OCG 2025.01 Metagame Report #7, #8

by Akira · 28 February 2025

Welcome to Week #7, #8 of the OCG 2025.01 format.

This report tabulates 252 top-performing decks from 48 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland, Indonesia and South Korea during 15 – 24 February 2025.

Metagame Breakdown

70 Ryzeal (69 Ryzeal, 1 Madolche Ryzeal)
63 Maliss (55 Maliss, 7 Grass Maliss, 1 Grass Horus Maliss)
26 Primite Blue-Eyes
20 White Forest (12 Azamina White Forest, 5 Fiendsmith Azamina White Forest, 2 Kashtira Azamina White Forest, 1 Fiendsmith Toy Azamina White Forest)
12 Orcust (10 Orcust, 2 Fiendsmith Orcust)
7 Memento
7 Ryu-Ge (6 Ryu-Ge. 1 Regenesis Ryu-Ge)
5 Regenesis (4 Dogmatika Regenesis, 1 White Forest Regenesis)
4 Crystron
3 Branded (2 Branded, 1 Grass Branded)
3 Snake-Eye (1 Fiendsmith Azamina Snake-Eye, 1 Fiendsmith White Forest Snake-Eye, 1 Kashtira Fiendsmith Azamina Snake-Eye)
3 Tenpai Dragon
2 Atlantean
2 Centur-Ion (1 Centur-Ion, 1 Magistus Centur-Ion)
2 Fiendsmith Evil★Twin
2 Fiendsmith Goblin Biker
2 Gem-Knight (1 Gem-Knight, 1 Fiendsmith Gem-Knight)
2 Gimmick Puppet
2 Sky Striker
1 Centur-Ion Dragon Link
1 Dragonmaid
1 Eldlich
1 Fiendsmith Azamina Chimera
1 Fiendsmith Azamina Snake-Eye Fire King
1 Fiendsmith Evil Eye
1 Fiendsmith Plunder Patroll
1 Fiendsmith Unchained
1 Grass Tearlaments Shaddoll Branded
1 Horus Bystial Thunder Dragon
1 Ice Barrier
1 Labrynth
1 Regenesis Voiceless Voice
1 Runick
1 Runick Azamina

Ryzeal

As Metaltronus and Ultimate Slayer are the current popular tech choice against Ryzeal, some players are running Solemn Judgment in the Side Deck as a counter tech to negate Spell/Trap cards.

Dragon’s Mind is another Counter Trap with the effect to negate a Spell/Trap Card or Monster Effect. Dragon’s Mind has an activation condition of requiring you to control a monster with 2500 original ATK or DEF, which could be satisfied with Ryzeal Detonator (DEF 2500) or Ryzeal Duo Drive (ATK 2500). Dragon’s Mind ② effect could set itself to the Spell/Trap Zone from the graveyard, but banish it when it leaves the field, and this effect could be used during the opponent’s turn.

Dragon’s Mind provides a very strong tempo play. During the opponent’s turn, Dragon’s Mind could negate a Spell/Trap Card or Monster Effect to disrupt their play, then during the opponent’s End Phase, set itself from the graveyard. Now during your turn, Dragon’s Mind could negate a Spell/Trap Card or Monster Effect, ensuring your play goes undisrupted.

However, you can only use each effect of Dragon’s Mind once per turn, so drawing multiple copies of Dragon’s Mind is not ideal, and thus is mostly played as 1 or 2 copies in the Side Deck.

Raito (ライト) went 6-2 and finished 1st in “9th Taiyo CS Trio” which had 38 teams (114 participants).

Maliss

Some players are running the full 3 copies of Maliss March Hare in their Maliss build. Maliss March Hare ② effect is a Quick Effect and can be activated during the opponent’s turn. Maliss March Hare ② effect could be used to banish Maliss White Rabbit, Maliss Dormouse or Maliss Chessy Cat from hand to Special Summon itself, then that Maliss monster would be able use their ③ effect to Special Summon itself from banishment. This essentially puts 2 bodies on the field during the opponent’s turn, which could then be used to Link Summon Cyberse Wicckid during your turn.

Cyberse Wicckid ① effect makes itself unable to be destroyed by battle or card effects if it is Link Summoned, and its ② effect makes Cyberse monsters this card points to cannot be destroyed by card effects. This is an effective counterplay to Ryzeal Detonator since Cyberse Wicckid and the Cyberse monsters that it points to cannot be destroyed by card effects. Now you could go for I:P Masquerena to give the Link Monster you Link Summoned with it be unable to be destroyed by opponent’s card effects, or go for Accesscode Talker to take out the opponent’s Ryzeal Detonator.

However, the above play is a quite tricky to execute. Maliss March Hare ② effect has to be activated before the opponent Xyz Summon Ryzeal Detonator or Xyz Summon Ryzeal Duo Drive while Ryzeal Cross is on the field. Since you had pre-emptively Special Summoned 2 Maliss monsters on the field, they could search for Ryzeal Plasma Hole with Ryzeal Duo Drive ③ effect and use it to destroy both of your Maliss monsters during your Draw Phase, preventing you from Link Summoning Cyberse Wicckid.

As such, you would also need some way to stop the opponent’s Ryzeal Duo Drive ③ effect, such as Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, or Droll & Lock Bird that is activated earlier when the opponent added a card to hand. Unfortunately, Special Summoning 2 Maliss monsters on the field would meant that Infinite Impermanence can no longer be activated from hand to negate Ryzeal Duo Drive.

Ine (イーネ) went 6-0 and finished 2nd in “Yu-Gi-Oh! Area Championship 2024 Saitama”.

Blue-Eyes

Blue-Eyes could also run Dragon’s Mind as Blue-Eyes White Dragon (DEF 2500) or Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon (ATK 2500) could satisfy the activation condition.

Piyohiko (ピヨ彦) finished 1st in “9th Taiyo CS Trio” which had 38 teams (114 participants).

Conclusion

The current OCG 2025.01 is a two-deck format centered around Ryzeal and Maliss. Primite Blue-Eyes trails behind in the third spot, but its performance in making the top cut is a far stretch from the top two decks.

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