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Article #78: Cry for Reborn (and Bomber)

Well, time flies...as I was just ready to graduate from college from the last list, prepping for what to do in Spring Break, then now ready to go again to school. Of course, in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh, half a year also means the "big event": the revealing of the ban and restriction list that affects how and what they played for the next 6 months. So as usual, I would give my 2 cents on the ban/restriction list...and my own prediction of the meta for the next few months (not counting on new cards).

Banished:
Dark Dive Bomber - Well, the list of how much this card can do is limitless. This card is almost "Skullclamp" like - although not banned as fast due to the fact that lists are updated only every so often. This card's banning is not unexpected, through. In today's game, almost 9 out of 10 games are finished or can be easily finished off with DDB (just that the player decide not to bring it out). Since the point of this card is that you would only bring this card out once and that's all it need to finish opponent, restriction does NOTHING. This card makes any game at LEAST a turn shorter (especially in Black Feather deck), if that says anything. Also, the number of OTKs revolving around this card is just gigantic (i.e. Gaeru OTK, BF OTK, etc.)
Card of Safe Return - From unrestriced to restricted to banned...why? It's easy, it makes special summoning requirement turns into an advantage. It still have so much power even at one. With Undeads, Level Stealer/"Synchron" deck using this card to madness level...well, bad news for them. In addition, this card's banning means a LOT of potential combo are dead.
Monster Reborn - After a year, finally again a swap of the Reborn card.
Deck Destruction Virus of Death - The problem with this card is that it can take opponent out of the game by just itself. DDV a whole field + almost most hand plus 3 more turns...and 3 turns in this game is forever now. Also, with the advent of Tuners, this card gains so many "feeder" that it's not funny.

Restricted:
Black Feather - Gale of Hurricane - This card is right now the single best Tuner in the game. This card is level 3 for one thing (which makes level 7 Synchros so easy to brought out), in BF deck, easily special summonable...in other deck...it can kill a 2600 attack monster as a level 3 monster. Although I did argue to restrict [Black Whirlwind] over this card, but again it is the argument to"Gale makes Whirlwind good" or "Whirlwind makes Gale good"...
King of the End Demise - This is still by far the best Ritual monster. I'm myself surprised at this card's restriction, however. The surprise thing is this card is not used as widely as was in the Demise-Dozer era, but with the new Ritual supports, I guess Konami want to take the pre-emptive action? I don't know...there is still something called [Judgment Dragon] at 2 that does similar things to this card...with less life points cost also!!!
Mental Master - Psychic OTK...see my review on [Brain Development Research Laboratory] on how it works. Konami is the "anti-OTK" anyway.
Rescue Cat/Summon Priest - Cat Synchro is running rampant and limiting them is no surprise. Why not just "kill" the deck by banning [Rescue Cat]? For that matter, why not ban the Synchros that makes them good? The answer is that this card makes Synchro fast...yes, but with less Cat means the deck gets slower. The problem lies in that Priest and Cat makes Synchro fast, and they make Synchro looks better than they should.
Black Rose Dragon - The effect of this card reset the field. It can easily turn around games like Goyou and Brionac. This is the 4th most played Synchro from my Extra Deck anyway: of course, in the order of DDB, Goyou, Brionac, Black Rose.....
Mind Control - The drawback of this card means nothing to Synchro monster. Taking control of opponent's stuff
One for One - This card was underlooked at first released until people start realizing how much this little card can do. What do I mean, as this freaking thing only special summon level ONE monsters? Well, the list includes [Yomigaeru], [Iragaeru] (Gaeru OTK), [Deformer Mobiphon] (the best Deformer), [Fortune Lady Lighty], [Wight/Wight King], [Mental Master], [Fishborg - Gunner], [Cyber Vary], etc. Most are new cards, and it makes a lot of decks run much smoother as it can search the important level ONE piece out from deck easily.
Cold Wave - This card suffers from both being overplay and being an old card. The first is that a lot of decks can use this card to do the "finishing touch" without opponent bothering him/her with his Magic/Trap. The second is that this card's age makes it kind of overpower in today's game. There used to be not as much advantage on YOU not having the power of using Magic/Trap. However, with effect monsters getting better and better and the number of "countermeasures" (as M/T) against them smaller and smaller (due to what else, this stupid list...), this card is now too powerful.
Declaration of God - I would say this card is another card suffers from being overplayed. Do people hate opponent just Cat things out here and there? Of course! I seriously do not get this restriction...yes, it is by far the most vestaile Counter Trap in the game, but for god sake, it is a COUNTER Trap that is meant to be in the game to control some stupid powerful cards.
Cry of Living Dead - Swap with the more broken [Monster Reborn], no big surprise here.

Semi-Restrict:
Bottomless Trap Hole/奈落の落とし穴
Tiger King of Ice Barrier - Dularen/氷結界の虎王ドゥローレン
Lonefire Blosom/ローンファイア・ブロッサム
Chaos Sorceror/カオス・ソーサラー
Mezuki/馬頭鬼
Tiger King of Ice Barrier - Dularen - This semi-restriction is like cards like [Diabolicguy]: it is only good at 3. WHY? This card really suffered from being a part of the whole "Gaeru OTK". Although the best way to finish opponent using that deck, [Dark Dive Bomber], is banned...the deck can still function with cards like [Cannon Soldier] or [Mass Driver]. Putting this card at 2 basically kills the whole deck. (NOTE: How the deck works? Basically, the player must find some way to put 3 copies of this card from the Extra Deck to Graveyard, then use [Symbol of Heritage] to revive one, bounce [Symbol], DDB it, rinse and copy. This combo also works with [Space Fortress Golgal] and [Falcon of Mist Valley], just that [Tiger King] is fastest due to synergy with the [Gaeru] monsters)
Lonefire Blossom - Another card suffers from the overusage of [Symbol of Heritage]. Really, Lonefire is what makes Plant decent...so with only 2 it will affect the speed of the deck by a bunch (not even counting [Symbol of Heritage]).
Chaos Sorceror - Chaos WAS the format. Synchro IS the format. This card was not widely used when it first gone back to one. Really, this card was banned due to it being crazily overused anyway. One day people would look back at this card and compared it to the story of [Dark Armed Dragon]. People actually would now go back and build Chaos deck? I doubt it, remember as Chaos Sorceror was only good because it thrived in a format where the speed of a game is turtle (and due to lack of any sort of good cards not named [Cyber Dragon] from GX)
Mezuki - With CoSR banned, and Konami realizing that this card is not as good as they thought it is...going back to 2. It is all pre-emptive to me in the first place to restrict this card.
Bottomless Pit Trap- Slow Meta-Beat? Gadget (which BTW, is not that good since forever)? I don't know...I don't get it. They want to make Synchro not as powerful YET they somehow semi the best card against Synchro...

Off:
Wind Monarch Raizer - Again, When is the last time someone play a Monarch deck?
Forest Guard Green Baboon - This card is crap after ruling change. This card is worst with restriction of [Rescue Cat].
DD Warrior Lady/Magical Knight Breaker - Both are surprise removal as they are symbols of "powerful cards from the 300s Series". However, looking back, they are just not as fast or powerful as before. DDWL is still a good card, but outside of Chaos or Warrior, this card is not much use as it just does not help Synchro (it is also good in Meta-Beat). Breaker is just slow now...period. If Explosive can be at 3, what's the point of restricting Breaker?
Fissure - Fissure is just not that good...seriously. This card suffers from the "most stupid deck ever exist in YGO" Removal-Gadget where it have 10000 monster removal. But now all those are just slow...and with so much Tuners out there [Fissure] may not kill the monster a player wants to...
Destiny Draw - I have no idea why it was semi-restricted in the first place.

Overall comment?
1. Konami goes back to the way of "killing OTK as fast as possible". DDB itself IS the finisher for a lot of deck just like how I used to use that damn little Crow (Yatagarusu) to make opponent cry.
2. Every time list changes, I just want to ask Konami "what's the point of doing some of the restriction when the deck that used it does not wins anything but only for fun".
3. People are pissed that Lightlord is only getting better with [Charge of Light Brigade] and no restriction ([Honest], [Judgment])
4. I'm 50/50 on this list...while it does axed DDB, it also have a lot of questionable moves that I just have no idea why they made.
5. How much World Championship does to this list? I seriously think minimal, with Cat Synchro the only one that is seriously affect by the list out of the "3 top ones" in LL, Gladial Beast, and Cat Synchro.

Now, the metagame, I would not even attempt to say I will know what's coming...here is my 2 cents.

Tier 1:
Lightlord
Gladial Beast

Tier 1.5:
Meta Beat
Light-Dark "Chaos" Synchro

Tier 2:
Graveyard BF
Plant (??)

Tier 6: Baroncaster - it still sucks...
Tier 1000: Psychic - victim of people abusing its best parts

- Baron, 8/15/2009