Greetings, students! With the new format now introduced this past week it’s like a whole new semester has begun: new opportunities, new strategies, and a swirling morass of confused duelists with no sense of direction whatsoever! It’s times like these when the world is truly blessed to have quick-witted mentors like me, willing to share their bountiful wealth of knowledge.
I’m pleased to say that I’ve had some excellent deck submissions arrive in my inbox over the past few days. Of course, I’ve also had some that reeked like dead fish, but wading through the offal is just one of the many noble sacrifices I make in order to better the dueling world. Here’s a letter from Michael, this week’s deck contributor:
I have liked Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys since it was first released, but I wasn’t able to get my copies until recently. I built a Phoenix deck before the new format was announced, but I’ve dropped some of the cards and re-made the deck. I tend to be more of a control player. Before I had a Phoenix, I used strategies like Deckout and Burn.
This deck is designed to get Phoenix out as soon as possible. What makes this deck different is the Warrior support, such as Marauding Captain, to help get Phoenix out quicker. It is also designed to take away the opponent’s field and hand presence. Even if the Phoenix is removed, I still have a backup copy just in case. There are quite a few monsters that can draw out removal cards: like Spirit Reaper, D. D.Warrior Lady, Jinzo, and Mobius the Frost Monarch, as well as some others. I haven't had a chance to test this deck out yet, but please help fix it. Thank you very much!
—Michael H.
Charleston, South Carolina
Note that Michael’s letter was legible, and gave some important details about the deck he sent me. He was especially thorough in detailing his own play style, and telling me what made his deck special. That makes it easier for me to help him without changing the deck and compromising his vision. Or alternatively, if I do decide to crush his dreams and strategic intents, I’ll get the satisfaction of being certain of what I’m doing. Either way, it’s good news for me.
On the other hand, Michael did neglect to address his letter to me by name. How ineffably rude of him! For reference, common manners are valued in deck submissions, and if you wish to attach some complimentary adjectives to my name when you use it, well, that certainly wouldn’t be unwelcome. I do so adore adjectives.
Anyway, let us proceed!
Fast Phoenix—43 Cards
Monsters: 22
Mobius the Frost Monarch
Jinzo
Cyber Dragon
Cyber Dragon
Hand of Nephthys
Hand of Nephthys
Apprentice Magician
Apprentice Magician
Old Vindictive Magician
Old Vindictive Magician
. . . Wait, wait, stop right there. What is that? Is that supposed to be a decklist? What sort of wordy masochist would prefer to type the name of a card over and over instead of simply placing a number next to it to indicate quantity? Clearly Michael can count well into the double-digit range, so I trust that he can also count to three. How perplexing. Perhaps we should begin today’s lesson not with a deck fix, but with a deck list fix. Here is what Michael’s decklist should have looked like:
Fast Phoenix—43 Cards
Monsters: 22
1 Jinzo
2 Cyber Dragon
2 Hand of Nephthys
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
1 Sangan
1 Morphing Jar
1 Treeborn Frog
1 Injection Fairy Lily
1 Marauding Captain
1 D. D.Warrior Lady
1 Don Zaloog
1 Spirit Reaper
2 Exiled Force
Spells: 14
1 Pot of Avarice
1 Snatch Steal
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Book of Moon
2 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Card Destruction
1 Scapegoat
2 Enemy Controller
1 Brain Control
2 Smashing Ground
Traps: 7
1 Ring of Destruction
1 Mirror Force
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Torrential Tribute
2 Sakuretsu Armor
1 Bottomless Trap Hole
There. Isn’t that better?
My first and most immediate concern with this deck (now that I can read it) is its size. Michael’s intent is to summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys as quickly as possible, but at 43 cards, this deck might as well be called “Fat Phoenix”. He’s using a few cards like Morphing Jar to speed things up, but 43 cards is just excessive.
My secondary concern is that Michael seems to be accomplishing a wide array of redundant or unnecessary goals when he could be focusing on his central strategy. This deck just doesn’t need all the spell, trap, and monster removal it’s currently using, because Phoenix will let Michael address those concerns on its own if it’s properly supported. Let’s start by removing some cards.
The first immediate drop is Jinzo. Though it won’t be by the time I’m through with it, this deck is currently using seven traps, all of which are utterly useless when Jinzo hits the field. Michael is also using Treeborn Frog, and while Call of the Haunted is a risky card to use in any deck running Treeborn, it’s especially difficult when Jinzo is around as well. The truth is, half the time this deck likes attacking into Mirror Force, Widespread Ruin, or Sakuretsu Armor, and the only trap you’d really want to negate is Bottomless Trap Hole. That’s something you can side against and play around: Jinzo will only get in the way of superior skill.
Many of the same points apply to Mobius the Frost Monarch too. This deck just doesn’t need spell and trap removal unless it encounters Bottomless Trap Hole. If it does, it probably wants Dust Tornado instead of Mobius, since Mobius gives the deck one more dead draw in a bad situation and consumes a normal summon, preventing us from deploying the much-vaunted firebird that is the center of Michael’s strategy.
Both Morphing Jar and Card Destruction are here to speed the deck up, but neither card is safe in an era where any given opponent might be wielding Dark World. In addition, Morphing Jar costs us a normal summon to set it, and Card Destruction costs us a card itself. Drawing through the deck is certainly very important for what we’re trying to do, but thanks to Strike of Neos, there are better ways to do it. We’ll re-visit that statement a bit later in the lesson.
With a 2400 ATK monster that can almost never be destroyed, and two searchable copies of Old Vindictive Magician backing it up, this deck does not need all the monster removal that Michael is using. In fact, while destroying your opponent’s monsters is almost always a good thing, monster removal through effects just isn’t as good this format as it was in the last. Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys is actually one of the big reasons behind this trend, since any regular destruction card is only delaying the inevitable when it destroys Phoenix. Removing the two Exiled Force cards will give us some more room in the monster lineup.
From there, the deck only has a handful of Warriors left, so I’ll remove one copy of Reinforcement of the Army. Any dedicated Phoenix strategy can perform impressively in the late game, but dead draws in that portion of the duel still hurt, and running two Reinforcement cards with so few Warriors is taking a big risk.
Next, one Brain Control, two Smashing Ground, two Sakuretsu Armor, and one Bottomless Trap Hole will all be dropped. Bottomless can certainly be sided against other Phoenix players, but we’ll want to avoid Sakuretsu Armor for reasons I’ll explain later in the lecture. As for Brain Control and Smashing Ground, neither is really needed with Snatch Steal, Scapegoat, Enemy Controller, Mirror Force, Ring of Destruction, and Torrential Tribute already providing us with protection. It’s complete and total overkill, and it’s robbing this deck of the grace and speed with which it could be performing. Inexcusable!
So, let’s begin adding cards. Since we’ve removed thirteen thus far, and would like to slim the deck down to 40 cards total, we can make ten additions. Let’s start with the most obvious addition (and my favorite!), some BERATEMENT!
Why, oh why, class, would a duelist who professes to be dedicated to a timely use of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys not run three? Is the potential to draw one truly that frightening?
. . . You weren’t supposed to nod! You’re all a bunch of cowards! Spineless slackers! Pah! No matter. In truth, perhaps Michael’s decision had a solid thought process behind it. However, his solution is lacking in the wake of Strike of Neos. For those of you willing to truly dedicate yourselves, one new card can help compensate for the potential risks associated with your focus.
Behold my genius! Three copies of Card Trader will allow us to shuffle back the cards that this deck simply does not want to draw. Ideally, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys will almost always be special summoned from the deck, as drawing into one not only means using an extra in-hand card to bring Phoenix to the field, but it also excludes you from some important special summoning tricks. Card Trader will let you shuffle any Phoenix you draw back into your deck, taking something more useful in the immediate run instead.
But that’s not all! Did you draw into Cyber Dragon when you already control a monster? Just pass it to that gentleman in the black cloak—he’ll gladly give you something a bit more useful. Do you find pieces of your Apprentice Engine filling your hand in the early game with no Apprentice Magician in sight? Shuffle them back and search them out later: it keeps your Apprentices valuable. The uses for this card are endless, and adding three to the deck is going to do a lot to influence our final build. Even if you don’t have dead cards you want to shuffle back, refining your draws with an extra card each turn ensures that this deck has the speed and precision Michael was aiming for—no nasty Morphing Jar required! Granted, the use of Card Trader does bring one little hazard to the deck, but we’ll discuss that later . . .
With that change made, we can bring the deck up to a full retinue of Hands and Phoenixes, adding one more of each. In addition, we can even use three Thunder Dragon cards for thinning! Once you change your first Thunder Dragon into two more, you can spend the next two turns shuffling them back into your deck to get two real cards. If you ever draw multiple Thunder Dragon cards in your opening hand, you can always shuffle them back with Trader and then immediately activate your remaining Dragon anyway! It helps with Pot of Avarice too, a card that would be on the chopping block otherwise.
We can even afford to add a second Marauding Captain thanks to the leeway Card Trader affords us. The ability to special summon a Cyber Dragon on your first turn in order to draw out Bottomless Trap Hole, and then normal summon Marauding Captain to bring out Hand of Nephthys, and then trade them both for a Phoenix then and there is incredibly powerful. Such plays can allow you to easily outwit your opponent, and an early game Phoenix can make life exceptionally difficult for him or her. Michael really had a good idea there. Granted, it’s not a brilliant idea like using Card Trader . . . but even I have to admit that it’s pretty good.
Finally, Premature Burial is, at least in my opinion, a must for any Phoenix deck (and I have a PhD in dueling and you do not, so that settles that). With Injection Fairy Lily running around and the average Monarch user desperate to trade one of his or her elemental oafs for your Phoenix in battle, Premature has the potential to bring back a fallen Phoenix more often than not. Even better, if you used Scapegoat and Hand of Nephthys to special summon one Phoenix from your deck, then Premature Burial lets you do the same trick again. Two Phoenixes in a single turn! The mere idea dazzles my senses.
The deck is now complete, so let’s take a moment to appreciate the splendor of my creative prowess!
-1 Jinzo
-1 Mobius the Frost Monarch
-1 Morphing Jar
-1 Card Destruction
-2 Exiled Force
-1 Reinforcement of the Army
-1 Brain Control
-2 Smashing Ground
-2 Sakuretsu Armor
-1 Bottomless Trap Hole
+3 Thunder Dragon
+1 Hand of Nephthys
+1 Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys
+1 Marauding Captain
+1 Premature Burial
+3 Card Trader
The final masterpiece is showcased here!
Fast Phoenix—Vowler’s Much Better Version—40 Cards
Monsters: 23
3 Thunder Dragon
3 Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys
2 Cyber Dragon
3 Hand of Nephthys
2 Apprentice Magician
2 Old Vindictive Magician
1 Sangan
1 Treeborn Frog
1 Injection Fairy Lily
2 Marauding Captain
1 D. D.Warrior Lady
1 Don Zaloog
1 Spirit Reaper
Spells: 13
1 Pot of Avarice
1 Snatch Steal
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Book of Moon
1 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Scapegoat
2 Enemy Controller
1 Premature Burial
3 Card Trader
Traps: 4
1 Ring of Destruction
1 Mirror Force
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Torrential Tribute
We’ve made three changes that help this deck explode earlier than it could before. The first is the addition of a third Hand of Nephthys. We’re running two Cyber Dragon cards, two Marauding Captain cards, and one Reinforcement of the Army to search Captain from the deck, all of which can combine with Hand for a turn 1 Phoenix if you wind up going second. That means you’ll have Phoenix on your first turn in almost one quarter of your games. Impressive.
The second change is Card Trader, which, at its worst, digs for Hand of Nephthys. At its best, it ensures that every draw we make is perfect, gives us extra cards through Thunder Dragon, and provides a method for returning Phoenix or Apprentice Engine monsters to the deck. Card Trader was the reason I decided to drop as many defensive traps as possible: if one’s on the field alone, it can be difficult for your opponent to rationalize activating Heavy Storm, but if he or she knows that there’s a chance at taking down a Sakuretsu Armor as well, the opponent will definitely use it. We must encourage the opponent to leave our infrastructure intact, so setting as few cards as possible is very important. Unless you set Scapegoat. In which case you can point and laugh.
Remember that your own Phoenix will sometimes be the worst threat to Card Trader. There isn’t any easy way around that fact, and learning to play around this little bit of conflicting strategy will come only with time. Provided you put in the hours studying (and I’m sure you’re all studying as you should be . . .), you should have no problem making sure that key cards are cycled back with Card Trader before it comes under fire. In addition, if you can encourage your opponent to set more cards to the spell and trap zone through the use of Card Trader and quickplay spells, you can work to cushion the blow by ensuring that your opponent loses more cards than you do.
The third and final change is simply the little slimming job we’ve done. There is a huge difference between a 43-card deck and a 40-card deck using Thunder Dragon, and Michael’s going to see that when he examines his next win/loss record.
As for play tips, those are simplicity itself! SPEED! While you’ll always want to be a little careful in order to play around Bottomless Trap Hole, the earlier you can get Phoenix to the field, the better. Once it arrives in all its blazing glory, you should focus on defending it, because your chance to win rises every turn you keep Phoenix on the table. Setting Enemy Controller in the second main phase of a turn on which you summoned Phoenix is almost always a good idea, even if it exposes you to Heavy Storm when you have Card Trader out. The Controller will protect you from Lily and Monarch alike, and it can even be chained to tribute away Phoenix if the opponent tries to be clever and use Smashing Ground to trick your Phoenix into destroying your back row.
Another point of advice—don’t hesitate to bring out multiple Phoenixes at once. The ability to do so is one of the more unique and important tricks this deck can use, and the damage that two Phoenixes can rack up is nothing short of astounding. Even if you do have to tribute summon one from your hand, remember that you’ve got plenty of ideal tributes like Treeborn Frog and Old Vindictive to take advantage of. Timing, and knowing when to press with a second Phoenix, is another skill that will come with practice and courage. Never be afraid to grasp victory by its flaming wings!
That’s it for this lesson, but be sure to attend class next week as we continue to save the world from bad decks, one slacker at a time!
Are you a dismal slacker? Do you feel the need to seek help from someone clearly superior to you in every way? Don’t worry—just send me your Advanced format decklist, a few paragraphs describing what the deck does, and your name and location to: VowlerIsSoAwesome@gmail.com. I may take pity on you and feature your deck in my next lecture!