Top 10 Budget Decks for the March 2013 Format

Are you poor? That's alright, you can still compete! Decks in the meta nowadays are extremely pricey, but why would you spend the money on that when you can spend a fraction of it and get a deck that works just as well, if not better?

The criteria for these decks: Main deck cannot cost over $100, extra deck is not considered, except for mandatory cards the deck runs.

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10. Blackwings

Blackwings are a deck that has been around for a very long time, and the deck refuses to give up without some kind of a fight. The deck is very simple, and has been gaining extra tech support in recent years and has been getting more and more of their toys back in the recent banlists. With Kalut back to 3, Shuras and Boras have become even bigger of an issue, and with heavy beatdown decks coming out recently, Armor Master will become more and move viable. The deck can still do a lot, and still puts a lot of punishment on the board.

Cost: Low
Speed: Mid

9. Prisma Glads

Glads have lost a lot of their steam because of the hit on Bestiari, but the deck by itself is still explosive and is still a force to contend with in the right hands. This is not the version of the deck that runs Fire Fist monsters, but, the deck can run a lot of the Fire Formation commons, such as Tenki and Tensu for extra power on the field. The deck can still accomplish a lot and is still one of the best standalone beatdown decks in the game.

Cost: Mid
Speed: Mid

8. Hazy Flame

This deck is a bit weird. The deck runs like an Xyz version of Lavals, and can go absolutely nuts if it's given the chance. The deck can draw into bad hands a lot of the time but it's boss monster is extremely useful. If you beef it up to its full potential, Hazy Flame Basilitrice is nearly unkillable, and can detach material to banish cards on the field or in grave and STILL be able to attack afterwards. Not only that, but the monsters can be Rekindled and used for Xyz summoning again. The deck also has access to a lot of Rank 6 monsters such as Photon Strike Bounzer and the upcoming Gauntlet Shooter.

Cost: Low
Speed: Mid

7. Frognarchs

Frogs are a deck that has withstood the test of time like no one's business, and has the best recycle power of any deck type in the entire game. Even though Mass Driver and DSF are banned, the deck remains alive due to its incredible ability to run tribute monsters such as Caius, Raiza, Jinzo, Vanity's Fiend, and Obelisk the Tormentor. Swap Frog, Treeborn Frog, and Ronintoadin allow the deck to be extremely versatile and resiliant, and allows for weird tech choices like main decked Enemy Controller and Creature Swap. The deck's only downside is that it doesn't run any traps due to Treeborn Frog's effect.

Cost: Low
Speed: Mid

6. Infernities

This is one of my favorite decks in the game. The deck works by abusing synchro summoning loops, and has one of the most powerful defensive trap cards in the game. With the reprint of Infernity Barrier, the deck has become even more useable, and can still explode and drop massive Synchro boss monsters on the board. With the decks reliance on having no cards in hand, the deck also techs in Void Ogre Dragon, which locks down a lot of options your opponent has.

Cost: High
Speed: High

5. E-Hero

Heros are a deck that have been around a long time and are one of the most expansive and versatile decks in the game. Whether you run Hero Gate or Bubble Beat, the deck is extremely good and extremely flexible. A lot of the cards are common or have been reprinted in recent sets, and there are always new variants coming out. Xyz monsters have also given this deck a major boost. The deck went from a Fusion heavy deck to an Extra Deck toolbox, and it's very hard to corner the deck in a situation where they can't get out.

Cost: High
Speed: High

4. Madolche

This is a deck that is going to start exploding onto the scene when LTGY comes out. With the addition of Hootcake, the deck can now drop Tiaramasu with almost no effort or cost, and allows it to main deck powerful hand traps like Veiler and Maxx "C". The deck can drop a lot on the board and maintains costant massive hand advantage. The monsters refuse to die and most of the deck recycles and reuses itself, and searches out most of itself as well. It's almost impossible to get a Madolche player down and out in terms of card advantage, and that lends them to be able to toolbox from almost any situation.

Cost: High
Speed: Mid

3. Inzektors

Inzektors are deck that used to spell horror for the meta, but have now been reduced to a much more tame form. The deck is still a major force to be reckoned with, however. When the deck gets the chance to go off the deck goes absolutely bonkers, and can spam the field with extremely powerful monsters and blow up everything your opponent has at the same time. The deck recycles itself through use of the Inzektor Sword and Giga Mantis, and Hornet and Dragonfly is still a doomsday scenario against most any deck. The deck has lost speed because of Macro decks and heavy siding of Macro, but it still can wreck when it gets the chance to.

Cost: Mid
Speed: High

2. Lightsworns

Lightsworns will never stop being a thing. Lightsworns are and always will be a major force to contend with, and with the addition to Lightrays, the deck has become even faster. The deck has destruction power in the form of Lyla and Ryko, and has recycling power in the form of the now at 3 Lumina. The deck also boosts one of the most powerful boss monsters in the game, Judgment Dragon, a boss monster so powerful people to this day continue to clamor for it to have a spot on the banlist.

Cost: Mid
Speed: Mid

1. Fire Kings

Fire Kings, because of their structure deck, have become very cheap to build a skeleton of, and are extremely powerful under the right plays. Garunix is a sight that all players should fear, and with very good reason. When Yaksha and Wolfberk come out in the TCG, the deck will go very far, and cause a lot of damage. The deck constantly recycles itself and is very adept at spamming its boss monster over and over again, and if you get 2 Garunixes looping, the game is pretty much over.

Cost: Low
Speed: High

STOP SPENDING MONEY ON DROLL AND LOCK BIRDS

It's an average side deck at best against Spellbooks, and there are cheaper, much better ways to side against the deck.

Everyone knows that Spellbooks are gonna be a huge problem in the future, and Divine Judgment of the Spellbooks is just fucking stupid, but spending $20 on 2 Droll and Lock Birds just for the slight benefit of being able to hinder their searching for ONE extra turn. The problem is not the searching, the problem is Priestess and Spellbook of Fate. It feels like treating the symptoms and not the disease.

Here are 3 common side deck cards you probably already have and work just as well against Prophecy and can work against other decks as well:

Prohibition
Mind Crush
Thunder King Rai-Oh

Simple. Play Prohibition and call Spellbook of Secrets. Now they can't activate that or have Spellbook of the Master copy it. It doesn't completely shut them down, but it significantly hurts them. The most searching power they have at this point is Spellbook Magician, who has almost no power on his own unless they waste the resources to beef him up with Spellbook of Powers.

As for Mind Crush, this is honestly a better alternative to Droll and Lock Bird as far as stopping the opponent. When they reveal 3 Spellbooks to summon Priestess, chain Mind Crush and call Priestess. Search all the Spellbooks you want. Without Priestess, the deck can't do anything. Spellbook of Life can be a bitch in this regard, but it still accomplishes what you set out to accomplish.

Thunder King speaks for himself. They can't search, he stops the summon of Priestess, and they can't summon anything that can run it over. It got Semi'd with the new list, but really, who is going to side into 3 T-Kings?

Don't just follow the hype over a rare from an old set that may help you when siding against Prophecy. It's like assuming that Gemini Imps are the only good side against Dark Worlds. Think for yourself and make your own sides and see what you can come up with!

Gaga for Gagagas

Except I'm really not.

I've been testing a Gagaga Xyz deck out lately. The deck runs and acts similar to Synchron decks in that it mainly just runs to dump out powerful Xyz monsters similar to how Synchron decks spam Synchros. The only difference is that Gagagas are significantly slower.

Synchrons have the benefit of going straight to the grave once they've been used for Synchro summoning, so they can recycle themselves directly after and keep spamming the field. Xyz monsters stay on the field in the sense that they have to be detached, so there's not real way that they can be recycled that much except by using monsters that can immediately detach for effect. Otherwise big beaters like Zombiestein just hog all the fun.

"22 DOES NOT SHARE MONSTERS. 22 ONLY SHARES PAIN."

 

The deck lacks a few key ingredients for a spam deck. It has almost no way of immediately recycling themselves other than cards like Gagagarevenge, and even then it's not something that you can drop and get things started again.

The deck also inhibits itself way too much. Gagaga Kid makes the deck much faster but it has that stupid clause that you can't even use its effect without Time Walking yourself. It forces you to play defensively and the deck has no way to coming back if they completely kill you next turn. It wouldn't even have been that bad if it prevented the monster SUMMONED from attacking, but no, it stops the whole damn Battle Phase. This limits the kind of monster you can play and limits the kind of plays you can make. Hope you enjoy seeing Big Eye, because he's about the only good card in that situation.

In all, the deck is fun, but I can't see myself playing it.

Gladiator Fists?

I've been fucking around with the idea of combining Gladiator Beasts with Fire Fist monsters. I've been testing a bunch of different builds and different methods of making the deck work and I've come to the decklist I think works best:

MONSTERS:

Gladiator Beast Laquari x3
Gladiator Beast Darius x3
Gladiator Beast Andal x3
Gladiator Beast Bestiari 1
Rescue Rabbit x2
Effect Veiler x2
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Bear x1
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Gorilla x1

SPELLS:

Fire Formation - Tenki x3
Fire Formation - Tensu x2
Mystical Space Typhoon x2
Pot of Duality x2
Monster Reborn x1
Heavy Storm x1
Dark Hole x1

TRAPS:

Gladiator Beast's War Chariot x2
Fire Formation - Tenken x2
Fire Formation - Tensen x2
Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Compulsory Evacuation Device x2
Solemn Warning x1
Solemn Judgment x1
Starlight Road x1

EXTRA DECK:

Gladiator Beast Essedarii x2
Gladiator Beast Heraklinos x1
Gladiator Beast Gyazarus x1
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King x2
Brotherhood of the First Fist - Cardinal Commander x1
Shock Master x1
Gagaga Cowboy x1
Maestroke x1
Gem Knight Pearl x1
Photon Butterfly x1
Blackship of Corn x1
Steelswarm Roach x1
Stardust Dragon x1

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The deck is easily Tier 2, possibly high Tier 2. The addition of Fire Formation cards being generic Beast-Warrior support makes the deck a lot more viable, and the addition of actually being able to MAKE something out of the Andals helps as well. Tiger King first turn with a Tensen and a Tenken set is a really good way to open, since all of the Fire Formation stuff is chainable, and if they kill Tiger King, you can chain all your cards and then get his floater effect off.

Tenki makes Proving Ground pointless. I tried playing Proving Ground along with Tenki but having 6 ROTAs doesn't help and just clogs your hand with monsters. The deck plays really heavy backrow, and playing with lots of monsters in hand fucks up your plays. Most of the time you don't even need all 3 Tenkis, and most of the time Tenki is just used to get Bear or Gorilla.

Why only 1 Bear? 3 gets way too cloggy. The point of the deck is to abuse the Glads, not the Fire Fists. The Fire Fists are just the cherry on top that add to the mix. Bear is only needed because he can get toolboxed and its effect only really needs to go off once. I'm not trying to do a bunch of fancy shit where I blow stuff up and then set things and try and do all these flashy plays. I'm not here to be flashy, I'm here to beat face.

The same reasoning goes with Gorilla at 1.

Let me know what y'all thnk.

My Banlist Thoughts

This isn't going to be a prediction post. By this time there's really no point to try and make a prediction out of what'll be put on the list, considering how it'll probably be leaked in a the next few days. I will say this though, a lot of banlist predictions and leaked lists are complete shit.

So many lists are driven almost entirely on nostalgia, and other lists are driven purely out of malice and bias towards certain types of decks. I understand that the point of a banlist is to try and push a certain product that's coming out or has come out, but you also have to understand, Konami isn't above balancing the game for playability. They're a business and while their job is to market product and sell what they're releasing, they also have an obligation to make the game fun for everyone involved, otherwise no one would buy the game.

I get really irritated when people call for cards like DMoC and Sinister Serpent to come back to the format, although mostly at Sinister Serpent. You cannot convince me that these decisions are made based off anything more than bias and nostalgia. They don't want these cards back, nor do they need these cards back. They just want to see cards from their childhoods enter the game again and the fact that so many people are clamoring for cards like DMoC back is disgusting. For a group of people that talk about card design and balancing the meta-game, you people don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about.

Do you realize how overpower DMoC makes Prophecy? Do you really not see how abusable he is and how easy he is to get out? You do realize that Judgment and Temperance can summon him and then let you get a Spellbook of Power back, which he can use to be a 3800 that can banish anything it kills. This is fair to you? Is this really a format you want?

Sinister Serpent is a pure nostalgia issue. No one would use it, no one would want to use it, and no one would give a shit if it came back. The fact that you all ravenously clamor for this card to come back is sad, honestly. There are way bigger issues with the game that need fixing aside from bringing Sinister Serpent back just so you have have your little nostalgia trip.

MST is another card that I'm really sick of seeing people complain about. It's a 1 for 1 removal that everyone can use and everyone SHOULD be using. If you want MST Limited, (or even Banned on some lists I've been seeing), then your problem is not MST, your problem is being shitty at the game. MST is hardly a problem card, and if you really want to bring the game to a screeching halt with a "Set 4, Go" format, then you have no business making banlist predictions.

Even worse are the lists that want to Limit MST and ban Heavy. You're actively make the game shittier.

Seeing people excited about Goyo maybe coming back and seeing the price of Goyos QUADRUPLE overnight is just pathetic and shameful. You motherfuckers talk about balance and card design and issues with the meta and you want to bring Goyo back into people's Extra Decks. You don't want Goyo back for anything other than nostalgia but it's a card you used to play during the synchro era.

You're only lying to yourselves.

Siding Against Dark Worlds in One Simple Card

People bitch about Dark Worlds all the time, and will good reason. They're not really all that fair, and they have a truly obnoxious play style. All they do is discard cards and draw cards to replace them. The entirety of the Dark World engine is drawing and discard over and over again, and they even have monsters dedicated to this draw engine.

The problem with them is that they constantly keep fucking with YOUR hand as well. I see a lot of people saying to side in Gemini Imps against them, but I think there's a better option.

See, the problem with Gemini Imps is that you only negate ONE of their effects, which still leaves them to the other 10 ways they can dump your hand and their own monsters to do stupid things.It stops their Card Destruction, which is probably their best card, but it doesn't stop them from the going into their Dragged Downs and Dealings directly afterwards.

No, I prefer to use this little shithead here:

Ain't he cute?

Beast/Effect/Level 1/0 ATK 0 DEF

"During your opponent's turn, when this card is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of your opponent's Spell, Trap, or Monster Card, your opponent's turn ends."

Wow! That's fucking amazing!

90% of the time a Dark World Player will open with Gates or Dealings. Why open with Dragged Down blindly when you can fix your own hand with Dealings and Gates and then play it when you're sure you'll plus or break even? If you side in Mane King, they'll open dealings, you'll discard King, and their turn rocket straight to the End Phase with a wide open field.

And you know none of those guys are running Gorz in their decks.

Now, Mane King does have its disadvantages, obviously. It doesn't prevent Card Destruction from dumping your hand nor does it prevent Dragged Down. In fact, Mane King is completely worthless with Dragged Down because no Dark World player in their right mind would discard a Mane King unless it happened to be the only card you had in your hand.

However, it's a common in every print that it comes in and I think it's equally as viable as Gemini Imps. It does different things but it gives your opponent far less options. If you can draw into it Game 2 in your opening hand, and then open with Dealings, prepare for lulz. They will ensue.

Next time you're playing Dark Worlds, give the card a shot. They won't see it coming and gives you open range to punish them hard next turn.

Divine Judgment of the BROKEBOOKS

Seriously, what the fuck is this.

It's some bullshit, is what it is.

I've never really been a huge fan of spellbooks. I was never a fan of Spellcaster monsters and I thought that the whole archetype was overrated and overhyped, as almost EVERYTHING is in this game.

This, however, is taking it way too goddamn far. This is Maxx C for spells, and its archetype specific, meaning that unless you're willing to drop the money on the deck and the card, you don't get to play it.

I'm not going to make a comment on the rarities of the Spellbook shit and how it's fucking impossible to make it unless you're willing to drop almost $600 because they make every fucking card either Ultra or Secret, because thats been made before, but this card does not excuse the price tag.

This is a card that allows Spellbook players to, on average, go PLUS 5. That is RIDICULOUS. It isn't limited to only Spellbook cards, nor is it only something that can be played on your turn. It's either players turn, and gives severe hand avantage. If you're a player that plays heavy spell loadout, like Heroes, and your opponent drops this, you have practically no choice but to let them basically draw a second hand.

It doesn't help that it doesn't let you draw, it lets you SEARCH. Its Maxx C if it let you cherry pick what cards you added to you hand, and not only that, it's a Maxx C whose effect YOU CAN TRIGGER. Could you imagine how stupidly overpowered most decks would be if you could discard Maxx C on yourself? Decks like Wind Ups could draw into their entire deck in one shot.

This card, when it comes out, I could see being another 3-0 like Cyber Stein. Even if you limit it to 1, that's all that they need is just the 1, because the shit is searchable. They'll get it off once, draw into 9 cards, dump 2 Priestess on the field, and then laugh at you.

Spellbooks used to be balanced, but this and Spellbook of Master have pushed it too far. Quite literally, Spellbooks OP, needs nerf.