We’re back for another YCS in the Sunshine State, and we’re about to see some all-new cards make a splash in the tournament thanks to the recent release of Extreme Victory! But before we shift focus to the hot new cards of the weekend, let’s take a quick look at some of the most popular cards at YCS Anaheim!

Pot of Duality

Back in Charlotte, 34% of the Duelists in contention used at least 1 copy of Pot of Duality it in their Main Decks. This was a big increase from the 22% of the Duelists that ran Pot of Duality at the previous YCS. In Anaheim, the popularity of Pot of Duality dipped back down, with less than 24% of the Duelists competing in the YCS using Pot of Duality in their Main Decks.

What accounts for this drastic decrease in Pot of Duality’s use? Most likely, this decline in popularity is explained by the increased popularity of Samurai Decks from YCS Charlotte to YCS Anaheim. Nearly twice as many Duelists in Charlotte ran Six Samurais than Duelists in Anaheim, and the changing number of Pots of Duality reflect that.

Since Six Samurai Decks are so focused on Synchro Summoning Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En early on, they don’t usually want to give up Special Summons by activating Pot of Duality. Using Pot of Duality on the first turn precludes the possibility of Summoning Shi En right away. With the release of Shien’s Dojo making an early Shi En even easier to Summon by allowing Duelists to grab Shien’s Squire from their Decks, the first turn Shi En is going to be even more common. Six Samurai Duelists who were using Pot of Duality in their Decks before are likely to abandon it in favor of this new play.

Solemn Warning

Like Pot of Duality, Solemn Warning has seen consistent use since its release in Duelist Revolution. 56% of the Duelists in Anaheim used Solemn Warning in their Decks, with 89% of those Duelists maxing out their Deck with 2 copies. The rampant use of Counter Traps like Solemn Warning and Solemn Judgment on the tournament scene helps to account for many Duelists’ preference for Seven Tools of the Bandit over Trap Stun, since Seven Tools can be Chained to these Counter Traps, whereas Trap Stun cannot.

If you do have Trap Stun or Royal Decree face-down when you’re going for a big Summon, make sure to consider flipping it before attempting to Summon a monster that will be key to your victory. That way, if your opponent has Solemn Warning face-down, he won’t be able to negate your Summon with his Counter Trap.

Mystical Space Typhoon

Just when it looks like Mystical Space Typhoon can’t become more popular, the number of Duelists using it in Anaheim has crept up to 86%, exceeding the 85% of the Duelists using it at the previous YCS. Remarkably, nearly 90% of the Duelists using any copies of Mystical Space Typhoon maxed out the full 2 copies in their Main Decks.

With Six Samurais and Gravekeeper’s Decks as popular as ever, it’s no surprise that Mystical Space Typhoon remains popular on the tournament scene. Continuous and Field Spell Cards are running rampant in the top Decks, and Mystical Space Typhoon keeps them in check. Since many Duelists are once again expecting Samurais and Gravekeeper’s to be popular on the tournament scene, we’re likely to see lots of Duelists using Mystical Space Typhoon again this weekend.

Royal Oppression

Love it or hate it, Duelists can’t help but admit that Royal Oppression is one of the most crippling Trap Cards in the game. At the small cost of 800 Life Points, a Duelist can shut down every Special Summon that follows its activation. That’s why more than 30% of the Duelists in Anaheim used Royal Oppression in their Decks. Even Duelists that Special Summon lots of monsters, including Duelists using Six Samurai Decks, have made room for Royal Oppression.

They know that if they can gain the upper hand before flipping Royal Oppression, their victory is all but assured, even if they’re unable to Special Summon any more monsters. Watch out for Royal Oppression when you’re facing any opponent, regardless of which Deck he’s using. Using Mystical Space Typhoon or Seven Tools of the Bandit to destroy it as soon as your opponent flips it can prevent your opponent from entering a dominating position in the Duel.

All of these cards were very popular at the previous YCS, and we’re likely to see them in a lot of Decks again this weekend. Stay with the coverage to see which new card choices occupy the most Deck spots this weekend!