The Old Person's Guide to the Meta

It’s YCS Eve and all through the Carolinas doolists are checking their lists and getting them right.  Perhaps, just perhaps, there are even a few old timers trying to do the same.  Most of you can’t appreciate the challenges facing the older duelist. Let me heighten your sensitivity.

 Here is what you see:

Here is what the over 40 duelist sees:

I will attempt to fix this inequity by providing The Old Persons Guide to the Yugioh Meta. (Please note, card effects have been simplified to assist in understanding the archetype as a whole. This is not in PSCT.)

Burning Abyss

The BA effect monsters are all level three dark fiends.  They have the following effects in common:

• Destroy the monster if you control a non-BA monster  
• Use only 1 effect per turn  
• Effect 1: Special summon the card from the hand if you control no magic cards  
• Effect 2: You can effects that occur when sent to the graveyard

The following is a list of BA effect monsters. The card name in parenthesis is simply a memory aid. 

Cir (Wolfbark): Special summon a BA monster from your graveyard

Graff (Rescue Rabbit like): Special summon a BA monster from your deck

Scarm (Stratos): Add 1 level 3 DARK fiend-type monster from your deck to your hand

Cagna (Armageddon Knight for magic cards): Send 1 BA magic card from your deck to the graveyard.

Calcab (Compulsory Evac for magic cards): Return a magic card to the hand.

Farfa (???): Banish one monster until the end phase.

Alice (Effect Veiler): Negate one monster’s effects until the end of this turn.

Libic (Tin Goldfish): Special summon 1 Level 3 DARK fiend-type monster from your hand

Qliphorts

Qlips are high level machine monsters that rely on the pendulum summoning mechanic.  They are all pendulum monsters that have the following effects in common:

Effects for monsters as spells (usually) in the pendulum zone 

• You can only special summon “Qli” monsters
• Qli monsters gain 300 ATK or your opponent loses 300 ATK
• The scale 1 monsters cause ATK gains
• The scale 9 monsters cause ATK losses

Effects for all monsters as monsters

• Become a level 4 monster with an ATK of 1800 if summoned without tributing
• If normal summoned/set, it is unaffected by  monsters whose level/rank is lower than this card's current level
• Effects when tribute summoned or when tributed
• The level 6 monsters have effects when tributed
• The level 7 or higher monsters get effects when tribute summoned using a Qli monster

The following is the list of Qli monsters.  The first number is the level and the second is the scale.

Carrier (6, 1, Compulsory Evac): Return one monster on the field to the hand

Helix (6, 9, MST): Destroy one magic card

Disk (7, 1, Rescue Rabbit): Special Summon 2 "Qli" monsters from your deck, but destroy them during the end phase.

Cephalopod (7, 9, ???): If your opponent has more monsters in the Graveyard, gain LP equal to the difference x 300, and if you do, inflict the same amount of damage to your opponent.

Stealth (8, 1, Super Compulsory Evac): Return one card to the hand (without opponent’s response)

Shell (8, 9, Piercing BLS): It can make a second attack and inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.

Monolith (5, 1, spell only): Draw cards equal to the number of "Qli" monsters tributed for summons this turn.

Scout (5, 9, spell only ROTA): Pay 800 LP; add 1 "Qli" card from your deck

Shaddolls

The shaddolls are dark spellcasters that have effects when flipped and when sent to the graveyard.  You can only use one effect per turn.  Furthermore, the monster cannot target a copy of itself.

Beast (lvl 5)

FLIP:  Draw 2 cards, discard 1 card.

Graveyard: Draw 1 card.

Dragon (lvl 4)

FLIP: Return opponents card to hand.

Graveyard: Destroy 1 magic card

Falco (lvl 2)

FLIP: Special summon a graveyard Shaddoll monster in face-down defense position.

Graveyard:  Special summon this card in face-down defense position.

Hedgehog (lvl 3)

FLIP: Add 1 "Shaddoll" magic card from your deck to hand.

Graveyard: Add 1 "Shaddoll" monster from your deck to hand.

Squamata (lvl 4)

FLIP: Destroy 1 monster.

Graveyard: Send 1 "Shaddoll" card from your deck to the graveyard

Nothing looks more noob-like than picking up every card your opponent plays.  Hopefully this list will give the visually impaired, but wise doolist a little edge going into this weekend’s event.  

Editorial Note: I have had some good comments - and ones that I want to think about before answering.  My Tellar deck (like many) has had changes right up to the last minute.  I will give you my final list and a tourney report after we take on Charleston.