Local Qualifier on the Horizon!

So today I figured I'd drop by and do something I've yet to do on this blog: A personal posting. I've done plenty of card reveals, but that's no fun all by itself. As some people might be aware, the regional qualifiers in the US are coming closer to their conclusion, and my hometown is no exception. I live in Louisiana, you hounding paparazzi, so come get me! Regardless, with my home shop entering regional qualifiers, I've begun to think about what decks will see the most play or have seen the most play lately. Nobody I've seen has really covered this issue, so these are all my personal opinion, bolstered as much as possible by the facts and current sets out.

Counting Out the Top Ten Decks!

Here is my pick for the top ten decks I expect to see at regionals, ranked in order of how I expect them to do, and named by their boss Vanguard. Let's go!

Honorable Mention - Perfect Raizer

Let's be real, Perfect Raizer is a serious contender. The only reason he gets the Honorable Mention Slot is because his set is released the DAY BEFORE my regionals will happen. That means unless you've pre-ordered the entire deck's new cards (admittedly, that's only 12 cards), or got everything you needed at a pre-release, you'll likely not see this guy. Any tournaments happening that first weekend in April may see more of him, but not my store. Still, as a person who has about 90% of this build complete, it could definitely put some decks like MLB and Blonde Ezel in for a serious hurting.

#10 - Cosmo Healer, Ergodiel 

Do not underestimate this card. It may not be new to many of us, but it never got weak. The ability to heal your own damage in a best-of-one setting is outrageously good. Add to the fact that it is a ride-chain, so you get the +1 search effects, and it is a cheap ability means Ergodiels may make a strong showing. You may also see them pair with a Mobile Hospital Build, but its less likely. I only put this deck at #10 because it is old, and people tend to choose new or exciting decks when they enter tournaments. Also, Angel Feathers is hard to play correctly, trust me. I misplay all the time with my Shamsiel Build. Many will shy away from this defensive style in favor of a more offensive deck that is simpler to play.

#9 - Blade Wing Reijy

Two words: Passive Criticals.

With the advent of new cards like Hysteric Shirley and Dark Soul Conductor, Reijy builds have skyrocketed in popularity. The ability to acquire 15 soul on turn 3 DOES exist, and if you miss it, a good DI player can attain it turn four with little problem (if you don't believe me, wait till I Spotlight this deck, and I'll show you how). Three damage is an excellent counter to most Limit Break Decks, and this build can almost perfectly shut down the Dangerous Dudley Emperor Deck. Its problem? Consistency. The deck can soulcharge an outrageous number of triggers, and without them this deck can't win. With no way yet to guarantee triggers don't end up in my soul, I can see a lot of more experienced players choosing a different deck to play when the wrong soulcharge can cost you regionals.

#8 - Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi

Which brings us to the popular "Drawing Cards" build. Less aggressive than CoCo, and far more expensive, this deck will show up in the hands of seasoned OTT players. A ride chain can guarantee an 11K vanguard, and the ability to memorize your deck is super fantastic to do. But like Angel Feathers, this takes a special kind of player, and they are hard to find. Knowing what comes next will help you, but like CoCo, early rush decks will plow this into the ground unless it gets very lucky in the opening hand/opening two turns.

#7 - Top Idol, Pacifica

Like I said, some players want consistency. Bermuda Triangle Provides that. Bermudas do very well worldwide, and their fans will make sure they show up at regionals. They are hard to play against because a lot of their abilities just happen, and force you to guard attacks you usually wouldn't need to just to prevent massive card-advantage. Like most draw-heavy decks, however, the clan is pretty weak offensively, and can be beaten by a good early-rush deck.

#6 - Phantom Blaster Overlord

The first crossride, Phantom Blaster Overlord! That 13K power will be a considerable draw for players already steeped in Shadow Paladins, and the Break Ride-esque power is no joke. Add the near guaranteed ride chain, and you have a deadly combination. The only weakness in this deck comes from it's hefty cost. CB3 means that you only get the ability once, unless you heal. A single saved perfect guard will ruin your chance for victory, and its hard to do it twice. I forsee that PBO will just not have the staying power to go toe to toe with these decks that pull off their "Final Turn" attack multiple times.

#5 - Incandescent Lion, Blonde Ezel

There is a reason why Gold Paladin PGs are so expensive. Blonde Ezel was the original tournament buster, and I expect we'll see this deck surface like gnats during regionals. The only downside is that people have learned to combat such a deck, perfect guarding ezel's Limit Break and goading the opponent into superior calling the triggers which would have helped him. Blonde Ezel will also find itself hard-pressed to stand around with only 10K power, since almost every deck can hit consistent rows of 20 against it. It will fall regionally just like it did on the world stage.

#4 - Spectral Duke Dragon

The true might of Gold Paladin stands right here. Spectral Duke won worlds, and because of it, he will flood regionals with his glory. People will be re-building that famous deck card for card, and will attempt to take their local tournaments using his might. His flaw, however, is that he is a weaker version of THE END, and I can see that deck crushing him outright. Also, retiring three cards gets very hefty, so most people know to let him hit the first time, hoping he exhausts everything he has before perfect guarding him, then pushing for game. Lucky triggers may save the deck, but he is a bit outmatched here.

#3 - Majesty Lord Blaster

Most people are surprised to not see this build as #2, because most people forget about my number 2, which is why it got as high as it did. Majesty attains number 3 for good reason. Passive Criticals, 12K base power, and outrageous support and superior calling. Its downside, however, lies in its "Final Turn" move. Placing both blasters in soul wastes a lot of resources, and usually an entire attack column. This weakens the offensive, and will make the deck fall to its relative peers. Do it once to attain the power, and then don't do it again unless you intend to win.

#2 - Demonic Lord, Dudley Emperor

Meet the upset deck, Dudley Emperor! Most people plum forget about Spike Brothers, but they are powerfully good. When played by a seasoned vet, these guys are downright dangerous. The only true way to beat them is to: deny them limit break and deal three damage in one turn, rush faster than they can (which, in my opinion, can't be done), or wall them out until they burn up their hand. That's the only way I know to beat them. If you face a seasoned Spike Brothers Veteran without a concrete plan, you will lose. They rush faster than any clan in the current Meta, and hit HARD. A potential five attacks at greater than 15K off a single limit break is deadly, and makes big hands get small quick. I expect these clans will do very good, provided they know not to play Skydiver.

#1 - Dragonic Overlord THE END

Yea, we all saw this coming, right? DOtE is the strongest deck in the meta, and rightly so. The ability to perform a second drive check is what makes it so powerful. When fighting this deck, be extremely careful of what you place on the front row. DOTE often attacks a rearguard to trigger its ability, hoping to get triggers that will allow it to attack the Vanguard with a few criticals attached. I expect that many DOtE decks will win out at regionals, so be prepared!

That's it! My top ten to see at regional qualifiers. I'll be playing this weekend at Rocket's Hideout Cards and Games, and I will definitely be looking for these decks as I watch between rounds. I'll make sure you guys get updated to see if any of my predictions come true! What is your top ten for the actual regionals?