The new Absolute Powerforce Booster Set brings tons of support for specific Decks like X-Sabers, Koa’ki Meiru, and “A Legendary Ocean,” but it also packs lots of general tech: single cards that can be played in a variety of Decks, adding new tricks to familiar strategies. Let’s look at the four most popular picks so far, right here from the tournament floor!

“Battle Fader”:

Hands down, the number one most-talked-about card here today is “Battle Fader.” The dominant strategies in this format all rely on clearing the field, then making a big series of attacks to follow up and win the Duel. Cards like “Judgment Dragon,” “Dark Armed Dragon,” and “Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier” are deadly, because they leave an opponent almost completely defenseless. Lose your field, and unless you’ve got “Necro Gardna” or “Kuriboh,” your only recourse has been to Special Summon “Tragoedia” or “Gorz the Emissary of Darkness.” The tough part? “Enemy Controller” can steal those monsters away, rendering them moot and losing you the Duel anyways.

“Battle Fader” is different. While it doesn’t have the Attack Points of Gorz or “Tragoedia,” it does something neither of those cards can: it ends the Battle Phase, so that attacks are no longer possible. “Enemy Controller” is useless because “Battle Fader’s” effect activates in the hand. Which also means “Skill Drain” and “Light-Imprisoning Mirror” won’t negate its ability. The most common cards that can stop “Battle Fader” are “Trap Dustshoot” (a Limited card) and “Royal Oppression” (Semi-Limited starting on Monday)… a relatively short list.

“Battle Fader” is a really flexible card, too. It’s searchable with “Sangan,” and if your opponent knows you have it (because they saw you search for it), it really messes with their head. A skilled Duelist can use this to his advantage, revealing “Battle Fader” to discourage the opponent from playing aggressively.

On the flip side of the coin, if you’re the aggressor and don’t need Fader’s protection you can remove it for “Allure of Darkness.” Fader is also useful simply as a monster. Monarch Duelists will be able to bait out a direct attack, Special Summon “Battle Fader,” and use it to Tribute Summon a monster like “Caius the Shadow Monarch” or “Raiza the Storm Monarch.”

You can even play “Battle Fader” Jack Atlas style, Special Summoning it to use it for Synchro Material. Since “Battle Fader” is Level 1, it gives you the option of upgrading any of your possible Synchro Summons by one Level. If you were looking at a Level 7 Synchro Monster before, like “Black Rose Dragon,” you can expand your selection to Level 8’s like “Stardust Dragon.”

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“Super-Nimble Mega Hamster”:

What card is as fun to say as it is to play? It’s “Super-Nimble Mega Hamster”! And it’s being run in everything from dedicated Beast Decks to Monarchs and Synchro Cat variants. Duelists are using the Hamster’s high DEF to keep it on the field for Synchro Summons and Tribute Summons, while its effect gets them cards like “Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter” and “Des Koala.”

The Hamster is inspiring a lot of creativity, too. My favorite use that I’ve seen is to Special Summon “Desertapir,” a Flip Effect Monster from Ancient Sanctuary. Its effect turns a monster to face-down Defense Position, so after “Super-Nimble Mega Hamster” is flipped face-up to Special Summon “Desertapir,” “Desertapir’s” effect can then flip Mega Hamster face-down again for another Summon. The Tapir is then used for Tributes or Synchro Summons, effectively plucked from the Deck for free.

You can find out a lot more about “Super-Nimble Mega Hamster” here.

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“Widespread Dud”:

This new Trap Card is getting a lot of attention for its many combo possibilities. When you activate it, you select 2 Attack Position monsters on the field. If “Widespread Dud” is destroyed, both monsters are destroyed. If either monster is destroyed, then “Widespread Dud” is destroyed, which then destroys the remaining monster.

Say your opponent Summons “Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner,” and “Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress.” If you have “Widespread Dud” Set and your opponent tries to destroy it with Lyla’s effect, you can Chain “Widespread Dud,” select Lyla and Lumina as the targets, and destroy both monsters after Lyla destroys the Dud. If your opponent activates “Mystical Space Typhoon” or “Heavy Storm” while you control the Dud, Chain it and your opponent could lose two monsters, plus their wasted Typhoon or Storm. It’ll work with your own “Heavy Storm” too, giving you a way to set up dramatic field-clearing moves.

It’s good for taking on tough monsters, too.  Say your opponent controls a small monster like “Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor,” and a bigger one that’s difficult to deal with, like “Blackwing Armor Master.” Just attack the small monster, activate “Widespread Dud” to target both, and when the first monster is destroyed in battle the Dud will send the second monster packing. As long as there are two monsters on the field you can Chain Dud to “Judgment Dragon’s” effect to destroy the Dragon, and you can make similar plays against “Dark Armed Dragon” or “Gladiator Beast Gyzarus.”

If your opponent only controls one monster, activate “Widespread Dud” and target one of your monsters. Then, use that monster as Synchro Material for a Synchro Summon, and you’ll get to destroy the opposing monster you targeted. You can even set off “Widespread Dud’s” effect with “Mobius the Frost Monarch” or “Kuraz the Light Monarch.”

The coolest part? “Widespread Dud’s” destruction effect doesn’t start a Chain, so “Stardust Dragon” is powerless to negate it. There are dozens of possibilities for this card, and that’s got Duelists really interested here today.

Time will tell which of these cards will make it to Day 2 this weekend, but all four of can be strong additions to many Decks in the new Advanced Format. Start thinking ahead and consider how these cards could work for you in the new Decks you’ll be building!