Notes & Combos
One last M1 ride with Ritual Beast before the flood of new combo piles and FTKs hits MD!
I decided to try the OCG-style Pure build this time to see how a non-Nemeses approach would hold up. Specifically, this list prioritizes 15 non-engine slots (12 HTs, 2 TTT, 1 floodgate) and a heavier utility-oriented Extra Deck to augment a stronger going-second game. I played post-banlist, so no Prosperity and 1 Shifter — which were definitely missed. Up until M3, I was running 2x Super Poly in place of Talents, and while it performed okay, it was starting to contribute to more bricky hands and was just outright dead in certain matchups.
My most common end boards were either:
- Ulti-Rei + Ulti-Gaia + Steeds + ~2 RB names in hand
- Ulti-Rei + Bagooska + Steeds + extra RB name / S:P
While these boards were usually enough to win, I lost a surprising number of games to Tenpai because they opened Droplet + a high-engine hand. Definitely missed Protos, especially as a reliable boardbreaker, so I think I taking the trade-off with the added "bricks" is just optimal at this point.
Other notes on tech choices: The variety of hand-traps in this list treated me well on the climb, as my most common non-Tenpai matchups were Mathmech, Voiceless, and random pile decks. Even as 1-ofs, Droll, Ogre, and Nib all put in work, with Droll once again being the strongest sleeper pick to shut down combo spam. Skill Drain also overperformed as a way to comfortably pass into Maxx C or multiple interruptions, presenting huge synergies with Ulti-Nochi's slippery recycling and Winda's battle floating.
For ED choices: Both Anima and Goddess only came up a few times, Exciton was clutch vs. backrow decks, and Chidori was the MVP that helped snag wins in simplified game states. Looking into next format: I think Goddess' value will increase to deal with sticky monsters like Master Peace, while I:P/Apollousa will probably be added back to the roster for more defensive endboard flexibility.