Tom Walter loves playing Plants. Last year, he entered the 2009 Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG National Championship with his Plant Deck. This year, he updated his Plant Deck and adapted it to the new field of Decks. He came back using his favorite Deck, this time competing in the 2010 World Championship Qualifier.

Tom Walter’s Hamster Plant Deck specializes at taking his opponent’s monsters and using them against him. With 3 copies of Mark of the Rose in his Main Deck and tons of Plants to remove to activate them, no monster can safely be left on the field against Walter. Walter also uses Super-Nimble Mega Hamster to Special Summon Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter or X-Saber Airbellum from his Deck, giving him monsters to use in Synchro Summons or to Tribute for the Summon of Caius the Shadow Monarch.

Monsters: 24

3 Mystic Tomato

3 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter

2 Caius the Shadow Monarch

2 Super-Nimble Mega Hamster

2 Lonefire Blossom

2 D.D. Crow

1 Tytannial, Princess of Camellias

1 Dark Armed Dragon

1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

1 X-Saber Airbellum

1 Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind

1 Sangan

1 Card Trooper

1 Plaguespreader Zombie

1 Spore

1 Battle Fader

Spells: 9

3 Mark of the Rose

1 Allure of Darkness

1 Heavy Storm

1 Mind Control

1 Brain Control

1 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Book of Moon

Traps: 7

3 Dust Tornado

2 Bottomless Trap Hole

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Solemn Judgment

Tom Walter’s Hamster Plant Deck has 5 cards capable of stealing his opponent’s monsters. He has included Mind Control, Brain Control, and 3 copies of Mark of the Rose in his Main Deck. Once he gains possession of his opponent’s monsters, he can Tune them with his 4 Tuners: Spore, Plaguespreader Zombie, X-Saber Airbellum, and Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind. Monsters he steals with Brain Control or Mark of the Rose can also be Tributed to Summon Caius or Tytannial, Princess of Camellias. Stealing the opponent’s monsters and using them against him gives Walter a huge tempo shift that can get him out of any situation.

“Some of my favorite plays flip Ryko to destroy the opponent’s back row and then taking the opponent’s monster with one of my theft cards. After that I can Summon Lonefire Blossom and Tribute it to Summon Spore,” Walter said. From there, Walter can Tune Spore with the stolen monster, and then remove Lonefire Blossom from his Graveyard to Special Summon a Level 4 Spore that he can Tune with Ryko to Synchro Summon a Level 6 monster. This lets Walter put his opponent’s monsters to use and swarm the field with powerful Synchros.

In addition to his several Tuners, Walter is also running 2 copies of Caius that he can Tribute his weaker monsters to Summon. “I like to use a flipped Ryko or Hamster as a Tribute for Caius or for a Synchro Summon. That way I make use of something that already used its effect.” Walter is also running a copy of Battle Fader to stop OTKs, smooth over Synchro Summons, and give him an extra monster to Tribute for Caius.

Tom Walter’s Deck can be dangerous to play against. It’s hard to face a Deck that makes it dangerous to Summon monsters, and Duelists who don’t play around Walter’s many monster possession cards will quickly have victory stolen from them.