TCG Meta Deck Representation & Breakdown
Deck Breakdown (Top 32 – January 2022 LATAM Remote Duel YCS):
- 9 Swordsoul Variants (6 Tenyi, 3 Pure)
- 7 Tri-Brigade Variants (4 Lyrilusc, 2 DPE)
- 2 Sky Striker (2 DPE)
- 2 Phantom Knights (1 Dragoon)
- 4 DPE Invoked (3 Dogmatika, 1 Eldlich)
- 2 Virtual World
- 2 Floowandeereze
- 1 Evil Twin
- 1 Prank-Kids
- 2 Drytron (1 Enforcer)
Deck Highlights
Enforcer Dogmatika Invoked
Carlos Sepulveda piloted Enforcer Dogmatika Invoked to an impressive 1st place finish in the LATAM Remote YCS! The deck remains a solid contender due to its flexible engine and the ability to run must-answer power spells en masse.
Crossout Designator makes a triumphant return, as it has been absent in most lists in general for quite some time now. Due to the popularity of the Enforcer engine, Crossout gains a lot more value as decks who use the package can stop opposing players from using it, and then some! This gives it several uses, such as suppressing Fusion Destiny from summoning Enforcer, preventing hand traps like Ash Blossom from stopping your key spells, being highly effective in mirror matches, and stifling board breakers like Forbidden Droplet. It does have a small opportunity cost in the deckbuilding department, but Carlos was able to accommodate it well enough in his winning list.
Carlos also chose to run 2 El Shaddoll Winda, which is an interesting tech. If the first one gets outed but not Schism, the second Fusion can absolutely blow the opponent out of the water. Last but not the least, 1 Ghost Belle acts as a nice Crossout target as well as having niche applications in popular matchups. Stopping Shaman of the Tenyi or Beryl Canary comes to mind. It queues decently well vs Enforcer's GY effect, making sure the recursive threat does not return to the field.
Enforcer Sky Striker
José Romero got 2nd place in the LATAM Remote YCS, rocking none other than Enforcer Sky Striker. This version of the deck has become the go-to ever since the release of BODE. Its blend of unique traits and power allows it to go toe to toe with the top decks in the metagame such as Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc and Tenyi Swordsoul to good effect.
For this event, José got plenty of mileage by teching 3 copies of Shared Ride in the Main Deck. This card certainly performs well against decks that search multiple times throughout a turn. Swordsoul with Emergence and Chixiao, Drytron with most of their effects, Lyrilusc with double Recital and Wagtail, to name a few. Because of this, opponents are put in a difficult position whether or not they stop with their plays or keep giving the Striker player several free draws. The deck runs a wide variety of hand traps and its engine alongside Enforcer is naturally good at mowing down boards, which complements the draws that Shared Ride gives.
There Can Only Be One continues to be standard for these types of lists, as it has incredible potency as a going first floodgate to choke out most decks while being decent going second as well. The Halqifibrax + Selene package is still present even with the inclusion of the Enforcer engine, as it is one of the deck's best tools to push for lethal with Accesscode Talker! Dasher even helps you get to a tuner for Halq in a pinch.
All in all, Enforcer Sky Striker cements itself as a deck to be respected in the metagame, due to its incredible performance within both the regional and YCS events.
Enforcer Tri-Brigade
Roger Cruz placed Top 4 in the LATAM Remote YCS with an unexpected pick, Enforcer Tri-Brigade! This variant is a rare sight to see nowadays ever since the advent of the Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc build, but it still has some tools that allow it to stand out.
Crossout makes another appearance, working quite well here to potentially shut down the Tri-Brigade part in the matchup vs Lyrilusc while insulating the deck from hand traps. The Enforcer variant plays more akin to the Pure iterations of Tri seen months prior compared to the all-in combo playstyle of the Lyrilusc version. Ferrijit is a necessary extender for the deck that lets you put back Dasher, Celestial, and extra copies of Fusion Destiny should you happen to draw them. Because of this, the risk of the engine is greatly diminished! Tri-Brigade Revolt + Enforcer is no laughing matter to deal with, as the deck can quickly snowball with their two powerful end board pieces.
While not as easily accessible with Recital Starling, D.D Crow is still a fantastic option that helps combat multiple threats in the format. Shuraig can give you access to it if needed, and it's also useful to be pitched off Kerass in a pinch.
Speaking of which, Roger chose to play 3 Kerass as it is absolutely Tri's only extender should the initial NS get stopped in its tracks. Maxing out means you also get to keep enough copies in the deck when summoning one off Rescue Cat and gives you greater odds to draw into it to help play vs Effect Veiler and Impermanence.
Virtual World
Javier Ovando got Top 16 in the LATAM Remote YCS with an underrated deck that has a lot of quirky tech choices. Enter Virtual World!
Virtual World is a decent choice that has a multitude of options while also being able to compete in a budget. The strength of Shenshen + Chuche alone is something several strategies struggle to safely answer. The Tenyi half of the Swordsoul deck dreads running into Shenshen as it complicates their game plan.
Aside from Impermanence, his build is geared towards using power spells over hand traps to try and break through boards as can be seen with 3 DRNM and Triple Tactics Talent. Kauwloon into Qinglong is fairly solid in this role going second. 3 Desires has been the move for quite some time, but Javier was able to make use of 2 alongside 1 Prosperity fairly well. Foolish Burial Goods can access any gate in a pinch.
Dark Dragoon has been absent in most Virtual World lists due to space and Caliga being the preferred pick, but it can definitely help leverage some matchups. Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss is a neat Synchro to go into should Mudragon's effect be negated, letting you have a beefy piece of interaction even if the Fusion didn't go through.
Conclusion
Similar to how NA's YCS shaped up, Tenyi Swordsoul and Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc are definitively two of the best decks of the format. The other decks are able to leverage the power of Destroy Phoenix Enforcer to keep up with those two.
Floowandeereze has also been making small waves in the competitive scene, finding decent results across the regional scene and in the LATAM YCS.
References
Week of January 10th – January 17th, 2022
Tournaments:
January 15-16th, 2022
