This will be a multiple part discussion about the metagame for the TCG side of Yu-Gi-Oh! Now you may be asking yourself, what is there to say that we don't already know. The answer to this - not much, but i'm gonna try and put a few points into perspective.
The newest forbidden list has had some ups and downs, what with the unbanning of Heavy Storm, and perhaps more importantly, Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. For anyone who played in formats where this guy was previously limited, this decision will come as a shock to some degree. However, Konami have seemingly been testing the waters by way of seeing the impact that allowing multiple Chaos Sorcerers run free would bring to the game. And to be quite frank, having Chaos Sorcerer in the game for the past year and a half hasn't been too bad, as the card wasn't universally useful as it was a few years back. Once Gold Series 4 emerged, with a reprint, we had suspicions, and the list has only confirmed these suspicions. So now this colossus has been set free to rule the game, how does the game change. Unlike Chaos Sorcerer, Black Luster Soldier is a force to be reckoned with. Its first ability is a beefed up version of Chaos Sorcerers, allowing the banishment of any monster. This means that simply setting a Ryko will not suffice in killing this monstrosity. However, BLS also comes with a second ability, allowing it to attack once again in a row, should it destroy a monster in battle. With a staggering 3000 attack, it will be able to pull off this job quite easily, and as a result, finish games quickly, living up to its name as a boss monster. This card is so powerful, that any deck that can fit a small number of dark and light monsters into it should find the extra room to play this thing. In short, it is expected to be played everywhere. However, there are a few other things to note about this guy.
For starters, he is a light monster unlike Chaos Sorcerer. This gives him insane synergy with Beckoning Light and Honest, obviously making him a good fit in Lightsworn and Twilight decks, with Beckoning Light allowing him to be replayed many times. Another thing that should be noted is his affiliation as a Warrior. At first this may not seem too important, but this can have certain repercussions. Although not really a strong deck, this does give Immortal Bushi a boss monster to stand beside. However, more importantly is its ability to be recurred by The Warrior Returning Alive. This card would have previously been noted as a bad card, however, being able to pick up a dead BLS from your graveyard, and then instantly replay it definitely has its perks. This could become handy for Junk Dopple decks, which have a plethora of useful targets for this card. Junk Dopple also has a very simple ability of being able to create an Armory Arm very easily, and should it be equipped to a BLS, and it attacks a field of simply one attack position monster, the game is basically over right then and there.This situation can be replicated by and inhand Honest. Obviously this card comes with idiotic ability, but there are other reasons for this. That reason is the currently auto-include cards of any deck. The first of these is Tour Guide from the Underworld, which I will go into depth about in the next blog.
Obviously Black Luster Soldier is going to be a staple of the upcoming format, and players should be definitely aware of its presence, as you will be beaten by this card at least once.
