With the September Banned/Restricted list being about a month away, I know a lot of players are looking forward to change as many people find the current format a tad boring with Spellbooks and Dragons being at the top. Through various sources such as V-Jump we will most likely know the September list in just a few weeks; I’m here to share my thoughts on what I would like to happen on the list (within the realm of reason)  rather than what I think Konami will do  so keep that in mind while reading. I do not want to see Dragons or Spellbooks get destroyed, I just want them to be watered down some and for the other decks to be more balanced along with them and of course I also want to try and avoid disasters later down in the format , but let’s get onto the list.

Newly Forbidden:

[ccProd]Card Destruction[/ccProd] [ccProd]Super Rejuvenation[/ccProd]

 

Newly Limited to One:

[ccProd]Atlantean Dragoons[/ccProd] [ccProd]Evilswarm Ophion[/ccProd]

Number 11: Big Eye

[ccProd]Rekindling[/ccProd] [ccProd]Rescue Rabbit[/ccProd] [ccProd]Spellbook of Judgment[/ccProd] [ccProd]Spellbook of Secrets[/ccProd]

 

Newly Limited to Two:

[ccProd]Deep Sea Diva[/ccProd]

Fire Formation - Tenki

[ccProd]Gold Sarcophagus[/ccProd]

 

Newly Unrestricted:

[ccProd]Scapegoat[/ccProd]

Thunder King Rai-Oh

[ccProd]Tsukuyomi[/ccProd]

 

[ccProd]Card Destruction[/ccProd]

This card is more problematic now than it has been before. In the past, you didn’t want to Darkworld see this card in their hand, ditching copies of Snoww, Grapha, and Broww to gain infinite advantage and getting rid of yours. Now with Dragon Rulers in the mix it is potentially even worse especially when you add [ccProd]Super Rejuvenation[/ccProd], and even they don’t have Rejuv them ditching a hand full of Dragons which can be brought back at anytime for a brand new hand doesn’t seem all that fair to me. Seeing this card in your hand makes it really hard for you to lose a lot of the time. The minus one that Card D is isn’t so much of a minus for the decks that run it nowadays. I feel like it really is time for this card to go on the Forbidden list.

[ccProd]Super Rejuvenation[/ccProd]

At this point we should all know why this card needs to go. Every time my opponent ditches 4 dragons and makes and Dracossack I’m like anyone else and pray that they don’t follow it up with this card. It is so hard to come back from the advantage gained from that play, especially if you aren’t running Dragons yourself. I really don’t think Dragon Rulers need 3 [ccProd]Pot of Greed[/ccProd]s (at the minimum) to be a good deck; the Dragons themselves are pseudo-floaters that can be brought back at almost any point. Activating Rejuv to gain 6+ cards in the end phase is dumb enough, it turns full on ignorant when they hit another one and get another 6 cards. Combine this card with Seven Star Sword and Card Destruction, and it’s only a matter of time until your backrows get blown away by [ccProd]Heavy Storm[/ccProd]. This card needs to go.

[ccProd]Atlantean Dragoons[/ccProd]

Some people forgot that Water was once a top deck and it’s not too hard for that to happen again especially with some of the new cards coming out in Judgment of the Light. I feel like a limit of this card is needed to keep this deck in check so it doesn’t become too powerful after hitting the other decks. Limiting Dragoons only reduces the consistency of the deck without killing it off entirely. It can search for practically any monster you want in the deck, has a 1800 body, and decent effect to go along with it.  Things get crazy when you open with 2 of these, like your opponent going from 8000 to 0 in a turn or 2. This card going to one seems reasonable.

[ccProd]Evilswarm Ophion[/ccProd]

This card has been the bane for many players since the day it came out. Shutting off the summoning of Lv5 or higher monster is no joke especially Evilswarms revolve around making this card, and it can also search a card which protects it from spells and traps. When playing a deck that revolves around playing high level monsters, not being able to play isn’t fun. With all these new Synchros coming out in the next set, they won’t be able to see much play if Evilswarm is at its full power, so putting this card to one seems fair. Staring down double Ophion almost guarantees you going first in the next game. It’s not like Evilswarms are dead either as the deck has many other rank 4s it can spit out, you can recycle Ophion if needed through the use of Kerykion or save it using [ccProd]Infestation Infection[/ccProd].

Number 11: Big Eye

3 [ccProd]Snatch Steal[/ccProd]s with a 2600 body in the Extra deck hardly seems fair to me. Dragons can make this card way too easily, and make it so practically any monster you put on the board is as good as your opponents. It not being able to attack isn’t really a drawback at all as the monster you take can still attack and it’s yours to keep. Putting this card at one stops all of the “Big Eye wars” and them getting summoned turn after turn.

[ccProd]Rekindling[/ccProd]

With Rooster and Wolfbark coming in Judgment of the Light, bringing the 3-axis Firefist to the TCG soon only makes this card even more powerful than it was in the past. Special summoning 5 monsters from your graveyard with one card has never been healthy for the game, and now we are going to have another deck which can use this card to that potential. I’m pretty sure everybody has felt some sort of emotion when your opponent tops [ccProd]Rekindling[/ccProd] and wins because of it, I don’t know about anybody else but I want as little of that as possible.

[ccProd]Rescue Rabbit[/ccProd]

The bunny has been at 2 long enough and it’s about time it goes down to 1. Rabbit+Tour Guide may not be a thing right now, but it has been in the past and can be in the future, back to back Rabbits a lot of the time can be too much for somebody to handle. I’ve had the misfortune plenty of time playing against Evilswarms and Veiler’ing a Rabbit, just for them to summon another the next turn. I would leave Rabbit alone, if it didn’t lead to ridiculous XYZs that it does.

Spellbook of Judgment/Spellbook of Secrets

I figured I would put these two together since they are in the same deck in all. When you first read Judgment it just screams broken, adding Spellbooks to your hand in the end phase equal to the spells you use and special summoning a free monster. It can create total lockdown when you bring out Kycoo or Jowgen and have [ccProd]Spellbook of Fate[/ccProd] to back it up. Having Judgment turn after turn just makes it so there is no way for your opponent to combat you, or even play half the time. Getting Justice off Judgment adding Priestess and another Judgment to the hand along with the other Books you got leads to a slaughter. Some might see as putting [ccProd]Spellbook of Secrets[/ccProd] as well as Judgment as overkill, but you have to remember you also have 3 Spellbook Magicians to search for anything including Secrets. So right now you effectively have 6 Secrets in your deck, having 6 searchers seems like a bit much. Putting both these to one doesn’t outright kill the deck but just tones it down to a level to where other decks can keep up with it.

[ccProd]Gold Sarcophagus[/ccProd]

It’s not on the level of Spellbook of Secrets in my opinion, but it’s still a pretty powerful card in Dragons, turning into a plus when you banish a Dragon. Having access to 3 Reinforcements in a deck as powerful as Dragons seems a bit unbalanced to me. I would like to see this card at least go to 2.

Fire Formation – Tenki

Putting the Fire Fist themed RotA to 2 seems fitting just like the rest. The new version of Fire Fist doesn’t rely on Tenki like the builds before, so it shouldn’t hurt too badly. The deck is getting amazing support in the next set and putting this to 2 will (hopefully) keep this deck in check along with Rekindling at one.  I would get tired of seeing a Tenki stream quite fast.

Thunder King Rai-Oh

I think it’s safe to say this guy can go back up to 3 again. He doesn’t hold the power that he used to when Wind-Ups, Agents, and Geargias were at the top, 1900 isn’t the magic number anymore. Thunder King at 3 wouldn’t be detrimental to the game and he does help keep things under control.

[ccProd]Tsukuyomi[/ccProd]

The days of killing Monarchs and flipping Spies down with this card are long gone; Tsuk could come back to 3 and cause no problems whatsoever. It actually helps break up locks that you are under like Ophion, Kycoo, Jowgen, and [ccProd]Naturia Beast[/ccProd] or Barkion. Some people might feel like the 2 copies are enough and some don’t even side it at all, so it being at 3 probably won’t affect much

[ccProd]Scapegoat[/ccProd]

Once again, Goat Control days are over and this card can come back at 3 and be just fine. It is seeing next to no play right now being at one, and  you most likely won’t see new age Goat Control decks pop up at Regionals or the next YCS either. It will either continue to see no play, or some people might try playing it in a deck revolving around Plasma or some Synchro variants which doesn’t seem all that degenerate to me, it actually would be something I would probably play around with at locals.

Alright well that’s it for this article,with Spellbooks and Dragons being at the top I am looking forward to some change and new decks. I hope the changes I would like to see don't seem too radical. Try not to burn me alive in the comments below and hopefully I won’t be seen as psychotic for what I would like to see on the list.

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