OCG 2025.01 Metagame Report #2

by · 15 January 2025

Welcome to Week #2 of the OCG 2025.01 format.

This report tabulates 146 top-performing decks from 31 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland, Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam during 11 – 14 January 2025.

Metagame Breakdown

  • 32 Primite Blue-Eyes
  • 30 Maliss (26 Maliss, 2 Grass Maliss, 1 Bystial Maliss, 1 Grass Horus Bystial Maliss)
  • 21 Orcust (10 Orcust, 9 Fiendsmith Orcust, 1 Azamina Fiendsmith Orcust, 1 P.U.N.K. Orcust)
  • 12 Ryzeal
  • 9 Gem-Knight (7 Fiendsmith Gem-Knight, 2 Gem-Knight)
  • 6 Memento
  • 5 Fiendsmith Azamina White Forest
  • 5 Fiendsmith White Forest Azamina Snake-Eye
  • 4 Atlantean
  • 4 Crystron
  • 4 Tenpai Dragon
  • 3 Labrynth
  • 2 Horus Gimmick Puppet
  • 2 Rikka (1 Ragnaraika Sunavalon Rikka, 1 Primite Ragnaraika Sunavalon Rikka)
  • 1 Bystial Dragonmaid
  • 1 Fiendsmith Azamina Chimera
  • 1 Fiendsmith Yubel
  • 1 Supreme King Z-ARC Magician
  • 1 Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc
  • 1 Vernusylph Adamancipator Magnet Warrior
  • 1 Voiceless Voice

Blue-Eyes

With the rise of Orcust in the metagame, 3 Bystial monsters were played in the Main Deck to banish Orcust monster from the graveyard and disrupt their setup. The Bystial monsters are also decent in the Blue-Eyes mirror match to banish Maiden of White.

The Side Deck is further teched against Maliss and Orcust. 3 Chaos Hunter and 3 Artifact Lancea to prevent the opponent from banishing cards, effectively shutting down Maliss and Orcust gameplan, and are complemented with 3 Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay and 3 Mulcharmy Fuwalos to help to draw into them.

Haru (はる) went 8-1 and finished 1st in “4th Joukamachi CS” which had 100 participants.

Maliss

To improve the Orcust matchup, 3 Infinite Impermanence were cut for 3 Bystial Saronir in the Main Deck. The Bystial monsters play a duo role in Maliss, being able to disrupt Orcust and Blue-Eyes in the current format, as well as functioning as extenders by banishing your own Maliss monsters from the graveyard which in turns allow them to be Special Summoned from banishment.

Knightmare Cerberus in the Extra Deck provides a removal against the opponent’s Chaos Hunter.

Arc has written a tournament report (第4回城下町csレポ) that covers his deck and card choices and reviews of his matches in the tournament.

Arc (アルク) went 8-1 and finished 2nd in “4th Joukamachi CS” which had 100 participants.

Orcust

A recent optimization to the Fiendsmith package in Orcust is cutting out Fabled Lurrie and Fiendsmith’s Tract. The main purpose of Fiendsmith in the Orcust build is to provide additional bodies that could be used for Link Summon. Using Fiendsmith’s Lacrima ① effect to add Fiendsmith Engraver from graveyard to hand to fetch Fiendsmith’s Tract and then add and discard Fabled Lurrie, provides the same as Special Summoning Fiendsmith Engraver from the graveyard. Since the deck does not run Fiendsmith’s Desirae, having additional LIGHT Fiend in the graveyard does nothing. Fabled Lurrie is also terrible to draw into since the deck always want to use the Normal Summon on an Orcust monster to Link Summon Galatea-i, the Orcust Automaton.

Orcustrated Return has also been shaved from the deck. Orcustrated Return is a good option to fetch with Galatea, the Orcust Automaton ② effect if you already have Orcustrated Babel and Orcust Crescendo, but the draw potential in this build is rather low as there is only Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Maxx “C”, Droll & Lock Bird that you could draw into and be used as disruptions, but more often than not it would end up drawing more Orcust monsters.

An Azamina package was played in place of Orcustrated Return and Fiendsmith’s Tract. Diabellstar the Black Witch and Deception of the Sinful Spoils provides a similar function of sending Orcust monsters from hand to graveyard. Bringing out an early Azamina Ilia Silvia protects your Orcust combo, and is also a decent play when hit by the opponent’s Artifact Lancea.

Zekkei (ぜっけい) went 8-0 and finished 1st in “46th RAM Cup” which had 78 participants.

Conclusion

Blue-Eyes, Maliss and Orcust remains as the top decks to beat in the OCG 2025.01 format.

The metagame is now fully teched against Maliss and Orcust, running Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay, Chaos Hunter and Artifact Lancea in the Side Deck. Some players are also cutting Effect Veiler and Infinite Impermanence from the Main Deck as they have low impact on Maliss and Orcust, choosing to run Bystial monsters instead.

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References

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9 Responses

  1. Joe says:
    16 January 2025 at 7:03 am

    I think instead of P.U.N.K Orcust you meant P.U.N.K Fiendsmith

    Reply
  2. Don says:
    16 January 2025 at 8:55 am

    Do we have a Decklist for the Gem Knights?

    Reply
  3. Chocobo says:
    16 January 2025 at 5:53 pm

    アルクis runner-up，Not the first place

    Reply
  4. Onemorestep says:
    16 January 2025 at 6:40 pm

    I would like to be such a good player one day to be able to play in the world league, but I think I give up too quickly. I mean, usually before I discover a game, there are already a million players with much higher skills, which makes it hard for me to find the motivation to slowly climb to the top. I don’t want to win, but to participate in such a tournament, to be able to compete with the best. I play various card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, hs, harry potter, now I’m at the legends of elysium stage. I like strategic games and I’m not afraid of logical thinking.

    Reply
  5. Paul Turner says:
    16 January 2025 at 9:06 pm

    Any decklist for this monstrosity?
    Vernusylph Adamancipator Magnet Warrior

    Reply
  6. Tran Vu says:
    17 January 2025 at 9:12 am

    with Galatea-i enabling orcust the ability to link climb, i have to question whether the engine would be strong in TCG, or is it really just Ocust Appolousa doing all the hard work

    Reply

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