DREV? Why?

Today we're going to look at some of the new themes coming out of duelist revolution. The top 3 are Scraps, Watts, and Amazoness monsters. There is, of course, more being released. There's Naturia support, new Synchro Fusion monsters, all new beast support, and a slew of new generic magic and trap cards. But we're just looking at the 3 aforementioned themes.

Scraps - Probably the most anticipated theme. It's a synchro-swarm and control theme that still wins with large monsters. The big monster in the set is Scrap Chimera, and is your gateway to do half of what you want to do, the other half comes from playing Scrap Golem. Both can get other scrap monsters out of the graveyard and onto the field, allowing for easy 1-2 turn synchros. Many scrap monsters have effects that happen when they are destroyed by other scraps(or themselves) and the tuners are no exception. You can use Scrap Hunter(not the best scrap available) to destroy a scrap you control and then mill a scrap tuner. If you're trying to set up a Scrap Dragon Play, you can use one of your 3 scrap chimera to get one of your 2-3 beasts from the graveyard for an instant Scrap Dragon. I would say the best way to destroy your own scraps besides with scrap dragon is with Scrap Storm, which plays out like this:
1) Select 1 Scrap Goblin on your side of the field.
2) Send 1 Scrap Chimera or Scrap Beast to the graveyard then draw 1 card.
3) Destroy Scrap Goblin.
4) Add Scrap Chimera to your hand.
5) Normal Summon Chimera, Special Summon Beast, Synchro for Dragon. You lost 2 cards and gained 1 in hand and 1 in field presence.
I think the deck would benefit from waboku (scrap counter isnt very good imo), shrinks, and other cards to keep your scraps from being destroyed by battle(some can't on their own lol). Then you're free to do your synchro plays next turn.

Watts - Watts are evil little things. They are all light thunder monsters. Many of them can attack your opponents life points directly and many of them have effects for when they do deal damage. Wattchimera, which we'll assume is the boss of the theme, can attack directly with its 1400 life points, but it also sends a random card to the top of the opponen't life points, which is particularly scary. Wattcube from TSHD makes the monsters ridiculous with its 1 turn 1000 atk boost. If you want to keep it, the monster instead gains 100 per thunder in your grave, so you're looking at some decent direct attacks. This deck is definently more for stall+burn. All your monsters have less than 1500 lp naturally, so they will need protection.

Amazoness - Perhaps the only theme I'm personally looking forward to. Amazoness are OLD cards. Low attack earth warriors with battle and searching effects. With DREV they gain a few cards that not only raise their attack, but also keep them alive, add more amazons to your reserves, and even punish your opponent for getting rid of them. Add in generic support such as rivalry of warlords, burden of the mighty, solidarity and others and I think it could make a very painful deck. Amazoness Trainer starts off with 1500atk, 2300 with solidarity. Anything it destroys gets sent to the bottom of the deck which is awesome in the current meta. Then it gains 200 attack just for killing it! Queen will protect your amazons from battle destruction, which is -okay- lol but you'd really want to be on the offensive asap. Amazoness village is one of the best cards in the set. When an Amazon is destroyed by anything you can special summon another the same level or less FOR FREE. And its from your deck which is even more obnoxious. The go to gals for your search would be Blowpiper if they wont attack again, Chain Master if they WILL attack again, Paladin to start your offensive play, Swordswoman to win that turn, Tiger to end the battle phase, or Scouts to win on your turn. The toolboxing in this deck is amazing with Village. Not only that but expect more TCG exclusives like Scouts to come out for Amazons too. If i get lucky with DREV, I might actually try this deck out.

My favorite decks I don't run! (Non-meta)

The best part about Yugioh is that there are sooooooooooooooooooo many decks, there's almost no telling what your opponent is going to use against you. Of course, the "meta-game" is the theory that the best players will put together the best deck they think is possible at the current time and run that, making deck variety a little more shallow. This is evident in the last nationals tournament where the top 32 decks were over 30% the same.

But just because this "meta" exists, doesn't mean that there aren't other playable decks, or that those meta decks can not be beaten. Some people call them "rogue" decks. Personally, I do not like to categorize either, but I will call some things meta for the sake of understanding the "popularity of the deck."

I have no issues with meta decks though, I just happen to like these "rogue" decks instead(for now), and in this thread I will list many I am a fan of and why.

Darklords- These can be involved in many decks, but my favorite is the Asmo Return deck. It involves getting Asmodeus in the RFG zone as soon as possible and summoning him with the plethora of RFG recursion offered to dark fairies. The other build involves using cards like Athena to special summon Superbia from the graveyard, which in turn special summons ANOTHER fairy. It's very painful but too inconsistent to me.

Reptiliannes- There are many BAD versions of this deck running around but the best I saw focused on vaskii. One of the issues with reptiliannes is that people think you have to run all the cards in their theme, but that actually hurts more than helps. The ideal deck keeps your monsters on the field with cards like Waboku and Limit Reverse. It may even use Dandylions, Grinder Golems, and other cards to generate 0 ATK monsters, rather than waiting for your opponent to attack.

Yubel- I actually have this deck, but I need the final form before I'm willing to play it. Yubel is another deck often played incorrectly, where people get to the final form as soon as possible and use The Calculator as the win condition. The version that I believe to be the best focuses on The Terror Incarnate to stop your opponent from playing monsters, then it steadily hits the opponent until the game is won. I believe people call it an "Attrition build".

Fish!- Fish are amazing! Especially those using Superancient Deepsea King Coelecanth! The entire purpose of the deck is to use Coelecanth's effect for an explosive victory, and it is very explosive.

Earthbound Immortals- This is another deck people seem to have trouble building. Right now Light and Darkness Dragon is used in TONS of froggy and dandylion decks. The only difference between LADD and an earthbound is 1 card. Earthbounds cant be attacked and often do stuff when your opponent tries to get rid of them. My favorite is Aslla Piscu, for the fact that it is easier to fire off its effect, and can work with harpie's proving ground, which is one of the most searchable field cards in the game.

Spellcasters- There's way too many spellcaster decks to talk about. In all honestly, there isnt 1 build I particularly like over the others, or perhaps it is better to say that I can't understand a proper build of it. I just love the cards they have. Magical Dimension, Secret Village of Spellcasters, Breaker, Crusader of Endymion, Ice Queen, and Arcanite Magician are all powerhouse cards.

So yeah, lots and lots and lots of good cards in this game. I might have to do a part 2 of this, just because theres so many themes out there that I like.

Locals 7/24 Copypasta

Once again this is a copy from the pojo yugioh forums. I was 3-2 yesterday and lost the first match of the top 8, meaning that I was between Sixth and Eighth place.

Match 1 vs Flip Burn(friend of mine.) 2-1
He was using the flip monsters like Des Lacooda and the insects, all stuff that he can constantly reflip and control the game while Gravity Bind and level limit shuts down your opponent. First match he drew into nothing but Gravity Bind in which trunade->Urknight->Etc won me the duel. Round 2 he won with a very heavy set back row and 2 wave motion cannons, though I had to spend both my dust tornados on those 2 cards, I couldnt draw anything to get rid of Gravity Bind. Round 3 was starting off the same, but then I drew into Maximus on turn 2-3 and the play went as thus: Urknight->Sandman-> Maximus -> Blow up Messenger of peace-> Attack facedown stealth bird->deal 4900 damage. Next turn he forfeited.

Match 2 vs WCQ Xsabers 1-2
Xsabers, just like everyone else I played, I stomped first round. And he was constantly asking what cards did what, Xsabers is still the deck's best matchup. Its like blackwings without Kalut. Anyway, round 2 he has his sidedeck lined up: 2-3 Mask of Restricts, and Mind Crush....ouch. One turn he Mind crushed my reveal target, ruling says its revealed at activation, not resolution, so i got to keep my guardian. I actually had him down to 200 life points to my 8000, but then he busted out The Calculator to do some math, which means I was going to get FTK'd. Trunade made me pick up compulsory and Oppression-> boggart->some crap with double faultroll, i dont even know. Round 3 was pretty neck in neck, i think it was my 3600 to his 3000, but he had Mask of Restrict very early in the game and I dont side in dusts for xsabers. I almost think the deck needs to run Jinzo in the side >_> his backrow was sooooooooo heavy its not even funny. Only prob with Jinzo is he makes compulsory useless, so i'd have to drop them for enemy controllers.

Match 3 vs Morphtronics 2-1
Got stomped game 1. Sided in dusts for that stupid C&D equip card (i dont have the standard machine sidedeck). Won with Boulder searching for Urknight then playing Maximus for 5000 damage on both rounds 2 and 3.

Match 4 vs Glads 1-2
First round had a D Fissure on the field and I played Maximus and you cant maintain maximus on the field with D Fissure out, so I lost. I also had Corridor of Agony out which worked "okay" but it also stopped my Urknight play. (luckily he cold waved to stop my oppression and corridor, so i was able to win next round.)Round 2 I lost, I may be confusing that Maximus play with round 2. Round 3 he got out a very early Herk and I drew into nothing so he won.

Top 8 vs same Xsaber guy.
Pretty much same went as above. We were going at it for soooooo long, other pairings were already in Match 2. There were starlight roads firing off on both sides of the field, it was bananas. I believe the things that won him the game was summoning Emmersblade under my bottomless and actually attacking with it. There was a Mind Control at some point to make Andriod JUST TO GET HIS LP BACK LOL. Next turn it forced me to flip my own torrential on myself. After that though I drew into a Maximus with Urknight in my hand and no core. I realized, he attacked my boulder with Andriod, I searched out Sandman to activate my own torrential because I had already lost my only Tornado. If i had gotten an iron core instead, then my top deck Maximus could have won me the game. Unfortunately theres no way to know something like that would happen.

Lessons learned:
Against Glad's T-set: Never lead off with Sandman, expecting D.prison or Bottomless. Always expect Waboku or war chariot and summon Guardian instead. Either way, if they activate their trap, you lose a monster(either this turn or next turn after the tag-out). You have greater chances stopping the play with guardian than gaining field presence with Sandman against Glads.
Against Mask of Restrict: Side in dust tornados and heavy. If he sided in Masks then something got sided out and his trap kind is either break even or higher than it was. If you get starlight roaded then oh well, better hope you get urknight or Tornado because stardust is probably less dangerous than a Mask of Restrict up the entire game.

Understanding deck hurdles

I have been on that Duel Monsters Genisis(DMG) for a couple of days now. It is slightly better than dueling myself over YVD because a play I would make is not necessarily one an opponent would make. When I test, it is usually against a computer generated synchro or blackwing deck. These decks don't require too much additional thinking, and the moves you make aren't too dependent on your opponent's field. For example, a blackwing player will pretty much always start off with a set vayu or summon a monster after activating black whirlwind. DMG gives me the chance to "randomize" my experience even more. Unfortunately, DMG has some anime cards and starstrike blast cards that have been unregulated, which skews our testing results even farther. But even with that, we can identify problems with our deck and make any necessary changes.

Let's take the Northy build for example. A main problem with the deck is that a great deal of the monsters have 1400 atk. This means that an opening play with manju doesn't provide much "field presence". Therefore, I had to add in Honest. But even that is not enough, especially with all the dark monsters. I added in rush recklessly for even more of a surprise element, But I realized that even that is not enough with my 6 1900 ATK monsters and 6 1400 and less mosnters. This resulted in me having to add in Burden of the Mighty and 2 Lightning Vortex. Burden is a card that decreases the atk of a monster by its level, so a Stardust because 1700, a Scirocco becomes 1500, and many other level 4s drop to 1400. Lightning Vortex has been in and out of my deck a lot. Starlight Road is an obvious threat and hand management is VERY tight in this deck. But I realized, with triple Breakers, MST, Heavy, Decree and Dark Bribe, I really shouldnt be in any danger of getting starlight roaded, and if it does happen, then my opponent already has the advantage that a Lightning Vortex may not overthrow.

Thinking about the deck's weaknesses is VERY important. Right now I'm testing Core Compression in Koa'kis to offset the speed of the deck, testing Battle Faders in Fiends to offset the low atk monsters, and all that's left to do is wait for results.

So....what?

Today I didn't do too much. I decided to try this "Duel Monsters Genesis" online game to watch people play Yugioh. It's entertaining to say the least. Unfortunately, there are a LOT of people playing what they think are top tier decks, but because they don't know how to play or whatever else, they are doing crazy illegal or crazy bad plays.

For example, one player had Herald of Perfection with Royal Oppression. Now, Herald on the field with Oppression set sounds awesome right?

Well what happens if you don't have Herald and you had to use Oppression to stop a game winning maneuver from the opponent? Now your Herald is unplayable until you get heavy storm or Mystical space typhoon.

Card choice is very important in this game. A lot of people think that if they toss in some of the best cards in the current format, then their deck is now super-powered. Right now, a very powerful card is Thunderking Rai-Oh. While he is face-up on the field your opponent cant search their deck from card effects, nor can they special summon without the threat of it being negated. So why not run this in any deck?
Well, it's called synergy and random "tech", as people call it, can have very little synergy with your deck. If you are running Thunderkings, then your deck will have a lot of trouble if searching is very important to you. If special summoning is your win condition(such as in the Herald deck), running Oppressions may not be in your best interest. If you have a lot of valuable spell, trap, and monster cards that you can not retrieve from the graveyard, then Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter may not be the card for you.

"Tech", which is basically tossing in a card that may be outside your theme, or for the purpose of throwing off a specific opponent's play, is great when it's done properly. It's also something that can change your deck from playable to inconsistent.