Notes & Combos

The Five Fundamentals to victory in Yu-Gi-Oh are Scope, Rulings, Matchup, Skill and Mental Fortitude. Among the various decks, Virtual World requires you to have each at a decent level, even in the second edition of Synchro Festival. The goal of Virtual World is to make sure the opponent is both kept under control and deprived of resources to pull a comeback while simultaneously keeping the board you have built and having plenty of cards to perform every kind of situational maneuver. Assuming you don't get lost in reading, just like with Endymion. In terms of identity, Virtual World is a predominantly odd-leveled Synchro/Xyz (and in this case, without the Xyz part, obviously) hybrid deck composed of Psychic, Wyrm, and Continuous cards whose main power stems from the continuous cycling of cards from the Deck to the hand to the GY to the banished zone and back to the GY and the Deck, whose control playstyle originates from proper usage of the "three-types system" gimmick the deck is known for, as well as Chuche and Shenshen. Due to Virtual World monsters' levels coming only in multiples of 3, some lists, like this very one, employ the Punk engine to have access to the otherwise impossible level 8 and 11 monsters, thus gaining access to the powerhouses that are Psychic End Punisher and Ukiyoe-P.U.N.K Amazing Dragon, as well as P.U.N.K. JAM Dragon Drive to facilitate the process. Virtual World monsters normally follows a "2x2 scheme, having one Tuner and one non-Tuner for each multiple of 3, which means that Lulu is a Tuner, Jiji is not, Laolao is a Tuner, Lili is not. The only exceptions are Nyannyan, Toutou (not played) and Shenshen, with the former two being "the Joker", starting as a non-Tuner and becoming a Tuner with her revival effect, while the latter is the boss monster who lacks (at the moment of writing) a Tuner counterpart. All of the Virtual World main monsters have a particular "three-types system" with which they special summon themselves by targeting a card belonging to one of the three types (Monster, Spell, Trap), milling a card of a different type from the one targeted, then doing something, depending on the card, with the unchosen type between the remaining two. The only exception to that is Lulu, who instead runs on a "THIRD type system", adding a Virtual World card from the Deck of a different from both what you targeted AND milled (thus, if you have targeted a monster and milled a spell, you search a trap, and so on). Predictably, as Virtual World needs to target another face-up Virtual World card you control on the field, and having level 6 monsters, the deck has a tendency to brick hard, especially when you're lacking a continuous spell on the starting hand. As for P.U.N.K., well, while Deer Note is technically specially summonable from the hand by revealing another P.U.N.K., as Ze Amin is able to search any P.U.N.K. monster except himself, he is essentially a garnet alongside Foxy Tune, especially given how Foxy Tune can Special Summon it from the Deck by sending itself and another card (including Virtual World ones, especially Nyannyan). It mostly exists for the same of adding (or more rarely, milling) any Psychic Level 3 monster, among which there are 3 valid Virtual World targets. All of this at the cost of most likely having to spend the Normal Summon on Ze Amin, instead of an emergency Virtual World one. In the following section is listed each card, along with a brief description about its functions and strategy around them:

• Maxx C is legal. Again.
• Ash Blossom lives to make the opponent suffer. And let's hope she doesn't lead to dead hands.
• Nyannyan is the strangest card as it lacks the three types system special summon of the other cards and can instead be revived from the GY when a level 3 monster gets normal or special summoned, as a Tuner, which can be both a godsend and a death sentence since you can't Synchro with only two Tuners in this deck. She's also peculiar since, once banished, can shuffle a different card from the banished zone back into the deck, even if facedown. However, since she mostly works from the GY and is mediocre on hand, she's run at 2.
• Lulu, the third type system monster herself. She's the main searcher of the deck, adding monsters, milling Qinlong or Xuanwu, or setting up Roshi by milling monsters and adding Kauwloon. Got semilimited for this event. I wonder why...
• Ze Amin does two things: searching Foxy Tune unless it's already on hand, in which case he adds Deer Note to use the latter's effect, and chainblocking Dragon Drive after being used as Synchro Material. Makes sure not to waste his atk boosting effect for anything that isn't chainblocking
• Deer Note exists only because of Ze Amin, so I technically already explained him.
• Lili sets up Xuanwu, Roshi, Nyannyan and sometimes Qinglong, and mills cards after special summoning itself
• Roshi revives Virtual World monsters from the GY, so as long as they're not the ones being milled by him. As I had to cut one more card to play 1 more copy of Desires (as opposed to Ayrie's original list with 2 Upstart), I decided to favour the miller over the reviver for the extra copy, for the sake of consistency.
• Foxy Tune summons Deer Note. Bricks at anything more than 1
• Ayrie's list played Upstart instead of Desires. It's not hard to see why. Luckily, Nyannyan can recover face-down cards as well, and I'm aware the pros outweigh the risks.m, so I play 3 to maximize my starting hand playability.
• Kauwloon is the placer of the first line of defense, by placing any Gate from the Deck to the S/T zone face-up, prioritizing Chuche over Qinlong (due to Qinlong being best in the GY). However, as it's not a Gate, it notably lacks a GY effect, but can still be used as fodder for Qinlong and Xuanwu.
• Qinlong is easily the main playmaker of the deck outside of Lulu, both serving as a searcher from the GY or a monster effect negater on the field, which is extremely useful for forcing the negate on Baronne. However said search is not free as it costs 1 card from the hand, which albeit functional in this deck, can fumble the board potential by a notable margin. Qinlong is easily how the VW's player skill is displayed, and is run at no less than 3.
• Emergency Teleport is an amazing Semi Limited card, able to extend or start any kind of play involving Psychics, may it be VW or Punk
• Able to stop even Crow or opponent's comebacks, Called By is also legal on this event
• Albeit limited, Crossout serves both as a Maxx C or Ash stopper, and a counter to the Punk matchup, may it be a full or partial mirror
• Chuche completes the cycle with Shenshen and exerts control on the opponent's cards, by shuffling back banished Virtual World cards for a FACE UP (please don't forget that) pop and is set uppable by Kauwloon. In the GY, Chuche allows to fix levels in order to summon Tzolkin, Shenshen or Final Sigma, thus synergizing very well with Lulu to fully setup the plays involving Qinlong.
• Xuanwu is usually milled to revive VW monsters from the GY (sharing Qinlong's penalty), preparing Chuche by banishing itself, but it can situationally serve as a stall card into this event, as, with no Link monster being legal, every card can be put in Defense during the Battle Phase
• Orient is a non-Tuner level 6 that banishes opponent Synchros when summoned. This is a Synchro Festival. I think you get it.
• Horus is a non-Tuner level 6 that negates a monster on the field when summoned. A pretty good deal for a SR that serves as Tzolkin material
• Red Wyvern is a level 6 non-Tuner with a Quick control effect for high ATK monster. Comes in handy when otherwise bricking or having to Synchro away two stray monsters.
• Charge Warrior is THE level 6 non-Tuner who draws 1 card when summoned. And, see, VW really likes to draw when every searcher sends one card from the hand to the GY
• Coral is Charge Warrior, but a Tuner, with a handy pop at the cost of one card in your hand, and a draw 1 when used for Ultimaya or Shenshen
• Psychic Riser exists more for utility, but he makes for a decent budget version of Bagooska for a variety of situations
• Crystal Wing is summoned by Tzolkin and is the good girl she is, being both a monster negate endboard piece and a OTK powerhouse
• Dragon Drive is the main reason why the P.U.N.K. engine is played in the first place, offering a search of a mill of Ze Amin, Lulu or Nyannyan. Can also be chainblocked by Ze Amin to deflect Ash Blossom
• Compared to Shenshen and Crocodragon, Vermillion Mech exists to clear the field and force OTKs, but its effect works surprisingly well with Chuche and Shenshen (sadly, Nyannyan isn't originally a Tuner)
• Crocodragon exists mostly to draw cards but it technically does have a situational (and subpar) pop
• Shenshen, being the revivable Macro Cosmos on legs it is, is the main driving force of the deck, controlling the field, recovering stuff one-way, and syngerizing with Chuche and the rest of the cards
• Getting more powerful as the duel goes on, Amazing Dragon serves mostly as a mass bouncer, but, if it doesn't leave the field, it also allows discarded P.U.N.K. to be revived and extend the plays, although, unfortunately, not o the same turn the Synchro Summon effect has been activated
• Albeit cursed with a lack of Quick effect on his pop, PEP serves an endboard piece, a comeback OTK enabler and an emergency quasi-tower to end on in dire situations. Unfortunately, he's also plagued by a very uncomfortable level, that forces you to summon Dragon Drive or Deer Note to get there. But, boy, is he worth.
• Final Sigma is a lesser ATK level 12 PEP to end in dire situations and a clutch OTK enabler, just like said PEP... assuming you summon him on the Extra Monster Zone. Unfortunately, he's countered by PEP, so let's hope he will suffice for the time you summon him.
• Ultimaya Tzolkin is the centerpiece of the deck, morphing the whole build around him, and being able to cheat the very powerful Crystal Wing as well as giving itself important protection before summoning it