Hi everybody! I’m back with another Tournament Report. I decided to run Inzektors at the North American World Championship Qualifier, or the NA WCQ. While it’s probably not a surprise for anybody who read my other articles, I went away from YCS Philadelphia thinking that I was finished with the deck. As Joe pointed out in his article on Inzektors, it’s a combo-control deck that well, loses to itself when all the puzzle pieces aren’t lined up. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that Chaos Dragons have the same issues, except also lack cards to defend themselves while they attempt to draw into a playable hand. Rabbit, on the other hand, is just too linear for me. I don’t feel as though it allows gives the pilot enough control over the game, rather there’s a disproportionate amount of importance on how you and your opponent draw. I explored the alternatives but quickly defaulted back to my original deck and committed the next month to building the right deck for the WCQ. Here’s a full decklist:
DECKLIST
20
1x Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness
1x Inzektor Giga-Mantis
1x Inzektor Hopper
3x Inzektor Centipede
3x Inzektor Dragonfly
3x Inzektor Hornet
2x Inzektor Ladybug
3x Tour Guide from Underworld
1x Sangan
2x Effect Veiler
10
1x Allure of Darkness
2x Pot of Duality
1x Monster Reborn
1x Soul Taker
3x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Heavy Storm
1x Book of Moon
10
2x Threatening Roar
1x Call of the Haunted
2x Bottomless Trap Hole
2x Torrential Tribute
2x Solemn Warning
1x Solemn Judgment
15
1x Number 17: Leviathan Dragon
1x Number 20: Giga Brilliant
1x Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction
2x Leviair the Sea Dragon
2x Wind-up Zenmaines
1x Temtempo the Percussion Djinn
1x Number 39: Utopia
1x Steelswarm Roach
1x Tiras, Keeper of Genesis
1x Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja
1x Inzektor Exa-Stag
1x Photon Stike Bounzer
1x Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger
15
1x Black Luster Soldier – EtB
1x Kycoo, the Ghost Destroyer
1x Maxx “C”
1x Effect Veiler
1x Mind Control
1x Forbidden Chalice
1x Transmigration Prophecy
1x Threatening Roar
1x Soul Taker
1x Mirror of Oaths
2x Dimensional Prison
1x Mirror Force
2x Dust Tornado
REASONING
These monsters need no explanation:
3x Inzektor Centipede
3x Inzektor Dragonfly
3x Inzektor Hornet
1x Inzektor Giga-Mantis
I love versatile decks. It makes Yu-Gi-Oh a game-within-a-game, as if you’re trying to solve a puzzle within the context of playing versus an opponent. X-Sabers and Plants are both decks that provided that kind of mental stimulation, and Ladybug adds an element of that to Inzektors. So I’m obviously a little biased towards the card because of my natural disposition towards versatile cards, but I won’t run something if I don’t sincerely believe it’s good enough. That’s why I only used one in Philadelphia.
But after some of my other changes I thought it was worth revisiting what the Bug does for the deck and have been using 2 ever since. Bug vs. Hopper isn’t even a debate for me. Nobody’s going to debate that Bug is better with Dragonfly, but I’d also argue I would rather have Ladybug with Centipede as well. What if you open with Centipede, Bug/Hopper and no other Inzektors? What do you search for? Dragonfly or Hornet? What if Centipede doesn’t live? Bug allows you to search for Dragonfly and have a legitimate offensive play next turn. And that’s where it shines. What happens when Dragons don’t give you any targets to destroy with Hornet? You have to use Hopper to trigger your effects, or you simply attack with what you have on board. Your entire strategy slows down significantly, versus a deck that is probably only a card away from OTKing you.
Hopper was included after a friend suggested adding them in, after he tested the deck, and experienced a lack of usable monsters. With 2 Bug in my deck already, I didn’t feel comfortable using 2 Hopper, but the one really added value.
1x Inzektor Hopper
2x Inzektor Ladybug
I wasn’t using Tour Guide for almost a month leading up to the NA WCQ! I didn’t even miss it. That is, until I began to be dominated by Rabbit. The other monster I was using in her place was Card Trooper, and it didn’t really do very much against them, especially when they had Macro Cosmos active. But against any other deck, Card Trooper really speeds up the deck! It allows you to run 3 Duality, mil 3 cards per turn, and regardless of what you send to the grave, get you that much closer to your win condition: making the Inzektor engine live. Unfortunately it was a losing strategy against one of the most popular decks in the meta, making an already difficult matchup almost unwinnable.
Sangan never left the deck. He fetches you any puzzle piece you need.
3x Tour Guide from Underworld
1x Sangan
Effect Veiler shines brightest in the mirror match, but with the decrease in popularity and the rise of Joe’s Macro Rabbit, it has started to become a liability. It was only natural, then, that I’d take out BLS, which proved to be inconsistent, even with 3 Effect Veilers.
2x Effect Veiler
I wasn’t planning on using Gorz, but changed my mind when my friends convinced me that everybody was attacking into him without hesitation before the event. It also helped that I’d been having pretty mediocre results with Spirit Reaper.
1x Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness
These spells need to explanation:
1x Monster Reborn
3x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Heavy Storm
1x Book of Moon
I doubt I have to explain the purpose of these, either, but I really like the consistency they add to the deck. At 2 I never experienced very much conflict between Duality and Tour Guide/Dragonfly/Call of the Haunted because if I was making a play with Dragonfly or Call of the Haunted, I was usually already in a winning position. Inzektors are a combo based deck and don’t win very many games if they don’t see the right assortment of cards quickly enough. Allure and Duality help maintain a healthy mix of Inzektors, enablers and backrow.
It’s why didn’t run Sword. It’s another card that doesn’t do anything on its own, adds one more piece to an already difficult-to-assemble puzzle and makes you even more reliant on Hornet. 3 Hornet + 2 Ladybug + 1 Allure + 2 Duality is much more consistent than 1 Ladybug + 3 Hornet + 2 Sword. You have more cards/plays in your deck, and more ways to get to them.
To me, Sword is win-maor. If you’ve seen my other articles, you already know I understand what Sword can do. There are some pretty amazing combos. But you don’t need them! If you’re able to resolve a Dragonfly, then you’ve probably already won. Nevermind that they might have an extra turn, you’re already in control, and the amount of games you’re going to lose because you weren’t able to OTK them through Gorz is much smaller than the number of games you’re going to lose because Sword was an inadequate draw.
1x Allure of Darkness
2x Pot of Duality
You might’ve noticed something missing. Nope. It’s not a typo. I didn’t use Dark Hole. Inzektors don’t care about monsters on their opponent’s side of the field. They can just destroy them with Hornet. That’s why Japan doesn’t run it, either. But here we’ve got cards like Dolkka and Photon Strike Bounzer that create issues for the deck. That’s why I knew I needed some kind of monster removal. That begs the question, though, why Soul Taker over Dark Hole? Synergy with Threatening Roar. Let’s say I summon Centipede and set Threatening Roar, my opponent summons Rescue Rabbit, goes into Kaba, attempts to enter battle phase, I activate Roar, and they go into Dolkka, now what? If I Dark Hole, I lose my monster, too. I wouldn’t advocate using Soul Taker over Dark Hole now that the secret’s out and people will take advantage of you and overextend, but besides the Dolkka scenario, there was never a noticeable different between them.
1x Soul Taker
The traps lineup is the most flexible. While Bottomless, Torrential, Warning and Judgment should all be staple, there’s some wiggle room with the others.
2x Bottomless Trap Hole
2x Torrential Tribute
2x Solemn Warning
1x Solemn Judgment
I chose to run 1 Call of the Haunted because although it’s an insanely powerful card, it’s usually dead early game and doesn’t always make it to your next turn. Rather, I opted to focus more on maintaining field presence with 2 Threatening Roar. If you can get a Centipede on the field, and keep it there until next turn, you’re probably going to win. That’s why it’s amazing against Dragons. They can’t negate your summons! All you have to do is protect Centipede from their monsters and It’s usually game over. Chainability is also really, really important. We all know how abnoxious 3 MST and 1 Heavy Storm has become, and Threatening Roar gives you a bit of an edge. It’s synergy with Inzektors gives you a significant advantage. Threatening Roar with Inzektors against Dragons is almost insurmountable.
2x Threatening Roar
1x Call of the Haunted
That’s why I sided into a 3rd Threatening Roar against them. Remember, their only defense is Effect Veiler, and the only way they can search for it is with Sangan himself or Sangan from Tour Guide. Don’t run Waboku and lose because you let them get a Sangan search! When I was testing Waboku, I once had an opponent that crashed Sangan, dropped Trag, search Tour Guide, pitch TGU to steal Centipede and then went into Zenmaines. Bad stuff happens when you run Waboku. Don’t let bad stuff happen.
I also side the 3rd Veiler and BLS against Dragons, too. Why? Because I’m trying to protect my monsters! Unless they have Dark Hole or Soul Taker, the only way they can get your Inzektors off the board is by their monster effects. That is, a Chaos Sorc, BLS, DaD or Exa-Beetle. What you may find even more curious is what I take out. While it may not be a surprise that I take out Solemn Judgment (which just puts you in the danger zone against them), I completely commit to my “hold the field” strategy by taking out Torrential Tribute. Let’s face it, with Tour Guide for Sangan or Zenmaines, Card Trooper, Pulsar, and all of their backrow hate, the only thing Torrnetial is going to accomplish most of the time is making you -1 by destroying your own monsters. Wait, what? You don’t take out any of your MSTs or Heavy Storm? Nope. I grew tired of losing to “surprise backrow” against them after siding. Worst case scenario, which is a really good worst case scenario, is that you can use them to trigger Mantis for OTKs. I’ve found this strategy so effective against them that I don’t side anything else!
I should’ve kept the 2nd Maxx “C” in my side. Kycoo (which was dead whenever I drew him), doesn’t do anything once they’ve already got big monsters on board, and I felt like the South American WCQ was a sign of what was coming. There were 2 Wind-Ups in the Top 4 of the SA WCQ, including 1st place. Until the morning of the event, I actually had 3 Maxx “C” in my side, but tool the other one out for a Forbidden Chalice, which Billy said had tested well for him. It was the only card that I wanted to test that I never got the chance, so I took his word for it and I felt like it paid off.
Mind Control and Transmigration Prophecy are the two best cards you can side for the mirror match.
Messenger of Oaths on the other hand is an amazing tech card for the side deck. Their Rabbit becomes a -1. I decided to run 2 D.Prison, 1 Mirror Force and 2 Dust Tornado over 3 Messenger of the Peace and 2 Trap Stun so I’d have outs to the problem cards. It’s great they’re not attacking me, but Dolkka’s still a problem if I can’t resolve any of my effects. Messenger also makes you extremely vulnerable to any form of backrow hate. That’s the same reason I didn’t run Level Limit – Area B or Dimensional Fissure. I’d rather not lose to Heavy Storm.
As for the Extra Deck, everything was perfect except Utopia. The only reason I added him in was because I thought I might need another Rank 4 xyz and because I took BLS out of the main deck, there wasn’t any reason to have Armory Arm anymore. But I never brought him out. Really, I think this is a preference spot, but everything else is a must.
TOURNAMENT REPORT
FRIDAY
I woke up at 4:30 CST for an early flight on Friday morning. Normally my flights come in late Friday night so I don’t have to miss work, but I decided to take a vacation days because well, it’s the WCQ. I arrive at the airport, get breakfast, and find out my flight is delayed due to mechanical problems. Because I’m going to miss my connecting flight in Cleveland, the airline sends me to Houston instead. Nine hours after I woke up, I’m in an airport even further away from my final destination from where I began, and don’t get in until 7:00 EST. I’m unable to get a hold of my friends because my phone battery was drained after trying to surf the internet at the airport all day. When I do find them, at Max and Erma’s, we eat and go back to the hotel, only to find out that the electricity is out. Some “vacation day”!
SATURDAY
I take out Spirit Reaper for Gorz in the main and take out 2 Maxx “C” for Chalice and Kycoo in the side deck.
Round 1: Joe Bogli’s Dino Rabbit
Before the tournament, all of the Worlds competitors from last year got together and wished each other good luck. I remember wishing Joe good luck when we parted ways, only to find out he was my opponent in the first round! We’re both bummed.
Game 1’s a grind but I pick up the win attacking directly with Zenmaines. Between games my 2nd Bottomless Trap Hole disappears! I tell Joe and he graciously lets me replace it and we continue the duel. I purge his defenses in Game 2 and begin making a power play to attack for game, but he drops Maxx “C”! Without an answer to a topdecked Rescue Rabbit, I push through and go for game, hoping he doesn’t draw into Gorz. He doesn’t.
Round 2: Scraps
I open with Centipede and Ladybug, and search for Dragonfly. He summons, attempts to attack and I activate Threatening Roar when he tries to end Main Phase 1. Before ending, he sets three. I equip Hornet and destroy his maindeck Chain Disappearance. He’s so bummed out (even though I wouldn’t have walked into his trap anyway, that he doesn’t Bottomless my Hopper. I take game from there. He opens with Stardust and a backrow in Game 1 and I summon an Inzektor, equip Hornet and Mantis, attack over his monster and destroy his backrow Main Phase 2. The game goes back and forth for a few turns but eventually I am able to take control.
Round 3: Chaos Dragons
I don’t remember too much about this duel besides my opponent instantly activating an MST into my two backrow as soon as he draws it, and seeing him draw like Yugi when he’s been backed into a corner and needs to draw the right card. These cues tell me I should take Gorz when I Duality in Game 2, as these type of players usually play their cards as quickly as possible without regard for the negative consequences, which is dangerous when they’re playing an aggressive deck like Dragons. Gorz is amazing for punishing these kinds of players, or at least slowing them down.
Round 4: Dino Rabbit
I shuffle my opponent’s deck, count 42 cards, and ask my opponent if that’s correct. He tells me he’s only running 41 cards. Turns out my opponent forgot to give his opponent from the previous round his card back after my opponent Monster Reborn’ed it. The judge returns the card, and gives us a time extension.
While shuffling, my opponent flips a Kabazuls Hm.
I go first and open with Lasybug, Hornet, 2 Threatening Roar, Effect Veiler and another card. I summon Bug, equip Hornet, set Roar and pass. My opponent summons Kabazuls and I activate Roar when he attempts to leave Main Phase 1. I draw another Hornet, send Hornet from Bug to pop Kaba, equip Hornet, attack for 1000, set Roar and end. He summons Sabersaurs, I activate Roar and my opponent presses! Set three, end! I set Hornet to destroy Starlight Road, re-equip Hornet to destroy Warning, summon the 2nd Hornet and bait his Torrential Tribute. I capitalize on my advantage and take Game 1.
Next game I’m at 2100 to his 9000 and begin attacking for 2500 direct. It comes down to my Leviathan and Bottomless (with Dragonfly and Hornet in hand) to my opponent drawing into four in hand, without anymore Rabbits or Tour Guides. He activates Heavy Storm, then Dark Hole, summons Sabersaurus, attacks, dropping me to 200 and sets his 4th card. I summon Dragonfly, equip Hornet and he activates Macro! I set the Mirror Force I drew for turn and am able to protect the Dragonfly and keep poking for game.
Round 5: Dino Rabbit
I don’t remember game one, but Game 2 takes forever after a lengthy appeals process. The ruling goes in his favor, but Solemn Judgment drops him to 2500 life points versus my Dragonfly and Duality. I activate the spell, reveal a Centipede and attack for game.
Round 6: Dino Rabbit
I don’t remember this match at all. I’m sorry to whoever you are.
Round 7: Dino Rabbit
Fatigue begins to set in. He gets Game 1, the first game I’ve lost all day, but am able to force a Game 3. I don’t have any Hornets, Ladybugs or Hoppers in grave, not that it matters because all I have is a Dragonfly and a backrow to his Laggia, Macro, mystery backrow and a couple cards in hand. I topdeck Tour Guide and go into Zenmaines! Next turn I draw into Soul Taker for his Laggia, and am able to protect the Zenmaines just long enough to get enough direct attacks in for game. It’s one of those that I could’ve/should’ve lost, but didn’t.
Round 8: Hero
He opens with Alius and two backrow. I activate Heavy Storm, summon Dragonfly, destroy Alius, grab Centipede, attack directly, set Duality and pop it to search for another Dragonfly, set Bottomless Trap Hole and end. His only out is Dark Hole. He activates Dark Hole. I’m able to take the game anyway. Deck check. I pile shuffle when I get my deck back and draw almost all monsters both games two and three. Game 3, my opponent Dualities for Warning, at 3000 LPs. One more turn passes. I flip summon Dragonfly, which he lets go through. What? He drew it? *sigh* Dragonfly’s effect? Skill Drain. Call of the Haunted, target Tour Guide for game? Crow. I don’t have anymore monsters in hand and fall 1000 LPs short. I’m kinda salty because he asked me what my target was when I activated Dragonfly’s effect, meaning he didn’t even understand how their effects work, and he drew Dark Hole all three games, along with a Heavy Storm Game 2.
Round 9: Dino Rabbit
It’s a Feature Match. I have the worst possible Duality, when I reveal the last two Tour Guides in my deck, and the other Duality. I play it slow Game 3 because my opponent only has Sabersaurus, Zenmaines, Macro and one mystery backrow. He topdecks Rabbit, flips Heavy Storm and brings out 2 more Sabersaurus. What Jason doesn’t write is that my opponent decides between Dolkka and Butterfly by rolling a die. I began the day 14-1 in games and finish X-2 anyway.
SUNDAY
Round 10: Chaos Dragons
I take Game 1. Deck check. I pile shuffle 3 times while my opponent sides. I open an awkward hand and am unable to do anything to with opponent’s Decree (despite leaving all my backrow hate in) and Future Fusion. I attempt to put him on a 2-turn clock, too, by using Monster Reborn on his REDMD but he has a response. I never take any MSTs or Heavy out because they always get cute and side backrow against me. Inzektors don’t really care if their opponent doesn’t have backrow anyway, because MST can be used offensively as well, to trigger Giga-Mantis.
Game 3 my opponent has one card left in hand and topdecks Future Fusion, thinks for a minute and passes with one card in hand. I begin to combo off and tell Jim that’s game unless he has Trag. He drops Trag. Next turn he topdecks Pulsar and gets DaD to hand. Luckily I have Book of Moon, but he’s still able to crash Pulsar with Leviathan, get Red Eyes and get Pulsar back, but it’s not enough. I have too much field presence and earn myself another match on the bubble.
Round 11: Wind-Ups
Deck check. The defining moments come in Game 3 when I have the Crimson Ninja on the field with Centipede and Hornet in hand. Time is called. He draws to 2 cards in hand, drops BLS and summons Tour Guide. Wow! He removes Ninja, attacks for 2,000 and makes Zebmaines. I’m still up by 100 LPs going into Turn 2. Summon Centipede, pop BLS, search Dragonfly. He draws, crashes Zenmaines, pops Centipede and ends. I summon Dragonfly, activate effect and he Veilers! I Chalice Zenmaines, use Soul Taker, attack directly for 1000 and pass to him, ahead by 200 LPs. He has last turn. Topdeck Shark, attack for game. Three straight topdecks.
They begin announcing the Top 64 and there are a significant X-3s. I’ve gotten 33rd before, and 37th as recently as YCS Philadelphia. Perhaps luck will be on my side for once? 64th! I’m extremely excited about sneaking into the top and looking forward to playing the 1-seed because I know if I beat him, then get his bracket. Unfortunately I’m playing Wind-Ups, and I took 2 Maxx “C” out of my side deck right before the tournament. I knew they were a threat, too, based on the South American WCQs.
Top 64: Wind-Ups
My opponent summons Tour Guide, goes into Carrier, loops me, activates Avarice and rips the rest of the cards out of my hand. With a Ladybug in my grave, I’ve got a chance, if he doesn’t have any backrow or and traps. Draw Centipede Torrential Tribute. Draw Dragonfly. Solemn Warning. Deck check. If you’re keeping track, that’s four of the last five rounds. Despite being looped for all five cards, I don’t let it get to me. I take Game 2 and sneak out a win in Game 3 by dealing 8200 damage over 2 turns with Hopper and Hornet equipped with Giga-Mantis.
Top 32: Chaos
I open with Centipede, Centipede, Judgment, Bottomless, Heavy and Roar. I summon Centipede and set three. He draws his 6th card: Heavy Storm. Negate. He summons Thunder King. Bottomless. He passes. I check for Gorz with Centipede. Nope. Centipede, equip Centipede, pass. He summons another monster and I activate Roar. He sets two and ends. I flip Heavy Storm, which would’ve destroyed both his backrow and triggered a Centipede search. Solemn Judgment. I do what I can to fight him off, but can’t withstand a BLS off the top. I even it up in Game 2.
He has a King Tiger. I set Dragonfly, hoping he’ll attack into it. He summons Thunder King, forcing me to use my Threatening Roar. Next turn I summon Centipede, equip Hornet. He MSTs it and TKRO prevents me from being able to search. Flip Dragonfly. Solemn Judgment, again, which causes me to unwittingly use Call of the Haunted on my Dragonfly. As soon as I realize King Tiger will destroy it, my heart sinks. I chain Torrential to bring his monsters down with it, but am left without any cards. The duel drags on for another ten turns, but I’m unable to recover. As I think back to the duel, and how the next few turns played out, I’m not sure if it would’ve mattered. But I can’t help but be frustrated at myself, the outcome of the duel, and wonder if that misplay actually cost me another chance at Worlds.
Match Game
Dino Rabbit 5-1 10-3
Chaos Dragons 2-0 4-1
Wind-Ups 1-1 3-3
Scraps 1-0 2-0
Hero 0-1 1-2
Chaos 0-1 1-2
9-4 21-11
Regardless, it was still a really fun weekend and can’t wait until the next YCS, and the 2013 NA WCQ! I want to give a shoutout to everybody from Texas and everybody who supported me, congrats to the 2012 North American Worlds representatives, and thanks to ARG for once again letting my share my experience with you all. Finally, thank you for reading!
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