YCS Charleston Tech Update

January 31st, 2015

With such a diverse format filled with so many powerful strategies, Duelists have had to come up with some pretty unique ways to give them an edge above the rest of the field. Let’s take a look at some of the strongest choices:

Enemy Controller

A longtime staple, Enemy Controller has been a card that has at times been considered the best tool in certain formats. Duelists now utilize it primarily in Burning Abyss strategies because Malebranches will get their effects when tributed for the cost of Enemy Controller, but enabling huge damage pushes is something that every Deck wants access to. It is especially important now that Stellarknight Constellar Diamond has given Satellarknight a huge boost. Stealing an opposing Stellarknight Constellar Diamond and overlaying Constellar Ptolemy M7 is a big way to take back the field, and using the same method to take a Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss and turning it into your own Downerd Magician is pretty easy. Flexibility and utility has always been key, so Enemy Controller making its way back into the spotlight.

Mask Change II

With the release of Hero Strike Structure Deck, even non HERO strategies are trying to get the most out of the new cards. Masked HERO Dark Law is a powerful tool that basically every DARK strategy can have access to thanks to Mask Change II, so already strong choices such as Burning Abyss and Shaddoll have gotten an even bigger boost. Not only is Mask Change II powerful because of Masked HERO Dark Law’s effects to banish opposing cards, but given a way to get an additional attacker during the Battle Phase is very good to have access to. Shaddoll can even utilize Masked HERO Koga because of White Dragon Wyverburster! Because Mask Change II can be used in a variety of strategies, every Deck got a big boost from the Hero Strike Structure Deck!

Storm

Qliphort got a huge boost from Secrets of Eternity, but some players have chosen to go with a variant focusing specifically on Summoning Apoqliphort Towers. Storm is a great way to fill your Extra Deck with Pendulum Monsters, destroying your own Pendulum Scales to easily Pendulum Summon a bunch of Monsters to tribute away for Apoqliphort Towers. Most Duelists have chosen to omit ways to defeat Apoqliphort Towers from their Deck because the same cards that disrupt the early Qliphort plays also disrupt how the player would Summon Apoqliphort Towers, so rather than have ways to beat it after it comes out they try to stop it from coming out instead. This makes a turn one Apoqliphort Towers super devastating, so Storm is a great way to make that happen.

Typhoon

A sleeper pick from Battle Pack 3: Monster League, Typhoon has begun seeing quite a bit of play as an effect similar to Twister for Decks that do not use a lot of Traps. With players trying to combo off on their first turn in order to Summon Apoqliphort Towers, Typhoon can be used to disrupt that play even if it’s on the first turn. Typhoon basically fills the role of additional copies of Twister for the Decks like Burning Abyss and Shaddoll, but gives the additional upside of being able to be used from the hand if the conditions are met.

Xyz Universe

We saw Xyz Universe see a lot of play in the NAWCQ this past year, being an all-star against Xyz centric strategies. It’s making a comeback this weekend as a great way to deal with Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss, allowing whoever activates it to get around the Dante effects by summoning Stellarknight Constellar Diamond! It gets even better if it is a Burning Abyss mirror match, because all it takes is both players controlling an Xyz to resolve it. Constellar Pleiades is also commonly used with the Trap, so Duelists have a variety of powerful options to choose from when activating it. Couple that with the fact that Constellar Ptolemy M7 can overlay over either of them after they’ve been used, and we’ve got ourselves a real winner.

With so much tech so early in the tournament, we’re bound to see a lot happen and even more cool stuff see play as things progress!