When two Decks have similar themes and strategies, individual tech cards can make a huge difference in any given Duel. Check out some of the tech cards that we’ve seen in YCS Chicago!

• Denko Sekka

Denko Sekka has been one of the most popular tech cards of the weekend. Duelists have been including it in lots of different Decks to shut down opponents’ back rows, but Denko Sekka has been particularly prominent in Nekroz Decks this weekend. Many non-Nekroz Duelists aim to stop Nekroz Decks in their tracks with their abundance of Trap Cards; but Denko Sekka effectively neutralizes that strategy by rendering opponents unable to activate the cards in their back row. Against Decks that Set lots of Trap Cards, Nekroz Duelists can Normal Summon Denko Sekka and then Ritual Summon a swarm of monsters to wipe out all of an opponent’s Life Points. As long as Denko Sekka is on the field, a Duelist knows that his or her monsters are protected from Traps.

• Shared Ride

Shared Ride was included in many Duelists’ Decks this weekend as an effective card against Nekroz Decks. Shared Ride lets you draw a card each time your opponent adds a card to his or her hand from his or her Deck or Graveyard, except by drawing. Since lots of cards in Nekroz Decks, including Nekroz of Brionac, Nekroz of Clausolas, Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, Senju of the Thousand Hands, and Nekroz of Unicore add cards from the Graveyard or Deck to the hand, Shared Ride has the potential to stop a Nekroz Duelist in his or her tracks.

While Shared Ride’s awesome strength against Nekroz Decks may make it seem like an obvious Side Deck choice for many Duelists, lots of Duelists chose to Main Deck Shared Ride as an effective card against nearly all of the competitive Decks used. For example, Qliphort Decks add cards from the Deck to the hand with Qliphort Scout and Saqlifice; Burning Abyss Decks add cards from the Deck to the hand with Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Tellarknight Decks add cards from the Deck to the hand with Satellarknight Deneb. Shared Ride can be effective against all of these Decks and more, making it a great option to include in just about any Deck.

• Psi-Blocker

Psi-Blocker also made a splash in lots of Decks this weekend. Psi-Blocker has the ability to make any card unusable for an entire turn. Many Decks – including Nekroz Decks – are extremely vulnerable to a few specific cards. Vanity’s Fiend, Vanity’s Emptiness, Mistake, and more can all make it difficult for a Nekroz Duelist to win once one of them is face-up on the field. Psi-Blocker can answer all of these cards, one at a time. Psi-Blocker’s versatility shutting down cards also makes it great for dealing with any surprises an opponent may throw at you.

• Mirror of the Ice Barrier

Mirror of the Ice Barrier is a narrow tech used to one-up Nekroz of Trishula this weekend. When used successfully, it can completely push your opponent out of a Duel. When your opponent activates the effect of Nekroz of Trishula, you can Chain Mirror of the Ice Barrier to retaliate against your opponent with double the force. For each card that your opponent banishes from your hand, field, and/or Graveyard, Mirror of the Ice Barrier banishes two cards from your opponent’s hand, field, and/or Graveyard. Used against Nekroz of Trishula, Mirror of the Ice Barrier lets you banish 2 cards from your opponent’s hand, field, and Graveyard, spinning your opponent’s seemingly devastating play right back at your opponent.

• Artifact Lancea

Artifact Lancea is another tech card that is effective against Nekroz Decks. By Tributing Artifact Lancea from your hand (or field), both Duelists are rendered unable to banish any cards for the rest of the turn. In addition to neutralizing the effect of Nekroz of Trishula by rendering it unable to banish any cards, Artifact Lancea can turn the simple activation of Nekroz Mirror into a devastating blow against your opponent.

Nekroz Duelists commonly banish monsters from their Graveyard to perform Ritual Summons using Nekroz Mirror; however, if they’re unable to banish monsters when Nekroz Mirror resolves, they must Tribute monsters from their hand and/or field to Ritual Summon a monster instead. By Chaining the effect of Artifact Lancea to an opponent’s Nekroz Mirror when your opponent intends to banish monsters from his or her Graveyard to perform the Ritual Summon, you can trap your opponent into performing a sub-optimal Ritual Summon. If your opponent is forced to Tribute a bunch of important monsters that he or she had been holding onto, it could end up shutting him out of the Duel. If your opponent is unable to perform any Ritual Summon after activating Nekroz Mirror due to your Lancea’s effect, he or she must reveal his or her hand to prove it to you. Best of all, since you can Tribute Artifact Lancea from your hand to activate its effect, it’s tough for your opponent to predict when you’re holding it.

Duelists came up with lots of different tech cards this weekend, used both for defeating Nekroz Decks and for securing victory with Nekroz monsters. Try them out to see which tech choices you like best for your Deck!