Seeing OCG release new cards or strategies is always a fun and interesting time, as it can be a way for players over in the TCG side to observe and reflect on what is to come. This certainly tends to be the case with Core boosters and other products, but not always. We'll be referring to these cards as ones stuck in Import Limbo.
Premium Packs are offenders of this, as they have cards stuck in them for months or years to come. Not having an ETA is problematic, as this hinders archetypes from having success. For instance, the D/D/D Structure Deck was delayed and thus killed the deck's viability, coming one year too late.
Import Limbo isn't always a bad thing though, preventing the likes of Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon from being too overly dominant. ROTD's release made it less of a pain to deal with, thanks to the likes of Forbidden Droplet and Triple Tactics Talent!
Not having to deal with the game-warping effect of Crossout Designator is also a positive thing for the health of the game (for now).
Without further ado, let us check out these so-called big hitters.
The Big Exclusives
Soul Burning Draws
Decode Talker Heatsoul is one of the strongest Link-3s printed in recent times, in the OCG at least. The ability to grab so much advantage with its free draws is simply phenomenal for Cyberse as a whole.
Heatsoul is usually able to get two draws which means more chances to see hand traps, extenders, or even purple disruption when Trap Type Code Talker was running around. This resource is the Hea(r)t and Soul of the deck, which you can check out more about here!
Making it is also quite easy to do, only needing 2+ Cyberse monsters with different attributes. With these materials in mind, a majority of the Cyberse decks can get to this Pot of Greed on fire. Ignisters are easily able to go into it thanks to Dark Infant, Code Talkers have their 1-card arsenals alongside tools like Micro Coder, Salamangreat can easily pivot into it, and so on.
Extra Deck tools such as Splash Mage and Linguriboh also give you easy routes to this card. Transcode Talker is another option that can help make some great setups.
At this point, we can only hope for it TCG release as it's currently stuck in Import Limbo. It's certainly one of the biggest hitters out of the bunch though!
End All Borrel All
Borrelend Dragon is a gigantic threat that's easier to make than you'd think! With the help of the Rokket Extra Deck cards, you can make this Link-5 with little effort. The end result is an extremely potent boss monster that can end the game right on the spot and is not the easiest thing to out.
Packing a solid mix of protection AND negation on top of that, a good amount of decks will definitely struggle to out this card within their engines. On top of that, it even revives a Rokket for its unreactable negate. Rokket Tracer is a popular pick as it gives you more follow-up to work with.
Quadborrel Dragon and Dillingerous Dragon are the main stars of the show for this to work. You go into Quad and destroy Dillingerous, reviving two Rokket monsters from your GY. Dillingerous revives itself and that's enough materials to bust out the big lad himself.
Lastly, with the help of REDMD, Striker Dragon, Guardragon Pisty, and Rokket Recharger, it's trivially easy to recur this titan and keep on trucking.
Absolutely a massive boost to Dragon based decks such as D-Link if it ever hits the TCG-side.
The Hope of the Future
Utopic Future Dragon rounds out our trinity of Extra Deck OCG Exclusives that is stuck in Import Limbo. With an easy summoning condition, this Rank 1 is able to pose quite the threat as an endboard piece.
Xyz decks like Phantom Knights, Zoodiac, and Sharks get a huge boost with this card's release. You just need to bring out two non-Number Xyz monsters to get to regular Utopic Future and slap Utopic Future Dragon on top of it! Of course, its spot in Onomato decks is also welcome. PKs can use spare Leviair the Sea Dragon(s), Zoo with their Zoodiac Chakanine revivals, and Sharks thanks to Bahamut Shark staying on the field.
It helps that Utopic Future is a fairly decent monster in its own right, so the Extra Deck slots are well worth it. Its effect to deal with threats is nice to have too!
Gagagaga Magician is another free Rank 4 enabler for UFD, reviving another material needed for climbing into it.
All in all, a pretty solid boost to Xyz based decks for sure, alongside Divine Arsenal Zeus. If your deck can play it, it's a neat little option. However, like with the other cards here, we'll have to wait for an eventual release.
The Format Warper
Crossout Designator alongside Maxx "C" is one of the biggest differences the OCG has compared with the TCG. Its effect in the game is massive and changes how the game is played by a large margin.
Suddenly decks just have universal access to a 3 of card that counters almost anything in the game! Hand traps like Nibiru, the Primal Being that would stop your combo? Crossed out! Board breakers like Dark Ruler No More got you down? Crossed out! If you can find space for it in your Deck, you can cross these threats out goodbye.
The profound effect that this Quick-Play spell will have in the game is downright absurd, and it can dictate how duels will play out if it ever appears in them. Deckbuilding itself shifts heavily too, as you're obligated to run 3 of this card within the Main or Side. In addition to the cards you want to declare, that is.
Solemn Judgment is a card that garners some comparisons with it for control decks, but Crossout has upsides in that it doesn't negate the activation, beating threats like Lightning Storm should the opponent open multiples. Designator also doesn't destroy the card, which can be hit or miss at times.
Another argument is that you have to run the cards you want to cross out, but that can be seen as a small price to pay in order to reap the card's benefits. The card does feel a lot more inclined to support combo-based decks, but can be used anywhere really. Mirror matches are also going to be a disaster if this card pops up!
Arguably the biggest Import Limbo card out of them all, that's for sure. Only time will tell when the TCG will ever be graced by this card's presence.
Honorable Mentions
There's plenty of cards that are noteworthy and still in Import Limbo and we won't be able to go over all of them, but here's a few others who are definitely strong in their own right.
Diviner of the Heralds for being an insane starter for ritual based decks, being an extreme tuner version of Manju that even summons a Fairy from the Deck when tributed.
Altergeist Pookuery for fast Hexstia setups, speeding up the pace of the deck. Memorygant also comes up too for some monster removal.
Trackblack and Brute Enforcer are cool Link 2s that have some good utility that can come up at times. The former boosts cards like Purgatrio and UCT to be plus machines, racking up a lot of draws. The latter can put the opponent in a weird spot while also letting you setup your GY.
Link Apple is a card that can either net a free draw or a free summon, both of which are pretty good to have.
Conclusion
And that concludes our article on the big hitters that are currently stuck in Import Limbo! There's no ETA on when these will arrive, so we'll just have to wait and see! In the meantime, feel free to check out neonrideraryeh's work on some of the more quirky OCG Exclusives that the game has! Our piece mostly covered the competitive side, so the fun ones may also strike your fancy.
