Sunday 20 September 2015

Burning Abyss joins OCG

Burning abyss has finally wormed itself into the OCG metagame with the introduction of Extra Pack 2015.

In Singapore, the hype was enough to drive the price of Dante from the starting $40 to beyond $55.

Dante, living to its name as a traveller is indeed a tough card to find. I have heard stories of people buying 10 boxes but are still unable to get even a single copy of Dante.

Meanwhile, I, as the sadistic player who likes to spread cancer as always, decided to trot on the path less walked upon again - "If you can't join them, beat them."

Ken Sir once agains begins on the anti-meta road. Today, just like what RespectYGO has just done. I shall discuss the top 10 possible ideas, side deck options against the current rising threat.




10 - And The Band Played On


At first glance, this card seems decent. Level 3s are prevented from flooding the field. Hence stopping their xyz summons.
You wanna flood the field with level 3s? No !
You wanna summon another Dante? No !
What is it that you are whining about? I can't hear you over the sound of the noisy band. :P

However, while this card can disrupt your opponent's plays, I think it will only slow down the deck and is unable to prevent the inevitable. In addition, it is quite hard for most decks to play this card without disrupting their own plays. That being said, symphonics, Yang Zing are examples of decks that can exploit this card well.

Nevertheless, with the ability as a floodgate, as a pseudo-Vanity's emptiness, it is worthy of a mention on the list.


Needless to say, decks who can utilise floodgates such as Vanity's Emptiness and Lose a Turn are free to choose those as solution as well. Being a deck geared towards special summoning, anti special tactics would indeed cripple the Burning Abyss.



9 - Tribute Stun - Majesty Fiend, Vanity Fiend

As mentioned before, anti special summon tactics cripple Burning Abyss. But instead of focusing your assualt using traps, some decks can choose to utlise tribute stun monsters such as Majesty Fiend and Vanity Fiend.
And then the Monarch nation attacked...

The reason choosing monsters over traps may vary. For example, infernoid decks can utlise the tribute monsters better rather than traps. The challenge of summoning these level 6 monsters are overcomed by the tribute fodders that the Infernoid monsters have to offer.

Monsters are also argubly harder to remove from the field as compared to a trap, which fears the dreaded Mystical Space Typhoon.


8 - Mega Monarch - Cripple their extra deck.


With the introduction of the new Structure Deck R, Monarch's inconsitency issues were pretty much solved and the deck gained a fast pace tempo with the introduction of the new support cards.

Not only do they have a field spell which prevents access to the extra deck, the structure deck introduced searching cards and deck thinners along with the easy summons of tribute fodders in the form of Vassels. With these new options, Monarch users can now create various builds to counter the top meta decks.

Mega Zaborg's price skyrocketed as Monarch users compiled what would be an Extra Deck deckout combination.

Destroying itself, Mega Zaborg can select and mill 8 of the both player's extra deck.
Milling their own Psyframe Lord Omega & Elder God N'tss, monarch users are now able to destroy up to 3 cards on the field with the latters effect,  and recycle the latter and Zaborg with the former.

After the recycling is done, the loops repeats itself, and Zaborg lands on the field and destroys what is left in the soon-to-be-empty Extra Deck.

What is Burning Abyss, without its rank 3 toolbox and Dante?

*side deck Pot of Avarice anyone?*



7 - Here is a gift for you - Flying C, Santa Claws, and.... OJAMA TRIO?!?



Mind that 900LP. 


Burning Abyss monsters have a self-destruction effect which destroys themselves if a non-BurningAbyss monster is on their field face up.

This is the only reason they can utlise Tour Guide from the Underworld because Tour Guide negates the special summoned level 3 Fiend effect.

It is also the reason why cards such as Flying C is deadly to them because it not only destroys their monsters, it also prevents their xyz summoning.

Cards like Santa Claws, Lava Golem and even Creature Swap serves the same purpose of destruction. But my personal favourite is Ojama Trio, which not only clogs up space, but it also destroys. 900 damage is not something to belittle too.

However,  despite the aforementioned threats to the BA (with the exception of Flying C), BA can still bypass the restriction by using cards such as Tour Guide & Crane Crane.

In addition, BA players are starting to main deck Skill Drain in an attempt to counter other meta EMEm & Monarchs. Apart from preventing their monsters' self destruction, it also makes the level 3 Flying C useless and a free gift for them to make a Rank 3 xyz summon.

Which brings us to my next points...

6 - Shut your trap ! - Jinzo, Royal Decree, Trap Stun

With the increasing number of annoying traps, and the already trap-filled deck builds of many BA decks, shutting down their traps seem to be the key in setting apart the difference in advantage during matchups.

Also introducing a Jinzo version Starlight Road :

Will this card see some play in a desperate attempt to
Re-summon the soon-to-be gone Cyber Dragon Infinity.



5 - SETtle down. Or not...Denko Sekka




Another option apart from negating the traps is preventing them from activating or even set in the first place.

Denko Sekka is not to be belittled with its 1700Atk, but is not exactly searchable and invulnerable,  both of which are shortcomings to be taken note of.
4 - Eat your trap ? - Trap Eater !?!



Say AAHHH ~ 


Trap Eater, one of my favourites tech cards. This card seen play in my decks, and took plenty of my opponents by surprise. Not only is it a level 4, which can serve as a monster to summon a rank 4 xyz, being a tuner also opens doors to a possible synchro summon.

I find it a key card to play in decks weak to a particular continuous trap, such as Gozen Match, Lose a Turn and Skill Drain, which the latter is the bane of existence of my Yosenju deck.

In my Yosenju deck, I was able to call forth some level 8 synchros in crucial moments to earn myself a win. Apart from my Stardust Dragon who was already in my deck due to my main-decked Starlight Road, Beelze, King of Dark Dragons is also a troublesome card for my opponents, especially now that Number 101: Silent Honors Ark Knight has seen lesser play. Opponents usually have to resort to using their Castel, Skyblaster to send Beelze back to my extra deck, only for Beelze to be easily summoned back again with another Trap Eater. #lol

3 - Banish them to the shadow realm ! - Marco Cosmos, Dimensional Fissure


Well, since their effects activate in the grave,  let's just make sure they don't hit the grave. :P

Despite the recently limited Shadow Mist, Dark Law remains at 3, meaning that dark attribute decks can abuse Mask Change II to summon the Marco Cosmos on legs beast. And guess what attribute are the BAs? =_=

Marco Cosmos and Dimensional Fissure requires no new explanation. Although it may be hard for them to find play since little decks can utlise them without much backdraw.

Anyone can be a hero.





2 - Shine bright like a diamond - Constellar Diamond

This card kills BA, almost totally. That, and Shaddolls too. Finally you can stop Dante's milling. Although,  with the introduction of the October banlist, this card would be harder to summon with the now banned Ptolymias, making it harder for non-tellarknight players to summon it. But fret not ! There are still ways.


3 + 3 - 1 = ???

In Japan, BA players are already maining this in preparation for mirror matches. Even against other decks, Beatrice is also a  viable target for the card.  Two Dantes can easily transform into Constellar Diamond with the aid of this card.  A sided powerful rank 8 monster such as Felgrand ensures that this card serves more purpose against rank 4 decks such as the common EMEm. It also gets rid of annoying rank 4s for BA such as Abyss Dweller and Traptrix Rafflesia.
(Yez if you haven't realise already,  you can, and should send your opponent's monsters. No cost, spawn one on your field, broken much? ) 



1 - Mirror Mirror on the wall, who will you imprison of them all? - Shadow- Imprisoning Mirror





Pretty obvious right? Though keep in kind that Burning Abyss extra deck mons are light attribute. I don't find it worth to side Light-imprisoning Mirror for them, since milling is a cost for Dante and can't be prevented by negating its ef

Worthy mentions:

One can utlise their Skill Drain to one's advantage by summoning cards such as Number 85: Crazy Box or even your own copy of Number 30: Acid Golem.

A cool tech Monach Decks can try is Beast King Barbaros, which is capable of gaining 3000 ATK without a tribute when Skill Drain is activte on the field. A 3 tribute summon can also nuke your opponent's field, which is pretty neat.


Book of Moon, now at 2, is capable of preventing Dante from activating its effect, stalling for a turn. Do note that both detaching and milling is a cost, which hence makes Effect Veiler obsolete.

Maxx' C , as always, can be used to discourage special summoning of BA monsters.

Lose a Turn can stall for a turn. But as mentioned, Dante's milling still goes through despite the negation.

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