The last format was one of much diversity and anti-metagaming. From Monarchs to Destiny Heroes, burn to Demise, the past six months had it all. It seemed like almost every Shonen Jump Championship had a new deck make the Top 16. While few were able to take the championship with unique builds, there was no doubt that rogue decks and forgotten archetypes could burst into the limelight at any given tournament.

With the new format now upon us, duelists are taking a look at both the old and the new. Apprentice Magician-based decks are looking to make a big comeback, and Monarchs could simply replace Brain Control with Soul Exchange. With Ring of Destruction gone and Jinzo only Semi-Limited, Return from the Different Dimension decks are sure to see play as well. Warriors have also been labeled as tier one again.

But many players are wondering if a Beast deck supported by Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest can survive in the new environment. As the final archetype to make its debut during the last format, Baboon Beasts made the Top 16 in the hands of Billy Brake at SJC Indy. Let's take a look at the deck he used:

Monsters: 20

3 Giant Rat

3 Card Trooper

3 Nimble Momonga

1 Treeborn Frog

1 Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest

1 Morphing Jar

2 Cyber Dragon

1 Sangan

3 Raiza the Storm Monarch

1 Spirit Reaper

1 Neo-Spacian Grand Mole

Spells: 12

1 Premature Burial

1 Heavy Storm

2 Machine Duplication

1 Confiscation

1 Pot of Avarice

1 Scapegoat

1 Mystical Space Typhoon

1 Brain Control

1 Snatch Steal

1 Nobleman of Crossout

1 Book of Moon

Traps: 8

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Ring of Destruction

1 Call of the Haunted

3 Trap Dustshoot

1 Mind Crush

1 Mirror Force

This excellent deck is probably the only one out there right now that can capitalize on Trap Dustshoot as well as Machine beatdown. As many of you know from playing against opponents with Trap Dustshoot, losing a game can be as simple as your opponent flipping a Dustshoot or two one turn, then flipping Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive next turn and summoning Card Trooper. If the opponent rids you of all your playable monsters with Trap Dustshoot and you don't draw another one immediately, you won't be able to defend yourself and will quickly move to game 2.

While this deck doesn't play Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, it does play three copies of Card Trooper, as well as Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. Grand Mole can really amplify the effects of Trap Dustshoot, constantly sending back monsters that have to be set first. With Grand Mole, Brake could target only the monsters that can attack back with his copies of Trap Dustshoot. For example, Brake goes first, flips Trap Dustshoot, and sends back Card Trooper over Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive or Gravekeeper's Spy. His opponent sets one of the flip effects, and Brake flip summons his monster, normal summons Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, and bounces the flip effect. Now the opponent is either going to have to top deck into an attacking monster or use one of his or her flip-effect monsters to attack. If the opponent takes the latter route, Brake can play a different monster and save his Grand Mole for when his opponent has to set a monster. Rinse, lather, and repeat, and Brake's opponent is in for a world of hurt if Neo-Spacian Grand Mole comes into play.

By the way, Brake also plays three copies of Giant Rat, which can search for Grand Mole, so he'll be getting the Mole out a lot. That's not all the Rats do though. If Brake happens to be holding a copy of Machine Duplication, Giant Rat can turn itself into Card Trooper by being destroyed in battle. Trap Dustshoot can help set that up. All Brake has to do is leave his opponent with one monster that can attack (preferably a Card Trooper of his or her own), so that Brake can storm through it next turn.

Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest has perfect synergy with the rest of this deck. Not only will the opponent absolutely love to destroy recruiter Beasts like Giant Rat and Nimble Momonga, but Card Trooper has the chance to send Baboon to the graveyard with its effect. If Brake gets to dump multiple cards with Card Trooper over two or three turns, Baboon is likely to make an appearance. This makes Machine Duplication that much more deadly.

Much like the Machine deck that plays Treeborn Frog and multiple copies of Raiza the Storm Monarch, this deck can really capitalize on Machine Duplication. Games tend to be over quickly after one player suddenly throws out three copies of Card Trooper to attack with, but in some games the Duplication player can't break through monsters like Gravekeeper's Spy or attack-mode Monarchs. In this deck, sending nine cards to the graveyard means Brake is likely to send Treeborn Frog or Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest there as well. This means Brake can follow up with Raiza the Storm Monarch (in the case of Treeborn Frog being sent) or a Beast like Giant Rat or Nimble Momonga (in the event that Baboon hits the graveyard).

Nimble Momonga is an excellent anti-metagame card by itself. By both gaining life points and recruiting extra monsters in defense position, it can fend off those aggressive Machine decks and give Brake enough life points to make repeated Baboon payments. Nimble Momonga can also be used as an offensive weapon. Destroying one in battle only means there will be two to face next turn, so Brake can feel free to lean on his opponent with one, knowing that he'll probably have at least one monster on his field to attack with next turn.

Raiza the Storm Monarch is in the deck to amplify the effects of almost every scenario. Too many monsters in your hand? Bet you won't like to see Raiza come down and force you to draw another one next turn. Trying to set up a wall to stall into some better cards? Heavy Storm with Raiza means that the wall is ruined. Combine Raiza with Treeborn Frog or Brain Control, and the problems just keep piling up for Brake's opponents.

There were a lot of things the opponent had to deal with when coming up against Brake's Baboon deck. While Machine Duplication and Trap Dustshoot won't be amongst those problems next format, you can be sure there will be other tricks for Baboon players to use. Will the deck survive the format change and make another Top 16 appearance at SJC Washington? We'll have to wait and see.