Matt played Yugioh in California

Lightsworn Synchro’s Tournament Debut

Hey guys, I wanted to fill you in on part of my adventure upon my return from sunny California, and it’s an update on my Lightsworn Synchro Deck!

While in Annahiem, California, we happened upon a card store (http://www.team3j.com/). It’s a habit of mine, whenever I visit a new place I look for one. I like seeing those familiar glass cases filled with cards, and how each card store caters to its own customers. Some shops are strictly card stores, some branch out to comics, and some board games. I always find it interesting. This one in particular focused very heavily on Yugioh, while sports cards and Magic took somewhat of a backseat.

On our Friday Free Day, Justen and I headed down to the shop, both of us mainly looking to play around with the two Duel Terminals that were there. I pulled a Lavalval Dragon and Gem-Armadillo, plus some other stuff. Justen spent close to $20 and bounced back between playing the game and just getting a card. The Duel Terminal was surprisingly entertaining. It had the original voices of all of the cast, from the original series to 5ds. Playing against Pegasus and the Pharaoh was really fun.

While we were zoned into the game, more and more people started showing up. Once we found out they were showing up for a Yugioh Tournament, Justen and I couldn’t help but sign-up. A opportunity to play Yu-Gi-Oh with actual people in another state was too compelling to pass up.

 Justen had quite a few half built decks, as he had been testing a lot of stuff before (and during) the trip. He settled on an X-Saber deck that, if memory serves me right, used Horn of the Phantom Beast. I used my Lightsworn Synchro deck, which I have used exclusively since I created it a little over a month or so ago.

The deck still focuses on milling and keeping those mills interesting, while keeping the bad mills (power spells) to a minimum. With that, I managed to take second out of 39 people and went undefeated until I faced Dragunities, which I lost to 0-2. I played an interesting Volcanic Burn deck, Debris, Lightsworn Chaos, and then X-Sabers, followed by the final match.

Good:

This was the first time I had played anyone other than my group of friends with this deck, and in a competitive setting.

People commented on its uniqueness.

Milling Dandylion was hot.

Milling Wulf was Hot.

Thinking a lot and then having a forever turn during the last X-Saber Match.

Winning $25 and using that to buy a Zephros and Junk Berserker.

Being side decked against, but never side decking (I haven’t gotten to a point where I know exactly what I want).

Bad:

Drawing two Malicious.

Suffering the horror of drawing 3 Wulf (but still being able to recover and win).

Not having a LV7 Quickdraw target, it came up a lot more with Quilbolt in the deck.

Getting Gozen Matched, Rivalry of the Warlords, and Light Imprisoning Mirrored, all at once and realizing…

Ugly:

…that the Giant Trunade I let Kyle borrow was still in Kyle’s posession. I instead, had Spring of Rebirth (proxy). Which remained in my deck the entire tournament as Spring of Rebirth. It was hilarious the instant I realized how horrible it was. I was able to bait an MST with it once…

Forgetting Shiny Black “C”

Having not played against Dragunities for a really long time.

Deck List:

3 Solar Recharge

2 Pot of Avarice

1 Charge of the Light Brigade

1 One for One

1 Giant Trunade

1 Tuning

1 Hand Destruction

1 Foolish Burial

2 Quickdraw Synchron

1 Quillbolt Hedgehog

3 Wulf, Lightsworn Beast

2 Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress

1 Jain, Lightsworn Paladin

1 Jenis, Lightsworn Mender

1 Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner

1 Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior

1 Judgment Dragon

2 Card Trooper

1 Dandylion

1 Spore

1 Glow-up Bulb

2 Debris Dragon

2 Destiny Hero – Malicious

1 Treeborn Frog

1 Fishborg Blaster

1 Beast of the Pharaoh

1 Caius the Shadow Monarch

1 Shiny Black “C”

1 Magical Merchant

1 Gorz the Emissary of Darkness

The Things that are NOT THERE.

Lonefire Blossom – I don’t have them. I am anticipating it being limited to one come September, and I find one unreliable – especially in a deck that mills as much as mine likes to. First turn Dandylion is pretty cool, but first turn Lyla has so much more potential, and its a lot more exciting.

Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter – The way I play Ryko, he has two purposes. “First-Turn-Set  Ryko” or “Escape  Ryko”. I love the ability to destroy an enemy normal summon on their turn, or their First-Turn-Set on my turn. At this point in the game, probability is on your side that a set monster is a Ryko. People who think that way attack it with a disposable monster, or plan for it. So sets the tone of the field in a way you, the Ryko setter, can anticipate.  “Escape Ryko” is a Ryko set in order to get out of a situation. Maybe Royal Oppression, a big monster, etc. This deck doesn’t care about any of those things due to Lyla being able to destroy spell and traps, and the overall speed of the deck to bring out big monsters of its own.

Chaos Sorcerer – This deck is suited to my play-style, and I like to keep things simple. That means things that are in the graveyard stay in the graveyard until they have no more use. I also don’t run enough dark monsters. I definitely considered it, but then decided that if I ever milled it, I would be really unhappy.

Things that ARE THERE, but WTH?

Jenis, Lightsworn Mender – She has a low enough attack for Debris and she’s a Lightsworn. I can Exeed into Hope, something I have found doesn’t happen that often, so she might come out. One of the things that I really like about her though, is that she has two basic functions. Discard with Solar Recharge or Set it. Its a card that I always know what to do with, or not do, regardless of the situation. I never have to weigh any options with her.

Shiny Black “C” – In an attempt to find monsters that like the graveyard, I stumbled upon this seemingly forgotten card. It serves as a deterrent, forcing my opponent to better plan out their synchro summon, lest it be ripped away. Unfortunately, I forget about it a little too much, hahaha.

Judgement Dragon – At one, it means he doesn’t get milled as often, and if he does, I don’t have to worry about it because I run 2 Pot of Avarice and Drill Warrior. It’s something everyone expects, plans for, thinks about, watches, tracks and moniters, but it only comes out at the most advantageous of times. That said, it’s almost assumed I run two, so they never pay attention to the one that’s in the graveyard, waiting for me to grab it.

Hand Destruction – It’s a blatant -1. That aside, there are only two cards that clog my hand. Malicious and Wulf. I want them in the graveyard, and I’m fine with every other monster going to the graveyard. Getting Solar Recharge, Card Trooper, or Charge of the Light Brigade is so much more important than worrying about a “minus.” And who doesn’t love a Standby Phase Treeborn Frog and Hand Destruction play?

Things that COULD BE something else!

There are four cards that could be something else, I just haven’t come up with the right way to change them. Caius the Shadow Monarch, Jenis the Lightsworn Mender, Beast of the Pharaoh, and Shiny Black C – they could all be something else. Maybe Jenis becomes a Ryko, maintaining the balance of Lightsworns. Maybe SBC becomes a Blackwing – Zephros the Elite. Perhaps I want more Quilbolt Hedgehog, or another Treeborn. More Caius is better than none, but only if I actually need it. It’s good for those pinch situations, or to go into Dark End Dragon, but is that enough? The Beast is usually only Normal Summoned. Debris doesn’t come around as often as it used to, so it doesn’t see the light of day after it hits the graveyard. But when Formula, Debris, and Quickdraw are all right there, it churns out many shenanigans thanks to Hyper Librarian.

The bottom line, It’s FUN!

Everything else is more or less self explanitory. I run a high monster count because I don’t want to mill spells and traps, and none of the monsters, by themselves, really matter. Each draw brings new and different plays to the foreground, usually. Milling is important, Synchro Summoning is important, and bad hands are managed by cards like Solar Recharge, Fishborg, Lumina, and Quickdraw. The graveyard is a heavy focus, but the abundance of Drawing, mixed with Lyla, Wulf, Junk Destroyer, and Caius ensure that I have fairly adequate coverage against continuous spells and traps and monsters with high attack.

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