Quick Article #7: Scientist Control

I’ve been having some interest in the Scientist Control deck I’ve been posting in my latest tournament reports, both online and in person. One player in particular emailed me directly to ask me some very good questions regarding how the deck plays, combos, match-ups, siding, and then some queries about specific card choices (such as Number 56: Gold Rat and Evilswarm Ouroboros). Since I don’t think it’s too much of stretch to assume there are more people interested than just the few who have talked to me, I’ve decided to use the quite detailed answers to the aforementioned player for the basis of this short article, describing how I play deck.

Its main goal is to get out Scientist – the heavy tendency in the construction towards drawing, searching and Special Summoning is primarily geared towards finding Magical Scientist and putting him on the field. For a first turn play, I’m going to be trying to lock the opponent out of their first turn (a second turn play will obviously be more intent on creating the best possible response to the opponent's first turn set up); depending on what the opponent is using (that is, what their Spell/Trap/Monster ratio is like, what their play patterns and possibilities are, etc.), and depending on what I’m able to find and create, some combination of Number 16: Shock Master, Photon Strike Bounzer or Evilswarm Ouroboros, backed up by my Spells and/or Traps – Imperial Order, Crush card Virus, Delinquent Duo, etc. – and/or Effect Veilers, is going to be my final set up. The aim, again, is to lock the opponent out of their turn, so the pilot needs to be able to read what they're playing, and what they'll be trying to, and able to, accomplish.

That said, though, the deck has many other options. The Chaos monsters, as well as being discard/removal fodder for the draw engine, can also be Summoned when needed. By the same token, Light and Darkness Dragon, again primarily a discard target, is also a very powerful option to be Summoned when Scientist isn't available, and is quite easily done with all of the Special Summon options. Other Monsters make Crush Card Virus live, the Extra Deck does contain a couple of Synchro Monsters which can be summoned with Effect Veiler, the Magical Scientist/Dark Strike Fighter FTK is possible, and even just Elemental Hero Stratos with some control cards can be a decent opening play. It all depends on the opening hand – the pilot will need to be able to gauge the amount of stuff he or she can do, which only comes with experience. When I play the deck, I can see my final set up from my opening six cards, and plan what I'm going to do anywhere from the second possibly play up to the twentieth possible play in advance.

If I’m going to be playing against FTKs, I'll need Hand Traps; Effect Veilers are already Mained, so the Side Deck will generally consist of Droll & Lock Birds, Hanewatas, Neko Mane Kings, Maxx "C"s, Elephant Stature of Disaster, depending on what I expect to play against. Battle based matchups are quite good, although I may want to Side more battle based cards – Snatch Steal, Dark Hole, Heavy Storm and Harpie's Feather Duster, that sort of thing. Also, some Hand Traps, such as Maxx "C" and D.D. Crow, can be good for battle based match ups – Dark World, heavy Special Summoning strategies – so I’ll consider Siding those, as well. The Side really depends on what I expect to play, and then changes accordingly. My Side, even for the same deck, is different at every tournament.

On the subject of Number 56: Gold Rat: during my turn, I quite often end up with Destiny Hero – Disk Commander and Magical Scientist on-field, and, in this scenario, rather than making a few exceeds (which obviously cost Life Points with Scientist) and leaving those two, low ATK Monsters susceptible to attacks, I summon Thousand Eyes Restrict and overlay the three for Gold Rat. I then get to draw another card, shuffle back a dead card (or my second Malicious, always helpful), put Disk Commander (by detaching him to activate Rat's effect) back into the Graveyard for another revival and draw, and have a LIGHT target if Rat hits the Grave. It seems like an odd choice, and I got a bit of crap for it at the time, but it really is very good here.

Evilswarm Ouroboros is for when I have Imperial Order. If I've drawn the Trap Card, I don't want to Summon Shock Master and call Spells – I'll already be cutting out Spells with Imperial, and doubling up on effects, except when making a fancy surprise combo, is useless. Therefore, unless I need to cut out Monster effects (which I'm most likely going to be doing with Photon Strike Bounzer or Effect Veiler anyway), I'll make Ouroboros to take another card from the opponent's hand instead.

I hope this clears up some questions that might have formed around this deck, especially since I unfortunately never got around to writing any others pieces about it.

Deck Analysis #24: Last Turn

When I consider the list of decks that can claim victory on the very first turn of the game (a list relatively large in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, and, of course, even more so in the Traditional Format), I find it can safely be split into two distinct categories: on one side of this fissure is the selection of decks that have no hope of ever claiming a tournament, whether local or otherwise – the decks that, while interesting and fun to play, are simply too inconsistent to function at the degree necessary to be successful; on the other side, however, is the selection that takes consistency and efficiency to the highest levels possible in this great game – the decks that have won, or placed very highly in, tournaments across the globe. Now, this latter list has, to my mind, only a grand total of five strategies upon it: the Dimension Fusion Loop; Exchange of the Spirit; Magical Scientist; Last Turn; and Frog FTK. Having already written analyses of the first three (and, in one case, reworked the list for inclusion in an essay), and the very last holding no interest to me whatsoever due to its invariability in deck architecture, I have but a single one left to discuss: Last Turn. I should like to do so now, in this article, shining a light on a deck which has fallen out of fashion with First-Turn-Knockout enthusiasts. 

The reasoning for this is a complicated discourse between its amazing consistency and the ease with which it can be countered. Due to a relative lack of dead draws brought about by the ability to utilize an extensive list of draw Spells, the modern Last Turn deck has the opportunity to be arguably the most consistent First-Turn-Knockout there is; it does not get weighed down in the early turn by Trap after Trap when one has not sent Makyura to the Graveyard, or useless copies of Cyber Valley or Spell Power Grasp; and nor does it falter in the late turn by drawing extra copies of Armageddon Knight, Machine Duplication, or Royal Magical Library. That said, however, the simple combo of Jowgen the Spiritualist, Wall of Revealing Light and Last Turn is rather more fragile than something like Exchange of the Spirit, although it must be said not more so than a burn-based one. There appears to be some misinformation about the strategy, which I will delve into, but, to begin with at least, I will ignore this argument in order to showcase my list for this, the final First-Turn-Knockout deck (barring extenuating circumstances) I will be covering.

The Monsters: 11

3 Broww, Huntsman of Dark World

3 Destiny Hero – Dreadmaster

2 Destiny Hero – Dogma

1 Destiny Hero – Disk Commander

1 Dark Magician of Chaos

1 Jowgen the Spiritualist 

Within the proverbial First-Turn-Knockout structural study guide, there is clearly noted the need for the smallest Monster count possible; the ability to draw through the deck and find the combo consistently is markedly increased with such being achieved. Here, this has been accomplished by dropping Jowgen the Spiritualist down to only a single copy (where others might play two or even a full three), thus decreasing the chances of drawing a Jowgen without the remainder of the win condition, and thereby increasing the chances of finding further acceleration. The number of discard targets has also been slimmed as much as feasible, furthering this goal, and there have been, needless to say, no unnecessary inclusions of any kind.

The remaining ten cards from the list of Monsters occupy the category of discard targets. Firstly, a full set of Broww Huntsman of Dark World find use as acting as ideal discards for the Graceful Charity, Card Destruction or the copies of Dark World Dealings from the Spell Card line-up. Thence, a full set of Destiny Hero – Dreadmaster and a pair of Destiny Hero – Dogma come in as discards for either Destiny Draw or Trade-in, while Destiny Hero – Disk Commander functions as the most optimal discard for the former and Dark Magician of Chaos the most optimal for the latter. All, furthermore, can be Banished for the effect of Allure of Darkness.

Short and concise. The Monster card list is exceedingly simple, but every card and its number of copies have been meticulously chosen.

The Spells: 27

3 Trade-In

3 Upstart Goblin

3 Into the Void

3 Dark World Dealings

3 One Day of Peace

2 Destiny Draw

2 Hand Destruction

1 Card Destruction

1 Allure of Darkness

1 Pot of Greed

1 Graceful Charity

1 Painful Choice

1 Harpie’s Feather Duster

1 Monster Reborn

1 Premature Burial

We are now come already to the list of Spell Cards, quite obviously the most substantial portion of the deck. As was mentioned in the introduction, the strategy is characterised by the ability to run a huge amount of draw Spells; this is partially due to the size of the win condition (only three cards), and partially due to the lack of any necessity to play a very specific engine – that is, there is no need to use a Makyura the Destructor engine in order to activate Exchange of the Spirit on the first turn, nor is there a need to play a Cyber Valley engine in order to load the required cards into the Banished zone. Furthermore, with the Normal Summon at all times going to Jowgen the Spiritualist, any Summon-based engines such as these (and, in addition, the Royal Magical Library engine), also become redundant. This essentially creates a consistency while not perfect (no deck can ever be one-hundred percent consistent) is exceedingly high.

To begin with, the above line-up contains a selection of complicated draw two cards – that is, complicated in terms of them requiring a specific discard as a cost. Firstly, a full set of Trade-in comes as an easy pick with the ability, as noted earlier, to include six Level Eight Monsters; more could indeed be played, given that many of these targets could and would be discarded or Banished for other Spells, but, in terms of overall consistency, I have found this to be unnecessary. Next, the allowable pair of Destiny Draw also discovers their use for precisely the same reason, while a full set of Dark World Dealings requires a little more discussion: I have categorised them with the draw two cards due to the simple fact that, when combined with Broww, Huntsman of Dark World (as should be done), they do indeed draw two cards; however, they can, of course, be activated in order to draw only a single card, but I must stress that this only be done in extreme circumstances – the minus one (-1) from this, and the continued minuses from doing this multiple times, quickly depletes one’s hand presence, something which is highly detrimental to the successful drawing of the deck and subsequent activation of the win condition. Too few cards in hand can (and most often will) mean the creation of dead draws, either by drawing a Spell Card without its discard or the reverse, so this must be avoided. To round out this suite, the single allowed copy of Allure of Darkness is undoubtedly the most versatile, being that any of the ten DARK Attribute Monsters can be Banished for its effect; caution, of course, must be used when deciding, based on the remaining draw cards in the hand and deck.

From there, the hitherto constantly aforementioned massive collection of draw Spells is completed by the following list of simple selections – that is, not requiring a specific discard, or requiring no discard at all: full sets of each Upstart Goblin, Into the Void and One Day of Peace draw a single card without the need for trading in a second, maintaining a constant and consistent stream of fresh options; two copies of Hand Destruction (only two, for the uncomplicated issue of space) and the single allowed copy of Card Destruction can be used when one has a superfluity of dead cards, finding new ones in unfavourable game positions; and the obvious inclusions of Graceful Charity and Pot of Greed are still, without a doubt, the best cards to draw in any deck, let alone a First-Turn-Knockout. These additions require very little justification, although they are, as one might guess, absolutely essential.

The remaining Spell Cards in the above line-up are all ones that have actions not entirely draw-based. I must admit that the first here, Painful Choice, was very difficult for me to include: with only two prime targets for its effect, I was hard pressed to find any ultimate justification to play it – the validation that screams, “Yes! This card must be played!” – but I have, for this analysis, tentatively slipped it in, anyway; it could very well be dropped for the third copy of Hand Destruction, or even a Foolish Burial to achieve much the same outcome without sacrificing other cards from the deck, but I must also admit that it is rather nice being able to search for both Dark Magician of Chaos and Destiny Hero – Disk Commander at the same time. It is a complicated choice to my mind, and one which will necessitate individual opinion and preference.

Thence, however, we have very little complication: Harpie’s Feather Duster is a Main-Decked answer to any Spell or Trap Cards that might stop the combo, should one be playing second (and, of course, to be Sided out when playing first); and Monster Reborn and Premature Burial are here to not only draw cards by Special Summoning Dark Magician of Chaos (and retrieving a draw Spell) or Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, but also to Special Summon the Jowgen the Spiritualist if one needed to discard it in order to continue the draw engine.

The Traps: 2

1 Wall of Revealing Light

1 Last Turn

In order to achieve the win condition, one must Summon Jowgen the Spiritualist, then activate Last Turn when possible, selecting one’s Jowgen; every other card on the field and in the hands are then sent to the graveyard, as per the Trap’s effect, and the opponent attempts to Special Summon a Monster from their deck and attack, again as per the Trap’s effect. However, with Jowgen preventing them from Special Summoning, it will be the remaining Monster on the field, thus ending the game in one’s favour. With there being no other requirement than to have one-thousand Life Points or less to initiate the combo, the final card to be included in the deck is a single copy of Wall of Revealing Light for its variable Life point cost; unless one has taken some damage, one will pay seven-thousand Life Points, leaving the total at exactly the one-thousand necessary to activate Last Turn (or two-hundred, if one activated Premature Burial), and, if damage has been taken, one should then, of course, vary the amount paid accordingly.

Now, I mentioned in the introduction that the combo is somewhat more fragile than others; this is due in part to the nature of the draw engine, and in other to the timing of activating Last Turn. While the draw engine is exceedingly consistent, it does, quite often, allow the opponent to draw additional cards, getting them closer to the many First-Turn-Knockout counters available: Droll & Lock Bird will shut down one’s drawing capabilities, as it does with all such decks; Effect Veiler will negate Dark Magician of Chaos and Destiny Hero – Disk Commander; D.D. Crow will prevent them from ever hitting the field, and will completely ruin one’s proverbial day if Jowgen the Spiritualist was targeted for revival; and Neko Mane King will end one’s turn if discard by Hand Destruction, Card Destruction or Dark World Dealings. Furthermore, one will also need to be extremely careful when playing second (especially in Games Two and Three), for Imperial Order and Royal Decree will spell doom of the most painful degree. From there, the timing in which to activate Last Turn also requires some note; it should never be done during their Draw or Standby Phase, for an opponent’s Sinister Serpent can be added back to their hand, Normal Summoned and used to attack over Jowgen’s two-hundred points. Again, one must remember that the opponent will be drawing cards, so this is not as unlikely as it might sound at first. Thus, Last Turn should only be activated during the opponent’s Main Phase 1 or Battle Phase.

With that rather long paragraph of possible counters said, I think it essential to note that the deck in no way lacks competitive viability because of it. It is unaffected by Hanewata as burn-based First-Turn-Knockouts are, and Hanewata is, it must be cited, a rather more common Side Deck choice than some of those stated above. In addition, while I did mention it, there is in actual fact only a minute range of affect by Effect Veiler, and only in situations where one is relying solely on resolving a Destiny Hero – Disk Commander or Dark Magician of Chaos to continue. Lastly, the formerly very powerful counter of Elephant Statue of Disaster is, thanks to One Day of Peace, no longer so; with the draw Spell negating all burn damage to both players, an Elephant Statue being sent to the Graveyard by Last Turn’s own effect, where once would have ended the game on the spot, is now nothing more than another useless in-hand card. Of course, proper play is still essential, as it is with all decks, not only those centred around battle; a single miscalculation can and quite often does end in tragedy, although I will admit that this build of Last Turn is far less complicated than the other First-Turn-Knockout decks I have presented. With a huge array of draw Spells, only some of which require specific discard costs, there is only so much that can go wrong; short of an opponent’s Hand Trap, the deck should function smoothly the majority of them time, although the occasional less than favourable hand will require some thinking to play out of adequately.

Love them or loathe them, First-Turn-Knockouts are a part of this game, although, with the amount of possible counters on the increase, and players becoming better and better at using said counters, they are nowhere near being the indestructible force they once were, even though the vast majority of players still decry them as such. Here, we have a strategy that, while not one-percent consistent (again, no deck can ever be perfect), is far more so than many others of this category, even some of those commonly cited as being the best in the game. With no need to include cards such as Armageddon Knight, draw Traps, Machine Duplication, Royal Magical Library – those cards which can clump together or be drawn at inopportune moments – the deck suffers fewer dead hands than those respective contenders, albeit at the cost of a more fragile win condition and a slightly higher chance of being stopped. I will reiterate, though, that every First-Turn-Knockout can be countered; it just remains to be seen whether the trade-off here is worth it.

Quick Article #4: Some Ideas Just Don't Work Out

It would be an indiscretion of the highest degree if I – or, for that matter, anybody, without exception – were to put forth, and then play along with, the impression that every single one of my ideas was perfect; this would require an ego of immeasurable proportions, which is something I do not possess. Everybody, quite simply, makes mistakes. However, although they may not be perfect, all ideas must still, to my mind, be documented, for another person may come along who can, upon examining such an idea, continue with it in some direction in order to either ameliorate its good qualities, or conclude that the venture is, once and for all, pointless. I will post, therefore, here and now, one of the decks which I myself have struggled with for quite some time now, but have been wholly unable to accomplish to any degree acceptable to my high personal standards (and have neither the desire nor the time to further investigate):

Monster: 15

2 Summoner Monk

2 Rose, Warrior of Revenge

2 Destiny Hero – Malicious

1 Destiny Hero – Disk Commander

1 Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude

1 Elemental Hero Stratos

1 Dark Armed Dragon

1 Dark Magician of Chaos

1 Plaguespreader Zombie

1 Dark Grepher

1 Morphing Jar

1 Cyber Jar

Spell: 22

3 Golden Bamboo Sword

3 Broken Bamboo Sword

2 Destiny Draw

1 Allure of Darkness

1 Card Destruction

1 Pot of Greed

1 Graceful Charity

1 Painful Choice

1 Reinforcement of the Army

1 Monster Reborn

1 Premature Burial

1 Dimension Fusion

1 Last Will

1 Harpie’s Feather Duster

1 Snatch Steal

1 Change of Heart

1 Raigeki

Trap: 3

1 Imperial Order

1 Crush Card Virus

1 Ring of Destruction

With draw power so very important to the Traditional Format, I was intensely interested in utilizing the Bamboo Sword cards, an engine typically only employed in First-Turn-Knockout strategies, to increase the speed of a battle-oriented deck. I had been thinking upon this subject for the better part of two weeks, contemplating the best option for doing so, eventually arriving at the decision that Monk Synchro would fall into such a category; the option of discarding a dead Bamboo Sword (whether Broken or Golden) for the effect of Summoner Monk was a synergy that appealed to my sensibilities, and, with my experience and personal style also leaning in this direction, I ultimately went with it – to relatively good effect, I should add, although the result, after testing various builds, was still not consistent enough for my liking. While capable of some extremely impressive plays, as the case almost always is when playing Destiny Hero-based Synchro strategies, the above deck suffers from completely useless hands far more often than is acceptable: hands split between unmatched Bamboo Swords, Synchro generators and power cards prove unplayable in virtually any situation presented, including a first turn start. Perhaps a different ratio of Bamboo Swords would be superior, but, as noted above, I have decided to move on. I post it here as an example of an idea that, while no doubt good (and worthy of exploration, I think), is far from being a completed work of greatness.

Deck Analysis #23: Fusion Control

I should like to begin this analysis with a quote – one of my own, in fact: “It is true that in the Traditional Format, many cards long since forgotten in the Advanced Format become playable; this is due to the abundance of effects that have been deemed too powerful for Advanced Format game-play (and subsequently Forbidden), and with Cyber-Stein, Magical Scientist and Metamorphosis, Fusion Monsters are just one group of such cards. Through the three aforementioned cards, immensely powerful Monsters such as Thousand Eyes Restrict, Cyber Twin Dragon, Dark Balter the Terrible, and Ryu Senshi – just to name but a few – become highly playable in the Top Tier. While it would be plausible for me to illustrate how to build around any of these cards (and that is something I will indeed do at a later date). . .” – and yet, inexplicably, I never have. This quote comes from the Absolute Zero analysis I composed all the way back in 2010, only the second ever to be published after the construction of the Traditional Format Academy, and, while I made this statement so long ago, I have since failed to make good on the promise it contained.

Now, I should point out that this is not, in any part, due to my inability to do so, nor is it due to a changing of opinion regarding that specific idea. Nay; neither of these reasons even comes close to explaining the problems encountered hitherto. In truth (which is far less interesting than it might sound), I have instead merely been far too interested in – and, therefore, too busy exploring – other possibilities within this amazing format. However, I recently decided, after reviewing my quite frankly enormous list of potential featured decks and undertaking some subsequent research into promising builds, decided that the time had finally come when Fusion Control would be the unhindered subject of a full discourse. Thus, in the following paragraphs, I will be expounding upon a strategy that discovers its win condition through the use of those Monsters highly underutilized – or, at the least, not utilized to their fullest degree – in the format of Yu-Gi-Oh! that can bring out their full power – those Monsters that have been slowly but surely bolstered into competitive viability through extremely strong additions to their numbers since the beginning of the game (and, specifically, a very notable one just recently).

The Monsters: 16

2 Tragoedia

2 Destiny Hero – Malicious

1 Destiny Hero – Disk Commander

1 Elemental Hero Stratos

1 Dark Magician of Chaos

1 Dark Armed Dragon

1 Cyber-Stein

1 Magical Scientist

1 Sangan

1 Witch of the Black Forest

1 Yata-Garasu

1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

1 Magician of Faith

1 Sinister Serpent

The deck is essentially a combination of the remaining allowable parts from the four most infamous, most powerful Fusion-based decks in the history of this great game. Those are, in no particular order: Goat Control; T-Hero (or Destiny Hero Beatdown); Cyber-Stein; and Magical Scientist. Although this single deck can and must be classed as an amalgamation of several, consistency has in no way been sacrificed. Instead, each and every element seemingly disparate on first glance overlaps to create a degree of synergy almost unheard of in control-based strategies. For this reason, it will be extremely difficult to discuss each component on its own, so instead I shall note every card and its uses as they come up.

To begin with, I should like to give explanation on the inclusion and uses of the Destiny Hero engine, for it brings possibly the most complicated and interesting synergy to the deck (as is quite often the case). Not only does the prospect of extra drawing power through the use of Destiny Draw stand out, as well as the extra deck thinning afforded then by the necessary copies of Reinforcement of the Army and Elemental Hero Stratos, but the actual Destiny Heroes themselves, as they should, find special uses – namely in the prospect of using their Special Summons, essentially free of any costs due to their effects, to Tribute for Metamorphosis: Destiny Hero – Malicious, clearly included at its allowed two copies, provides fast and simple access to the admittedly short but essential list of Level Six Fusion Monsters in the Extra Deck; and Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, in addition to the extra drawing potential prominent in other strategies, also gives, through the activation of the aforementioned Spell Card, the ability to access the Level One Fusion from our list of win conditions. I would dearly have liked to include a fourth Destiny Hero (thus giving three discards for the two copies of Destiny Draw), but I was simply unable to find room or further justification.

From there, we find what might be to some a rather surprising two copies of Tragoedia. Now, the Monster Card is most definitely good – there is no doubt in anybody’s mind about this fact – but it is most often reserved for decks that can maintain hand presence in order to increase its ATK, through its own effect, to a substantial size. While this is entirely possible in the Traditional Format, there is no such goal, here; instead, the copies of Tragoedia are for the express purpose of Tributing, as with the Destiny Heroes, for Metamorphosis: its status as a Level Ten Monster (and a relatively easily to Summon Level Ten Monster, at that) makes it prime fodder for the Special Summon from the Extra Deck of Naturia Exterio, the card noted at the end of the introductory paragraph. There is a possible argument here against the running of Tragoedia – namely, the card is too low on utility and, most especially in the First-Turn-Knockout match-up, can be completely useless in a number of situations. I find this to be a valid point; however, I also find that through careful play (and siding them out when facing an FTK) the two copies of Tragoedia are rarely dead weight, and are in fact a powerful option.

The quite obviously included Cyber-Stein and Magical Scientist are found here at their single allowed copies. While the latter only grants a one-time use of a certain Fusion (I say ‘only’, but this is still an invaluable resource in the situations where its need arises), the former, although with an effect attached to a hefty Life Point payment, is the real star of the duo; with instant access to every single Fusion Monster within the perfectly constructed Extra Deck, the versatility Cyber-Stein offers is unparalleled: fear of an opponent’s Spells, Traps or Monster effects; facing down too many Monsters, or too big a Monster; a defence position Monster lying between oneself and chance at game – all are solved. I will, of course, make note of the very necessary immense amount of thought that should go into activating the effect, for, with the cost being so high (and, furthermore, with its own ATK so low), the probability of backfire if activated at an incorrect moment is likewise great. This statement also applies to Magical Scientist, if slightly less.

The list of Monsters cards is thence rounded out by primarily generic picks, some for their effects in aiding the central strategy and number of Level stars, others merely their effect: Dark Magician of Chaos, of the Level Eight, retrieves a needed Spell Card (quite often Metamorphosis in this case); Dark Armed Dragon, with seven Levels, becomes a clear inclusion with the amount of DARK attribute Monsters present to offer another win condition; Sangan and Witch of the Black Forest (of unimportant Levels) search for any needed small Monster Card; Yata-Garasu continues the control of the game, locking out the all-important Draw Phase; Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, with seven stars, prevents OTKs while also giving a free Token (again, Level Seven) which can then be Tributed for Metamorphosis; Magician of Faith, another Level one, can again retrieve a Spell Card for a second or third use; and Sinister Serpent, a further Monster of single Level, provides free discard or Tribute fodder for the various such cards played here. 

The Spells: 18

2 Destiny Draw

1 Pot of Greed

1 Graceful Charity

1 Allure of Darkness

1 Painful Choice

1 Reinforcement of the Army

1 Monster Reborn

1 Premature Burial

1 Scapegoat

1 Metamorphosis

1 The Forceful Sentry

1 Delinquent Duo

1 Confiscation

1 Harpie’s Feather Duster

1 Snatch Steal

1 Dark Hole

1 Raigeki

The list of Sell Cards is constructed in such a way that three distinct categories become apparent, each one offering something special to the strategy: draw and search cards; specific Fusion-aiding cards; and hand and field control. They all do, of course, share one goal in common – that is, their overall ability to power the strategy through its game plan as quickly and consistently as possible.

To begin, we find a group of seven cards within the first category. The two copies of Destiny Draw and single Reinforcement of the Army, already mentioned, complete the Destiny Hero engine, adding desirable speed to a deck otherwise relying on simple, generic forms. The same can be said of the single allowed copy of Allure of Darkness, permissible due to the large DARK count. Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity can be found here as most obvious inclusions, requiring little justification, although the latter does require, as is always the case when running Graveyard-centric effects, the note of being able to discard such cards for later use. The last card in this category, Painful Choice, is one I must admit I was sceptical about adding: while there is no doubt that the Spell is absolutely incredible in many strategies, I was for a long time (and still am, to be completely honest) of the opinion that, with only four prime targets for its effect (the fifth spot then being filled by either a piece to a combo or a card functionally dead), the slot would be better off spent on something else. I have included it in this analysis for its overall power and status here as ‘good’, but would urge the reader to make their own decision regarding its validity.

Next, we come to the suite abovementioned as ‘specific Fusion-aiding cards’. Made up of three Special Summon cards and Metamorphosis, the set is focused on creating a Monster which can then be Tributed to the named Spell Card in order to bring to the field the necessary Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck. Monster Reborn and Premature Burial, two of the three Special Summon cards, are no doubt the most versatile, being able to create any Level that one may require (given the correct Monsters in the Graveyard, of course), but also clearly contain other uses beside merely this. On the other hand, Scapegoat, the third, really only has this application (outside of a possible roadblock in the OTK match-up): Tributing a Sheep Token in order to Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict was the central basis of the Goat Control deck cited earlier, and, although several other tricks from that strategy are dropped for space and modernity issues, this aspect is most definitely a powerful and worthy addition to this deck.

Completing this section of the examination, the final category of Spell Cards is compiled from both hand and field control options, the most powerful available. Confiscation, Delinquent Duo and The Forceful Sentry most notably aid in forcing the opponent into the desired state of inaction, limiting their hand size and removing options before they have a chance to become threats. Conversely but complimentary, the field control cards – namely, Harpie’s Feather Duster, Snatch Steal, Dark Hole and Raigeki – remove those threats already posed in order to regain one’s grip over the game, forcing the opponent back into the mentioned state to subsequently end in defeat. While these are mostly obvious picks, the lack of Change of Heart requires a note, I think: with only Metamorphosis providing an easy route to the full removal of a Monster (Tribute Summoning being extremely rare), the card is simply too high a risk to think about running here, and so its slot has been given to something far safer and better in the long run.

The Traps: 6

3 Phoenix Wing Wind Blast

1 Crush Card Virus

1 Ring of Destruction

1 Imperial Order

Half – or, at the very least, a third – of the above list of Trap Cards requires little to no justification: Imperial Order and Ring of Destruction are quite simply the two most powerful controlling Traps ever printed, while Crush Card Virus, possibly the only choice to be annotated, is no doubt of equal – and, in some cases, greater – strength when the option to play it presents itself (as the high number of possible Tributes does here). However, the full set of Phoenix Wing Wind Blast likely stand out as a potential oddity, and thus conversation is needed to explain its addition. I have made this somewhat questionable decision for the primary reason of versatility: with other potential cards only removing Monsters, and only destroying them, the ability that Wind Blast offers, in the shape of sending any card to top of the opponent’s deck (thus manipulating their draws, as well), is far more desirable in the simplified gamestate that the deck aims to create. Having the facility to also include a retrievable source of discard fodder (Sinister Serpent) helps to makes this a far simpler decision if the Traditional Format.

Extra: 15

2 Naturia Exterio

2 Ryu Senshi

1 Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon

1 Cyber End Dragon

1 Cyber Twin Dragon

1 Cyber Ogre 2

1 Gatling Dragon

1 Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill

1 Dark Blade the Dragon Knight

1 Dark Balter the Terrible

1 Fiend Skull Dragon

1 Reaper on the Nightmare

1 Thousand-Eyes Restrict

Now, for the purposes of this theoretical representation of a Fusion-based control deck, I have taken the necessary direction in constructing the entire Extra Deck out of Fusion Monsters (this might not be the case in a practical, tournament-designed deck, hence I am making this point). A Full range of Levels, all the way from Ten down to One, has been included in order to create the most versatility across the board of possible gamestates that one might face; the effects of some might appear to be rather rare candidates for use, but, with no other potentialities to utilize the Extra Deck in another way, I figure the space is far from wasted.

These Monsters and their uses appear thus: first, a pair of Naturia Exterio and a pair of Ryu Senshi, Level Ten and Level Six, respectively, each negate Spells and/or Traps, and find inclusion at two copies for being essentially the stars of the control show, more or less shutting down an opponent’s entire gameplan when played correctly – Fiend Skull Dragon and Dark Balter the Terrible are also a part of this most important group for their effects, negating Monster effects and Spells, respectively, although both are only played at a single copy due to their relative difficulty in being Summoned (only Cyber-Stein and Magical Scientist have access to them, there being no Level Five Monsters to Tribute for Metamorphosis); next, single copies of each Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Cyber End Dragon, Cyber Twin Dragon, Cyber Ogre 2 and Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill function to control the field using their ATK scores and battle-based effects; and, lastly, single copies of each Gatling Dragon, Dark Blade the Dragon Knight, Reaper on the Nightmare and Thousand-Eyes Restrict come in to fill those previously stated, somewhat random yet most definitely required applications that undoubtedly rear their heads in competitive play. 

It must be said that, in a competitive setting (although I have indeed used that word throughout the analysis), it would be very rare to come up against a deck based entirely around Fusion Monsters, as this one is; while it does boast many amazingly powerful plays that are extremely difficult for an opponent to break (especially in the FTK match-up), such a strategy is inherently slow and inconsistent due in simple point of fact to the inability to run more than one copy of each Fusion-creating card. The case most often will be a Cyber-Stein, a Magical Scientist or a Metamorphosis splashed into another deck, along with a small but carefully chosen selection of the most powerful Fusions slotted into the normal Extra Deck of that particular strategy. Having said that, I feel it necessary, during my in depth exploration of the Traditional Format, to look at all the possibilities, and, as stated in the introduction, a control deck centred solely on Fusions was something I had been meaning to do for quite some time. I admit the tone of this conclusion might seem like I am not happy with the result – this is not true: nay, I have spent a great deal of time researching and testing, then researching and testing again and again and again, in order to design the fastest, most powerful, most consistent Fusion Control I could, and I am extremely happy with the results. Whether it can be a contender in the modern Traditional Format, however, will require further study.

Deck Analysis #22: Painful Choice.dek

There is not the shadow of a doubt in my mind that, were I to conduct a survey of the player base, putting forth the question: “What single card do you consider to be the most powerful?” – many a person should answer in return that either Pot of Greed or Graceful Charity occupy that most coveted position. And why should they not? I hardly disagree; the two mentioned Spell Cards most often turn, single-handedly, a dead hand into a playable one, and with no cost (in terms of the former) or occasionally very little cost (in terms of the latter – that is, to clarify, one having to discard options that one would rather have kept). However, when analysing the immense potential for Graveyard-abusing strategies within the game of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and when constructing such amazing decks, I find the top honour must be instead bestowed upon Painful Choice, rather than the previous two: the sheer amount of set-up possible from activating only the single Spell Card is unparalleled, and, though it does not, on its own, grant the drawing of further cards (which is, of course, an all-important aspect to the Traditional Format), it does, assuming an even remotely acceptable hand, facilitate the long and powerful list of combo plays necessary to such a deck – it is almost always the best card to draw.

With this fact in mind, I set myself some time ago about constructing a deck that could take the amazing capabilities that Painful Choice could render in what we might term a normal Traditional Format meta deck (that is, one with, say, five or six prime targets for the Spell Card, a usual number), and then amplify it well beyond anything previously imagined. While some people might argue that to do such a thing is not possible within a consistent strategy, and subsequently question the project, I myself was not perturbed, for I quickly realised that the extra Graveyard-based Monster Cards would give the deck access to an additional retinue of discard-costed draw cards, thus increasing consistency and speed by granting a use to those otherwise dead cards. Now, while I was not able to remove the entirety of the inconsistency issues from the deck (a feat which is, for the most part, impossible even in a standard deck), the majority of them have been allayed, and, despite the possibility to still draw a completely useless hand on occasion, the end result is something that I am very pleased with. So, without further ado, I present Painful Choice.dek!

The Monsters: 18

3 Wulf, Lightsworn Beast
2 Necro Gardna
2 Destiny Hero – Malicious
1 Destiny Hero – Dasher
1 Destiny Hero – Disk Commander
1 Elemental Hero Stratos
1 Dark Magician of Chaos
1 Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning
1 Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Glow-up Bulb
1 Morphing Jar
1 Cyber Jar

Now, I did mention, before, that a standard number of prime targets for Painful Choice would be around five or six; here, however, there is an almost unheard of twelve. With this vastly increased number of possible dead draws, the deck needed to be constructed accordingly. This meant including cards which would be able to function in such a way so as to either aid those dead draws in becoming live, or simply exchange those dead draws for other cards. The final product, therefore, is a delicate balance between Painful Choice targets, cards which in some way help that specific strategy, and a relatively small but essential selection of the obvious power cards. I shall discuss these groups in that order.

To begin the immense assortment of prime targets for the eponymous Spell Card – that is, those cards which one, if given a complete, uninhibited access to the deck, would choose above all others – we find arguably the most interesting cards of the lot: a full set of Wulf, Lightsworn Beast. With Painful Choice, once the opponent has made their decision, sending the remaining cards to the Graveyard (and, therefore, directly thither from the deck), the effect of Wulf will trigger to Special Summon itself to the field; not only does this give simply a (or many) free, high-ATK Monsters, but also Monsters with which to create Exceed or Synchro combos. While it is undoubtedly the worst card of the entire deck to draw (being that, aside from discarding it for a draw card, Wulf is completely useless in the hand), the payoff is most definitely worth the risk. From there, a pair of Necro Gardna is included, simply for their amazing ability to stop required attacks, while also regulating the number of DARK Attribute Monsters in the Graveyard (a point I will elaborate on more in due time). There are followed then by the Tuners, Plaguespreader Zombie and Glow-up Bulb, each for their ability to be Special Summoned from the Graveyard in order to initiate Synchro Summon potential. Finally, before I move into a rather more specific suite of cards within this category, we find the single allowed copy of Dark Magician of Chaos, whose combo potential is, quite simply, second to none.

To complete the grouping of Painful Choice targets, while at the same time forming, synergistically as it does, the backbone of the drawing engine (and, therefore, the entire strategy), a set of Destiny Hero Monsters has been included. Not only do these cards – that is, Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, Destiny Hero – Dasher, and a pair of Destiny Hero – Malicious – round out this list, bringing the count of prime targets to the aforementioned twelve, they can all be discarded for Destiny Draw (or, for that matter, any of the other discard-costed draw Spells the deck runs), thereby facilitating the immensely fast, consistent movement through the deck that is possible in the modern Traditional Format. Each, of course, also brings their own use to the deck once loaded into the Graveyard: Malicious acts as Synchro or Tribute material; Disk Commander draws two further cards upon its Special Summon from the Graveyard; and Dasher allows the Special Summon of any Monster drawn during the Draw Phase – an effect which crosses into the second category of cards by turning a potentially dead Wulf into a live top-deck.

There exists, at this point in the analysis, the need to point out the degree of care one must exercise when activating one’s single copy of Painful Choice. With so many possible targets, each of which brings a completely different purpose to the strategy, it is essential for one to consider from every single angle the best course of action to take when presented with the Spell Card. One must consider the remaining contents of the hand, the remaining contents of the deck, the contents of the field (and the opponent’s side as well as one’s own), the contents of both Graveyards should they already be built up, the strategy the opponent is piloting, as well as the almost endless number of possible outcomes to an equally endless number of plays. The card requires an immense level of knowledge and skill to successfully play here, effectively becoming a painful choice for the pilot as well as the opponent.

We come, thence, to the second group of cards – the ones which help the deck function smoothly by granting some sort of use to the large amount of otherwise useless cards. Although we find only two here, both are essential, for each boasts an effect that can single-handedly turn a hand of dead cards into a set of amazing options. Morphing Jar, while inarguably the less powerful of the two, allows one to dump these Graveyard-based cards for fresh ones, thus fulfilling two purposes at the same time. Cyber Jar, on the other hand, allows one to keep the initial hand, only supplementing it along with the distinct possibility of Special Summoning copies of Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, amongst other things. Should one find oneself with a less than favourable hand, resolving a single Jar can be game-breaking; one might argue (and argue convincingly, I might add) that this would be rather difficult in the Traditional Format, but I find the risk, once again, to be worth the payoff.

Finally, the Monster Cards are completed as we discuss the final section of the tripartite list. With the vast array of LIGHT and DARK Attribute Monsters, both of the Envoys and Dark Armed Dragon become obvious inclusions. With the speed at which the deck can move through itself, all the while placing the required Monsters into the Graveyard (and, for the condition of Dark Armed, regulating those Attributes), one is able to Special Summon them with relative speed and consistency. The deck is already capable of creating an enormous field, but these three cards put the icing on the cake, so to speak, and can easily be discarded for draw Spells if they are not needed.

The Spells: 19

3 Hand Destruction
2 Destiny Draw
1 Allure of Darkness
1 Pot of Greed
1 Graceful Charity
1 Card Destruction
1 Painful Choice
1 Foolish Burial
1 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Monster Reborn
1 Premature Burial
1 Dimension Fusion
1 One for One
1 Harpie’s Feather Duster
1 Snatch Steal
1 Raigeki

It has been mentioned many a time, thus far, that the deck includes a series of options intended to turn the unavoidable dead draws of such a strategy into live options, but the list of Monster Cards contained very few; here, however, we find this statement played out to the highest degree. A full three copies of Hand Destruction, backed up by the single allowed copy of Card Destruction and the already staple copy of Graceful Charity, give the pilot a total of five cards that exchange these otherwise useless Monsters for new options, discarding the Graveyard-based cards for future combos while also sifting through the deck at break-neck speed. We will also discover the single allowed copies of both Foolish Burial and One for One, each granting even more uses again for these potential dead draws by, in the former case, sending them from the deck to the Graveyard (achieving, in this way, a miniature Painful Choice effect), or, in the latter case, discarding one in order to Special Summon another from the deck to the field. One will most often find Foolish Burial being used in conjunction with Wulf, Lightsworn Beast, although it can of course search any Monster one wishes; whereas, on the other hand, One for One will almost exclusively be used to grant access to Glow-up Bulb, although, again, the card does have another, if far less desirable, option (that is, Destiny Hero – Disk Commander).

From there, the Spell line-up is filled out by mostly obvious choices that require little justification: Pot of Greed, Allure of Darkness and Reinforcement of the Army complete the Destiny Hero-centred draw engine by either drawing cards or searching for draw card targets; Monster Reborn, Premature Burial and Dimension Fusion come in as both potential draw cards (that is, by reviving the Disk Commander or the Dark Magician of Chaos) or ways to create extra Synchro or Exceed material; and the usual slimmed-down field control suite of Harpie’s Feather Duster, Snatch Steal and Raigeki give individually powerful options when required. Although termed ‘obvious choices’, it is essential to note these cards, for, while each is mostly considered as such, their presence helps to balance the deck by cushioning the possible damage from dead draws, or merely just adding that extra level of consistency. There is no point playing a hugely powerful combo deck if it has the distinct possibility of drawing useless card after useless card.

The Traps: 3

1 Imperial Order
1 Crush Card Virus
1 Ring of Destruction

As is almost always the case, Trap Cards are generally shunned in favour of faster cards that can specifically contribute to the central win condition. However, in relation to the statement concluding the previous paragraph, it is necessary here to include a group of Traps that will be able to give the pilot better hands across the overall gamestate, in so doing creating a more consistent strategy in the long run. With the build pretty much packed solid, though, we find only the most powerful options possible included here: Imperial Order and Crush Card Virus can each single-handedly win games if played correctly, for both in their own distinct way has the ability to control an opponent’s moves; and, as has been known for many years now, although the destruction is, of course, a welcome aspect, the burn damage of Ring of Destruction is of immense usefulness.

The Extra Deck: 15

1 Number 39: Utopia
1 Steelswarm Roach
1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Scrap Dragon
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Dark Strike Fighter
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 T.G. Hyper Librarian
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Armory Arm
1 Formula Synchron

With the fifteen card limit straining the contents of the Extra Deck more and more as each new booster set is released, the ability to construct this aspect of the complete deck is becoming increasingly important. Here, with the vast amount of possible plays, versatility is prized most of all, thus resulting in fifteen single cards. To begin with, a pair of Rank 4 Exceeds (that is, Number 39: Utopia and Steelswarm Roach) is included due to their ease of access thanks to Wulf, Lightsworn Beast combos. We go from there into a huge toolbox of the most powerful, most flexible Synchros possible: Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier for its amazing ability to remove possible threats from an opponent’s hand, field and Graveyard simultaneously; Stardust Dragon and Thought Ruler Archfiend for protection in the myriad potential gamestates; Colossal Fighter and Goyo Guardian for, not only their effects, but also their sheer size; Scrap Dragon, Ally of Justice Catastor and Black Rose Dragon for their invaluable destruction effects; Dark Strike Fighter for the distinct opportunity to end a game on the spot; Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier for Premature Burial combos and its field-clearing effect; T.G. Hyper Librarian and Formula Synchron for their draw effects; and Armory Arm for, although it is rather useless sometimes, it quite often proves itself to be of immense value in creating larger, more complicated combos as a passing summon (that is, a Synchro Summon to then initiate more Synchro Summons). Every card here has been chosen for its usefulness across the widest possible scope of situations, with each also being unproblematic to summon by means only found within this deck.

When thinking to myself of win conditions, there are two primary ways in which a deck can be constructed: the first is to build around a central combination of cards, or a set of synergistic combos, ensuring that the strategy functions most efficaciously towards achieving those manoeuvres – for example, the Dimension Fusion Loop; and the second is to build around a key card, one which can, by the merits of its effect alone, create victory, ensuring, again, that the strategy ameliorates such. The latter is what I have done here, and, while purists might argue that to construct a deck around a single card – and, furthermore, a single card that we can only use one copy of – would be folly, and would not constitute the deck being named after it, I find I must disagree; when the single card in question has the aforementioned quality of a win condition, as Painful Choice does, it most definitely deserves to be the eponymous card. To build such a deck, one must simply fill the strategy according to its needs, which means, here, finding other possible uses for dead Painful Choice targets when they are inevitably drawn, a feat which has been done by including suites of both discard-costed draw Spells, to exchange the dead draws for other cards, and options to turn the dead draws into live options. Not only does this address the consistency issue, but it also creates an immense speed at the same time, something that is, on the whole, never a bad thing in the Traditional Format.

Deck Essay #19: TeleMonk

It is not very often that we, as Traditional Format players, are given a Limited List in which something has changed to significantly, if at all, affect our game-play; for example, the constant jumping to and fro of cards between Forbidden status and Limited status (such as, just lately, Heavy Storm and Dark Hole have been doing) has no bearing whatsoever in this aspect of the game, and the Limiting of cards like Book of Moon is very much the equivalent. This is quite sad, for, while there are indeed an enormous amount of possibilities within the card pool already present, there are some decks which, should they be only given slightly eased restrictions on one or two cards, would prosper, adding an even greater range of options for deck strategies. I am glad to say, though, that this latest Limited List (that is, for all those reading this essay at a later date, September 2011) has provided for Traditional, giving several decks another chance of competing in this amazing format. For the subject of this discussion, I will be exploring one such deck which, owing to the newly Semi-Limited status of two essential cards, is now playable once again in the Top Tier: I am talking about the Synchro-based strategy known as TeleMonk.

The win condition of the TeleMonk deck can be clearly defined through the unravelling of its name: such is an amalgamation of the two primary Synchro generating engines utilized therein, those being Psychics (with Emergency Teleport) and Summoner Monk. Running, as is most often the case in the vast DARK Synchro sub-archetype, upon a Destiny Hero backbone, the TeleMonk deck uses the aforementioned engines to create a game-ending swarm of Synchro Monsters as quickly as possible, most often by the pilot’s first or second turn. The strategy was a natural progression of the infamous Emergency Teleport Dark Armed Dragon deck, better known by its own portmanteau, TeleDAD, after rolling changes to the March 2009 Forbidden and Limited Lists all but knocked it out of contention. While TeleMonk hasn’t been seen in the Advanced Format since this time, the increased card pool of the Traditional Format, as well as the newly Semi-Limited status of Summoner Monk and Destiny Draw, sheds light on its potential as a top contender in competitive play.

The Monsters: 19

2 Summoner Monk
2 Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts
2 Krebons
2 Destiny Hero – Malicious
1 Destiny Hero – Disk Commander
1 Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude
1 Elemental Hero Stratos
1 Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End
1 Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Dark Magician of Chaos
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Mind Master
1 Cyber Jar
1 Dark Grepher

I will concede that the above list of Monster Cards appears somewhat random and is, to be perfectly honest, rather ugly to behold. While I would never attempt to hide the fact that the deck can, on the occasion, draw a completely useless opening hand, underlying the unsightliness of the decklist is a strategy of immense power, speed and versatility. To put this into perspective, it must be acknowledged that every deck is capable of drawing dead hands, and that such usually correct themselves within a couple of draws. Some special considerations have also been made to help correct these instances.

To begin with, I shall expound upon the three individual engines being run here. The first is the Destiny Heroes, which will function as both a draw engine and a non-Tuner generator: the pair of Destiny Hero – Malicious cards fulfil the latter, with their six Levels combining with the Psychic engine to create Level Seven and Level Eight Synchro Monsters; while Destiny Hero – Disk Commander and Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude both fulfil the former, with each one being able to sift through extra cards. Diamond Dude is one of the special inclusions I have made here, as opposed to Destiny Hero – Fear Monger, Destiny Hero – Plasma or Destiny Hero – Dasher (all of which would be viable choices), for it gives the player an option during a dead hand situation. Furthermore (and, of course, to mention the central reason for their use), each of these Monsters is also compatible with Destiny Draw, the four Destiny Heroes (along with Elemental Hero Stratos and Reinforcement of the Army to search for them) making the perfect ratio of discard targets to the two allowed copies of the Spell Card.

Next, we come to the two Synchro generation engines, the strategy’s namesake cards. Firstly, to the Psychics: two copies of Krebons, along with the single allowed copy of Mind Master, have been included. By pairing these Tuners with any other Monster Card herein, one will be able to access anything from a Level Two to a Level Nine Synchro Monster, thus creating the most versatile toolbox of effects and power cards imaginable. The decision to include Mind Master, a card not commonly associated with a mere Psychic engine, grants access here to not only Formula Synchron (and the extra draw it provides), but also a LIGHT Attribute for the Chaos Monsters. Secondly, the two allowed copies of Summoner Monk, accompanied by their corresponding two copies of Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts, round out the engines by giving quick and easy access to Level Eight and, with some help, Level Nine, Synchro Monsters, which are of course the most powerful. Again, the strange, or rather uncommon, choice of Guldfaxe over Rose, Warrior of Revenge has been made in order to accommodate Chaos; these changes are so minimal and synergistic, and Chaos so obviously powerful, that these were simple decisions to make.

From there the Monster line-up is fleshed out by a plethora of cards to either assist in the setting up of combos, or assist in the overall large attacking turn. Cyber Jar, Dark Grepher and Dark Magician of Chaos fall into the first category by sifting through extra cards, by Special Summoning, in at least some fashion, more Monsters to the field with which to perform a Synchro Summon, or by setting up or reusing the Graveyard. The second category is made up of Plaguespreader Zombie, which acts as another, highly synergistic Level Two Tuner, both Chaos Monsters, Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, as well as Dark Armed Dragon. Each card of these two categories present the pilot with the versatile options necessary when running a slightly inconsistent combo-based deck, doing so much to alleviate dead hands and either facilitate the creation of the central win condition, or stand in for it altogether.

I will just take a moment, if I may, to mention one factor essential to the proper playing of TeleMonk. Due to the large number of cards which can, in some or most instances, require one’s Normal Summon, one must prioritize the use of this single mechanic as carefully as possible. Realistically, one might find it necessary, in order to accomplish appropriate moves depending on the opening hand, to Normal Summon Elemental Hero Stratos, Dark Grepher, Cyber Jar, a copy of Summoner Monk, or any one of the many Tuners herein. This is something to be careful of, for there is very little, if any, margin for error in the Traditional Format.

The Spells: 18

2 Destiny Draw
1 Allure of Darkness
1 Pot of Greed
1 Graceful Charity
1 Card Destruction
1 Painful Choice
1 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Monster Reborn
1 Premature Burial
1 Dimension Fusion
1 Emergency Teleport
1 Last Will
1 Change of Heart
1 Snatch Steal
1 Brain Control
1 Harpie’s Feather Duster
1 Raigeki

While it is very common for decks in the Traditional Format to run a plethora of Spell Cards, the TeleMonk deck finds such to be a necessity, for, not only does it require the ability to sift through itself as any other strategy would, it also needs the ability to discard extra Spell Cards for Summoner Monk. For this reason, several options have been included that are, while not interfering with the basic functioning of the deck, redundant (and, therefore, not needed) in some situations. A prime example is the three Monster theft cards, as opposed to only one or two.

I shall begin the discussion of the Spell Cards by completing the engines, or, rather, the two engines that have specific cards here. The Destiny Hero engine is rounded out by the inclusion of the two copies of Destiny Draw, along with the single allowed copies of both Allure of Darkness and Reinforcement of the Army. With this suite of cards in place, one has access to the fastest possible movement through the deck while still, at the same time, maintaining consistency and versatility. This is the reason Destiny Heroes see so much play in the DARK School, and why I, personally, am such an advocate of them being Top Tier in the Traditional Format. Finally, the single allowed copy of Emergency Teleport finishes the Psychic engine by allowing the Special Summon of any of the three Psychics, at any given time. While most people would argue that having only a single Emergency Teleport discounts the card from being mentioned in the deck’s name, I would counter by saying that it is an integral part to the strategy, and thus is warranted; with the Normal Summon more often than not going to Elemental Hero Stratos, Dark Grepher or Summoner Monk, the ability of Emergency Teleport to Special Summon a Tuner is extremely important.

Thence, the remainder of the Spell Cards, some staple and some otherwise, are split into three categories: the first being gaining more cards; the second being Special Summoning Monsters with which to Synchro; and the third being controlling the opponent. To begin with, the first category contains Pot of Greed, Graceful Charity, Card Destruction and Painful Choice, with each one either drawing cards or setting up the Graveyard for combos – Graceful Charity and Card Destruction achieving both at the same time. Next, the second category contains not only the usual suspects of Monster Reborn, Premature Burial and Dimension Fusion, but also the oft-overlooked Last Will, which recognises an amazing potential is Synchro-based strategies by Special Summoning, after one has sent a Monster to the Graveyard, such as in a Synchro Summon, either a Tuner or a non-Tuner with which to perform another. One will most often find, in this case, a copy of Summoner Monk being one’s target, for it can act as both at the same time. Lastly, the final category contains five of the most powerful field control cards ever printed: Change of Heart, Snatch Steal, Brain Control, Harpie’s Feather Duster and Raigeki. The latter two are, for the most part, obvious, but the former three have been chosen specifically, instead of other options (namely Heavy Storm and Dark Hole), for their ability to control the opponent’s field while also creating a Monster with which to Synchro – an almost unfair advantage.

The Traps: 3

1 Imperial Order
1 Crush Card Virus
1 Ring of Destruction

There is ultimately very little room to include Trap Cards, and, to be honest, very few options I would ever consider playing, anyway. The three cards included here, however, make their way into the deck for being inarguably the most powerful control-based Traps in the game, and so special consideration is made for them. Imperial Order, Crush Card Virus and Ring of Destruction all have the most wide-reaching effects possible, and require little justification, save possibly Crush Card Virus, which is allowable due to the high number of suitable tributes for its cost (seven in total).

The Extra Deck: 15

1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Mist Wurm
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Scrap Dragon
1 Dark End Dragon
1 Dark Strike Fighter
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 T.G. Hyper Librarian
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Armory Arm
1 Formula Synchron

With the deck having almost unparalleled access to any Level of Sycnrho Monster imaginable, the Extra Deck has been built accordingly. The most powerful and versatile options from all level ranges have been included here, making almost any situation that may present itself during a game a winnable one. For the Level Nines, I have decided to include both Mist Wurm and Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, as opposed to only the latter, for the added versatility through a range of game positions. In the way of Level Eights, we have Stardust Dragon, included at two copies, for its ability to negate destruction (which is an all too common occurrence in the Traditional Format); Colossal Fighter for its sheer size when attempting to go for game; and both Scrap Dragon for the costed destruction of any card, along with Dark End Dragon for the free removal of any Monster, again diversifying options. For the Level Sevens, we have Dark Strike Fighter for its capacity to burn away the last few Life Points one could not attack through; and Black Rose Dragon to reset the field should the opponent gain the upper hand.

Continuing, we have, in the way of Level Six Synchro Monsters, the ever important Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier to clear an opponent’s board, if only temporarily, and also for the distinct ability to create Special Summon loops with Premature Burial (for the Monster attached to Premature Burial, when the Spell Card is bounced to the hand, is not destroyed); and Goyo Guardian for high ATK points and its Monster theft effect. For Level Fives, I have included T.G. Hyper Librarian, which can draw more cards upon the repeated Synchro Summons the deck is capable of; and Ally of Justice Catastor as a lynchpin against non-DARK strategies. Finally, the Level 4 Armory Arm most often functions as a go-between, a Monster summoned in order to facilitate the further summoning of bigger Monsters, but can, on occasion, be used itself; and Formula Synchron, which can be made through Destiny Hero – Disk Commander and Mind Master, allows the drawing of an extra card, and subsequently another Tuner. These explanations of the extra deck are quite short and concise, but little else is required; every card here is, to put it simply, the most powerful options possible.

Having discussed the reasoning behind every card included in my build in TeleMonk, as well as giving some insight into how the deck should be played, I now find myself in need of a conclusion. I am very thankful that this deck is again playable in competition, for, with the speed and myriad options at its disposal, it has a fantastic potential in the modern Traditional Format, and I have spent a large amount of time studying its intricacies in order to come up with this particular build, and many others along the way – some without Chaos, others more control oriented with Necro Gardna, etc., but I believe this version to be the best. Through a Destiny Hero draw engine and a surplus of Special Summon effects, the deck is able to create a full field of Synchro Monsters, backed up by a Chaos Monster or Dark Armed Dragon, by the end of the very first turn and still have cards left in the hand to spare. While TeleMonk, by its very core idea of combining three engines, two of them being Synchro generators, can present some inconsistency, perhaps more so than other decks from the DARK School (or, more specifically, the DARK Synchro sub-archetype), it should not be discounted, I feel, for this small shortcoming. It is still highly consistent, and a few tweaks, no doubt, could make it even more so. I only hope, possibly in vain, that future Limited Lists are more lenient.

Deck Essay #17: Magical Scientist

In the realms of the Traditional Format, there is but a single type of deck which, without a doubt, spawns the most interest and curiosity, but also, unfortunately (for it must be said), attracts the most abhorrence. I am talking, of course, about the First-Turn-Knockout deck, a strategy which aims at claiming victory on the very first turn taken by the pilot, and is considered by many to be unskilled and a detriment to the game; furthermore and in direct relation, the deck is also considered to be the ultimate, unbeatable strategy in the Traditional Format. People who hold true to such views are, to put it plainly, incorrect on both counts. While I myself am indeed the very first person to jump into the intellectual thicket in defence of the potential Battle-based decks have in the Traditional Format, it is also my distinct belief that First-Turn-Knockout strategies play a crucial role in the game of Yu-Gi-Oh! by displaying, first and foremost, the stark differences between it and other Trading Card Games. The First-Turn-Knockout deck can never (and should never, for that matter) be separated from the game, and any in-depth exploration of the Traditional Format, such as I am continuing, would be grossly incomplete without examining them. In this essay, I will be presenting what is perhaps the most famous one of such decks here in the TCG regions: and that is Magical Scientist.

The original Magical Scientist deck, which was first played in 2006, before the banning of the eponymous card, was centred on a combo involving the use of Catapult Turtle; its effect allowed the pilot to Tribute Fusion Monsters Special Summoned by the Scientist, in this manner inflicting Direct Damage to the opponent’s Life Points, eventually enough to bring them to zero. However, times have changed, and a new combo has been born, this time enlisting the aid of the Synchro Monster Dark Strike Fighter: one Summons, by any means, one’s copy of Magical Scientist along with a Level 2 Tuner Monster; thence, one will use the Scientist’s effect to Special Summon a Level 5 Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck (leaving oneself on 7000 Life Points), subsequently Synchro Summoning Dark Strike Fighter; one then pays an additional 6000 Life Points (leaving oneself on 1000) in order to Summon six Level 6 Fusion Monsters in succession, Tributing them for Dark Strike Fighter’s effect to deal 7200 damage to the opponent (6*x200=1200x6=7200), leaving them with 800 Life Points; one then, to conclude the combo, the turn and the game, Tributes the Dark Strike Fighter itself for its own effect, dealing the final Damage. The deck, of course, is founded on achieving this win condition, and only this win condition, in every single game, and doing so as consistently as possible.

The Monsters: 15

3 Royal Magical Library
3 Broww, Huntsman of Dark World
3 Destiny Hero – Dogma
2 Destiny Hero – Plasma
1 Destiny Hero – Disk Commander
1 Dark Magician of Chaos
1 Magical Scientist
1 Plaguespreader Zombie

For the purposes of this particular study of the Magical Scientist deck, I have decided to make use of two distinct drawing engines, one obvious, and the other not so much. To begin with, I will discuss the less clear of the two, and back up my conclusion with the necessary sound reasoning: it is the Royal Magical Library engine, an engine which is based on the simple use of a plethora of Spell Cards (in this case, a total of twenty-five) in order to build up enough Spell Counters to draw extra cards upon their removal from the Monster Card. With the high number of Spells that the First-Turn-Knockout deck invariably includes, there is little sweat produced when considering the use of Royal Magical Library; furthermore, the overall consistency, which was to no doubt be created here, would, in fact, in its way, both contribute to and feed off of the engine. I am sure many players would have overlooked the idea, considering it to be comparatively inferior and opting instead for a Trap-based Makyura the Destructor engine, but I stand my decision, for the above reasons.

The second aforementioned drawing engine has been, throughout the history of the game, the most potent (and, therefore, the most popular) way of sifting through a deck to find key cards. The quite simply awesome potential of the Destiny Hero engine can never be overstated, and the group of cards has powered deck after deck, player after player, to either championship titles or very high standings in premier level events. Here, a very uncomplicated assortment of Destiny Hero Monster Cards has been included to accommodate the utilization of the three available drawing Spells: firstly, a full set of Destiny Hero – Dogma finds its way into the list, being a Destiny Hero, a Level 8 and of the DARK Attribute; secondly, Destiny Hero – Plasma is also included for the same reasons, although only at two copies; and, finally, the single allowed copy of Destiny Hero – Disk Commander rounds out the suite as being both a Destiny Hero and a DARK. It must be said that each Monster, however, also brings something else to the strategy: the latter has the distinct ability to draw two more cards when Special Summoned from the Graveyard, a fact that makes it as useful, if not more so, here than on any other deck; and the two former allow one clear one’s field, should one have clogged it with other Monsters – one needs a total of three open Monster spaces to execute the combo, and if one was forced to Summon a Library, the Disk Commander and Dark Magician of Chaos, one will have only two, at which point the summon of Plasma or Dogma will open the field.

From there, a full set of Broww, Huntsman of Dark World are included to accompany the set of Dark World Dealings that it was, right from the beginning, obvious that I was to run. The two cards, when combined together, allow the further drawing of two cards. The effect of Broww, Huntsman of Dark World can also be triggered through the effects of both Card Destruction and Graceful Charity, and, once again, it was a very simple judgment that these two Spells were to be included here. Dark Magician of Chaos, which has already been mentioned, also finds amazing power, as it almost always does, by retrieving a Spell Card from the Graveyard upon its revival. It can easily be discarded in order to facilitate the use of this effect, which can then be used to salvage either a draw cad pr a combo piece.

To complete the list of Monster Cards, I have opted to include the smallest possible group of combo cards necessary to achieve the win condition: simply the Magical Scientist, paired with the single allowed copy of Plaguespreader Zombie. I have done this to avoid the distinct possibility of the drawing of combo pieces while one is still within the setting up phase of the turn, at which point these individual cards are dead. I have come across decklists playing many other Level 2 Tuner Monsters, including Krebons alongside Emergency Teleport, or The Fabled Cerburrel for use with the various discard effects, among others, but I have found that such extensive line-ups of combo pieces fail to give the consistency needed to compete in the modern Traditional Format. The Magical Scientist itself, combined with the lone Plaguespreader Zombie, is the perfect group.

The Spells: 25

3 Trade-in
3 Dark World Dealings
3 Into the Void
3 Hand Destruction
2 Destiny Draw
2 Spell Power Grasp
1 Pot of Greed
1 Graceful Charity
1 Allure of Darkness
1 Card Destruction
1 Painful Choice
1 One for One
1 Monster Reborn
1 Premature Burial
1 Harpie’s Feather Duster

As one would no doubt have expected, the Spell Card line-up is constructed, in concert with the recurring theme of the deck (and the overall premise of the Traditional Format in general), for speed and consistency. A surplus of drawing Spells, backed up by appropriate discard targets when needed, combine with the set of Royal Magical Library to create the fastest possible movement through the deck, and the quickest possible access to the win condition. While it is the place of many battle-based strategies to achieve a similar goal, the First-Turn-Knockout deck differs from such Turbo strategies in that it seeks, above anything else, to claim victory through the single technique only. Of course, this can be a blessing, and a deficit: the former because it will be far more consistent than a battle-based strategy; and the latter because it contains little, if any, resiliency to an opponent’s plays and counters. This is something to consider when playing in this format.

The list begins with a collection of theme-specific drawing and draw-enabling cards. With six Monster Cards suitable to discard for its cost, Trade-in is a simple inclusion here; furthermore, with one of those Monsters being the ever-useful Dark Magician of Chaos, it is even simpler to make this decision. From there, in keeping with the theme-specific draw cards, a full set of Dark World Dealings has been included, and is justified by not only the simple act of drawing a single card, but also the partnership with Broww, Huntsman of Dark World and the ability place another Spell Counter onto Royal Magical Library. Next, a pair of Destiny Draw has also been included in order to make best use out of the Destiny Hero Monsters, drawing yet another two cards. Thence, the single allowed copy of Allure of Darkness becomes a simple addition, what with playing so many DARK Attribute Monsters here. Spell Power Grasp, admittedly a somewhat strange choice, is used to place two Spell Counters onto one’s Royal Magical Library (one for the Spell Card’s effect, and then another for the Library’s effect), and, in this way, helps to further the strategy through simplified card drawing. Finally, Premature Burial and Monster Reborn find a way into this deck due to their ability to revive either Destiny Hero – Disk Commander or Dark Magician of Chaos, in so doing triggering their highly important effects.

With these cards cemented in their place, a group of generic draw cards is then included. This section requires little explanation and justification, being found here for the obvious reason of furthering the strategy without requiring any special means to accomplish their ends. Full sets of both Into the Void and Hand Destruction are accompanied by Pot of Greed, Graceful Charity and Card Destruction. Painful Choice, while not a drawing card, should also be mentioned here, for it thins the deck by five cards, allows better draws by clearing dead cards from one’s path, and possibly placing combo pieces (such as the Plaguespreader Zombie, the Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, etc.) into the Graveyard for future use. As is almost always the case, Painful Choice recognises its incredible potential in a fast, combo-oriented deck such as this.

Finally, to round out not only the Spell Card list but also the Main Deck list, one will find two final cards, the last combo piece and a tech card. To begin with, I have included the single allowed copy of One for One as the final piece to the combo; with the Normal Summon almost always being used on a Royal Magical Library, and the Monster Reborn and the Premature Burial both almost always being used on Dark Magician of Chaos and Destiny Hero – Disk Commander, there was a need to discover another way to summon the Scientist, leading to said inclusion. To end with, I have made the decision, as I always do when constructing First-Turn-Knockout decks, to run Harpie’s Feather Duster, which allows, should one discover oneself playing second in the first game, the removal of any threats to one’s win condition in Spell or Trap form (which are, in the first game, the most possible).

The Extra Deck: 15

3 Dark Blade the Dragon Knight
3 Dark Flare Knight
1 Dark Balter the Terrible
1 Thousand-Eyes Restrict
1 Dark Strike Fighter
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Dark End Dragon
1 Scrap Dragon
1 Black Rose Dragon

To speak with complete honesty, the necessary Fusion Monsters to achieve the combo (that is, the six Level 6 Fusions, and the single Level 5) can be any such card so desired, as long as it can be Special Summoned. In actual fact, the list of possibilities is quite extensive, and the Monsters are, for all intensive purposes, completely useless outside of the central combo. As for myself, however, I prefer to remain with my DARK School roots, running full sets of both Dark Blade the Dragon Knight and Dark Flare Knight in the Level 6 slots, and Dark Balter the Terrible as the Level 5. Conversely, although there is a large discrepancy in regards to this set of Monsters, I have completed the Fusion toolbox by making possibly the only essential choice; any opportunity to unleash Thousand-Eyes Restrict upon an opponent, even if only for the single turn allowed by Magical Scientist, should never be passed up. While I will admit that it is an obvious rarity that this will ever happen, it is far the better option to have the possibility than the reverse.

The same overall discussion can be used for the remainder of the Monsters I have added to the Extra Deck. The only necessity here included is the copy of Dark Strike Fighter, but I have fleshed out the residual space by running a further suite of Synchro Monsters under the concept of ‘just in case’. The legroom to do so exists, and I see little reason to neglect it. I will not, however, enter into any discussion pertaining to these cards, due to the fact that they have no influence over the specific strategy – nay, I shall only state that they have all been decided upon by the criteria of flexibility across their individual effects, and an ability to summon them through avenues available solely to the deck itself.

While there is a vast chasm of differing opinions within the player-base in regards to the skill-set necessary to pilot a First-Turn-Knockout deck, the possible dominance of these strategies, and the overall worth they present to the game in general, there should be no such confusion pertaining to their existence. These decks do exist, and I have done my part to document them so they will not be lost to the sands of time (as I fear will no doubt happen to the Traditional Format in general, but I digress). It is, therefore, up to the remainder of the Duelling world as to what they should make of the value of the strategies; they are by no means without their necessary skill required to pilot successfully, and moreover are not without their possible countermeasures. What only needs to further be said is that, without an acceptance of these statements as true (without the recognition that the First-Turn-Knockout is not simply a cheap, unskilful, format-breaking deck), the Traditional Format will never prosper and the brilliance it allows will be lost forever. It should sadden me terrible if such a repugnant occurrence ever became true, for incredible strategies such as this bring the most unique aspects of Yu-Gi-Oh! to the forefront of competition – ultimate forms of speed, power and consistency. Without these, this great game ceases to be what it is.