OCG 2025.01 Metagame Report #3

by · 24 January 2025

Welcome to Week #3 of the OCG 2025.01 format.

This report tabulates 110 top-performing decks from 24 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland, South Korea and Vietnam during 18 – 22 January 2025.

Metagame Breakdown

  • 19 Blue-Eyes (18 Primite Blue-Eyes, 1 Buster Blader Primite Blue-Eyes)
  • 19 Orcust (13 Orcust, 5 Fiendsmith Orcust, 1 Azamina Fiendsmith Orcust)
  • 13 Maliss (10 Maliss, 1 Grass Maliss, 1 Grass Horus Bystial Maliss, 1 Grass Orcust Maliss)
  • 11 Ryzeal
  • 9 Memento
  • 6 White Forest (4 Fiendsmith Azamina White Forest, 1 Azamina White Forest, 1 Horus Fiendsmith Azamina White Forest)
  • 5 Chimera (4 Fiendsmith Azamina Chimera, 1 Azamina Chimera)
  • 5 Gem-Knight (4 Fiendsmith Gem-Knight, 1 Gem-Knight)
  • 4 Dragonmaid (2 Dragonmaid, 1 Bystial Dragonmaid, 1 Tenpai Dragon Dragonmaid)
  • 3 Atlantean
  • 3 Crystron
  • 2 Branded (1 Branded, 1 Grass Branded)
  • 2 Melodious
  • 2 Snake-Eye (1 Fiendsmith Azamina Snake-Eye, 1 Fiendsmith White Forest Azamina Snake-Eye)
  • 1 Centur-Ion
  • 1 Fiendsmith P.U.N.K.
  • 1 Melodious Supreme King
  • 1 Supreme King Z-ARC Magician
  • 1 Sky Striker
  • 1 Tenpai Dragon
  • 1 Voiceless Voice

Blue-Eyes

Typhoon is a tech card that some players are running in the Side Deck against Orcust and Blue-Eyes.

During the End Phase after Orcust has setup a face-up Orcustrated Babel and a set Orcust Crescendo, that would enable Typhoon to be activated from hand to destroy Orcustrated Babel. Taking out Orcustrated Babel effectively disables multiple disruptions from Orcust during your turn, Galatea-i, the Orcust Automaton would not be able to setup World Legacy – “World Crown”, Orcust Cymbal Skeleton would not be able to revive Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening, and Enlilgirsu, the Orcust Mekk-Knight would not be able to use its effect.

Blue-Eyes would typically have a face-up Mausoleum of White, True Light and/or Primite Lordly Lode, enabling Typhoon to be activated from hand to destroy True Light.

Itaku (いたく) went 6-0 and finished 1st in “Yu-Gi-Oh! Area Championship 2024 Gunma”.

Orcust

Xiaofeng wrote a tournament report (龙道年赛热身赛 46人 冠) and re-evaluated his deck build.

He ran only 1 Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay and 1 Bystial Baldrake in the Main Deck because he want to avoid drawing too many high level monsters in his hand. But throughout the tournament Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay is one of the card that he always want to see in his hand, so he is thinking of increasing it to 2 in the Main Deck.

If you are running only 1 Bystial Monster in the Main Deck, then Bystial Baldrake is the best choice in the current metagame against Orcust. Bystial Baldrake could potentially be 2 disruption by itself against Orcust. If the opponent gives you a “World Legacy Token” with Girsu, the Orcust Mekk-Knight ② effect, or gives you a monster with Summon Sorceress ① effect, then that monster could be tributed as cost to activate Bystial Baldrake ② effect. Similarly he is looking to increase the Bystial monsters and would be adding Bystial Magnamhut to the Main Deck.

Xiaofeng @ Frieren (小风@芙莉莲) went 7-0-1 and finished 1st in “Maoming Yu-Gi-Oh! Annual Tournament 2025 Warm-Up” which had 46 participants.

Maliss

Solemn Strike has become a popular Side Deck option in the Side Deck when going first. The current top decks have limited extenders, making it possible for Solemn Strike to end the turn when hitting a key card.

Against Orcust, when the opponent Normal Summons Girsu, the Orcust Mekk-Knight and activate its ① effect, Solemn Strike could be used to negate and destroy it. The opponent would need to have another method to send Orcust Harp Horror to the graveyard such as Foolish Burial or Orcustrated Return to have a follow-up play.

Against Maliss, when the opponent Link Summons Maliss <Q> Red Ransom, Solemn Strike could be used to negate and destroy it. As the Link Summon of Maliss <Q> Red Ransom was negated, it is treated to be not properly Special Summoned. Hence if Maliss <Q> Red Ransom were to be banished later, its ③ effect cannot be activated to Special Summon itself.

If you already have another ‘hand trap’ that could turn skip the opponent such as Artifact Lancea against Orcust or Maliss, then Solemn Strike could be conserved for your own turn to negate the opponent’s Artifact Lancea.

Shiori (しおり) went 7-0 and finished 1st in “14th Koi CS 3v3 Team Tournament” which had 17 teams (51 participants).

Ryzeal

The OCG 2025.01 Limit Regulation dealt a significant blow to Ryzeal, limiting Ext Ryzeal and semi-limiting Seventh Tachyon. Ext Ryzeal in particular is a twofold hit that reduces the consistency and recovery of Ryzeal.

The hit to consistency is obvious, Ext Ryzeal to 1 and Seventh Tachyon to 2 meant that there are less starters. Some players chose to run a Shark package (consisting of Surfacing Big Jaws and Drake Shark) or a Spirit package (consisting of Aratama and Sakitama) as additional ways to go into Ryzeal Duo Drive to fetch for Ryzeal monster. Small World is another another option to convert your ‘hand traps’ into Ryzeal monster, but also has the benefit of converting into specific ‘hand traps’ such as Artifact Lancea if you already have a starter.

Mulcharmy Fuwalos → Nibiru, the Primal Being (DEF 600) → Ice Ryzeal (LIGHT Attribute) or Ext Ryzeal (LIGHT Attribute) or Artifact Lancea (LIGHT Attribute) or Effect Veiler (LIGHT Attribute)

Nibiru, the Primal Being → Mulcharmy Fuwalos (DEF 600) → Ice Ryzeal (Level 4) or Ext Ryzeal (Level 4) or Sword Ryzeal (Level 4) or Node Ryzeal (Level 4)

Effect Veiler → Nibiru, the Primal Being (LIGHT Attribute) → Ice Ryzeal (LIGHT Attribute) or Ext Ryzeal (LIGHT Attribute) or Artifact Lancea (LIGHT Attribute)

Effect Veiler → Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring (ATK 0) → Sword Ryzeal (FIRE Attribute) or Node Ryzeal (FIRE Attribute)

Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring → Effect Veiler (ATK 0) → Ice Ryzeal (Level 4) or Ext Ryzeal (LIGHT Attribute) or Artifact Lancea (LIGHT Attribute)

The hit to recovery is less obvious, but is a significant reason why Ryzeal fell off in the OCG 2025.01 format. The standard Ryzeal flow is as such:

Ice Ryzeal → Sword Ryzeal → Ext Ryzeal → Node Ryzeal

The standard opening play remains unaffected as Ryzeal could still perform the above flow with only 1 Ext Ryzeal. However, if Ryzeal Duo Drive is disrupted by Effect Veiler or Infinite Impermanence, then without Ryzeal Cross to shuffle back Ext Ryzeal and Node Ryzeal, Ryzeal has a significantly weaker follow-up on the next turn.

Ice Ryzeal → Sword Ryzeal → Ice Ryzeal

The flow is now broken and Ryzeal would only be able to make a Rank 4 Xyz Monster with only Ice Ryzeal and Sword Ryzeal. Having access to Ryzeal Cross is such a crucial play that some builds are running 2 copies in the Main Deck.

Ryzeal was able to sneak up this week because players started cutting Effect Veiler and Infinite Impermanence to improve their matchup against Orcust and Ryzeal, but that in turn allowed Ryzeal Duo Drive to resolve successfully and access Ryzeal Cross. Being able to fetch Artifact Lancea with Seventh Tachyon and Small World also allows Ryzeal to pick off Orcust and Maliss in the metagame.

Gami-kun (がみくん) went 5-0-2 and finished 1st in “14th Koi CS 3v3 Team Tournament” which had 17 teams (51 participants).

Conclusion

Blue-Eyes, Orcust and Maliss held on as the top decks of the format, while Ryzeal moved up this week.

Cutting both Effect Veiler and Infinite Impermanence from the Main Deck gave Ryzeal an opportunity to make a resurgence. The threat of Ryzeal on the edge creates an interesting equilibrium. Players will return to running Infinite Impermanence in the Main Deck against Ryzeal, but that would also weaken their matchup against Orcust and Maliss.

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References

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