Well, the format is pretty much shot. That much we can agree on. DAD return is nigh unbeatable because of its amazing speed and access to mass destruction in the blink of an eye. But that doesn't mean we should give up. Even if we never succeed until DAD return is crippled in some way, it would be an insult to our love of this game if we just accepted that it was king of the format.
Of course i'm not here to suggest just any old decktype and say it can be teched for a DAD return match-up. Such simple notions are beyond the intelligence of a decent player, because everybody with half a brain knows that when it comes to beating DAD return consistently, you have two options : Keep up with the pace, or slow it down. Keeping up has proven difficult. Decks like samurai, DDT and various OTK's and FTK's have proven to be equally fast or even faster, but seem to lack the consistency to continuously do well at large events. Likewise, strategies that seek to slow the game down only need one laps of weakness, or one oversight to get rolled by a return or d-fusion swarm. Which is why its simply nerve-wrecking to have to make the decision between more security by overextending and risk losing because of lack of options, or risk lesser protection and a swarm in a moment of weakness. So what's left to do ? Well, how about both ?
The deck I want to propose is an adpated variation of plasma return. Its doing quite well in Japan right now, going toe to toe with DAD decks, and only slightly less appealling than the lightlords. of course neither the current incarnation of Plasma control or lightlords can keep up with DAD here, because UDE saw fit to bestow an already awesome deck with some awesome options like Allure and Zerato. But what if you could run a faster version of plasma control, abusing the same sort of speed ? That's what I want to attempt with this decklist :
2x Destiny Hero - plasma
3x Caius the Shadow Monarch
2x jinzo
2x Cyber Dragon
2x Destiny Hero - malicious
1x Destiny Hero - Disk Commander
1x Destiny Hero - Fear Monger
1x Destiny Hero - Dasher
1x Elemental Hero Stratos
1x Spirit Reaper
1x Sangan
1x Snipe Hunter
1x Treeborn Frog
1x Marshmallon
3x Allure of Darkness
3x Destiny Draw
3x Fires of Doomsday
1x Heavy Storm
1x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Premature Burial
1x Monster Reborn
1x Brain Control
1x Reinforcement of the Army
1x Cold Wave
2x Royal Decree
1x Torrential Tribute
1x Mirror Force
Because of the speed granted by the same allure/draw engine used by todays top deck, you have the option to set up equally fast, and then shut down their traps for a turn or two while you pick off their monsters. This looks like an ordinary circle deck, but really the ability to get plasma out so easily is what grants this deck such amazing control. Grabbing zerato, DMOC or DAD gives you a gigantic one-way skill drain beatstick that shuts down all monster-based effect - the core of any DAD return deck - and the largest monster on the field. No card in that deck can touch you at that point safe for heavy storm or MST.
This deck is in no way proferred as a solution to the DAD plague. Trying to outpace any deck is inevitably a war of who draw his best cards fastest. BUt at the very least, compared to most solutions suggested to date, it should be able to keep perfect pace and even odds with the DAD return decks. Its not even a suggestion I'm that happy with myself, since it still involves a 300 dollar draw engine. But at this point I'll take anything that can go head to head with DAD that doesn't involve playing what anyone else is playing ...
Tags: DAD Caius Plasma Fires Of Doomsday
Related to:
Yu-Gi-Oh!
