Invited Author: Garry Yeung (won Evo Cup)
Country: Indonesia
Introduction
Hi, Garry from Indonesia here. Finally, after a while we got a new prize for Evolution Cup (BlackWargreymon) and the event starts in the early meta of BT14 Blast Ace. Since we got new mechanic (Blast Evolution) and (Counter) timing that really change the game, I will give you my opinion and what I know about the meta and my MirageGaoGamon deck.
First of all my opinion might change in the future since we are still in the early meta of BT14 and people will try new things to counter the meta deck. When BT 14 got teased I thought that the new cards won’t help MirageGaogamon too much, but after some test I think some new card really help MirageGaogamon to become a better deck.
Deck Building
Digitama (Lvl2)
Bukamon BT14-002 (x4):
This Digitama is the best upgrade that MirageGaogamon can have since Mirage always have problem with DP and to give Jamming to Mirage before we need a tamer (Nikolai Petrov BT11-090) that is hard to play since there is no timing to play it. It’s really easy to get to the Digitama condition to get Jamming we can just bounce all the enemy that have more source than our Digimon. It’s also good to push early when the enemy brick and can’t deal with our Rookie (Lvl3) or Champion (Lvl4) that will keep hitting with jamming early. For now bringing this digitama is the best choice for Mirage deck.
Rookie (Lvl3)
Gaomon EX4-015 (x4): I only play one type of Gaomon and to me this one is the most powerful one, It can give you easy memory+1 and can help adding hand to your enemy for another extra attack when we already in MirageGaogamon Burst Mode.
ModokiBetamon (BT6-021) and Syakomon (BT5-021)
Since there’s a lot of deck that requires to bring Memory Boost and Training cards this is the best way to control them from getting free memory. But you need to let it go when you know the enemy can easily handle Modoki or Syako just use it to evolve and place a tamer or you can hit the enemy since you are probably still Jamming from the Digitama. Both ratio of this card can be change depends on your local meta.
Gomamon BT14-020 (x4): This new Gomamon really help you to get rid of the enemy Digimon and Blocker. Since we can trash 1 Digivolution Card at start of main phase we can easily get rid of enemy’s Level 5 (Ultimate) with Zudomon after. If you’re facing deck with many blocker and you can’t get rid all of them like Commandramon deck you can use this Digimon other effect (can’t be blocked for the turn) to make their Blocker useless. In my opinion you can reduce this card to make slot for Gaomon BT11-020, but since I already have many searcher from the option I play only this card.
Champion (Lvl4)
GaoGamon (EX4-017) and GaoGamon (BT13-025): This is the usual Lvl 4 (Champion) for MirageGaoGamon deck and not much to say since both always really good with the deck. GaoGamon (EX4-017) easily handle Rookie that blocking your Memory Boost or Training card and GaoGamon (BT13-025) can play Thoma H. Norstein for free.
I always bring one or two Hybrid in a mono-colour deck especially if you need to play an Evolution Line as your win condition. Right now, Lanamon (BT12-024) probably the best Hybrid for this deck since you can add Gaomon (EX4-015) for extra memory later when you evolve. You can also play Kumamon (BT7-021) since it goes well with the new Zudomon ACE (BT14-026).
Ultimate (Lvl5)
MachGaoGamon (EX4-019): I always bring this MachGaoGamon since I want to control my opponent’s board and the source effect goes well with MirageGaoGamon BT11-033 (unlike the other MachGaoGamon you need to attack first with Lvl5).
Zudomon ACE (BT14-026): One of the best ACE Card in the game, I was surprised to see the price when the set is released since it’s really cheap for a really strong card. With this card surprisingly we can easily handle the new Commandramon and even Greymon X-Antibody sources effect. It also good to remove enemy’s Digimon and goes well with Gomamon (BT14-020) and the option card Sourai (EX3-067). Just make sure your enemy can’t easily destroy your Digimon with ACE or you will lose some memory with Overflow.
Mega (Lvl6) and (Lvl7)
MirageGaogamon (BT11-033) and MirageGaogamon Burst Mode (BT13-033):
You can never go wrong with this MirageGaogamon and Burst Mode simply one of the best Mega in the game since released and with the easy access to Jamming these cards just go nuts. When you evolve to them usually the enemy will have no more Digimon left in the field. For other option you can always bring MirageGaogamon BT13-031 to remove the enemy’s tamer and play your own tamer for free but it always depends on your local meta because sometimes there are deck that don’t have any tamer and you don’t want a dead card in your hand.
Tamer
Touma H. Norstein (BT4-093) and (BT13-097)
Most people at first thought that MirageGaogamon deck really need it’s tamer like ShineGreymon Deck but after testing with the deck a lot you can really reduce both of this Tamer since we only really need one for easy access to Burst Mode and even if you miss the Tamer you can always just evolve normally to Burst Mode and put the Tamer later when you get it from the draw, most of the time you can play the Tamer again since we play many Memory Boost and both of our Mega (Lvl6 and Lvl7) literally gain memory when evolve.
Option
Blue Memory Boost (P-036) and Mental Training (P-104)
This deck main searcher, you really should spam this card until your setup is ready for an OTK move or clean your enemy board. In this deck you can get rid of the rookie that block them very easily.
Ice Wall (EX1-068)
This card is limit for a reason, always good to bring this to hold deck with multiple attacks (Commandramon, MirageGaogamon, FenriLoogamon, etc).
Sourai (EX3-067) and Full Moon Meteor Impact (BT13-105)
Sourai can hold against ShineGreymon and Commandramon deck it can always help and goes well with Gomamon and Zudomon from BT14. I bring one Full Moon Meteor Impact (BT13-105) just to spice up my security cards and its not a very costful card in hand since in the late game it will be very cheap to play.
Matchups
Usually I do a tournament report but for today’s article I will tell you my opinion’s about some matchup with this MirageGaogamon deck. If you are interested in my matchup you can go to my Twitter (@garryyeung), I already play 2 Evolution Cup (32 Player) and went to the finals in both of them.
Bad Matchups
Four Great Dragon Loop
I think Venusmon (BT10-042) is one of the worst match up you can get when you play MirageGaogamon deck and with the Four Great Dragon loop with Holydramon (EX3-036) you can never use your When Evolving and When Attacking effect like in forever and the Security Attack -1 and -2 really hurts Mirage. The way to handle this is to rely on the new BT14 Gomamon and Zudomon effect to get rid of the Venusmon (BT10-42) or play the Full Moon Meteor Impact right away before the enemy’s board getting uncontrolled.
Security Control
MirageGaoGamon have no protection unless you play the one from BT13 that only have Evade and unlike other deck that have protection (can prevent from leaving the field) this deck is weak against Security Control deck with have many option card to check in security. Don’t play ACE card if you can or you will have to pay the overflow everytime.
Blocker with Breath of the Gods
Such an underrated card for now, I think we will see more of this card coming into the meta since so many ShineGreymon and MirageGaogamon. Easily counter them by gaining reboot and can’t have its DP reduced or be returned to deck or hand until opponent’s next turn. Even the security effect really preventing Burst Mode deck to finish the game since it’s stop Digimon to attack player for the turn. Might see this card play in Commandramon or Alphamon deck.
Other Matchups
With the addition of Bukamon, Gomamon, and Zudomon I think the deck rarely have other bad matchup, though in my experience playing mirror (MirageGaogamon vs MirageGaogamon) is very hard since the one with the better hand can easily finish the game first.
Conclusion
With addition of ACE card, I think the game become much more interactive for players and it’s interesting how they will take the counter timing in the future with new cards. For the meta itself, in my opinion it will not change very much, ShineGreymon, MirageGaogamon, FenriLoogamon, Commandramon and WarGreymon or BlackWarGreymon will still dominate the game.
I hope many players will try testing other deck since there are still a lot of potential in other cards and I hope to see more Patamon BT14-033 for the Yellow Vaccine or Mastemon deck and Palmon BT14-044 for the Bloomlordmon or Rosemon deck. There’s also a potential of black deck slaughtering the meta with Breath of the Gods from (BT3-105).
Overall really excited to see how the meta grow and and with many new events coming (Magnamon Cup and Ultiamte Cup) I hope we see many new deck joining the meta. Thank You for reading my article, hopefully I can share a lot more in the future and goodluck. Don’t forget to follow me at Twitter @garryyeung.