I would like to start off by saying I hate you all.

If you've been paying attention to what I've been saying recently, you'll know that I've stalled, stalled and stalled some more when it came to making this. Well you're in luck: I've decided a week's long enough. I STILL don't want to do this, but there's only so long I can delay something like this. There won't be too much detail, but I'll cover it if it means I can get it out of the way.

So without further ado... Here's my review of the banlist. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

Glow-Up Bulb: Was Banned, now Limited

Okay, anyone that's paid attention to me at any point in the last six months will know that I predicted this. At the time it was banned, a Level 1 Tuner monster could be game-changing, and one as easy to summon as this could generate an absurd amount of card advantage for effectively no cost whatsoever. Then take into account the fact that Chaos decks were extreme power players at the time. Lightsworn was rather common, and Glow-Up effectively became a free summon for essentially no cost, allowing for some deadly Synchro plays in what was, at the time, a top tier deck. Combined with Plaguespreader, this could also take care of that dead-draw Wulf in your hand, summoning it and giving you access to any Synchro creature you wanted, Level 5-7. And I haven't even MENTIONED Plant Synchro. Glow-Up was a card to be feared, and it needed to die. Badly.

Fast forward to the present day. Lonefire Blossom is now at 2, Lightsworn has Felis and Synchro creatures have gotten even MORE deadly, with cards such as Hot Red Dragon Archfiend, Stardust Spark Dragon, Moonlight Rose Dragon, Phonon Pulse Dragon and Armades, Keeper of Boundaries (To name a small amount). So what was Konami thinking, unbanning Glow-Up?

Probably that Synchro really isn't that great anymore. And they'd be right, honestly.

Konami released four strategies in the past few months (To the TCG). We've seen the addition of 1 Fusion-based deck, 1 Synchro-based deck and 2 XYZ-based decks. The Fusion deck is Shadoll. The two XYZ decks are Satellaknight and Burning Abyss. And the fact that you probably didn't even remember Yang-Xing until just now when I mentioned it really says a lot about the success of the deck in the current meta, and the playstyle in general.

Honestly, Synchro has been overtaken by XYZ, and whilst some strategies have room for a couple of white cards in their Extra Deck, they're few and far between. Shadoll has Falcon, but for the most part, Extra Decks just can't find space for Synchro creatures. Even decks that run virtually nothing but Level 4 monsters won't tech in a rogue copy of Catastor or Armades for Glow-Up, on the grounds that the Synchro monsters just take up too much space, that could be put to better use elsewhere.

Lightsworn, and most Chaos variants, aren't exactly relevant at the moment, so Glow-Up shouldn't see too much in that regard either. And as for Plant Synchro... That's really tough, to be honest. The strategy's certainly CHANGED over the past several years, but I can't say for the better or worse. Reborn Tengu is now semi-limited, which was a crucial part of why Plant Synchro used to work. Thunder King Rai-Oh is now limited, as well, and Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, Pot of Avarice, Heavy Storm and Solemn Judgment are now all banned. But they now have two copies of Lonefire Blossom to toy around with, which can allow for HUGELY elaborate and destructive plays. They also have Soul Charge, even if only one copy now (More on that later, still hate you), multiple Formula Synchron, Meliae of the Trees and Mathematician. The last two are extremely significant, extending or opening up Synchro plays like virtually nothing else.

Honestly, the reason I predicted that Glow-Up would come back is that if it DID come back, it really wouldn't be that relevant anyway. So far I appear to have been right, but who knows what we'll see in topping lists to come? A strong, but not broken card, as I've been saying for weeks now. Level 1 Tuner monsters just aren't what they used to be, even if they DO allow for some crazy Synchro plays or plusses.

Raigeki: Was Banned, now Limited

If you thought I'd padded out the detail on Glow-Up Bulb's section, it's because I knew what was next. This is the reason I didn't want to do this, and it's damned controversial to say the least...

Upon seeing this, can anyone really say they didn't over-react? It was ASTOUNDING to see this card unbanned. It's one of an EXTREMELY small minority of cards that's been banned since April 2004, and it was getting on for a good ten years that it'd been out of the game without parole. Aaand it's back. Needless to say, most people reacted badly. It's one of the most powerful cards ever introduced to the game, and it's now back in it, after almost a solid decade in the stocks. I was one such person, who thought 'They've only done this because they said they'd unban every card at some point. What a dumb idea.'

And then I gave it some thought. Shadoll honestly don't care if you destroy their entire field. Using Raigeki on a Shadoll player doesn't really do anything substantial to them. Falcon will come back, Dragon will pop a Spell/Trap card, Hedgehog searches, Beast lets them draw, Lizard dumps anything they didn't trigger already, Nephilim adds back a Shadoll Fusion or Roots and Midrash gives you a funny look, before poking you in the eye and calling you an idiot.

Then we take a look at Burning Abyss, who are... the same. Using Raigeki on Burning Abyss isn't going to get rid of their resources, just move them elsewhere. Cir, Scarm, Graff and Dante will trigger, the former 3 going off even if they're XYZ materials. Their field will change, but it won't really hurt them, and it CERTAINLY won't be the game-winning card everyone has cracked it up to be for the better part of ten years now. Satellaknight's got a lot more to lose, not having any effects when destroyed or sent to the graveyard, but it's a lot easier to defend it, having Stellarnova Alpha at their disposal, and Call of the Haunted to recover if needs be.

Honestly, this format is unique in that Raigeki coming back doesn't really matter. Most decks either won't allow their stuff to be destroyed, or simply don't care if it IS destroyed, which is both rare and thought-provoking. Thinking about it, it really DID make sense to unban Raigeki now, especially since they promised they would at some stage. What better time than a format with Shadoll and Burning Abyss as top contenders? Sure, it's still an immensely strong card, but honestly, I don't think it's as strong as it got credit for, and in a format where you have two decks that gain off hitting grave by card effect, it's doubtful it'll ruin the game. Then we take into account that everything and it's grandmother seems to have a destruction immunity these days. I've mentioned Midrash, we have Beelze, 101 and even Stardust Spark Dragon in some instances. Raigeki's good, but not meta-defining good. This format may come to be known as 'The one that unbanned Raigeki' in years to come, but for now, it's a logical choice, and I'm actually pretty happy they made it, since Dark Hole wasn't good enough to merit use anymore for most decks. Solid, staple, but not over-powered.

Okay, now I've gotten THAT out of the way, let's get on with it.

Infernity Archfiend: Was Unlimited, now Limited

Anyone that knows anything ABOUT anything in YGO knew that this was going to happen. Without question. There really was no doubt that Infernity was going to die this format. It was a set-in-stone fact.

What's that, I hear you say? Infernity stopped being relevant a long time ago? They can't keep up with the current meta, they die to Shadoll, can't deal with Burning Abyss's constant card advantage and get out-controlled by Satellaknight?

All of these are true. In fact Infernity could probably have Barrier go to 3 instead of Archfiend to 1, and they STILL wouldn't really do anything. (I said probably, bite me.)

But they won Worlds, you see? Any deck that wins the World Championships is GUARANTEED to get hit the next banlist. It happens every single time, and it wasn't about to disappoint. Even if Infernity CAN'T keep up, that wasn't about to stop it being put down.

And oh, boy, what a put-down.

With 1 Archfiend, not only is the style of Infernity we've all seen demolish at Worlds dead, but it'll never be pulled off consistently again for as long as he STAYS at 1. There's almost no power in combos, the deck will be EXTREMELY slow and it'll never be able to search enough to make a strong board. Before the top three decks walked all over it. Now I challenge you to show me three decks that CAN'T. (Again, don't actually do it.)

And honestly, who's sad to see Infernity die?

Yeeeah... I thought not. NEEEXT

Soul Charge: Was Unlimited, now Limited

Okay, really, what am I even meant to say here? It's a generic Rekindling. It allows for absurd Synchro/XYZ plays, it's easy to abuse with essentially any deck, it triggers Satellaknight's effects, it makes Dragon Ruler variants ridiculously good and it can summon back the materials you need to make Quasar. 3000 LP for 2 Quasar on the board instead of 1? I'll take that deal.

These are just a FEW of the ways Soul Charge can be abused, and really, it had to get hit. The only question was 'Limit or ban?', and it would appear we have our answer.

Super Polymerization: Was Unlimited, now Limited

To be honest, there are people that've wanted this card limited since HERO was a thing, and they've finally got their wish. Honestly, this NEEDED to happen. Shadoll was absurdly good with this card, and it meant that you almost literally couldn't play if they had a Shadoll monster and this card set, and you were running anything meta. Burning Abyss and Shadoll mirror matches would result in your opponent going to town on you, placing a Midrash on the board and triggering their Shadoll monster's effect, for little to no reward. Satellaknight had it WORSE, not even getting an effect, and bagging their opponent a fee Nephilim, who could be used to dump Roots for a Shadoll Fusion, a Falcon, or anything the player wanted, really. This thing NEEDED the hit, so let's be grateful that it got it.

Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind: Was Limited, now Semi-Limited

Konami gave Blackwing support. It failed. Konami CONTINUED to give Blackwing support. The community told Konami 'It doesn't matter what you do, it's still not going to be good until you unlimit Gale.' So Konami did just that. And guess what?

IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Gale going to 2 was a nice boost. It's a good anti-meta card, that can be used to swing over problem cards with little to no trouble, and it can kill Midrash by itself. But regardless of these factors, Blackwing just can't keep up. They're trying to push the archetype, but honestly, it's not going to work, despite how hard they're trying. I expect it to go to 3 at some point for all it's going to do at 2.

Also, replace "Blackwing" with "Noble Knight" and "Gale" with "Reinforcement of the Army" in the first paragraph, and... yeah.

NEEEXT

Gorz The Emissary of Darkness: Was Limited, now Semi-Limited

I'll say it here and now: Even though he doesn't really have any place in any of the CURRENT meta decks, I'm predicting he'll be relevant in weeks to come. Hell, maybe he'll see a place in Plant Synchro, because that might be returning, or maybe a place in Shadoll as fodder for Shadoll Fusion and a backup plan. I have NO IDEA what's going to happen in the future with this guy, but I predict great things. Still, I might be wrong on that one, so I guess only time will tell.

Gorz HAS been seeing competitive play, though. Even at 1, he's made the cut in quite a fair amount of decks. It's just that very few people have given him the recognition he's earned over the past few weeks, and have outright ignored the fact that many people have chosen to play him. So don't count him out: He might be hitting the tables in upcoming weeks.

Ceasefire: Was Limited, now Semi-Limited

It's literally been limited every single format. Every second there HAS been an official banlist, there has been Ceasefire sitting firmly at the 'Limited' spot. And now it is not. And you know what?

I like it. Quite a lot.

It doesn't trigger any flip effects. So it irritates Shadoll. It deals game-changing amounts of burn damage to your opponent, so it can be used to give you a fighting chance in situations where you'd otherwise be fighting an uphill battle. A deck like Satellaknight can EASILY summon several effect monsters onto the field with little to no trouble, which can be an easy 1000-2000 damage, not including your opponent's monsters. Ceasefire's a great tech in quite a few decks at the minute, but particularly Satellaknight, especially as a beat and burn strategy. I'd honestly at least CONSIDER it for a spin if I were you.

The Transmigration Prophecy: Was Limited, now Semi-Limited

It's been a pretty good side-deck card for years, that's been limited for just as long. It can disrupt a lot of strategies, and devastate a few, but really, why was this card at 1 to begin with? Sure, it's strong, and getting rid of a Scarm before it can take effect or a Deneb that's being brought back by Altair is pretty annoying, not to mention it can hit your OWN grave too, allowing you to recycle some real stingers. But this card REALLY doesn't make a difference to the meta. It's a slightly generic side-deck tech, but at the end of the day, it's just a better Crevice into the Different Dimension, and both cards are balanced by the immediate -1 they deal to your card economy. No-one's really sure why this was at 1 to BEGIN with, so it's good that it's not anymore. It's also a personal favourite side card of mine, even if there ARE better cards than it in a fair few situations. Glad it's back.

Coach Soldier Wolfbark: Was Limited, now Unlimited

Honestly, there was no excuse for keeping this guy at 1 whilst Altair's at 3. It probably would've been better just hitting Tenki back to 2 in the first place, but they were pushing Bujin at the time, so that wouldn't have been acceptable. This edit means Fire Fist has serious potential this format, potentially even giving the current top 3 decks a run for their money. He's not broken anymore, but he might be what Fire Fist need for a competitive edge, so I'm glad to see him at 3, particularly since I was unsure about him getting hit over Tenki to begin with.

Then there's Fire King. I'm sure they'll be happy they now have three copies of a card that can make an instant Diamond Dire Wold or Brotherhood of the Fire Fist: Tiger King, which can help with a LOT of their problems.

In short, this may well bring Fire Fist back to the meta, and it might even help out a rogue. I approve.

Magician of Faith: Was Semi-Limited, now Unlimited

What, you mean to tell me Magician of Faith, a card that made no difference being banned, limited or semi-limited whatsoever, is now unlimited? Sure, she's slow, but she just doesn't have anything she can really abuse anymore. There's nothing worth taking back from the graveyard, so at the end of the day, the main reason isn't speed, but a lack of utility.

Oh... Raigeki's back. And we have Soul Charge at 1 now.

Well, I still doubt she'll do ANYTHING outside of gimmicky OTK/FTK decks, but hell, you never know. If I see her, it'll be a nice surprise in the weeks to come. If not, I won't really care either way. I never expected anything to come of her anyway.

Formula Synchron: Was Semi-Limited, now Unlimited

Okay. Sooo... erm...

I don't really have anything to say about this. It's not going to make any difference at 3, at least not in comparison to what it did at 2. I approve, but I don't see what this will achieve. I'd say this is probably just a 'Well, it's at 2, nothing'll change, so why not?' change. It's going to give a few decks a few more toys off the Limited spot, but I have nothing to say regards 3 copies of Formula Synchron, because no-one's going to play them.

Reinforcement of the Army: Was Semi-Limited, now Unlimited

Reinforcement of the Army at 3 was the reason a lot of people refused to believe that the "Leaked" fake banlist was real. Turns out it really WAS going to 3. And I'm over the moon at said decision.

Yes, it's true, I'm a Satellaknight player, I'm biased. Who cares? Satellaknight didn't do anything last format anyway. It was Burning Abyss, for the most part, that reached topping lists, with the occasional spattering of Shadoll. The main reason people objected to Reinforcement becoming semi-limited (Or one of them, anyway) was that Shi En would rain fiery death upon all things Yugioh. And I'll be brutally honest here: The amount of cards with 'Shi En' or 'Shien' in their names last format was... 0.

Reinforcement of the Army was put to 2 to push both Satellaknight, an underdog in the meta it was shoved into, and Noble Knight, because they STILL want that to do well for some reason. And it really didn't bring the apocalypse, much to the general community's surprise. So now it's TOTALLY unlimited, because hey, if 2 did nothing, they still want to push Satella, and have a 3-way format. So maybe Rota will be the push Satella needs to be competitive. Maybe it won't. Either way, I think it's safe to conclude that honestly, it's a smart choice for getting Satellaknight level with everything else in the competition.

Well... It's been Alice, and after I'd gotten Raigeki out of the way, I actually kind of enjoyed this. As always, have a nice day, and I hope you like the article, because it consumed a LOT of my life ^.^