Top Player Council Thoughts

As the meta continues to settle in the wake of the most recent banlist, we're continuing to test formats and this week's Tier List update will be in the context of the 2-deck format.


Tier 1

Masked Heroes and Vampires have remained in Tier 1, holding fairly uncontested control over the post-banlist meta. Balance allows Heroes to open playable hands every duel and the combination of defensive backrow + serious offensive threats makes the deck quite difficult to effectively counter. Vampires have trended almost entirely towards 2x Loading... , dropping Loading... in this slower, backrow-heavy meta.

TPC Comments:

Sasuke:

Heroes and Vampires both continue to dominate and have great match-ups across the meta. Both decks are highly consistent -- Heroes more so now with the use of Balance to always guarantee them a monster, spell, and trap in their opening hand (even if not a key card like Loading... , the heavy backrow allows them to sit and play defensively). Double Trunade is starting to seem more reliable than double ECon in Vampires, with the addition of 2x Loading... in many builds now to prevent contact from threatening monsters such as Loading... , Loading... , any Gladiator Beast, or even Loading... /Loading... .


Tier 2

Blue-Eyes has remained in Tier 2, continuing to perform well in competitive events. Its lack of mid-game plays (after the opening explosion) is a real issue and Sealed Tombs can force Blue-Eyes into the mid-game sooner than it might like, especially after a turn 1 Loading... . Meanwhile Spellbooks have been promoted to Tier 2, taking advantage of a slower meta and weaker swarms to abuse Loading... to great effect. Loading... remains an oppressive card with free negation and the threat of floating into a Spell-immune 3500 ATK monster, in addition to being one of the best ways for Spellbooks to survive through an opponent's Sealed Tombs activation.

TPC Comments:

Sasuke:

Blue-Eyes can be really overwhelming for many decks with the huge attack power and backrow removal from Loading... , however it has a really rough time against Spellbooks and can often lose to a Loading... or even Loading... stall. Spellbooks are one of the hardest, if not the hardest of all, decks to beat in the meta but still heavily relies on an early Loading... + Loading... . If this deck is piloted correctly and opens well, or at least decent, it is really hard to deal with. It also is nearly auto win vs Blue-Eyes, being able to negate one of their most important cards, Loading... , and also the 3500 ATK on Loading... can be hard for them to remove if you keep their backrow in check with Fate plays.

wayne kenoff:

Blue-Eyes continues to be tweaked and is showing huge promise. An extraordinarily strong opening followed by mediocre mid-game and late-game leaves this deck in Tier 2.