Hopes for the March 2012 Ban List

Everyone has been asking me what I think will be on the next ban list.  Honestly, I have no idea.  Konami usually finds some way to fix some of the bigger problems with the format while also making some crazy changes to promote new products.  But, even though I can't really predict the ban list, I do have some hopes for what might be on it...

Again, these are HOPES, not a realistic prediction.  I would like for all of these things to happen, but I know that it won't be so.

Forbidden:

• Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning: Um, it's a broken card.  I've OTK'd several times with it, and I don't even put it in my deck...
• Dandylion: Gives you Tokens too easily.  It's practically free cards.
• Gorz the Emissary of Darkness: Promotes bad play more than skillful play.  Ideally, OTK's should not exist, so there would be no reason to keep this card around.
• Morphing Jar: Kills Empty Jar and hurts Dark Worlds.
• Sangan: I really like this card, but it's just gotten too good.
• Card Destruction: Kills Empty Jar and hurts Dark Worlds...
• Future Fusion: Super Foolish Burial plus summoning a huge Monster?  Yeah, that's fair.
• Gateway of the Six: You don't deserve to win just because you play Six Samurai and opened this card.
• Limiter Removal: You don't deserve to win just because you play Machines and drew this card.
• Mind Control: It's better than Brain Control.
• Monster Reborn: Shouldn't need explanation.
• Trap Dustshoot: You don't deserve to win just because you went first and opened this card.

Limited:

• Archlord Kristya: It's an extremely powerful boss Monster and will be the go-to boss for Fairies if they lose Hyperion.
• Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World: Makes all of your Dark Worlds into 2700 floaters?  Yeah, no.
• Inzektor Dragonfly: The reason I want Dragonfly Limited (or even banned) instead of Hornet is because Dragonfly is the main culprit behind the dreaded self-perpetuating plus-4 that Inzektors can make.  If they just have Centipede, then it's not nearly as threatening.  Besides, Limiting Hornet doesn't do as much because they play so many ways to search it or get it back if it's banished.  With Dragonfly Limited, they only get their big play once per game, and that's even if they draw their combo.
• Judgment Dragon: The problem I have with Judgment Dragon is that once you can summon one, you can summon all three.  If it had some sort of clause that you could only summon it once per duel, then it'd be fine.
• Rescue Rabbit: The new-age Rescue Cat, capable of making a walking Solemn Judgment for free.  Limiting Evolzar Laggia doesn't do nearly as much as Limiting this.
• The Agent of Creation - Venus: This is the core of the Agent deck.  If you only have one Venus to search for with your Earths, then you have to play crummy Agents like Jupiter.
• Wind-Up Rat: A one-card Xyz for Zenmaity that's an integral part of the Wind-Up Hunter loop?  Yeah, Limit it.
• Mystical Space Typhoon: This ought to tone down the crazy amount of Spell/Trap destruction.  Play Dust Tornadoes instead.
• Rekindling: This isn't doing anything in the TCG, but it will in a year or so when Hidden Arsenal 7 is finally released.  Either way, Lavals are already taking advantage of this in the OCG.
• Royal Tribute: Just because Gravekeeper's are bad doesn't mean that this isn't a broken card.
• Wind-Up Factory: Black Whirlwind for Wind-Ups that doesn't care if the effect is negated (by Effect Veiler; negating the activation with something like Divine Wrath will stop it).
• Solemn Warning: Negating Normal Summons with no card advantage loss is really powerful.
• Ultimate Offering: This is the card that breaks Xyz Gadgets.  They may not be good, but that doesn't mean that this card isn't crazy in that deck.

Semi-Limited:

• Master Hyperion: The only problem I have with Hyperion is seeing multiples of it.  Semi-Limiting it should reduce the possibility of that.
• Reborn Tengu: The ultimate floater.  It's still playable at two; I would actually still play it in Nordics or something if it were at two.
• Emergency Teleport: This card is nothing compared to the craziness that we have now.  By that, I mean that it doesn't gain card advantage by itself like other cards (Tour Guide and such).  It could honestly be Unlimited, but let's see how it goes if it's Semi-Limited.

Unlimited:

• Magical Stone Excavation: There's really no point to having this Semi-Limited
• Primal Seed: There's really no point to having this Limited, even if BLS is legal.

Okay, so that's that.  I really don't have high expectations for this upcoming ban list.  If it just deals with Inzektors, the "Synchrocentric" deck, and maybe Wind-Ups, then I'll probably be okay with it.

Also, I think I'll discuss the topic of Heavy Storm a little bit.  Now, Heavy Storm being legal hasn't really made this format better or worse than the previous format.  Honestly, Heavy Storm's legality only effects the amount of Stun decks that are played.  Aggressive decks always find a way to do well, regardless of Heavy Storm's position on the list.

With Heavy Storm legal, Stun decks are just played less; it doesn't cause them to be any worse off that if Heavy Storm were banned.  The fact that Stun decks are played less often means that they are sided against less often.  Most people don't even side against Stun decks.  They just have the third MST in their Side Deck just in case and hope for the best.  The thing is the people expect Heavy Storm to prevent Stun decks from even existing, but it doesn't work like that.  Your Heavy Storm and MST's aren't enough to take out 20 back rows, so if your opponent draws a good hand, you'll lose.

If Heavy Storm were banned, then half of the decks played would essentially be Stun decks.  That would mean that people would be siding or even maining multiple Dust Tornadoes, Trap Stuns, or even Seven Tools of the Bandit to combat them.  That, plus the fact that Stun decks lose to Stun tactics, would severely weaken them.  Of course, this is all ignoring that Stun decks are horrible in general.

So basically, the position of Heavy Storm doesn't really affect the format that much.  People will play Stun decks regardless, it's just that more people will play Stun if Heavy Storm is banned, causing Stun decks to be worse than usual.  Honestly, I don't care either way.