Peter’s Breaking Blast

On October 17, 2013 by Peter Gross
Peter can't decide between Raigeki Break or Phoenix Wing Wind BlastPhoto Credit: Ricarda Reicher

YCS London is around the corner and some of you have yet to decide if Raigeki Break or Phoenix Wing Wind Blast fits better in your Dragon Deck. The discussion is as old as Raiza vs. Caius. What’s better, destroying an opponent’s card or taking away his Draw Phase?

Some facts: PWWB was introduced to the TCG with Flaming Eternity in 2005. Raigeki Break made its debut a decade ago in Pharaonic Guardian in 2003 – feeling old now? Looking at the Top 16 Decklists of the last ARG Circuit Series we find 17 Raigeki Breaks and 13 Phoenix Wing Wind Blasts.

I will compare them in some important situations.

  • Vs. Forbidden Dress & Safe Zone: PWWB is better because your opponent can’t chain Forbidden Dress/Safe Zone to it to prevent its effect compared to Raigeki Break.
  • Vs. Back Row End of Turn: Tie! Sometimes you kill a problem card like Return from the Different Dimension or Sixth Sense and other times you send a Bluff back to the top of his Deck.
  • Vs. Summoning A Dragon Ruler: PWWB will shuffle the Dragon Ruler back to your Opponents Deck if you chain it to a Dragon Search effect. This results in your opponent loosing a color.
  • Vs. XYZ/Synchro: If you would send your opponent’s Monster to the Graveyard, then he could use it for his Dragon Ruler. PWWB wins here again.
  • Vs. Swift Scarecrow: With Raigeki Break you can dodge Swift Scarecrow if you destroy the monster, which has declared the attack. One point for Raigeki Break because PWWB can only be used against your opponent’s cards.
  • Vs. Stardust Dragon/Dracossack/Stardust Spark Dragon: PWWB, obviously.
  • Vs. Key Beetle-Lock: PWWB because Key Beetle’s effect won’t help here.
  • Vs. Spellbook: Phoenix Wing Wind Blast’s effect on a High Priestess of Prophecy can help you if your opponent is low on cards in hand. You can also use it to return World of Prophecy to the deck, which is something that Spellbook players really don’t like. You will get no benefit from destroying the card, therefore PWWB gets the point!
  • Vs. Infernity and other Combo-Decks: PWWB, since your opponent needs their Draw Phase and you will have a time-walk in the best case (an extra turn).
  • Vs. Imperial Iron Wall: In my opinion it’s a tie! Raigeki Break deals with it once and for all. On the other hand, most Anti Decks have problems with an established Field; so if you bounce your opponent’s Imperial Iron Wall, then build up your Field, they won’t be too happy drawing into Imperial Iron Wall again.
  • Vs. Vanity’s Emptiness: Both cards enable you different options. You can let your Elemental Dragon Summon be negated by Vanity’s Emptiness and use Raigeki Break afterward to destroy another card to gain a clean +1. This only makes sense if you don’t need the Summon as much. In PWWB’s case you have to activate it immediately because it makes no sense to wait. However, you can establish a board and perhaps your opponent will draw an unneeded Vanity’s Emptiness. It’s a close one therefore I chose the tie again.
  • Vs. Field Spell/Ravine: Raigeki Break wins because the Field Spell is very important at the moment.

The final score is 7 to 2 in Phoenix Wing Wind Blast’s favour with 3 ties; though you have to keep in mind, that not all situations described are equally important. I hope you enjoyed reading. I’d be happy to get some feedback in our new comment section below!

And don’t forget:

You need UG to spell yUGi!

About The Author:

Peter Gross is the Vice-President, Players of United Gosus and has been a member since 2013. For more information on Peter check out his member profile.