Happy New Year, everyone. The Deck Doctor Contest has concluded, and since ARG loved the both of us, Tyler and I have both been granted the duty to doctor players’ decks. First, I need you guys to check out the Deck Doctor fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/ArgDeckDoctor
Like this page on facebook because this is where Tyler and I will select the subjects for each article we write. You can post your deck (along with a brief summary) on the wall of this page or send it in a message, and you will automatically be considered for the next article.
How do I choose which decks to doctor?
I have been scouting player demographics in an attempt to deduce what players want to read about. From what I have analyzed, I conclude that a good portion of ARG readers do not play tier 1 decks. ARG is a hub for top competitive players to grow, with many of its articles written by players who focus solely on tier 1 deck matchups. While I ally myself with that section of the community, I know it would be foolish if I were to disregard the interests of the masses, especially when they may very well be the majority of the audience.
With that in mind, my approach to deck selection will be to srike a balance between doctoring more competitive decks as well as more unique though less competitively viable decks. In both cases, I will still optimize the build or competitive play in order to draw out the deck’s potential, even if its potential isn’t YCS-topping level. Lastly, if your deck provides ample opportunity for a teaching point, then I will be more likely to select it.
Nick Habeeb and Gearkuri Machina
Main Deck: 40
Monsters: 20
3 Geargiarmor
3 Geargiaccelerator
3 Geargiarsenal
3 Machina Fortress
3 Machina Gearframe
2 Karakuri Watchdog Saizan
2 Karakuri Strategist Nishipachi
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
Spells: 8
2 Pot of Duality
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Monster Reborn
1 Dark Hole
1 Heavy Storm
1 Pot of Avarice
Traps: 12
3 Call of the Haunted
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Solemn Warning
1 Solemn judgement
Extra Deck: Undeclared
At a Glance
As I just stated, I am looking to doctor all kinds of decks, not necessarily decks that are solely tier 1. In particular, I will give my attention to decks that offer valuable teaching moments. Nick Habeeb, who also competed in the Deck Doctor Contest, has given us a deck that accomplishes just that.
I think it’s a great example of a solid deck that could go even further when the right relationships are taken into mind. Pat just wrote an article on card relationships here:
http://articles.alterealitygames.com/?p=18362
The spells and traps that you select for a deck like Geargia will largely be determined by key card relationships with the monster engine. Both Gearkuri and Geargia Machina are decks that bide their time with Geargiarmor’s amazing search effect and gather resources for a one turn explosive play that’s very difficult to answer. With Gearkuri, this power play often involves Stardust Dragon, and with Machina, it is most likely some combination of Gear Gigant and Fortress.
Examples of spell/trap relationships that come to mind with this deck include: more summon-response traps rather than attack-response traps because it is ok for Armor to be attacked, Starlight Road because all variants of Geargia have significantly more trouble with Torrential Tribute than other competitive decks, and Book of Moon for its interaction with Geargiarmor and other ignition effects such as Gear Gigant X’s.
Monsters
3 Geargiarmor
3 Geargiaccelerator
3 Geargiarsenal
3 Machina Fortress
3 Machina Gearframe
2 Karakuri Watchdog Saizan
2 Karakuri Strategist Nishipachi
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
The most dramatic changes will be performed at this stage, as the monsters determine the deck’s central strategy. Having both the Karakuri win condition as well as the Machina win condition does not double one’s chances of winning (if only win conditions worked so geometrically). In the case of Geargia, they are divergent strategies which reduce draw consistency. Games and matches will be lost entirely from drawing a piece of one win condition and a piece from the other win condition. It does us more good to always draw pieces that facilitate the same win condition.
Therefore, we will choose one win condition and to maximize its efficacy. I am in favor of the Machina build because the monsters are more threatening as stand-alone cards and because their win condition doesn’t involve combos with lots of opportunities to be broken.
The Karakuris go out in favor of Cannon (which in many cases is a better draw or search than Fortress itself since it summons Fortress without additional discard fodder). Scrap Recycler is either tech or standard depending on how you look at it, but in any case, generates excellent advantage for you, so in it goes.
Since we have some degree of graveyard manipulation, an additional boss monster can prove pretty clutch in the event that the opponent manages to trade resources with Fortress, so we’ll add in Grandsoil.
-2 Watchdog
-2 Strategist
+2 Machina Cannon
+1 Scrap Recycler
+1 Grandsoil the Elemental Lord
Spells
2 Pot of Duality
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Monster Reborn
1 Dark Hole
1 Heavy Storm
1 Pot of Avarice
Again, the subject of relationships comes up when I consider Book of Moon. I think it’s a great card right now, and I am too enticed by the synergy it shares with ignition and summon trigger effects like Armor to not include it. Eat your heart out, opposing Fiendish Chains.
Pot of Duality digs into the Armors and Gearframes that will set you up for victory. I am very hesitant to include so many cards that do nothing against Thunder King, so my caveat is to side well for it (and often side out the Duality).
Lance will also go in, as often times the opponent’s sole out to an onboard Fortress (by out I mean a card that can deal with it without triggering its devastating effects) are of the spell/trap variety. Lance will therefore make their face drop as their one out becomes the equivalent of an MST and you get to keep your dominant position.
+1 Book of Moon
+2 Forbidden lance
Traps
3 Call of the Haunted
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Torrential Tribute
2 Solemn Warning
1 Solemn judgement
My first reaction is that the Torrential does not belong. The deck itself hates opposing Torrentials, and does not exploit its own Torrential as well as other decks. Revisiting the idea of relationships, we find that Call underperforms in a deck such as this one. Call can set up some nasty blowouts with powerful monsters like Centipede, Kristya, or Hyperion. It can generate advantage against MST using floaters like Sangan and Card Trooper. However, these characteristics are not so prominent in Geargia, and we’ll drop them in favor of Compulsory Evacuation Device, a staple since Geargia’s inception. CED is nice because most decks need to XYZ summon to get over Armor or Fortress, and CED takes care of them in a clean way that does not cause destruction like Bottomless, and is chainable. As previously mentioned, Starlight is a must due to every Geargia variant’s natural susceptibility to Torrential.
-2 Torrential Tribute
-3 Call of the Haunted
+2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
+1 Starlight Road
Extra Deck
Because Nick did not provide an extra, I will list my own. Naturally, a large portion will be dedicated to rank 4s. There is nothing exceptional to discuss other than Gaia Dragon’s inclusion to allow Big Eye to otk the same turn its effect is used.
Final List
Main Deck: 41
Monsters: 20
3 Geargiarmor
3 Geargiaccelerator
3 Geargiarsenal
3 Machina Fortress
3 Machina Gearframe
2 Machina Cannon
1 Scrap Recycler
1 Grandsoil the Elemental Lord
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
Spells: 11
2 Forbidden Lance
2 Pot of Duality
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Monster Reborn
1 Dark Hole
1 Heavy Storm
1 Pot of Avarice
1 Book of Moon
Traps: 10
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Solemn Warning
1 Solemn judgement
1 Starlight Road
Extra Deck: 15
1 Abyss Dweller
1 Kachi Kochi Dragon
1 Photon Papilloperative
1 Number 50: Blackship of Corn
2 Maestroke the Symphony DJinn
2 Gear Gigant X
1 Number 16: Shock Master
1 Fairy King Albverdich
1 Number 39: Utopia
1 Number C39: Utopia Ray
1 Number 11: Big Eye
1 Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger
1 Stardust Dragon
Effect Veiler and Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror are needed in the side for the embarrassingly difficult Inzektor matchup. Side the 3rd MST (and Dust Tornado) as well since Dark World is a huge threat to this deck. Gozen Match is a standard and effective answer to Wind-Ups. Soul Drain is a solid pick as the Water deck is the primary contributing reason that Geargia in all its variants has lost its throne this format.
Anonymous with Inzektors
A player who wishes his name withheld has submitted his take on Inzektors.
Main Deck: 40
Monsters: 22
1 Armageddon Knight
2 Dark Simorgh
2 Psi-Blocker
2 Reborn Tengu
3 Inzektor Centipede
3 Inzektor Ladybug
1 Inzektor Dragonfly
1 Inzektor Giga-Mantis
1 Inzektor Hopper
1 Inzektor Hornet
2 Wind-Up Juggler
2 Tour Guide from the Underworld
1 Sangan
Spells: 9
2 Inzektor Sword-Zektkaliber
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Forbidden Lance
1 Heavy Storm
1 Dark Hole
1 Monster Reborn
1 Foolish Burial
Traps: 9
3 Waboku
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Call of the Haunted
2 Solemn Warning
Extra Deck: 15
1 Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
1 Muzurhythm the String Djinn
1 Wind-Up Zenmaines
1 Temtempo the Percussion Djinn
1 Leviair the Sea Dragon
1 Number 20: Giga-Brilliant
1 Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
1 Gagaga Cowboy
1 Maestroke the Symphony Djinn
1 Photon Papilloperative
1 Number 39: Utopia
1 Inzektor Exa-Stag
1 Tiras, Keeper of Genesis
1 Inzektor Exa-Beetle
1 Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger
At a Glance
This format, I dedicated an entire YCS to running Inzektors, and had practiced them extensively beforehand. I often sought Billy for consultation, and was encouraged whenever we reached similar conclusions (such as adding Tking to the side and dropping D-Fissure from the side, or that Torrential was needed in the main again). Just before YCS Providence, I even edged out a 2-0 victory over a top player at a regional (who ran Gearkuri, a very favorable matchup for the bugs). However, that was several months ago, before Water made a splash into tier 1 and before Rabbit became a dominant presence again. The game has changed significantly since then, and I’m intrigued by the challenge to find a build more suitable to the post-ABYR format.
The list presented today is a rather peculiar approach to Inzektor containing WIND attribute cards which facilitate an alternate win condition, which is to lock via Dark Simorgh.
Monsters
1 Armageddon Knight
2 Dark Simorgh
2 Psi-Blocker
2 Reborn Tengu
3 Inzektor Centipede
3 Inzektor Ladybug
1 Inzektor Dragonfly
1 Inzektor Giga-Mantis
1 Inzektor Hopper
1 Inzektor Hornet
2 Wind-Up Juggler
2 Tour Guide from the Underworld
1 Sangan
Since the September ban list, the primary goal of an Inzektor player has always been a game some of us affectionately refer to as “Protect the Centipede.” Every turn Centipede lives reduces your opponent’s likelihood of winning. The Dark Simorgh+WIND engine is funny, and you could even convince me that it’s fun, but it detracts from the central purpose of the deck. Protecting Centipede alone is so difficult that the all 40 cards need to be focused on this one victory condition.
When I last ran bugs myself, 3 Veiler was staple in the main (especially because the mirror match was very relevant at the time). Water came out a month later, people hopped off the Inzektor bandwagon, and so the hand trap issue changed. This is easily seen in Michael Stibbins’ build which won Seattle, which opts for zero maindecked handtraps.
I wrote an extensive section on what decks Card Trooper does well in when I wrote my first article, found here:
http://articles.alterealitygames.com/?p=16894
I would also include two copies of Spirit Reaper (perhaps even three) to punish a lack of commitment to the field, which inevitably happens when you’re running Inzektors. Like Trooper, Reaper has a tendency to bleed removal, paving the way for clean shots with Centipede and Ladybug. In addition, Reaper can go after boss monster conservation, which is much needed in the current format.
Hopper lost a lot of its finesse since it was ruled that its effect could not be used first turn at the start of the format. Armageddon Knight is a weak vanilla monster on any turn that you searched, milled, or drew Hornet beforehand, simply far too situational. Out both cards go. Tomato recruits half the deck with the ability to work both defensively and offensively, so it takes their place.
Gorz is a card I have often seen players not play around when facing Inzektors, in anticipation that they’ll never run it. Let’s throw the opponent a curve ball and actually run the Gorz.
You can debate all you want about whether Stibbins’ championship victory at Seattle was a fluke; there is a case for both sides. But one thing is unquestionable: if Dark Armed Dragon did not exist, he would not have won the event. Period. The card has no substitute, and Inzektor is one of the best decks in the history of the game to utilize the card.
-2 Wind-Up Juggler
-2 Psi-Blocker
-2 Reborn Tengu
-2 Dark Simorgh
-1 Armageddon Knight
-1 Inzektor Hopper
+2 Spirit Reaper
+2 Mystic Tomato
+1 Dark Armed Dragon
+1 Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness
Spells
2 Inzektor Sword-Zektkaliber
2 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Forbidden Lance
1 Heavy Storm
1 Dark Hole
1 Monster Reborn
1 Foolish Burial
So, I actually side D-Fissure against Inzektor now (when running Wind-Up). Intuitively, that’s a very questionable move, but when you play it out, you’ll find match after match that the card actually works against Inzektors, quite opposite of what it did before the September ban list. Macro Cosmos is an even stronger D-Fissure which obviously prevents the deck from winning altogether, as does a solid opening of protective traps in general. For these reasons, I would main the 3rd MST rather than side it.
The inclusion of one Lance is very sensible, as it offers Centipede and Dragonfly protection from every commonly played spell or trap apart from Warning while also making the target invincible should you run out of targets for Hornet pops. It’s superior to its alternatives in so many ways. For instance, unlike Safe Zone, it will never lose to MST, as you can simply activate it from the hand. Also, it works the turn you draw it, and that additional speed is crucial because Hornet-based victories are very turn sensitive.
I’m adding Allure to help shape consistent hands, especially considering that TGU-Sangan leaves a dead TGU in deck. This isn’t Wind-Ups where TGU almost always gets another TGU.
+1 Mystical Space Typhoon
+1 Allure of Darkness
Traps
3 Waboku
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Call of the Haunted
2 Solemn Warning
Waboku’s primary advantage of Threatening Roar is that it can be used in response to an attack declaration, allowing your Inzektor monster to safely flip face up and dodge the effects of cards like Solemn Warning, Torrential Tribute, and Bottomless Trap Hole when you make a Hornet play the following turn. This trick was very useful in the March 2012 format, but at this point the scenario is all but gone with only 1 Hornet to work with. Threatening Roar wins out as the better card in this format as it combats rogue monsters that still do things even when they are not dealing battle damage.
I had a horrifying match at YCS Providence in which I opened 3 Call one game with zero targets to work with. It almost makes me want to side with the decision to play 2 Call here. However, the limiting of Dragonfly makes your number of blowout Inzektor plays a scarce resource, and Call expands that resource. Just side a copy out for games 2 and 3.
Billy was clever in the way he lured players to play around Torrential at Indy while running zero actual copies. However, this strategy is easily adapted to, and people certainly caught on. When Providence rolled around, it was time to run Torrential again. Run 1.
As for Solemn Judgment, there’s a division on whether it’s really good for the deck. On one hand, you will see from extensive testing that the deck is very low on life points. LPs are often played as a resource when running bugs. On the other hand, SJ can protect Centipede, as well as protect pushes with Centipede. Insurance for a push is awesome. If I renamed Solemn Judgment, I would call the card Insurance. Test around with the card and see if it works for you.
-3 Waboku
+1 Call of the Haunted
+1 Torrential Tribute
Extra Deck
1 Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
1 Muzurhythm the String Djinn
1 Wind-Up Zenmaines
1 Temtempo the Percussion Djinn
1 Leviair the Sea Dragon
1 Number 20: Giga Brilliant
1 Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
1 Gagaga Cowboy
1 Maestroke the Symphony Djinn
1 Photon Papilloperative
1 Number 39: Utopia
1 Inzektor Exa-Stag
1 Tiras, Keeper of Genesis
1 Inzektor Exa-Beetle
1 Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger
Extra space is actually not so tight in an Inzektor deck. I often wavered beween the 2nd Zenmaines and the 2nd Leviair, though you will seldom really need to summon either of them twice in one game. I think the 2nd Zenmaines is overally better, however. Billy has been the only player to top an event with all 3 Djinns last format (he called the band Billy and the Brakes). However, that was the past, and Muzurhythm is basically bad, as it is outclsased by Acid Golem. Daigusto Phoenix is an absolute must since Ladybug swarms are not that rare of a sight for this deck.
Exa-Stag has done incredible things for me, and when this deck was hotter last fall, I 2-0’d just about every Wind-Up player I faced in tournament with the aid of rank 5s such as him. Adreus and Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja are noteworthy as well. Exa-Beetle will never be summoned, and in the extremely rare instance you are making a rank 6 with the aid of Giga-Mantis, you would want Photon Strike Bounzer instead. There is also not a tremendous need for rank 4s, so I would stick to just a couple of the very best and most needed ones while dropping the remainder.
I never summoned Gaia Dragon despite having mained it for quite some time. Leave it in if you side Mind Control, but I feel it is not a well utilized slot.
-1 Muzurhythm
-1 Cowboy
-1 Papilloperative
-1 Utopia
-1 Exa-Beetle
-1 Gaia Dragon
+1 Adreus
+1 Acid Golem
+1 Ninja
+1 Daigusto Phoenix
+1 Shock Master
+1 Zenmaines
Final List
Main Deck: 40
Monsters: 18
3 Inzektor Centipede
3 Inzektor Ladybug
1 Inzektor Dragonfly
1 Inzektor Giga-Mantis
1 Inzektor Hornet
2 Mystic Tomato
2 Spirit Reaper
2 Tour Guide from the Underworld
1 Sangan
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness
Spells: 11
3 Mystical Space Typhoon
2 Inzektor Sword-Zektkaliber
1 Forbidden Lance
1 Heavy Storm
1 Dark Hole
1 Monster Reborn
1 Foolish Burial
1 Allure of Darkness
Traps: 11
3 Threatening Roar
3 Call of the Haunted
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Solemn Warning
1 Torrential Tribute
Extra Deck: 15
1 Gachi Gachi Gantetsu
1 Daigusto Phoenix
2 Wind-Up Zenmaines
1 Temtempo the Percussion Djinn
1 Leviair the Sea Dragon
1 Number 20: Giga-Brilliant
1 Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
1 Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction
1 Maestroke the Symphony Djinn
1 Number 16: Shock Master
1 Inzektor Exa-Stag
1 Tiras, Keeper of Genesis
1 Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon
1 Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja
I would feel pretty confident competing with this build. Both Stibbins and European player Peter Gross keenly sided Ryko and Royal Decree to top their respective YCSes with bugs, two cards that effectively counter the anti-Inzektor cards which will inevitably sided against you. Gozen/Rivalry are also necessary for the side, as are Soul Drain for the Water matchup. Maxx “C” and Deck Devastation are plenty useful as well sided for the matchup. I personally love Messenger of Peace and side it in nearly every deck, and I think it fits well with the concept of Protect the Centipede. And don’t forget Thunder King!
Until next time,
Play Hard or Go Home.
Sincerely,
Johnny
Johnny Li
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