Welcome to YCS Philadelphia, PA!
It was just three weeks ago that the face of the game was rocked by the impact of Dragons of Legend! Soul Charge, Kuribandit, Wiretap, Ice Hand and Fire Hand hit tournament competition like a wrecking ball, demolishing the established landscape and cracking the field wide open. Mermails, Geargia, and Bujins were still strong, but everything from Mythic Rulers and Evilswarm, to Infernities, Shooting Quasar Dragon, and all-new Hand strategies stepped up to make top cut showings. Everything changed in a matter of days, and the fallout is still in progress.
And now it’s all happening again! This weekend marks the tournament debut of the new Primal Origin booster pack, unleashing new cards for decks like Bujins, Madolches, and Noble Knights. PRIO also introduces the new Artifact theme, and as deck lists rolls in this morning, here at the Pennsylvania Convention Center it’s official – Artifacts are huge. Splashing into familiar decks like Fire Fists, Dragon Rulers and more, Artifacts are also being played on their own in fully dedicated builds. It’s impossible to tell how successful the myriad approaches will be, but the sheer numbers we’re seeing on the tournament floor this morning almost guarantee that Artifacts will be a big presence at the top tables.
At the same time, all the big sweeping trends may be defined by smaller tech choices and clever innovations! Single cards like Carboneddon, Mathematician, and Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One are being played close to the chest by some of the most experienced competitors this weekend, as they look to press the limits of existing strategies and new decks in a bid to stay one step ahead of the dueling populace. Championships are often defined by single great ideas, and this event may be no exception.
Outside of the main event, this weekend marks the first time that Yu-Gi-Oh! HeroClix will be a part of the YCS action! The folks from NECA/WizKids are here in attendance demoing the groundbreaking Combat Dial minis game, running tournaments with special Limited Edition prize figures, and offering a whole bunch of awesome Yugi-swag from t-shirts and calendars, to collectible sculpts, keychains, dangles and buttons; rare merch that’s seen their booth swarmed all morning.
It’s a groundbreaking weekend full of firsts, and the main event hasn’t even begun. Welcome to the first Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series of an all-new era.
Welcome, to YCS Philadelphia!