August 2006

How Konami Should Change the Ban List for Upcoming September – Part II By Paul Yeem (Carrotizer) 8/13/06

Continued from my first article, today, I am going to argue what cards should be added to the restricted part of the ban list. I suggest that you read the first part to fully understand this one.

There are a lot of restricted cards in Yu-Gi-Oh. Personally, I believe that this is a good thing because these restricted cards are strong yet not “broken” and hence they are usable by 1 in every deck. However, nothing is perfect, and sometimes trial-and-error is the best method to take that one step closer to the perfection. Restricted cards are the most powerful or potentially so among the card pool that we have permission to use. As such, some cards must be added and removed from time to time.

NOTE: When I was writing this, I decided that I had to divide this part of the whole series by two, so I will add another one after this one. Sorry =/


First, let’s take a look at the current restricted list. We’ll examine monster, spells, then traps. Notable monsters are Jinzo, Exodia pieces, Injection Fairy Lily, Thousand-Eyes Restrict, D.D. Warrior Lady, D.D. Assailant, Sangan, Night Assailant, Treeborn Frog, Tsukuyomi, Breaker the Magical Warrior, Morphing Jar, Mask of Darkness, Exiled Force (I hope I didn’t forget any X_X). Of these, Sangan, Exiled Force, D.D. Warrior Lady, D.D. Assailant, and Night Assailant are usually 1 for 1, and must be used as conjunctions with other cards to pull off advantages, so I advocate these as righteous restricted cards. Injection Fairy Lily doe not generate any card advantage, and though the cute little nurse can “pump” herself to 3400 ATK, 2000 LP payment per dose isn’t so cheap. Mask of Darkness can be as bad as, possibly worse, Magician of Faith, and getting back Torrential Tribute, Mirror Force, and/or Call of the Haunted is pretty darn good, which are also restricted. Being able to use restricted cards twice=wow. Next, there’s not much to say about Jinzo. It is a good card, but it cannot be run by 2’s or 3’s, otherwise there would be no Herald Fairy deck (my favorite). Morphing Jar is powerful, as it gives new hands to both players, but seeing Dark World monsters being splashed often, it doesn’t need to go into forbidden zone of the list. Treeborn Frog, Thousand-Eyes Restrict, Tsukuyomi, and Breaker the Magical Warrior all have potential of gaining immense card advantage when used right with other supportive cards. However, every one of these cards have slight drawbacks, except Breaker the Magical Warrior, which isn’t indestructible. It isn’t that good to be banned, but good enough to be restricted.

Exodia set is in question. Would Exodia be too unstoppable? I mean, would a player be too speedy and gather all 5 limbs of the ultimate monster and win before his or her LP is reduced 8000? Keep in mind that you have to have at least 1 of each parts, so that 2 right arms won’t do much. First, let’s say that all the parts except head was limited instead of restricted. If, IF Painful Choice came back, then Exodia pieces will be easier to be retrieved from graveyard with Dark Factory of Mass Reproduction and Backup Soldier. However, it all other pieces were restricted except head, which should be limited to two, instead of being restricted. That way, if head is discarded from hand, there would be another way to retrieve the lost piece other than Monster Reincarnation and Pot of Avarice.

Among monsters, Chaos Sorcerer should, and probably would, be restricted to 1. Why? Because it can be instant +1 for you. Another question. Blowback Dragon. That can also gain you 1 card advantage upon summoning. Although you can’t special summon it, its ability to destroy any 1 card of your choice. The chance is little lower than 50%, but still, you can try more than once during per turn by flipping it face-down and up. Cyber-Stein is also a card that should be restricted. They restricted Last Will because of OTK with Milus Radiant and Rescue Cat. Technically, Cyber-Stein is a +1, but 5000Lp isn’t so hard to ignore.

Spells are what duelists argue mostly, or maybe it’s just me thinking =/. Being allowed to be played instantly, they may the most powerful sort of cards in Yu-Gi-Oh. Sword of Revealing Light is a –1 if you only consider card advantage. However, being able to keep opponent’s monsters out for 3 turns is great. Book of Moon is also a –1, but you can turn it easily into 1 for 1 or other combinations with flip effect monsters. Confiscation is a balanced card, unlike Delinquent Duo, as it is a lot easier to come back from being “Confiscated” than to be “Delinquented.” Heavy Storm can’t be run in 2’s, but I don’t think I’ll be happy if it’s banned because of its potential to be Harpies’ Feather Duster. Premature Burial, United We Stand, Mage Power, Metamorphosis, and Card Destruction do not gain you any card advantages unless you use them with any other cards, thus they shouldn’t be banned by any chance. Scapegoat and Snatch Steal are powerful cards, but they also require some support, and opponents can easily make devastating moves with them. Mystical Space Typhoon is 1 for 1, possibly 2 for 1 if opponent wastes cards, but it shouldn’t be banned just because it has potentials to be used. Limiter Removal is so powerful, along with Last Will, that they can’t be used by multiples but only 1 per deck. Level Limit Area – B is also good, but then if so, why isn’t Messenger of Peace is free to be used in 3? You can get rid of it if you want to, and 100 LP per your turn isn’t so hard to pay. Also, Nightmare’s Steelcage is a good stall card. What about them? Messenger of Peace should be definitely restricted, since if you want more stall, you can use Nightmare’s Steelcage. Graceful Charity….well, it’s deadly with Dark World monsters, but although they have quite support cards and a lot of combinations, Graceful Charity may be a good additional reinforcement. I don’t think Graceful Charity should be banned just because of Dark World monsters. Lightning Vortex is a good card, but discard can hurt if you think carelessly.

Some of the spells that should be restricted are Creature Swap. I cannot remember from top of my head, but when you use Creature Swap with certain other cards, you can gain 2 or more advantages. If you really needed a method to give your opponent something, use Normal Spell card that destroys 1 monster and gives your monster to opponent (sorry I forgot its name!). Giant Trunade should be also restricted, if they want no FTK/OTK. It’s not a bad card alone. You can get 1 for 1 if you use them with Premature Burial or to remove Snatch Steal for a turn.

Traps can be more deadly than Spells. They have a lot of potential. Deck Devastation Virus is one of them. Although it is instant –2, you can still gain a lot of advantages when used at right times. It should be restricted.

By Paul Yeem – Carrotizer @ paulyeem@hotmail.com