Episode 27 – The Banished Episode

Play Episode 27 Online

While Kyle is off in the wilderness, Matt and Justen discuss the Banish theme and its strategies and news about the drop in rarity for Pot of Duality. We apologize for the audio quality for this episode.

Cold as Ice Cream – The Dimensional Core

Dimensional Fissure
This card provides an excellent, and often first turn, obstruction to most enemy deck types. It shuts down Graveyard toolboxing and bogs down Synchro Summoning.

Macro Cosmos
In the same vein as DFissure, Macro Cosmos also removes everything from play. There are potential concerns with Macro Cosmos being prevented should it be drawn late game. It’s both a Trap and it has the effect of Special Summoning Helios – The Primordial Sun. This is a very glitch-like weakness in the card, allowing it to be destroyed by cards like Royal Oppression and Solemn Warning.

Banisher of the Radiance
With 1600 attack, Banisher is the standard in throw-away disposal. It works against Synchro summoning since most of the monsters that generate easy Synchro summons have less than 1600 attack. Protecting it with a solid Spell and Trap line-up ensures your opponent will have to make some difficult decisions.

D.D. Survivor
Like Reborn Tengu, but fair. Survivor is great all around because of its attack and its ability to adapt to the fields conditions. Since it’s a warrior, it’s simple enough to add it to your hand, and if you’re really itching for it, you can use Summoner Monk. It’s a great monster to tribute for things like Caius, the Shadow Monarch and Enemy Controller, and great to Synchro Summon with.

D.D. Scout Plane
Is not very good in core, competitive Banish decks, which tend to run a limited number of monsters. D.D. Scout Plane would be better used in decks that don’t focus as much on control.

D.D. Warrior
A pretty cool card Banishes anything it touches. In today’s Meta, this card provides a decent benefit as it is a Warrior, Level 4, and Earth. It can be searched with Reinforcement of the Army, Special Summoned with Summoner Monk, or Tuned with Glow-Up Bulb to Synchro Summon Naturia Beast. But, similar to D.D. Scout Plane, Warrior does not add much to any decks trying to take control. If it were able to attack over other monsters, giving it the hope of generating more advantage, it could be good. Instead, it remains a decent to somewhat underpowered monster.

D.D. Warrior Lady
In D.D. Warrior Lady, we have a very balanced card. With 1500 attack, it does not Overwhelm your opponent, or provide you a significant advantage in tandem with its effect. At 1600 defense, it can hold its own as well. It’s effect gives us everything we wanted from D.D. Warrior. The option to choose when and what to Banish is just plain good. It’s a one card answer to any troublesome monster. The fact that it is light means gives you the opportunity to set up for Chaos Sorcerer should you be using her in less Macro-centric decks.

D.D. Assailant
This is the beefed up version of D.D. Warrior. Here, we have the attack power it deserves and an effect that suits it. Unfortunately, attacking is not as cut and dry as it used to be. This causes it to be slightly less valuable than D.D. Warrior Lady in a situations where you are attacking a defense position monster that has to be removed, or first turn, where you set it and they attack with a monster that will not destroy it, but needs to be removed. It is a great card, but when decks are running out of room, it is one of those cards that does not make the cut.

A Splash of Your Flavored Toppings

Cyber Valley
What is this amazing card? Such versatility, such Synergy, it is so very wondrous! Cyber Valley assists in the attempt to stall for your power cards since it ends the battle pahse when your opponent attacks and draws a card. It also works excellently with D.D. Survivor to draw 2 cards, creating a plus one situation when D.D. Survivor returns. Use it with a card like Enemy Controller to take your opponent’s stronger monster, attack and Banish it and Cyber Valley.

Caius the Shadow Monarch
I cannot stress the usefulness of this card. It’s a one card answer to nearly every problem monster in the game, and that is where Caius’ strength lies. Always targeting the monster for removal guarantees that you will be force your opponent to part with at least one card, monster, Spell, or Trap. If they let your removal go through, you have a shot at another monster, possibly their life points. This opens up more opportunities to either waste or remove your opponent’s cards. If you target a set card, you never really know what it could be. If it’s Bottomless Trap Hole, chances are your opponent was going to activate that no matter what, you’ve only made their choice easier. Maybe you chose the wrong card, and now your opponent is in a stronger position to take advantage.

It’s almost always more effective to go for the monster.

Reborn Tengu
Since it ignores your Banishing cards, its another well rounded monster that will use up your opponent’s cards, much like D.D. Survivor.

Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind
Gale takes care of business, cutting the attack of some of the strongest monster threats in the game. Combined with a deck that already weakens your opponent’s bigger plays, Gale is like a cherry on top of an already delicious ice cream sundae. It provides the right level for Synchro Summons into seven with Survivor, and if your running Summoner Monk, Arcanite Magician is always close.

Anti-Meta Hot Fudge

King Tiger Wanghu
Clogging up the game is what King Tiger Wanghu was built for, offering instant destruction or impeding decks like Debris or Six Samurais from Synchro Summoning. It hurts almost everything these days, aside from decks like Hero Beatdown and other Anti-Meta decks.

Thunder King Rai-Oh
We add more steaming hot fudge to the Anti-Monster mix with this notorious card. By freezing anything that adds monsters to the hand, you turn off cards like Pot of Duality, Sangan, Charge of the Light Brigade, RotA, Smoke Signal, and more. It inflicts caution in your opponent, punishing sloppy attempts to Synchro Summon out to of the situation. 1900 attack is a lot for many decks to get over.

Summoner Monk
Since it brings out things like Tengu, Survivor, Thunder King, etc it’s quite the useful card. It enables level 3 tuners to go into Archanite Magician, and speeds up your control set-up just a little.

Genex Ally Birdman
A pretty useful card, especially with Tengu. It’s a free tuner that allows you to re summon your D.D. Survivor should you need to return it to your hand and Synchro Summon.

Neo-Spacian Grand Mole
This is the last full, savory bite of sundae before all that messy clean up work has to be done. Grand Mole works against your opponent’s flow, especially if they were camping on a troublesome monster. Grandmole takes out our opponent’s Synchro monsters and is able to be reused again and again, you could even keep it out on the field as a threat.

Cyber Dragon
Cyber Dragon, in tandem with Grand Mole, forces your opponent into a difficult situation. With Banishing cards on the field, and little in the graveyard, 2100 attack becomes very high. And since Grand can remove one monster on the field per turn, you have a pseudo lock that can deal 2100 damage very effectively.

Elemental Hero Neos Alius + Gemini Spark
Since it’s inception, the Alius engine has widely used and proven effective. In it’s purest form, the combo provides excellent removal, a beatstick, and a Draw.

What’s this, give me liberty or give me more toppings?

There are some fun things to do with Banishment as well.

Gravekeeper’s Servent
With this card, you can prevent your opponent from attacking as long as DFissure or Macro Cosmos is on the field. Since your opponent can not send a card to their graveyard for the cost, they can not declare an attack.

Return from the Different Dimension
There are a few ways that your game can go wrong. This card almost ensures that you get back on track, or have the resources you need to go for game. It’s a fantastic card in any Banish themed deck, there’s a reason why it is at one.

Surviving a Trip to the Different Dimension

Banish Themed decks are very player controlled in that it is hard for them to slip up once they gain control, since it is a defensive and strategic match for them after that.

For the opposing player though, you have some key things to consider.

Giant Trunade
This card provides you a limited window in which to act. Go for game, or summon a monster that can last like Thought Ruler Archfiend or Ally of Justice Catastor.

Trap Stun
Shut off everything they have, but be prepared for a Book of Moon, Dark Bribe, etc.

Royal Oppression
If you can run Royal Oppression, you probably should be. It can prevent D.D. Survivor from returning to the field and, because of its secondary effect, prevent Macro Cosmos from activating.