OCG 2023.01 Metagame Report #4, #5

Welcome to Week #4, #5 of the OCG 2023.01 format.

This report will tabulate 155 top-performing decks from 38 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland, South Korea and Vietnam during 21 – 29 January 2023.

Update: Revised with additional data from “Battle City Vietnam 2023 XGOD”.

New Product Release

  • V Jump March 2023 promotional card: Superheavy Samurai Constable

Metagame Breakdown

  • 44 Tearlaments (36 Ishizu Tearlaments, 5 Ishizu Kashtira Tearlaments, 2 Shaddoll Ishizu Tearlaments, 1 P.U.N.K. Ishizu Tearlaments)
  • 13 Purrely
  • 13 Tri-Brigade (11 Spright Tri-Brigade, 2 Scareclaw Tri-Brigade)
  • 11 Bystial (4 Spright Bystial, 3 P.U.N.K. Bystial, 2 Adventurer Bystial, 2 Superheavy Samurai Bystial)
  • 8 Kashtira
  • 6 Labrynth (4 Ishizu Labrynth, 2 Labrynth)
  • 5 Spright Gishki
  • 5 Superheavy Samurai (4 Superheavy Samurai, 1 ABC Superheavy Samurai)
  • 4 Branded (2 Branded, 2 Grass Branded)
  • 4 Bystial Dragon Link
  • 4 Runick
  • 3 Exosister
  • 3 Grass Superheavy Samurai Ishizu Vernusylph Adamancipator
  • 3 Traptrix
  • 2 Code Talker Mathmech
  • 2 Danger Dark World
  • 2 Dracoslayer
  • 2 Eldlich (1 Eldlich, 1 Grass Adventurer Ishizu Eldlich)
  • 2 Floowandereeze
  • 2 Generaider
  • 2 Spright Evil★Twin
  • 2 Synchron (1 Adventurer Synchron, 1 Superheavy Samurai Adventurer Synchron)
  • 1 Barrier Statue
  • 1 Branded Invoked Shaddoll
  • 1 Bystial Blackwing
  • 1 Dinomorphia
  • 1 Grass Ishizu Tearlaments Shaddoll Branded
  • 1 HERO
  • 1 Kashtira Scareclaw
  • 1 Marincess
  • 1 Mikanko Phantom Knights
  • 1 Sky Striker
  • 1 Spright Scareclaw Mannadium
  • 1 Tellarknight
  • 1 Tenyi Swordsoul

Tearlaments

Raito (ライト) went 7-1 and finished 1st in “12th Tulio CS @ Nabe” which had 32 participants, went 6-1 and finished 1st in “5th Tulio CS @ Nabe 2v2 Team Tournament” which had 15 teams (30 participants), and went 6-1 and finished 2nd in “123rd Next Play CS” which had 29 participants.

Bystial becomes a top contender deck and the amount of Bystial monsters being played has greatly increased in the metagame, resulting in Triple Tactics Talent and Triple Tactics Thrust making a return to the Main Deck and Side Deck.

Purrely is also another top contender, and Xyz Encore in the Side Deck is excellent for removing Purrely Xyz Monsters. Xyz Encore is a Quick-Play Spell and can be activate right off in your Draw Phase, effectively preventing the opponent from drawing off Purrely Sleepy Memory. Xyz Encore could also be used on Expurrely Noir with 5 or more Xyz Materials. Xyz Encore‘s “detach all Xyz Materials from it” is not treated as an effect that affects monsters, allowing it to detach Expurrely Noir‘s Xyz Materials. in turn causing Expurrely Noir “unaffected by your opponent’s activated effects while it has 5 or more materials” effect to stop applying. Since Expurrely Noir no longer has the effect that makes it unaffected by your opponent’s activated effects, it would be returned to the Extra Deck, and monsters among the detached Xyz Materials would be Special Summoned from the graveyard to the opponent’s field. The relevant ruling is If “Xyz Encore” was activated by targeting a “Number 86: Heroic Champion – Rhongomyniad” with 3 or more Xyz Materials and has its “● 3 or more: Unaffected by other card effects.” applied, how will it resolve?.

Purrely

Shirax (しらっくす) went 8-1 and finished 1st in “RAM Festival” which had 100 participants, and went 5-0-1 and finished 1st in “5th Tulio CS @ Nabe 2v2 Team Tournament” which had 15 teams (30 participants).

Purrely has started optimizing their Extra Deck, reducing the Purrely Xyz Monsters to make space for more utility monsters. Protector of The Agents – Moon and Sky Striker Ace – Azalea provide useful removal effects against the opponent’s Spell/Trap. Protector of The Agents – Moon tributes itself for the cost of activating its effect, allowing it to be used for destroying the opponent’s Skill Drain.

Lyrilusc – Recital Starling effect is used to add D.D. Crow from deck to hand. Besides being able to stop Tearlaments monster graveyard effect, D.D. Crow could also be used in the Purrely mirror match, by chaining to the opponent’s Purrelyly effect to banish the targeted Purrely Quick-Play Spell and stop the Xyz Summon.

Tri-Brigade

Inco (インコ) went 6-0-1 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 1st in “169th Taiyo CS” which had 34 participants.

There is an increase of Combo decks in the metagame with the rise of Spright Bystial, P.U.N.K. Bystial, Superheavy Samurai, and various other decks that uses the Superheavy Samurai package, making Dark Ruler No More a reasonable inclusion in the Main Deck.

Anti-Spell Fragrance in the Side Deck could be used against Superheavy Samurai, stopping Superheavy Samurai Prodigy Wakaushi from being activated as a Pendulum Spell. Anti-Spell Fragrance is also useful for preventing the opponent from activating Dark Ruler No More.

Bystial

shinra went 6-1-1 and finished 1st in “20th YCCS in Chiba” which had 47 participants.

The Bystial monsters in the Main Deck are Level 6 or Level 8, and they would need a Level 2 Tuner to Synchro Summon Level 8 or Level 10 Synchro Monsters. Since the deck is running a number of Level 2 Tuner monsters, Spright becomes a good package to run for their Level 2 synergy.

A combo with Spright is to Normal Summon Ringowurm the Hundred Apple Dragon and then Special Summon Spright Blue, which would fetch Spright Jet. Ringowurm the Hundred Apple Dragon and Spright Blue would be used to Synchro Summon Cupid Pitch, which would increase its Level by 2 to Level 6. Ringowurm the Hundred Apple Dragon graveyard effect could then be activated to Special Summon 1 “Hundred Apple Token”. Cupid Pitch and “Hundred Apple Token” would be used to Synchro Summon Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon. Cupid Pitch effect would add Caligo Claw Crow from deck to hand, then Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon effect would excavate the top 5 cards of the deck. Since the DARK Attribute Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon is on field, Caligo Claw Crow could be Special Summoned, and together they would be used to Link Summon Spright Sprind. Spright Sprind effect would send Shinobi Necro from deck to graveyard. Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon would Special Summon itself from the graveyard by banishing Cupid Pitch and Shinobi Necro from the graveyard. Shinobi Necro effect would Special Summon itself from banished, then together with Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon, they could be used to Synchro Summon Bystial Dis Pater.

Even when opening with no Bystial monsters, using just a Spright monster and a Level 2 Tuner monster provided a way to go into Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon to dig for them. Gigantic Spright and Spright Starter are only used towards the end of the combo to finish with Spright Elf and I:P Masquerena.

Ready Fusion could Special Summon Allvain the Essence of Vanity a Level 2 Tuner Fusion Monster if you opened with a hand of Bystial monsters or Spright monsters, or Special Summon Soul Hunter a Level 6 non-Tuner Fusion Monster if you opened with hand of Level 2 Tuner monsters. The Fusion Monster Special Summoned by Ready Fusion is also a non-Effect Monster, allowing Ringowurm the Hundred Apple Dragon to be Special Summoned from hand.

Conclusion

Tearlaments takes the lead, with Purrely, Tri-Brigade and Bystial trailing behind.

Droll & Lock Bird and Dark Ruler No More are being played in the Main Deck or Side Deck, against increasing Combo decks in the metagame.

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References

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12 Responses

  1. “Synchro Summon Spright Sprind” XD

  2. kevin2wart says:

    Purrely, my wife

  3. Flavian says:

    Tears always clears.

  4. Bbo says:

    What is the card between Spright Smasher and Prosperity?

  5. rafael pereira oliveira rios says:

    does anyone have the dracoslayer list?

  6. Gae says:

    Is there any guide for Purrely?

  7. Bubi Bubitzky says:

    Not a single manadome top yet, surprising but I guess the deck just sucks. Might see play with tear if they limit kelbek mudora and kashtear. Honestly ban scream, it does too much for the deck as well.

  8. YuseiSimp says:

    Hold on Junk Doppel?? in 2023?

  9. TooT says:

    Anyone got the Kashtira decks?

  10. Thatguy says:

    where DF is the barrier statue decklist???

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