By this point, we’ve analyzed every single Deck list from YCS Philadelphia, and counted how many copies of each card were played. As trends rise and fall, once-popular cards lose favor and are replaced by others. But those cards aren’t these cards! The following cards keep getting more popular over time, so you should definitely take them into account when you consider your plays.

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What Was Up?

While 20% of Duelists at YCS Toronto used Pot of Duality, and 29% used it at YCS San Jose, that number was up to 33% by YCS Philadelphia. Literally one in three Duelists was running this card – and maybe even more will use it this weekend. While 82 competitors in Phladelphia played 1 Pot, just as many played with 3 copies. A whopping 156 Duelists played 2 copies of this powerful new Spell Card from Duelist Revolution.

Solemn Warning’s use has also increased. Only 32% of the competitors in Toronto played Warning, but that number rose to 46% at San Jose, and rose again to 48.6% in Philadelphia. In total, 144 of those Duelists ran a single copy; 275 Duelists played 2; but only 31 played a full 3 Warnings.

About 75% of the field ran Book of Moon; up from 72% at San Jose. The overwhelming choice was to play 3 copies: 385 Duelists ran triple Book, while 281 played 2, and only 31 Duelists played just 1. With the power to stop attacks, shut off powerful monster effects, and strand Tuners face-down so they can’t be used as Synchro Materials, Book of Moon is a popular choice for competition right now.

Effect Veiler was played by 21% of the competitors at YCS Philadelphia, and we can probably expect to see it played much more this weekend. As a counter to cards like Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, XX-Saber Hyunlei, and Black Rose Dragon, this is an awesome negation card. But it’s also a Level 1 Tuner, and the release of Formula Synchron will likely lead to it seeing much more use in this tournament, and tournaments in the future.

Finally, Scrap Dragon usage increased to a huge 45%, with 364 competitors running 1 copy in their Extra Deck. While the Dragon is most at home in Scrap Decks, it’s also a great Level 8 Synchro Monster that can be Summoned by any Deck. It’s capable of destroying any 1 card in your way, and as more Duelists come to understand its full power, we’ll likely see it being played even more in the future.

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What’s Down?

With some cards trending up, some cards have to trend down, losing popularity but becoming tougher to predict in return. These cards may take you off guard if you don’t expect them, but remember – sometimes you can use that surprise factor to your advantage.

Trap Stun has been a defining card in competition over the past 3 months, but after being played by 36% of the field at YCS Toronto, and 45% of the field at YCS San Jose, it dropped to a recent low in Philadelphia, where it was run by only 35% of the competing Duelists. Look to the Deck lists of the Top 3 finishers in Philadelphia to see a likely reason: all 3 played more copies of Seven Tools of the Bandit than they did of Trap Stun. Seven Tools will negate the activation of costed Trap Cards like Warning and Solemn Judgment while still leaving your opponent to pay the activation cost, and it’ll negate opposing Trap Stuns so your defenses stay intact. If you play Trap Stun now, try Seven Tools in its place.

With Book of Moon and Solemn Warning both up in popularity, Bottomless Trap Hole is somewhat down, being run by 74.3% of the Philadelphia field. With Book and Warning often held back to stop Tribute and Synchro Summons, your Normal Summons may be a little safer as a result. But Bottomless Trap Hole is still one of the cards you’re most likely to see in competition.

Dimensional Prison was played by 40% of the competitors at YCS San Jose, but it dropped to 33.5% at YCS Philadelphia. This decline is likely to continue as monsters like Scrap Dragon, Junk Destroyer, and Black Rose Dragon see more and more play, so if your monster hits the field and stays there, you’ll have a better chance now in getting an attack in than you might have had six weeks ago.

Finally, use of Thunder King Rai-Oh remains steady, with 17% of YCS Philadelphia Duelists playing at least 1. Thunder King is a powerful Side Deck card that can stop everything from Black Whirlwind and Pot of Duality, to Synchro Summons and Cyber Dragon. With Tuning sure to be a popular choice for the weekend, Thunder King Rai-Oh may be a top Side Deck pick this weekend.

Understanding the popularity of cards that are played across a wide variety of Decks can help you make the right moves when you’re Dueling. You can also use this information to tweak your Decks – either optimizing your Deck to prepare for the cards that are seeing the most play, or purposely using under-played cards because they’re harder for your opponent to predict. Join us here this weekend as new trends take center stage, and use what you’ve learned in your Duels!