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The Binder: Greenkappa - February 02, 2009 |
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I’m really tired of Solemn Judgment, and playing my own copies of it to fight back just doesn’t make me feel warm and tingly inside. This guy, however, comes with tingles aplenty!
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Seven Days: January 26 - January 26, 2009 |
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It’s Monday, January 26, 2009, and less than two weeks remain until thousands of duelists get their shot at a copy of Gold Sarcophagus!
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The Binder – Karma Cut - January 26, 2009 |
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To understand why Karma Cut is a competitive tech choice in this format, you need to understand how it varies from Phoenix Wing Wind Blast.
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The Apotheosis — Dark Warrior Toolbox - January 22, 2009 |
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The thing to remember when you build a theme deck is that if you want it to be more than just a handicapped oddity, you need to take full advantage of your theme.
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Seven Days — January 20 - January 20, 2009 |
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We’re back again, and after a title victory just weeks ago in Atlanta, Jerry Wang has captured his third Shonen Jump Championship!
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Shonen Jump Championship Houston Top 16 Decks - January 19, 2009 |
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This weekend over 300 competitors went head-to-head at Shonen Jump Championship Houston, and when the dust settled and the smoke cleared Jerry Wang had claimed his third Shonen Jump Championship title!
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The Binder — Dandylion - January 19, 2009 |
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A lot of players think that Dandylion is being released two years too late. I think those duelists are missing the point.
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Seven Days — January 13 - January 13, 2009 |
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We’re back after our holiday hiatus, and this past weekend we kicked off 2009 with an unexpected new Shonen Jump Champion!
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Best of 2008 - Harry Anderson Versus Fabian Cantu - January 02, 2009 |
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If you're the kind of duelist who skips ahead to the Top 16 deck lists and doesn't read the full coverage, now's your chance to revisit one of the most shocking feature matches ever...
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Best of 2008 - The Binder: D.D. Crow - December 29, 2008 |
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With two Shonen Jump Championships looming imminent, it’s a great time to take another look at one of the most loved and hated tech cards of all time!
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Seven Days: December 22nd - December 22, 2008 |
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It’s December 22, 2008, and here in the midst of the holiday season we are just two-and-a-half weeks removed from the next Shonen Jump Championship!
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The Binder: Dark Eruption - December 22, 2008 |
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Calvin Tsang may be a lot of things, but "bad at Yu-Gi-Oh!" has never been one of them.
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The Binder: Shiba-Warrior Taro - December 15, 2008 |
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While the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG already has plenty of level-2 Tuners, Shiba’s effect and attribute make it unique.
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Seven Days: December 15 - December 15, 2008 |
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The year is drawing to a close and the 2008 season is cooling down, but in less than four weeks hundreds of duelists will converge on San Francisco!
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Seven Days: December 9 - December 09, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, December 9 2008, and we’ve got yet another two-time Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Binder: Card Destruction - December 08, 2008 |
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In a format where having the right cards is sometimes more important than having more cards, the doors are wide open for Card Destruction to see tournament play.
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Seven Days – December 1st - December 01, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, December 1, 2008, and we are counting down the days to the final Shonen Jump Championship of the year!
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The Binder: Slowing Stuff Down - December 01, 2008 |
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The ability to shut down your opponent’s offense and force that duelist to play out his or her hand creates a big opportunity, and a strong defensive line is often the best way to create that situation.
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Seven Days: November 26th - November 26, 2008 |
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It’s Wednesday, November 26, 2008, and the dueling world has another two-time Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Binder: Splashing Mark of the Rose - November 24, 2008 |
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It could actually go in decks that aren’t dedicated to Plants. In fact, thanks to some basic math, it could go in pretty much anything.
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The Apotheosis: Crystal Rose - November 20, 2008 |
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Crystal Beasts have a really cool synergy with Synchros, and that synergy is centered around Stardust Dragon.
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Seven Days – November 19 - November 19, 2008 |
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It’s Wednesday, November 19, 2008, and we are smack-dab in the middle of two big Shonen Jump Championships!
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Seven Days – November 11 - November 11, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, November 11, 2008, and in just five days we’ll kick off the first in another string of Shonen Jump Championships!
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The Binder: Thunder King Rai-Oh - November 10, 2008 |
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The big deal isn’t that Thunder King Rai-Oh does something we’ve never seen before. It’s that it does it far better...
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Seven Days: November 3 - November 03, 2008 |
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Shonen Jump Championship Chicago is right around the corner, and a pair of Day 2 alums are joining us to pen featured articles here on Metagame.com!
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The Binder: Queen of Thorns - November 03, 2008 |
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Plants are no longer simple blunt objects to be special summoned and hurled at your opponent. If I wanted to play a straight swarm deck, I’d run Zombies.
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Seven Days – October 27 - October 27, 2008 |
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Much to my surprise, a reliable source sent me some explosive information just minutes ago. Early next month a new booster set called Dark Legends will make its debut...
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Seven Days—October 13 - October 13, 2008 |
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Only one week has passed since Cesar "The Princess" Gonzalez captured his second title at Shonen Jump Championship Seattle, but there’s more SJC action on the way this weekend!
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Seven Days—October 7 - October 07, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, October 7, 2008, and we’ve got a brand new, two-time Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Binder: Necroface - September 29, 2008 |
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Tele-DAD is basically a six-shot magnum with only two or three bullets in the chamber. That’s poor, so let's fix it.
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The Apotheosis: Bushi Synchro - September 25, 2008 |
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Thanks to the new Synchro summon mechanic, which sends monsters to the graveyard instead of tributing them, there’s finally a consistent purpose for The Little Ronin That Could.
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Seven Days—September 23 - September 23, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, September 23, 2008, and as the final days tick down to Shonen Jump Championship Tulsa, three new tins are hitting stores today.
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The Binder: The Transmigration Prophecy - September 22, 2008 |
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Lately I’ve drawn more dead copies of Dark Armed Dragon and more double-Malicious openings than I’ve really felt comfortable with. We all hate those scenarios, and The Transmigration Prophecy is the answer.
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Seven Days—September 15 - September 15, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, September 15, 2008, and the next chapter in the war between Synchros and Gladiator Beasts is about to unfold.
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The Binder: Baltimore Tech - September 15, 2008 |
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Some of the weekend’s best tech actually didn’t make it to Day 2, and wasn’t covered in feature matches.
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The Apotheosis: Psycho Synchros - September 11, 2008 |
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So Psychics are good as a support engine in a variety of decks—that’s fact at this point. But where do we go from here?
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Seven Days—September 9 - September 08, 2008 |
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It’s September 9, 2008, and after an incredible showing from the new Teleport Dark Armed deck, Gladiator Beasts have edged out one more victory!
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The Binder: D.D. Crow - September 08, 2008 |
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How did Gladiators beat what’s so obviously a terrible matchup, and in Jupiter’s case, how did he do it three times?
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Seven Days: September 2 - September 02, 2008 |
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An all-new Advanced format is upon us: this weekend we’ll see The Duelist Genesis make its debut at Shonen Jump Championship Baltimore, and one week after that, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s hits the airwaves in North America!
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The Binder: Psychic Commander - September 01, 2008 |
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Psychic Commander is going to be around for a very long time, and right now, it’s one of the best answers to the most-played deck in the format.
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The Apotheosis: Synchro Samurai - August 28, 2008 |
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Samurais have evolved—going from a lucksacking combo deck to something far superior—and you may be surprised at how good they’ve become.
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Seven Days—August 25 - August 25, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, August 25, 2008, and as the days tick down to the debut of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s on North American broadcast television, 4Kids Entertainment is giving fans of the new show a unique opportunity.
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Seven Days: August 19 - August 19, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, August 19, 2008, and after a second-place finish at the World Championships ten days ago, one duelist has finally claimed his title!
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The Binder: World Championship Tech - August 18, 2008 |
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I want to take a quick look at the top tech cards we saw at the World Championships, and we’ll start with the one that won the tournament.
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The Apotheosis: Valhalla - August 14, 2008 |
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Overshadowed by its Premium Pack 2 comrade Mezuki, Valhalla is one of those cards that opens up so many possibilities that it’s difficult to tell what exactly you should use it for.
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Seven Days: August 12 - August 12, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, August 12, 2008, and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game has a brand new World Champion!
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The Binder: Herald of Orange Light - August 12, 2008 |
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Not talking about Herald of Orange Light would be a crime against you, the reader. This card is berserk, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to check it out right now.
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Seven Days: August 4th, 2008 - August 04, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, August 4, 2008, and both the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game 2008 World Championship and The Duelist Genesis Sneak Previews are this weekend!
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Seven Days—July 29 - July 29, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, and as we count down to the Sneak Preview release of The Duelist Genesis, duelists across the globe are celebrating yet another title win for Lazaro Bellido!
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Seven Days—July 21 - July 21, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, July 21, 2008, and as the days tick down to the release of Premium Pack 2 and The Duelist Genesis, things are heating up north of the border.
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The Binder: Mezuki - July 21, 2008 |
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Get ready to dust off your copies of Zombie Master and Il Blud: Zombies are back from the dead!
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The Apotheosis: Little City - July 17, 2008 |
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As much as I may have made light of Paul Levitin’s Elemental Hero deck, I featured him for several reasons. First, I knew the theory driving the deck to be solid. Second, I’d been testing a similar strategy myself for weeks.
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Seven Days—July 14 - July 14, 2008 |
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The next Premium Pack booster set will hit store shelves on July 29, just two weeks from today!
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The Binder: Pole Position - July 14, 2008 |
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Today I want to show you why Pole Position is so good, where to use it, and how you can use it to outwit your opponents.
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Seven Days—July 8, 2008 - July 08, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, July 8, 2008, and with Shonen Jump Championship Honolulu taking place this coming weekend, we pause to celebrate another new Shonen Jump Champion!
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Seven Days: June 30 - June 30, 2008 |
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The European Championships and American National Championships have come and gone, and now, one of the world’s greatest duelists has earned the title of Canadian National Champ.
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Seven Days: Monday, June 23 - June 23, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, the 23rd of June 2008, and the first of four consecutive premier tournaments in North America drew to a close this past weekend.
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The Apotheosis: Dragoon Control - June 19, 2008 |
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The ability to unleash Eradicator Epidemic Virus or even Deck Devastation Virus before the opponent can act is massive...
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Seven Days: Tuesday, June 17 - June 17, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, June 17 2008, and we are just four days away from the American National Championships!
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The Binder: Eradicator Epidemic Virus - June 16, 2008 |
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The potential explosiveness of this card is unparalleled as we head into a three-week period of American Nats, Canadian Nats, and Shonen Jump Championship Philadelphia.
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Seven Days—June 9 - June 09, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, June 9, 2008, and only twelve days remain until the American National Championship!
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The Binder: Angel O7 - June 09, 2008 |
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To understand the full potential of Angel O7, we need to look at what makes it different from Skill Drain and Plasma.
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The Apotheosis: Mind My Monkey - June 05, 2008 |
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The first deck I’ll be looking at is an updated classic, and I think it’s a great time for a revamp. Here’s what the deck’s submitter had to say about his Ratbox build . . .
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Seven Days – June 2 - June 02, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, June 2, 2008, and the American and Canadian National Championships are coming up fast!
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The Binder: Phantom of Chaos - June 02, 2008 |
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Shonen Jump Championship St. Louis has come and gone, and while Phantom of Chaos had less representation at that event than it did at Nashville, I think it’s become a far more relevant card.
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Seven Days—May 27 - May 27, 2008 |
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Shonen Jump St. Louis has changed the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game playing field, and with the American National Championship just four weeks away, duelists have a limited amount of time to adapt.
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Seven Days—Monday, May 19 - May 19, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, May 19, 2008, and this week is a big one for Championship tournaments across the globe!
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Seven Days—May 12 - May 12, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, May 12, 2008, and after a star-studded showdown in Nashville, we’ve got a brand new Shonen Jump Champion.
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Light of Destruction Preview: Guardian of Order - May 01, 2008 |
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Because three of the biggest monster groups in Light of Destruction share the Light attribute, Guardian of Order can work for all three, making all of them more competitive.
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Seven Days—April 28, 2008 - April 27, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, April 28, 2008, and we are just five days away from the Sneak Preview release of Light of Destruction!
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Seven Days—April 21, 2008 - April 20, 2008 |
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With two Shonen Jump Championships, the U.K. Nationals, and Light of Destruction, May is going to be a huge month for duelists worldwide.
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Seven Days—April 14, 2008 - April 13, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, April 14, 2008, and the scaled grip of Dark Armed Dragon has finally been shattered by... the Gladiator Beasts!?
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The Binder: Cold Wave - April 13, 2008 |
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We’ve all seen it for weeks now: strategies that draw through half the deck or more on turn 1 or turn 2.
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Seven Days—April 7, 2008 - April 06, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, April 7, 2008, and we are five days away from Shonen Jump Championship Minneapolis!
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The Binder: Fires of Doomsday - April 06, 2008 |
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Today I want to explore both the proven uses for this card, and the potential uses we’ve yet to see in mainstream tournaments.
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Seven Days—April 1, 2008 - March 31, 2008 |
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It’s Tuesday, April 1, 2008, and while the dueling world celebrates its newest Shonen Jump Champion, we are less than two weeks away from the next tournament in the SJC series!
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The Binder: The Dark Creator - March 30, 2008 |
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With your opponent having just paid heavy life point costs, it’s the perfect opportunity to strike back...
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The Five Things You Shouldn’t Be Doing - March 26, 2008 |
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No matter what deck you play or what level you compete at, there are obvious mistakes that can threaten your win percentage. The shocking part? Most Shonen Jump players just keep making them.
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Seven Days—March 24 - March 23, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, March 24, 2008, and we are just days away from the return of Shonen Jump action to Ohio!
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Seven Days—March 17, 2008 - March 16, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, March 17, 2008, and we’re less than two weeks away from Shonen Jump Championship Columbus and the new Gold Series!
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The Binder: Van’Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord - March 16, 2008 |
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They say the devil’s greatest trick was convincing people he didn’t exist. Personally, I think Dark Armed Dragon’s greatest trick is making players believe he’s the one to blame.
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Seven Days—March 10, 2008 - March 09, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, March 10, 2008, and the dueling world has a brand new Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Binder: Goblin Zombie - March 09, 2008 |
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Looking at Goblin Zombie, playing it myself, and having seen it played on the sidelines at Shonen Jump Championship Houston, I think there’s more to this card than anyone first suspected.
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Seven Days—March 3, 2008 - March 02, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, March 3, 2008, and we’re just four days removed from the 50th Shonen Jump Championship tournament!
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The Binder: Raigeki Break - March 02, 2008 |
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There’s a general perception amongst some duelists that the entire spin mechanic is losing power, largely due to an upswing in monster cards that simply don’t mind being spun.
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Seven Days—February 26 - February 25, 2008 |
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We are back from Shonen Jump Championship Houston with another seven days of article previews and news!
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Seven Days—February 18, 2008 - February 17, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, February 18, 2008, and we are just a few days away from the first-ever Shonen Jump Championship appearance of Phantom Darkness!
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Seven Days—February 11 - February 10, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, February 11, 2008, and Phantom Darkness has already sold out!
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The Binder: Drastic Drop Off - February 10, 2008 |
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This card provides a deadly counter to key components of at least four and arguably six of the top decks in this format.
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Seven Days—February 4, 2008 - February 03, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, February 4, 2008, and with the retail release of Phantom Darkness tomorrow, competitive duelists have one thing on their minds: Houston!
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The Binder: Metal Reflect Slime - February 03, 2008 |
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I’m in the camp of folks who have been waiting very patiently, for a very long time, to get this card...
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Seven Days: January 28th - January 27, 2008 |
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It’s Monday, January 28th 2008, and as we gear up for the 50th Shonen Jump Championship just weeks from today, the dueling world is celebrating its newest Champion!
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The Binder: Allure of Darkness - January 27, 2008 |
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For those of you who didn’t make it to your local Sneak Preview this weekend, you missed out on a few major surprises.
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Seven Days—January 14, 2008 - January 14, 2008 |
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Today, we kick off two straight weeks of all-new card profiles as we count down the days to the Phantom Darkness Sneak Preview.
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Phantom Darkness Preview: Yubel - January 13, 2008 |
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As much as we’re used to simple GX monsters being the most playable, Yubel has some serious potential for tournament play.
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Seven Days: Monday, January 7 - January 07, 2008 |
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The Sneak Preview weekend for the first new booster set of 2008 is less than three weeks out, and it’s going to be epic.
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Best of 2007, The Binder: Phoenix Wing Wind Blast - December 23, 2007 |
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The last time you saw Phoenix Wing Wind Blast here in The Binder, it was almost exactly two-and-a-half years ago, as Mike Rosenberg, fresh off his Top 8 appearance at Shonen Jump Championship Los Angeles, lauded the hot new card that took him to such a great finish.
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Seven Days: December 17th - December 17, 2007 |
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When we return on January 7th, we’ll have one week before we start our previews of Phantom Darkness, so get ready to kick off the new year in a big way!
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Seven Days: December 10th - December 10, 2007 |
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It’s Monday December 10th, and with the final Shonen Jump Championship of 2007 now in the record books, it’s time to look ahead to the new year!
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The Binder: Forced Back - December 09, 2007 |
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Forced Back has just a handful of uses in the current format, but the one that’s gotten it so much attention lately is its ability to negate the summoning of Light and Darkness Dragon.
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Seven Days: December 4th - December 04, 2007 |
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This past weekend we witnessed the final Shonen Jump Championship of the year.
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Defeating the Dragon - November 28, 2007 |
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With less than 72 hours between now and Day 1 of Shonen Jump San Mateo, one of the most important questions on duelists’ minds has to do with metagaming the number-one pick for the weekend: Light and Darkness Dragon.
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Seven Days: Monday, November 26th - November 26, 2007 |
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As duelists across the globe brace themselves for the impact of Shonen Jump Championship San Mateo this weekend, it seems that the last of the holiday duel merch has made its way into stores.
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Seven Days: November 19th - November 19, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, November 19th 2007, and Regional-goers over the coming months will have a brand new Top 8 playmat to compete for!
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The Binder: Security Orb - November 19, 2007 |
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Security Orb does a lot of unique things, the first of which is teching some major matchups.
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Seven Days: November 12th - November 12, 2007 |
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It’s November 12th, and duelists across the globe are starting to feel the impact of one of the best monsters ever to be released—Light and Darkness Dragon.
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Seven Days: November 5, 2007 - November 05, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, November 5th, and if you’re like me, you’re still recovering from your Gladiator’s Assault Sneak Preview this past weekend!
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Seven Days: October 29th - October 29, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, October 29th, and it seems as if Light and Darkness Dragon is debuting a few days early!
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Seven Days: October 22nd - October 22, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, October 22nd, and with information about new cards in Gladiator’s Assault beginning to leak from sources like Shonen Jump Magazine, we’ve received a surprising piece of info.
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Seven Days: October 16th - October 16, 2007 |
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It’s October 16th, two days since the final match of Shonen Jump Championship Durham, where we saw two Zombie decks duke it out in the finals!
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The Binder: Ceasefire - October 14, 2007 |
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Phoenix Wing Wind Blast isn’t the only card benefiting from this format’s relatively slow pace of play.
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When A Common Isn’t A Common - October 11, 2007 |
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One of the cool things about the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG that keeps us coming back for more is the collectability factor.
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Seven Days: October 8th - October 08, 2007 |
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It’s October 8th, and after months of anticipation, Premium Pack 1 is finally being released!
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The Binder: Dark Bribe - October 07, 2007 |
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Released in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Tag Force 2 for the Playstation Portable, Dark Bribe is a Swiss Army Knife of negation that comes with one of the most debated costs we’ve ever seen.
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Seven Days: October 2nd - October 02, 2007 |
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It’s Tuesday October 2nd, and with another big tournament now behind us, this format is starting to take shape.
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The Binder: Phoenix Wing Wind Blast - September 30, 2007 |
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The last time you saw Phoenix Wing Wind Blast here in The Binder, it was almost exactly two-and-a-half years ago, as Mike Rosenberg, fresh off his Top 8 appearance at Shonen Jump Championship Los Angeles, lauded the hot new card that took him to such a great finish.
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The Apotheosis: Earth Rush - September 26, 2007 |
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For all the hubbub surrounding Jinzo’s newly Semi-Limited status, few duelists are really taking advantage of the option to run two.
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Seven Days: September 24th - September 23, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, September 24th 2007, and we are just days away from Shonen Jump Chicago.
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Seven Days: September 18th - September 18, 2007 |
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It’s Tuesday, September 18th 2007, and two days ago we witnessed the finale to the first big tournament of the new Advanced Format.
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The Apotheosis: Vanilla Strike - September 12, 2007 |
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I’ll admit it—ever since I saw Volcanic Rat I’ve had a strange urge to put together a revamped Human-Wave Tactics deck.
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Seven Days: September 10th - September 10, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, September 10th, and as the days tick down to the first Shonen Jump Championship of the new Advanced format, we’ve got our first glimpse of the next booster set!
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Seven Days: September 4th - September 04, 2007 |
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It’s Tuesday, September 4th, and less than two weeks remain until the first Shonen Jump Championship of the new format!
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The Apotheosis: Crystal Power - August 28, 2007 |
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Ever since Rainbow Dragon dropped in Tactical Evolution, I’ve been tempted to play it in a tournament-level deck, at least for a local.
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Seven Days: August 27th - August 27, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, August 27th 2007, and this year’s first wave of Collector’s Tins have started appearing in stores!
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Seven Days: August 21st - August 21, 2007 |
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It’s Tuesday, August 21st, and the dueling world is still reeling from the unexpected events at Shonen Jump Championship Indianapolis!
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Seven Days - August 14th - August 14, 2007 |
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It’s Wednesday, August 15th 2007, and we’re just days away from the official release of Tactical Evolution!
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The Apotheosis: How Fast Do Zombies Run? - August 07, 2007 |
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The recent additions to the Zombie theme in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG seem very fitting. There’s a lot more coming back from the dead, and Zombies are now imbued with the ability to attack in swarms (as any B-movie buff would expect them to).
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Seven Days: August 6th - August 06, 2007 |
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Right now not one, but two Yu-Gi-Oh! tours are making stops all across the country. News to you? Let me give you some info on each event series.
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Seven Days: July 31st - July 31, 2007 |
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It’s Tuesday, July 31st 2007, and duelists across the globe have a brand new World Champion!
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Seven Days: July 23rd - July 23, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, July 23rd 2007, and with the World Championships just five days away, we are on the verge of a brand new booster set release: the biggest one in years!
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Tactical Evolution Preview: Rainbow Dragon - July 21, 2007 |
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Rainbow Dragon has a whole new foil treatment that’s never been seen before, and it’s going to be in high demand from collectors and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX fans alike.
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Seven Days: July 16th - July 16, 2007 |
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The World Championships are right around the corner, Tactical Evolution looms imminent, and the dueling world has a brand new two-time Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Apotheosis: Diamond Dude Dinos - July 10, 2007 |
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Every now and then, a special deck comes along that does more than just establish an archetype: it shows us a whole new way to approach dueling, and even as formats change, those lessons stick with us.
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Seven Days: Monday, July 8th - July 09, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, July 8th, and after two-and-a-half years of tireless effort, one of the world’s most respected duelists has finally become a Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Apotheosis: Really Pointy Harpies - July 02, 2007 |
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If there’s one thing I can’t get enough of right now, it’s Harpies. When Hysteric Party was released in Lord of the Storm, I was immediately hooked: I knew there was a deck there, even if the deck in question wasn’t quite ready to dominate.
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The Apotheosis: Volcanic Vigilance - June 27, 2007 |
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It’s interesting to see how different players approach the Volcanic strategy. The Volcanics are essentially three different strategies rolled into one: burn damage, beatdown, and monster destruction.
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Seven Days: June 25th - June 25, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, June 25th, and the U.S. dueling community has a brand new National Champion!
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The Apotheosis: My Favorite Monkey - June 19, 2007 |
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I like Defender of the Forest, Green Baboon for three reasons. First, it’s a monkey: everyone likes monkeys, right? Second, it’s my favorite color. And third, it’s an unstoppable powerhouse that takes Beast decks right to the top of their competitive form.
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Seven Days: June 18th, 2006 - June 18, 2007 |
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It’s Monday June 18th, and the duelists of Canada have an unexpected new National Champion!
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The Apotheosis: Total Pandemonium - June 12, 2007 |
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Hand manipulation. If there’s one concept that can truly terrify your opponent, it’s messing with the options he or she thought were safe.
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Seven Days: June 11th - June 11, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, June 11th, 2007, and we are getting ready for the most intense three weeks of the year!
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The Apotheosis: Crystal Beast Crush - June 05, 2007 |
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After careful consideration, we’ve decided to ship Dr. Vowler back to the sideshow carnival where we found him. That’s right: the good professor’s angst-ridden reign of terror has come to an end here on Metagame.com!
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Seven Days: June 4th, 2006 - June 04, 2007 |
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It’ Monday, June 4th, and with the last Shonen Jump Championship of the 2006-2007 season now behind us, the dueling world has a brand new two-time champ!
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The Apotheosis: Phoenix Rising - January 30, 2007 |
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This deck aims to flood the field with Zombies to provide enough fodder for Hand of Nephthys, in order to bring out Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.
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Seven Days – January 29th, 2007 - January 28, 2007 |
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It’s Monday, January 29th, and less than 24 hours have passed since the surprising events of Shonen Jump Championship Orlando.
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Trends ‘N’ Tactics: Orlando Pre-Game - January 25, 2007 |
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Several regulars of the Shonen Jump circuit have spoken to me over the past few weeks, and while everyone’s got an ace up their sleeve, they all seem to agree on one thing: creating a deck for tomorrow’s tournament is a huge challenge.
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The Apotheosis – Gadget To Be - January 23, 2007 |
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Josh’s focus on limiting his opponent’s summoning and forcing him or her to make predictable moves is what makes his strategy stand out.
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Seven Days – January 22nd, 2007 - January 22, 2007 |
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We are just five days away from what’s shaping up to be one of the most challenging Shonen Jump Championships of all time!
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Seven Days – January 16, 2007 - January 15, 2007 |
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The long-awaited Machine’s Re-Volt Structure Deck will ship to stores across North America this week, and could be appearing in your local hobby store as early as Wednesday.
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Seven Days: January 8th, 2006 - January 07, 2007 |
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2007 is shaping up to be a huge year for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, so let’s take a look at all the news, events, and articles for the next seven days.
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The Apotheosis: Homunculus - December 19, 2006 |
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This deck has the potential to bring out big attackers and then swing with them for game-winning amounts of damage, but that requires focus and a lot of support.
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Seven Days — December 18th - December 18, 2006 |
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One day has passed since the surprising finals of Shonen Jump Championship San Jose, and the biggest news in dueling is the newest Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Apotheosis: Bubbleman Blast - December 12, 2006 |
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Everyone from Vincent Tundo to several Level 3 judges has created their own twists on the same base strategy, and since the deck has received little to no press, I’m eager to feature it in The Apotheosis today!
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Seven Days: December 11th, 2006 - December 11, 2006 |
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It’s December 11th, and as the year winds down, duelists are getting ready for the final Shonen Jump Championship of 2006!
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The Apotheosis: Circuit Sphinx - December 05, 2006 |
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While many duelists are aware of the synergy between Degenerate Circuit and Guardian Sphinx, few are prepared to actually deal with it.
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Seven Days: December 4 - December 04, 2006 |
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It’s another bright and shining Monday, and there are less than two weeks between today and the final Shonen Jump Championship of the year!
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The Apotheosis: Cyber Smash - November 28, 2006 |
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Cyber Ogre is one of the few monsters in the game capable of shutting down an opponent’s plans for battle without any sort of assistance from the spell and trap zone.
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Seven Days: November 27 - November 27, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, November 27, and while the dueling world continues to reel from the impact of Shonen Jump Championship Anaheim, thoughts begin to turn to the next stop on the SJC circuit!
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Seven Days: November 13 - November 13, 2006 |
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In just three days, Shonen Jump Championship heat will begin to build in Anaheim California, as competitors begin to gather at Gen Con So Cal!
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The Apotheosis: But Not a Drop to Drink - November 07, 2006 |
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With Spirit Reaper now Limited, Water is definitely the control attribute of choice and there are plenty of Water-specific spells, traps, and monsters that do nothing but mess around with the opponent’s field or hand.
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Seven Days: November 6th - November 06, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, November 6th, and as Shonen Jump Championship Anaheim draws closer, several new products are starting to hit store shelves!
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Trends ‘N’ Tactics: November 4, 2006 - November 03, 2006 |
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Certain plays can define a format on the micro level, so while I want to give you a ground-floor look at what’s going on at big tourneys, I also want to break down those trends and show you how they relate to your own play habits.
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UDE Issues Cyberdark Impact Sneak Preview Info - November 02, 2006 |
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Kevin Tewart, R&D lead for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG over at Upper Deck Entertainment, sent out an important email to event staff for the upcoming Cyberdark Impact Sneak Previews this morning.
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Seven Days – October 31st - October 31, 2006 |
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It’s Tuesday, the 31st of October, and that means many of us will be dressing up to shake down neighbors for candy later tonight!
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Seven Days – October 23 - October 23, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, October 23rd, and only days remain until SJC action returns to the West Coast!
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Building the Deck: Five-Headed Dragon - October 17, 2006 |
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Now, Dragons have a mid- and late game KO card that can manipulate tempo, take down even the mightiest of Cyber-Stein’s buddies, and wipe out many an opponent in a single shot.
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The Apotheosis—Drain Gain - October 17, 2006 |
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Build your deck properly and Skill Drain can present no disadvantages whatsoever to you, while providing plenty for the opposition.
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Seven Days – October 16th - October 16, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, October 16th, and we are just two days away from the Special Set release of Dinosaur’s Rage!
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The Apotheosis—Spin Spin - October 10, 2006 |
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Spin a face-up card and you will know what the opponent’s next draw phase will bring, and plan accordingly.
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Seven Days – October 10th - October 09, 2006 |
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It’s Tuesday, October 10th, 2006, and after reeling from the weekend’s clash of firestorm monarchs, smoke grenades, and killer koalas, the dueling world has a brand new Shonen Jump Champion!
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Seven Days – October 2nd - October 01, 2006 |
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This time I’ve got last-minute news on this weekend’s Shonen Jump Championship, some exciting first-look info on upcoming promos that I guarantee you don’t know about, and lots more!
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Seven Days – September 25, 2006 - September 25, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, September 25th, and the next Shonen Jump Championship and a cool new special release package are just on the horizon!
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Seven Days: September 11 - September 11, 2006 |
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All the world waits to see who (and more importantly what) will be successful at Shonen Jump Championship Boston!
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The Apotheosis: Discard Neos Craziness - September 05, 2006 |
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Because Neos is a normal monster, and not an effect monster, there are a ton of older cards that we can dust off and combo with it to create unique strategies.
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The Apotheosis: Divine Sword Return - August 29, 2006 |
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So, what makes Divine Sword Return so special? Well, it offers a few cool things that the average Chaos Return never could.
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Seven Days – August 28 - August 28, 2006 |
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The new format is here, 2006 Collector’s Tins are just around the corner, and it’s truly an exciting time to be a duelist.
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The Apotheosis – Necrofear Return - August 22, 2006 |
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This deck can be a major competitor in the new format, and is especially good against Warrior decks packing Don Zaloog, Mystic Tomato, and Exiled Force.
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Seven Days – August 21 - August 21, 2006 |
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North America’s best will show up to throw down at the Ramada Plaza in Hamilton, Ontario this coming weekend.
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The Apotheosis—T-Rex on Roller Skates - August 15, 2006 |
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This deck can win in a competitive environment, makes use of core theory elements that many duelists overlook, and it’s really fun.
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The Apotheosis: Megarock Rampage - August 08, 2006 |
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When it comes down to it, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG was intended to be about big monsters, but very few have the potential to be this large.
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Seven Days – August 7 - August 07, 2006 |
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SJC Indianapolis is just five days away, and many of North America’s best duelists will be showing up to compete.
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Seven Days – July 31, 2006 - July 31, 2006 |
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As July draws to a close we look ahead to new Shonen Jump Championships, a new expansion set, and the 2006 World Championship!
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Power of the Duelist Preview – Future Fusion - July 30, 2006 |
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The possibilities are endless, and that’s really what this card is about: it opens doors for a lot of old favorites and makes a handful of new monsters really powerful.
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Seven Days: July 24 - July 23, 2006 |
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It’s July 24, one day after the record-breaking Shonen Jump Championship Philadelphia.
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The Apotheosis: Uria Unleashed - July 18, 2006 |
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Uria, Lord of Searing Flames is by far the best of the three Sacred Beasts released in Shadow of Infinity, and with its built-in protection plan and game-shaping effect, it deserves a little bit of respect.
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Seven Days: July 17 - July 16, 2006 |
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It’s one day after the most innovative Shonen Jump Championship of the format, and the world is wondering what the ramifications of Shonen Jump Arlington will be.
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The State of the Game – July 13 - July 13, 2006 |
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It’s July 13, and a unified set of trends demonstrated at the European Championships, Canadian Nationals, and Shonen Jump Championship Denver have sent the format in a new direction.
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The Apotheosis: Majestic Mech Mayhem - July 11, 2006 |
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What isn’t so widely accepted is the card’s potential as the centerpiece of a strategy, instead of just a random piece of tech.
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Seven Days: July 10 - July 09, 2006 |
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It’s the tenth of July, and after a month of waiting, the Shonen Jump Championship circuit is back!
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The Apotheosis: Exchange Control - July 04, 2006 |
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One of my favorite cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG also has the potential to be one of the worst. But at the same time, it can reward a truly skilled player with many advantages.
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Seven Days: July 3 - July 02, 2006 |
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It’s July 3, and after a flurry of National Championships and Shonen Jump Championships here in North America, this side of the dueling world is briefly quiet as Europe takes center stage!
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The Apotheosis: Machine Control - June 27, 2006 |
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Cyber Phoenix offers a wholesale answer to targeted effects like Snatch Steal and Sakuretsu Armor, keeping them off your Machines and out of the game. That’s a freedom that can’t be ignored.
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Seven Days: June 26 - June 25, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, June 26, and the dueling world has two brand-new champions!
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Seven Days: Monday, June 19 - June 18, 2006 |
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It’s June 19, just hours after the conclusion of Shonen Jump Atlanta, an event that proved to be exactly what the current format needed!
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The Apotheosis: Herald Control - June 13, 2006 |
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When I first looked at Enemy of Justice, one of my favorite combos involved Herald of Purple Light, Herald of Green Light, and Layard the Liberator.
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Seven Days: June 12 - June 11, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, June 12, and the 2006/2007 qualifying season has kicked off in the US of A!
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Seven Days: June 5 - June 05, 2006 |
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The US National Championships have concluded, and the new Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG US Champion is one heck of a shocker!
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Seven Days: May 30 - May 30, 2006 |
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It’s the last day of May, and just four days remain between now and the final showdown of the US 2005/2006 dueling season: the National Championship tournament is upon us!
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Seven Days: May 22 - May 21, 2006 |
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It’s May 22, one day after Shonen Jump Championship Chicago, and we have a new Shonen Jump Champion!
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Seven Days: May 15 - May 14, 2006 |
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It’s May 15, and we’re just five days away from the showdown in Chi-Town!
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Seven Days: May 8 - May 07, 2006 |
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It’s May 8, and the first of the new Shonen Jump prize cards has been awarded!
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Tournament Pack 8: Magical Arm Shield - April 23, 2006 |
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Magical Arm Shield is highly versatile. Like so many of its predecessors, it’s completely unique and offers a peerless experience to those duelists who are lucky enough to own one.
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Seven Days: April 24 - April 23, 2006 |
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It’s April 24, and only eleven days remain between now and the next Shonen Jump Championship!
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The Apotheosis: Deck Devastation Deck - April 18, 2006 |
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The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG was meant to be about big monsters clashing in battle, and thanks to Deck Devastation Virus, that might be where this format is going.
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Seven Days: April 17 - April 16, 2006 |
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It’s April 17, and with three long weeks to go between now and Shonen Jump Championship Columbus, duelists are testing plenty of new ideas for the environment that was established in Baltimore!
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The Apotheosis: Dawn of Dust - April 11, 2006 |
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This is absolutely my all-time favorite Treeborn Frog strategy, and with the loss of Dark Hole and the rise of Dark World, this deck gets a big push from the new Advanced format.
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The Apotheosis: Anti-Meta FAO - April 04, 2006 |
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When an original, well-built, tier one deck happens to wander into my inbox, I love to showcase it and make suggestions. Today just so happens to be one of those days!
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Seven Days: April 3 - April 02, 2006 |
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It’s April 3, the new format is upon us, and a summer full of Shonen Jump Championship action is just over the horizon!
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Seven Days: March 27 - March 26, 2006 |
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Before we look ahead, let’s give one last nod to the events that transpired this past weekend.
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The New Kid on the Block - March 23, 2006 |
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Blockman and Treasure Map are both really useful, and Hero Spirit would trade well on Yu-Gi-Oh! GX fandom alone.
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The Limelight: John Jensen - March 23, 2006 |
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NeXus continues to get more powerful with each passing week. Both the team, and John Jensen, have nowhere to go but up!
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Enemy of Justice: Girls’ Night Out - March 21, 2006 |
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Enemy of Justice Sneak Previews kick off on May 13, so you’d better start making your plans to attend the Sneak Preview event near you!
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The Apotheosis – Gear Beast Blast - March 21, 2006 |
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I don’t know about you, but ever since I got my hands on a copy of Shadow of Infinity’s Ancient Gear Castle, I’ve wanted to try my hand at an Ancient Gear deck and make ol’ Vellian Crowler proud.
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Seven Days: March 20 - March 19, 2006 |
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It’s Monday, March 20, and Shonen Jump Championship Orlando is over.
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The Limelight: Ryan Hayakawa - March 15, 2006 |
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Making the trip out to Shonen Jump Durham just a couple weeks ago sent a strong message—Ryan Hayakawa is back, and will be a major presence in top-tier competition for 2006!
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The Apotheosis: Sacred Beasts Arise! - March 14, 2006 |
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After weeks of hype and lead-in, the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX “Rise of the Sacred Beasts” story arc is in full swing, and all the excitement and thrills have built an incredible demand for Shadow of Infinity’s three Sacred Beast cards.
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Seven Days: March 13 - March 12, 2006 |
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It’s March 13. Shadow of Infinity has been released in stores worldwide, and we’re just five days away from Shonen Jump Championship Orlando!
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Seven Days: March 6 - March 05, 2006 |
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Just scant days after the exciting conclusion to Shonen Jump Durham, our next Shonen Jump Championship is drawing near.
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The Apotheosis: Monster-Rich Exodia - February 28, 2006 |
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If you’re looking for a truly unique deck to play, and a perfect example of the power packed into Ancient Lamp, this weird little build might interest you.
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Seven Days: February 27 - February 26, 2006 |
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After a ten-week off-season, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game has yet another Shonen Jump Champion!
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The Limelight: Cindie Uddstrom - February 24, 2006 |
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Of all the duelists I met at the World Championships, one of my favorites and one of the most remarkable was Cindie Uddstrom.
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The Apotheosis: Rusty Toolbox - February 21, 2006 |
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Cameron’s deck is a good example of how you can quickly build a tournament-competitive strategy from Structure Deck cards.
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Seven Days: February 20 - February 19, 2006 |
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After almost ten weeks of tension and secrecy, Shonen Jump Championship competition returns to Yu-Gi-Oh!
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The State of the Game: February 20 - February 19, 2006 |
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Scant days remain before Shonen Jump Championship Durham, and I’m left to reflect on how far the Advanced format has come since its inception.
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Seven Days: February 13 - February 12, 2006 |
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It’s February 13, and we are just five days away from the Sneak Preview launch of what is perhaps the most anticipated Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG expansion to date!
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Shadow of Infinity Preview: Doom Dozer - February 07, 2006 |
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Doom Dozer is just one of the many playable Insect cards in Shadow of Infinity, and I believe that we’ll see some Insect decks come out of this set.
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The Limelight: Anthony Alvarado, Part 2 - February 03, 2006 |
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“When people run through their thoughts of the top players in the world, I want my name to be one of the first to roll off their tongue.”
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The Limelight – Anthony Alvarado, Part 1 - February 02, 2006 |
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He’s a staple of the North American tournament scene, a Shonen Jump Champion, and he’s made a reputation out of quietly proving to the world that he’s one of the best.
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Seven Days: January 30 - January 29, 2006 |
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It’s January 30, and Shadow of Infinity and the Sacred Beasts loom on the horizon!
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Seven Days: Monday, January 23 - January 22, 2006 |
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The rumor mills are starting to ramp up as duelists begin to count the days until Shonen Jump Championship Durham.
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Seven Days: January 9 - January 08, 2006 |
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We here at Metagame.com are back after our holiday hiatus, and while we’re sure that you enjoyed revisiting some of our classic articles from 2005, it’s the New Year.
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Best of 2005: The Light of Play: Lemmings - January 03, 2006 |
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Staunch Defender was really good when I first wrote about it months and months ago. Now, in a place I like to call “the future,” it's still an exceptionally promising card—and still one that nobody is playing.
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The Apotheosis: Thief! - December 13, 2005 |
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Admit it—the only thing in this game that’s more entertaining than destroying something of your opponent’s is taking it from them.
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The Apotheosis: Elemental Control - December 06, 2005 |
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Today’s contributor takes a look at a new type of Control deck that’s drastically different from anything you’ve seen before.
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Seven Days: December 5 - December 04, 2005 |
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It’s Monday, December 5, and as people all over the world prepare for the holiday season, hundreds of duelists are readying themselves for battle!
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Seven Days: November 28 - November 27, 2005 |
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It’s been seven days since Team Scoop took their innovative Return from the Different Dimension deck to multiple Top 8 finishes at Shonen Jump Championship Los Angeles.
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The Apotheosis: Cyber Swarm - November 22, 2005 |
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Flip Ojama Trio, summon Cyber Dragon, summon Fiend Megacyber, and then summon something else. Good stuff.
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Seven Days: November 21 - November 20, 2005 |
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After going completely undefeated all weekend, Team Scoop’s Paul Levitin has won Shonen Jump Championship Los Angeles! All this, and more news from the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, in this week's Seven Days column!
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Restructuring the Warrior Structure - November 14, 2005 |
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Let’s look at a couple of deck designs, and show you how both budget players and well-armed veterans can use Warrior’s Triumph to create viable decks.
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Seven Days: November 14 - November 13, 2005 |
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We’re just two days away from Gen Con So Cal, and four days remain between today and Shonen Jump Championship Anaheim!
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The Limelight: Kris Perovic - November 11, 2005 |
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Literally dozens of players have earned the respect of the North American dueling community, but when I had to decide where to start this column, the decision was simple—with Kris “Superman” Perovic.
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The Apotheosis: Ectoplasmer Lock - November 08, 2005 |
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This is a neat deck that takes some time to figure out, but it’s a blast to play and it really makes good use of some new trends in the format.
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Seven Days: November 7 - November 06, 2005 |
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It’s been seven days since Dale Bellido’s stunning victory at Shonen Jump Championship Chicago, and it’s less than a week and a half until the next Shonen Jump Championship.
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Elemental Energy Preview: Infernal Incinerator - November 02, 2005 |
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Previously, 2500 was the highest ATK value possible for a monster that required a single tribute, but Infernal Incinerator beats that by 300 ATK—and its effect can widen the gap even more.
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Seven Days: October 31 - October 30, 2005 |
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Julia Hedberg will be kicking off her tournament report column soon, and we need your tournament reports.
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Seven Days: October 24 - October 23, 2005 |
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It’s October 24, and Shonen Jump Championship Chicago is only five days away!
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Seven Days: October 17 - October 16, 2005 |
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After the triumph of Team Nexus’s John Jensen, duelists across the world have the first Top 8 deck lists for the new Advanced format, and Shonen Jump Championship Chicago is just twelve days away.
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The Apotheosis: Coffin Control - October 11, 2005 |
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This deck is basically an updated version of Evan Vargas’s Soul Control deck, but this deck blends the original design with Magical Hats combos and a few new tricks to provide answers to major threats in the new Advanced format.
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Seven Days: October 10 - October 09, 2005 |
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Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, the latest and hottest Yu-Gi-Oh! series from Japan, will finally hit American shores tonight!
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The Apotheosis – Marauding Abuse - October 04, 2005 |
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You’ll now be able to abuse the Captain’s effect more often in each duel, as drawing one of three copies of a card is easier than drawing into one of two.
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The Apotheosis: Dual Lock - September 27, 2005 |
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This deck is built on a highly original premise, using two rarely-seen lock strategies to keep an opponent off balance.
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Seven Days: September 26 - September 26, 2005 |
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It’s September 26, and we’re just two weeks away from the American premiere of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.
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Examining The New Advanced Format - September 23, 2005 |
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While many will debate various points of the list, it seems difficult to refute the fact that its general impact will be positive.
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Tin Week: Panther Warrior - September 23, 2005 |
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Panther Warrior is a great turn-one play, and should be taken seriously because of that fact.
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7 Days: September 18 - September 17, 2005 |
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It’s been seven days since Shonen Jump Championship Boston.
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Seven Days: Monday, September 12, 2005 - September 11, 2005 |
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For more than a year and a half, we here at Metagame.com have had the privilege of bringing you some of the most comprehensive articles ever written about Yu-Gi-Oh! Today we take it one step further with our newest weekly column.
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GX Deck Week: Jaden’s Elemental Heroes Deck - August 23, 2005 |
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Though they’re not particularly strong on their own, the Elemental Heroes can be complemented by other cards that are specifically designed to level the playing field, allowing them to take down monsters far larger than themselves.
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Nine SJC's and Counting: Chapter 1 - August 16, 2005 |
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The Shonen Jump Championships have given duelists a great reason to reach higher and duel harder, and with a slew of great prizes and full media coverage, both loot and glory are being fought for like never before.
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Cybernetic Surprises! - July 29, 2005 |
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Today, I’m picking up the gauntlet in the hopes that I can show you why Cybernetic Magician is one of the most deadly cards in the set!
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Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: The Cast - July 22, 2005 |
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Let’s take a look at some of the students, teachers, and other personalities to be found at Duel Academia!
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The Apotheosis: The Cat’s Pajamas - July 19, 2005 |
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Everybody loves Rescue Cat, and the ability to deliver a one-turn KO with the most adorable Yu-Gi-Oh! card ever released is just too delicious for me—or for anyone else—to resist.
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Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: An Introduction - July 17, 2005 |
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This September, North American audiences will get their first taste of the newest anime phenomenon to hit Japan. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX will give anime fans and duelists alike a whole new way to enjoy the Yu-Gi-Oh! experience!
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The Light of Play: Possessed Dark Soul - July 15, 2005 |
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The only thing better than destroying bothersome monsters is turning them against your opponent, and today’s card lets you do just that!
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The Apotheosis: D.D.’s Revenge - July 12, 2005 |
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D.D. Survivor is on everybody’s “hot this summer” list, but few duelists have come up with intriguing ways to use it. If you’ve been looking for a creative (but effective) idea, go ahead and try this deck.
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The Apotheosis: Steven’s Summoner Deck - June 28, 2005 |
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Today, we’ll look at another deck that wins in one turn, exploiting the old-school strategy of bringing out a big Fusion monster, giving it Megamorph, and attacking with it to win the game in a single blow.
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The Apotheosis: D. D. Dynamite! - June 21, 2005 |
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There’s not much that’s more thrilling than pulling off a surprise victory, and Josh’s deck is a great way to accomplish this.
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The Apotheosis: Resuscitating Rock Decks! - June 07, 2005 |
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Today I'll look at a deck sent in by a reader who's decided to dust off his Rock deck and give this previously disadvantaged monster group some love.
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The Apotheosis: Insects - May 31, 2005 |
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Insects have been one of the most neglected monster types over the history of Yu-Gi-Oh! Despite some cool promos, some promising effects, and a 1900 ATK beatstick, they’ve been maligned by most duelists and regarded as unworthy of tournament play.
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The Lost Millennium Preview: TLM-EN054 - May 26, 2005 |
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Today we’re going to look at one of the more desirable cards to see your local Sneak Preview event. Card 054 from The Lost Millennium is an interesting trap card that seems promising for creative duelists in Constructed, but exceptionally powerful in Sealed Pack formats!
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The Lost Millennium Preview: TLM-EN026 - May 24, 2005 |
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There are a lot of good Earth monsters out there. While the Light and Dark attributes get the bulk of most players’ attention, you won’t generally hear people talking about “those awesome Earth monsters.” You know what? They should be.
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The Lost Millennium Preview: TLM-EN023 - May 17, 2005 |
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It’s preview time! That most glorious of times, when every site update is like Christmas and all the Metagame writers put on their elf hats.
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The Light of Play: Blown Away - May 14, 2005 |
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Splashable and highly versatile, Windstorm of Etaqua is a remarkable card that can shine in the new Advanced format.
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The Apotheosis: King Dragun - May 10, 2005 |
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If you’re looking for a way to use all those copies of King Dragun you’ve been collecting, give them a shot in a deck like this. You’ll be surprised at just how viable it can be!
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The Light of Play: Lemmings - May 06, 2005 |
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Today, we’re going to look at one of my all-time favorite pieces of tech. But first, let’s look at some basic equations.
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The Apotheosis: Russel's Heart of Exodia - April 05, 2005 |
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The removal of The Forceful Sentry and Confiscation from the environment means that there will be little standing in the way of Exodia-based wins. A Turbo Exodia deck is a great bet in the new Advanced format.
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The Apotheosis: Justin’s Blinding Light - March 29, 2005 |
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Even though they’ve been viable in the past, Light decks have managed to slip under the popularity radar, despite having all the needed factors for successful Tribal Beatdown builds.
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The Apotheosis: Meta Machines - March 08, 2005 |
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I love Machine decks, so the new Advanced format Forbidden list has me a little concerned about the future of my favorite archetype.
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Mad About Zombie Madness! - March 07, 2005 |
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Whether it’s a tournament or just some casual play with your friends, the Zombie Structure deck has much more resiliency than the Dragon deck.
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The Apotheosis: Ric’s All-Trap Deck - March 01, 2005 |
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Overall, this is probably the most solid all-trap deck I’ve seen even before the fix. If you’ve been looking at trying an all-purple deck, this one is a great place to start.
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Limited List Update - February 28, 2005 |
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While the list has proven controversial thus far, it will usher in some really interesting changes to the metagame.
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Flaming Eternity Preview: Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys - February 15, 2005 |
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One of the most hotly anticipated cards in the Flaming Eternity set is Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. It has ignited interest in the set and really lit fire under both collectors and players.
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The Apotheosis: Aaron’s Ameba - February 01, 2005 |
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When a reader sent me his Ameba deck, I couldn’t refuse writing an article about it. I mean, how could I resist?
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The Light of Play: Magical Hats - January 29, 2005 |
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Magical Hats is more than your average funplayable card. It’s got a lot of cool uses, and is quite powerful and unique in its capabilities.
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The Apotheosis: Mayumei’s Feather Rush - January 27, 2005 |
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The Flaming Eternity set is bound to spark some interest in Harpie decks, so I’m going to talk about a Harpie deck sent to me by a contributor named Mayumei.
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The Light of Play: Cannon Soldier - January 21, 2005 |
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Cannon Soldier has won me literally several hundred games, and to say that I’m absolutely nuts about it would be an understatement.
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The Aftermath of Cyber-Stein - January 06, 2005 |
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December 15th, 2004 rocked the TCG industry, and it will forever be remembered as the day the first North American Cyber-Stein was sold.
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The Apothesis: Armed Dragon - December 15, 2004 |
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The Advanced format, which is a bit more forgiving when it comes to speed, might be just what Dragons need to become highly viable.
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The Apothesis: Dark Paladin - December 09, 2004 |
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Dark Paladin is a beast. However, it’s difficult to get it to work in a competitive environment, despite all the cards designed to help get it into play
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The Apothesis: Master of Oz - November 25, 2004 |
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If there’s anything I like, it’s big, cuddly, fuzzy things that can kick the crap out of big, not-cuddly, not-fuzzy things.
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The Apothesis: Chained Down - November 11, 2004 |
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Chain Energy punishes you for playing cards by making you die. That’s . . . that’s pretty much what it does.
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The Apothesis: Magnet Warriors! - October 28, 2004 |
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How does one resist fixing a Magnet Warrior deck? It might not win too reliably, but is there any better feeling in all of Yu-Gi-Oh! than summoning one of those insane, garishly colored, more-effort-than-it’s-worth monsters?
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Reader Challenge 5: Excitement! - October 25, 2004 |
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By now, we all understand what happens when a single Ojama Trio gets together and causes a ruckus. Long story short—it gets windy and stuff blows up.
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The Apothesis: Bradford’s Total Control Deck - October 21, 2004 |
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Bradford sent in a deck that is capable of total control, but it tries to accomplish many other things, as well. Consequently, the deck needs to be focused.
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The Apothesis: Gene's Water Deck - October 14, 2004 |
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The field is ripe for a watery picking, and reader Gene is ready to be the one to harvest the format’s reptilian fruits.
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Reader Challenge Four Solution: Canadian, Eh? - October 11, 2004 |
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The winner took a slightly different approach, opting instead to use a couple of different monsters to claim a whopping twenty-five summons by the end of the challenge.
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The Apothesis: Shift to Darkness - September 30, 2004 |
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The banned and limited lists for the Advanced format are up, and starting this week we’re going to look at a lot of decks for the new environment!
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Reader Challenge #3: Unlucky - September 09, 2004 |
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The past two Reader Challenges had little tricks that, once discovered, allowed a contestant to win the challenge. This week I want to take the contest in a different direction.
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The Apotheosis: Erik's Gate Guardian Deck - August 12, 2004 |
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Out of all the really recognizable monsters in the game, Gate Guardian is likely the worst for actual dueling. But players will always try to make a card work if you tell them it can’t—it’s a challenge, and it can be a lot of fun . . .
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Yu-Gi-Oh! Worlds Deck Profile #2: Sang Bui - August 11, 2004 |
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Of the 31 competitors at the 2004 World Championship, only 5 did not play a form of Chaos. Sang Bui was one of the few who broke away from the herd and ran one of the two Beatdown decks that made a showing at the event. Despite missing Round 1...
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The Apotheosis: David's Tri-Blue Eyes Deck - August 06, 2004 |
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David Adams sent me a cool Dragon deck that I want to take a look at. It’s very effective because it uses some great combos that haven’t seen much play before.
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The Apotheosis: Randi's Cannon Soldier Deck - July 22, 2004 |
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I liked this deck because, yeah, it has Cannon Soldier in it, but also because I felt it was a good example of taking a card not often seen as the basis of a deck and really playing around with it creatively to see what could be done.
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The Apotheosis: Manuel's Trample Deck - July 08, 2004 |
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Hello! This week I'm going to look at a deck based around a theme that we're all familiar with and see a lot, but usually only as a splash in other decks: attackers that can push damage through a defense position monster.
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The Apotheosis: Johnathan's Beatdown Deck - June 23, 2004 |
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Today's deck comes in from Jonathan Contreras, who sent me his Beatdown list. It doesn't have much of a theme, but it does have lots of different monsters . . .
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Deck Analysis: Type A Fairies - June 14, 2004 |
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Continuing my look at the decks submitted in response to Ian's open challenge for Type A format decks, today I'm going to look at XStream's "Fairies" deck.
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The Apotheosis: Brett's Dark Magician Deck - June 10, 2004 |
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Dark Magician decks have seen quite a bit of play since Dark Magician of Chaos was released. Magician's Force gave players many of the cards needed for a Spellcaster deck, but only now, with Dark Magician of Chaos, is the theme getting its due.
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Deck Analysis: Type A Gravekeeper's - June 07, 2004 |
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Several weeks ago, Ian issued a really interesting challenge to any readers up to the task—create a deck that adhered to the current Limited list, but that didn't use cards from the first four expansions or any of the Starter decks . . .
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The Apotheosis: Adam's Fire Deck - May 27, 2004 |
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Ok! Finally, I'm going to lay into a few of the more creative and original decks that I've been talking about, but not delivering, for two weeks. Invasion of Chaos gave us several good cards for Fire decks, so this definitely seems like a prime time to take a look at one.
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The Apotheosis: John's Fiend Deck - May 19, 2004 |
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Invasion of Chaos has really shaken up the Yu-Gi-Oh! environment, and many archetypes have been affected. Today's fix is about a deck based on one such archetype—Fiends.
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The Apotheosis: Manuel's Beast Deck - May 06, 2004 |
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Before the release of Invasion of Chaos, Beast decks were practically nonexistent. Now, however, with the introduction of several different key cards that give Beasts diversity, resiliency, and great effects, Beast-themed decks can be very interesting.
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The Apotheosis: Seph's Archfiend Deck - April 28, 2004 |
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Woo! Another week has arrived, and with it comes yet another deck for me to fix. This week's deck fix takes a look at one of the coolest themes in Yu-Gi-Oh!—Archfiends.
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The Apotheosis: Steven's Chaos Deck - April 21, 2004 |
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After plenty of west-coast-and-beyond submissions the past few weeks (California, Hawaii, and others!), I decided to work on a deck submission a little closer to home. This week's deck comes from Steven, in Long Island, New York . . .
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Apotheosis 10: Chris's Dragon Deck - April 14, 2004 |
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Today's submission is a cool deck based around a theme that isn't seen very often but is definitely one of the coolest available: Dragons!
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The Apotheosis: Mavinax’s A Legendary Ocean - April 07, 2004 |
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Today’s submission is one I’ve been hoping for ever since I did a bit of research on what would be in Invasion of Chaos. By this time, it’s obvious that Invasion of Chaos has done a lot to boost several different themed decks, and Water decks are certainly no exception. The set brings a lot of super
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The Apotheosis: Josef's Zombie Deck - March 31, 2004 |
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This week’s deck is a Zombie deck. Zombie decks are of great interest because of their roles in a variety of metagames. In some places, like parts of California, the local environment seems almost devoid of Zombies, while other places, like Boston, seem to be virtually overrun by Zombie decks.
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The Apotheosis: Kirk's Final Countdown - March 17, 2004 |
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This week’s deck comes to us from Kirk, in Honoka'a, Hawaii. Kirk is running a deck that was at one point a laughable idea—a deck focused on winning by use of Final Countdown. A Final Countdown deck can certainly work, so long as the deck is built and played with focus . . .
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The Apotheosis: Emmet's Last Turn - March 10, 2004 |
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I received this deck from Emmet, a contributor hailing from San Diego, California. Emmet sent in an interesting Last Turn deck that I couldn’t resist fixing . . .
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Apotheosis: Dark Magician Deck - March 03, 2004 |
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Today we look at a Dark Magician deck sent in by Phil, from Houston. The Dark Magician deck was a much-anticipated archetype leading up to the release of Magician’s Force, but the deck never really took off in most metagames. We’ll see what we can do to make this deck attractive for tourney play.
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Apotheosis: Defensive Beatdown - February 25, 2004 |
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Well, my deck is used to try and clear the field and then go in for an attack. I use monsters like Old Vindictive Magician and Man-Eater Bug, and spells and traps like Dark Hole and Raigeki to destroy their monsters.
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The Apotheosis #2: Beatdown - February 18, 2004 |
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Today, we're going to take a look at a submission from a friend I've known for a while from the Mall Tours: Timmy, from the nYo group.
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The Apotheosis #1: Magical Scientist Deck Fix - February 11, 2004 |
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Today, we're going to take a look at a submission from Phil, a more advanced player looking to broaden his horizons. He's trading in his usual Beatdown deck, at least for a few games, for a deck based around Magical Scientist--one of the top picks from Magician's Force.
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