Top Player Council Thoughts
In the wake of the most recent banlist there is now an entirely new meta to figure out. As of right now, there are the "safe" picks, which make up Tier 1, and then "the rest", filling out Tier 3 and High Potential. The absence of Tier 2 decks is not surprising, and will likely not last long as the best decks of "the rest" rise above the others.
Tier 1
The most obvious top decks of this new meta are the strongest decks from the previous one that did not get hit by the banlist. It is interesting to note, however, that both Ancient Gears and Dinos use lots of backrow and make heavy use of effects activated in the grave. Counters to both of these have already begun seeing use (cards like Loading... and Loading... , respectively), so it will be important to see if these decks can remain in Tier 1 with everyone's attention focused entirely on them.
TPC Comments:
Luke Tyler:
Dinos rise to Tier 1 after the recent banlist. It is the control deck of the format with the ability to hammer down on the opponent's Life Points due to its hefty swingers and being able to use Loading... aggressively as well as defensively. It is definitely one of the top contenders going into this new metagame.
Ancient Gears rise to Tier 1 as Koa'ki Meiru (its worst matchup) falls from its dominant position. Even in the event of Koa’ki Meiru remaining as a top tier contender, it is unlikely that it will be using Loading... as its skill of choice - making the matchup not as unfavourable for Ancient Gear as it once was.
monkeyboy44:
Ancient Gears rise to Tier 1 thanks to a lack of a hit on the recent banlist, as well as their greatest adversary (Koa'ki Meiru) taking a banlist hit for the greater good of us all.
Dinos also make their way into Tier 1 thanks to having an above-average matchup vs Ancient Gears, their worst matchup (Koaki Meiru) taking a hit, and Loading... being a force to be reckoned with. Loading... allows access to the ability to dodge problem cards, swarm for quick OTK's, and remove monsters and backrow on the spot as needed.
Tier 2
There are no Tier 2 decks. With the meta still developing, it is not yet clear which of the Tier 3 decks will benefit the most and push its way into Tier 2.