TPC Analysis on Skill Change Impact
A Word From , TPC Manager
Hello all, in light of the recent balance update, the Top Player Council will, in lieu of a Tier List update, which would functionally be obsolete by tomorrow anyway (Even moreso considering Duel Links Meta will be banning Harpies' Hunting Ground in all of its events), walk through the current Tier List decks and how the recent Balance Update has affected them. This will also be the last Tier List-adjacent article from this iteration of Top Player Council, January 1st will mark the start of a new season.
Tier 1
TPC Comments
We are heading towards an interesting change in the meta, even if a small one. The newest Skill balance update has weakened Harpies, specifically Harpies' Hunting Ground . The new Skill states that you have to now return a card from your Hand to your Deck to play Loading... from your Deck, the skill is also only usable at the start of your first main phase. So the Skill is basically no longer a free +1 and is pretty much dead when going first. The Skill is still decent going 2ndm but even then the change has a strong negative impact, returning a card can be too costly sometimes, as if you open you Loading... combo you won't be able to return any of your combo pieces. This might mean that you have to return a useful tech back to the deck in order to play Harpies Hunting Ground (unless you opened with three Harpie monsters). So in conclusion, it has become much harder for Harpies to benefit from the skill and even when they do, it comes with a downside. It is unfortunate that the change can't be easily replicated in the competitive scene until its implemented in the game itself, so were gonna have to wait until then to truly see how impactful this change is.
As we end 2021 and approach a new year for Duel Links, Konami finally listened to the community and nerfed Harpies' Hunting Ground (sort off). Despite the Skill being nerfed by Konami, the deck and Skill are still playable but with added risks involved (especially going first like popping your Loading... when you do your Loading... combo after just triggering the Skill or not activating the Skill). Outside of using the Skill, just hard drawing Loading... or having to search it with Loading... going first makes the whole process a lot slower (and the game might be over by then). Going second is a different story, although you still need to return a card to use the Skillm making your opening hand 4 cards instead of 5, there is a bright side since your Harpies' Hunting Ground will be protected from Turn 1 pops from Loading... , Loading... and so on. Overall, deck is playable, and having disruptions in your opening hand (especially when going first) will be key for survival either with Loading... or Discard Traps with Loading... for a Turn 3 combo to maximize Loading... use. While we won't know for sure if Harpies will still be meta when the new skill changes are implemented, once thing is for certain is that if the meta is still more or less the same by then despite getting a new box, you can be sure Harpies will stick around, but probably not at Tier 1 (we'll see).
The Harpies Hunting Ground change isn't as harsh as I wanted it to be. Going first, you're likely to not use the Skill (unless Loading... is in your opening hand). Going second, on the other hand, is quite different. With the changes, Gaia, Water Xyz, and Abyss Actors can no longer pop your Field Spell with Loading... , Loading... detaching Loading... or Loading... respectively.
Harpies without a Skill is still better than most decks out there so the deck still gonna be around Harpies Hunting Ground or not. For the time being while the Skill changes are yet to be implemented in game, Destiny Draw seems the best option, since you're not only u grab your starters if they trigger it but also gives you more time to draw into your stuff while they play around it...it's still a good contender even after Harpies' Hunting Ground gets implemented. Harpies' Last Will is also a nice skill to use Side against backrow / Pendulum decks so it s also another good skill to keep in mind
Tier 2
In Konami's pursuit of making Destiny Draw the only Skill, I mean Skill Balance update, I expect a more trap-heavy Melodious list to at least see some experimentation (similar to when Harpies were first hit on the banlist). There really isn't much of a punish for Loading... / Loading... + Loading... stall at the moment, so we'll have to see if that becomes a dominant strategy.