We were wondering when Master Duel was going to get an update. It looks like Konami has scheduled the release of a new selection pack, Battle of Destiny, as well as an update to the Forbidden/Limited list.
New Selection Pack: Battle of Destiny
Scheduled for release on the 24th of June, this selection pack is advertised to focus on Gladiator Beasts, Arcana Force, and the D/D.
With the release of Battle of Destiny, it looks like some of these older archetypes are getting some modern support.
Arcana Force EX - The Chaos Ruler comes in as a pretty good boss monster for the archetype on paper. Once brought out, it’s generating card advantage either through its special summoning capabilities or just by adding any card with a coin-tossing effect to hand.
That said, the strongest effect Chaos Ruler has is its ability to become a one-sided blanket negate for any activatable monster effects on the field. Unfortunately, Arcana Force is far from the most competitively viable deck in Master Duel.
Gladiator Beast Claudius continues the trend of new legacy support. Like Chaos Rule, it has some pretty nifty abilities that benefit the archetype it’s in. Again, however, this is on paper.
Unlike the Arcana Force archetype, there was a time when the Gladiator Beasts were considered competitively viable. Their capability of special summoning monsters straight from the main deck at a consistent pace was almost unheard of.
Unfortunately, Gladiator Beasts have been powercrept by the advancement of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game as a whole. So while the inclusion of Gladiator Beast Claudius is welcomed, it’s not exactly going to change the state of modern-day play.
D/D/D Deviser King Deus Machinex is the odd man out from the advertised list of legacy support in Battle of Destiny.
While the D/D archetype is considered a rogue strategy, it has kept up with modern Yu-Gi-Oh!
It runs almost the entire spectrum of extra deck summoning, and has access to boss monsters like Deviser King Deus Machinex that can stop the opponent from interacting with the board.
If the new D/D support from the physical game gets ported to Master Duel, D/D can end up being considered even more competitively viable.
This is assuming you can figure out how to actually play D/D. It’s not exactly the simplest archetype to run.
Master Duel Forbidden/Limited List Update
Konami decided to surprise with two updates to the ban list for Master Duel. One for the 24th of June, and another for the 4th of July.
June 24th Update: Cards to be Unlimited
This one is more of a minor update, and it explains why part of the in-game advertisement for Battle of Destiny featured both Glow-up Bulb and Time Seal.
Back in the olden days of Yu-Gi-Oh! even before Master Duel existed, Time Seal had been on the game’s ban list for a long time.
Being able to flat-out deny the opponent from getting a card resource was powerful back then. Now it’s more of a meme than an actual credible threat.
As for Glow-Up Bulb, it’s not the most threatening card to come off the ban list. But even with its once-per-duel clause, having a free body, and a turner at that, bring itself out from the graveyard is a pretty powerful effect even by modern convention.
July 4th Update:
Cards to be Unlimited:
It looks like Konami is allowing Master Duel to bring back some rather toxic combo pieces.
By itself, Astrograph Sorcerer presents a pretty concerning piece of tech that pendulum decks can take advantage of. The lack of a once-per-turn clause on its monster effect means that with the right set-up, a player can just get unprecedented card advantage.
Thankfully, Astrograph Sorcerer’s usual partner-in-crime, Heavymetalfoes Electrumite, is still limited to one. So, at the very least, it won’t be as easily abusable as it once was.
As for Mathmech Diameter, it’s the last holdout for the archetype. Once it’s released from the ban list, Matchmech will be back to its full strength.
It’s still unclear if a fully unrestrained Mathmech line-up will shake up the competitive landscape. Older players will remember how powerful this archetype was back in its heyday due to how consistent it was in swarming the field with Level 4 bodies.
Only time will tell if Mathmech will reclaim its past glory or not.
Card(s) to be Limited:
Konami decided to put the squeeze on the Millennium engine. Leave it to Yu-Gi-Oh! players to turn a piece of legacy support into a modern tool.
Players may find copies of Golem that Guards the Millennium Treasures and its search target, Wedju Temple, in highly competitive archetypes like Snake-Eyes or Crystron.
The former allows Snake-Eyes Flamberge Dragon to bring out an extra body for free. The latter just uses said extra bodies to facilitate their graveyard effects without actually losing a resource.
The Millennium monsters allow too much card advantage for generic plays. So, while heartbreaking for Exodia players, it is a necessary step to preserve the ecosystem of Master Duel.
Card(s) to be Forbidden:
It looks like Konami is starting to tire of the Snake-Eyes archetype.
With all the major engine and consistency pieces already limited to one, the full banning of Snake-Eye Oak will lower the resilience the archetype has against standard interruption.
And with the Millennium engine already taking a hit from Golem, players still loyal to Snake-Eyes will have to find yet another substitute.
But if anything, Yu-Gi-Oh! players will always be resilient and creative. So we’ll see if someone will find a way to keep Snake-Eyes going despite this major hit.