Regs

ARG Banlist?

Alter Reality Games has made there own ban-list. What about that?

There was some interesting new this last week involving Alter Reality Games (ARG). As you probably might have known, they started hosting their own tournament circuit outside the Konami circuit to provide a setting catering more towards the competitive player. They announced this week that in a further effort to separate themselves from Konami that they will be using their own custom ban list for all their ARG events referred to as the “ARG Format”.

I for one am totally in favor of this idea. I’m sure you could tell simply from what I’ve said on the podcast, but I would’ve liked to make a ban list myself because I certainly don’t approve of Konami’s ban list style and would like one more based around what’s better for the players than what’s going to make Konami have more control of the metagame (though Konami would never outright admit that is what they’re doing with the ban list).  ARG is attempting to do so with this list, though I would say that they haven’t gotten their completely with this list, and of course that will take time. For now though I’ll have that list posted right here and a little opinion of my own.

So here’s the ban list that ARG posted. You can check out the official article here: [LINK]

Banned:

  • Djinn Releaser of Rituals
  • Fusion Gate
  • Lavalval Chain
  • Nekroz of Trishula
  • Royal Magical Library
  • Vanity’s Emptiness

Limited:

  • Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
  • El Shaddoll Construct
  • El Shaddoll Fusion
  • Elemental HERO Bubbleman
  • Elemental HERO Stratos
  • Instant Fusion
  • Mistake
  • Nekroz of Unicore
  • Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity

Semi-Limited:

  • Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss
  • Dragon Ravine
  • Inzektor Hornet
  • Rescue Rabbit
  • Summoner’s Art
  • Torrential Tribute
  • Wind-Up Magician

Unrestricted:

  • Chaos Sorcerer
  • Dark Hole
  • Glow-Up Bulb
  • Sacred Sword of Seven Stars

ARG additionally posted the reasoning behind all their ban list decisions, which is a welcome addition to the ban list that Konami could really learn from. By not posting the reasoning it really creates a larger gap between the company and the players than there already is, furthering the enmity between the players and Konami. This is especially true now that players can claim “well, ARG posts there reasoning so why doesn’t Konami?”.

That aside, my opinion of the list is that it’s a little hasty and self indulgent, but overall good. The reasoning behind some of the cards is a little weak and some decisions just seem like a knee jerk reaction or more of a “butt hurt” kind of reaction from players. I completely support some of the extremely harsh hits, but when they hit some decks so harshly, then it makes certain decks obviously better and I don’t think this was analyzed close enough to make final decisions. You can tell from most of the comments on the list that most players assume this list makes Satellarknights way too good. Similarly Qliphorts and HEROs are obvious prospects for meta decks. This makes the list seem like an arbitrary change in the top decks for the purpose of suiting the players who made the list, but that’s fine I suppose as long as the meta decks support high level players being able to wield skill when piloting the decks, which isn’t particularly true of any of those three in my opinion especially Qliphorts.

The Nekroz hits are almost comical on this list in my opinion, because now the deck is awful with this list. The deck literally has barely anything to ritual summon anymore so the hitting of Unicore is unfair if not excessive. If they were going to ban Trishula I think it would’ve been more fair to leave Unicore at 3 and also put Brionac back at 3, but if I don’t have to play against that deck at an ARG event then why should I really care right?

The Shaddoll and Burning Abyss hits are pretty obligatory, they did pretty much what everybody has agreed should be done to the decks. Construct is pretty absurd and El Shaddoll Fusion is really good. Really one of the original 3 Burning Abyss needed to get hit, and the one that did is just a matter of opinion and I support any of the them going to one. Dante to 2 is kind of like a little tap in longevity of the decks in game life cycle.

I think Fusion Gate is a little misplaced, but I certainly can agree with its reasoning. Personally, Chain Material is what I think the real culprit is, and keeping Fusion Gate around is more fun for HERO players especially if they get Stratos back.

Other than Dark Hole going to three, which I completely disagree with in every way, the list makes sense to me.

Also, I will not have an article next week because I will be gone all next week!

QOTW? Question of the Week:

What do you think of the ARG Format? What do you agree or disagree with and what would you have done that they didn’t?

Written by: Kyle Oliver

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