It’s Monday, May 7th, and with Force of the Breaker Sneak Previews now behind us, the dueling world is setting its sights to twelve days from now, as we anticipate what may be a record-breaking Shonen Jump Championship!
SJC Philadelphia Just Around The Corner
Last year, more than 800 duelists gathered at the Pennsylvania Convention Center to compete in the biggest Shonen Jump Championship of all time. That record has stood unbroken ever since, but it may be shattered in less than two weeks’ time. Shonen Jump action is set to return to Philadelphia, and we could be in for the biggest tournament of all time!
As the perceived threat of Demise, King of Armageddon slowly rises, creativity still seems to be the order of the day. SJC Anaheim was just a few days ago, and strategies from West Tran’s recruiter-driven deck to Theeresak Poonsombat’s quirky Destiny Hero Beatdown continue to create new developments in the North American metagame. As Diamond Dude Turbo and Demise OTK move from rogue status to archetypical pillars of the format, new rogue strategies continue to replace them.
That makes Philly yet another tournament with a metagame that’s difficult to predict heading in. Demise OTK seems a sure bet for increased play, having taken three of the Top 8 spots in Anaheim. Monarchs and Gadgets will continue to have their proponents, but what of Burn, Beatdown, and the emerging recruiter strategies? Considering the shocking decks that have made Day 2 at recent Shonen Jump Championships, what will be the next big Day 2 surprise? We’ve already seen Elemental Heroes and Cyberdarks, so who knows what could see success this time around.
Jerome McHale will bring you all the details live from the tournament floor, so if you can’t make it to the event yourself, be here on May 19th and 20th for all the decks, matches, and commentary you crave! Still thinking of heading out, but haven’t finalized your plans yet? Hit up the official event listing for the details you need.
This one could very well be a record-breaker in more ways than one, so don’t miss it! The format marches on, and the only way you’ll stay on the cutting edge is to be there yourself, or be here with us on Metagame.com!
This Week on Metagame
This week, we introduce two new writers to the regular Metagame.com lineup, but first, Mike Rosenberg gets us started today as he examines one of the most talked-about cards of the format: Advanced Ritual Art! The mega-popular Strike of Neos common has launched Ritual Monsters to the forefront of competition, but there’s more to it than Demise OTK. Mike will throw back the veil and show you some exciting new possibilities, explaining in detail what makes Advanced Ritual Art so good.
Pulled some of the new Volcanic cards at your Force of the Breaker Sneak Preview last weekend? Jerome McHale’s cooked up a spicy little number centered around Blaze Accelerator, the new Volcanic monsters, and some creative sources of burn damage. If you want to give the new Volcanic theme a try and play a really dedicated Fire deck, then tomorrow’s Almost There is a must-read!
Dr. Crellian Vowler’s tenure of terror continues on Wednesday, as he takes a crack at a Sky Scourge - Norleras deck! This new spin on Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End has generated a ton of discussion over the past few weeks, and now that players have finally got their hands on it, there are some very inventive builds circulating. Vowler’s going to show you a fine example, as he fixes up a Virus-based version and turns it into something completely different.
Thursday, Curtis Schultz reveals rulings for some of the most interesting cards in Force of the Breaker. Raiza the Storm Monarch is one of the most popular cards from the set, and Curtis starts off big by answering all the important questions you’ve been wondering. Then, he investigates some of the situations you can find yourself in when you play Secrets of the Gallant, ending with important info about the field search monsters and Harpie’s Queen. It’s a great article for any duelist, but if you’re a competitive player, it’s going to be especially useful.
On Friday, we debut a new member of the Metagame.com family, Bryan Camareno! You might recognize Bryan from his previous works under the pen name “DeathJester,” or his team’s profile from last year’s Shonen Jump Championship Orlando. Bryan has made contributions to the online dueling community for years now, and we’re thrilled to have him here! His column, The Practical Duelist, will help you tackle the fundamental challenges Yu-Gi-Oh! offers while showing you tips and techniques to improve your game. Look for it every Friday from here on out!
West Tran took an innovative, highly-metagamed deck all the way to a Top 8 finish at Anaheim. This Saturday, our own Matt Peddle will break down Tran’s card choices to show you what made his build so good. Tech, some spot-on metagame predictions, and a dose of raw aggression resulted in a very successful deck, and Matt’s going to examine it piece by piece for your benefit.
Finally, we’ll round out our week this Sunday with yet another new writer—Matt “Coin Flip” Murphy! One of the creators of the monster-free Chain Strike Burn deck, you’ll remember Matt from his performance at Shonen Jump Championship San Jose last December. His new column is called Combination Attack, and each week he’ll build a deck around one cool combo. What qualifies as “cool,” you ask? This week he’s focusing on Neo-Spacian Grand Mole and Cloak and Dagger! Fun stuff.
That’s it for this week, but join us in another Seven Days for some more fresh faces, as we continue to up the ante here at Metagame.com!