As we head into Round 8 here in Day 1, Justin Delhon is undefeated with a simple, effective Gadget build that draws on Reborn Tengu, plus a suite of  oppressive control monsters.  The Gadget Deck is all about throwing self-replacing monsters at your opponent, and wearing them down with simple destruction cards like Mystical Space Typhoon; Solemn Warning; Bottomless Trap Hole; and more.  The strategy?  If you can keep destroying all of your opponent’s cards with simple card-for-card destruction effects, then all you need is a single Gadget to get the job done.  One Gadget becomes  two Gadgets, and that second Gadget gets you another; even if your opponent fights back to take down one of your monsters, you’ve always got another one waiting in the wings.  Eliminate all of your opponent’s cards, and your pint-sized clockworks are free to bat cleanup.  Delhon mixed that philosophy with a bunch of control-oriented monsters this weekend, and the result is a truly devastating Deck.  Check it out!

Justin Delhon’s  Gadgets – 42 Cards

(Check back later for the full list!)

This Deck stands out from the crowd for two big reasons: first, it plays a bunch of tech monsters that help harrass the opponent, keeping the opposition from making their best moves.  Triple Effect Veiler locks down big opposing plays; Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind and Neo-Spacian Grand Mole take down big problematic Synchro Monsters like Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En and Stardust Dragon; and Thunder King Rai-Oh prevents Special Summons (including Synchros!).  Delhon even plays some defensive monsters, which we won’t spoil until the tournament is over – check back once the Deck lists are posted to see what he’s doing in that regard.  It’s a nice little touch!

The other big reason this Deck is doing so well, and outperforming other Gadget Decks in the field, is that it plays Reborn Tengu.  Previously, we saw Alex Vansant play Tengu in Gadgets at YCS Orlando in order to make use of Ultimate Offering. In that Deck, Vansant used Tengus and Gadgets largely to string together multiple Synchro Summons with Glow-Up Bulb and Effect Veiler, courtesy of the Normal Summoning power of Offering.  Delhon does run the Veilers, but he doesn’t run Glow-Up or Ultimate Offering.  The deck looks similar to Vansant’s creation, but it’s not until you reach the Trap lineup and see that there’s no Offering, that the vast differences really become clear.  With cards like Royal Oppression and triple Pot of Duality, this Deck really isn’t about Special Summoning at all.  It’s just about the oldschool Gadget grind, bolstered by newschool tech.

Gadget Decks aren’t complicated: destroy all the opponent’s stuff; clear the way for your little dudes; and leave the opponent totally stripped of options.  That’s the gameplan, and Delhon’s creation really brings that strategy into the modern era.  There’s not a lot to say about it: it’s a great build, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it in the Top 64.  Delhon’s unique take on Gadgets represents a return to form for Little Yugi’s signature monsters.  It’s a far cry from the Machina versions we’re used to seeing, and it’s caught a ton of Duelists off-guard.  In a tournament like this, sometimes keen insight and a big surprise factor is all you need to go the distance.