Starter Box Theatrical Release Constructed

Before the Starter Box came out in the OCG, there was the Starter Box: Theatrical Release. This was identical to the regular Starter box that came out two weeks later, but had 5 cards swapped out. (Coincedentually, all 5 cards that were swapped out we use in this deck.) Welcome to what would be for many thier first Yugioh experience... And seeing as what this is like, thier last, too.

This set is much like Volume 1 constructed except that it is even less consistent and even more likely for you to go to deck-out. This is for a few reasons:

1. There is exactly one creature with more than 2000 ATK

2. A 2000 DEF monster exists

3. There is exactly one good piece of removal

4. The stat boost cards do nothing

So, let's break down what's in this set.

The good monsters! There are two good monsters in this format, Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Aqua Madoor. First off, let's talk Blue-Eyes. At 3000 ATK, it demolishes anything in its path, no matter what field spell is around, and with 2500 DEF, the only monster that can out it is itself. However, it is a bit slow to get out, since you have to tribute two monsters to... Just kidding! At the point in time the Starter Box came out, they were using Series 1 Rules (known in the English world as Junior Journey Rules)! They hadn't invented tribute summoning yet. That's right, Blue Eyes can come out on an empty board! Here there be dragons, indeed. So basically once one of these bad boys hits the field the game is over... Barring what few pieces of removal we have. The other card that defines this format is Aqua Madoor. At 2000 DEF, nothing else can beat over it, save for the dragon we just mentioned. The second-highest ATK card, Flame Swordsman, has 1800 ATK, and even with Sogen on the field, he only matches her DEF, which as we very painfully know, doesn't beat it. There's a reason Madoor isn't in the regular Starter Box.

The bad monsters! We have to fill the rest of our 40-card deck with something, so in go these guys. Interestingly enough, 3 out of the 5 cards that aren't in the regular Starter Box have higher ATK than anything else in thier class, making them the best by default for the "it'll do" category: Trial of Nightmare, at a whopping 1300 ATK, and 13th Grave and Dark King at 1200. Masaki also just barely sneaks his way in here, with 1100 ATK. The others are, much like Aqua Madoor, high DEF meatwalls; which is to say, anything with 1500 or more DEF can't be outed by battle by anything short of Flame Swordsman or Blue Eyes. So not as good as Madoor, but it'll do. These include Fiend Reflection, Ancient Tree, Green Phantom, and Turtle Tiger (being our 5th substitute in the theatrical release).

The ugly monsters! Fusion monsters make thier world debut in this set. We were given to start off... Flame Swordsman, and some other junk you'll never go into. Flame Swordsman is pretty good here, at 1800 ATK, but you have to run both of the materials and Poly. This version of the deck foregoes this to have more high DEF creatures; it's unlikely that your opponent will be able to make this, and more likely that you'll be staring down something with 1200 or 1300 ATK instead of 1800. However, since the format revolves more around the spelltraps and Blue-Eyes, you're probably not losing much by side-decking in some Flame Swordsman goodness.

The spells! There are six field spells, two pieces of removal, Polymerization, a burn spell, and a healing spell. First off, the field spells: Useless since they're symmetrical, and the ATK boost is too small to make anything clear anything else it really couldn't clear in the first place. Now, the burn spell: Hinotama is much better than Sparks, but still not good enough for any situation short of closing out a game where your opponent is at low LP but just plopped down a Blue-Eyes. Still, if Gagaga Cowboy was ever good, maybe this card is a possible sidedeck piece. Next up, Mooyan Curry. Useless. Polymerization? Useful for summoning exactly one monster you probably won't be summoning anyways. Now, for the good stuff. Raigeki! Need I say more? It clears the whole dang field. Use in case of Blue-Eyes. Finally, the humble spell Remove Trap is actually the unsung hero of this format. There is exactly one face-up trap it can target, and you need to play it in order to win games when it's on the field. Speaking of...

The traps! There are two traps in this format, and both are playable! First off, the broken one. Dragon Capture Jar. This thing keeps all dragons on the field tapped while face up. Yes, it's symmetrical, and yes, you'll need to play it if all else fails and a Blue-Eyes is breathing down your neck. A truly sick play with this card is to flip it up, then play Remove Trap, then play your own Blue-Eyes... But more likely you'll just be desperately drawing through your deck for a real piece of removal while both players twiddle thier thumbs with this card on the field. So have fun! Anyways, the other trap in this format is Two-Pronged Attack. It's a strict -2 in card advantage, and not likely to be playable if you're already behind, but we have to run 3, because it is removal, and removal is king. Usually you'll be using this to get rid of a Blue-Eyes while Dragon Capture Jar is on the field.

And there you have it! An excessively in-depth look at the Starter Box: Theatrical Release constructed format. We have two versions of the deck, at least. A healthy meta if I've ever seen one! (Well, more interesting than Booster 1's two deck variants, at least). Remember: If you play this, you did this to yourself! Enjoy!