Rant on Meta + Αρχαίος Ιερός Φτερωτός Δίποδος Δράκος με Διχαλωτή Ουρά (Ancient Holy Winged Two-Legged Dragon with a forked tail) for the win!

In case people haven't realized it enough: I still hate this format. I think that the ability of Inzketors to go off at a moment's notice is incredibly baffling as it requires only a two card combo. Of which both cards are still at three and have numerous ways of being searched / dumped into the graveyard for recursion.

Of course, pushing this point invokes a typical reaction of : "You just side Shadow-Imprisoning / whatever-tech-card-is-popular-at-the-time against them". For me it doesn't change the fact that it is incredibly easy to be blown out of the game in only a few turns.

For those who have played old formats of Yugioh, I'm a continual supporter of Goat Control Format, as well as the Tele-DAD format. While I personally didn't play in these formats competitively, I began playing Old-Fomat Tournies and in general just "fun" games against my team/friends, and in the old format the best things are :

1. You don't randomly get blown out by +4/+5 unless they opened Morphing Jar/BLS/the nuts. (Which doesn't happen all that often, and there were many more outs to stuff back then.)

2. It was a lot more skill intensive than the format is now. Of course the format now still takes skill to play, but there are a lot more instances in which you simply can't do too much. Laggia Set Five is a ridiculous opening, as are some other specific openings in this format. (And TBH 2-3 of those set cards are PROBABLY bluffs, but if they aren't....YUGIOH?)

All in all, I have my complaints about the meta yet I'm still playing the game so I guess it hasn't gotten to the point where I'll just quit just yet. And admittedly, I do enjoy some of the new decks that have come out, and apart from a few hiccups, the format right now isn't terrible. (I still hate Inzektors. Despite the fact that I have the pieces for the deck, I think the whole thing is just... ridiculous.)

Anyway, onwards!

To locals...and (maybe) this time I can find a deck I can finally stick with? I've been having toruble finding a deck that I'm truly happy to play this format, I've bounced between Inzektors, Heroes, Wind-ups, Gladiator Beasts, Machina Gadgets...Nordics have been pretty fun thus far but I'm yearning a little to play Wind-Up again.

Maybe I should just test on DN despite how terrible the site is. And half the 'judges' barely know their way around basic rulings, and most of them don't even know what SEGOC (Simultaneous Effects Go on Chain) is, despite there being a (somewhat) well - written article on the Yugioh Wikia site...

Enough rambling. Onto locals.

Deck used: The Pedo Dragonborn (Nordic TGU)

Record: 4-1 (Top 8)

Round 1 : VS Dark World

SLAY THOSE GRAPHAS. FUS RO DAH!

Game 1: I open Tour Guide from the Underworld + Sangan, then XYZ summon into Number 17: Leviathan Dragon and detach Sangan before setting Call of the Haunted and Solemn Warning. He summons his own Sangan and ....

Crashes into my Leviathan Dragon. I shrug and let the play go through as he searches his own Little Girl from the Underworld! It is to no avail however, as I swiftly finish him with a Ancient Sacred Wyvern next turn, striking him for all of his life points in a single hit!

Game 2: He opens with his Dark World shenanigans, playing multiple Dark World Dealings and Dragged Down into the Grave, trying to kill the Nord army! D:

I quickly level out the field with a quick Black Rose Dragon nuking the field, and subsequently regain advantage through Little Girl From the Underworld, and her little posse of level 3 fiends that follow her.

[OO]

Round 2: VS Skill Drain Macro

Game 1: A Beast King Barbaros backed up by a Skill Drain and a Macro Cosmos as well as various other protective traps prove to be too much for my Dragonborn Dragonslaying Brigade, and my life points reach 0 within five minutes. 

No matter! SIDE IN ALL THE DUST TORNADOES!

Game 2: I begin reanimating my dead monsters with Call of the Haunted, as my opponent has not activated or resolved a Macro Cosmos. My swarm of Nordic monsters prove to be too much to handle without the power of Skill Drain taking away my skills!

Game 3: This is a long game in which neither player gets any advantage, and we almost go into time. Fortunately for me, I was able to end it right before Time was called because if Time was called : I'm pretty sure I would have lost because all my facedowns were the Solemn Brigade, which would have instantly killed me if I had tried to use them. Small pokes from Little Girls and Three Eyed Critters bring me the victory once again!

[OXO]

Round 3: VS Dark World (Different Player)

Game 1: He misplays really hard, swinging into my set monster and allowing me to set up my entire field for a Thor, Lord of the Aesir and a Ancient Sacred Wyvern, which end his pitiful life quite quickly.

Game 2: Nothing special here, I grind him for advantage until I am able to come out on top. Sorry folks. 

[OO]

Round 4: VS Chaos Dragons

MORE DRAGONS?! :V What is with all the beater-style decks...

>More information: This deck was almost an exact copy of the one which topped at YCS Toulouse, so I am able to pick up on his lack of Mystical Space Typhoon.

Game 1: I make a quick Thor, Lord of the Aesir and begin smashing him in the face, his Lightpulsar Dragon was not enough to protect him when I ended up adding a Broken Luck Sack - Envoy of the Broken to the mix.

Game 2: Another long game, I lose after I misplay into a Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress and am unable to regain momentum after my loss in card advantage. A loss I deserved, as I was about to take control of the game too. However, it didn't help that I wasn't drawing any of my Nordic Monsters when I needed them, which slowed down my game considerably. 

On one note, the power of Little GIrls allowed me to stay in the game far longer than I should have. A fatal lack of Wind-Up Zenmaines also contributed to my loss, as I had to make a sub-par play into Leviathan Dragon which was quickly ran over a turn later by a Red - Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon.

Game 3: Again, a long and grindy game where we each pass many turns, trying to gain a better foothold on the opponent. I decide to push after I am able to drop a Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts and proceed to topdeck a Little Girl of the Underworld, which turn into a Ancient Sacred Wyvern and a Number 20: Giga-Brilliant. After using Giga-Brilliant's effect to boost the power of my Wyvern by 300 points, I am able to attack over his Chaos Sorcerer for exactly game!

[OXO]

Top 8: VS Gladiator Beasts

Game 1: I get blown out of the game really quickly after I run a Reborn Tengu into a Snowman Eater like a nub. Scrub-a-dub-dub.

Game 2: I draw the ABSOLUTE BALLS hand, which is completely unplayable. I lose in a few turns.

[XX]

--------------------------------------

At the very least, my consolation was that 1st place (The Gladiator Beast player went on to win the whole thing.) pulled absolutely nothing of value, merely a Super Rare Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke and a Yellow Gadget. (N-No. I-I'm not salty about that a-at all! Hmph.)

Oh well, misplays lose games, and there are games where you'll just draw absolutely nothing. If I didn't want this occurrence to occur I simply wouldn't play this game. Again: I'm still playing...so I must be addicted to losing. Or something along those lines.

Or maybe...

I'm into anime girls and just don't know it yet. That would be truly frightening.

Sunday Locals 5/6/2012: YUGIOHHHHHH. (Not everyone can be a master.)

Hello again!
It's time to revive and begin to go to locals! But...first I require a deck.

>Found an Inzektor Hornet under my lamp. In addition to the two already in my binder...

Time to play Dragunit- I mean Inzektors.

Round 1: BYE/loss(?)


I arrived to the tournament venue late so I had to enter with a round one bye/loss.

[X]


Round 2: Insect Horde vs Elemental HERO


I roll a 1. He rolled a 6. FFF-


G1: He opens t-set and I proceed to MST the facedown (It was a Solemn Warning). I then equip Inzektor Hornet and Inzektor Giga-Mantis to my Inzektor Dragonfly and OTK him with my Inzektor shenanigans.

G2: He summons Stratos, I veiler. I open Inzektor Dragonfly, 2x Inzektor Sword - Zektkaliber, Solemn Warning, and 2x Effect Veiler. I set the Dragonfly and the Warning, and he swings into it with the Stratos. Next turn I Pot of Duality into a Inzektor Hornet and swiftly defeat his HEROes with my horde of insects, despite not being able to special summon due to the effect of Duality.


[OO]




Round 3: WAAAAAAAAGH vs Chaos Dragon

We roll a d20. I roll 19 to his 16.


G1: I stomp him incredibly quickly due to opening Solemn Brigade and Inzektor OTK combo.

G2: We get into a long game of back and forth because he D.D. Crows my only Hornet, so I am forced to grind out for advantage, eventually getting out a Leviathan Dragon to seal the deal.
[OO]


Round 4: Sackzektors vs Six Samurai


I win the die roll!


G1: Allow me to illustrate with a picture. This was my field in Turn 2.

I won.

G2: He starts off Gateway of the Six Samurai + a whole field of Samurais. I lose pretty quickly because my hand is absolutely terrible. 2x Inzektor Sword - Zektkaliber, 2x Call of the Haunted, 2x Solemn Warning. Would have at least been a little better if I had opened with the Warnings, and was able to negate the Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En summon or something. SOMETHING... ;_;

G3: I stomp him with Inzektor combos as he doesn't open Effect Veiler, but I had a Safe Zone ready to stymie his plan anyway.

[OXO]

Top 8: KABOOOOOOOOM vs Crystal Beasts...

I'm not even going to describe this match, as it was essentially me taking ten minute turns in both games and just doing the Inzektor OTK without fear of Gorz because of how the Crystal Beast monsters turn into Continuous Spell Cards after they are 'destroyed'. 

It was disgusting.

Top 4: King Kaliber vs ??? (Found out it was Gladiator Beasts.)

I didn't even get to see what he was playing. How did I get matched up against total scrubs in top 8 AND top 4? I guess my luck is going to end soon.

Then again, this was...the sackier locals..

And I was playing... Inzektors.

I kind of regret it now. It's not even funny when a resolved Inzektor Dragonfly with Inzektor Hornet means a +4/+5 in advantage. Yeah sure I won...but...really....

To be honest I really just said this because I actually forgot what happened. My match ended in my victory in about ten minutes so I'm 99% sure I either sacked him like a champion or stomped him like an Elemental HERO.

Top 2: vs Gravekeepers (OH FFFFF-)

G1: He t-sets but I have garbage monsters in my hand along with a Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, so I decide to just bide my team and eat the ~2k LP damage I'll probably take from boosted Gravekeeper monsters. (I already knew what he was playing as the top 4 match took until time while my top 4 match ended in ... ten minutes.)

This doesn't work out because he Royal Tributes my hand of 5 monsters and a Inzektor Sword - Zektkaliber, so I promptly scoop when he shows me Monster Reborn, as well as a face-down Gravekeeper's Spy.

G2: I bring in all of the Gravekeeper hate and Dust Tornado puts in work, allowing me to stomp over his puny little American Gravekeepers with the superior might of RUSSIAN INSECT TECHNOLOGY.

G3: This game goes for at LEAST forty minutes of just pass-pass-pass because neither of us is in a position to make any moves, and Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror was locking down all of my moves. I misplay in the end by running into a Marshmallon with only 900LP left.

YUGIOH!.

Shit happens I guess, didn't have a reason to attack his backrow. My reasoning at the time as that I didn't want him to use Gravekeeper's Descendant to pop my Safe Zone'd Inzektor Centipede, but didn't realize until I lost that I could have just decked him out because he only had four cards left in deck and he had no way of getting past my Centipede because he didn't side in to Mystical Space Typhoon or Heavy Storm. Oops.

[XOX]

So in the end first place received four Turbo Pack Seven, I received three, and the other Top 4 members received two each. Fourth place pulled the Ultra Book of Moon, and I pulled the Ultimate Rare Ally of Justice - Catastor, leaving third place to pull a Super Rare Horn of the Phantom Beast and first place to pull...

Complete Jank.

lol. So in the end I suppose I 'won' the tournament by losing, as I still packed better than everybody else. (I even pulled the Book of Moon last week so I don't even have to feel bad about that. I'm happy with my CP one though.)

I end up doing some more trading after the tournament, starting to build a Gravekeeper deck which I may decide to run next week, because the Inzektor deck just bores me to no end, and is sacky as shit. I was on my way to obtaining my second set of Tour Guide From the Underworld (AKA Little Girls), but realized I might as well just snipe some right after Battle Pack: Epic Dawn comes out.

However, I DO have the pieces to run some other decks, so I have some options.

1. HERO (Missing common Miracle Fusion derp. Can find those whenever.)

2. Gravekeeper (Missing 1 Gravekeeper's Recruiter. Again, can find anywhere.)

3. Inzektor (EWWWW. But still an option.)

4. Chaos Dragons. (This deck does OTK all day long which is funny...the first time. That's about it.)

5. ???? 

6. Scraps (Missing 3rd Scrap Dragon, can borrow from a friend. Also lacking a solid deck list because I do not have much experience with the archetype. Although I would love to get more experience playing the deck at an actual tournament.)

7. Chain Burn. (Not enough of a dick to run this.)

8. Machina Gadget (Not a good meta choice when (this) local consists of two Gladiator Beast players who absolutely tear you apart. I love the deck though. I'll probably play this if I can get around some of the glaring weaknesses and inherent weaknesses of the Gadgets to this format's crazy Inzektor/Rabbit/Wind-up shenanigans.

Man would I love to run a deck like Plant Synchro again...

It's funny because everybody thought it was the problem...and less than half a year into the format we realize it was Rabbit that was the true terror.

Rant on Team Hoarding (Vol. 1)

Hey guys, it's been quite a long time since I've posted on this blog. There are multiple reasons that I've disappeared for so long, but now I'm back and ready to blab some more!

Anyway, now that exams are over and the summer holidays have begun, I've began to return to locals and personally have begun pretty disillusioned with the game. Not that I played Yugioh in the first place to gain money or anything, but even as a hobby – simply losing money every week when I could easily be working at a minimum wage job and earning more than 10x the money I get at locals is slightly disheartening. Some might argue that going to locals is supposed to be a fun experience ... but when who wins is essentially decided by a die roll and who pulls the least normal monsters in the first hand is not my definition of fun.

And it shouldn't be yours either.

Increasingly frustratingly also is the fact that my local store essentially sharks the players out of their entry fee. While it is a generally understood fact that the store owner / organizer does need to profit off of the tournament in order to justify running it in the first place, there arises a problem when the player only receives one or two packs when they win the entire tournament because the store has jacked up the prices of packs. ($8 CAD for a pack of Photon Shockwave? Ridiculous.)

In addition to this, while there are many “noob/newb” duelists at every local, the environment is very hostile to a lone player when there are a few “teams” of 3-4 players which look out for each other and cause the entire scene to be very difficult to thrive in, whether it be in the actual store tournaments or in just trades. Again, it already isn't easy to make even a small margin of profit off a trade, and it only becomes worse when such teams begin to snatch trades away to benefit themselves. Logically, this is of course a sound plan for their team, but it cuts the fun factor out of trading because of this constant fear of having your trade jacked.

The combination of poor prize support as well as the increasingly hostile environment makes it very hard for a single player to thrive (again bringing up that point.)

There are a few solutions of course.

1. Go to a different Local
2. Form your own team.
3. GENUFLECT

While going to a different local tournament would help to alleviate the problem of the terrible prize support, it does not change the fact that a single player cannot make much impact on his/her own when so many factors are pitted against them.

Therefore, forming your own team is probably the only way you would be able to “fight back” against the other teams. After all, alliances between smaller powers have always been the way that the larger powers have been kept in check in history, and the same logic would apply to this, albeit not directly.

All in all, it is still an important point that Yugioh actually has an incredibly active secondary market which is incredibly toxic to those which are new, and that if one intends on competing at any level of tournament or trading for any cards at said tournament, it should be remembered that the environment has always been and will always be tended towards those who have large amounts of experience in the game/market, and that going in without proper preparation is tantamount to throwing money away.

More or less this post was me blabbing about how I dislike the nature of my (and many other) locals, but the fact that “teams” of players will continue to sweep locals for “profit” is both a fact that must be accepted...and something which causes me to facepalm at how they could (again), be earning more money working at Tim Hortons/any other minimum wage job, and have greater financial security.

This rant may develop into a series, but in the meantime ... do read and leave your thoughts in the comments section.