OCG 2025.04 Metagame Report #5

by · 11 May 2025

Welcome to Week #5 of the OCG 2025.04 format.

This report tabulates 301 top-performing decks from 60 tournaments that were held in Japan, China Mainland, Taiwan and South Korea during 1 – 6 May 2025.

New Product Release

  • Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG Structures Volume 10 promotional card: Saiba the Fighting Swordsmith

Metagame Breakdown

  • 66 Vanquish Soul (53 K9 Vanquish Soul, 13 Vanquish Soul)
  • 63 Yummy (57 Yummy, 5 Primite Yummy, 1 Fiendsmith Yummy)
  • 40 Dracotail (14 Magistus Dracotail, 9 Dracotail, 7 Primite Dracotail, 5 K9 Dracotail, 2 Fiendsmith K9 Dracotail, 2 Branded Dracotail, 1 Vaylantz Dracotail)
  • 30 Maliss (29 Maliss, 1 Grass Maliss)
  • 20 K9 Crystron
  • 14 Sky Striker
  • 11 White Forest (8 White Forest, 2 Fiendsmith White Forest, 1 Toy White Forest)
  • 10 Lunalight
  • 6 Ryzeal (5 Onomat Ryzeal, 1 Regenesis Ryzeal)
  • 5 Artmegia
  • 5 K9
  • 3 Branded (1 Branded, 1 Grass Branded, 1 Grass Dracotail Branded)
  • 3 Primite Blue-Eyes
  • 3 Tenpai Dragon
  • 2 Fiendsmith Evil★Twin
  • 2 Fiendsmith Gem-Knight
  • 2 Onomat Utopic
  • 2 Purrely (1 Purrely, 1 Yummy Purrely)
  • 1 Ancient Gear
  • 1 Atlantean
  • 1 Fiendsmith Centur-Ion
  • 1 Grass Millennium Superheavy Samurai K9 Adamancipator
  • 1 Horus Gimmick Puppet
  • 1 Labrynth
  • 1 Magistus Exosister
  • 1 Maliss @Ignister
  • 1 Melodious K9
  • 1 Memento
  • 1 Morganite
  • 1 Red Dragon Archfiend
  • 1 Ryu-Ge
  • 1 Shark

Vanquish Soul

Of the 66 Vanquish Soul decks that topped this week, 53 are running the full K9 package, 12 are running just the ‘hand trap’ K9 package, and only 1 is not running any K9. The full package K9 is the predominant Vanquish Soul build.

Veidos the Eruption Dragon of Extinction is Tasuku’s personal tech choice. Veidos the Eruption Dragon of Extinction ① effect is a Quick Effect that Special Summons itself from hand to opponent’s field, and then destroy the targeted Field Spell. This could hit several of the top decks such as Vanquish Soul, Yummy and Maliss that plays Field Spell as part of their gameplan.

Veidos the Eruption Dragon of Extinction ② effect triggers when is sent from the opponent’s field to your graveyard, allowing you to destroy all monsters on the field. Vanquish Soul Razen ② effect or Vanquish Soul Caesar Valius ② effect could be used to destroy Veidos the Eruption Dragon of Extinction to trigger its board wipe effect.

However, since most Vanquish Soul are on the K9 build, it is likely that they would have K9 – #17 “Ripper” setup first before playing their Field Spell.

On Sunday, Tasuku (たすく) went 8-0 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 1 – 2nd in “Teiryu Cup (3v3 Team Tournament)” which had 88 teams (264 participants). On Tuesday, he went 5-1 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 1st in “26th Oguibento CS 3v3 Team Tournament in Kanto” which had 19 teams (57 participants).

Yummy

The new Primite Fusion and Primite Dragon Nether Berzelius from Duelist Advance has made Primite Dragon Ether Beryl or Primite Lordly Lode a starter for Yummy.

A combo opening with Primite Lordly Lode and a Card is as follow:

  1. Activate Primite Lordly Lode ① effect, add Primite Dragon Ether Beryl from deck to hand.
  2. Normal Summon Primite Dragon Ether Beryl.
  3. Primite Dragon Ether Beryl ① effect, Set Primite Fusion from deck to Spell & Trap Zone.
  4. Primite Dragon Ether Beryl ② effect, tribute itself as cost, send Bunilla from deck to graveyard.
  5. Activate Primite Fusion ① effect, Primite Dragon Ether Beryl (in graveyard) + Bunilla (in graveyard) → Primite Dragon Nether Berzelius (in Extra Monster Zone).
  6. Primite Dragon Nether Berzelius → Gravity Controller.
  7. Primite Dragon Nether Berzelius ③ effect, Special Summon Bunilla from deck.
  8. Gravity Controller + Bunilla → Cupsie★Yummy Way.
  9. Cupsie★Yummy Way ① effect, add Cupsie☆Yummy and Cooky☆Yummy from deck to hand, discard 1 Card.
  10. Special Summon Cupsie☆Yummy from hand.
  11. Cupsie☆Yummy ① effect, add Yummy☆Surprise from deck to hand.
  12. Cupsie★Yummy Way + Cupsie☆Yummy → Martial Metal Marcher.
  13. Martial Metal Marcher ① effect, Special Summon Cupsie★Yummy Way from graveyard.
  14. Special Summon Cooky☆Yummy from hand.
  15. Martial Metal Marcher + Cooky☆Yummy → Herald of the Arc Light.
  16. Cupsie★Yummy Way → Yummy★Snatchy.
  17. Yummy★Snatchy ① effect, place Yummysment☆Minion from deck to Field Zone.
  18. Yummysment☆Minion ② effect, Special Summon Cupsie☆Yummy from graveyard.
  19. Yummy★Snatchy + Cupsie☆Yummy → Lollipo★Yummy Way.
  20. Lollipo★Yummy Way ① effect, Special Summon Cupsie☆Yummy and Cooky☆Yummy from graveyard.
  21. Activate Yummy☆Surprise, Special Summon Cupsie★Yummy Way from graveyard.
  22. Cupsie☆Yummy + Cooky☆Yummy → Ukanomitsune-no-Onari.
  23. Ukanomitsune-no-Onari ① effect, Set Yummy☆Surprise from graveyard to Spell & Trap Zone.
  24. Primite Fusion ② effect, banish itself from graveyard as cost, add Primite Imperial Dragon from deck to hand.
  25. Primite Lordly Lode ③ effect, declare and Special Summon Bunilla from deck.

If you already have a Yummy Effect Monster in hand, then Primite Dragon Ether Beryl could be used to Link Summon Striker Dragon instead, and that would allow Yummy Effect Monsters to be Special Summoned from hand. In this case, you could search for Primite Drillbeam instead of Primite Fusion.

One of Yummy’s advantage in the current metagame is that they do not have Monster Effect that activates in hand or graveyard. But Primite Dragon Nether Berzelius ③ effect activates in the graveyard, which would play into the opponent’s K9 – 17 Izuna.

Su Luanluo (苏鸾洛) went 5-2 and finished 3 – 4th in “Xingyun Card Shop Tournament” which had 38 participants.

Dracotail

Grape has written a great article on Note (ドラゴンテイルの考え方) that explain his thought process of how to play against the top decks of the current format, namely Dracotail, Yummy, Maliss and K9 Vanquish Soul.

Against K9 Vanquish Soul, he relied on using Nibiru, the Primal Being to wipe the opponent’s board. However, before that he would have to bait out the opponent’s K9 – 17 “Ripper” ② effect to ensure that Nibiru, the Primal Being effect would resolve successfully.

Dracotail Fymena and K9 – 17 Izuna are ways to force out the opponent’s K9 – 17 “Ripper” ② effect. If the opponent allows Dracotail Fymena ① effect to resolve, then Dragon Tail Altharion could be Fusion Summoned and its ① effect could return the opponent’s K9 – 17 “Ripper” to hand. If the opponent allows K9 – 17 Izuna ② effect to resolve, then it could Special Summon itself and its ③ effect could send K9 – ØØ Lupus from deck to graveyard. K9 – ØØ Lupus ① effect could Special Summon itself from the graveyard, then its ② effect could use K9 – 17 Izuna and itself and to Xyz Summon Vallon, the Psychic Skyblaster, whose ① effect could change the opponent’s K9 – 17 “Ripper” to face-down Defense Position.

To improve the odds of opening Nibiru, the Primal Being with Dracotail Fymena or K9 – 17 Izuna, he would be adding Mulcharmy Purulia to the Side Deck. Besides the K9 Vanquish Soul matchup, Mulcharmy Purulia could also be played against Yummy and Maliss.

Grape (ぐれーぷ) went 7-0 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 1st in “RAM Cup 3v3 Team Tournament” which had 35 teams (105 participants).

Maliss

Droll & Lock Bird is currently one of the more popular tech card against Vanquish Soul. K9 and Vanquish Soul relies on adding cards from deck to hand to extend their plays, and to gather the appropriate Attribute monsters in hand to reveal for Vanquish Soul effects.

Deck Lockdown in the Side Deck fulfills a similar function as Droll & Lock Bird of stopping both players from adding cards from deck to hand, but also with an additional benefit of stopping monsters from being Special Summoned from the Main Deck. This would stop Stake your Soul! and Vanquish Soul Holy Sue ② effect. Besides Vanquish Soul, Deck Lockdown could also be used against Yummy as it stops Obedience Schooled, Cupsie☆Yummy ② effect and Cupsie★Yummy Way ① effect.

Arc (アルク) went 4-2 (excluding 1 bye) and finished 1st in “26th Oguibento CS 3v3 Team Tournament in Kanto” which had 19 teams (57 participants).

Conclusion

Duelist Advance impact on the metagame became more pronounced over the Golden Week holiday in Japan and May Day holiday in China.

Vanquish Soul rose to the top and is now the top deck to beat. The prevalence of K9 in the metagame resulted in the decline of Dracotail.

Cards that halve your Life Points as activation cost or effect such as Solemn Judgment, Piri Reis Map might be a liability. Vanquish Soul could quickly deal 4000 damage by using Vanquish Soul Heavy Borger ② effect to inflict 1500 damage on the current turn and another 1500 damage on the next turn, before finishing off with Vanquish Soul Snow Devil for 400 + 600 damage. This is another reason why some players may opt for Solemn Warning in the Side Deck instead.

This weekend will be the first time that Duelist Advance could be played in the World Championship Qualifiers.

  • 2025-05-10 | China Mainland WCQ 2025 Chengdu
  • 2025-05-10 | China Mainland WCQ 2025 Beijing
  • 2025-05-11 | Asia WCQ 2025 Hong Kong
  • 2025-05-11 | Asia WCQ 2025 Taiwan Southern Qualifier

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References

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