Underrated Decks in the Current Format

In a format dominated by powerful decks like Tri-Brigade Zoo, Eldlich (in all of its forms), Prank-Kids, Invoked Dogmatika, and Dragon Link, some perfectly reasonable decks fly under the radar. Not only can they put up a decent fight. In some instances they prove even better than the current meta topdogs.

Salamangreat

Let's first get this out of the way. Salamangreat has a low ceiling and is very predictable. However, the deck is very consistent and has a factor going for it that many players overlook. It is very easy to pilot. When you read this you may think, why does that matter? Well, let me put it this way, with Salamangreat you are almost guaranteed you will not lose to misplays. The combos are pretty generic and the win condition is pretty straightforward. Stop the opponent on their turn and then use on your following turn to win the game.

Another aspect I like about this deck is that it has already been hit by bannings, meaning there's a chance to see some cards released in the next update. ( to two … maybe I'm too hopeful.) So the only way for this deck to go is up!

Altergeist

The strongest point in Altergeist's favor is that it is a back row deck. Altergeist's weakest point is that it is a back row deck. A little bit controversial, I know, but here is the thing: Altergeist has been doing its own thing since the release of , and its main win condition is rather straightforward. Overpower your opponent on resources. Sure, Altergeist has no one-card-full-board or one-turn-kill enabling strategies, but once the deck establishes its board presence, it cannot be beaten.

The main weakness of this deck are cards like , , , or . Your best bet against these cards would be to run cards like or . Regarding its consistency, the strategy has almost no use for the extra deck, so cards like or (depending on your preferred playstyle) are a great addition to the deck.

Cyber Dragon

has been a fan favorite since its release. Due to the new support it will be getting soon with the release of the structure deck, I just had to put it on this list. The deck is a one-turn-kill machine. It is versatile, it has negation in the form of , it has unchainable removal in the form of , it has multiple searchers which make the deck very consistent.

When I list all of these positive aspects, one can't help but wonder: what is this deck's weakness then? Unfortunately, the OTK power that makes this deck strong is also its weakest point. The deck needs to go second, and in a format with meta decks putting up multiple disruptions, going second has its risks. But if we are talking about the surprise factor in today's metagame, Cyber Dragon is at the top of the list.

Phantom Knights

Arguably the best deck on this list. While checking up on the metagame, I noticed that players have been piloting and getting tops in decent numbers, but the deck has nowhere near the representation I believe it should have. This deck can do something I do not think any other deck can. That is, you can choose the form of negation you want on your end board. What I mean by that is, let's take an example where your opponent plays a card like . In this scenario, every monster negate you would have on the board is negated and you cannot do anything about it. However, with a deck like Phantom Knights, you can pick the route you want to go beforehand by setting two , thus rendering Dark Ruler No More useless. The other route would be to go for , by using the effect of Phantom Knights' Fog Blade on your opponent's turn, thus having three negates and one set Fog Blade.

These are just two examples I took to showcase the versatility of this deck. What sets this deck apart from other combo strategies, besides its versatility, is its ability to recover. I have seen Phantom Knights players have their board wiped out and still win the game the next turn. This deck's weakness lies in only one card, . If Artifact Lancea resolves, the deck automatically loses one turn, and with being at one, the Phantom Knights strategy does not have sufficient ways of countering Lancea.

As we previously mentioned the metagame is solidly established at this point. But these four decks will put up a good fight. If you are a player who likes to play something different than what the majority is running, I would highly suggest giving one of them a try.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily Cardmarket.