One of my favorite things to do in big tournaments is to take the top-played deck and run a different variant of it. Everyone is running a specific version because it’s tested and accepted as the best deck overall. However it’s probably not the best version for the mirror match. Certainly you should be taking the mirror into consideration if the deck you’re playing is the top deck, but if you side deck at least one card for the mirror then you’re not totally geared toward beating it.

But more important than your card choices is the style with which you choose to play your deck. Chris Taporco made a big impact at Shonen Jump Championship Charlotte with what was quickly becoming everyone’s favorite deck of the day. After taking a Round 1 loss, Taporco rallied back to win eight consecutive matches and finish 8-1: good enough for an easy Top 16 finish. He did it by running a deck that hit TeleDAD where it hurt. Here’s what he played:

Monsters: 20

1 Prometheus, King of the Shadows
3 Dark Grepher
3 Destiny Hero - Dasher
3 Destiny Hero - Malicious
2 Jinzo
2 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Spirit Reaper
1 Sangan
1 Elemental Hero Stratos
2 Krebons
1 Destiny Hero - Doom Lord

The first thing you’ll notice is that Taporco doesn’t play Solemn Judgment. At the start of the format many players didn’t run it. Testing proved that Solemn caused you to lose the game to a big Synchro more often than it helped you, so Solemns weren’t played by most TeleDAD duelists in Baltimore. But since then, players have discovered how to make them work. With an established set up being so important in the Synchro deck, it’s obvious to see why those cards could make a comeback.

Taporco has no set up. With only five traps and no Solemns amongst them, there’s no real hope for Taporco to play out all his cards on the first turn and still have them when he’s up to bat again. So instead, Taporco plays in an aggressive style designed to disrupt duelists who establish deeper commitments to the field. By giving up Solemns and slower trap cards Taporco has effectively traded the ability to establish an entrenched set up for a stronger late game and more consistent OTK’s in the early game.

Really, isn’t that all you want out of a deck? A strong late game is incredibly powerful right now. Most TeleDAD decks stink when they’re down to playing the final fifteen cards in their deck. None of those cards really work together when Destiny Hero - Malicious has run out. This is why Taporco has cut a copy each of Krebons and Emergency Teleport. They are generally useless in the late game. With no hope of dropping Dark Armed Dragon or a Synchro monster, how can TeleDAD expect to win?

Taporco has plenty of ways—Destiny Hero - Dasher makes sure of that. Looking at his monster line-up there are very few that Taporco doesn’t want to special summon with Dasher. Being able to summon Jinzo or Destiny Hero - Dasher with an in-grave Dasher’s effect late in a duel can win you the game. Prometheus, King of the Shadows is another card that’s regaining popularity. It’s not uncommon to find yourself in a position where you are unable to play Dark Armed Dragon. With only two copies allowed per deck you’re not always going to have one when you’re ready to summon it. But with all the draw power in the deck, the chances of you drawing one throughout the duel are quite good.

Prometheus into Dark Armed is a game-winning play, and the later you go into the duel the more likely it is to succeed. With eight Darks kicking around in the graveyard no one expects you to drop Dark Armed Dragon, let alone a 3200 ATK Prometheus to go with it. Prometheus can do some other stuff for you too. Against players using Solemn Judgment Prometheus can equal enough damage to win the game. He can also offer ways to take out monsters by battle that would otherwise have been too big. Dark Armed Dragon can be destroyed by an attacking Prometheus for just four Dark monsters. Not the best option, but knowing that you’ve got it is comforting.

Despite playing for the late game, Taporco actually has an incredible early game. I would say he can OTK players easier than most TeleDAD decks right now. This is because of Taporco’s unique monster line-up. I have always been a fan of playing three copies of Dark Grepher and Taporco is using that here alongside three copies of Dasher. Both of these cards provide lots of special summon capability, improving the chances of making magic numbers.

Destiny Hero - Dasher does more than most people think. Clearly he’s supposed to be discarded for Destiny Draw, Dark Grepher, or Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, or else removed by Allure of Darkness. The first three plays all leave you with a Dasher in the grave that can special summon something down the road. Depending on your hand, you may only need to special summon that monster you drew.

But there are even more tricks with Dasher. Phoenix Wing Wind Blast is one of the best cards in the game right now and many players are running two or three copies in their decks. Bouncing Malicious to the top of your opponent’s deck before he or she can Synchro summon hurts. Your opponent will lose the monster he or she brought out with Emergency Teleport and that player will draw Malicious again: he might be hard to discard next turn. If you finally do dump that Malicious, you’ve only got one left in the deck to work with.

Enter Destiny Hero - Dasher. Now you draw that Malicious and send him right into play. This allows you to make an extra Synchro summon with the free Malicious: the same reasoning behind playing Destiny Hero - Fear Monger and Mystic Tomato. Dasher also allows you to special summon other Synchro materials.

Imagine you’re playing Taporco’s deck and you draw Krebons, Malicious, Destiny Draw, Dasher, and Grepher. You discard the Dasher for Destiny Draw, and next turn draw the second copy of Krebons. Since the deck only plays two you might be in trouble here: your Synchro summons are going to have be made slowly, one per turn. Chances are the opponent can handle that, but if you Dash out the drawn copy of Krebons you’re able to go off. Special summon Grepher by discarding Malicious and you’ve got two Synchro summons available this turn. OTKs may be available now, as you can apply pressure with two Synchros.

is the final card this deck played that you won’t be seeing in other decks. Jinzo is a great card right now because of all the copies of Solemn Judgment floating about. You can drop Jinzo to prevent your opponent from using Solemn on your special summons like Dark Armed Dragon or your Synchros. Jinzo + Dark Armed Dragon is already 5200 damage, making a win very easy to achieve with the pair. Another Synchro or Dark Armed Dragon can do the trick, or perhaps a pair of special summoned Grephers? Either way, if you’re able to drop Jinzo there’s probably nothing the opponent can do to live that turn.

Stopping Jinzo with Solemn Judgment isn’t the best solution either. Now your opponent is below 4000 life points and the magic numbers for this deck become even easier to achieve. That Dark Armed Dragon will probably still come down that turn, and your opponent no longer has the Solemn to stop it. All that’s needed is another 1200 damage to seal the deal, and that can be done as easily as flashing Emergency Teleport.

Taking a different approach with a popular deck is certain to throw people off. Opponents won’t be sure how to play against your unique card choices, but you’ll be sure about how to beat their decks. You’ve tested for what they’re playing, but they haven’t tested against you. You have the advantage.

—Matt Peddle