Strategy Jam's YUGIOH Blog

March 2011 Ban List [Rumour]

2011-02-13T10:16:00.004Z

Click for larger image

A possible leak, the pictures look real but it's hard to know at this early a stage.

The list translates to:

Banned
none

Limited
pot of duality
gateway of the six
magician of faith
debris dragon

Semi-Limited
solemn warning
royal tribute
fishborg blaster
solemn judgment
destiny draw
icarus attack
xx-saber faultroll
formula synchron
swap frog
pot of avarice

Unrestricted
mystical space typhoon
royal oppression
honest
magic cylinder

YCS Chantilly Top 32 Decklist

2010-05-21T16:21:00.002+01:00

The top 32 decklists from YCS Chantilly are up! Check them out on the Konami website here.

YuGiOh Championship Series Chantilly Coverage

2010-05-15T18:43:00.002+01:00

YCS Chantilly coverage is up on the official YuGiOh website! Check out the Konami website here for updates throughout the day.

Konami Announces Nationals Prize Support

2010-05-14T23:27:00.007+01:00

Who	Prize	Special Prize
Winner	Travel & Accomodation to the European Championships	Dark End Dragon
Top 4	Trophies	Binder
Top 16 (Open)	WCQ Gamemat
Top 32 (Invitation only)	WCQ Gamemat
1/8 Participants	Qualification to the European Championships
all	WCQ Sleeves

As many of you may already know, the European Nationals season is well under way. Konami have recently announced a brand new Infernity prize mat to be given out to at least the top 16 of each National. Find more information on prize support on the Konami website here.

Shonen Jump New Jersey Top 16 Decklists

2010-04-29T16:58:00.003+01:00

The top 16 decklists from Shonen Jump New Jersey have been released! See them all on the Konami website here.

YuGiOh National Championships Confirmed!

2010-04-28T21:55:00.012+01:00

The location and dates for the majority of 2010 National Championships has just been released! For more details, check out the Konami website here.

Country	Event Type	Event Date	Event Location
Denmark	open	May 01st/ 02nd	Vamdrup
Austria	open	May 02nd	Wien
Switzerland	open	May 08th	Basel
South Africa	open	May 08th	Johannesburg
Norway	feeds into Sweden	May 08th/ 09th	Stockholm
Finland	feeds into Sweden	May 08th/ 09th	Stockholm
Sweden	open	May 08th/ 09th	Stockholm
Greece	invitation-only	May 09th	Athens
Malta	open	May 09th	Msida
Germany	invitation-only	May 15th/ 16th	Kassel
Estonia	open	May 16th	Tallinn
Netherlands	open	May 22th	Utrecht
Lithuania	open	May 23th	Kaunas
Turkey	open	May 23th	Istanbul
France	invitation-only	May 29th/ 30th	Paris
Ireland	feeds into UK	May 29th/ 30th	London
United Kingdom	invitation-only	May 29th/ 30th	London
Italy	invitation-only	May 29th/ 30th or June 05th/ 06th or June 12th/ 13th	TBA
Latvia	open	June 5th	Riga
Portugal	open	June 5th	Coimbra
Belgium	open	June 05th/ 06th	Etterbeek
Spain	invitation-only	June 05th/ 06th	Madrid
New Zealand	open	June 6th	Auckland
Australia	open	July 10th	TBA
Bulgaria	invitation-only	TBA	TBA
Croatia	open	TBA	TBA
Slovenia	open	TBA	TBA

Shonen Jump Championship New Name Confirmed!

2010-04-25T11:40:00.008+01:00

“This is also, the last SHONEN JUMP Championship, as we are relaunching as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series! The first Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series event will be held next month in Virginia!”
Konami's Vice President in charge of Card Business, Yumi Hoashi.

The statement was met by more cheers, but left attendees wondering: what did it all mean? We asked! On one hand, the shift from SHONEN JUMP Championships to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series is a change in name. But it’s also a lot more than that. “The biggest change is that the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series is going to be a global program.” That means Duelists from Latin America and Europe won’t have to travel nearly as far to compete in YCS events.

It's confirmed, the new name for Shonen Jump Championships is Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series. However it is more than just a new name - Shonen Jump Championships are being completely relaunched, and Yugioh Championship Series are now scheduled to take place in Europe and South America. Find more information on Yugioh Championship Series on the Konami website here.

"We love Shonen Jump and they love us. You'll continue to see coverage of Yu-Gi-Oh! in Shonen Jump, as well as cards inserted in the magazines and graphic novels."
Kevin Tewart on Pojo.

There's more good news - according to Kevin Tewart, Yu-Gi-Oh!'s relationship with Shonen Jump and Viz is still very strong, meaning the name change will not alter the release of Shonen Jump promo cards or the appearance of Yu-Gi-Oh! manga in the magazine.

Shonen Jump New Jersey Live Coverage

2010-04-24T17:16:00.005+01:00

SJC New Jersey coverage has begun! Around 2,200 people have attended the largest Yugioh tournament of all time. Read all the latest deck profiles and feature matches on the official Yugioh website here.

Playtesting and Reading Your Opponent's Plays

2010-04-22T17:24:00.007+01:00

I recently stumbled upon a couple of very informative videos, made by two lesser known Youtubers; iamsixxy, and shinfitz. They are both invaluable in the advice they give, explaining how to playtest effectively, and how to read your opponent's plays. They put into words perfectly what I was aiming at in my previous article. I hope these videos will be useful for those lucky enough to attend Shonen Jump New Jersey this weekend, enjoy.

The Shining Darkness Sneak Preview Mat

2010-04-22T17:16:00.004+01:00

Click to enlarge image

The mat for The Shining Darkness Sneak Preview is confirmed, and looks remarkably similar to the Win-a-mat unveiled a few weeks ago. See the full details of the Sneak Preview on the official Yugioh website here.

Check out the Shonen Jump Championship win-a-mat here.

How to Read your Opponent's Plays

2010-04-18T12:35:00.006+01:00

Reading your opponent's plays can be difficult at best, however it is possible. If you are able to fully master being able to predict your opponent's plays, it puts you at a significant advantage over your competition. Some of the tips below may seem like common sense, but so often I see players fall into these common traps, which can often lose them the game. As long as you strictly abide by your common sense, and use the resources available to you, you will see yourself winning a far greater number of matches.

Check your opponent's graveyard

This allows you to examine exactly what cards you opponent has in their deck, as well as showing you what cards they have used up. You know that if your opponent has a Heavy Storm in their graveyard, you should be more confident in setting several spells and traps, piling pressure on your opponent. If you see your opponent mains Dimensional Prison, you should not be so thrift in Synchro Summoning a Stardust Dragon, as you know its effect will do nothing against Dimensional Prison. If your opponent still has Mirror Force and Torrential Tribute looming in their deck, you know it would not be a good idea to over extend too heavily to try and gain control, because your offensive play could easily be countered.

Many good players switch the position of their deck and graveyard from the orthodox way, so their deck essentially blocks off their graveyard making it harder to see or reach. This makes it more difficult for their opponent to make reads - but remember that the graveyard is common knowledge, and your opponent has the right to see your graveyard and vice versa.

Site Update

2010-04-16T22:31:00.009+01:00

Since the site started a few months ago, the 'Post a Comment' button hasn't been working properly for some reason. I've changed the HTML of the site around a bit, so now when you click 'Post a Comment' a new window will pop up and you will be able to share your thoughts about certain cards etc. Enjoy!

NB. If the 'Post a Comment' button isn't showing, try clicking the name of the post, eg. for this post it will be 'Site Update', and the link should show up.

How to Prepare for a Premier Event

2010-04-16T18:07:00.003+01:00

Dale Bellido put a really informative video on his Youtube Channel, outlining the best ways to prepare for a major event like a Shonen Jump or National Championship. For even more tips on how to prepare for a major event, I wrote an article on how to get the most out of tournaments a few months ago, which you can find here.

Looking Forward: Divine Warning

2010-04-16T10:06:00.009+01:00

Divine Warning (Solemn Warning) DREV-JP077
Counter Trap

Activate by paying 2000 Life Points. Negate the Summon of a monster, the activation of a Spell or Trap Card with an effect that Special Summons, or the activation of an Effect Monster's effect that Special Summons, and destroy that Spell / Trap / monster.

Divine Warning is a card just out in the OCG set Duelist Revolution, and has been relatively under-hyped. In case you didn't understand its effect, it is able to stop EVERY summon in the game - this includes Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Battle Fader, Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame, Flamvell Firedog as well as recruiters like Mystic Tomato and Giant Rat. As well as this, it has the ability to negate normal summons, rendering cards like Gadgets and Monarchs useless.

However this effect comes at a hefty price, eliminating a quarter of your total life points. This makes the Divine Warning slightly situational - it will be difficult to pay the cost during the later stages of a game, which is when the card is the most game swinging. What made Solemn Judgment so widely played was no matter how many life points you had left, you could still activate its effect - making it a great card for late game scenarios. Divine Warning may see less play due to this.

Shonen Jump Championships Have a New Name?

2010-04-15T08:41:00.011+01:00

Following Shonen Jump New Jersey, it appears the name of Shonen Jump Championships will change, possibly to Yu-Gi-Oh! Premier Tournaments beginning with Yu-Gi-Oh! Premiere Tournament Chantilly, VA (Washington DC) coming up in mid-may. This could be due to a conflicting name with a new series of tournaments in the Naruto TCG also named Shonen Jump Championships. Naturally this raises several questions, for example does this mean Yugioh is dropping out of the monthly Shonen Jump Magazine? Will this put an end to Shonen Jump promo cards? We will have to see in the near future.

Looking Forward: Pot of Greed and Modesty

2010-04-14T13:36:00.007+01:00

Pot of Greed and Modesty (Pot of Greederosity) DREV-JP062
Normal Spell

Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Choose 1 of them, and add it to your hand. Shuffle the remaining cards back into the deck. Only 1 "Pot of Greed and Modesty" can be activated per turn, and you cannot special summon during the turn this card is activated.

Pot of Greed and Modesty is a card recently released in the Duelist Revolution OCG set, and is one of the most splashable cards released in Yugioh so far. It provides draw power for almost every deck available, and provides a great boost for both top tier as well as less commonly played decks. The ability to dig three cards out of your deck taps into what made the long since banned Graceful Charity such a good card. Statistically, you are three times more likely to draw a card that is useful in your situation than if you played a card like Upstart Goblin. Pot of Greed and Modesty provides the closest effect available in the game to drawing three cards from your deck, which is what makes it so powerful.

However with every great card there are a few drawbacks. The inability to special summon during the turn you activate it, and the fact you can only use one per turn may limit its use in OTK variants, which in my opinion is a good thing. As well as this, you need to reveal the three cards you picked up to your opponent. This may give your opponent a good idea of what cards to look out for in your deck, and assist them when making reads later in the game.

Konami Announces New Mats

2010-04-13T09:21:00.011+01:00

Click above to enlarge images

Q: Will there be anything new and exciting at the 75th SHONEN JUMP Championship - Edison, NJ?

Yes! There will be some new and exciting things to see, win, and do at this event. Take a look!

*UPDATED 4/12*
Get new Game Mats, available at the 75th SHONEN JUMP Championship – Edison, NJ!
At this event, you can be among the first to earn the newest Regional 2010 Game Mat and the newest Win-A-Mat Game Mat. You can also receive a 75th SHONEN JUMP Championship Game Mat just for participating in the SHONEN JUMP Championship main event. You don’t want to miss that.

Konami have just announced four brand new mats - a new Regionals Mat, a new Shonen Jump Championship Top 32 Mat, a new Win-a-Mat and a Shonen Jump Championship New Jersey Participation Mat! It looks like Konami did a great job with the mat designs, and I look forward to seeing even better designs in the future!

See the full details on the Konami website here.

Looking Forward: Ally Genex Birdman

2010-04-07T09:24:00.013+01:00

Ally Genex Birdman DT08-JP018
Dark
***
Machine/ Tuner
1400/400

Activate by returning 1 face-up monster you control to the hand; Special Summon this card from your hand. If the returned monster was a WIND monster, this card gains 500 ATK. When this card is Special Summoned by this effect, it is removed from play when it is removed from the field.

Ally Genex Birdman is another cool 'Ally Genex' card just out in the OCG's Duel Terminal. Just like the previously reviewed card Ally Genex Crusher, Birdman is highly searchable using Sangan and Mystic Tomato, however what really makes Birdman shine is its effect. It is essentially a reset button for many monsters, take Machina Gearframe for example. You can return Gearframe to special summon Birdman, then normal summon Gearframe again, search a card from your deck then synchro summon into a Stardust Dragon! This same principle applies to monarchs, allowing you to re-summon them using Birdman's effect so you can use their effects multiple times in the same duel.

However this is just the tip of the iceburg, Birdman can also be used to reset flip effects like Gravekeeper's Spy and Super-Nimble Mega Hamster. Imagine this scenario; you set Spy, your opponent attacks netting you another, then next turn you special summon Birdman, synchro summon X-Saber Urbellum, then set spy all over again - essentially netting you a free level 7 synchro monster.

+ Can easily abuse cards like Elemental Hero Stratos, Machina Gearframe, Gravekeeper's Spy, Super-Nimble Mega Hamster and Monarchs.

+ Highly searchable with Sangan and Mystic Tomato.

+ Dark Type, so it can be used with Allure of Darkness.

+ A level 3 tuner, which means easy access to cards like X-Saber Urbellum and Black Rose Dragon.

The Format so Far: Machinas

2010-04-05T10:32:00.015+01:00

First off, sorry for the delay in articles recently. I've been coursework swamped, as well as having a throat infection which isn't helpful. At the moment the site's a one-man-band, which means things had to slow down for a while. I'm feeling alot better now, so I'll try to keep the site as updated as possible. Thanks for your patience, much love!

Machinas are a really solid archtype that were released in the Machina Mayhem structure deck a few weeks ago. As you can see from the previous metagame analysis post, Machinas have made a surprising impact in major tournaments so far, being the fourth most successful deck. The deck's success is mainly due to its two power cards, Machina Gearframe and Machina Fortress. Gearframe essentially gives the deck three Elemental Hero Stratos-esque cards which help thin the deck, provide instant advantage as well as reinforce your field position with its high attack. Used in conjunction with the gadget cards available in Machina Mayhem, it is clear how the deck can pile up massive advantage over a few turns.

The deck gets an even bigger boost with Machina Fortress, which is essentially the deck's boss monster. With an easy summoning condition from the grave or the hand, Fortress makes up for the deck's inability to synchro summon, and provides extra attack power as well as a great effect.

However, a problem with machina decks, is the ease at which they are countered. For example, System Down can cripple any field advantage you had built up, as well as removing from play those crucial Fortresses from your graveyard. Pulling the Rug also stop the gadgets in the deck, as well as the Gearframes. If you decide to run Machina's, make sure you play to avoid these cards. To avoid getting hit badly by System Downs, don't overextend too much and conserve your Fortresses until you really need to drop them (eg. going for game, or removing an opponent's monster).

For more information on the deck, and how to build it while on a budget, Robbie Kohl and Dale Bellido gave some really useful tips on their Youtube channels.

The Format so Far: Which Decks Have Made an Impact?

2010-03-29T09:14:00.012+01:00

We are almost a month into this brand new format, so I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of the decks that have made a splash at the largest tournaments of the format so far. Below is what I found, enjoy!

Top Decklists (84 in total) from 10 Tournaments

22 Cat Synchro Variants (of which 18 Flamvell Cat) (26%)
14 Blackwing (17%)
14 Gladiator Beasts (17%)
11 Gadget Variants (of which 9 Machina Gadgets) (13%)
6 Lightsworn Variant (7%)
5 Stun (of which 1 Gemini Stun) (6%)
2 Dark Variant (2%)
2 Burn (2%)
1 Flamvell Variant (1%)
1 Ben Kei (1%)
1 Six Samurai (1%)
1 Light and Darkness Dragon (1%)
1 Gravekeeper’s (1%)
1 Dragons (1%)
1 Lightsworn-Zombie-Blackwings (1%)
1 Elemental Heroes (1%)

Generally it seems to be a fairly healthy, diverse format. Synchro cat seems to be the most successful deck, yet it still only accounts for a quarter of the playing field. I hope for a good, competitive meta in the next few months!

You can find all the decklists from above at Duelistgroundz.com* (see links below)

March 27th/ 28th
Las Vegas Regional

March 20th/ 21st
The Hague Regional (Netherlands)
Tampa Regional
Maplewood Regional

March 13th/ 14th
Greenville Regional
Mobile Regional
Paris, Dark Leeroy Tournament (France)

March 6th/ 7th
Greensboro Regional
Jacksonville Regional
Fargo Regional

* Registration is required

How to be a Yugioh Pro

2010-03-27T23:02:00.012Z

Chris Bowling has put up a great video on Youtube, explaining the thought processes that many 'pro' players go through when playing the game. Hopefully you should find the tips really useful, I know I did.

For more videos from Chris Bowling, visit his Youtube channel here.

Gold Series 3

2010-03-26T18:03:00.005Z

Gold series 3 is confirmed, with cards such as Infernity Archfiend, Judgment Dragon, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Plaguespreader Zombie, Blackwing Armor Master, and Blackwing Armed Wing all being reprinted! See the news on the official Konami website here.

Gold Rare Cards are back for another round, with Gold Series 3! Gold Rares are the shiniest, rarest, and most blinged-out cards you can get. And Gold Series 3 brings some flash and flair to more of your favorite cards.

This time around, you can get your hands on Gold Rare versions of cards like Infernity Archfiend, Judgment Dragon, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Plaguespreader Zombie, Blackwing Armor Master, and Blackwing Armed Wing.

As a super-special bonus, Gold Series 3 is the first place you can get a hold of Jack Atlas’ Vice Dragon monster – available for the first time, AND as a Gold Rare!

If you’re looking to hop on board the latest and hottest Decks, Gold Series 3 can help get you started. The 32 Common Cards in Gold Series 3 include most of the Blackwing monsters from 2009, so it’s easy to get your Blackwing Deck together just with Gold Series 3 and the new Blackwing cards available in The Shining Darkness packs.

Gold Series 3 also includes most of the Amazoness cards, originally released way back in 2003, so you can take advantage of the new Amazoness monsters in August’s Duelist Revolution booster set.

Other Common Cards in Gold Series 3 include Destiny Hero – Malicious, Goblin Zombie, Destiny Draw, and many more.

Each box of Gold Series 3 contains 25 cards from this elite 50-card set.

Gold Series 3 Contains:
18 Gold Rare Cards
32 Common Cards

Infernity Barrier

2010-03-24T16:12:00.008Z

Activate only when your opponent activates a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Effect Monster's effect, if you control a face-up Attack Position "Infernity" monster and have no cards in your hand. Negate the activation and destroy that card.

Infernity Barrier is a powerful new piece of support for Infernities coming out as a TCG exclusive in the Shining Darkness. Infernities have already been heavily hyped due to their OTK potential, and this card will act as a devastating Solemn Judgment-esque card in the deck, allowing you to make massive pushes with relative security.

For those interested in how Infernity decks work, Cesar Gonzalez gave a great explanation about the deck on his Youtube channel here.

Looking forward: Ally Genex Crusher

2010-03-22T21:41:00.009Z

Ally Genex Crusher DT08-JP019
Dark
****
Machine
1000/2000

Trigger Effect: Once during either player's turn, when a monster of the same Attribute as this face-up card you control is Normal Summoned to your side of the field, you can select and destroy 1 card your opponent controls.

Ally Genex Crusher is an interesting card that has recently been released in the OCG. The ability to destroy ANY card on the field is extremely versatile, and the card has great synergy with cards like black salvo and mystic tomato. As well as this, Crusher has a hefty 2000 defense, which means it will often be able to stall out your opponent for a few turns until you manage to pull off its effect.

In summary:

+ Has an effect with the potential to net you huge advantage, and eliminate the majority of common threats in the game.

+ Highly accessible from your deck using mystic tomato and Sangan

+ Dark type, so it can be used in conjunction with Allure of Darkness and contributes to the summoning condition of Dark Armed Dragon

+ Machine type, so it can be special summoned using Black Salvo

+ Has great synergy with cards like Ultimate Offering

Dark Leeroy Challenge Top 16 Decklists

2010-03-19T22:43:00.006Z

13 March 2010 - Paris - 315 Players

5 Blackwings (31%)
4 Cat Synchro (25%)
3 Gadgets (19%)
2 Gladiator Beasts (13%)
2 Lightsworn (13%)

Find all the decklists on Metagame.be here.

New Local Tournament Mat

2010-03-17T17:23:00.004Z

Konami have started handing out mats at local tournaments, as confirmed by Julia Hedberg on Pojo.

This is available as an incentive to tournament stores, to be used in local level events. It isn't fake.

For those interested, the mat is being sold on ebay here.

Adapting to the New Format: Blackwings

2010-03-12T21:20:00.010Z

3 Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn
3 Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame
3 Blackwing - Bora the Spear
3 Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow
2 Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North
2 Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor
1 Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind
1 Dark Grepher
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Morphing Jar

2 Black Whirlwind
2 Book of Moon
1 Allure of Darkness
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 My Body as a Shield
1 Brain Control
1 Gold Sarcophagus

2 Icarus Attack
2 Royal Oppression
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Trap Dustshoot

Of all the top decks of the previous format, Blackwings were arguably the least hit - only losing a single black whirlwind and a single allure of darkness (which will be compensated by the release of Black Feather Treasure in a few months). Naturally, this has led to a buzz of hype surrounding the decktype in the upcoming weeks.

Above is a build of Blackwings I have been testing recently, and after removing the newly limited cards, I considered how to strengthen the deck to keep it on par with how it ran throughout the previous format.

The first card I opted to add to the deck was Dark Grepher, coupled with a second copy of Blackwing - Vayu. This switch aimed to add more raw attack power to the deck, which was cut slightly with Black Whirlwind limited.

I opted to keep Royal Oppression at two in the deck, as it has a plethora of uses in the new format. I forecast a large amount of Cat variants and Gladiator Beast decks in the upcoming weeks, and Royal Oppression is a perfect counter to those decks. As well as this, Royal Oppression is able to completely negate Starlight Road (which helps Icarus Attacks go off), as well as Battle Fader (a popular card in monarchs and stall decks).

Due to the problem of Starlight Road, I chose to cut Icarus Attack down to two copies until the meta becomes more defined. As is the case when any new card is released, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to run Starlight Road. As a result Icarus Attack has become a risky card at times. Although the chances of running into a Starlight Road are relatively low, the consequences of when it does happen can be devastating.

Morphing Jar is a great card in the deck, not only compensating for the lost draw power in Allure of Darkness, but also allowing you to dump excess Vayus and Siroccos, enabling you to Grave-synchro. As well as this, Morphing Jar has great synergy with Trap Dustshoot, a combo which can heavily swing a game in your favour instantly. Morphing Jar is even a one-card-out to Consecrated Light (Morphing Jar is an earth monster), which even makes Jar slightly more versatile than before.

Finally, I decided to add a lone copy of Gold Sarcophagus. Gold sarcophagus fits perfectly with the new, slower format. In a deck like Blackwings the card can be game changing, allowing you to reach you Heavy Storm, Dark Armed Dragon and Black Whirlwinds much earlier in the game. Once again, Gold Sarc helps compensate for the draw power lost in Allure of Darkness, and the reduced availability of Black Whirlwind. Gold Sarc has proved to be an excellent addition to the deck, and has ended many games.

March 1st Regional Decklists

2010-03-07T17:59:00.006Z

A first glance into what the upcoming meta will look like; enjoy.

3 Gladiator Beasts (38%)
2 Flamvell Cat (25%)
1 Blackwings (13%)
1 Lightsworn (13%)
1 Light and Darkness Dragon (13%)

Greensboro, NC 03/06/2010

Garon Williams - Gladiator Beasts
Main Deck
2 Gladiator Beast Laquari
3 Test Tiger
1 Gladiator Beast Darius
1 Gladiator Beast Retiari
1 Gladiator Beast Hoplomus
1 Gladiator Beast Secutor
2 Gladiator Beast Samnite
1 Rescue Cat
2 Gladiator Beast Equeste
1 Gladiator Beast Bestiari
1 Elemental Hero Prisma
1 Gladiator Beast Murmillo

2 My Body as a Shield
1 Enemy Controller
3 Smashing Ground
3 Gladiator Beast Respite
3 Book of Moon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Trap Stun
1 Trap Dustshoot
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
3 Gladiator Beast War Chariot
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute

Side Deck
2 Dragonic Knight
2 Cyber Dragon
2 Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn
2 Dimensional Fissure
2 Nobleman of Crossout
1 Brain Control
2 Trap Hole
2 Waboku

Extra Deck
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
3 Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
1 Goyo GUardian
1 Black Rose Dragon
2 Chimeratech Fortress Dragon
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Colossal Fighter
2 Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
1 Mist Wurm

Rickie Cashwell - Gladiator Beasts

Main Deck
1 Elemental Hero Stratos
1 Rescue Cat
1 Gladiator Beast Bestiari
2 Gladiator Beast Samnite
2 Gladiator Beast Laquari
1 Gladiator Beast Hoplomus
2 Gladiator Beast Darius
1 Gladiator Beast Murmillo
1 Gladiator Beast Retiari
2 Elemental Hero Prisma
3 Test Tiger
1 Gladiator Beast Equeste

1 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Heavy Storm
1 My Body as a Shield
1 Cold Wave
1 Smashing Ground
1 Gladiator Proving Ground
2 Book of Moon
1 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Torrential Tribute
3 Gladiator Beast War Chariot
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
3 Waboku
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Mirror Force
1 Solemn Judgment

Side Deck
1 Phantom Dragon
3 Consecrated Light
1 D.D. Crow
1 Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind
2 Legendary Jujitsu Master
1 Royal Oppression
2 Mirror of Oaths
2 Dust Tornado
1 Trap Hole
1 Brain Control

Extra Deck
2 Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
1 Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Mist Wurm
1 Blackwing Armor Master
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Magical Android
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend

Diego Valdivia - Gladiator Beasts

Main Deck
3 Test Tiger
1 Elemental Hero Prisma
1 Gladiator Beast Retiari
1 Gladiator Beast Bestiari
3 Gladiator Beast Laquari
2 Gladiator Beast Samnite
2 Gladiator Beast Equeste
2 Gladiator Beast Darius
1 Gladiator Beast Murmillo
1 Gladiator Beast Secutor
1 Gladiator Beast Hoplomus
1 Rescue Cat

3 Book of Moon
2 My Body as a Shield
1 Brain Control
1 Smashing Ground
1 Gladiator Proving Ground
1 Heavy Storm

1 Mirror Force
1 Solemn Judgment
2 Gladiator Beast War Chariot
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Waboku
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Trap Dustshoot

Side Deck
2 Thunder King Rai-oh
2 Legendary Jujitsu Master
2 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
2 Dimensional Fissure
1 Lightning Vortex
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
2 Mirror of Oaths
2 Light-Imprisoning Mirror
1 Dust Tornado

Extra Deck
2 Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
3 Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Blackwing Armor Master
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Mist Wurm
1 Colossal Fighter

Russell LaParre - Flamvell Cat

Main Deck
3 Flamvell Firedog
3 Flamvell Magician
3 Super-Nimble Mega Hamster
3 X-Saber Airbellum
3 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
1 Sangan
1 Rescue Cat
1 Summoner Monk
1 Whirlwind Weasel
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

3 Book of Moon
3 Rekindling
2 Pot of Avarice
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Brain Control
1 Mind Control
1 Smashing Ground

2 Dust Tornado
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
1 Royal Oppression
1 Trap Dustshoot

Side Deck
3 Consecrated Light
2 D.D. Crow
2 Cyber Dragon
2 Pulling the Rug
3 Mirror of Oaths
2 Tuner's Scheme
1 Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World

Extra Deck
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Magical Android
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Arcanite Magician
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 X-Saber Urbellum
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
2 Colossal Fighter
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Mist Wurm
1 Chimeratech Fortress Dragon

Jeffrey Daniels - Flamvell Cat

Main Deck
3 X-Saber Airbellum
3 Flamvell Firedog
1 Des Koala
1 Summoner Monk
3 Super-Nimble Mega Hamster
3 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
1 Sangan
3 Flamvell Magician
1 Rescue Cat

3 Book of Moon
3 Rekindling
1 Heavy Storm
1 Brain Control
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
2 Pot of Avarice
1 Mind Control
1 Smashing Ground

1 Torrential Tribute
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Mirror Force
1 Royal Oppression
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Dust Tornado
1 Dimensional Prison

Side Deck
2 Cyber Dragon
2 Dust Tornado
2 Trap Hole
2 Legendary Jujitsu Master
1 Doomcaliber Knight
1 Lightning Vortex
1 My Body as a Shield
2 Consecrated Light
1 Royal Oppression
1 Mirror of Oaths

Extra Deck
1 Magical Android
1 Arcanite Magician
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
2 Colossal Fighter
1 Mist Wurm
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 X-Saber Urbellum
1 Ancient Fairy Dragon

Tai Wu - Blackwings

Main Deck
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 D.D. Crow
3 Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow
3 Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn
3 Blackwing - Bora the Spear
3 Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame
1 Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind
2 Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North
1 Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor
2 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer

1 Brain Control
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 My Body as a Shield
1 Lightning Vortex
1 Heavy Storm
2 Black Whirlwind
1 Allure of Darkness

1 Royal Oppression
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Trap Hole
3 Icarus Attack
1 Call of the Haunted

Side Deck
1 Delta Crow - Anti Reverse
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Mirror of Oaths
2 Threatening Roar
2 Light-Imprisoning Mirror
1 Royal Oppression
1 Dust Tornado
1 D.D. Crow
1 Twister
2 Soul Release

Extra Deck
2 Stardust Dragon
2 Blackwing Armor Master
2 Blackwing Armed Wing
1 Magical Android
1 Blackwing - Silverwind the Ascendant
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Mist Wurm
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Ally of Justice Catastor

Luke Patterson - Light and Darkness Dragon.dek

Main Deck
3 Battle Fader
2 Light and Darkness Dragon
2 Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch
1 Treeborn Frog
1 Chaos Sorcerer
3 Cyber Valley
2 Dandylion
2 Dimensional Alchemist
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Sangan
1 Shining Angel
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
2 Caius the Shadow Monarch
1 Tongue Twister

1 Allure of Darkness
1 Mind Control
1 Brain Control
1 Foolish Burial
3 Soul Exchange
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm

1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
2 Phoenix Wing Wind Blast
1 Divine Wrath
2 Bottomless Trap Hole

Side Deck
2 Mirror of Oaths
1 Mind Crush
2 Dust Tornado
2 Trap Hole
2 Light-Imprisoning Mirror
1 Lightning Vortex
1 D.D. Crow
2 Brain Golem
2 Legendary Jujitsu Master

Extra Deck
1 Magical Android
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Goyo Guardian

Mark L Johnson Jr. - Lightsworn

Main Deck
2 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
2 Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
1 Card Trooper
2 Judgment Dragon
2 Wulf, Lightsworn Beast
1 Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior
2 Celestia, Lightsworn Angel
1 Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
2 Honest
1 Chaos Sorcerer
1 Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid
1 Tragoedia
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Ehern, Lightsworn Monk
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
1 Necro Gardna

1 Brain Control
1 Heavy Storm
1 Gold Sarcophagus
1 Cold Wave
3 Solar Recharge
1 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Pot of Avarice
1 Foolish Burial
1 Charge of the Light Brigade

1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Beckoning Light
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute

Side Deck
1 Mobius the Frost Monarch
1 Malevolent Catastrophe
2 Breaker the Magical Warrior
2 Threatening Roar
2 Royal Decree
2 Thunder King Rai-Oh
1 Shiny Black C
2 Lightning Vortex
1 Legendary Jujitsu Master

Extra Deck
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Mist Wurm
1 Goyo Guardian
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Ancient Fairy Dragon
1 Tempest Magician
1 Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth
1 X-Saber Urbellum
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary

Changing Trends: March 1st

2010-03-03T21:45:00.008Z

Cyber Valley
A card I feel will grow in popularity throughout the format. Draw power has been severely cut with Destiny Draw and Allure of Darkness limited, and many decks will search for alternative means of speed. Valley is a great balanced card, providing far more consistency than alternatives such as Reckless Greed. Cyber Valley's battle phase-ender effect allows it to slide under gladiator beasts, which will no doubt be heavily played, as well as allowing you to stall until you have the right cards to make a game changing play. Finally, Valley has great synergy with Brain and Mind control, further increasing draw power and taking out a plethora of common threats such as Synchros.

Legendary Jujitsu Master
A card which is already seeing a lot of play, due to its ability to dramatically stall your opponent's strategies by setting them back a turn. Jujitsu master is a great counter to gladiator beasts and Blackwings, which have both been heavily hyped to be popular decks this format. Slowing down your opponent is a great strategy for winning, and Jujitsu Master offers just that, as well as being the best counter available to Gladiator Beasts.

Nobleman of Crossout
A slower format and new support will inevitably lead to a rise in slower paced decks such as Monarchs and Gravekeepers and even Cat Synchro. Nobleman of Crossout is a great answer to these decks, and removes vital monsters from their decks such as Gravekeeper's Spy, Super-Nimble Mega Hamster and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter. Nobleman is a great card, and is able to cripple many slower paced decks this format.

Shonen Jump Nashville Top 16 Decklists

2010-03-03T21:06:00.005Z

The Shonen Jump Nashville Top 16 decklists have been released!

Find all 16 decklists on the official Yu-Gi-Oh website here.

7 Lightsworn (44%)
3 Zombie Lightsworn (19%)
1 X-Saber (6%)
1 Blackwing (6%)
1 Zombie (6%)
1 Chaos (6%)
1 Light Beatdown (6%)
1 Gladiator Beasts (6%)

Shonen Jump Nashville Live Coverage

2010-02-27T18:27:00.006Z

The last Shonen Jump of the September 2009 format has arrived, check out live coverage of the event throughout the day on the official Yu-Gi-Oh website.

Yugioh Italia Cossy Banners Suspended

2010-02-27T14:25:00.006Z

The highly popular Cossy statistic banners have been shut down due to issues with Konami, regarding the use of Cossy passwords on their site.

See more details and how to help on the Yugioh Italia website here.

Service Suspended!
Unfortunately after few days since its release, Yu-Gi-Oh! COSSY Statistics Banner service shuts down.
I've been contacted by Konami last days, telling me that I can't ask people their COSSY passwords to generate the banners as there could be privacy issues. Furthermore, they don't want that services such these are "community-maintained".
I'm forced, then, to shut down the service.

If you want that this service becomes official or you just want to ask Konami to take this service open, send a mail to one (or both) of these addresses:

us-cardsupport@konami.com for Konami America

yugioh@konami-europe.net for Konami Europe
Thank you for supporting me!

Yours faithfully,
Jerry Beans Man

March 2010 TCG Ban List on Konami Website

2010-02-24T21:52:00.009Z

The official TCG ban list is now up on the official Yu-Gi-Oh website. It is identical to the leaked list previously posted, other than 'Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary' which is now limited for the TCG. Check this link to check out the list on the Konami website, and I wish everyone the best of luck for the upcoming format!

Ukaypro Championship Sheffield Top 8 Deck Lists

2010-02-21T11:03:00.008Z

Maurice Samuels (11 wins 2 losses) 1st Place
Monsters: 19
1 Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor
1 Dark Armed Dragon
3 Blackwing – Kalut the Moonshadow
3 Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame
3 Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn
2 Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
3 Blackwing – Bora the Spear
1 Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind
1 Blackwing – Mistral the Silver Shield

Spells: 12
2 Book of Moon
2 Allure of Darkness
1 Heavy Storm
3 Black Whirlwind
1 Brain Control
1 My Body as a Shield
1 Mind Control
1 Mystical Space Typhoon

Traps: 9
2 Icarus Attack
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Royal Oppression
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
1 Solemn Judgment

Extra Deck: 15
1 Arcanite Magician
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Blackwing Armor Master
1 Mist Wurm
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Magical Android
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
2 Blackwing Armed Wing
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Blackwing – Silverwind the Ascendant
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend

Side Deck: 15
1 My Body as a Shield
2 Trap Stun
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Breaker the Magical Warrior
2 Trap Hole
2 D.D. Crow
2 Lightning Vortex
2 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer

Andrew Tran (11 wins 2 losses) 2nd Place
Monsters: 14
3 Gladiator Beast Laquari
3 Gladiator Beast Andal
1 Gladiator Beast Equeste
1 Gladiator Beast Bestiari
1 Gladiator Beast Murmillo
3 D.D. Warrior Lady
1 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
1 Neo-Spacian Grand Mole

Spells: 11
1 Smashing Ground
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 My Body as a Shield
2 Book of Moon
3 Gladiator Proving Ground
3 Dimensional Fissure

Traps: 15
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Mirror Force
2 Dimensional Prison
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
3 Royal Oppression
3 Gladiator Beast War Chariot
3 Dark Bribe

Extra Deck: 15
3 Gladiator Beast Gyzarus
3 Gladiator Beast Heraklinos
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Magical Android

Side Deck: 15
3 Breaker the Magical Warrior
2 Zombyra the Dark
1 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
1 My Body as a Shield
1 Lightning Vortex
1 Heavy Storm
3 Compulsory Evacuation Device
2 Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute

Dan Nelson (9 wins 3 losses) Top 4
Monsters: 28
2 Tragoedia
2 Celestia, Lightsworn Angel
3 Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
3 Honest
3 Wulf, Lightsworn Beast
3 Necro Gardna
2 Judgment Dragon
2 Chaos Sorcerer
1 Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Ehren, Lightsworn Monk
1 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
1 Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior
1 Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

Spells: 11
3 Charge of the Light Brigade
3 Solar Recharge
2 Allure of Darkness
1 Heavy Storm
1 Brain Control
1 My Body as a Shield

Traps: 3
2 Beckoning Light
1 Torrential Tribute

Extra Deck: 15
2 Colosal Fighter
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Mist Wurm
2 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Arcanite Magician
1 Blackwing Armor Master
1 X-Saber Urbellum
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Tempest Magician
1 Magical Android

Side Deck: 15
2 Royal Oppression
2 Royal Decree
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
2 Breaker the Magical Warrior
1 Mirror Force
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind
1 Zombie Master
1 Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
1 Lightning Vortex

Sami Sekkoum (9 wins 3 losses) Top 4
Monsters: 27
3 Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
2 Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
3 Celestia, Lightsworn Angel
3 Honest
2 Judgment Dragon
1 Archlord Krystia
3 Wulf, Ligthsworn Beast
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
3 Necro Gardna
1 Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid
1 Chaos Sorcerer
1 Ehren, Lightsworn Monk
1 Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior
1 Phantom of Chaos
1 Plaguespreader Zombie

Spells: 11
3 Charge of the Light Brigade
3 Solar Recharge
1 Brain Control
1 Heavy Storm
1 Foolish Burial
1 Monster Reincarnation
1 Lightning Vortex

Traps: 3
2 Beckoning Light
1 Mirror Force

Extra Deck: 15
1 Colossal Fighter
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Magical Android
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Blackwing Armor Master
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Tempest Magician
1 Mist Wurm
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
1 X-Saber Urbellum
1 Flamvell Uruquizas

Side Deck: 15
2 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
2 Thunder King Rai-Oh
2 Threatening Roar
2 Royal Decree
1 Consecrated Light
1 Jain, Lightsworn Paladin
1 Dust Tornado
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 The Transmigration Prophecy
1 Lightning Vortex
1 Archlord Krystia

Alan Warnock (8 wins 3 losses) Top 8
Monsters: 20
2 Goblin Zombie
3 Mystic Tomato
1 Zombie Master
1 Armageddon Knight
3 Tragoedia
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
2 Deep Sea Diva
2 Destiny Hero – Malicious
1 Necro Gardna
2 Mezuki
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

Spells: 13
1 Brain Control
1 Giant Trunade
2 Allure of Darkness
1 Heavy Storm
2 Foolish Burial
1 Book of Life
1 Enemy Controller
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
3 Burial from a Different Dimension

Traps: 9
1 Mirror Force
1 Trap Dustshoot
1 Torrential Tribute
2 Raigeki Break
2 Royal Oppression
2 Bottomless Trap Hole

Extra Deck: 15
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Revived King Ha Des
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
2 Stardust Dragon
2 Colossal Fighter
2 Doomkaiser Dragon
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
3 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

Side Deck: 15
2 Vanity’s Fiend
2 D.D. Crow
2 Trap Hole
2 Dust Tornado
1 Waboku
1 Lightning Vortex
2 Legendary Jujitsu Master
3 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer

Chris Guy (8 wins 3 losses) Top 8
Monsters: 25
1 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
3 Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
3 Necro Gardna
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
2 Celestia, Lightsworn Angel
3 Wulf, Lightsworn Beast
2 Judgment Dragon
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
3 Honest
2 Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
1 Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid
1 Ehren, Lightsworn Monk
1 Archlord Krystia
1 Garoth, Ligthsworn Warrior

Spells: 11
3 Charge of the Light Brigade
3 Solar Recharge
2 Monster Reincarnation
1 Cold Wave
1 Heavy Storm
1 Pot of Avarice

Traps: 4
2 Compulsory Evacuation Device
2 Beckoning Light

Extra Deck: 15
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Magical Android
1 Thought Ruler Archfiend
2 Stardust Dragon
1 Blackwing Armor Master
2 Colossal Fighter
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth
1 Mist Wurm
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Doomkaiser Dragon

Side Deck: 15
1 Lightning Vortex
2 My Body as a Shield
2 Shiny Black “C”
2 Dust Tornado
2 Burial from a Different Dimension
3 Waboku
2 Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer
1 Brain Control

David Wilson (9 wins 2 losses)
Monsters: 27
3 Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
2 Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
1 Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior
1 Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid
1 Ehren, Lightsworn Monk
3 Wulf, Lightsworn Beast
1 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
3 Celestia, Lightsworn Angel
3 Honest
3 Necro Gardna
1 Plaguespreader Zombie
1 Blackwing Gale the Whirlwind
1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness
2 Judgment Dragon

Spells: 13
3 Charge of the Light Brigade
3 Solar Recharge
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Heavy Storm
1 Brain control
2 My body as a Shield
2 Gold Sarcophagus

Traps: 3
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Trap Dustshoot

Extra Deck: 15
1 Magical Android
1 Ally of Justice Catastor
1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundry
1 Gaia Knight the Force of Earth
1 Goyo Guardian
1 Tempest Magician
1 Blackwing Armed Wing
1 Black Rose Dragon
1 Blackwing Armour Master
1 Arcanite Magician
1 Saber Urbellum
1 Stardust Dragon
1 Red Dragon Archfiend
1 Colossal Fighter
1 Mist Wurm

Side Deck: 15
2 Royal Oppression
2 Lightning Vortex
2 Mind Crush
2 Kycoo the Ghost Eater
2 Dust Tornado
2 Thunder King Rai-Oh
1 Outstanding Dog Marron
1 Giant Trunade
1 Transmigration Prophecy

Charles Wong (8 wins 3 losses) Top 8
Monsters: X
-

Spells: X
-

Traps: X
-

Extra Deck: X
-

Side Deck: X
-

Ukaypro Championship Sheffield LIVE Coverage

2010-02-20T10:34:00.009Z

Logo design by PJ Tierney

The Ukaypro Championship is one of the largest European tournaments of the year, bringing all the best players from around Europe into one event with fierce competition. I wish everyone attending the best of luck!

Check HERE for live coverage of the event throughout the day!

Yugioh Italia Cossy Statistic Banners

2010-02-18T15:04:00.009Z

Yugioh Italia have come up with a great new set of statistic banners for use with Konami's Cossy software, similar to the highly popular banners they created for UDE. Above are a few of the designs available at the moment, I look forward to seeing even more great designs in the future.

Get a banner for your own Cossy account on the Yugioh Italia website here.

March 2010 OCG Ban List Confirmed!

2010-02-16T20:57:00.007Z

Now confirmed on Shriek

Banned (0 per deck)
N/A

Restricted (1 per deck)
Chaos Sorcerer
Tragoedia
Necro Guardna
Necroface
Mezuki
Lightlord Summoner - Lumina
Burial from a Different Dimension
Foolish Burial
Destiny Draw
Charge of the Light Brigade
Allure of Darkness
Mind Crush
Magical Explosion

Semi Restricted (2 per deck)
Honest
Cyber Dragon
Demise - King of Armageddon
Dandelion
Treeborn Frog
Black Whirlwind
United We Stand
Royal Decree
Royal Oppression
Skill Drain

Unrestricted (3 per deck)
Mask of Darkness
Smashing Ground

Orlando Regional Top 8 Decklists

2010-02-04T19:17:00.003Z

30/01/2010
180 Participants

2 Blackwings (25%)
1 Twilight (12.5%)
1 Lightsworn (12.5%)
1 Stardust Assault Mode (12.5%)
1 Norleras (12.5%)
1 Stun (12.5%)
1 Chaos (12.5%)

Check out the decklists here.

An Underused Resource: 9 Yugitubers You Should Know About

2010-02-01T17:58:00.009Z

Many of you probably know that watching people play the game is a valuable resource in itself. Being able to compare and contrast the plays that people make with those that you would make is very useful in questioning your play style. Even criticizing who you're watching can be useful, as it helps you identify common misplays which in turn prevents you from playing poorly. Youtube is a great place to find duel videos, as well as useful strategy tips from excellent players. Here are just a few channels I found that helped me the most at improving in the game.

1. Aznpersuasion2008
Duel videos, pack openings, trading.

2. Dale Bellido
Strategy information, deck discussion, duel videos, trading.

3. Dubkdad1
Creative/ budget deck ideas, duel videos, pack openings, trading.

4. Cesar Gonzalez
Strategy information, deck discussion, duel videos, trading.

5. iKibblez
Duel videos, pack openings, player interviews, deck profiles, trading.

6. Audrey Tan
Loads of duel videos, trading.

7. Robbie Kohl
Duel videos, news, deck profiles, player interviews, trading.

8. NuggetsHoopster
Duel videos, deck profiles, pack openings, trading.

9. Yugiohgirl2009
Loads of duel videos, deck profiles, trading.

[FAKE] 'Leaked' Ban List

2010-01-31T11:46:00.012Z

Rumours have been swirling around about a supposed 'Leaked' Ban List. The story seems pretty legit, claiming it was leaked by Hatoshi, and the list has been removed from most major websites such as Pojo. Hatoshi is a japanese player who leaked the ban list last format during the World Championships, so he has some credibility. It's up to you to decide whether it's real or not.

Banned:
Elemental Hero Stratos
Brain Control
Necroface

Limited:
Judgment Dragon
Burial from a Different Dimension
Tragoedia
Magician of Faith
Beckoning Light
Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary

Semi-Limited:
Gladiator Beast Bestiari
Solemn Judgment
Cyber Dragon

Unlimited:
Chaos Sorceror
Bottomless Trap Hole
Allure of Darkness
Gold Sarcophagus

Here's the original youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvIPJevkZOU&feature=sub

Getting the Most out of Tournaments

2010-01-31T00:26:00.008Z

Tournaments give you the opportunity to meet with friends, trade, test out decks and qualify for larger events such as Nationals and even Worlds. However people often forget there are plenty of ways to give yourself and edge over your opponents. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your tournaments.

1) Bring Money
Don't just bring the entry fee along, bring a little extra cash. Most tournaments sell packs, sleeves, binders and snacks. Bringing along some extra money is always useful.

2) Keep all of your stuff in bags
Don't bring your cards loose in your pockets. Make sure you keep them organized in a rucksack, with the zip done up. The last thing you want is to lose track of where your cards are and even lose your deck (I've seen this happen so many times).

3) Bring trades
Most people at the tournament will want to trade, and you never know who may want something from you. Most people prefer it if you keep your trades in a binder. This not only keeps the cards safe but also improves presentation.

4) Test beforehand
Especially for major events like regionals and above. Don't forget to test out your deck against top tier decks. This can provide you with useful ideas and tips to improve your deck and playstyle. Testing against bad players or decks does nothing, you need to test against good players who will push you to improve.

5) Bring food and snacks
You don't know if you'll get hungry at any time during the day. Bring some extra snacks just in case, and most importantly water. It's vital you stay hydrated so you can focus throughout the day, especially in longer 7-10 round tournaments. Keeping hydrated will dramatically reduce the amount of misplays you'll make and improve your chances of success.

6) Respect your opponent
Going to tournaments is great for making friends to talk to and to test out decks with. Try to be as friendly as possible while playing, and it will make the tournament much more enjoyable for everyone. If you get in a bad mood, or 'tilt' it will result in far more misplays. Try to stay as pleasant as possible and your play will improve.

7) Game analysis
Whenever you lose a game, don't blame it on bad luck or being 'sacked', it happens to everyone. Analyse where you went wrong. Think what you could have done that may have changed the outcome of the game, no matter how unorthodox that play may have been to your play style. This will help you build up experience much faster which will lead to better reads and an overall better play style.

8) Keep your eye on your stuff
Don't be too paranoid about thieves, as the point of a tournament is to have fun. Be wary, and make sure you're conscious about where your cards are at certain times. Don't just leave your deck lying around on tables (you'll be surprised how often people do this). You occasionally get thieves at some tournaments, so remember to keep an eye out. Most people will be honest, and if they see a deck lying around, they'll hand it in to the head judge. If you lose anything, the first thing to do is to go to the head judge to see if anything had been handed in.

9) Write out your decklist the night before
I can't emphasize this enough. This gives you more time to trade the next day, and also gives you time to look round the tournament before it starts to see what decks are most common. Look at what people are writing on their decklists, and think about how you can prepare for each of these matchups. Try and remember who is playing which deck. You can gain great information before the tournament has even started, and this can give you an edge during Game 1 throughout the day. Don't be afraid of lurking!