[Metagame] The Unofficial Guide to Surviving the "Smiling Into Summer Vacation" Tournament

[VampireofDarkness]

For those who were unfamiliar with the previous incarnate, every Duel Portal Tournament, I work up a loser of the best Side Deck options for the tournament, running from choices of DP cards to options of TCG staples round the block. In addition, I have also included Xyz staples, and for this time around, I have included Synchro staples as well, since Synchro Summoning is a more viable option thanks to a few hand traps. However, a few things should be kept in mind with everything inside here:
- Although a lot of options are presented here, they may not be the most ideal for one Deck or another. This should be a given, but I say this to encourage taking the one week you have to consider what you're up against
- Sometimes you don't Side against other Decks but rather, you Side Deck against what your opponent will Side Deck against you. This will be explained further below
- If any questions are to be asked on this, feel free to PM me or post on this thread

All that said and done, let's give an overview on the Decks running up:

[Spoiler=Duel Portal Deck Contenders]
Helicrons - Although Helicrons a Fusion based Deck, Helicrons break the rules by Tributing their monsters to fuse. However, to do so, Helicrons run a Normal Monster engine, one that can be varied in many ways with other cards. As a result, a completely different engine was made via banish abuse and frequent recycling. Being able to Fuse, Rank 4, and Synchro 7 on top of running a solid defense makes it a powerful contender with a bit of diverse plays.

Archfiends - With a new Pandemonium and a few sets on monsters lined up for them to give a bit more consistency, these brand of Fiends found themselves to be a contender for DP in the form of a boss rush Deck that challenges the opponent to overcome boss by boss, combined with backrow and/or consistent revival methods to lead into Extra Deck shenanigans that further support said boss monsters, in additional to the ability to Side Deck powerful floodgate monsters like the End of Anubis and Chaos Hunter.

Playful/Beasts - Thanks to a few new cards, Green Baboon Defender of the Forest finally found its home in the woods with a pair of Level 7s who Rank 7 all day. For those unfamiliar with Baboon, the card, and a good amount of the Deck, trigger when a Beast-Type monster is destroyed, leaving for room with techs and other works, such as Super Rush Recklessly and Supply Squad, even being able to tech Brilliant Fusion for combos with Seraphnite

Full Bloom/Bloom Lonefire Traptrix - As a strong contender of a control Deck, Full Bloom turned its Rank 4 abilities and combined them with the Trap lineup of the Traptrix into an aggro/control combo that is quite something to be feared. Expect a lot of backrow in this matchup, combined with several control based Rank 4s, and was it mentioned there is Lonefire?

 

Darklords - Remember those few not so great cards that were given as Worlds prizes and then suddenly there was the one good card Darklord Superbia? Well now they got a whole expansion. As the primary definition of "Hyper aggressive", Darklords can be somewhat slow to start, needing several monsters in the Graveyard to make a huge impact, but when they do, they tend to really go off, being able to make powerful Rank 4s and even Rank 8s, most notably their own Sly Darklord of Malice. Top that off with Fusion plays out of nowhere, and the stats of the big monsters ranging anywhere from 2400-2900, Darklords have cemented themselves as defining what it means to be aggressive and are definitely something to account for.

Sky Conquerors - Few people have ever underestimated the power of Sky Conquerors, and many remember them for being the only Deck to hang around for the past 2 tournaments and being the original Fusion Deck of the land. With the ability to fuse and acquire advantage off of Polymerization and work with several splashable engines, Sky Conquerors still sit at a strong position in the tournament and carry on their legacy of the past.

Syntheticals - Being the 2nd Fusion archetype to break the rules of normal Fusion methods, Syntheticals rely upon sending all their monsters to the Graveyard and counting up their levels to fuse through banishing the Grave away. It has a very skilled mindset, and is backed up by appropriate backrow, and a strategy to make sure to take the opponent's Graveyard with their own.

Party of Fire - The nightlife has never been so alight, holding a Volcanic-esque structure of multiple mills and Royal Firestorm Guard recycling, but the Deck has a more aggressive end game in trade for having less of a "destroy everything" motive. With a ton of backrow options and access to Xyz such as the hand cleaning Hell Ripper, Party of Fire's tactics are definitely something to note this format.

G. D. S. - In an environment of opponents dropping boss by boss, G.D.S. stands alone in minimizing the amount they bring in, trading such for different types of advantage. Combining such with a rather different range of advantage, G.D.S. pack a punch in smaller numbers, but the impact they bring can be big.

Mechanimals - Specializing in Synchro beat, Mechanimals run a strong presence of Synchro shenanigans to form heavy beaters accompanied by a set of protection to back themselves up. Although not as easily noticed, the archetype itself should not be underestimated.

Skilled Soul - With an arsenal of Equip Spells and a series of disruption tactics up their sleeves, Skilled Soul owns the Battle Phase in all of its glory. Having quick access to Rank 4s and being able to quickly raise their stats, Skilled Soul have potential in their own right as an underdog for the format.

Earth Destroyers - Spamming tokens for combos and tributing shenanigans, Earth Destroyers have a bit to them then meets the eye. They can control with various cards, but can also be rather aggressive during their own turn, albeit limiting themselves to their own archetype. Similar to Skilled Soul, Destroyers have the potential to come up by surprise, especially if left unchecked, despite its struggles to get past backrow.

[/spoiler]

 

[Spoiler The Big Staples]

So it should be kept in mind as I go through these that to counter the meta, two things are huge this tournament: Negation and Destruction, particularly chainable destruction. As such, these are the big 4 cards to keep in mind throughout the format and as I describe the rest of the options.

[Spoiler Fiendish Chain]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Breakthrough Skill]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Lightning Blast]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Needle Ceiling]

Although this card seems underwhelming at first compared to other options, lemme explain how to work it in a nutshell (Kudos to UnendingEmpire for diagram):

Feel free to replace Beelze with Trap Engineer Vivyzian, Red Eyes Flare Metal Dragon, or any other card that can't be destroyed by card effects. Heck, you could Forbidden Dress or Lance said monster. The point is you screw your opponent's play over, and you either are immune or you plus with said effect cause you were out in the open. It becomes essentially another copy of Torrential Tribute if you can set it off easily enough, and that's not hard to see why such would be staple.

[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Side Deck Options]
[Spoiler Fairy Wind/Spell Shattering Arrow]

I think few people realize how many Decks on DP take a huge hit from these cards. To summarize the main uses for the cards:
- Aurora Seekers lose their Continuous Spells and Traps that let them recycle
- Archfiends lose Pandemonium, the key card to the Deck
- Helicrons lose their Field Spells that give them their swarms of Fusions
- Synthetics lose their Field Spell and Continuous Traps that setup their Graveyard
- Skilled Soul lose their Equip Spells
This is only the start to the long list of situations in which such cards are really good in. If there is one Side Deck card that is quite possibly staple here, I would say this is the one.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Necrovalley]

Although not always the most convenient cards, especially with a few Decks running Field Spells themselves, Necrovalley also has a fair share of absurd matchups. Ranging from Aurora Seekers losing their recycling, Sky Conquerors losing their recovery effects, Syntheticals not being able to go into their Fusions, and Darklords not being able to trigger Superbia, it's not hard to see why this is such a solid option, and with Terraforming more than likely being somewhere amongst the Decks on DP with Field Spells lurking, it's an easy pick to choose from.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Imperial Iron Wall]

Similar to Necrovalley, this contender brings a surprise and stands after being irrelevant for a good 2 tournaments. Chaos Zone Helicrons and Syntheticals are strongly hurt by the card, although Aurora Seekers have a particularly hiring range as well, in addition to Mechanimals. It should be noted that although the first round a few times it may seem like it is a good card to side in, Full Bloom actually benefits from Iron Wall, making their Pinot Pourpe be able to loop itself similar to Quilbolt Hedgehog OTK.
[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Chaos Hunter]

Although Imperial Iron Wall is usually a better option, Chaos Hunter actually isn't that bad in DP right now. The issue with Wall or even Necrovalley for the Grave is you have people siding 3 Fairy Winds, so with that you will also be siding against floodgates and the like, meaning it won't always be effective. If you can protect your monsters well and can handle the discard, this is a solid alternate option that gets by the Fairy Winds. It can be a risk, but sometimes it's better to take the chance of keeping a monster alive over keeping a backrow alive.
[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Artifact Lancea]

Some cards I tend to forget for one reason or another, especially when discussing the DP Meta. This tends to be one of them. However, this one of a kind hand trap is quite useful! Not every Deck can run Imperial Iron Wall, and not every Deck can protect Chaos Hunter. This card is a fancy middle, being able to turn off banishing for a turn, hurting your opponent while benefiting yourself in the long run. It sets the opponent back a turn, which is huge in DP. Being a hand trap is also solid in that it dodges the many MSTs and Fairy Winds that are otherwise necessary for the format. Although Lancea is not a permanent solution, sometimes one turn is all that's needed.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Tribute Floodgates]
Although there are many of these, my main focus is going to primarily be on Vanity's Fiend, Majesty's Fiend, the End of Anubis, and Jinzo:

[Spoiler Vanity's Fiend]

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Majesty's Fiend]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler The End of Anubis]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Jinzo]

[/spoiler]

The power of the floodgate has always been a strong one. Have a powerful effect that can potentially take said opponent out of the game. But what if.... Said card...... was a monster? Although these can be harder to drop, these cards do that in exchange for having more powerful effects. The idea with said cards is to be able to drop monsters or other tribute fodder consistently without taking up your Normal Summon. This makes these monsters essentially costless, and bringing in one of them could potentially be the end of the game. However, it should also be kept in mind how said card affects you. Bringing the cards out early without being aware how said card shuts you down (Mostly in the case of Anubis) can make you lose a turn or two.

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Maxx C/Clockseal Demon]

[Spoiler Maxx C]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Clockseal Demon]

[/spoiler]
2 EARTH hand traps with a similar goal: Keep the opponent from overextending into some sort of unbreakable board. In the case of Maxx C, you get reward when your opponent does so by drawing. Clockseal essentially shuts everything down, albeit not always being live. There are different matchups for said cards than others, and is mostly a matter of which matchups you want to cover. Maxx "C" is better vs Playful/Beasts cause they lose a bit of advantage through Life Points or a discard already, and drawing off of such is really a pain, but shutting down said cards isn't a problem when 2600 beaters are out. Clockseal is better vs. Helicrons or Darklords cause regardless of Maxx "C", they still will make huge boards and you will struggle to get around what they have, but Clockseal literally closes the door onto all of that and leaves you only a Fusion or a few Defense Position Normals in Helicrons or a Rank 4 or Rank 8 in Darklords at best. There are lots of various matchups and I think this is a debate based on what you are running, not on what card covers more.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Effect Veiler]

Although outshined in hype by Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, Effect Veiler still has a few decent applications at hand. In particular, closing out Extra Deck monster effects and preventing additional trigger effects and chains will be the main key to this card. For example, in Archfiends, while Ghost Ogre might be better at closing down Pandemonium, Veiler does still take out cards like Dark Grepher and the destroy effect of Archfiend Commander that would otherwise begin to wreck face immediately after. Against Sky Conquerors, you can save yourself a monster by using it against Fusions that pop your cards. Against Helicrons, pre-emptively negate Ironhammer, and so on. Like Maxx "C" and Clockseal, it's based on what you want it to do. Also take note Veiler is a Level 1 Tuner, so running Synchros depending on the Deck is a thing to consider, as will be described below.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit]

While I was saying earlier there are things that Veiler covers that Ghost Ogre doesn't, I'm going to be honest: This card has a lot more to offer. The main reason for this is Emergency Teleport. Emergency Teleport not onto lets you throw this card out at any time to throw off the opponent, but it also makes it a better role player as a Tuner. With that being said, its usage is on par with that of Veiler, sometimes better! Against Archfiends, their Pandemonium Tower has a Valhalla esque effect that can be chained to Ghost Ogre, stopping it and therefore taking out Pandemonium as well, giving you a good amount of advantage. Against the several Continuous Spell and Trap lineups in other Decks, Rabbit hits them all and disrupts on Summon effects, especially ones that lead into an Xyz play IE Summoner Monk in Skill Soul and Darklord Superbia. I could go on and on, but I'll just end it by saying if you're not running Veiler and not running Fairy Wind, this is a must for the majority of Side Decks in DP. With Emergency Teleport being a factor, I would suggest 2-3 Rabbits and 1 Teleport, especially if you are running 2.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Magic Cylinder]

As trolly as it sounds, we now finally have a use for this once left behind card. We now have:
- A Deck full of 2600 ATK beaters that pays 2000 LP to make a Rank 7 (Playful/Beasts)
- A Deck whose boss monster has 3600 ATK, 4100 with their Deck's ATK booster (Syntheticals)
- A Deck whose Extra Deck arsenal has a monster whose effect triggers on Attack and 2 whose effect triggers at Main Phase 2, all whose range is 2500-2900 ATK (Sky Conquerors)
- 2 Decks that can drop monsters with 2500+ ATK at any time (Helicrons, Darklords, and Archfiends)
- A Deck whose main tactic involves putting out a good beatdown with as few monsters as possible (GDS)
I think it is more than time for this card to see some sort of play competitively! It works as an overblown Cowboy with a harder condition, and will probably steal you a game or two.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Ceasefire]

I normally wouldn't encourage a tech that is mostly good against one Deck, but when said tech is THAT good against said Deck, it is largely best to bring up said tech to the table. Ceasefire hits Beasts like no other Deck. The range of Ceasefire is anywhere from 500-5000 points of damage, and the most expected can be 1500-3000 with two established fields on board. Seeing as how it costs 1000 Life Points for Beasts to summon Green Baboon, another 1000 to summon Pampered Manticore. These two often go together, so 2000 Life Points to establish a field. If this is paired with Antler Manticore, 1500 damage is already cemented, so add the 2000 and you have a whopping 3500 damage this card did without considering your own monsters. Since the card is at 2, it's best that you run it as such if you choose to do so, and prepare for an amusing and quick round.
[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Scorpiant]

It has come to my attention that a few players are akinning to Torrential Tribute, Dark Hole, AND a few Needle Ceiling. It has also come to my attention that not all Decks can handle such. Consider this an answer to such problems.

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Mentality Fatality]

Yet another phenomenal card that is matchup specific. However, this one is an odd choice. It can force your opponent to send cards they don't wish to use up, but in other scenarios it becomes relatively pointless. Against Beasts, it basically means SSing from the Graveyard isn't going to be a for sure option, but you have to time it right. Against Crons, it is more appreciative, turning extra copies of Fusions into dead silence. Against Darklords, it is deadly, the first effect threatening to clear the opponent's Graveyard depending on how much they abuse Superbia. It's more or less what you can put up with and/or what you are willing to risk (Fatality being dead)
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Mirror of Oaths]

I saw this card in another person's Side Deck, proceeded to look it up, and was blatantly amused. This card surprisingly has a few really good matches for the format in the form of Helicrons pulling all their Normal Monsters, whatever Summoner Monk or the Hands summon in Skilled Soul, Full Bloom fetching cards from Lonefire, and whatever Archfiend's Spy tries to throw at you. What makes this card even better then it already is with the destruction alone is it gives a draw, which makes it ever the more better. A nice surprising addition to the list of good options to run in the Side Deck
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Black Horn of Heaven]

 [/spoiler]
[Spoiler Void Trap Hole]

Personally, I have always found this card to be ridiculously powerful. It hits so many things, and has so many diverse uses that it's stupid. It kills on summon effects most notably, but also deteriorates protection via cards like Red Eyes Flare Metal Dragon in Beasts or Sly Darklord of Malice in Darklords. For the format we are in, it's a workable Bottomless Trap Hole at 3, and I can't say a just as good version of a card that is at 1 is a bad thing at all.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Different Dimension Ground]

I saw this card in another Side Deck and initially dismissed this at first, but then I realized how good it is. It potentially screws Beasts over, it makes Archfiends and Darklords potentially lose a whole turn, and Sky Conquerors now have to minus to make their Fusions. This is just a few of many applications this one turn Macro Cosmos has that is quite legit, and I believe to have more use than the actual Macro Cosmos, if only because it is at 3 and that 3 MST and 3 Fairy Wind is appropriate for this format. The next best thing about this card is it doesn't actually hurt you as much because you can just flip it during the opponent's turn and continue on while your opponent flips the table.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Debunk]

Similar to Black Horn, it's rare that this card is ever dead, it's just a matter of if it is live or not. In a format where several cards activate or float in the Graveyard, it's always going to be phenomenal. Debunk shines in this and in the fact that it is a Counter Trap able to do such, as Abyss Dweller is the only other card with such power, and it is Spell Speed 2. Even so, Debunk also has the power to shut down hand traps, which can be used as a method to Side Deck against what the opponent Side Decks against you, such as Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, Effect Veiler, or Clockseal Demon. With so much coverage, it can't seem hard to know why it works well.

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Mirror Force/Storming Mirror Force]

[Spoiler Mirror Force]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Storming Mirror Force]

[/spoiler]

While this may seem obvious to some, I have seen this less and less and I feel like it still shines out some. Mass destruction is a really powerful tool this format, and the Mirror Forces prove it. Even moreso with the increasing number of big beatsticks, lowering the number of monsters being thrown at you can be quite key in a duel, and both of these cards do such really well. While Mirror Force can take out Main Deck threats such as Archfiend Commander and Helicron Ironhammer, Storming Mirror Force kills Extra Deck threats such as Red Eyes Flare Metal Dragon, Bloodscythe of the Sky Conquerors, and Sly Darklord of Malice. Taking out such cards can bring you back in the game and make for a big change in the tides.

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler The Forbidden Quick-Plays]

[Spoiler Forbidden Lance]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Forbidden Dress]

[/spoiler]

The 3 Forbidden Quick Play Spell cards are of something to note in this format for many reasons. Although not as impressive at first glance, they do have quite a bit of power in said format. However, in particular, Lance and Dress shine in this forma, particularly versus Beasts, Aurora, and Skilled Soul. Lance is particularly good versus Skilled Soul on the opponent's monster since in addition to the 800 loss, the monster will be unaffected by all of the equip spells, usually resulting in the monster losing a TON of attack. Against Beasts, Dress works not only to dodge Super Rush Recklessly and Needle Ceiling, but can be also used on the opponent's monster so they cannot destroy it to trigger Green Baboon and Antler Manticore. If needed, it can also make Red Eyes Flare Metal easier to take down.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Xyz Repent]

Speaking of taking down Red Eyes Flare Metal, this card does the job so well it's amusing. Against Beasts, it not only takes down Red Eyes Flare Metal and its monstrous set of effects, but it banishes the materials, making the Baboons and Manticores able to return to the field. The option is also good against other Xyz heavy Decks, primarily Full Bloom who will love their Rank 4s. Use this and their Rank 4 is out of materials is practically a sitting duck and can take the chance to put yourself in the lead. It's a Quick Play Spell as well so dropping it immediately is another option to consider. In a Deck that doesn't Xyz too much, the card does its job well enough to make it consider main decking for the situations it really sparks up in, and it should be live more times than it is not.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler De-Fusion]

I saw this in another Side Deck and actually think it is quite good this format. It screws over Sky Conquerors and their floating tactics, Syntheticals lose their Fusions and leaves their Xyz open, and Helicrons lose Trumpeter before they use it to spam their field. It does a few other things, but that is your main purpose for it. It's very versatile for the fact that it is Quick Play, so if you drew a bit late, you can still use it in a last ditch effort to get yourself back in the game. It's quite useful in either respect and is quite the solid Side Deck choice.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Book of Eclipse]

I've always been running this card in all my Side Decks since the start of me participating tournaments in DP, and would still at the very least consider using this card this format. Book of Eclipse has a lot of diverse uses and is quite the stellar card, especially with the amount of damage being put on board this format. It can save you from OTKs, it can disrupt Xyz, Synchro, and contact Fusion Summons, and it turns off locks on cards such as the End of Anubis and Masked Hero Dark Law. The range of moves it has is quite wide for one card, with a small drawback in exchange for putting the opponent a turn behind or giving you a turn to make your plays, evermore the better.

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Soul Guardians/Dragons]

[Spoiler Main Deck Monsters]

[Spoiler Magan, Magma Spirit of the Kazoragan]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Sunaizo, Manipulator of the Chikiyugon]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Sidisi, Twisted Sorcerer of the Kaokugon]

(This card's name is always treated as "Soul Guardian of Silumgar")

You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by discarding 1 DARK or "Soul Guardian" monster from your hand while you control no DARK monsters. When Summoned this way, you can target 1 monster in your opponent's Graveyard; Special Summon that target to your side of the field, but if you do, only that monster can attack for the rest of this turn, also you cannot Special Summon monsters, except Fusion Monsters. The monster Summoned by this effect becomes Zombie-Type, also its effects are negated. If this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. 

[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

 

[Spoiler Fusion Monsters]

[Spoiler Soul Dragon of the Blackest Night - Silumgar]

1 "Soul Guardian" monster + 1 DARK monster

You can also Fusion Summon this card by banishing the above listed materials. (You do not use "Polymerization") When this card is Fusion Summoned, target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of the targeted monster while you controll this card. When this card attacks an opponent's monster, destroy that monster at the end of the Damage Step.  You can only control 1 "Soul Dragon of the Blackest Night -Silumgar".

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Soul Dragon of the Shattering Earth - Dromaka]

1 "Soul Guardian" monster + 1 EARTH monster

You can also Fusion Summon this card by banishing the above listed materials. (You do not use "Polymerization") Your opponent cannot activate Spell Cards during your turn. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate monster effects until the end of the Damage Step. You can only control 1 "Soul Dragon of the Shattering Earth - Dromaka".

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Soul Dragon of the Erupting Heat - Atarka]

1 "Soul Guardian" monster + 1 FIRE monster

You can also Fusion Summon this card by banishing the above listed materials. (You do not use "Polymerization") When this card is Fusion Summoned; change all monsters your opponent controls to Defense Position, then distribute up to 5 Eruption Counterson among monsters yours opponent controls. Monsters with Eruption Counters lose 500 DEF for each Eruption Counter on them. A monster with Eruption Counters that has 0 DEF is destroyed. (These effects apply even if this card leaves the field) When this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing damage to your opponent.  You can only control 1 "Soul Dragon of the Erupting Heat - Atarka".

[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

 

Ending this list is a series of cards that although I believe will have more

impact in a later format still have some potential in the format we currently have. In particular, I will be discussing Dromaka and Atarka:

 

Out of the 2 above, Dromaka has the biggest impact in terms of its effects. Sure damage is nice, but being able to turn off the effects of pesky floater monsters and flip effects is always a great thing. Its condition effect isn't bad either, essentially turning off Quick Play Spells and Continuous Spell effects during your turn. All of this in top of a 2600 beater is quite nice. The fact that it's an EARTH makes it decent as well, being able to use it in a decent amount of Decks with a decent amount of targets. Manipulator doesn't have the best effect compared to other Soul Guardians, but it can stack another copy itself, essentially preparing for another Dromaka or at least having a nice Level 4 for Rank 4 plays, another nice factor going for it. Several EARTH monsters benefit off the discarding, so having a Photon Thrasher that does discard can be quite a useful card in said situations.

 

Although not able to shine long term, Ararka does definitely shine when it hits the field. Being able to return banished cards when hitting the field and not only having the potential to knock out one or two of the opponent's monsters with its Eruption Counter effect, it can start piercing over everything and allows of your monsters to attack two monsters with monsters you control, itself included. Using it in Party of Fire already seems quite fierce, combining it with the Deck's Xyz for very aggressive plays if not a potential OTK with the right hand. It allows for heavy pushes, and makes for a strong boss of a much underused attribute.
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Xyz Staples]
[Spoiler Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer]

I don't think I need to say more about this card. You get to spin any face up card, and that is huge, especially in a format where big beaters and Continuous Spells/Traps are more prominent. This card seemingly becomes more and more powerful on DP as time goes on, and it doesn't have to be even be said to know such. Although largely irrelevant, the Book of Moon effect isn't bad either. Overall, the MVP of the Yu-Gi-Oh Xyz pool.
[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Number 101: Silent Honor ARK]

Although Castel is the affirmed-to-be-better card, 101 is still a card to not be forgotten. Against specific Decks, 101 not only has the power to take an opponent a turn behind, but becomes a more effective way to take out cards, such as Heiress of the Lich King and Red Eyes Flare Metal Dragon. Against G.D.S. And Archfiends, neither Deck likes to put out too many monsters, and when you disrupt them with 101, it sets them back in that it takes more than desires to fully remove the 101. Castel is and always will be the better card, but 101 is still a solid Xyz option and has its own good matchups.

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Trap Engineer Vivyzian]

Although seeing less and less play, Trap Engineer Vivyzian is still quite the card, able to pass through backrow and pop it at once. Even better is if it hits a Trap like Breakthrough Skill, the card is banished, so no floating effect comes into effect, which is rather strong. The 2nd effect isn't bad either, being particularly good against Celestials and Archfiends to recover plenty of backrow options. Vivyzian has plenty of decent uses and while she isn't something you can beat with like you could in the past, Vivy still is quite an MVP as removing cards and keeping them there.
[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Bezheal the Commander of Courage]

Although not on par with 101 and Castel, this removal Xyz and master of the Battle Phase starts the highest at a solid 2200, and gives the rest of your monsters a 200 boost. This might not always be relevant, but sometimes the last bit of damage to get over a monster and go for game is nice. On top of this, Bezheal spins a monster it doesn't destroy in battle, which is fantastic in stopping floating bosses, and bosses that are tough to get over in general. Let's not forget that Bezheal DOES do 1 thing Castel and 101 don't: It doesn't target. From some surprising tests, it proves to be quite well, so I suggest to give it a possible try yourself and see how well it fares out in your Extra Deck.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Sinister Seeker]

How many times has your opponent Set a monster, you know it's something you don't want to deal with, but you have to run into it? Meet Sinister Seeker. This card deals with the majority of those problems. Although not as relevant, it should be noted it can also force out backrow, which is quite nice. However, its best use will come in particularly versus Archfiends to take out early game Spy and Heiress to prevent the Special Summon or search respectively. This isn't the top dog of the food chain, but it certainly is a great card in the early game, and a decent one to consider.

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler Hachi the Forgiven Crow]

Gandiva, meet Hachi, Hachi, meet Gandiva. As a retrain of an already previously staple Xyz, it's no surprise why this card is a staple to DP, being able to take out a Special Summoned monster with less than 2300 ATK. (2100 normally, but its built in effect decreases the original ATK of monsters the opponent controls by 200) This applies in many different situations, ranging from Archfiends attempting to drop a monster via Spy, potential Rank 4 plays in Skilled Soul and Full Bloom, and Syntheticals attempting to drop their Level 3 Fusion that would further summon an Xyz. Combined with backrow, Hachi has quite the power behind it, and no means a card to overlook.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Queen of Negativity]

Whereas Hachi disrupted plays by ridding of the monster, Queen is a bit more disruptive in her plays. The monster Queen targets can be any monster, and that monsters level becomes a negative level until the End Phase. Essentially, it kills Xyz and Synchro plays with it off the bat. While this doesn't remove it as a potential threat and perhaps they could Synchro with it or even Xyz into a Queen themselves (Remember, Queen CAN use a -4 Level monster), they at least lose some sort of utility and have to most likely go minus with a Synchro play, which makes it a rather solid card to work with regardless of what you have to use it on.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon/Thunderous Kaiser]

[Spoiler Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Thunderous Kaiser]

Rank 4/LIGHT/Thunder/2500/100

2 Level 4 Monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; Reduce the ATK of all other monsters on the field equal to the ATK of the detached monster, until the End Phase. This card inflicts piercing damage.

[/spoiler]

3 Things in Duel Portal generally are running the format: Beatsticks, the Graveyard, and destruction. Let's talk about beatsticks. The dominance in beatsticks is rather large in this format, and getting rid of them is a huge thing to do. Whereas Dark Rebellion turns into a massive beatstick with a possible range of 3750+ with anything that surpasses it, Kaiser can decrease the ATK of multiple monsters the opponent controls. On top of this, Kaiser also has some use in Decks with floaters via its ability to drag out monsters to the opponent's side of the field. Which card you choose will mostly depend on the Deck, as some will like the beatstick dominance Rebellion delivers, while others would prefer the utility given by Kaiser.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Abyss Dweller]

Onto the second thing Duel Portal tends to like: the Graveyard. Specifically, effects that trigger in the Graveyard, whether it be floating on Fusion Summon, floating by Tribute, or the plain do this to Special Summon itself from Grave effects, Abyss Dweller covers all of these. While boasting the lowest ATK out of any Rank 4, it still is quite good and can gain a slight boost if any of its materials are WATER, if that ever is relevant this format. Regardless, Abyss Dweller is still a solid Xyz and controls the Graveyard quite well, shutting down its effects for a whole turn regardless if you can pick it off the field or not. It has a ton of good matchups this format, ranging from shutting down Archfiend's Spy to practically the entire strategy of Playful/Beasts, and would be the next biggest staple right by Castel.

[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

 

[Spoiler Synchro Staples]

[Spoiler Armades, Keeper of Boundaries]

Utopia S39 is already a Rank 4 staple in the OCG with the effect of this behemoth. With the easy ability to use with a Level 4 monster and an Effect Veiler, the original Armades himself is no different, and this sealer of effects is still worth the time.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Goyo Guardian]

Big Beatsticks are a big thing this format. Being able to potentially take control of those is just as huge as being able to take them down, and this card does both of those.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler HTS Psyhemuth]

Sometimes taking out beaters isn't always the easiest thing, especially if they are recurring. HTS takes those out while having a decent set of ATK itself. It also works well to prevent effects from triggering, notably in this case Green Baboon.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Vulcan the Divine/Alcara the Divine]

[Spoiler Vulcan]

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Alcara]

[/spoiler]

Bouncing shenanigans are always good, and Vulcan and Alcara are no exceptions. Although the double bounce can be harsh, Alcara does offer quite a bit of help by replacing itself with Vulcan when it is destroyed. In addition, because of Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit, Alcara is that much more accessible via Emergency Teleport + a Level 4 monster. While not every Deck can take advantage of such, a good amount will be able to do it, the ones that can should give this card a shot.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Twin-Arrow Diana]

Level 7 Synchros have never had so much utility in a pool, and this card does it all! Being able to either bounce or destroy a card is great, especially when restrictions similar to Alcara are not quite there. Being able to destroy your own card instead of just bouncing it is also nice, triggering floater effects and such to much amusement. Utility and removal have always been a decent combination, and this card does well as such.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Clear Wing Synchro Dragon]

Talk about walling up! Not only does this card shut down targeting higher level monsters, but it also shuts off the effects of higher level monsters, albeit each once a turn. The ability to raise its own stats by either effect makes it even better, and has quite a few relevant matchups. Most notably, Sky Conquerors outside of Bloodscythe will fall below Clear Wing, specifically shutting off Frostfangs and Lightblade. Once again, Ghost Ogre & a Snow Rabbit makes this a viable option, and it's not hard to see why it would be a good one to choose from.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Black Rose Dragon]

We all know and love Black Rose and the field wipe it can do. Decks with any sort of Plant Engine can also use its second effect, which is quite good for being able to take out giant beatsticks or walls. I don't think much can be said that hasn't been already said.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Shiida, Silver Rose Outcast]

I think I emphasized how good mass destruction is really good this format. This is pretty much turns Emergency Teleport into another copy of Dark Hole/Torrential Tribute. I'll take it that it's a given how good such a card that can do that is.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Black Rose Moonlight Dragon]

If DP universally ever had a reason to be upset, it would be because of this card. Being able to not only bounce Fusions and Synchros upon their summon, but a straight up bounce on summon makes this card worth a bit more than a spot on this list. Like how Clear Wing takes down Sky Conquerors by negating a collection of their effects, Moonlight Rose takes them down by the bounce on summon, in addition to Syntheticals, and no float on either means they essentially have to fuse twice in a turn if they wish to get over Moonlight, making it an instant pressure button. It also works to disrupt Archfiends, although Mechefiend can ruin the plans of this at any point.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Crimson Core - Synfania]

It feels obvious that when destruction is good, anti destruction is particularly strong. When said destruction can also remove a temporary threat, that is quite nice, especially when accessible via Rabbit + Level 4.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Stardust Dragon]

As much as Stardust Spark is a good card, I don't find it to be particularly amazing this format. The problem is it will just get ran over regardless and then said one time protection will be useless. Stardust works better cause although it is also once a turn, it tributes and brings back itself, so you have a cycle that protects itself internally 

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Hot Red Dragon Archfiend]

I think it has been establish that field wipes are good. This field wipe can not only still swing for 3k, but is once per turn.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Holy Salvation Dragon]

I don't think Level 8 Synchros needed another staple personally, but this card filled that role we apparently needed. With a phenomenal ability to draw and then stack ANY monster, it really helps set up potential explosive combos, and it floats on its own. Speaking of the float, it makes the card compatible with Needle Ceiling, which is quite nice to have a card that is such for the generic Synchro pool. It's a great Synchro pool staple and if you can make, you run it.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Airdrake Qintong]

As an Armades and a backrow spinner, this card is nothing new to see how good it is. Tossing things like a potential Torrential, Needle Ceiling, or even a Fiendish for the next monster you are going to summon is rather crucial at times. As previously stated, the 1 turn Armades isn't bad either, as it makes it a brutal offensive tool at the start. It boasts a solid 2800 ATK as well, which is not bad at all. If you have the ability to make Level 9 Synchros easily, I think this is one to give a run for your money.

[/spoiler]

[Spoiler Blademaster - Notem]

I have yet to see discussion about this card as a solid Level 9 Synchro option. Even if it only had the last effect, it still would be really good this format, being able to withstand the amount of front row wipe intact. Its main effect tho is pretty solid, having the opponent -2 in a bad position or take some solid damage. I don't see why not to pass this one up if you are running the cards to be able to trigger it.

[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

[lecc_XD]

So Sky Conquerors TopTier0? Lol
Its a really good compilation of cards, pretty usefull and helped me a lot
Ty~

[VampireofDarkness]

So Sky Conquerors TopTier0? Lol
Its a really good compilation of cards, pretty usefull and helped me a lot
Ty~

Thank you! For those who see this, make sure to either leave a like in the OG post or make a comment so I know to be consistent with these. It seems a few of you have appreciated this tho, so thank you!

[VampireofDarkness]

Updated the thread further to clarify some things and after some discussions and Decklist submissions

[BatMed]

I.m not an expert when it comes to analyzing combos and criticizing, but it looks fine and PERFECT

thumbs up bud ^^