Tier 0
Negative1SmaSma227This week Stardust has been moved from Tier 0 before the banlist to Tier 0 after the banlist, as it saw the smallest reduction in power level out of any relevant meta deck. It would have been promoted to Super Saiyan Shin Godzilla Tier 0, but the website can't support that, so we have to live with only Tier 0 for now.
GiorfioSo what has the banlist done? We took a very strong deck that maybe wasn't a Tier 0 and didn't hit it at all, but removed every consistent counter against it. This does not leave any room for discussion that we now really have a Tier 0. Right now, it is maybe more of a Tier -1.
For the last few months, the corporate strategy has been clear. Bring out one or two overpowered decks with a main box. Release a banlist where the deck is basically not hit mid-sale, so people who weren't sure to go into this box at least invest now. Bring a mini box that they don't care about. If they did care about the mini, they wouldn't bring out a whole mini that dies to Loading... . Then kill the deck next banlist so people invest in the next main box.
This strategy is aggressively ignoring the meta game and is just sales-focused, which is the only explanation for me on how a meta like that can happen. I can understand Konami is a company and they have to make money with this game, but what they are forgetting (or don't care about) is that people quitting because of an unenjoyable meta game also doesn't give sales.
There is nothing to say about the meta. There is a Tier 3, but to be honest, the gap is way too big. You can expect a lot of mirrors in the upcoming months.
T0 Sebastian W.Stardust lost Loading... which sounds like a nice nerf, but unfortunately Branded and Therion, which were the only counters weak to Loading... , are completely unplayable after the banlist. Some people are now using Loading... to prevent Loading... and floodgate some other decks like Rokket.
Before the banlist, there were some strategies that could essentially FTK Stardust, like zone lock and floodgates. Now the closest to that is Destiny HERO with a bunch of cards to draw (not guaranteed anymore) that protect Loading... , which means this deck is even more unbeatable than before. At this point, the only hope for other decks is that the deck becomes so focused on the mirror that it starts removing cards that help deal with other stuff, like Loading... and Loading... .
Stardust lost Loading... and literally nothing else, while the other decks got hit as well and now have to deal with Loading... and Loading... more often. This makes it feel stronger than before, since it doesn't care about Loading... and Loading... that much unless they are combined with other hand traps.
Tier 3
T0 Sebastian W.T0 Sebastian W.There are two Centur-Ion versions you could run: the trap version with Sanctuary of the King's Treasures and the The Courage to Rise version.
The prior was good when playing against Loading... since you could break the Stardust board, keep Loading... live, and let Stardust succumb to their own floodgate. The latter received a nice buff going second since they have room for at least 12 hand traps, now also featuring Loading... and Loading... again.
Loading... being removed from Stardust does not change this matchup for Centur-Ion, because the correct play versus the Odion variant was to not even activate Loading... anyway.
T0 Sebastian W.Destiny HERO lost several ways to cheese opponents out of wins, but in return has access to Limit 1s again. So now you can actually play Loading... to make use of your second skill. Getting to floodgates like Loading... is a lot more unreliable now, unless you go down to 20 or 21 cards, minimizing the number of techs you run and making you more reliant on going first. The deck also doesn't appreciate Loading... and Loading... being taken off the list.
There were no changes for Resonators. Loading... got a Limit 1 and Loading... was taken off the list in return.