 Ishizu Exosister)
• 2 Branded
• 3 HERO
• 3 Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc
• 3 Virtual World
• 2 Code Talker Mathmech
• 2 Dracoslayer
• 2 Kashtira Scareclaw
• 2 Mikanko (1 Mikanko, 1 Bystial Mikanko)
• 2 Phantom Knights (1 Grass Ishizu Tearlaments Phantom Knights, 1 Tearlaments Phantom Knights)
• 2 P.U.N.K. Junk Doppel
• 2 Rikka (1 Kashtira Rikka, 1 Therion Sunavalon Rikka)
• 1 Altergeist
• 1 Branded Cyber Dragon
• 1 Bystial Luna
• 1 Bystial Thunder Dragon
• 1 Danger Dark World
• 1 Evil★Twin
• 1 Gravekeeper
• 1 Kashtira Bystial Buster Blader
• 1 Kashtira Mekk-Knight
• 1 Lightsworn
• 1 Mathmech @Ignister
• 1 Mathmech Salamangreat
• 1 Megalith
• 1 Mikanko Marincess
• 1 Plunder Patroll
• 1 Spellbook Dracoslayer Endymion Zefra
• 1 Spright
• 1 Spright Tri-Brigade Melffy
• 1 Subterror
• 1 Traptrix
• 1 Vaylantz
• 1 Zefra

Tearlaments Kashtira is a new card from Photon Hypernova that greatly boosted Tearlaments. Tearlaments Kashtira has both “Tearlaments” and “Kashtira” in its name, allowing it to be searched out by Kashtira Fenrir and the new Pressured Planet Wraitsoth Field Spell. Since Tearlaments Kashtira could send cards from only your own deck to the graveyard, most players have cut out Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard and Agido the Ancient Sentinel from the deck in anticipation of the Tearlaments mirror match.

Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries has become a popular tech in this format to banish the opponent Tearlaments Kitkallos. This is especially powerful when chained to a Tearlaments monster graveyard effect to Fusion Summon. Resolving the Chain, Tearlaments Kitkallos would be banished, forcing a Fusion Summon of Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart if they have the respective materials in hand, field and/or graveyard, or it would fizzle with no effect if there are no Fusion Monster in the Extra Deck that could be summoned with the available materials. This would often be a card disadvantage as the Fusion Materials would likely come from the hand. Having Mudragon of the Swamp in the Extra Deck allows it to be Fusion Summoned in such a circumstance to minimize the card disadvantage.

Some players were also running a 2nd Tearlaments Kaleido-Heart in the Extra Deck to prevent the lone copy from being sniped off by kashtira Unicorn or Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker.

OCG 2022.10 → OCG 2023.01 Limit Regulation changes:

• Tearlaments Kitkallos 3 → 0
• Tearlaments Reinoheart 3 → 1
• Tearlaments Scheiren 3 → 1
• Kashtira Fenrir 3 → 1
• Pressured Planet Wraitsoth 3 → 1
• Foolish Burial Goods 3 → 2

Another massive hit to Tearlaments, but Tearlaments proved to be resilient as they continued to flourish in the next OCG 2023.01 format.

The arrival of Kashtira Riseheart, Kashtira Arise-Heart, Kashtiratheosis and Kashtira Big Bang was a major boost that make Kashtira a top contender. Kashtira Unicorn effect woudl search for Kashtiratheosis and then activate to Special Summon Kashtira Fenrir. Kashtira Fenrir effect would then search for Kashtira Riseheart. Kashtira Fenrir and Kashtira Unicorn would be used to Xyz Summon Kashtira Shangri-Ira, before Special Summoning Kashtira Riseheart, whose effect would banish Kashtira Big Bang from deck, banish the top 3 cards of the opponent’s Deck face-down, and its Level becomes 7. Kashtira Big Bang effect would add Kashtira Fenrir attached to Kashtira Shangri-Ira as Xyz Material to hand and then Special Summon it. Kashtira Fenrir and Kashtira Riseheart are then used to Xyz Summon Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker, whose effect would snipe a monster from the opponent’s Extra Deck. Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder is a popular pick to prevent your board from being wiped. Finally Kashtira Shangri-Ira would be used to Xyz Summon Kashtira Arise-Heart.

Kashtira Arise-Heart has a Continuous Effect that makes any cards sent to the graveyard becomes banished instead, and a Quick Effect that could banish 1 card on the field face-down. If the opponent does not have an answer to Kashtira Arise-Heart, it could simply win the game by itself. Book of Eclipse becomes a popular tech against Kashtira. Being a Quick-Play Spell, Book of Eclipse could be activated during the Draw Phase, before Kashtira Shangri-Ira effect could Special Summon a Kashtira monster from deck. It could also be chained to Appointer of the Red Lotus, another popular tech ran by Kashtira to pick off cards that could break their boards such as Kaiju monsters or Evenly Matched.

OCG 2022.10 → OCG 2023.01 Limit Regulation changes:

• Kashtira Fenrir 3 → 1
• Kashtira Unicorn 3 → 2
• Pressured Planet Wraitsoth 3 → 1

A massive hit to Kashtira, though Kashtira would still remain competitive in the next OCG 2023.01 format. However, with only 1 Kashtira Fenrir and 2 Kashtira Unicorn, Kashtira no longer have the resources to play the grind game and would have to win fast with their opening setup.

Tearlaments dominates another format, and is performing even better despite having Kashtira in the format. Kashtira struggles going second, whereas Tearlaments could potentially make plays during the opponent’s turn with Tearlaments Havnis and Tearlaments Kashtira.

OCG 2022.10 → OCG 2023.01 Limit Regulation changes:

• Bystial Magnamhut 3 → 1

With Kashtira weakened, and a hit to Bystial Magnamhut, Tearlaments would continue to do well in the OCG 2023.01 format.