Spikes & Baron D.M.Comet

Article 3: The comment on Japanese Ban List

Well, guys, as most of your knew about already, starting tomorrow (this article is written on 2/29), 10 of the cards in the Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh OCG will be ban from Japanese official tournament deck. If you don't know, here're the lucky candidates:

Thunderbolt
Change of Heart
Mischievous Demon Duo
Painful Choice
Cyber Pod
Fiber Pod
Imperial Order
Angel Injection Lily
Yatagarusu
Harpy's Feather Sweep

OK, then, I saw people whining about the list. Here's some analyzation of WHY the cards are ban and how to replace without them.

WHY?
Thunder Bolt (Raigeki)/HFD - Really, as Konami of Japan said, this two card are broken with NO DRAWBACK.
Change of Heart - Since it hurt Reverse Effect monster, plus the upside of "stealing" face-down monster unlike other snatching cards.
Mischievous Demon Duo - This card can gave ANY deck hand advantage at the very first turn with only little drawback.
Cyber Pod - Just too much field reset and clearing, plus the upside of giving out too much field advantage but yet if this card activate at Battle Phase, Battle Phase continue!
Fiber Pod - Too much clearing. Plus the annoying "reset" button, and most important, you may always remove all cards from opponent's graveyard and gave your opponent big disadvantage. Also, it could give field advantage since if the reset activate at Battle Phase, your opponent waste a turn and you can do whatever you want to the field next turn.
Painful Choice - Well, first, this card give too much power and speed up Chaos Duo summoning. Also, this card, if use correctly, could use as "thinning deck" plus helping "dump-reborn" combo.
Imperial Order - Complete annoying card with not much of drawback. If you don't even run 1 Magic Card, your opponent only watch hopelessly on the whole hand of Magic Card. It's negation is too much on a turn.
Angel Injection Lily - Very fast powerup and Last Turn attack winning card. (Although I see NO REASON to ban this card since the drawback is high.)
And finally, Yatagarusu - This card created something that no other card game could have - complete lockdown. This card change the game too much and give Hand-Control too much advantage.

HOW TO REPLACE?
Raigeki - Add back some classic Monster Removal - Soul Taker, Fissure, etc.
HFS - If you didn't have it in deck, Tempest. If you have, any other M/T removal cards
Mischievous Demon Duo - Confiscation/Steadfast Guard if don't have it. If you have it, combine those two card with Another Dimension (Twilight Zone) Designator. (306)
Painful Choice - Foolish Burial
Fiber Pod - Metamol Pod is the best replacement
Cyber Pod - Chaos Pod is the best replacement
Imperial Order - Magic Jammer, Seal of Sorcery (306), and Magic Drain
Change of Heart - Enemy Controller (308)
Angel Injection Lily - Really, none. You may try Kinetic Soldier + DNA combo, or basically use some Newt.
Yata - Sorry, None at all!!

At last, my comment on the ban list. This decision of KoJ, I think, would help balance the game, which not everyone Control deck or Chaos Deck. This list would help out people thinking of using other card instead of depending on few cards in a deck.

Also, for the English players, this list will come I think at July at World Championship 2004.

- Baron