ALBAZ "ABYSS" STORYLINE ANIME HAS BEEN CONFIRMED FOR APRIL 2025 YESSSSSSSS!!! I'M SO HYPED AND EXCITED!!! TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER BRANDED ARTICLE! CHEERS TO ANOTHER YEAR OF BRANDED! CHEERS TO ANOTHER FIVE YEARS BRANDED!
Fangirling aside, I truly believe that the TCG meta right now is a favourable environment for Branded to flourish in. The most common forms of interruption are less focused on negates, and center around various destruction effects (for ex. Ryzeal) or banishment (for ex. Maliss, S:P Little Knight). Destruction and banishment are interruptions that Branded easily brushes off due to how the strategy functions, and could power through the relatively fragile boards of Ryzeal, Maliss and Fiendsmith!
Despite being harshly hit by previous banlists like the limiting of the deck's key card Branded Fusion, and the ban of the infamous "Puppet Lock," Branded continues to remain competitively viable! Branded players now are forced to play creatively, and go for less "instant-win-button" win conditions and play a game of resources and interaction. Not to mention that Branded has acquired particularly powerful tools with recent support - like Light and Darkness Dragonlord!
Devastating staples made common by the January 2025 meta like Dimension Shifter, Droll & Lockbird and Nibiru hardly affect Branded's gameplan and the deck can usually confidently still create a full board despite their use! This deck also features the Shaddoll package in the side deck for going second (credit to Galzo the Branded Master for this package) which is an incredible board breaker that trades 3 interactions for 1 card!
Does Albaz and friends have a competitive niche to play in the upcoming 2025 formats? I think so!
Want to see the deck in action? Scroll to the very bottom for the Youtube video!
ARCHETYPES, ENGINES AND DECKBUILDING
This core of this deck is composed of the traditional BRANDED, DESPIA and BYSTIAL cards. Due to the current meta SUPERPOLY is also included.
The BYSTIAL package is relatively large, since banishing light/dark monsters is fairly impactful since light/dark banish targets like Fiendsmith Engraver and Mereologic Aggregator are common. Lubellion is "searchable" from deck since Branded Fusion dumps him to the GY, and Lubellion can summon itself from the GY by tributing the on-field Albion. Lubellion can place from deck Branded Lost as extra protection/search power or Branded Regained for more advantage generation.
SUPER POLYMERIZATION is an ideal card in many common match-ups during this format. For example, Ryzeal Detonader gets immediately outed by Super Poly and your normal summon, while Ryzeal Cross couldn't do its "negate" anymore since there isn't a Ryzeal XYZ on the field anymore. Also, vs. the ever common Fiendsmith match-up, Desirae can be easily Super Poly'd too!
FUSION DEPLOYMENT also functions as a toolbox in this deck, since its 2 targets each serve a distinct function. Albaz can breakboards when summoned, and Albaz + Super Poly cracks most boards nowadays. If your opponent happens to field Dragon monsters, Albaz can contact fuse them away. Cartesia enables fusion summoning as a quick effect. Not only does she give access to Granguinol (which is a foolish burial), she can protect your activating monster effects on the field from targeting negates like Impermanence and Effect Veiler.
TRIPLE TACTICS THRUST is an incredible card in a Branded deck, since it can indirectly search you any normal spell/trap if your opponent dares to activate a monster effect during your turn, even Branded Fusion! Going first, this card can set Fusion Duplication, which can copy any normal/quick-play fusion spell from the GY from the GY like Branded Fusion and Super Poly! So say you get Ash'd on Branded Fusion, you can activate Triple Tactics Thrust to set Fusion Duplication from deck and full fusion combo during your opponent's Draw Phase!
50 CARDS are utilized in this deck rather than around 40ish since every important piece (esp. Branded Fusion) is highly searchable anyways. 50 cards also reduces the likelihood of drawing garnets and bricks.
The SIDEDECK is has the Shaddoll package (explained below) for going 2nd. Mulcharmies are included when you are forced to go second. 3 Artifact Lancea is included since it severely hardcounters Maliss, and it is searchable and summonable in-engine. Finally, Albion the Sanctifire Dragon is placed in the sidedeck since it's used in the Maliss matchup to summon Lancea and it's better when you're guaranteed to go 1st. The best cards to side out are the Bystials whenever they don't apply to the match-up. You can also side out going second Branded Banishment, Fusion Duplication, and Branded Regained since they don't do very well going second. Super Polymerization can also be sided out in certain matchups where your Super Poly targets don't work out.
The SHADDOLL package is in the sidedeck specifically to break boards going second. A singular Shaddoll Fusion does so much! This will simultaneously banish 3 cards from your opponent's GY(Ariel's eff), destroy 1 spell/trap (Dragon's eff), and negate a card on the field (Apkallone's eff). 3 chainblocked interactions with 1 Shaddoll Fusion makes for a potent boardbreaker!
TEARLAMENTS SCHIEREN is included as a 1-of as a possible extender, and as a way to generate more resources since she allows a mill 3. Scheiren's main fusion target is Masquerade the Blazing Dragon which is especially useful in the Maliss match-up, since the added lifepoint cost to every effect puts immense pressure on them. Scheiren can also make Predaplant Dragostapelia and can help recycle cards in a prolonged grindgame.
COMBOS AND GAMEPLAN
Branded is designed to play through your opponent's interruption to create gigantic fusion beatsticks and overwhelm with high ATK and massive resource generation. With various "locks" deemed unplayable by the banlist If given even a second of breathing space, your opponent will find that they are facing down a field full of powerful fusion monsters!
Branded Fusion is both a blessing and a curse for this strategy. The whole deck revolves around searching and resolving that card, and if it's negated, your further options are likely limited. Resolving Branded Fusion is even more important nowadays since the card is only at 1!
Your obvious glaring chokepoint and weakness is Branded Fusion, so it is imperative that you can bait out the Ash Blossom or other forms of interruption before you activate this card. It is advisable to use every other card first like Branded Opening, Fusion Deployment or Lubellion so that you can bait out your opponent's interruption (but be careful of Droll). Also, from experience playing the deck, I've discovered that people intentionally hold their Ash Blossom saving it for Branded Fusion - so if you don't have the card, you can bluff having it and just do all your searches/summons from deck!
End boards are very hand dependant and can vary greatly, but here are the mainline combos:
Branded Fusion + Dark Monster + Discard = Mirrorjade (banish), Bystial Lubellion + Branded Continous Spell (resources), Set Branded Card (Branded in Red, Banishment, Retribution, Opening)
- Activate Branded Fusion to summon Albion, sending Albaz + Bystial Lubellion from deck.
Fusion summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon by fusing Albaz + Dark Monster with Albion. Ideal dark monsters to banish are Tragedy (search) and Mercourier (search).
- Lubellion (discards for cost) fusion summons Mirrorjade by shuffling back Albaz from banished pile and Lubellion the Searing Dragon on the field.
- Summon Bystial Lubellion from the GY by tributing Albion.
Activate Lubellion's card effect to activate from deck Branded Lost so it can generate resources.
End phase - set your Branded card of choice from deck. Ideally, you set Branded Banishment. If you already have Branded Banishment, you can set Branded In Red for further searches/protection from destruction.
Cartesia + Light/Dark monster + Either Bystial Saronir/Albion the Shrouded Dragon = Search for any Branded card (Best to use if you're missing a particular Branded card, esp. Branded Fusion!)
- Activate Cartesia's effect to fusion summon Granguinol by using Cartesia + Light/Dark monster. If Saronir is in hand, you use Saronir instead.
- Granguinol sends to GY from deck Bystial Saronir. (Or Albion the Shrouded Dragon)
- Bystial Saronir/Albion the Shrouded Dragon sends to GY Branded Retribution.
- Bystial Saronir/Albion the Shrouded Dragon sends to GY your Branded spell/trap card of choice.
- Banish Branded Retribution from GY to retrieve from GY your Branded spell/trap of choice.
HELP I'M FACING MALISS! ANTI-MALISS COMBO:
Against Maliss, side in triple Artifact Lancea and an Albion the Sanctifire Dragon. Choose to go first. Here is the anti-Maliss combo!
Branded Fusion + Dark Monster + Fusion Deployment + Discard = Artifact Lancea Activation + Standard Branded Board
Activate Fusion Deployment revealing Granguignol to summon from deck Cartesia.
Activate Branded Fusion to summon Albion, sending Albaz + Artifact Lancea from deck.
Fusion summon Lubellion the Searing Dragon by fusing Albaz + Dark Monster with Albion.
CL1 Lubellion (discards for cost) fusion summons Mirrorjade by shuffling back Albaz from banished pile and Lubellion the Searing Dragon on the field, CL2 fusion summon Granguignol fusing Cartesia + Lubellion.
Activate Granguignol's on-summon effect to send from Extra Deck to GY Albion the Branded Dragon.
End phase - set your from deck Branded in Red with Albion the Branded Dragon's effect.
Activate Mirrorjade to send to GY Titaniklad.
Activate Titaniklad in GY to summon from deck Quem.
Quem activates her on-summon effect to send to GY Albaz.
Recover from GY Cartesia.
During your opponent's turn (preferably Draw Phase), activate Branded in Red targeting Albaz in the GY to fusion summon Albion the Sanctifire Dragon using Albaz + Cartesia in hand.
Activate Sanctifire's effect to summon from GY Artifact Lancea on your field and any monster on your opponent's field.
Activate Artifact Lancea to lock the Maliss player from banishing any cards! (There you go, searchable easy win button vs. one of your common match-ups!)
Going first and uninterrupted, your opponent will likely contend with Mirrorjade's banish and a set Branded spell/trap (likely Branded in Red, Retribution or Banishment). Depending on the hand, your opponent may also be dealing with Mercourier's monster negate, bystial's GY banish, Masquerade's -600 burn, and Granguinol can summon Luluwalilith from the Extra Deck. If you're lucky, you also have a facedown Super Polymerization - a devasting turn ending card if used at the right time. Your hand will likely also be sizeable and ready with follow-up for next turn since Cartesia, Titaniklad and Albion generate resources during Branded's "main phase 3" - the End Phase.
Going second, Branded can slog through interruption, pierce through boards and beat down your opponent's monsters with big beatsticks. Branded is naturally equipped with in-engine ways to play going second. If Branded Opening is in the GY, your fusion monsters can tank one destruction effect, which is super useful vs. the Ryzeal match-up! Super Polymerization can fuse away many boards in today's meta, especially with Garura, only needing 2 monsters with the same type and attribute. Alot of interruption these days involve destroying and banishing (The most common match-ups Ryzeal and Maliss do this alot) - Branded is very comfortable with all those interruptions and it usually shrugs them off.
GENERAL TIPS
To play around the potential Droll & Lockbird that is somewhat common this format, try to search for Branded Fusion first before anything else. Once they Droll you after you get this crucial playstarter, the lingering search floodgate hardly affects the Branded strategy since everything else summons or sets directly from the maindeck.
- Try to bait out Ash Blossom by your many searches/summons from deck before you use Branded Fusion. If you don't have Branded Fusion, your opponent will likely hold Ash Blossom in their hand waiting for it, so you can bluff having the card to search/summon all you want!
Branded lacks in-engine ways to remove backrow, except with Guardian Chimera. Be sure to side in the ample amounts of backrow hate in these match-ups! Luckily Ryzeal phases out most backrow decks this meta so they aren't too common.
- Try to have Cartesia on board before you summon monsters on the field with important effects. Cartesia's quick effect fusion summon allows you to dodge common targeting negates like Impermanence and Effect Veiler.
The best cards to side out are the Bystials and Branded Banishment, Fusion Duplication, Branded Regained especially when the match-ups doesn't call for them. Super Polymerization can also be sided out in certain matchups where your Super Poly targets don't work out.
If Branded Lost is active, Fusion effect's activation cannot be negated. Cards that "negate the activation" like Solemn Judgment cannot negate your Branded Fusion! Branded Lost is a perfect way to bait a negate or to guarantee your Fusion effect when you're against these threats.
- Want to see the deck in action? Scroll to the very bottom for the Youtube video!
CONCLUDING COMMENTARY
About 1 year after Konami Animations teaser video of the "Abyss" storyline, we finally get confirmation of anime episodes this upcoming Fall!
Ecclesia watching anxiously from her balcony, Fleurdelis striking Titaniklad down, and Ecclessia meeting her Dragon boyfriend Albaz for the first time - it really brought tears to my eyes! About 5 years after the "Abyss" storyline debuted in "Rise of the Duelist," Konami actually COOKED and delivered the Branded cards as an anime.
Seeing my favourite cards in animated form really re-ignited my love for certain decks, especially the Branded cards! It's been a while since I've made a proper TCG guide on Albaz and friends, so I decided it's about time to renew my favourite fusion strategy with an up-to-date strategy guide.
Pilot the deck to victory, fellow Branded enjoyers - I know I will! Do it in honour of the future "Abyss" anime we're getting - ITS GONNA BE PEAK! It's been about 5 years since Branded was released as a strategy - cheers to many more years to come!
GLHF Duelists!
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