It’s Monday, January 7, 2008, and we’re back from our two-week hiatus with new articles and a look ahead at some of this month’s biggest events!

Phantom Darkness Sneak Previews Ahead

Ha! Like you’re not already planning to go. For those of you who have somehow managed to miss the news, 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. Phantom Darkness may be the best set we’ve ever seen, and you’ll get your first chance to crack packs on January 26 and 27. That’s two weeks before it hits stores.

Whether you compete in the Open Play dueling or a Swiss tournament, you’ll get a copy of the new Dark Grepher promo card, another world debut that was never released in Japan. Dark Grepher supports the set’s Dark theme by giving you two ways to get more Dark monsters into the graveyard, and it’s going to have a strong role in some of the top decks that come out of this set. Attendees who perform well in the Swiss competition will get to win more packs of Phantom Darkness, and will also get a chance at a Yubel t-shirt.

For information on Sneak Preview events in your area, hit up the official Sneak Preview Page over on Upper Deck’s Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG website. There, you’ll find more info on the formats offered at Sneak Previews, plus a handy event locator to help you find Sneaks close to you. If there isn’t one listed yet, keep checking back, because the locator is still being updated.

The First Shonen Jump of the New Year!

The first 2008 Shonen Jump event will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in conjunction with the FX International Show, a huge gathering ground for toy, comic, celebrity, and gaming enthusiasts! One year ago at this very venue, we saw Team Rampage (now Team Yu-Gi-Oh! ETC) storm the Top 8 with Chimeratech Overdragon, but in the end it was Team Nexus’s Paul Lyn who took home the title with his own Chimeratech Ancient Gear build. This time around it’s anybody’s game, but Nexus will surely be looking to claim another title in the name of their sponsor and local dueling hotbed, B.R.A.D.’S Sportscards and Collectibles.

Not much has changed since Shonen Jump Championship San Mateo in December 2007. The card pool is the same, and while duelists have certainly become a bit savvier, the field is still wide open with a shocking number of competitive decks. This is the last Shonen Jump before Phantom Darkness becomes legal for premier play, so whatever happens in Orlando, it will be only one of many factors to consider heading into Houston. Victory will surely go to the duelists who have practiced and experimented the most over the past four weeks.

If you’re considering heading out to compete, it’s not too late to make your travel arrangements. You can find all the basic info right here on Upper Deck’s event listing page, and you’ll find details about hotel bookings, venue maps, and side events over on Premier Tournament Organizer Unity Entertainment’s Shonen Jump Championship page. Remember, if you want to play in the SJC and the Phantom Darkness Sneak Preview, Preview events will run parallel to the Shonen Jump on both Saturday and Sunday.

See you there!

This Week on Metagame.com

We’re back, and with one week left until we dive into our Phantom Darkness previews we’ve got seven days of regular columns. I’m getting things started today with a look at one of my favorite cards from Gladiator’s Assault, Energy-Absorbing Monolith. Easily one of the most underrated cards from the set, the intriguing thing about Monolith is how differently it acts in each of the four big Burn matchups. That’s what I’ll focus on as I examine how best to use this tech card in a variety of scenarios against various decks, showing you why it should be in your side deck.

On Tuesday, Jerome McHale takes on one last deck before Phantom Darkness swoops in and changes everything. He’ll be creating a strategy based around Frost and Flame Dragon. Skreech and Dragon Ice lend a hand to this new build, and a dose of Jerome’s signature counter traps binds things together nice and tight for competitive play. If you’re looking for one more deck to try out before the Sneak Preview and want to put some of your new Secret Rares to work, this is the article for you!

Curtis Schultz starts another year of Duelist Academy lessons with one of the most important topics that many duelists get wrong: the battle step. Curtis deals with timing issues for cards that are played in response to attacks, examines what happens between that point and the damage step, and then tackles the sticky issue of replays. If you’re a competitive duelist, you should read this, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Thursday in The Apotheosis, Matt Murphy fixes his final pre–Phantom Darkness deck. This week, he looks at a deck we’ve all probably thought about at least once: combining the special summoning power of the Six Samurai with Light and Darkness Dragon! The result is, well, interesting. Because Matt liked the original deck so much, this isn’t your average deck fix. He’ll give you two ready-made decklists that are suitable for competition. Cool stuff.

No matter who you are, you’ve probably found yourself in a dueling slump at one point or another. It’s a common affliction for both beginner players and veterans, and it can be a tough thing to break through. Bryan Camareno knows how you feel, and on Friday, he’ll share his personal tips for getting through your down times in The Practical Duelist.

Saturday, Matt Peddle looks at one of the most unique decks to rise from the field at Shonen Jump San Mateo—John Umali’s uberaggressive Macro Cosmos deck. Umali’s build smacks of the confidence that the first Shonen Jump Champion is known for, and his version of Macro may become a common sight over the next few months. With graveyards becoming even more important thanks to Phantom Darkness, this is one deck that deserves your attention.

Finally, Ryan Murphy brings you what I think might be the best installment of The Forgotten Format yet. Ryan’s going to put together a Water Control deck that brings back the old-school hand disruption of days gone by, devastating key cards in the opponent’s repertoire to create dead draws and dominate the duel. While most Traditional decks are like giant wrecking balls, this one strikes with surgical precision. If you’re interested in the Traditional format, you definitely don’t want to miss this article on Sunday.

That’s it for this week. Get ready, though, because in another seven days, we’ll be back with our first preview from the all-new Phantom Darkness set! The most talked-about set in years is just weeks away, and we’ll be profiling the coolest and most competitive cards.

See you then!

—Jason Grabher-Meyer

Contributing Editor, Metagame.com