Emergency ban on PePe

Wow, I didn't think I would update the blog THIS fast after the last post, but 1 night can sometimes be enough to shake the foundation of Yu-Gi-Oh!

It's been since Tele-DAD since this happened, but there has been another Emergency ban on a tier 0 deck. Though just like before, Konami won't officially call it an emergency ban (watch how they carefully measure their words to make sure they don't call this an emergency ban). This is an "Adjusted List".

https://yugiohblog.konami.com/articles/?p=7596

The Changes:

• Performage Plushfire – Forbidden
• Performage Damage Juggler – Forbidden
• Tellarknight Ptolemaeus – Forbidden
• Performapal Skullcrobat Joker – Limited
• Performapal Monkeyboard – Limited
• Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer – Limited

Changes are effective from next Monday, February 8th 2016

The Adjusted List, an emergency ban

Yes, PePe was already a very powerful deck last year. And with every release, it got stronger. Heck, even the Pendulum Structure Deck last december made it much stronger (Skullcrobat Joker). And with the release of BOSH (with Sorcerer, Monkeyboard, Draco face-off, CD Infinity and Raflessia), the deck truly became a tier 0 deck. So it was "Play it, or GTFO".

But this has been the first time since 2009 that Konami took such a drastic action. And in fact, it's the first time it's really in between F&L lists. The Tele-DAD emergency ban was just at the moment the F&L list needed to be updated, so they could mask it as a justified update. But in this case, the next list is still a few months away (probably starting around April 1st or so).

Quick analysis of the hits

Okay, I can understand hits like Damage Juggler and Scrullcrobat Joker. Those cards are just too good. But Plushfire forbidden? And Monkeyboard limited? Seems like overkill to me. Though it shouldn't be surprising that Konami chose Monkeyboard over Sorcerer (BOSH still needs to sell, you know).

But on the other end no hit for Wavering Eyes? Yeah, that card ain't broken for sure... (rolls eyes)

The only negative about this article is the hesitation of where it will be applied: These emergency hits are in effect on YCS's, qualifiers and other top-level events, but not necessarily for locals (only if the judge says so). What's the use in that? Most players use locals to test for high-level events anyway (so they will no longer ignore these hits), and have some assholes ruin locals with an overpowered deck isn't fun either.

So I think most judges will agree with this update and count these extra hits for their local events (it's better to just accept it).

Are these hits a good thing?

Konami mentions in the article that they will be more on the lookout for overpowered decks and won't be hesitant to kill when it notices tier 0 decks.

Personally, I think that this is a good thing. Nobody likes formats where 1 decks rules everything, even if that would be the deck I love most at that moment.

Though, let's be honest here. It would be just better if Konami would actually playtest the damn' cards and edit them before releasing them... *sigh*

Card Errata

Oh, on another note: Konami also admitted they made a mistake on the card text of Pendulum Sorcerer.

Revised version:

If this card is Special Summoned: You can target up to 2 cards you control; destroy them, and if you do, add “Performapal” monsters with different names from your Deck to your hand, except “Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer”, equal to the number of cards destroyed. You can only use this effect of “Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer” once per turn.

Yes, it IS cards; NOT monsters. He's that good. No need to rage. It was supposed to be this way. Konami admitted they were wrong, so get over it.

Curious to see how people will react to this emergency ban.

V out.