Top Cut Meta Analysis
Mermails made their debut with quite an impact, capturing 7/32 slots in the Top Cut. However, there was a lot of hype around this deck, and a lot of players probably had their first exposure to it this weekend. Although, unlike a lot of other decks with massive hype, like Dark World last year, Mermail actually delivered. Heading into Barcelona, Mermails will have an uphill battle to hold onto their 21.88% playoff control, as players will have a lot more exposure and experience playing against to the deck. On the plus side, due to all the exposure, advocates of the deck will be able to move closer to a more perfect build. Either way, they definitely are not a deck to take likely.

Elsewhere, the Machines that can have a mainstay in the Tops since YCS Toronto took a huge blow. Wind-Up and Geargia both were down three playoff slots from YCS Providence, while the other Machine-based decks like pure Machina, Karakuri, and Eltanin Beat completely fell off. Wind-Ups are still one of the most dominant decks of the format, but if it takes another blow in Barcelona like it did this weekend, we may have to crown a new frontrunner. Geargia, on the other hand, did not fall from ten to seven like Wind-Ups, they fell from five to two and are now bordering on absurdity.

Speaking of absurdity, Dragons all but completely tanked, as Agents continue to prove they are the better trapless deck. Meanwhile, Rabbit saw a huge spike, as it is able to safely support cards like Macro Cosmos and Dimensional Fissure. The deck probably has the best Mermail matchup in the game, but that still does not take away the inherent consistency issues the deck suffered from the semi-limitation of Rescue Rabbit and Tour Guide From the Underworld. It also still very much struggles to deal with powerful boss monsters, and an old foe of the Rabbit deck, Agents, is still very much present in this format. Despite its good performance this weekend, it is hard to see Rabbit as an actual contender, more so as a check on the other top decks.

I may eat those words though, as it is has been proven on various occasions that any deck on any weekend can win any Premier title. This weekend served as another example of that as the severely crippled Inzektors pulled out the win. However, despite its win, it only took up one spot in the Top Cut, this deck is very unlikely to go any where from here. At most, the win will simply remind players not to leave copies of Effect Veiler completely out of their list.

Dark World took up two spots, but it may lose them just as quickly in the future. The deck has been bouncing back and forth between 0-3 playoff slots all format, but cannot seem to establish any ground. Finally, rounding out the Top 32, the ever-elusive Chain Burn making it’s bi-Premier playoff appearance.

Looking ahead to Barcelona, there should not be any surprises as there no additions to the competitive cardpool. Mermail, Wind-Up, and Agent combined to make up 60+% of the top cut of Tacoma, and something will have to give. There are lot of challengers making in the lower <40%, and even more that finished on or below the bubble. Europe has traditionally had a less little of a closed meta for events than the United States, the X-1 and X-2 brackets can often be a nightmare of rogue builds. A popular choice found in those brackets is Six Samurai, which is seeing a more and more favorable format to play in. It will be very exciting to see how it all pans out during the first constructed YCS stop in Europe. United Gosus at Tacoma
Four members of United Gosus attended YCS Tacoma. Simon He and Julian Wong finished in the Top 8 and Lukas Prinz finished in the Top 32, their decklists are viewable here.

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