OCG 2023.04 Metagame Report #4

Welcome to Week #4 of the OCG 2023.04 format.

This report will tabulate 111 top-performing decks from 22 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland and Taiwan during 22 – 23 April 2023.

• V Jump June 2023 promotional card: Mystic Potato
• Duelist Nexus

• 15 Purrely (13 Purrely, 1 Dark World Purrely, 1 Shaddoll Purrely)
• 14 Mathmech (12 Mathmech, 2 Code Talker Mathmech)
• 9 Branded (8 Branded, 1 Grass Branded)
• 8 Tearlaments (3 Ishizu Tearlaments, 2 Ishizu Kashtira Tearlaments, 1 Adventurer Ishizu Tearlaments, 1 P.U.N.K. Ishizu Tearlaments, 1 Shaddoll Ishizu Tearlaments)
• 7 Runick
• 6 Labrynth (4 Labrynth, 2 Ishizu Labrynth)
• 6 Vanquish Soul
• 5 Kashtira
• 4 Unchained (2 Evil★Twin Unchained, 1 Unchained, 1 Labrynth Unchained)
• 3 Exosister
• 3 Grass Superheavy Samurai Ishizu Vernusylph Adamancipator
• 3 Superheavy Samurai (2 Superheavy Samurai, 1 Bystial Superheavy Samurai)
• 2 Adventurer Synchron
• 2 Altergeist
• 2 Bystial Dragon Link
• 2 Salamangreat (1 Salamangreat, 1 Mathmech Salamangreat)
• 2 Scareclaw Mannadium
• 1 Blackwing
• 1 Dinosaur
• 1 Floowandereeze
• 1 Generaider
• 1 Grass Branded Shaddoll
• 1 Grass Superheavy Samurai Bystial Ishizu Lightsworn P.U.N.K. Necroface
• 1 Magician
• 1 Mathmech @Ignister
• 1 Mikanko
• 1 Mikanko Danger P.U.N.K. Phantom Knights
• 1 Rescue-ACE
• 1 Sunavalon Rikka
• 1 Sky Striker
• 1 SPYRAL
• 1 Superheavy Samurai Orcust
• 1 Superheavy Samurai Raidrapter
• 1 Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc
• 1 True Draco

RJay went 9-1 (including 2 byes) and finished 1st in “2nd Boards Journey Cup” which had 133 participants.

Epurrely Noir is a new addition from Duelist Nexus, and its effect could fetch a Purrely Trap Card from deck. Epurrely Noir effect sets the Purrely Trap from deck to field, so it could be activated even while under the effect of Droll & Lock Bird.

The Purrely build that RJay played is based on Benson Lu’s (3 – 4th in CCT Xiamen 2023, 2nd in CCT Beijing 2023) deck build which went 7-0 and finished 1st in “NcM Cup” on the day before. RJay swapped out 1 Evenly Matched for 1 Crossout Designator in the Side Deck, but he felt it was unnecessary after the tournament.

Benson mentioned on his tweet (@Benson_Lu_DS) that Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit is being played as a measure against Combo decks. It could also be used in the Purrely mirror match, but mainly against opponent who are not expecting Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit in the Main Deck and did not keep Purrely Happy Memory in hand to play around it.

Ueki (うえき) went 7-1 and finished 1st in “4th Taiyo CS Trio (3v3 Team Tournament)” which had 36 teams (108 participants). Both of his teammates were also running Mathmech, and 7 out of 12 decks among the Top 4 teams of this tournament were Mathmech.

Mathmech standard 1-card combo starts with Mathmech Circular, and ends with Mathmech Superfactorial and Firewall Dragon Darkfluid – Neo Tempest Terahertz. During your turn, Firewall Dragon Darkfluid – Neo Tempest Terahertz would send Cyberse Desavewurm from the Extra Deck to the graveyard, then during the opponent’s it could send Mereologic Aggregator from the Extra Deck to the graveyard. Activating Mathmech Superfactorial would Special Summon Mathmech monsters from the graveyard to Xyz Summon Primathmech Laplacian. This 1-card combo finishes with 1 Spell/Trap card or effect activation negation from Cyberse Desavewurm graveyard effect, 1 face-up effect negation from Mereologic Aggregator graveyard effect, send 1 Monster, 1 Spell/Trap and 1 card from hand to graveyard from Primathmech Laplacian effect, and 1 effect negation from Primathmech Laplacian via Mathmech Diameter effect. This 1-card combo could trade with 5 – 6 of the opponent’s cards.

Since Mathmech only requires 1 card to make their plays, any additional monsters in hand could be used with Small World to convert into a ‘hand trap’ for disruption or a Kaiju monster for removal.

Cyberse monster → Dotscaper (Cyberse Type) → Maxx “C” (EARTH Attribute) or Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring (ATK 0) or Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit (ATK 0)

Cyberse monster → Parallel eXceed (Cyberse Type) → Droll & Lock Bird (WIND Attribute) or Dogoran, the Mad Flame Kaiju (Level 8)

Level 4 monster → Aratama (Level 4) → Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring (DEF 1800) or Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit (DEF 1800)

Conversely, if you opened with too many ‘hand traps’ in hand, Small World could be used to convert the ‘hand traps’ into Mathmech Circular by using the same connections as above.

Ryoichi (りょーいち) went 7-1 and finished 2nd in “2nd Shikoku Yamaji Kaze Cup” which had 40 participants.

In this tournament, he played against 4 Purrely opponent’s and won all 4 matches while going second. Ryoichi mentioned in his tweet (@JOKER21976839) that he mainly relies on ‘hand traps’ to stop the opponent from setting up Expurrely Noir. As long as the opponent’s Expurrely Noir is unable to stand, Branded has the better removal ability, higher ATK, better resource management, and could win from the Life Points burn of Masquerade the Blazing Dragon. Incidentally, he did not draw a single Xyz Encore for the whole tournament.

Aoi (アオイ) finished 2nd in “24th Matsumoto CS 2nd Anniversary Box Tournament” which had 33 participants.

As many of the Tearlaments and Ishizu monsters are now limited under the OCG 2023.04 Limit Regulation, Tearlaments has to rely on using Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon as an additional method to send cards from deck to the graveyard. Glow-Up Bulb or Jet Synchron + Kashtira Fenrir or Tearlaments Kashtira, can be used to Synchro Summon Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon.

The release of Revolution Synchron in Duelist Nexus also provides an additional way to bring out Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon. Revolution Synchron in hand and a Level 4 monster on field could be used to Synchro Summon Ancient Fairy Dragon. Then Revolution Synchron graveyard effect could Special Summon itself from the graveyard and become to Level 1, allowing it to be used with Ancient Fairy Dragon to Synchro Summon Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon.

Ancient Fairy Dragon effect could be used to destroy Pressured Planet Wraitsoth, and then add Primeval Planet Perlereino from deck to hand. Secret Village of the Spellcasters is also an option to search out and could setup a lock with El Shaddoll Winda.

Yoshi (ヨシ) went 5-1-1 and finished 2nd in “Akisha Cup with TOYGER Vol.9 (3v3 Team Tournament)” which had 17 teams (51 participants). His teammates ran a similar build of running 3 Tyrant’s Tirade in the Main Deck.

While Tyrant’s Tirade is face-up on the field, effects of Effect Monsters in the hand or on the field cannot be activated. Skill Drain has become limited, but Tyrant’s Tirade provides an additional way to floodgate monster effects akin to Mystic Mine.

Tyrant’s Tirade has an activation condition of requiring 2 monsters tribute. Sleipnir the Runick Mane, the new Runick card from Duelist Nexus, could Special Summon 1 “Runick Token” whenever the opponent adds a card(s) from the Deck to the hand. These tokens could be used as tribute for the activation of Tyrant’s Tirade.

Sleipnir the Runick Mane also has an effect that banishes a face-up opponent’s monster and itself until the End Phase. This is decent removal effect that also helps Runick to free up the Extra Monster Zone to allow for another Runick Fusion Monster to be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck.

Purrely remains in the front, but Mathmech has made a great stride to the top, swiftly closing up their gap.

Duelist Nexus has a moderate impact on the metagame, mainly by giving several themes a couple of new support cards. Besides Purrely and Runick which already are doing decently well before the new support, rogue decks Unchained, Altergeist and Rescue-ACE have been boosted by the new support and managed to put out some minor results in the competitive scene.

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• 2023-04-23 | 2nd Shikoku Yamaji Kaze Cup
• 2023-04-23 | 4th Taiyo CS Trio (3v3 Team Tournament)
• 2023-04-23 | Akisha Cup with TOYGER Vol.9 (3v3 Team Tournament) (1st: A, B, C | 2nd: A, B, C)
• 2023-04-23 | 24th Matsumoto CS 2nd Anniversary 2v2 Team Tournament
• 2023-04-23 | 20th Lotus Cup Box Tournament
• 2023-04-23 | 8th Nonami CS
• 2023-04-23 | 3rd KCS (1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th)
• 2023-04-23 | 2nd Boards Journey Cup
• 2023-04-23 | Wondrous Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-23 | Xinghang Cards Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Tsukuyo CS 2v2 Team Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | 24th Kinta CS (3v3 Team Tournament)
• 2023-04-22 | 131st Next Play Cup
• 2023-04-22 | Inspiration Code Cards Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Yoyo Cards Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | TopDeck Duelist Nexus Release Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Hecheng Yangguang Cards Duelist Nexus Release Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Pegasus Card Shop Duelist Nexus Release Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Wowo Cards Store Opening Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Huoshi Cards Store Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Liuwuzhimen Cards Ranking Tournament
• 2023-04-22 | Iceland × DDD Store Opening Tournament