Against the Meta: Meta Beat OCG 2020

Hey RespectYGOers, Arcknight is back! A lot of you has requested for a deck profile of my recent top in OCG and today is the day to uncover my deck's strategy! Find out what are my tech choices, ratios and strategies to counter the meta as you continue to scroll and read below. Plus, the report and the deck list itself just right here in this article.

Why Meta Beat?

For those of you who have followed this blog since it started, you all know that I am a fan of Anti-Meta strategy. I started with. Pure Rock Stun utilizing the Koa'ki Meiru rock trio (where the goal is to even negate the opponent's breathing!) followed by Yosenju where the goal is to slowly pinch opponent's life (literally) by consistently summoning Shock Master which then got banned in both OCG and TCG. I also used Bujin with three Vanity's emptiness to counter that year's toughest deck Dragon Ruler with the quote Slay the dragons!! 

Anti-Meta strategy has always been a part of my strategy that's why slowly, I began gathering all of the pieces of this deck. Way back then, we don't receive that much reprints like now (cough rarity collection) but now, we have many cards to consistently get our stun pieces. 

Fast forward to 2020, the meta has been greatly influenced by 1 card combos and the new Dragun of Red-Eyes which imposed a threat to decks who don't have  counter for it. I rarely share this on this blog but I've been piloting Salamangreat last year although a sudden shift to Meta Beat happened due to the deck's weakened consistency due to the January 2020 OCG list and the advent of Nibiru, the Primal Being. On the other hand, it made beatdown and control decks shine in this format and without further ado, let me share my recent ranking tournament report. 

Deck: Meta Beat

Format: Swiss (January 2020 List Applied)

Date: 1.25.2020

Standing: 4-0

Result: Champion

Round 1: Infernoid O O WIN

- Fossil Dyna and Stormwinds is an auto shutdown to Infernoids if they cannot find a way out. Mage Power and Moon Mirror Shield also ensures that they won't be destroyed battle and can push for game.

Round 2: Orcust Dragun O O WIN

-It has been the goal of this strategy to survive in the face of Dragun of Red-Eyes. While Dragun of Red-Eyes is hella strong( and hella expensive), we know that it's weakness is that it can still be destroyed by battle and its single negation can be easily baited. Good thing Moon Mirror Shield is a great out to this monster and Mage Power is a great bait to its negation. 

Round 3 Semi-finals: Blackwing O O WIN 

-A go second strategy Anti Meta can survive the unnaffected 3k beatstick of Blackwing and going first with Inspector Boarder, Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo, and Barrier Statue of Stormwinds is a great board provided it's backed-up by Solemn Judgment. 

Final round: vs.Releaser Dragun O X O

-This is a great match as it's a great mismatch. The goal of releaser dragun is to utilize the almost 1 card combo with Crystron Halqifibrax and Linkross to end the field with both Dragun of Red-Eyes and Nekroz of Clausolas with a banished Djinn, releaser of rituals denying special summons AKA Kaiju. Cards such as Swords of Concealing Light and Book of Total Solar Eclipse are some of your only outs provided Dragun of Red-Eyes has negated your previous card already and provided you have a way to clear the board full of face-down monsters. 

Mage Power has been a successful tech in my build considering it isn't prone to negation it hasn't provided the attack boost that will surpass Dragun of Red-Eyes. I used Mage Power raising the Fossil Dyna pachycephalo to 2700 and set the remaining 2 Traps to increase its attack up to a massive 3700! 

It went downhill though on second game as he drew Monster Reborn reviving Dragun of Red-Eyes. Sadly, only Inspector Boarder is the one I control so immediately scoop to game 3.

Last game was epic as I have outs to Raigeki Storm and Dark Ruler no More. With the amount of control that my field has, powered by bunch of traps, I was able to have my very first successful ranking win with Meta Beat!

Now onto the deck list....

Deck: 40

Monsters: 9

3 Inspector Boarder

3 Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo

3 Barrier Statue lf Stormwinds

Spells: 21

3 Pot of Extravagance

3 Pot of Desires

3 Pot of Duality

3 Card of Demise

3 Raigeki Storm

3 Moon Mirror Shield

2 Mage Power (mvp :D)

1 Herald of the Abyss

1 Harpie's Feather Duster

Traps: 9

3 Crackdown

3 Compulsory Evacuation Device

3 Solemn Judgment

Extra Deck: 15

(Cards that won't technically see the light of the Sun and just banish fodders for Extravagance except ofcourse for Starving Venom Fusion Dragon and Salamangreat Violet Chimera)

Side Deck: Card choices will be shared hopefully on the next articles of mine as I am still figuring out the best line-up to counter other strategies.

Tech Cards and Strategy:

1. Mage Power over Power of the Guardians- I chose this card because it can bait Dragun of Red-Eyes and solves this deck's weakness--- lack of push and inability to turn the tides if the game is in last three turns. Power of the Guardians is good no doubts , but I don't think it shines this format. With a field spell card active which is usually Necrovalley, the attack of a Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo for example could raise from 1200 to a massive 10,200 if you happen to equip 3 Mage Power with full backrow and field spell, just enough to overpower even Obelisk! It's not that useful though if it is alone though so better save your resources.

2. Don't overextend- Consider that your monsters are enough to slow the game pace. Without special summon, other decks cannot swarm that much so 1-3 backrow is enough if you don't have a negation prepared. Infinite Impermanence is a threat to your monsters and having Compulsory Evacuation Device and Crackdown is more than enough to counter their summons as usually, they would opt to destroy your monsters by battle if they don't have an out to it.

3. Extravagance vs. Desires+Card of Demise: Choose wisely whether you need to dig some more your strategy won't get hurt if Pot of Extravagance is negated. I would strongly recommend Card of Demise, Pot of Duality and Pot of Desires with Inspector Boarder rather than a Pot of Extravagance that is prone to Ash Blossom and Joyous Spring. Pot of Extravagance, while a great draw engine, still prevents you from the plusses and deck thinning that Card of Demise offers. 

4. Use your Pot of Desires wisely-I prefer to use it once in the entire duel as it may banish your important cards. Unless I don't have a monster to stun then that's the only tims I utilize the 2nd desires so be very careful as you might lose the duel due to deck-out.

5. Time your matches- As I have mentioned, this deck's main weakness is another Anti-Meta deck, lack of push and last three turns. Know when to go for the next game if you feel that your plays don't lead you any further. Prepare a stopwatch.

6. Herald of the Abyss- a card that removes any threat for a cost of 1500 lp. It's a great card to counter Dragun of Red-Eyes and other cards that are unaffected as it affects the Player not the monster. 

7. 2nd turn survivability: Pick cards that lets you survive and turn the tides even if you lose the dice roll. I put triplicates of Raigeki Storm to ensure that threats to our monsters are removed as our monsters are weak to spell and trap removal or full monster board. Our goal is to demolish it. 

Overall:

The decklist above may not be the same list that I will use going forward as meta changes from time to time. Right now, I'm figuring out ways to survive Sky Striker as a strong contender against our deck and hopefully I manage to come-up with a great strategy. Join me next time on the next tournament report and don't forget to follow our official youtube channel RespectYGO Official and official facebook page with now 4,000+ likes https://facebook.com/RespectYGO.

This has been your anti-meta guy Arcknight, signing out 😊