Hidden Arsenal 3 and Storm of Ragnarok brought us lots of new cards for Worm Duelists, and there are many different ways to build a Worm Deck. You can use Worm Queen and Viper’s Rebirth; chip away at your opponent with the double-attacking Worm Tentacles and Honest; or focus on the massive Fusion Monster, Worm Zero. But Jake Johnson has a strategy most Duelists have never seen before. His strategy? To mimic one of the most successful and popular Decks: Blackwings.

With so many different monsters at their disposal, Johnson’s realized that certain Worms have similar uses to some of the Blackwing Duelist’s best cards. Worm Xex can send Worm Yagan from the Deck to the Graveyard, where it can be Special Summoned for free – alot like how Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame gets a free Special Summon. Since most Worms are LIGHT, Honest fills the role of Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow, letting any Worm become a powerhouse in battle. And Offering to the Snake Deity is a trap card that destroys a Reptile-type monster along with 2 opposing cards, much like Icarus Attack.

So why not just play Blackwings? Check out Johnson’s Deck list, and we’ll talk about the reason for his choice…

Monsters:

1 Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind

1 Maxx “C”

2 Honest

1 Spirit Reaper

2 Worm Apocalypse

3 Worm Cartaros

3 Worm Xex

3 Worm Yagan

Spells:

3 Book of Moon

1 Dark Hole

3 Heat Wave

1 Monster Reborn

2 Mystical Space Typhoon

Traps:

1 Compulsory Evacuation Device

2 Dimensional Prison

1 Mind Crush

1 Mirror Force

3 Offering to the Snake Deity

1 Royal Oppression

1 Solemn Judgment

2 Solemn Warning

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Trap Dustshoot

Extra Deck:

1 Ally of Justice Catastor

1 Ancient Fairy Dragon

1 Black Rose Dragon

1 Blackwing Armor Master

1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

3 Chimeratech Fortress Dragon

1 Colossal Fighter

1 Goyo Guardian

1 Magical Android

1 Mist Wurm

1 Scrap Archfiend

1 Scrap Dragon

1 Stardust Dragon

The secret ingredient is Heat Wave. Activated at the start of Main Phase 1, it stops both Duelists from Normal or Special Summoning Effect Monsters. Johnson has selected his Worm monsters carefully to ensure that they all help him develop his strategy while Heat Wave muddles his opponent’s plays. Worm Apocalypse and Worm Cartaros both have powerful Flip Effects, and can be Set when Heat Wave is played. Worm Yagan can be Set as well, instead of being Special Summoned from the Graveyard when Johnson controls Worm Xex. Other non-Worms like Spirit Reaper and even Honest are also strong when placed face-down, being really tough to destroy.

Disrupting his opponent’s Summons gives Johnson the freedom to build his field unopposed. Heat Wave is extremely good against Six Samurai and Formula Monarchs, and takes the teeth out of Synchro Plants and other Decks. It also improves the chance that Worm Cartaros or Worm Apocalypse will survive to be Flip Summoned. Cartaros gets Johnson a Worm from his Deck to his hand, while Apocalypse destroys a Spell or Trap Card. Once the Flip Effect of either monster is resolved, they can be used for Offering to the Snake Deity. This is an extremely important card in today’s tournament, because it’s going to give Johnson the means to destroy the much-feared Continuous Spells wielded by Samurai Duelists.

“This Worm Deck and Blackwings play very similarly,” commented Johnson. “Royal Oppression and Offering, Heat Wave and Worm Yagan, the Deck is well-prepared for Six Samurai. One of my favorite plays is definitely playing Heat Wave on the first turn and setting either a Worm or Spirit Reaper. On my next turn I flip whichever one, and either rip apart their hand, or do what I do without interference. Another cool combo is summoning Xex and sending Yagan to your grave, then using Yagan’s Effect to revive himself face-down. It’s free cards.” Yagan’s effect, which bounces an opposing monster back to the hand, is a great way to break up a dug-in field or deal with a Synchro monster. It’s got solid DEF, and if it’s Flip Summoned it joins the rest of its wriggling brethren as fodder for Offering.

Jake Johnson is playing a strategy that virtually no one here in Dallas is prepared for, and while it may not look like much at first, it’s actually a really cool – and potentially very effective – game plan. By adapting the strategy of a proven Deck type and taking it in a wholly unexpected direction, he’s created something truly unique. We’ll see how it works out for him here this weekend.