September 2012 Forbidden and Limited List prediction --- Part 1

Forbidden and limited list aka The Ban List discussions came real early this time. I wasn’t expecting it to start till end of next week, normally I want to be the first guy to discuss about it, but seems like I missed the chance this time. Curse you assignments!!

The list discussion is basically a tradition for us bloggers now. Everyone has a common hate, and a little bit of varying from individual to individual. It almost seems like it’s against the law to NOT post anything regarding discussion on the ban list. I say the common goal of the majority of us blogger is to show how good we understand the game and how well we can predict Konami, gaining credential in the process; but mostly, just for the “I called it!!” moment. Let us not part from the main topic.

Normally the September format would be a lot better than the March one, or at least at the start of the format. This list would normally put the game at a very healthy state for at least 2 or 3 months before the inevitable happens, aka new sets. The reason why the March list (where Asia, European, and Worlds are held) feature a less skill based format might be something among the lines of “people need power cards because there are bigger and more important events; as compare to the Sep format”. Don’t quote me!!

Forbidden :

Future Fusion – This card is on EVERYONE’s list, even for Chaos Dragon players. I think this is because we know that if this card doesn’t go, something bad is gonna happen to our precious Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon for sure, well, theres no guarantee Konami won’t outright hit both of them, but at least, there’s some chances. Foolish Burial x5 for Dragons + Random Zephyros//Brionac based OTK//FTKs are bad. The only 1 card FTK in the game should go away, don’t even try to hit the other guys, cause we all know this is the main catalyst. I know this card just got reprinted to UR in the most recent reprint set, BUT. Royal Oppression was banned 2 weeks after it was reprinted a SR, and it wasn’t a broken card to begin with (back then). I can go on all day with just this card alone, but I say we all know why this card gotta go.

Monster Reborn  –This card is the one top deck that would win you games by its own most of the time. I actually love MR a lot, its one of those cards that remind me how long I’ve played this game, witnessing it getting on and off the banlist a few times now, but I’ll have to agree, its time to put this card back into the banlist once and for all. Like all other cards from early in the game’s history, the card wasn’t well designed, there wasn’t a drawback to it and no limitations, and like such cards from back then, it should join them in the banlist. Overall, its just a card that adds too much luck into the game (not to say opening TGU and Rabbit takes a lot of skill to play).

Although I hate Mind Control and think of it as an evil, but I do think it should replace MR as the necessary evil in the game. Without Mind Control, I could make Photon Bounzer and look down on a bunch of Inzektors without fear. Or, I could just set Ryko, knowing you can never use it against me. While I do think that this card generates a lot of unnecessary advantages at times, but I do not think that’s enough to land it on the Forbidden zone yet.

Gustaph Max – Everyone reading this blog should know how much I hated this card. It takes a deck that needs skill and knowledge to play (my precious Hieratics of cause) and turns them into a no-brain 3 card combo. I would really like Konami to hit this card instead of putting REDMD to 1. REDMD to 1 will outright kill Hieratics, while killing Gustaph Max kills its ability to perform an easy OTK. While go that far considering Hieratics aren’t winning much anywhere, even with Gustaph Max. Also, the card has OTK spelled all over it, like all cards with such labels, please just hit it. (This is like my wish for this September list, do not kill Hieratics)

Pot of Avarice – This is the last card I wanna see banned. While not many decks can run this card now, for the decks that could, this card generates too much advantage, and most of the time, the plus 1 is just an added bonus. This card completes the Wind-Up Loop, it lets you use the 3^rd Rescue Rabbit, among others. While more could be discuss about this card, I feel we all could come into agreement on just how powerful this card can be mid to late game (for some decks, early deck even). I can no longer see this card as balance or situational anymore for what is does is nothing but generate loops.

Limited :

Unlike the forbidden, which you just throw in whatever card you think to be too broken to keep; you need to plan before making a limited list. I always think that the banned list should not kill a deck, but to make it less deadly. Some cards doesn’t require the limiting status, but there are some (ie Mezuki and DAD) who are too powerful to be anything more than 1, but seem to be useless at 1. Hence, its no easy task to make a limited list, I give you that.

Unlike what other people might do, I do not think any of the Inzektors deserves a place here, at all.

Dark Magician of Chaos, Magician of Faith – both of these can and should come off the list. This also helps Konami boost the sales of the Spell Book archtype in Abyss Rising. These 2 no longer have the use of being in the list and could possibly come back formats ago. Even with MR in the game, these 2 would be too slow to be splashable, the only decks I could see any of them being played would be Spellcaster variants, again, that is no bad for the game, and spellcasters do need the push, being 1 of the original big 3.

Goyo Guardian – Unlike the former 2, I do understand why this card is on the forbidden list. This card ranks with Trishula and Brionac (a card many people fear might get hit this list) as the most powerful syncro ever printed, DSF was just plain broken, it’s not powerful, just broken. Why do I see it coming back? Since syncros no longer do anything, that’s why. This card back at 1 instantly put BF back on the threat radar (not that high up, but still … ). Also, this is a great out to Bounzer, Tiras and Gaia Dragoon, or you could kamikaze this into Focus Force. It gives people a valid reason to synchro summon again, cause as of now, no Syncro monster other than maybe Scrap Dragon could walk over those 3 commonly played xyz walls.

Wind-Up Zenmighty – Its way too easy to summon; way too powerful and also does too many things for the deck. Some might say banned Hunter and this card is balanced. Yes, pulling a Wind-Up Rabbit from your deck to the field turn 1 is real balance, not to mention Magician and Rat. Hunter was never a problem before Zenmighty, sure your opponent could still ditch a card or 2 from your hand, but I doubt people would still play Hunter if Zenmighty is at 1. In case you didn’t notice, Wind-Ups took both WCQ North America and European Championships, they are good. One might think it fluked a win because no one was playing Maxx Cs in the main in WCQNA, that might be; but I see the majority of the players playing 2~3 copies of Maxx C in EC, and yet, the deck still topped. Wind-Ups needs to slow down.

Royal Oppression – This is on everyone of my list since it was banned, but now, I’m beginning to feel iffy bout bringing it back. I was thinking, what deck would love to see this card back. AntiMeta decks? Yes, that is true. But, I was thinking Inzektors. Yup, those insects that everyone wants to step on this banlist would definitely welcome this card into their arsenal. Rabbit needs to constantly put xyzs on the board, both Dragon decks can’t play this, HEROs now depend on Bubbleman way too much (they would still play it, no doubt). Only Gadgets and Inzektors can truly play this card with almost no drawback. Do I want it back, YES!! But I could do well without it.

I really really wanna put TGU here, but I feel TGU at one kills it, kinda like Tengu at 2. But I do not feel semi-limiting TGU is gonna change anything. I’ll leave Semi and unrestricted for another day.