All articles for...

2011/08 – Indianapolis, IN tagged with 'Deck Analysis'

Deck Profile: Augustin Herrera’s Anti-Monster Beast Deck

August 7th, 2011

What looked like one of the most promising Decks of Day 1 actually didn’t make it to Day 2. In Round 3, we showed you Augustin Herrera claiming victory with his Anti-Monster Beast Deck. Three Rounds later in Round 6, Jehanzab Siddiqui defeated Robbie Kohl in another Feature Match, with the same strategy. But neither Duelist – nor any of the other competitors playing Anti-Monster Beasts, of which there were several – would make the Top 16 cut after the Swiss Rounds were said and done.

That’s a shame, because this strategy was really impressive both times we saw it in action. Tapping into the massive popularity of Horn of the Phantom Beast, this strategy both outplayed Horn, and took advantage of Horn itself, making clever use of some old school Beast monsters. Combined with new school tech like Forbidden Lance and Reborn Tengu, it’s got a ton of potential. Here’s what Herrera’s version looked like yesterday… Read more…

Deck Profile: Luis Zambrana’s Malefic Skill Drain Deck

August 7th, 2011

We saw Luis Zambrana’s Malefic Drain Deck score a narrow win over Christopher Krause in our Round 7 Feature Match yesterday, and Zambrana wound up making such a strong finish that he won his way to the Top 16 today. He was one of two competitors to take Malefic Drain all the way to Day 2. The other Duelist was the only undefeated 9-0 record-holder in the Swiss Rounds here at YCS Indianapolis: Conrad Selig. While their strategies are similar, there are some big differences between their two builds, so be sure to check out Selig’s version as well. For now, let’s take a peek at the Deck we saw in action yesterday: Read more…

Deck Profile: Johnny Nagel’s Utopian Crystal Beast Deck

August 6th, 2011

YCS Indianapolis is the last Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series to use the March 1st 2011 Forbidden and Limited lists. When YCS action arrives in Toronto in September, it’ll be a whole new format, so this is the last hurrah of the current era. For some Duelists, that makes this tournament their last chance to find Championship success in the current era of competition. For others, like Johnny  Nagel, it means an excuse to go wild and have some fun.

The Dawn of the Xyz has brought with it a ton of creativity, as Duelists look for new ways to take advantage of Xyz Monsters like Number 39: Utopia. Some are looking to use those new Xyz in Decks they were already playing, but Duelists like Nagel are brushing the dust off older strategies to find new advantages. Nagel is leveraging the high-powered Special Summoning effects of Crystal Beasts to make lots of Level 4 Special Summons. That lets him unleash 2500 ATK Utopias with ease, negating attacks and brickwalling aggressive opponents. Combined with the powerful control effects of Ancient City – Rainbow Ruins and some precision tricks that Nagel’s worked in, the result is a fast, fun Deck that’s jam-packed with slick surprises. Check it out! Read more…