A lot of talk has been hitting the boards since preview season began about Dark Broly and what its place would be in the upcoming format. The deck is incredibly fun and ends up being quite rewarding for the pilot; so much so, the skill of the pilot can take the deck from the depths of tier 2 up to tier 1/1.5, depending on the match-up spread across your Swiss rounds.
Why is this Deck Fun?/Why is it Worth Playing?
To shed some more light on why this question matters, it is important to shed light on the fact that my new way of engaging in the DBSCG in paper form relies on me finding a single deck from the newest set and it being my go-to for the duration of the format. Additionally, I also am in the process of selling everything else that doesn’t really appeal to me. In series 10 that deck was Syn Shenron. I love how smart that deck makes me feel and how minor deviations in decision making and deck building leads to results in given match-ups. I also enjoy how it has a true end game with the YYYYYY ability on the awakened side to summon the dragon boys! Lastly, the Shadow Dragon Saga is by far one of my most favorite of all-time in regards to the Dragon Ball franchise.
In series 11, the deck I chose ended up being Dark Broly. It certainly isn’t the best by any means, but I truly love decks that allow me to manipulate multiple zones during a game. I feel it gives my decisions more weight, even just the decision of playing 27 or more 30ks vs 26 or less (the choice is always 27 or more btw). I enjoy the ability to make slight deviations based on a given match-up to gain value that all adds up to me trying to win the game. Dark Broly offers all of that and more!
***Thanks to recent pricing, I have also foiled both of these out :)***
The deck has an engine that is easy to assemble, but early on in your games there are a lot of decision points that get created based on the opponent – when to take life with your leader skill, do I lead on Towa to get a 2nd ball, how do I properly play around X, how do I make what my opponent is planning to do worse… the list is seemingly endless with this deck. The sequencing also is really important on your turns because you’re constantly trying to dance around landmines while giving your opponent the least amount of information possible.
Priorities – Towa, Union of Magic and Science/Savage Rush
When you’re creating your initial lists and playing your first games, it becomes fairly clear that the Union of Magic and Science is one of, if not the, most important cards in the deck. Due to your leader skill allowing you to see extra cards and set up your drop area, it is way more important to have Towa + Ball on turn 1 than it is to have Savage Rush on turn 1. Additionally, this also impacts the way I tend to mulligan. If my opener has a Towa and/or Savage Rush + Ball, I will keep those cards plus any card that isn’t a 30k in order to optimize my flips off of the leader’s front side skill.
When to Play New Masked Saiyan, Berserker, and Realm Ravager
New Masked Saiyan – first one down against aggro/aggro-mid, also acts as the last one you play each turn once the engine is online. Don’t forget that once awakened you can activate blocker and then to get full value you can combo it even with it in rest mode.
Berserker – usually the last one to come down, unless there is a threat that needs to be addressed in the moment.
Realm Ravager – first one down against mid-range/control-mid. Also, has the most utility against decks that interact with their drop area – Gogeta, Gotenks, Dredgeku, Syn Shenron, etc.
Towa, Dark Aura Deluge – “Toolbox”
When first reading this version of Towa it is really unclear how it is supposed to impact the deck’s overall strategy. That is until you realize it serves as a toolbox for any 30k battle card you could possibly need in a moment’s notice. The ability to clear away something that is non-essential in exchange for the perfect card in the moment is what grindy, mid-range decks dream of. That is why we can afford to play 1 of’s like Mira, Assault from the Skies and SS4 Bardock, Combat Instincts as additional, reliable ways to close various types of games. SS4 Bardock/hand destruction ends up being a solid plan against a lot of the closer to “fair” archetypes within the format – so having access to it at a moments notice is wildly impactful. The same goes for times where you need a hyper efficient double striker to pressure the opponent whilst still enabling yourself some defense with Mira. Lastly, we can buy back Brainwashed No More to help stave off decks that are trying to kill you with one giant attack.
And with DB6, Giant Force, we will have the new Demigra Over Realm – in testing already the card is ABSURD.
DON’T CUT THE UNISON
I have been seeing a lot of comments on the deck and some folks have been cutting the Unison completely – do not do it. The Unison fixes a lot of the deck’s worst draws and also creates a lot of pressure on the opponent that they aren’t even aware of if they leave it there. It combining with your leader ability to bring 5 cards back from warp is exactly what this deck wants to be doing. Your drop area acts as not only your second hand, but it also acts as your resource engine as well – and don’t forget the toolbox you have with Towa. The Unison is also a great way to play around counters and floodgates when you’re trying to go for game with that FDC in your hand. Lastly, the -4 is DEVASTATING.
Conclusion
Play the decks you enjoy playing and enjoy Dragon Ball the way you want to. We often get too bogged down by only focusing on the most competitive aspects of the game, but there truly is so much to explore and enjoy. Be smart about purchasing cards and don’t overextend yourself trying to collect all of the top decks, including promos. There are answers to virtually every top deck which is really refreshing. Honestly, there seems to be a lot of ways to pivot in the series 11 environment, so enjoy it while you can. Lastly, you can expect some DB6 brews popping up reaaaallllll soon!!!
#scrubfamisbestfam #KTHXBAAAIIIIIIII
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