So, update on yu-gi-oh: no, kashtira is around, but I wouldn't say it was doing anything nearly as heinous as it used to, cards got limited and are occasionally used as an engine for stronger decks. Currently a rank four strategy in ryzeal and a link banish deck, Maliss are tearing it up, though some new competitors are stepping into the scene, challenging their utter dominance. Hand traps at every corner though, so really it's more of the same, just generally more interactive.

Harkaius said:

So, update on yu-gi-oh: no, kashtira is around, but I wouldn't say it was doing anything nearly as heinous as it used to, cards got limited and are occasionally used as an engine for stronger decks. Currently a rank four strategy in ryzeal and a link banish deck, Maliss are tearing it up, though some new competitors are stepping into the scene, challenging their utter dominance. Hand traps at every corner though, so really it's more of the same, just generally more interactive.

Having everything at 1 copy should make it very inconsistent, but somehow, if I see it, they have just the right cards to start the combo and prohibit me from playing.

It's weird, like seeing "That Grass Looks Greener" in every opening hand in a 60-card deck.

drix_ingara said:

Having everything at 1 copy should make it very inconsistent, but somehow, if I see it, they have just the right cards to start the combo and prohibit me from playing.

It's weird, like seeing "That Grass Looks Greener" in every opening hand in a 60-card deck.

I know the feeling, "it shouldn't show up so much if it's only at one copy" is a statement that regularly passes through my head when playing, be it a garnet or the powerful one-of in my opponents deck that wins them the game...it has it's way of happening...but honestly, at the end of the day, that's yu-gi-oh, always has been, probably always will be.
Update for anyone wondering: yu-gi-oh has FINALLY come up with an official alternative format called genesis, no pendulum or link monsters allowed (deal breaker for myself) and powerful cards aren't banned, but do get assigned point values, the higher the point value, the more heinous the card: the format gets monthly updates so toxic combos or obnoxious floodgate turbo strats never stick around for long, if you like a more "open" game of Yu-Gi-Oh, feel free to look into it, it's not flawless (I just wanna play dracoslayer and infernoids sometimes...) but it's definitely not as bad as usual yu-gi-oh can be!