YCS Orlando: General Tech Update
Many Duelists are expecting Ryzeal and Maliss Decks to be dominant this weekend, and they’re using all of the tech cards that they can to defeat them! Check out some of the top tech cards that Duelists have dug up from past sets here at YCS Orlando!
(1.) Metaltronus
Metaltronus has seen some competitive play for a while, but appears to be seeing an uptick in popularity this weekend. This Quick-Play Spell Card lets you target a face-up non-Token monster your opponent controls, and then Special Summon a monster from your hand, Deck, or Extra Deck that has 2 or more of the same Type, Attribute, and/or ATK (but negate its effects), and if you do, negate the targeted monster’s effects. Also, after that, if the two monsters have the same name, you can banish both face-down. Your opponent can’t Chain the targeted monster’s effects to your Metaltronus.
Metaltronus serves several purposes in Matches that involve 2 Ryzeal Decks Dueling against one another. You can use it against an opponent’s Ryzeal Detonator to Summon your own monster and negate the Detonator’s effects, or even Special Summon your own Detonator and banish both Detonators from the field face-down. Metaltronus has a particularly cool interaction in the Fiendsmith Ryzeal mirror-Match. In that Match, you can target an opponent’s Detonator and Special Summon Underworld Goddess of the Closed World from your Extra Deck. That’ll negate the Detonator’s effect, and allow you to sent Underworld Goddess off the Closed World to the Graveyard to Link Summon Fiendsmith’s Requiem and advance your field with Fiendsmith cards.
Metaltronus has consistently found a spot in Duelists’ Decks since its release, and it remains a strong tech option for Duelists this weekend, with some Duelists even including it in the Main Deck.
(2.) Artifact Lancea
Artifact Lancea is one of the most used cards this weekend, with many Duelists Side Decking it to take down Decks that rely on banishing monsters. Maliss Decks in particular are extremely vulnerable to Artifact Lancea, since Lancea will stop cards from getting banished for the entire turn. Maliss Decks are expected to be popular this weekend, leading Duelists to dust off their old copies of Artifact Lancea and include them in their Side Decks.
(3.) Bystials
The popularity of Bystial monsters has been on the rise lately, and it’s not slowing down! Bystial monsters like Bystial Magnamhut and Bystial Druiswurm Summon themselves from the hand by banishing DARK or LIGHT monsters from the Graveyard, making Decks using thin Fiendsmith engines particularly vulnerable to the activation of their effects. Plus, using a Bystial’s effect to banish a monster from the opponent’s Graveyard that the opponent threatens to Special Summon with the effect of Eclipse Twins can cause a huge shift in momentum during a Duel. In addition, Bystial Druiswurm’s effect that sends a Special Summoned monster your opponent controls to the Graveyard is particularly effective against Ryzeal Detonator, since it bypasses Detonator’s effect that would protect it from destruction. All of these strengths of the Bystial cards this weekend make them popular tech choices for many Duelists.
(4.) Ultimate Slayer
In a world where monsters like Ryzeal Detonator can protect themselves from destruction and cards like Eclipse Twins and Mereologic Aggregator are popular Xyz Monsters with effects that activate if they’re sent to the Graveyard, Ultimate Slayer has emerged as a solid option for eliminating an opponent’s monster while getting an added benefit from the monster you send from your Extra Deck to your Graveyard to activate it. Your opponent can’t Chain a monster effect to your Ultimate Slayer’s activation, and it has the power to shuffle key monsters on the field like Ryzeal Detonator into the Extra Deck. You can also use it to return other popular monsters that can be tough to remove from the field, like Knightmare Gryphon, back to the Extra Deck, giving it some added utility. Because of the major impact on a Duel that the activation of a single Ultimate Slayer can have, it has become a top tech choice this weekend.
Many Duelists have specific expectations for the types of Decks they’ll encounter at YCS Orlando, and have chosen their tech cards accordingly. But it’s still early in the tournament, and it’s anyone’s guess which Decks and tech choices will eventually rise to the top. Follow the YCS Orlando coverage on the official coverage blog and on the YCS Orlando livestream on Twitch or YouTube to see how the tournament unfolds!
