We are one round away from the completion of Swiss competition, and it seems like a good time to look at some of the defining cards that have affected multiple archetypes here today. Here are the most popular tech picks of Day 1.

Lightning Vortex:

Faced with the Limiting of Snipe Hunter, duelists have been forced to find new ways to create utility out of synergy-oriented cards. Last format it was easy; run three Snipe Hunter and you could always have a use for that late game Trap Dustshoot or an early Pot of Avarice. This time around, competitors are forced to be a bit more creative, and stuff like Card Trader, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, Damage Condenser, and narrower choices like Chiron the Mage and Spell Shield Type-8 are seeing increased play because of it.

But the card at the top of the heap is definitely Vortex, and for good reason. With exceptionally high utility, Vortex fills the gap left by the Limiting of Smashing Ground. It’s an excellent fit for a metagame where Samurai and Zombie swarms pose a potent threat, because it can wipe out those big groups of monsters after an over-extension, killing the momentum big field commitments tend to generate. Its status as a spell card makes it faster than discard trap options, and I’ve seen a lot of people using it to destroy even just a single monster to enable Treeborn Frog and Destiny Hero – Malicious. Vortex is the most accessible and obvious discard-costed effect to run, and that’s made it popular.

The ability to make a quick pair of card-for-card trades can’t be underestimated either. Zombies and Samurai might not like being on the receiving end of Vortex, but they sure like dishing it out, creating massive simplification and then following up with huge pressure and big attacks. Taking four cards out of the picture with a single move is a big deal, and Vortex is capable of much more in the right situation. Decks like Apprentice Monarch just don’t topdeck well in simplified game states, and a strategy with more attackers and higher average utility can capitalize on that in big ways. In complicated decks simplicity and reliability can make the difference between victory and defeat, and it just doesn’t get any easier than Vortex.

Hydrogeddon and Asura Priest:

People are anticipating a ton of Apprentice Monarch here, that’s obvious. What’s not quite as obvious is the sheer number of other recruiters being used. A lot of people are playing Zombies despite the hard-to-get status of Il Blud, while both Tomato and Giant Rat are seeing a ton of use. That’s created an environment that’s very friendly for Hydrogeddon, and a surprising number of players have made the leap one step further to Asura Priest.

Using the Priest instead of Hydro has allowed slightly more adventurous players to run Creature Swap, taking advantage of their own recruiters while wrecking the opponent’s. It’s a trend instigated by the expected slow pace here today, but with all the Zombie, Samurai, and Warrior Toolbox decks around it hasn’t proven to be a completely accurate read. Whether or not the use of Asura Priest will extend beyond this tournament seems up in the air — we’ll need to see the Day 2 decklists before we can predict this card’s future. Hydrogeddon, on the other hand, seems destined to be a perennial favorite for the next six months. It’s simple, fast, and it can be used in just about anything as long as you can find the space for it.

Dust Tornado:

This format is a blend of conservative decks and combo strategies that over-extend, often not toward an immediate game win. With Smashing Ground and Brain Control at 1 per deck, Widespread Ruin and Sakuretsu Armor are gaining a ton of popularity and duelists are relying on them more and more for control over the field. That makes Dust Tornado more powerful than it was last format, simply because it has more targets and they’re less likely to be chained. It also means good things for the aggressive combo decks like Samurai and Zombie, which can capitalize on a single Dust Tornado with a big attack turn.

In addition, the lack of proactive monster removal has made Call of the Haunted or Premature Burial for a big monster more dangerous, because there are few fast-acting answers. Dust Tornado cuts the problem off at the root and can even stop Jinzo plays on the chain. Against combo-oriented decks it eliminates important continuous cards like Card of Safe Return and Card Trader, and it can chain to the activation of Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins to destroy it before it can protect itself from destruction. It breaks up synergies with astounding efficiency.  

It chains to Breaker the Magical Warrior, it stops Wave-Motion Cannon, and it opens up opportunities for game-winning attacks. It can stop the other guy from beating your face in, and it helps you beat face in return. Watch for it to gain more play as this format wears on.