A Message From
This is our first Tier List from your brand-new Top Player Council. Please welcome them with open arms as they get settled in to their three-month position.
Tier 1
TPC Comments
Even with three consecutive balance updates nerfing it: Harpies remain as one of the top meta picks. Just goes to show how weak this meta truly is.
Harpies doesn't seem to fall much at all after the slight touch to the Harpies' Hunting Ground Skill. While the deck can't force backrow as consistently as they used to (until the changes are implemented), it's still in a good spot at the end, having good matchups across the board. Harpies has been able to adapt very quickly, mainly because the deck's core combo doesn't actually depend on any specific skill. Whether they use Mind Scan , Destiny Draw , or Harpies' Last Will , the deck will continue to retain good consistency and OTK power. All this indicates that we are going to be living with Harpies for a good amount longer.
Harpies remain the sole Tier 1 deck, but keep in mind the gap between it and the Tier 2 decks is very slim. Even after receiving multiple hits from the last few banlists the deck still has one of the strongest Turn 1 plays with Loading... and Loading... , it looks like players are opting to use Mind Scan in place of Harpies' Hunting Ground but not being reliant on a skill means that the deck can experiment with stuff like Harpies' Last Will and The Tie That Binds .
Following some interesting meta shifts, Harpies find themselves just barely hanging on this week as the sole Tier 1 deck. Despite the hit to Harpies' Hunting Ground , Harpies still boast formidable consistency and with multiple ways to play the deck and a tricky boss monster in Loading... , the deck is still one to prepare for in the current meta. Additionally, players have begun experimenting with skills such as }Mind Scan as an alternate means to play around backrow in the wake of the HHG nerf. Now, will harpies stay king (queen?) of the hill for long? The gap between harpies and every other deck on the Tier List is the smallest it has been in ages, so only time will tell if Harpies can survive the upcoming meta shifts or if they will buckle under the pressure.
Despite yet another hit, Harpies continue to be the best deck. Harpies simply have more power in them in comparison to all the other decks. From easy access to non-destructive removal with Loading... to draw power with Loading... , Harpies have the perfect combination of offense, defense, and draw power. None of the other decks have these factors all together and that makes Harpies simply better than everything else.
Even without Harpies' Hunting Ground , Harpies are still the best choice in this (fake) format. The recent builds use either Mind Scan (to legally cheat and see the sets of your opponents), The Tie that Binds (for the mirror match and in some cases push for lethal) and Harpies' Last Will (great against pendulum and heavy backrow decks). Drawing two cards and bouncing monsters every duel is enough to be the best. We hoped and coped that the New Years Box would change the meta, but unfortunately we'll have to wait a little bit longer.