OCG 2023.04 Metagame Report #1

Welcome to Week #1 of the OCG 2023.04 format.

This report will tabulate 124 top-performing decks from 26 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland, Taiwan and South Korea during 1 – 5 April 2023.

• The Dinosaur Expo 2023 Promotion Pack: Absolute King – Megaplunder

• 18 Purrely
• 11 Kashtira
• 11 Superheavy Samurai (10 Superheavy Samurai, 1 Superheavy Samurai FTK)
• 10 Vanquish Soul
• 8 Adamancipator (6 Grass Superheavy Samurai Ishizu Vernusylph Adamancipator, 2 Superheavy Samurai Adamancipator)
• 8 Labrynth (6 Labrynth, 1 Ishizu Labrynth, 1 Ishizu Tearlaments Labrynth)
• 7 Branded (6 Branded, 1 Grass Branded)
• 7 Exosister
• 6 Tearlaments (3 Ishizu Kashtira Tearlaments, 3 Ishizu Tearlaments)
• 4 Mathmech (3 Code Talker Mathmech, 1 Mathmech)
• 4 Sky Striker (2 Sky Striker, 1 Invoked Sky Striker, 1 Spellbook Sky Striker)
• 3 Floowandereeze
• 3 Runick
• 2 Bystial (1 Adventurer Bystial, 1 P.U.N.K. Bystial)
• 2 Dragon Link (1 Bystial Dragon Link, 1 Grass Bystial Dragon Link)
• 2 Magician
• 2 Mannadium (1 Bystial Scareclaw Mannadium, 1 Scareclaw Mannadium)
• 2 Scareclaw
• 2 Vaylantz
• 1 Blackwing
• 1 Bystial Thunder Dragon
• 1 Cyber Dragon
• 1 Dinosaur
• 1 Eldlich
• 1 Grass Ishizu Tearlaments Shaddoll Branded
• 1 HERO
• 1 Kashtira Generaider
• 1 Meta Beat
• 1 P.U.N.K. Phantom Knights
• 1 Superheavy Samurai Infernity
• 1 Tenyi Swordsoul

Alive (アライブ) went 6-1 and finished 1st in “20th Zekken CS in Kawasaki 3v3 Team Tournament” which had 25 teams (75 participants). His teammate Imura (イムラ) ran the exact same build and went 6-0-1.

The Purrely deck build they were using is developed by the 2019 World Champion Kosaka Kouki, and is teched for the Purrely mirror match. 3 Santa Claws and 3 Triple Tactics Thrust for Triple Tactics Talent or Herald of the Abyss in the Main Deck are removal for the opponent’s Expurrely Noir.

Santa Claws is played over Kaiju monsters as Santa Claws is Special Summoned to the opponent’s field in Defense Position. This allows any Xyz Monster to attack into Santa Claws and could then be used to Xyz Summon Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder in Main Phase 2.

Many Purrely build are also running 2 – 3 Stray Purrely Street in the Main Deck. Besides protecting your Purrely monsters from targeting effects such as Infinite Impermanence, more importantly Stray Purrely Street attaches a Purrely Quick-Play Spell from deck or graveyard to an Purrely Xyz Monster during the End Phase, making it possible to set up an Expurrely Noir with 7 Xyz Material. Having 7 Xyz Material allows Expurrely Noir to activate its effect once by detaching 2 Xyz Material as cost while still being unaffected by the opponent’s activated effects.

Lee Sang-Bin (리상빈) went 7-1 and finished 3rd in “1923CS 3v3 Team Tournament” which had 36 teams (108 participants).

With Purrely and Kashtira as the top contenders in the OCG 2023.04 format, many decks are now packing Kaiju monsters, Santa Claws and Kurikara Divincarnate as removal against Expurrely Noir and Kashtira Arise-Heart. Kashtira in turn could run Appointer of the Red Lotus in the Side Deck to pick off those Kaiju monsters, Santa Claws or Kurikara Divincarnate from the opponent’s hand.

Insajoong (인사중) went 6-1-1 and finished 1st in “1923CS 3v3 Team Tournament” which had 36 teams (108 participants).

All 7 Superheavy Samurai decks that topped in this tournament opted for the same build of having Naturia Exterio and Artifact Scythe as their setup alongside Borreload Savage Dragon and Baronne de Fleur. Gear Gigant X effect is used to fetch Cyber-Stein which would then be able to Special Summon Naturia Exterio from the Extra Deck. Artifact Dagda is used to set Artifact Scythe from deck to Spell/Trap Zone, then Superheavy Samurai Ninja Sarutobi effect would be able to destroy Artifact Scythe during the opponent’s turn to trigger Artifact Scythe effect and stop the opponent from Special Summoning from their Extra Deck.

Retaliating “C” in the Side Deck can be used against Purrely. When the opponent activates a Purrely Quick-Play Spell, Retaliating “C” effect could be activated in a Chain. Resolving the Chain, Retaliating “C” would be Special Summoned and its Continuous Effect would cause all cards sent to the graveyard to be banished instead. If the opponent choose to Special Summon a Purrely monster from deck, then the discarded card would be banished, so Shaddoll Beast, Broww, Huntsman of Dark World or Rainbow Bridge of Salvation would not be able to activate their effects. However, Purrely could still be used to Xyz Summon Epurrely Plump whose effect would then be able to banish Retaliating “C” until the End Phase.

Ralph (ラルフ) went 6-2 and finished 2nd in “1st Machi CS” which had 43 participants.

Vanquish Soul is a new theme from Deck Build Pack: Wild Survivors and features a standard midrange playstyle.

One of the standard 1-card opener is to activate Stake Your Soul! reveal a FIRE Attribute monster to Special Summon Vanquish Soul Razen from deck, then its effect would add Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love from deck to hand. Vanquish Soul Razen would be used to Link Summon Rock of the Vanquisher, whose effect is then used to retrieve Vanquish Soul Razen from the graveyard. Normal Summon Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love to add Vanquish Soul Dust Devil from deck to hand. During the opponent’s turn, Rock of the Vanquisher effect would Special Summon Vanquish Soul Razen into the same column as the opponent’s monster. On summon, Vanquish Soul Razen effect could add Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger from deck to hand.

From 1 card this setup 3 disruptions, Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love effect could return a monster with the lowest DEF to hand, Vanquish Soul Razen effect could destroy the other monsters in the same column, Vanquish Soul Dust Devil could flip opponent’s monsters face-down. Finally Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger could be Special Summoned from hand by returning Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love to hand, then Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger effect could then reveal Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love to draw 1 card.

By gaining +1 from Vanquish Soul Razen, Vanquish Soul Dr. Mad Love, Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger, Rock of the Vanquisher, and making the opponent -1 with Vanquish Soul – Kaiser Varius, Vanquish Soul Razen, Vanquish Soul Pantera, Vanquish Soul would slowly pull apart in card advantage and out-grind the opponent.

Vanquish Soul monster effects require revealing the respective EARTH, FIRE, DARK Attribute monster from hand to activate, and can be fulfilled with ‘hand traps’ or Kaiju monsters. Maxx “C” is EARTH, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring is FIRE, while Dimension Shifter, Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries and D.D. Crow are DARK Attribute. Kumongous, the Sticky String Kaiju, Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju, Radian, the Multidimensional Kaiju and Kurikara Divincarnate are also EARTH, FIRE, DARK Attribute monster.

The OCG 2023.04 Limit Regulation was announced just 1 week before April 2023, thus OCG 2023.04 Week #1 is the very first week that everyone gets to experience the new format.

The current format is somewhere between midrange and combo, with Purrely, Kashtira and Vanquish Soul as the top midrange decks, while Superheavy Samurai and Adamancipator as the top combo decks. Japan is more midrange centric with Purrely, Kashtira and Vanquish Soul among the top contenders, while China Mainland, Taiwan and South Korea have a good mix of midrange and combo with Purrely, Kashtira, Superheavy Samurai and Adamancipator among the top contenders.

The 2019 World Champion Kosaka Kouki was seen playing Purrely [deck list], went 4-0-1 and finished 5 – 8th in “20th Wayo CS (3v3 Team Tournament)” which had 21 teams (63 participants).

The 2018 World Champion Wang Chia Ching was seen playing Grass Superheavy Samurai Ishizu Vernusylph Adamancipator [deck list], and finished 3 – 4th in “Boards Journey Cup” which had 128 participants.

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• 2023-04-05 | Huiliu Wulala Card Store Tournament
• 2023-04-05 | Xiaolan Cards Store Tournament
• 2023-04-04 | Dragon of Galaxy Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-04 | Dating With Cat Board Game Tournament
• 2023-04-02 | 20th Zekken CS in Kawasaki 3v3 Team Tournament (1st: A, B, C | 2nd: A, B, C | 3rd: A, B, C)
• 2023-04-02 | Akisha Cup with TOYGER Vol.8
• 2023-04-02 | 183rd Taiyo CS (2v2 Team Tournament)
• 2023-04-02 | Feiniao Jishi Weekly Tournament
• 2023-04-02 | 1923CS 3v3 Team Tournament
• 2023-04-01 | 1st Machi CS
• 2023-04-01 | 23rd Kinta CS (Individual Tournament)
• 2023-04-01 | 4th WonderLiz ChampionShip
• 2023-04-01 | HERO Shima Cup
• 2023-04-01 | 20th Wayo CS (3v3 Team Tournament) (1st: A, B, C | 2nd: A, B, C)
• 2023-04-01 | 182nd Taiyo CS
• 2023-04-01 | 14th Shin-Ishikawa CS
• 2023-04-01 | Boards Journey Cup (1st | 2nd | 3 – 4th: A, B | 5 – 8th: A, B, C, D)
• 2023-04-01 | Cosmos TCG Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-01 | Inspiration Code Card 7th Wuhan University of Technology Cup
• 2023-04-01 | TopDeck Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-01 | Hunan University of Science and Technology Tournament
• 2023-04-01 | Star Trails Destiny Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-01 | Evening Star Cards Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-01 | DDD Different Dimension Cards Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-01 | Hanfeng Kapai × Wuzhang Chaowan 1st Foshan League
• 2023-04-01 | Draw CS