YCS Charlotte Decks – By the Numbers
On March 1, the Forbidden & Limited Cards List was updated, bringing us what players refer to as a “new format”. New formats can really shake things up, because older Decks can get powered up or powered down, and new Decks can emerge as a result!
A few weeks ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, the first YCS of this new format was held, and a new group of competitive Decks has emerged. An incredible 14 different types of Decks made it into the Top 32, but on top of them all was the same Deck as a month earlier: the Six Samurai! But does this mean that Six Samurais are “the Deck to beat,” or did Samurai do well just because there were so many of them? Take a look at the 5 most popular Decks used at YCS Charlotte!
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The 5 Most Popular Decks in Charlotte
1.) Six Samurai
Make no mistake: Six Samurai Decks are powerful, and they proved it again with their latest YCS victory. But Six Samurai were also the most played Deck in Charlotte. Out of everyone there, 11.5% of the Duelists used this Deck, and this was a big reason for their success. Despite their popularity, only 4 Six Samurai Decks made it into the Top 32, indicating that they aren’t the unstoppable force that they appeared to be at the end of the previous format. With Duelists wising up to the standard Six Samurai strategies, we may be in store for a revolution this weekend, and see a new Deck take the YCS crown.
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2.) Gravekeepers
With a slightly lower representation than Six Samurais, Gravekeeper Decks were used by 10.9% of the Duelists in Charlotte. But these slightly smaller numbers didn’t hurt their success. An astonishing 9 Gravekeeper’s Decks made it into the Top 32. That’s more than double the number of any other Deck in the Top 32, including the Six Samurai! Gravekeepers are definitely a force to be reckoned with this weekend, and Duelists who prepared for the tournament will be ready to face them.
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3.) X-Sabers
When the March 1st, 2011 Forbidden & Limited List was first announced, lots of Duelists predicted that X-Sabers would become the top Deck. Some of that hype followed the Deck into YCS Charlotte, as 9.2% of the competitors made X-Sabers their Deck of choice and used it in the tournament. But despite being the third most popular Deck in Charlotte, only 2 X-Saber Decks made it into the Top 32. Nevertheless, the X-Saber presence in the tournament, which was maintained all the way through to the Top 4, proves that X-Sabers will still be competitive this weekend, and just may not be the powerhouse that some Duelists anticipated.
Here’s something interesting: X-Saber Deck numbers at Dallas in February were lower than we usually see, but Six Samurai numbers were very high (16%). At Charlotte, Samurai were down to almost 12%, but X-Saber numbers were back up. It could be that a lot of Duelists who normally play X-Sabers switched to Six Samurai for Dallas, but then went back to their X-Saber Decks a month later.
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4.) Dragunities
The fourth most popular Deck in Charlotte was a brand new Deck, with almost 8% of the Decks at the event! Duelists running Dragunities had little time to test their Decks, because Structure Deck: Dragunity Legion was released right before YCS Charlotte; but that didn’t stop the Dragunity success!
Two Dragunity Decks made it into the Top 32 in Charlotte, and several more are likely to make it to the top this weekend, now that Duelists have had more time to perfect their Dragunity Decks. Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Duelists have always loved their Dragons, and the new Dragunity Deck brings a fresh new spin to Dragons, so it’s sure to be popular again this weekend.
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5.) Gladiator Beasts
The fifth most popular Deck in Charlotte, Gladiator Beasts, was a little over 6% of the field, but failed to make it into the Top 32. But don’t count them out just yet! Gladiator Beast Decks tend to do best in tournaments when no one sees them coming, and a successful showing for a Gladiator Beast Duelist this weekend wouldn’t be surprising. Moreover, with the release of new Gladiator Beast monsters on the horizon in Extreme Victory, we may see some tournament-successful Gladiator Beast Decks in the future, even if our Roman heroes don’t accomplish much this weekend.
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If you take up everybody who played one of these 5 most popular Decks in Charlotte – combined – they’re still less than half of the Duelists at the event. So what were all of the other Duelists playing? We counted 73 different types of Decks, including 9 other Decks that made it to the Top 32!
Some of those Decks were scarcely represented in the tournament, but achieved great success. For example, only 12 Duelists out of the 1,063 who competed in YCS Charlotte entered the tournament with a Fish Deck, and a quarter of those made it to the Top 32! Less than 4% of the Duelists ran an Elemental Hero Deck, but 4 of them made the top cut with their creation. And just a handful of Duelists ran Flamvells or Deck Destruction, but each of those Deck types achieved Top 32 success. Chaos Plant Synchro, Plant Synchro, Karakuri Machinas, Blackwings, Anti-Monster, and Frog Monarchs also made it into the Top 32, despite each Deck having an overall representation in the tournament that was low.
So what does all this mean? It means that the game is wide open. Anybody can win with any kind of Deck at this point. And that makes everything more unpredictable.
And a lot more fun!
Registration continues here as the Anaheim wakes up to greet a very very busy weekend. YCS Charlotte began the new format, but huge changes may emerge this weekend, with the success of new Decks or popularity shifts in existing Decks. Stay with the coverage to see the action unfold!
On March 1, the Forbidden &Limited Cards List was updated, bringing us what players refer to as a “new format”. New formats can really shake things up, because older Decks can get powered up or powered down, and new Decks can emerge as a result!
A few weeks ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, the first YCS of this new format was held, and a new group of competitive Decks has emerged. An incredible 14 different types of Decks made it into the Top 32, but on top of them all was the same Deck as a month earlier: the Six Samurai! But does this mean that Six Samurais are “the Deck to beat,” or did Samurai do well just because there were so many of them? Take a look at the 5 most popular Decks used at YCS Charlotte!
The 5 Most Popular Decks in Charlotte
1.) Six Samurai
Make no mistake: Six Samurai Decks are powerful, and they proved it again with their latest YCS victory. But Six Samurai were also the most played Deck in Charlotte. Out of everyone there, 11.5% of the Duelists used this Deck, and this was a big reason for their success. Despite their popularity, only 4 Six Samurai Decks made it into the Top 32, indicating that they aren’t the unstoppable force that they appeared to be at the end of the previous format. With Duelists wising up to the standard Six Samurai strategies, we may be in store for a revolution this weekend, and see a new Deck take the YCS crown.
2.) Gravekeepers
With a slightly lower representation than Six Samurais, Gravekeeper Decks were used by 10.9% of the Duelists in Charlotte. But these slightly smaller numbers didn’t hurt their success. An astonishing 9 Gravekeeper’s Decks made it into the Top 32. That’s more than double the number of any other Deck in the Top 32, including the Six Samurai! Gravekeepers are definitely a force to be reckoned with this weekend, and Duelists who prepared for the tournament will be ready to face them.
3.) X-Sabers
When the March 1st, 2011 Forbidden & Limited List was first announced, lots of Duelists predicted that X-Sabers would become the top Deck. Some of that hype followed the Deck into YCS Charlotte, as 9.2% of the competitors made X-Sabers their Deck of choice and used it in the tournament. But despite being the third most popular Deck in Charlotte, only 2 X-Saber Decks made it into the Top 32. Nevertheless, the X-Saber presence in the tournament, which was maintained all the way through to the Top 4, proves that X-Sabers will still be competitive this weekend, and just may not be the powerhouse that some Duelists anticipated.
Here’s something interesting: X-Saber Deck numbers at Dallas in February were lower than we usually see, but Six Samurai numbers were very high (16%). At Charlotte, Samurai were down to almost 12%, but X-Saber numbers were back up. It could be that a lot of Duelists who normally play X-Sabers switched to Six Samurai for Dallas, but then went back to their X-Saber Decks a month later.
4.) Dragunities
The fourth most popular Deck in Charlotte was a brand new Deck, with almost 8% of the Decks at the event! Duelists running Dragunities had little time to test their Decks, because Structure Deck: Dragunity Legion was released right before YCS Charlotte; but that didn’t stop the Dragunity success!
Two Dragunity Decks made it into the Top 32 in Charlotte, and several more are likely to make it to the top this weekend, now that Duelists have had more time to perfect their Dragunity Decks. Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Duelists have always loved their Dragons, and the new Dragunity Deck brings a fresh new spin to Dragons, so it’s sure to be popular again this weekend.
5.) Gladiator Beasts
The fifth most popular Deck in Charlotte, Gladiator Beasts, was a little over 6% of the field, but failed to make it into the Top 32. But don’t count them out just yet! Gladiator Beast Decks tend to do best in tournaments when no one sees them coming, and a successful showing for a Gladiator Beast Duelist this weekend wouldn’t be surprising. Moreover, with the release of new Gladiator Beast monsters on the horizon in Extreme Victory, we may see some tournament-successful Gladiator Beast Decks in the future, even if our Roman heroes don’t accomplish much this weekend.
If you take up everybody who played one of these 5 most popular Decks in Charlotte – combined – they’re still less than half of the Duelists at the event. So what were all of the other Duelists playing? We counted 73 different types of Decks, including 9 other Decks that made it to the Top 32!
Some of those Decks were scarcely represented in the tournament, but achieved great success. For example, only 12 Duelists out of the 1,063 who competed in YCS Charlotte entered the tournament with a Fish Deck, and a quarter of those made it to the Top 32! Less than 4% of the Duelists ran an Elemental Hero Deck, but 4 of them made the top cut with their creation. And just a handful of Duelists ran Flamvells or Deck Destruction, but each of those Deck types achiev
On March 1, the Forbidden &Limited Cards List was updated, bringing us what players refer to as a “new format”. New formats can really shake things up, because older Decks can get powered up or powered down, and new Decks can emerge as a result!
A few weeks ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, the first YCS of this new format was held, and a new group of competitive Decks has emerged. An incredible 14 different types of Decks made it into the Top 32, but on top of them all was the same Deck as a month earlier: the Six Samurai! But does this mean that Six Samurais are “the Deck to beat,” or did Samurai do well just because there were so many of them? Take a look at the 5 most popular Decks used at YCS Charlotte!
The 5 Most Popular Decks in Charlotte
1.) Six Samurai
Make no mistake: Six Samurai Decks are powerful, and they proved it again with their latest YCS victory. But Six Samurai were also the most played Deck in Charlotte. Out of everyone there, 11.5% of the Duelists used this Deck, and this was a big reason for their success. Despite their popularity, only 4 Six Samurai Decks made it into the Top 32, indicating that they aren’t the unstoppable force that they appeared to be at the end of the previous format. With Duelists wising up to the standard Six Samurai strategies, we may be in store for a revolution this weekend, and see a new Deck take the YCS crown.
2.) Gravekeepers
With a slightly lower representation than Six Samurais, Gravekeeper Decks were used by 10.9% of the Duelists in Charlotte. But these slightly smaller numbers didn’t hurt their success. An astonishing 9 Gravekeeper’s Decks made it into the Top 32. That’s more than double the number of any other Deck in the Top 32, including the Six Samurai! Gravekeepers are definitely a force to be reckoned with this weekend, and Duelists who prepared for the tournament will be ready to face them.
3.) X-Sabers
When the March 1st, 2011 Forbidden & Limited List was first announced, lots of Duelists predicted that X-Sabers would become the top Deck. Some of that hype followed the Deck into YCS Charlotte, as 9.2% of the competitors made X-Sabers their Deck of choice and used it in the tournament. But despite being the third most popular Deck in Charlotte, only 2 X-Saber Decks made it into the Top 32. Nevertheless, the X-Saber presence in the tournament, which was maintained all the way through to the Top 4, proves that X-Sabers will still be competitive this weekend, and just may not be the powerhouse that some Duelists anticipated.
Here’s something interesting: X-Saber Deck numbers at Dallas in February were lower than we usually see, but Six Samurai numbers were very high (16%). At Charlotte, Samurai were down to almost 12%, but X-Saber numbers were back up. It could be that a lot of Duelists who normally play X-Sabers switched to Six Samurai for Dallas, but then went back to their X-Saber Decks a month later.
4.) Dragunities
The fourth most popular Deck in Charlotte was a brand new Deck, with almost 8% of the Decks at the event! Duelists running Dragunities had little time to test their Decks, because Structure Deck: Dragunity Legion was released right before YCS Charlotte; but that didn’t stop the Dragunity success!
Two Dragunity Decks made it into the Top 32 in Charlotte, and several more are likely to make it to the top this weekend, now that Duelists have had more time to perfect their Dragunity Decks. Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Duelists have always loved their Dragons, and the new Dragunity Deck brings a fresh new spin to Dragons, so it’s sure to be popular again this weekend.
5.) Gladiator Beasts
The fifth most popular Deck in Charlotte, Gladiator Beasts, was a little over 6% of the field, but failed to make it into the Top 32. But don’t count them out just yet! Gladiator Beast Decks tend to do best in tournaments when no one sees them coming, and a successful showing for a Gladiator Beast Duelist this weekend wouldn’t be surprising. Moreover, with the release of new Gladiator Beast monsters on the horizon in Extreme Victory, we may see some tournament-successful Gladiator Beast Decks in the future, even if our Roman heroes don’t accomplish much this weekend.
If you take up everybody who played one of these 5 most popular Decks in Charlotte – combined – they’re still less than half of the Duelists at the event. So what were all of the other Duelists playing? We counted 73 different types of Decks, including 9 other Decks that made it to the Top 32!
Some of those Decks were scarcely represented in the tournament, but achieved great success. For example, only 12 Duelists out of the 1,063 who competed in YCS Charlotte entered the tournament with a Fish Deck, and a quarter of those made it to the Top 32! Less than 4% of the Duelists ran an Elemental Hero Deck, but 4 of them made the top cut with their creation. And just a handful of Duelists ran Flamvells or Deck Destruction, but each of those Deck types achieved Top 32 success. Chaos Plant Synchro, Plant Synchro, Karakuri Machinas, Blackwings, Anti-Monster, and Frog Monarchs also made it into the Top 32, despite each Deck having an overall representation in the tournament that was low.
So what does all this mean? It means that the game is wide open. Anybody can win with any kind of Deck at this point. And that makes everything more unpredictable.
And a lot more fun!
Registration continues here as the Anaheim wakes up to greet a very very busy weekend. YCS Charlotte began the new format, but huge changes may emerge this weekend, with the success of new Decks or popularity shifts in existing Decks. Stay with the coverage to see the action unfold!
ed Top 32 success. Chaos Plant Synchro, Plant Synchro, Karakuri Machinas, Blackwings, Anti-Monster, and Frog Monarchs also made it into the Top 32, despite each Deck having an overall representation in the tournament that was low.
So what does all this mean? It means that the game is wide open. Anybody can win with any kind of Deck at this point. And that makes everything more unpredictable.
And a lot more fun!
Registration continues here as the Anaheim wakes up to greet a very very busy weekend. YCS Charlotte began the new format, but huge changes may emerge this weekend, with the success of new Decks or popularity shifts in existing Decks. Stay with the coverage to see the action unfold!
