I am a player that loves the unpopular decks and I believe in the potential that comes with certain niche cards.
My name is Gil Bernardo or YuXOh on various online platforms. I’m Portuguese but due to circumstances I’ve been living in France for 10 years now. I always loved the Digimon franchise and also card games but never tried a TCG before. I actually went into a card shop for the first time to try to play Yu-Gi-Oh! but the store didn’t have English cards, and when I was about to leave, I saw the Digimon starter decks on a shelf and never financially recovered. This was right at the start of BT5 Battle Of Omni. I have a strong desire to always compete so I have been playing competitively since the second half of that set.
My favorite digimon is Skullgreymon, because I love designs based around skulls and skeletons and his first introduction in the anime.
BT13 Belphemon Rage Mode, because I love every Morishita art but this one is just too awesome.
I started getting a few results early on but only got consistent in later formats, notably I got:
I'm personally a player that dislikes mirror matches quite a lot, so I tend to lean towards the 1.5 tier decks in various formats. These are decks that have answers to the meta, but people would have difficulty knowing completely what my game plan exactly is. While searching for my next deck, I was reading the new EX6 RagnaLoardmon cards and saw a lot of potential, then I checked what outs I have versus a lot of meta decks. After checking everything I worked on the list as best as I could until I was completely confident in my plays.
I think I have never tried this hard before to play this deck. Because I barely got any data to work with, I contacted the best players I knew and played against the best meta decks piloted by the best players and ran my deck through a gauntlet until I could beat them.
In this Meta, the moment I knew that I had an incredibly favored Numemon match up, I was set. Coupled with tools to deal with Magnamon (X Antibody) easily along with MirageGaogamon and a lot of Seven Great Demon Lords as opponents to practice, I only needed to dodge Imperialdramon. I said before that I had answers for everything in the meta, but the answers for Imperialdramon were too inconsistent or too reliant on my opponent's miss plays. But as long as the matchup was doable, I was confident going in.
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A playset of EX6-005 Kakkinmon is the only Digitama you'll ever need. It becomes a resource management game with the sources under your Digimon stack and your hand. Being able to repeatedly use your hand effects from the cards, retrieve them from Digivolution sources and also the 1 memory gain, is extremely meaningful. Because I don't play memory setters, I need to be as memory efficient as possible.
BT3-062 Ludomon playset is there for max consistency in a piece reliant deck, checking top 5 of your deck is a huge boost. Together with 3x EX6-037 Spadamon, you can also draw more cards with both its On Play and Hand effect as well as being a board control tool versus Numemon. Regarding 4x EX6-007 Zubamon, the dp boost is too important in this meta to help reach DP thresholds to clear opposing bodies with Raid. Then 3x promo P-097 Zubamon, this card is insane! The Raid effect on that lvl 3 as Inherited Effect allows me as soon as turn 2 to start controlling the opponent’s board and get grip on the game. Late game this card can be used as a top deck manipulator to let me micromanage my plays the way I want.
The lvl 4 line up is quite simple and standard but quite a strong package, 4x EX6-008 ZubaEagermon allows me that when I don’t see the Zubamon promo early on, still Raid into bodies while also function as a DP booster with its Hand and Inherited Effect. The 4x EX6-040 TiaLudomon becomes a good piece when you already have the Zubamon promo underneath, being able to gain Blocker and Reboot after clearing a board and prevent counter aggression. Then 2x ST13-11 TiaLudomon, because I want 10 lvl 4’s and he's the best we got in my opinion as a third option with Blocker Inheritable and being a gacha target for one of our lvl 6’s.
We’re running a full EX6 package here with 4x EX6-042 RaijiLudomon and EX6-009 Duramon. Duramon being your burst and also chip tool while you're raiding into bodies. But he's also useful to clear lvl 6 Digimon since he becomes a 13k with 1 hand effect from EX6-007 Zubamon or EX6-008 ZubaEagermon. The RaijiLudomon is another big piece in the deck, this is another layer of protection but also an archetype taunt tool that can be reused over and over again when retrieving from Digivolution cards thanks to the Digitama.
Starting with 4x EX6-010 Durandamon, packing a Hand effect that is pretty much a 3 cost ST1-16 Gaia Force along with a pseudo Blitz effect when Digivolving. This card is extremely versatile during every game, and lets not forget that it comes with an inheritable that gives your RagnaLoardmon the ultimate ADP (BT3-097 A Delicate Plan) effect by completely negating any security bomb your opponents might have.
Next for our black lvl 6’s we run a 3-2 split, with 3x EX6-044 BryweLudramon being the main lvl 6 we Digivolve into due to its ability to protect itself from Digimon effects but also being a Blocker with Reboot to help fight off the aggression from my opponent. The Hand effect also comes very handy to get rid of potential blockers, so I can finish the game, but also to avoid Ace Digimon or nasty On Deletion effects. Then 2x ST13-14 BryweLudramon to round out our lvl 6’s. This card was included mostly for its incredibly strong Inherited Effect, giving Digimon immunity against other Digimon effects during the opponent's turn. This allows RagnaLoardmon to be an incredibly hard card to be removed from the board. Its own effect to gain immunity against deletion and bounce effects, makes it an effective win con versus a few meta decks, namely MirageGaogamon.
The big boss of the deck comes in 2 flavors in this list, starting with 2x BT3-019 RagnaLoardmon.
While this card won’t be used in a few matchups, it becomes the centerpiece against others as an lvl7, thanks to the virtually free evolution cost. It can quickly gain every protection our deck offers and become a massive threat that will end the game by itself if left completely unchecked.
Then 3x EX6-011 RagnaLoardmon Ace to finish up our digimon. When this card hits the board, it hits the board HARD! Like almost no other Ace does, it can completely flip the game on its head and stay a menace while it sticks to the board.
The 3x BT8-094 Digimon Emperor, not a lot to say about it, is a great card in the meta and it draws you a card every turn if you're following your gameplan correctly.
Then 1x BT12-107 Laplace’s Demon, another way to taunt my opponents digimon, but the 1 cost can be extremely impactful, especially if you taunt an Ace Digimon and want to have as much memory stolen as possible.
Matchups using the Swiss format.
This match took a while due to my opponent needing to read a lot, which is understandable given the nature of my deck, but it was a game 1 large DP boosted raid fest into game 2 where my opponent forgot I had an Ace Digimon in my deck.
I was familiar with the effects of Digipolice so it wasn't too hard to navigate. Game 1 my opponent got locked in the raising area for a couple of turns thanks to double Digimon Emperor and game 2 he sadly couldn't play around my Ace Digimon and fell behind on tempo.
I'm extremely comfortable in this matchup, so I went in with the same game plan as always, a lvl 4 in raising with a Digimon Emperor on board to slow down the early game and then starting to break apart the board. My opponent tried to use the Etemon and Valkyrimon combo, but in those situations you want RaijiLudomon under your stack so you can Raid into the soon to be a Valkyrimon Etemon stack. This way you protect yourself from the deletion and then buff your stack to remove the Valkyrimon Ace with Durandamon Hand effect or taunt it with RaijiLudomon to steal back your turn with the Ace overflow. Sadly game 2 my opponent bricked.
I couldn't dodge it, game 1 was to my advantage thanks to a lack of matchup knowledge from my opponent, but he quickly adapted during the match. The games were quite grindy so we had to finish at time with a draw.
I practiced this matchup for hours until I got a clear understanding of my gameplan. Game 1 I had a slow start which is not ideal and my opponent was able to reach 7 names under its EX6-006 Gate of Deadly Sins along with a EX4-074 ShinGreymon: Ruin Mode plus BT13-088 Belphemon: Sleep Mode to stall the turn. But I was ready with a lvl 4 in raising with +2k DP Inherited Effect to be able to promote safely and be able to deal the finishing blow my opponent wasn't expecting. Game 2, I had the best plan in motion, being able to Raid into every body they played or destroy it with Durandamon Hand effect. The game never left my control and a fully protected BT3-019 RagnaLoardmon did short work of my opponent’s security.
This game was quite stressful. I did a few misplays where I couldn’t gain the correct amount of DP on my Digimon to survive large DP reductions. My opponent quickly took advantage of the situation. Game 2 took incredibly long, we both had very few cards left in our deck but I somehow was able to close out the game with 3 cards to spare. With only 6 minutes left on the clock, time on the round was called as I was facing down a massive board but sadly my opponent was not allowed to declare attacks as overtime had already passed.
At this point I was on table one and guaranteed a spot in the top 8. My opponent was a player I was warned about to be very good and I felt it in both games. I was advised to take it slow and not waste energy before the Top Cut, but then my opponent asked what was RagnaLoardmon doing at table 1 and, well, I had to show off! Both game 1 and game 2, my opponent’s only out to RagnaLoardmon, ST15-16 Trident Arm, was bottom decked by BT16-082 Ukkomon! Seeing this I only had to play Digimon Emperor and start clearing the shop. Game 1 ended with a scoop once my opponent got stuck in a Raid and repeated taunt turns while I chipped away at security. Game 2 I applied the same gameplan, but was quickly finished with a burst of damage thanks to Durandamon.
The game plan never changes. I mulligan for a lvl 3 and 4 (and with some luck Digimon Emperor), then started controlling the board minding the protections and DP boosts I got. I got a Valkyrimon hard dropped on me to clear my lvl 4 but I just rebuilt up to a lvl 5 in raising, and most often than not, that Valkyrimon will die to security thanks to all the lvl 6’s and lvl 7’s that might be in there. Game 2 was just as simple, full board control with my opponent just saying he couldn’t do anything once RagnaLoardmon was established.
This player beat one of my friends in the previous top cut round so I had to take revenge! Things started really well when my opponents read every single one of my cards. Game 1 was finished with a quite risky OTK (One Turn Kill) taking away 4 security. I promoted a rookie from the breeding area and evolved into BT3 RagnaLoardmon, then slotted in 2x Duramon for Security Attack +2. I went in for 4 security checks at 14k DP, risking dying to a BT9-112 DeathXmon or BT10-112 Jesmon GX in security. With nothing in security but cardboard, the rookie swung for game. Game 2 was another opponent forgetting about the Ace existing situation, there was too much of a tempo swing for my opponent to come back.
At this point, this was a nervous and high pressure situation, Game 1 I promoted too early and got punished and the board was flooded beyond any possible comeback chance.
Game 2 I never evolved beyond a lvl 4, a ZubaEagermon took down every piece on the board doing a 10k Piercing check while I kept giving it all the inheritables it needed to survive. When my opponent was at 2 security I slotted in Duramon for a double check, along with a RaijiLudomon in the last turn. I was guaranteed to survive everything but a removal option. Both checks went through and a rookie finished the game!
Game 3, high stakes and no mistakes allowed! Early board control was established with an EX6 BryweLudramon. With my opponent Etemons on the board and me missing a Raid effect on the stack, I got no choice but to swing security with a RaijiLudomon in the Digivolution cards, I only need to hit something lower than 8k DP Digimon.
I checked BT15-040 Monzaemon (X Antibody), exactly 8k! My stack was lost but I could rebuild in the raising area, but I was looking at my opponent’s BT10-042 Venusmon, a rookie and a BT16-013 Valkyrimon Ace while at 3 security. By all means I’m dead on board and my opponent also has a rookie in raising, but I got BT8-094 Digimon Emperor. I had to decide between evolving to a lvl 4 in raising and dropping something for Valkyrimon Ace to destroy, or go into a lvl 5 to guarantee I can take back the game if my opponent decides to not hit security with Valkyrimon.
I had to play to win, a sacrificial pawn would not do that. I evolved into Duramon in raising while keeping RaijiLudomon in hand to be able to taunt Valkyrimon if my opponent wouldn't swing all out. My opponent kept the rookie in the raising area without passing a turn due to Digimon Emperor, but he still has lethal on board when Valkyrimon gains Security Attack+. He swings with Venusmon at my security and dies to RagnaLoardmon Ace. Then he thinks and finally decides to go for the winning play and swing with Valkyrimon into my security into… another RagnaLoardmon Ace, triggering overflow 4 and giving me 3 memory. The game was mine to lose at this point, full board control and memory lock. I miss a lethal chance at one point, letting the game go on for 1 more turn, possibly allowing an out for my opponent. Fortunately it didn't happen, my opponent just promoted the rookie causing to pass turn because of Digimon Emperor and next turn I swung with RagnaLoardmon at 16k for the win with the inherited effect to not trigger any security effects.
I definitely think that my version of RagnaLoardmon is a full blown control list and should be played as such. The deck can still run into bricks but I minimized those with all the consistency pieces I put in. The deck can struggle versus strong tamer effects like BT16-088 Cody Hida & T.K. Takaishi along with BT16-085 Davis Motomiya & Ken Ichijoji as well as De-Digivolve options. But there are few in the meta so I believe I can be comfortable taking the deck out and be able to check the best decks in the meta with a full knowledge of my opponents decks, while they're in the dark about mine.
Honestly, I wouldn’t change anything in my list. I think that for me personally I got the 50 cards that I can pilot to the best of my ability.
I am a player that loves the unpopular decks and I believe in the potential that comes with certain niche cards. If you put enough effort into practicing the meta, search for the solutions you need and know your deck inside and out, then you can do well with almost anything if the meta allows it.
I could never have gone as far as I did without my friends that were there for me during the trip as well as during my practice, Tony “Utsu” Guenoun (@UtsuTony) who finished 16th, Emmanuel “Abso” De Carvalho (@Abso77) who finished 11th, Miguel “iMµβ” Barbosa who joined me in the top cut with a 5th place swiss finish and Kaiser. Thank you as well to everyone who agreed to help me practice this deck, people from both Europe and America like DrZaius (@OhhhDrZaius) and Tesero (@DCGTesera).
And leaving the best and most important for last, a really big thank you to @ImDaMina for all the support she gives me everyday, being by my side while we both compete and even when she can’t play, she's there to support me during the whole tournament keeping my head clear and helping me reach that goal.
Interviewed and special thanks to: Gil Daniel Marto Bernardo
Author: Digital Gate Open (Nathan van Hulst)