The 2008/2009 'Lowdown' Thread

[The_Dark_Monarch]

~ The 2008/2009 'Lowdown thread'~

First of all, a very warm welcome to those of you returning to Yugioh.

Whether you have been away for 4 months or 4 years, you will find that a lot has changed.

For those 'long term absentees' we now have new game mechanics, rules, monster types & a change in Yugioh ownership and distributorship.

There's a heck of a lot to learn now if you quit more than a year ago, but the rewards are well worth that effort.

We now have new 'Synchro Monsters' which are similar to a combined Ritual & Fusion Monster, they are white in colour and belong in the 'Fusion Deck', now renamed the 'extra deck'.

These Synchro monsters must be Special Summoned by having a 'Tuner Monster'(a monster sub-type like Union Monsters) & one or more Non-Tuner monster (anything that is not a Tuner Monster) whose combined levels must equal the exact level of the Synchro Monster that you wish to Special Summon, or 'Synchro Summon'.

All this is explained in the latest 5D's 'rule book' which accompanies all the latest Structure & Character decks & looks like this:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w3iuayARAww/ShfyOUSCBZI/AAAAAAAAAKs/GifAnqQsm9E/s320/official_rulebook.jpg

You can also download it from here:

http://yugiohcorneristas.blogspot.com/2009/05/getting-started-official-rulings-of.html

I suggest, the very first thing that long-term absentees do, is familiarise themselves with the contents thereof from cover to cover.

The next thing to do, is to familiarise yourselves with all of the cards in each of the sets that have been released since your haitus.

http://www.yugiohetc.com/ or, you can just look on Pojo.

The latest sets have given us such themes as: Batterymen, Morphtronics, Blackwings, Lightsworn, Gladiator Beasts etc, as well as giving support to 'attributes' like Light & Dark, in addition to decent & much forthcoming support for Spellcasters, Plants, Aliens & yes, even Sea Serpents. =)

Fiends & Insects once again 'missed the boat', but I feel sure their time will come..

Zombies were a 'Tier 1' deck last format, with the introduction of Plaguespreader Zombie, Mezuki & Necroface into the TCG..however the restriction to 1 of Plaguespreader Zombie, Mezuki & Card of Safe Return, the very next banlist, saw the deck not perform quite as well after that.

Here is the latest banlist:
http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/limited/

As a result of this banlist, the latest & most consistent/successful decks so far this format are:

Blackwings- reasonably cheap & very effective
'Syncro Cat' - reasonably cheap & very effective
Lightsworn - very expensive & moderately effective
Gladiator Beast - reasonably cheap & moderately effective
Dark Armed Dragon (DAD) Variants - Moderately expensive & moderately effective

Decks that are lurking just below the surface include Debris-Hime (a Plant deck variant), Dark Skill Drain, Plant Skill Drain, Counter Fairies, Oppression Gadgets & various GOOD Monarch builds.
*I suggest looking up variants of all of the aforementioned decks using the "Search Function" on here, to get an idea of how each deck is built & the key cards that are involved.

Really, anything has a pretty good chance to do very well atm, with a decent build & in the hands of a skilled duelist. This format is an exceptional one to be returning to.
There's even more diversity now, than there was in the format of September 2007.

I really do not know how far back people want me to go with this. For actual gameplay, I think I have just about covered what's been going on in the past few months.

Basically, there's 5-7 decks (as described above) that have consistent potential, however, because Konami now controls Distribution & Organised Play of the Yugioh TCG in all territories (taken over from Upperdeck *formerly known as Upperdeck Entertainment) & has only recently recommenced the Judge Certification Program and Organised Play within the last 2 months, nobody really knows what is going on or what the 'top tier' decks actually are.

Metagame.com has refused to cover the Yugioh TCG & assoiciated SJC events anymore as a result of this 'takeover', & as a result, has left many 'in the dark' as to what deck(s) are the best to 'netdeck' nowdays. This may be a good thing though.

The reason why Konami took over from Upperdeck (UDE) is that it was discovered that Upperdeck (through a supplier called 'Vintage Sports') was actually producing & distributing counterfeit Yugioh Cards!!!! O_o.
There was this huge court case, followed by lawsuits, mud-slinging, 'catfights' etc..but Konami eventually won out.

So, after all of the arguments about how Konami has screwed us in the past, but now UD has screwed us even more..we are left with Konami taking over everything.

In territories outside the USA, Organised Play is still being slowly re-established, and many countries in Europe & Oceania are still yet to have Sneak Previews, Hobby Leagues and such.
Most of the time, that 'slack' is taken up by Tournament Organisers & Store Owners, just to keep the game alive & profits flowing in.

So now, I have covered the latest rules, the banlist, the 'top tier' (although that term is hardly used anymore) decks & the debarcle with Konami vs UDE, there's only one more thing left:

Card Prices & Sets:
Now, in my opinion, the last 3-4 sets we recieved have been particularly 'lackluster' & only really decent if you actually wanted to build the theme they specialised in.. "Blackwings", for example.
Blackwings is possibly the 'hottest deck' around atm, however, if you wanted to stick with an older theme, like Monarchs, Gadgets, Fiends etc..you would possibly find nothing much of use in there & because Blackwings are not an expensive deck to make in the first place, not much in the way of 'Trade Bait' either.

The best 'Trade Bait' around at the moment:

Dark Strike Fighter (that's the card that everybody must have in their "extra decks" atm as a counter to Solemn Judgment abuse)
Solemn Judgment (as it has always been ever since Ring of Destruction was banned)
Honest (one of the major components of a Lightsworn Deck)
Judgment Dragon (the other major component)
Dark Armed Dragon (the price is going down on him though, since he has recently been reprinted in Gold Series 2 & besides that, he is not all that effective anymore) *waits to see how Adam Corn goes at the upcoming Nationals running a DaD Variant*
Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo (one of the main components in anti-meta decks)
Skill Drains (even though they are a pesky rare, nobody seems to have any when you need them)
Book of Moons (same story as above)
Cold Waves (as above above) lol
Destiny Hero- Malicious (still retaining his value quite well)
Darklord Zerato - He has always been over $70 AUD every time that I have looked at him on e-bay.
Stardust Dragon Assault Mode
X-Saber Airbellum
Summoner Monk
-dark bribe
-crush card virus
-blackwing - gale
-blackwing armor master
-blackwing armed wing
-delta crow - anti reverse
-arcanite magician
-beast king barbaros
-charge of the light brigade
-gold sarcophagus

There may be quite a few I missed there, but I think I got basically all of the main ones.

I still find that if you really want to play the latest decks & have good cards for trade, buy the latest sets, however, if you are looking only for individual cards to actually make your own deck, or tailor a specific deck to your individual tastes & playstyle, buying singles off e-bay is much more profitable and rewarding.

Also, now is a great time to come back into the game, because many of the big 'money cards' of the game in the past, like Dark Armed Dragon, Dark Bribe, Necroface, Gold Sarcophagus & yes, even Crush Card Virus have either already been mass released & easy to afford/obtain, or at least strongly rumoured to be reprinted as a Rare in future (in the case of Crush Card Virus).
We all just need to wait for Konami to get around to organising & supporting worldwide distribution & Organised Play, before they go ahead & release any more of those hitherto 'unobtainable' cards.

Now, having said all of that, you all know exactly as much as I do right now.
There's nothing more to add, other than: "did it really require a whole new forum, to explain what I have just neatly 'summed up' in a single post? lol

Anyway, I feel certain other people will have more to add to this, from their own experiences & knowledge.

Again, welcome back to the fold & have fun.

*hey mods, slap some glue on this will ya? It took me ages to write*

[Dragonic]

That was a FANTASTIC read, and certainly increased my knowledge like 10 fold lol.

Being away for nearly 3 years and considering in coming back it's safe to say that i've missed ALOT and this has been quite a good help of getting my knowledge up.

I'm still running Insects though :p

[xc_hawk]

Dark monarch, to add to "trade bait"
-dark bribe
-crush card virus
-blackwing - gale
-blackwing armor master
-blackwing armed wing
-delta crow - anti reverse
-arcanite magician
-beast king barbaros
-charge of the light brigade
-X saber airbellum
-gold sarc

I'm sure there are others as well

Great job on the guide, organization (or lack there of) is meh, but I'm not the one writing the guide, now am I?


Dragonic: skill drain insects is actually a pretty good deck with verdant sanctuary, you have beast king barbaros?

[The_Dark_Monarch]

Dark monarch, to add to "trade bait"
-dark bribe
-crush card virus
-blackwing - gale
-blackwing armor master
-blackwing armed wing
-delta crow - anti reverse
-arcanite magician
-beast king barbaros
-charge of the light brigade
-X saber airbellum
-gold sarc

I'm sure there are others as well

Great job on the guide, organization (or lack there of) is meh, but I'm not the one writing the guide, now am I?


Dragonic: skill drain insects is actually a pretty good deck with verdant sanctuary, you have beast king barbaros?

Will do that & thanks.

My 'guides' read more like 'articles' though & I aint real good at organising stuff, but I think I have covered everything, including the fact that I may have omitted what others also consider to be decent trade bait. :p

Oh..and the fact that those with more experience than I have may also like to contribute too...no doubt the latter would amount to a 'foregone conclusion' though lol

[magnumcyclonex]

Useful information. How about giving a brief introduction on the various decktypes, explaining what the main purpose of each deck is and why those decks do so well. Thanks!

[The_Dark_Monarch]

I shall do that when I have recovered from my fingers falling off & it's way later than 2:40 am over here in Sydney. Thanks for asking.

[boogieomatic]

excellent read. all around nice job.

[melatoninArcanist]

Useful information. How about giving a brief introduction on the various decktypes, explaining what the main purpose of each deck is and why those decks do so well. Thanks!

Sure, I'll contribute.

Blackwings:
A Swarm deck with good syncro capacity. Black Whirlwind allows them to search the deck for a BW each time one is normal summoned, and many have effects that special summon more. A common play is to swarm, attack, then sync for Dark Strike Fighter and "shoot" all your monsters for game.

Syncro Cat:
A deck that makes explosive plays using Summoner Monk and Rescue Cat for syncros. It's very good at getting level 7 syncros. A common play is to summon Monk, use his effect for another Monk, use that one's effect for a Rescue Cat, use Rescue Cat's ability to get 2 X-Saber Airbellum and sync for 2 level 7 syncros.

Lightsworn:
An unpredictable and fast deck based around sending your deck to the graveyard. It has a lot of destructive cards like Judgement Dragon, Honest, and Celestia, Lightsworn Angel. It can also use Lumina, Lightsworn summoner to swarm. It cannot sync very well.

Gladiator Beast:
A deck based around "tagging" Gladiator Beasts out to activate their effects. It's consistent, yet versatile, as they can wreck you with Gladiator Beast Gyzarus, or control the field with Gladiator Beast Chariot.

DAD Variants:
It utilizes lots of draw power with powerful cards like Dark Armed Dragon. There's really a lot of variants on this, but most use lots of darks ideal for syncroing like Plaguespreader Zombie and Destiny Hero Malicious. They sometimes run cards like Cyber Valley or Skill Drain.

[spyder156]

good info even for duelists like me that are constantly playing the game thanks for dedicating your time in to explaining

[tellme718]

wow finally someone gives credit to tele-dad varients. people think these decks are dead but they are very much alive and kickin. what deck does adam corn use>?

[PKpwnage]

I shall contribute!!!

These are the latest booster sets that have been released:

Raging Battle (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Raging_Battle)
Crimson Crisis (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Crimson_Crisis)
Crossroads of Chaos (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Crossroads_of_Chaos)
The Duelist Genesis (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/The_Duelist_Genesis)
Light of Destruction (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Light_of_Destruction)
Phantom Darkness (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Phantom_Darkness)
Gladiator's Assault (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Gladiator%27s_Assault)
Tactical Evolution (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Tactical_Evolution)
Force of the Breaker (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Force_of_the_Breaker)
Strike of Neos (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Strike_of_Neos)

Gold Series 2009 (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Gold_Series_2009)
Duelist Pack: Yusei (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Duelist_Pack_8:_Yusei_Fudo)
Dark Legends (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Legends)
Champion Pack: Game Eight (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Champion_Pack:_Game_Eight)

These are the newest packs to be released:

Ancient Prophecy (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Ancient_Prophecy)
Stardust Overdrive (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Stardust_Overdrive)

Duelist Pack: Yugi (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Duelist_Pack:_Yugi)
Turbo Pack (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Turbo_Pack)



The meta (top decks) as of:

March 2009: Lightsworn (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsworns), Gladiator Beasts (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Gladiator_Beasts), Blackwings (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Blackwings), Cat Synchro (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Cat_Synchro)
September 2008: Teleport Dark Armed Dragon (TeleDAD) (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Teleport_Dark_Armed), Lightsworn, Gladiator Beasts
June 2008: Gladiator Beasts, Lightsworn
March 2008: Dark Armed Return (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Armed_Return)


The current banlist: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/March_2009_Lists

The Extra Deck: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Extra_Deck

Synchro Monsters: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Synchro_Monsters

The Pojo Survival Guide: http://www.pojo.biz/board/showthread.php?t=638108

[Efrain]

Great post,I wish this was up like 4 months ago when I came back into the game,it would have helped me alot with the synchro monsters :P lol

[JDGloom]

This is a great thread and absolutely deserves a sticky. TDM, thank you for the work you put into it, and thank you to everyone else who also contributed, or will contribute.

-JD

[tellme718]

my contributions to this great thread.
this is a thorough list of most decks used out there and what you will probably see in every tournament

tier 1:

blackwings
lightsworn
gladiator beast
tele-dad variations
skill drain/ anti meta variations

cat synchro( maybe tier 2 for its lack of support, achievements and consistency)

i put it in order from best to great

second tier:
monarch variations( pcm, macro, etc)
plants
six samurai
stun
twilight
zombies

tier 3:
gravekeepers
elemental hero's
milling
burners
hopeless dragon

although every deck has the ability to beat the other in order these decks are the most consistent and most widely used.
hope that i helped

[melatoninArcanist]

my contributions to this great thread.
this is a thorough list of most decks used out there and what you will probably see in every tournament

tier 1:

blackwings
lightsworn
gladiator beast
tele-dad variations
skill drain/ anti meta variations

cat synchro( maybe tier 2 for its lack of support, achievements and consistency)

i put it in order from best to great

second tier:
monarch variations( pcm, macro, etc)
plants
six samurai
stun
twilight
zombies

tier 3:
gravekeepers
elemental hero's
milling
burners
hopeless dragon

although every deck has the ability to beat the other in order these decks are the most consistent and most widely used.
hope that i helped

E-Heroes are definitely not Tier 3. They're like Tier 48257

[dust2dust]

There really shouldn't be a tier list employed. instead, i think you should just list what's being played now adays...which are

Blackwing
Lightsworn
Gladiator beast
rescue cat synchro
Dark Armed decks (synchro, salvo, skill drain)

[tellme718]

There really shouldn't be a tier list employed. instead, i think you should just list what's being played now adays...which are

Blackwing
Lightsworn
Gladiator beast
rescue cat synchro
Dark Armed decks (synchro, salvo, skill drain)

well these are the most competitive and consistent in the current meta (dad >cat) but, there are other decks that should be acknowledged and categorized.

[Trap Master]

Dark monarch, to add to "trade bait"
-dark bribe
-crush card virus
-blackwing - gale
-blackwing armor master
-blackwing armed wing
-delta crow - anti reverse
-arcanite magician
-beast king barbaros
-charge of the light brigade
-X saber airbellum
-gold sarc

Or to make it short, simply every holo concerning Blackwings or Winged Beast support. From what I've seen, even the crappiest Blackwing holos are expensive (come on, 20€ for Elphin and Armed Wing, seriously?).

[xc_hawk]

Or to make it short, simply every holo concerning Blackwings or Winged Beast support. From what I've seen, even the crappiest Blackwing holos are expensive (come on, 20€ for Elphin and Armed Wing, seriously?).
Armed Wing is actually going to become very important come Ancient Prophecy, so that's not surprising. Elphin in the other hand...

[banisher01]

Thanks for all the info. Now I don't feel like I'm completely out of the loop and I was only out of it for a year.

[PJ]

I'm gonna add this, not because it's a shameless plug, but because I wrote it specifically for returning players: http://theirishduelist.blogspot.com/2009/06/big-5.html

[shinning_friendship]

this is great much thanks..:D

[Never4ever]

Summoner Monk, not Summon Priest. Don't confuse new / returning players just because you like the older name better.

[The_Dark_Monarch]

Summoner Monk, not Summon Priest. Don't confuse new / returning players just because you like the older name better.

Thank you, I will change that.

It's not a case of me 'liking the old name better', it's more a case of me getting 'up to speed' on all of the latest sets & new releases myself. lol

I also agree, that since there are more than 1-2 'reigning' decks now, this 'Tier System' should be totally abolished. (not that I was ever a huge fan of it to begin with).

Thanks also to all of you who have contributed to this & who will do so.

[food9279]

good thread!!

[slipark7]

Very well put, TDM. ;) Check out my Jigen Kamikazee deck here, http://www.pojo.biz/board/showthread.php?p=13880114#post13880114. Thanks.

[Simon951753]

exactly what i wanted! Thanks ;]

[hokage333]

This gave me alot of info. ALOT. very well put. i jost got back into the game yesterday, and now i know ALOT more then i did. i'll probably try to make a monarch deck.

[Sylexus]

Thank you so much. After about... 3 years I think... of not playing/collecting this really helped me jumpstart. These synchro things are gonna take some getting used to though.

[PKpwnage]

You'll find them to be extremely easy to use.

[melatoninArcanist]

Just learn your matchups and know what syncro is effective against what deck. Dark Strike Fighter and Colossal Fighter are my MVPs this format.

[Eon Drache]

Nice read but I found 2 things troubling.

In the Synchro section you stated "Having one or more 'tuner monsters'. This is false as all Synchros require exactly one Tuner. Small error but I figured some returning players may mistake it. So I thought I would put that up.

Also, you stated that Blackwings were reasonably cheap.... Isn't the price for a Blackwing deck with full Extra deck around $400? Specially after Ancient Prophecy's future release being so close, giving them access to CCV.

[The_Dark_Monarch]

Nice read but I found 2 things troubling.

In the Synchro section you stated "Having one or more 'tuner monsters'. This is false as all Synchros require exactly one Tuner. Small error but I figured some returning players may mistake it. So I thought I would put that up.

Also, you stated that Blackwings were reasonably cheap.... Isn't the price for a Blackwing deck with full Extra deck around $400? Specially after Ancient Prophecy's future release being so close, giving them access to CCV.

I shall fix that typo. I was getting ahead of myself. Thank you.

As for Blackwings..if you discount DSF, they are reasonably cheap.

Anyways, over the past 2-3 weeks, all I have been doing on here, is justifying my opinions & observations to cynics, sceptics & critics, with the inevitable nitpicking and 'hair splitting' that often results.

Thus, I am taking a break from Pojo for a while.

Any further errors or inconsistencies should be taken up with Jason or another moderator & I give them full permission to edit my original post as a result.

[melatoninArcanist]

In the Synchro section you stated "Having one or more 'tuner monsters'. This is false as all Synchros require exactly one Tuner. Small error but I figured some returning players may mistake it. So I thought I would put that up.
But you can play around that. Let's say you have 2 Gales and 1 Morphing Jar on the field. Tune Gale and Jar for Andriod, then tune Andriod and Gale for your l8 of choice.

[Jiraiya]

Thanks for all the help! Maybe you could add a section about past decks that were good and what troubles they face in the current meta. I just say this because I am returning to the game and really loved my Sacred Phoenix Deck and my Gravekeeper Deck, and would, if at all possible, like to use so variant of one of them with some new cards. Thanks

[The_Dark_Monarch]

I will have to leave that to somebody else.

Today, my PC crapped itself & I am typing this from my local library & their PC's are in high demand.

Back in a few months.

[ILoveTifa]

Thanks for the info.


I'm making 2 decks. dark DAD syncro and tempest Magician Burn.
I had 2 DADs, and I noticed that many people wanted my second copy. I was able to trade it for a Ultra D-Draw. Was that a good deal?

[xc_hawk]

I'm making 2 decks. dark DAD syncro and tempest Magician Burn.
I had 2 DADs, and I noticed that many people wanted my second copy. I was able to trade it for a Ultra D-Draw. Was that a good deal?
Unfortunately, you probably lost $10-20, depending if it was gold rare, or secret. (assuming d-draw goes for around 20, gold dark armed goes for 30, and secret dark armed goes for 40)

[ILoveTifa]

It was Gold.

I paid about $40 for 2 packs, and I got 2 DADs. I traded one for Ultra DDraw. So I basically got a DDraw, a DAD, and 4 other golds for $40. I think that's not too bad.

[Titan_1]

~ The 2008/2009 'Lowdown thread'~

First of all, a very warm welcome to those of you returning to Yugioh.

Whether you have been away for 4 months or 4 years, you will find that a lot has changed.

For those 'long term absentees' we now have new game mechanics, rules, monster types & a change in Yugioh ownership and distributorship.

There's a heck of a lot to learn now if you quit more than a year ago, but the rewards are well worth that effort.

We now have new 'Synchro Monsters' which are similar to a combined Ritual & Fusion Monster, they are white in colour and belong in the 'Fusion Deck', now renamed the 'extra deck'.

These Synchro monsters must be Special Summoned by having a 'Tuner Monster'(a monster sub-type like Union Monsters) & one or more Non-Tuner monster (anything that is not a Tuner Monster) whose combined levels must equal the exact level of the Synchro Monster that you wish to Special Summon, or 'Synchro Summon'.

All this is explained in the latest 5D's 'rule book' which accompanies all the latest Structure & Character decks & looks like this:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w3iuayARAww/ShfyOUSCBZI/AAAAAAAAAKs/GifAnqQsm9E/s320/official_rulebook.jpg

You can also download it from here:

http://yugiohcorneristas.blogspot.com/2009/05/getting-started-official-rulings-of.html

I suggest, the very first thing that long-term absentees do, is familiarise themselves with the contents thereof from cover to cover.

The next thing to do, is to familiarise yourselves with all of the cards in each of the sets that have been released since your haitus.

http://www.yugiohetc.com/ or, you can just look on Pojo.

The latest sets have given us such themes as: Batterymen, Morphtronics, Blackwings, Lightsworn, Gladiator Beasts etc, as well as giving support to 'attributes' like Light & Dark, in addition to decent & much forthcoming support for Spellcasters, Plants, Aliens & yes, even Sea Serpents. =)

Fiends & Insects once again 'missed the boat', but I feel sure their time will come..

Zombies were a 'Tier 1' deck last format, with the introduction of Plaguespreader Zombie, Mezuki & Necroface into the TCG..however the restriction to 1 of Plaguespreader Zombie, Mezuki & Card of Safe Return, the very next banlist, saw the deck not perform quite as well after that.

Here is the latest banlist:
http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/limited/

As a result of this banlist, the latest & most consistent/successful decks so far this format are:

Blackwings- reasonably cheap & very effective
'Syncro Cat' - reasonably cheap & very effective
Lightsworn - very expensive & moderately effective
Gladiator Beast - reasonably cheap & moderately effective
Dark Armed Dragon (DAD) Variants - Moderately expensive & moderately effective

Decks that are lurking just below the surface include Debris-Hime (a Plant deck variant), Dark Skill Drain, Plant Skill Drain, Counter Fairies, Oppression Gadgets & various GOOD Monarch builds.
*I suggest looking up variants of all of the aforementioned decks using the "Search Function" on here, to get an idea of how each deck is built & the key cards that are involved.

Really, anything has a pretty good chance to do very well atm, with a decent build & in the hands of a skilled duelist. This format is an exceptional one to be returning to.
There's even more diversity now, than there was in the format of September 2007.

I really do not know how far back people want me to go with this. For actual gameplay, I think I have just about covered what's been going on in the past few months.

Basically, there's 5-7 decks (as described above) that have consistent potential, however, because Konami now controls Distribution & Organised Play of the Yugioh TCG in all territories (taken over from Upperdeck *formerly known as Upperdeck Entertainment) & has only recently recommenced the Judge Certification Program and Organised Play within the last 2 months, nobody really knows what is going on or what the 'top tier' decks actually are.

Metagame.com has refused to cover the Yugioh TCG & assoiciated SJC events anymore as a result of this 'takeover', & as a result, has left many 'in the dark' as to what deck(s) are the best to 'netdeck' nowdays. This may be a good thing though.

The reason why Konami took over from Upperdeck (UDE) is that it was discovered that Upperdeck (through a supplier called 'Vintage Sports') was actually producing & distributing counterfeit Yugioh Cards!!!! O_o.
There was this huge court case, followed by lawsuits, mud-slinging, 'catfights' etc..but Konami eventually won out.

So, after all of the arguments about how Konami has screwed us in the past, but now UD has screwed us even more..we are left with Konami taking over everything.

In territories outside the USA, Organised Play is still being slowly re-established, and many countries in Europe & Oceania are still yet to have Sneak Previews, Hobby Leagues and such.
Most of the time, that 'slack' is taken up by Tournament Organisers & Store Owners, just to keep the game alive & profits flowing in.

So now, I have covered the latest rules, the banlist, the 'top tier' (although that term is hardly used anymore) decks & the debarcle with Konami vs UDE, there's only one more thing left:

Card Prices & Sets:
Now, in my opinion, the last 3-4 sets we recieved have been particularly 'lackluster' & only really decent if you actually wanted to build the theme they specialised in.. "Blackwings", for example.
Blackwings is possibly the 'hottest deck' around atm, however, if you wanted to stick with an older theme, like Monarchs, Gadgets, Fiends etc..you would possibly find nothing much of use in there & because Blackwings are not an expensive deck to make in the first place, not much in the way of 'Trade Bait' either.

The best 'Trade Bait' around at the moment:

Dark Strike Fighter (that's the card that everybody must have in their "extra decks" atm as a counter to Solemn Judgment abuse)
Solemn Judgment (as it has always been ever since Ring of Destruction was banned)
Honest (one of the major components of a Lightsworn Deck)
Judgment Dragon (the other major component)
Dark Armed Dragon (the price is going down on him though, since he has recently been reprinted in Gold Series 2 & besides that, he is not all that effective anymore) *waits to see how Adam Corn goes at the upcoming Nationals running a DaD Variant*
Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo (one of the main components in anti-meta decks)
Skill Drains (even though they are a pesky rare, nobody seems to have any when you need them)
Book of Moons (same story as above)
Cold Waves (as above above) lol
Destiny Hero- Malicious (still retaining his value quite well)
Darklord Zerato - He has always been over $70 AUD every time that I have looked at him on e-bay.
Stardust Dragon Assault Mode
X-Saber Airbellum
Summoner Monk
-dark bribe
-crush card virus
-blackwing - gale
-blackwing armor master
-blackwing armed wing
-delta crow - anti reverse
-arcanite magician
-beast king barbaros
-charge of the light brigade
-gold sarcophagus

There may be quite a few I missed there, but I think I got basically all of the main ones.

I still find that if you really want to play the latest decks & have good cards for trade, buy the latest sets, however, if you are looking only for individual cards to actually make your own deck, or tailor a specific deck to your individual tastes & playstyle, buying singles off e-bay is much more profitable and rewarding.

Also, now is a great time to come back into the game, because many of the big 'money cards' of the game in the past, like Dark Armed Dragon, Dark Bribe, Necroface, Gold Sarcophagus & yes, even Crush Card Virus have either already been mass released & easy to afford/obtain, or at least strongly rumoured to be reprinted as a Rare in future (in the case of Crush Card Virus).
We all just need to wait for Konami to get around to organising & supporting worldwide distribution & Organised Play, before they go ahead & release any more of those hitherto 'unobtainable' cards.

Now, having said all of that, you all know exactly as much as I do right now.
There's nothing more to add, other than: "did it really require a whole new forum, to explain what I have just neatly 'summed up' in a single post? lol

Anyway, I feel certain other people will have more to add to this, from their own experiences & knowledge.

Again, welcome back to the fold & have fun.

*hey mods, slap some glue on this will ya? It took me ages to write*

I have been out of the Yugioh TCG for a while now like the past few months, but thanks for the post and info. However I still can not find any real creditable new Yugioh TCG coverage of information on any event. You know some of the reasons why. So what is the most resent known deck coverage to date? What are the top decks of July 4th 09? And dose any one have the coverage of the top deck lists, who is playing them and where?

I only say this because I want to get back into the competitive seen. I have a far amount of cards to build just about any light and or dark deck you can think of, other then some Zombie builds.

But I don’t know what I should play or expect to play against.

I need more info before I hit any new event.

Dose any one have the informational help I am looking for? Help please….

Thanks….

T1

[The_Dark_Monarch]

I have been out of the Yugioh TCG for a while now like the past few months, but thanks for the post and info. However I still can not find any real creditable new Yugioh TCG coverage of information on any event. You know some of the reasons why. So what is the most resent known deck coverage to date? What are the top decks of July 4th 09? And dose any one have the coverage of the top deck lists, who is playing them and where?

I only say this because I want to get back into the competitive seen. I have a far amount of cards to build just about any light and or dark deck you can think of, other then some Zombie builds.

But I don’t know what I should play or expect to play against.

I need more info before I hit any new event.

Dose any one have the informational help I am looking for? Help please….

Thanks….

T1

Nobody really knows...

There's Lightsworn, Blackwings & Drain-DAD..but nothing is certain..
It really all depends on your local/individual meta now.

I can only explain so much..whatever is left, fits into the realm of literal experience now.

[xc_hawk]

I have been out of the Yugioh TCG for a while now like the past few months, but thanks for the post and info. However I still can not find any real creditable new Yugioh TCG coverage of information on any event. You know some of the reasons why. So what is the most resent known deck coverage to date? What are the top decks of July 4th 09? And dose any one have the coverage of the top deck lists, who is playing them and where?

I only say this because I want to get back into the competitive seen. I have a far amount of cards to build just about any light and or dark deck you can think of, other then some Zombie builds.

But I don’t know what I should play or expect to play against.

I need more info before I hit any new event.

Dose any one have the informational help I am looking for? Help please….

Thanks….

T1
Some stuff from the Canadian Nationals (http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/championships/CAN_2009/index.html)
It isn't a lot, but it's better than nothing

[Titan_1]

Thanks guys..... That was some good reading... :D

T1

[~M@v~]

Thanks man, this was an awesome read. I played yugioh casually for a while and stopped for a couple years. I picked it back up recently, wanting to play it in advanced format. I started using YVD and was like "WTF are these white cards O_o".

But anyway, great thread, got me up to speed. And wow at that Counterfeit stuff.

[xc_hawk]

US Nationals coverage, for anyone who missed it (http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/championships/US_2009/index.html)

[~M@v~]

US Nationals coverage, for anyone who missed it (http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/events/championships/US_2009/index.html)

Shows you how out of the loop I am; National championships happen in my town and I didn't even know it xD. Oh well, I'm still far away from being tourney worthy anyway lol.

[Techno Syndrome]

Ive decided to make my big return as well. I was number #2 in ohio for well over a year, and decided to take a year off when teledad became the must have deck. Since coming back, it seems this game isnt about money anymore, which is always good. However, the local scene seems to have died out for the most part, and also, if anyone can tell me how to get one of those id cards for duelists, please PM me, like what my ude # was, but the new thing you have to have for tourny play.

[TurboniumNY]

very good read. glad to see that UDE is out and the games is diverse again. i feel confident about the young one i'll be training to enter in yugioh. who knows it might suck me in again.

since UDE is out, are the older sets legal?? my cousin has whatever i didn't sell off and i'll be getting it back.

nice to see the monarchs and my fav's zombies and samurai are still alive.

[Berserk_wyvern]

Very good thread ,i especially appreciated the info on the top tier decks,gives you an idea on what to expect , thanks dude:).

[JoJoRobbie]

i never new alot of those cards were good

[The_Dark_Monarch]

Very good thread ,i especially appreciated the info on the top tier decks,gives you an idea on what to expect , thanks dude:).

No problemo & thanks for the comments.

I will be posting regular 'updates' on this thread, starting with the latest banlist, when it is confirmed in about a week's time.

I will also be posting the viable decktypes after that.

It seems, at this stage, next format will be a 'Lightsworn Format'..however, before I make any updates, I gotta study those X-Sabers & Vayu things, because I don't have a clue what they are or what they do. lol

[Heartless]

Hi, I just started playing again after 4 years and I was wondering if there's any way to incorporate this new meta into my Fiend deck. Like let's say a DAD - fiend variant, or run synchro monsters with them. Would there be any sort of synergy within it, or would it fall apart right away? Today's game sounds a lot faster than in the past, so I don't know if the deck would have enough tech/control in it to survive today.

[joey cyber dragon]

thanks guys, this read is way awesome!!!! it is HELPFUL!!!!!! muchas gracias!!!

[YoungLearningDuelist]

Wow this was great help! I'm just returning, this was a nice update. Thanks for this!

[questionmark]

might i suggest an update to this to accomadate the new ban list and such?

[Fever]

I appreciate The Dark Monarch in supporting new Pojo and Yu-Gi-Oh! members. These stickies are quite useful.

[Christian]

Dark Monarch, we may need a first post update lol

[Beatdownmaster]

Stop writing so many ****ing good articles!

[The_Dark_Monarch]

Yes..this definitely needs an update though..
I shall work on it later this evening & thanks for all the comments. <3

[Fever]

I rated this thread accordingly...

[Lord Lucifer]

yo thanks this help's me alot i mainly use dark and warriors decks any advice what card i need?

[Fever]

You will need Tuners and Allure of Darkness. lol.

[Ebward]

I have no idea what unions or synchro monsters are, however interesting guide. I just have one question.
Why are most of the common monsters nowadays riddled with effects?
It was more interesting to read their descriptions. :D

[Tytheler]

This was a big help for just coming back to Yugioh thanks for a great post, now I have a better understanding about what is going on lately in the Yugioh world, but all I know is that my old ALO deck probably is going to need a lot of work, ha.

[Xeros.]

You know, Dark Monarch. Shouldn't you update your post to show the new top decks? I mean Synchro Cat is not really a top deck anymore thanks to Monk and Cat limited along with DSF banned.

[Fever]

You know, Dark Monarch. Shouldn't you update your post to show the new top decks? I mean Synchro Cat is not really a top deck anymore thanks to Monk and Cat limited along with DSF banned.


I agree. We need a 2009/2010 Lowdown thread pretty soon.

[iNick]

This needs updating now...