What’s up duelists? I hope everyone enjoyed their sneak previews this past weekend. This is one of the first packs in a long time where the rarities of the chase cards aren’t super high (secret rare). Konami decided to be most generous with Order of Chaos by making 3 of the best cards in the pack super rare—Wind-up Shark, Inzektor Hornet, and Wind-up Rat. This means that almost everyone should be able to build something new for the metagame shift. Speaking of that shift, this article will focus on just how different the game is going to be in the last 2 months of the September 2011 format. As the banlist approaches in March we still have an upcoming YCS in Atlanta that will be the first premier level event to feature the cards from Order of Chaos and the upcoming dragon starter deck. The decks that used to be tier 1 will be outclassed unless they drastically change form. This will mean updating them with a combination of hand traps like Maxx “Cs” and Effect Veilers and adding effect stopping traps like Fiendish Chain. Without these essential tools or some kind of all-out anti-meta deck I can’t see anything keeping up post ORCS. Decks other than anti-meta should be made with one thought in mind—Speed.
I don’t know how you all felt about the format before Order of Chaos but I kinda liked it. I mean, yes we had the rising problem with Dino-Rabbit decks but I believe the format was bound to stabilize as more and more main deck hate would have surfaced to deal with the lucky foot rodent. Now, however, there will be a period of super fast “herp-derp” losses and rage quits that are sure to send duelists straight to forums with complaints about how they lost because of X reason. Wind-ups threaten to win the game as early as turn 1 by discarding the majority of your hand and leaving you helpless to fight against the absurd card advantage that was gained from a simple 2-card combo. Then, Inzektors need only 1 card (Hornet) to begin a cycle of extreme plusses that will leave you unable to commit any cards to the field unless you can guarantee their safety with the use of Effect Veilers, Fiendish Chains, and Solemn Warnings. Although the deck is very linear its one trick is absurdly potent and since it’s not high on special summons you can’t expect your full set of Maxx “C”s to be all that effective. Deck’s that have no choice but to commit to the field in order to function properly, like that of Dark World and Agents, will have some big problems in the Inzektor matchup. It’s like sure you have your 3 Hyperions but I have all my Inzektors which happen to all be Hyperions and they’re searchable—good luck.
One of the cards that I was considering against both the new decks is an old hand trap, and what most would call the very first hand trap to see high level competitive play—that’s right—I’m talking about D.D. Crow. On the surface it doesn’t appear to be a great pick because, as you may already know, the effect of Inzektors to equip a monster from the hand or graveyard does NOT target. This means that if the opponent has another Hornet, other than the one that you’re targeting for the effect of D.D. Crow, in the hand or graveyard when he or she activates the effect of the Inzektor monster, he or she can simply equip the other Hornet. But at the same time if he activates the effect of an Inzektor to equip and you chain the effect of D.D. Crow, removing the only Hornet in the grave, he must still equip SOMETHING from the hand or graveyard. This little trick can be crippling because let’s say for example that the opponent has just summoned Inzektor Dragonfly with a copy of Inzektor Hornet in the grave and has a copy of Inzektor Centipede in hand and he activates the effect of the Dragonfly. If you chain your Crow to the activation of Dragonfly’s effect he must equip that Centipede from the hand which is a horrendous situation to be put in. Something similar can be done with Trap Dustshoot if the opponent blatantly summons an Inzektor and doesn’t have a copy of Hornet in the graveyard. When you see this happening you can safely assume that he or she has the Hornet in hand and when the effect of the Inzektor is activated you can just chain your Trap Dustshoot and put it back into the deck. Then, if there is another Inzektor monster in his or her hand it MUST be equipped causing a debilitating minus.
In the Wind-up matchup, D.D. Crow has the ability to stop the loop, at least for a turn, by removing the Wind-up Hunter from the grave when the effect of Wind-up Rat attempts to bring it back and steal your hand. If the opponent has Foolish Burial you’re just beat. But if not, then you can try to fight back with a somewhat full hand. It’s far better than opening with like 1 or 2 cards and embarrassing yourself while trying to make some pathetic attempt to mount a comeback. Of course D.D. Crow also has a place in other spots of the meta like against Plants and Dark World where it can be a huge advantage in game 1 when those decks will be sure to have their full engines. I’m not telling you to go main decking D.D. Crows like they’re extra copies of Maxx “C” but you should be aware of what it can do right now.
Tour Bus from the Underworld is another interesting card from Order of Chaos. I say interesting because I don’t think its “broken” per say but I do think it has a convenient effect at times. It can help to continue the Wind-up combo, putting back a copy of Wind-up Zenmaighty or Wind-up Rat, or it can add a Reborn Tengu back into your deck while you have a copy on the field which will extend its many uses, or it can send back your opponent’s Inzektor Hornet (or Grapha if they haven’t given up on that deck already) and leave them searching for the next one on their following turns. As I’ve stated in previous articles, the time your opponent spends trying to setup his strategy is when you can take full advantage of his moment of weakness. A good player will know an opening when it arises and strike accordingly. There is very little that Inzektors can do without their precious Hornet. As the format develops there will be more uses for the Bus but for right now I don’t think it should be of too much concern outside of the scenarios that I’ve aforementioned.
Be prepared to main deck lots of hand traps and side deck even more because this format just became crazy fast. Fiendish Chain will become even more popular than it already was now that it hurts more decks and it’s easily splashable. It’s gonna be really cool to see what decks make the top32 cut at YCS Atlanta in February. Yet, I think we’ll find it even more interesting to see what happens March 1st.
Remember, play hard or go home!
-Frazier Smith
-YCS Atlanta Champion
Latest posts by Frazier Smith (see all)
- Know The Power Of Demise - June 2, 2016
- Viability of the Subjugated – Water - February 22, 2016
- The Problem with Monarchs - February 11, 2016
Get
Connected