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Article 17: Part Three of A (Post Ban BAD) System.

11.10.04  Part three of this in-depth study of the ban list culminates in a complete re-centering of A BAD System. The system was designed to objectively analyze the merits of a card, and it has rated dozens of cards upon inception. I would like to re-iterate its four important components for those who are intrigued.

In my opinion, cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! must be designed to accommodate the duelist’s needs, which can be described as four separate entities:

1. Component 1--- Resource Management

Without resources, even the best players in the world are relegated to the role of sitting ducks; card games are focused on the principle that more resources for you, and less for your opponent, is a positive situation.

Having said that, A BAD System’s first method of analyzing a card is through its comparative resource advantage, designated as Advantage Field/Hand.                        

Advantage F/H: Yu-Gi-Oh is intended to force players to manage and conserve resources properly. Each player begins with only six cards, and can only replenish his resources by drawing ONE card per turn. Thus, Yu-Gi-Oh automatically distinguishes between the weak and the strong, forcing sub-par cards (monsters with low attack, spells with weak effects, traps with high resource costs) to the realm of unplayability. Because resources are so limited, the prime duelist will ensure that each of her cards provides an advantage either in the hand (opening up options) or on the field (reducing her opponent’s options).

Of course, strict concrete advantage isn’t the only thing measured any more. With the loss of Yata-Garasu and Delinquent Duo, and the loss of mass field removal, field advantage has taken its place right alongside hand advantage in importance. This will certainly be reflected in the post-ban A BAD System ratings, as will psychological advantages (Mirror Force), life point advantages (Mystik Wok), and other factors.

2. Component 2--- Adaptability

The principle of proper resource management necessarily entails the ability to decide when to use certain cards. For example, you might want to save that face-down Waboku for the right time, or perhaps save a Magic Drain for a crucial point in the duel.

From the ability to utilize resources properly arises its cousin, adaptability. When certain plans go awry, the prime duelist will ensure that each card in his deck can serve a solid use. Adaptability, or the ability to shift strategies and utilize cards when things don’t go your way, is a key component of any card. The second component of A BAD System rates the effectiveness of a card when held, designated as Best Draw for the Situation.

Best Draw for the Situation: You can almost hear the groan of a player when he makes an absolutely terrible draw. You’ve heard weak duelists gripe and complain about “bad” draws or “lucky” top-decks or even horrible “shuffles.”

Obviously, they don’t get the point but you should. Every card in the deck has some purpose; some are good in every situation (Pot of Greed, Painful Choice, etc.), while others take time and resources to fully bloom (Ritual monsters, Chaos monsters, etc.).

You’re not going to pack a deck with Jinzo, Airknight, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Vampire Lord, End of Anubis, Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning, Dark Necrofear, Horus LV 8, Horus LV 6, even though all of them are some of the best monsters in the game. A proper deck must achieve balance and appropriate draws.

To be a realistic candidate of your deck, a card must be rated on its ability to help you when drawn in any situation; this component of the system aims to do precisely that.

Component 3— Effectiveness

Some people were just born better than you or me. You watch an athletic freak like Randy Moss with his muscular 4.1 speed and 40 inch vertical and soon realize that all men are not created equal. Yu-Gi-Oh cards are like people really, and certain cards are just better than others.

One of the reasons Cookie Cutter Chaos (CCC) lasted so long and dominated is that each of its cards, while not comprising a theme per say, had one of the best effects in the game. Throw a bunch of all-star performers together, and you get an all-star team.

Obviously a card with 2000 attack is better than 1800, all else being equal. This component of the system rating the attributes and effects of the card is designated as Attributes/Effect.

Attributes/Effect: Within the realm of use it was designed for (Necrovalley will not be rated outside of the Grave Keeper deck), how good is this card at achieving its goals?

With searchability no longer an issue, this card will rate pure stat power (Attack/Defense), type (Light/Dark, etc), and subtype (Spellcaster/Zombie, etc). It will also rate the effect of the monster/spell/trap in question.

Component 4--- Consistency

A card’s effectiveness means nothing if it can’t be used properly the way it was intended. Some of the best monsters in the game go unplayed because they’re undependable. Archlord Zerato, Mazera Deville, Shinato, and Dark Paladin are cards that are ignored by the public because of the extraordinary difficulty in bringing them out.

Even Spell/Traps that rely too heavily on other elements of the deck have been ignored by duelists, and rightfully so despite their solid effects. Cards must be dependable, and the Dependability aspect of the system aims to analyze a card’s reliability.

Dependability: We’re no longer going to be docking unchainable traps for their effects. However, a crucial point must be distinguished. The Dependability score rates a card based on its dependability in achieving its aims.

The recent Mirror Force/Magic Cylinder discrepancy in articles 5 and 6 had people scratching their heads, so let me try to offer up a rational explanation. Defense traps, are by definition, aimed at protecting the player. Any added bonuses (such as Magic Cylinder’s life point damage) are not as important as the protection of the player.

Mirror Force, upon successful activation, negates the attack threat completely and effectively ends the battle phase. Magic Cylinder, on the other hand, negates one attack, and many a time a player can still lose that same turn even though Magic Cylinder activates successfully. This fine distinguishment makes Mirror Force a tad bit more dependable, even though both are unchainable traps triggered by the same “When your opponent declares an attack” clause.

A card’s dependability is based on its effectiveness in achieving its aims.

These four components make up the system; each will be rated subjectively out of ten for the theme the card was designed for. Then, the scores will be added and converted to a score out of 100. The scale is:

90-100: Absolutely essential to the theme/deck

80-90: You might be able to survive without it, but why hurt yourself?

70-80: This is the point where you can think of uber non-themed cards as replacements.

60-70: Average theme support, perhaps hampered by stats or effect.

50-60: Approaching the realm of unplayability, but still salvageable.

0-50: Only differentiated by the degree of unplayability here, stay away.

For example, cards intended for the Gravekeeper deck can be distinguished as:

Necrovalley is essential, it gets a 90-100 range score.

GK Spear Soldier, Spy, and Chief get 80-90’s, and still remain irreplaceable.

At the 60-80 range, Assailants and Guards can be replaced by uber non-themed cards such as Tribe and Breaker.

Everything lower than that should be replaced by non GK cards.

Of course, keen observers will notice that Advantage F/H and Attributes/Effect are often linked together, as are Best Draw for the Situation and Dependability. That’s right: often, a card’s score in one category will affect the related category. Common sense tells us that cards with good attributes/effect provide solid advantage, and dependable cards are also dependable draws. I personally feel that the linkage of the systems components makes it even better in analyzing the merits of a card.

Side Note: A BAD System is not intended to remove the opinions of the reviewer; the system itself is flawless and objective, but human biases and opinions will add a touch of individuality to each review. Think of it as the system that Olympic judges use; while the system itself offers good guidelines and instructions, the tendencies of the judges will make each A BAD System review unique and subjective.

Having revisited the components of A BAD System, we will now re-rate the original 5 cards in my fifth article, under the changing environment of the Advanced Format.

The Perfect Card: Pot of Greed

Advantage F/H: Pot of Greed still offers two cards for one. If any two cards in your deck don’t outweigh the potential best card for the situation, there’s something wrong with your deck-building.                                                                                                 10/10.

Best Draw for the Situation: There is absolutely no situation in which Pot of Greed is not the best draw period. Let’s say you need to wipe your opponent’s field clean. Rather than drawing Tribe or Torrential, I’d take Pot of Greed and take my chances with any two cards in my deck over the perfect one card.                                                         10/10.

Attributes/Effect: The removal of Graceful Charity and Mirage makes this card get a 20/10, but we’ll have to stick with a ten.                                                       10/10.

Dependability: Even if it gets Magic Drained, you’re still breaking even. Imperial Order is gone. This card does depend on its supporting cast (the rest of your deck), but solid deck-building is assumed to be a trait of all Pojo readers :-D.                       10/10.

Old Score:                  100/100

Revised Score:           100/100

The Near Perfect Card: Yata-Garasu

Note: Yata-Garasu, is banned. Therefore, his score will be based on the pre-ban format, and the new restricted list. Nothing has changed in the new restricted list to change his score except the restriction of Torrential Tribute (which was run in 1’s and 2’s anyways).

His score has not changed, his original review is reprinted here.

Advantage F/H: Yata-Garasu is a method of maintaining card advantage over your opponent. While it does not translate directly to field control, a successful attack with the bird will drastically cut off your opponent's options. Because of his powerful effect, Yata provides a psychological advantage, coupled with one of the best card advantage effects in the game. It does have weak stats, but his effect will often lead to more options for you. It can be set as a monster, thus his score is a 9/10.

Best Draw for the Situation: Yata-Garasu is not something you'll want to draw without the advantage. It's a horrible topdeck, unless both of you are topdecking. However, it can actually be a good draw if you have the advantage. It also has tremendous power if drawn in conjunction with a good opening hand. A 7.5/10.

Attributes/Effect: Weak attack/defense, yes, and a spirit monster! Unfortunately for your opponent, those limiting factors are actually strengths in your favor! Searchable by both witch of the black forest and sangan, and unable to be killed by spell cards and monsters, Yata-Garasu also possesses the most powerful monster effect in the game. Yata has the potential to end duels single-handedly, a feat that few other cards can boast. 10/10.

Dependability: Yata-Garasu is unable to be killed by spell/monster cards. Its chief aim is to lock your opponent. In this task, only traps can stop him. His pesky nature is probably the reason Yata-locks are the most feared finishers in the game. Traps can kill him, though, giving him a 9.5/10.

Old Score: 90/100

Revised Score: 90/100

The Good Card: Tribe-Infecting Virus

Advantage F/H: Hand advantage is not so obsessively harped upon with the loss of Yata and Delinquent Duo; in this case, one card to destroy any face-up monster on the field makes Tribe-Infecting Virus one of the top three monsters in the game. With the rise of themed decks, this card can wipe out 2-4 monsters with one discard as well. He’s simply the best form of mass removal remaining, after perhaps Torrential Tribute.                      9/10.

Best Draw for the Situation: He is now one of the only things that can save you from the Jinzo/Black Luster Soldier lock. He is one of the only things that can save you from a Balter/Jinzo lock. He is one of the only things that can save you period. Experts are even suggesting him for Burners/Exodias, he’s that great.     Of course, you’ll need cards in hand to use his effect, otherwise you’re wasting resources.                    9.5/10.

Attributes/Effect: The fact he’s an Aqua makes him great, he’ll rarely kill himself with his effect. He gets priority for cost effects, and as stated before he has one of the best effects in the game, period. He also has 1600 attack. This guy is your savior in the post-ban format, he’s perfect.                                            10/10.

Dependability: You need cards in hand, which are more plentiful in the post-ban format due to the loss of Yata/DD/CEDragon. This makes him a bit more dependable than before, because you don’t have to fear Yata-Locks and such.                8/10.

Old Score: 83/100

Revised Score: 91/100

The Average Card: Gemini Elf

Advantage F/H: With the removal of Mirror Force, Dark Hole, Raigeki, and other such forms of field control, Gemini Elf and other 1900+ attack monsters give far more lasting advantage than before. As a powerful 1900 attack monster, her score is raised because of her lasting, high attack. Beatdown is back.                                                              8/10

Best Draw for the Situation: The original review stated that she is “rarely needed, but never entirely unwelcome.” The same still holds true. Effectless monsters are rarely game-breaking, but never worthless either.                                                                7/10.

Attributes/Effect: Simply and concisely, high attack means a lot more now.     8/10.

Dependability: Monsters are harder to get rid of now, and only Berserk Gorilla and Zombrya will realistically take this bad boy out.                                                            8/10.

Old Score: 73/100

New Score: 78/100

The Sub Par Card: Dark Magician Girl       (41/100)

&

The Disgustingly Inferior Card: Skull Servant (10/100)

Note: We don’t need to go through another painful review to realize that garbage remains garbage, ban list or not. Their scores will remain the same.

We’re beginning to see the emergence of new, powerful themed deck-types under the Advanced Format. The sinister influence of Beatdown is creeping in again, but hopefully this article has helped us all revisit the qualities we hold most dear in our cards.

My next articles will analyze the entire deck, and introduce another revolutionary, innovative concept.

Then, we’ll move on to massive deck-building, constructing 1-2 themes a week together for the indefinite future.

Peace out everyone, I’ll be back next time. Send all e-mails to JAELOVE@gmail.com.