New Banlist Season is here and it brings two changes with some implications. Loading... and Loading... are at 2 now. Without access to three Head the control version is no more. Now Onomat can play 1 Loading... , and either Gagaga Head or Digital Bug Rhinosebus (and cannot play any other semi-limited cards). These changes are welcome for several reasons:
Having only 1 Loading... decreases the chance of a Turn 1 Rank 6 but also means that once Sister is banished the Rank 6 toolbox is gone.
Cutting Loading... means that the deck loses its best followup and also implies that the deck has limited access to Rank 6s (since Sister is needed to make those Rank 6 plats).
Cutting Loading... means the deck loses its best turn one and best removal tool on top of not having that easy piercing damage for OTKs.
Last but not least not being able to play any other Limit 2 card means that the opponent does not have to respect a one-of Loading... being played and no longer has to play around it.
All those things are nice and all but the question is, what build is Onomat going to use? On the one hand Onomat can play Loading... and play a pre-Darkness Gimmick list. The deck would be very strong, since Loading... and Loading... are strong Xyz Monsters to slow down Harpies, Resonators and Thunder Dragons significantly. However, we know that the deck could feel underwhelming without resolving Loading... which is why it was considered a Tier 2 deck at the time (even though it had the Tier 1 power after resolving said Dodododraw).
Loading... , on the other hand is what put Onomat over the edge. The fact remains that Rhino protected by a Loading... and / or Loading... with no reasonable interaction from the opponents side, is game-winningly strong. Who needs Loading... 's followup if there a lot of decks which simply struggle with that setup. Not like the deck does not have one. Cards like Loading... and Loading... exist in order to fulfill that role. Not playing Gagaga Head never prevented any of the Onomat OTKs which is something to keep in mind. That does not mean that playing Rhino will be the correct way to go about it. Rhino will just be something to keep in mind while building a non-Onomat deck. Onomat themselves have no issue dealing with Rhino and Onomat will be the main focus of the format.
We will see how Onomat will end up and which build is going to be considered the best version. Maybe it will be a combination of both with Loading... being mained and Loading... being sided simply because Gagaga Head will be needed in the mirror match. As such, we are at the mercy of Onomat and can pray that the format is going to end up healthier with this new banlist. This might sound like a stretch but I personally think that Onomat will still end up as a Tier 0 deck even with these hits simply because Konami did not address the problem correctly. For now we can enjoy the resurgence of the other decks in this unsolved format.
Tier 1
TPC Comments
This deck undoubtly is still the best deck and almost nothing changed about it. Even though the banlist removed the triple Loading... version, the Loading... version remains untouched losing a single Loading... . Loading... is back in the Extra Deck to OTK Resonator boards. Currently people are experimenting with either Loading... or Loading... in the main and siding the one another. We will see in the upcoming weeks which version is prominent.
Socram
Despite being hit by the banlist, Onomat remains the best deck in the game in the current meta.
The Onomatoplay skill makes it possible for this deck to remain one of the strongest, as it almost completely eliminates your brick chance and gives you the versatility to perform both offensive and defensive plays.
One of the strengths of this deck in the current metagame is the draw power of the Loading... , which makes it the best deck for the Side Deck format, as it has more chances to draw Side cards that will guarantee an advantage against a certain deck.
Tier 2
TPC Comments
Socram
.The Onomat nerf allowed Harpie to move up on the Tier List, as the deck was totally dependent on Loading... or Loading... to play going second against Loading... .
The draw and recursion power of this deck makes it one of the best for the side format, as it has easy access to Side Cards with the ability draw two cards each turn with Loading... .
Also, the deck has no cards on the banlist, allowing you to use powerful cards like Loading... , which can win the game on its own.
With most Onomat and Thunder Dragons lists opting to remove Loading... in favor of other semi-limited cards, Harpies are able to regain its position in the meta as an option that very effectively keeps Trap-heavy decks in check. Loading... returns to being a powerful extender that dodges disruption in the absence of Rhinosebus, and not seeing Loading... in the Onomat matchup is a nice bonus. Thanks to this banlist update, Harpies are able to rise up to Tier 2.