How’s it going Yugi-doods? Today I’m going to take a very different route for my article’s topic. I’d like to discuss this format’s many paradoxes, most of which have just surfaced from the addition of Order of Chaos, and how they affect the way we play the game. In Yu-Gi-Oh, a paradox is something that has a contradictory nature. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that any of these paradoxes were fixed on the March 1st banlist. Here are a couple of for you to check out:
Yu-Gi-Oh Paradox No. 37:
This format brought Mystical Space Typhoon to 3 copies per deck and brought back Heavy Storm. Do you know how frustrating it is to set 1 card and lose a game to Mystical Space Typhoon or set more than 1 card and lose the game to Heavy Storm? I’m sure by now you’ve experienced both scenarios which is why I do not agree with that combination of cards being in the same format.
Yu-Gi-Oh Paradox No. 4:
Every top level competitive deck must run cards like Maxx “C” and Effect Veiler in order to combat the high special summon nature of the format. However, those cards really don’t have any synergy with most of the decks that are forced to run them. If you don’t run them you could lose as early as turn 1. Then you have decks that aren’t affected by those cards, like Tech Genus and Anti-Meta, which are very good in theory but Paradox No. 37 screws you pretty hard. Playing Anti-Meta this format isn’t really a good choice because of all the backrow destruction and every game your opponent draws Heavy Storm will be such an uphill battle that you’ll begin to question if it’s worth it or not.
Yu-Gi-Oh Paradox No. 18:
Fiendish Chain does a great job at countering the best decks this format since they rely heavily on resolving the effects of their monsters. However, thanks to Xyz and Synchro monsters you will often be stuck with a face up “lingering” Fiendish Chain that does nothing more than stymie your Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Gorz and I see him as a necessary evil because if you run 3 Maxx “C” you should have something to draw into that will assure that you live next turn. Otherwise, what’s the point in drawing all of those cards and never getting to play them, right? So you play your set of Chains and your copy of Gorz but you lose games because they conflict, yet you can’t take them out. Awesome.
Yu-Gi-Oh Paradox No. 9
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed it yet but cards that are pretty good against Inzektors and Wind-ups just so happen to be not so good or just plain terrible against Dino-Rabbit. For instance, Effect Veiler is a solid card against Inzektors and Wind-ups while it does nothing more than stop Tour Guide from the Underworld in most cases against Dino-Rabbit. Main decking cards like Dimensional Prison, Mirror Force, and Spirit Reapers are all good options against Dino-Rabbit yet they do close to nothing against Wind-ups and Inzektors. It’s very frustrating to be torn between matchup specific cards. I mean, if you knew that you would play 11 rounds of Wind-ups in the next event then your decisions would be made clear, but that is a luxury not afforded by us and it isn’t a realistic one at that. You’re going to play against decks where you wish that all those hand traps were real traps that defended your lifepoints while you get beat down by a Tengu and a T.G. Rush Rhino. Then, you’re going to play against decks where you wish that all those traps that defend your lifepoints were something to stop a Wind-up loop or an Inzektor Dragonfly from taking your hand or wiping your whole field, respectively.
Yu-Gi-Oh Paradox no. 22:
Side decking is an important part of the game, always has and always will be, and there are many playable decks this format. All decks aren’t created equal so some of them are just strictly better than others and that tends to shift throughout the format. The problem is that every deck can beat you and you’re stuck siding cards for the top matchups. Now some people would argue that you just side generic cards that are good against many decks but even that strategy isn’t all that full-proof. You have 15 slots and no clue what you’re going to play against in the first few rounds which are always the scariest. It also sucks because you can’t side those blowout cards that are match specific. For example, I like to side Closed Forest against Gravekeepers because it literally just wins you the game but Gravekeepers aren’t a very good deck anymore so the chances of you playing it are slim. The sad thing is, let’s say you do play against it this format, and since you like to be up to date on things you’re maining your 3 copies of Maxx “C” and however many copies of Effect Veiler, which pushes your monster count up really high and probably in the twenties. Now you’re deck has a terrible matchup against a seemingly irrelevant deck but some people are still running it and can just beat you. You don’t have the room to side something like Closed Forest in this format which sucks because there are just too many other problems to deal with. I’m not a fan of this many playable decks even though the best players will just be playing the Meta anyways.
Yu-Gi-Oh Paradox No. 1:
You lose the die roll and you probably lose the game—on that turn, too. And that’s not even a paradox. That’s just Yu-Gi-Oh. It's obviously not as cut and dry as I make it out to be but the increase in first turn "brokenness" is undoubtedly on the rise, and it's taking away from the skill. I would like there to be something that mitigates the severe advantage of going first. In fact, one of my losses at YCS Atlanta this year was to wind-ups just looping me on turn 1 in game 3. I actually opened up with D.D. Crow but it wasn’t enough to recover.
Until next time, Play Hard or Go Home!
-Frazier Smith
-YCS Atlanta Champion
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