are we really complaining about branded? really? branded? you keep bringing up dragoon and winda, two cards NOBODY ON THE PLANET plays in this deck. Also dragoon isn't nearly as strong as people think it is. Branded is completely fine. L video

As a Branded player i will say this Sancti ban would be meaningless to players who know what they are doing with the deck and cause the brainless players to drop the deck. Now why is the ban meaningless? Fusion deployment + a light/dark is a free winda. Fusion deployment + aluber is a winda, mirrorjade and the new Ladd Now is it still toxic af? Sure but its not like other decks aren't doing similar things too What I'm trying to say is that in the current meta if you want to win you need to stop your opponent from playing and i think that's why yugioh feels so bad rn

Ok, now show me on the doll where did the branded player touch you. Jk, anyway. About the sanctifire problem, most of the branded community is fine with either being hit. Puppet banned? Cool, we'll find suitable replacements. Sancti banned? Cool, we got 1 slot on main and the glorious flex slot on extra, like i've been saying for a long time, if you cant lock the oponent out just play the game like a man and try running masquerade and ad libitum. I dont think the deck deserves to die, its getting powercrept, it is a skill expressive deck and requires a lot of effort to build and pilot properly at competitive levels. Sure the lock is boring but free win is free win, you dont see people not running fiendsmiths because they dont want an easy win, its the same thing. For the people that want branded to get the shaft, forget every hit you can think of, we can recover from everything that ocg and MD gave us but i think the deck only dies of albaz himself goes to 1, the only hit that would actually cut a lot of power out

I'm taking notes to enhance my Brainded deck 😇

Lol lmao even

This definitely gave me a lot to think about as a Branded lover since the structure deck came out, even more so once I could afford Cartesia, Quem, and Bystial Lubellion. Some of your criticisms are entirely fair, most notably puppet lock (obviously) and Branded Lost (stupid fucking card). BUT! The amount of time I found myself pausing the video to correct you is a little staggering (I’m sure you’ve heard these corrections from some people but in case not): “Opening discards for cost.” No it doesn’t, there’s no semi-colon. “High Spirits triggers itself.” No it doesn’t, you only get 1 effect of it per turn. Etc. etc. I’m sure you’ve heard all these thing that are effectively “minor spelling mistake.” At the same time, there’s some other points you made that come down more to opinion and preference considering, yeah, Branded can do whatever the hell it wants (which I personally value, I think that’s cool the # of different ways to build it, but that’s a different point). “You can use it to make Dragoon!” We haven’t been widely making Dragoon since like Kash format, maybe. It requires a brick in the deck with already too much engine and Mirrorjade provides much more long term value than a single Omni that discards. Like, we established Dragoon wasn’t good when DPE released pre-Verte ban. Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever watched Branded make Winda. Not to say it doesn’t happen, and I’m sure it can (and thinking about it I don’t see why it doesn’t happen, actually), but still. “Dragostapelia is good because Branded in Red makes it with Albion branded on field.” Uhhhhhhh if you’re leaving Albion branded on field to banish it, then that’s just wrong, right? You’re trying to tribute it for Bystial Lubellion to get lost on field (which is arguably more broken). Including Regained and Beast in the relevant cards section? Yes, we did play that in the past, and you were definitely right to include them alongside cards like Dramaturge and Ad Lib, but we haven’t played either of those since like, I dunno, AGOV format. “Theater is the best fusion spell outside of Branded Fusion and would probably be played if Branded Fusion was ever gone.” Uhhhh, this is just something I personally disagree with (because we can’t know unless BF does get the axe). It only fuses from hand or field, which is something that Cartesia, Red, and White can all do already (and don’t die to MST), and that second effect doesn’t matter in the slightest. 9 times out of 10 I’ve banished the Aluber (or at least it *should* be banished) off of Albion branded to make fusion Lubellion. “Branded is played in Chimera!” Uhhh, not anymore. Last I checked that deck pivoted to Chimera illusion after PHNI with the release of Nightmare Apprentice and Diabellze opening up Beatrice lines, among other things. The VV point is completely valid, tho. I just don’t find that deck particular oppressive when I go against it with Branded (which, I guess, is easy for me to say as I main deck Bystials, Lights + Darks, Thrust + Talents, etc.) Also! Another point in favor of Branded’s annoyance is that BF is an “activate once per turn,” so if you Skull Guardian negate it and I add it back with Retribution, I can fire it again. Side note, you did forget a bunch of playable branded cards in the discussion, but I’m sure you did that to save in time, realistically (like cutting Luluwalilith, Super Poly + Mudragon and Garura, Alba-Lenatus, Titaniklad, Rindbrumm, Borreload Furious, etc.) Anyway, typing all this out makes me realize how some of even these point are just effectively “minor spelling mistake” but they do also negate (pun not intended) some of your frustrations. (Ofc I say that w/o knowing your specific personal experience). “Oh we make Dragoon? But it’s not good! Oh Theater is good, too! But it really isn’t. High spirits is broken because it triggers itself! But that’s not how the card works.” I’m sure you did your research (I mean, you clearly did, don’t get me wrong), but messing up the nuances made this sort of a frustrating watch. But on the larger points of Branded being basically unrestricted are entirely valid, we can just disagree on whether or not that’s a bad thing (creative play style and deck building outside of puppet lock vs. game balancing) Also, idk WHO tf is saying “At least it’s not Shaddoll fusion” but they are a psychopath and deserve no rights because that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, for every reason you outlined (not that I’ve EVER heard someone say that before this video). Anyway, sorry, I know this is very long and I’m sure you have better things to do than read this entire middle school essay. Just needed to voice some things. I have no hard feelings against you and I hope you know that I do not intended on this coming across hostile or as a hate comment. Have a good day!

imagine if konami ban albaz or limit it instead other card

u just exactly highlighted the most broken card in Branded, is obviously Branded fusion. But ofc there will be many people who thought that the black goat that makes branded broken is Sanctifire. I think the people that hates Sanctifire, is the one that defends Branded Fusion from being hit lmao

I don’t really think branded needs a ban as I research and watch replays the deck seems like the most balanced deck in the meta rn. If fusion gets ashed depending on the hand you may or may not be able to play. It has no real otk and it relies on its super Pollyesque gimmick to survive. The deck fusion monsters aren’t even ope most of them don’t have permanent protection or any ridiculous effect that doesn’t require cost. Plus most of its main deck locks you into fusion and hypothetically without an extra deck the deck couldn’t survive. While the puppet lock is degenerate ig maybe puppet itself should be hit. Honestly branded has no win condition the only unfair thing it can do is lock. I think an in archetype lock mechanic should be put in place that if properly designed wouldn’t be as oppressive. But the deck is somewhat pretty cheap so if you want to avoid the game being pay to win which is kinda what it already is (killing the fun in the process) Konami should probably hit multiple of the other tier 1 and 0 decks, limit hand traps and ban the locks themselves instead of the cards that may enable them. Without a lock there’s nothing to enable. Extra deck monsters should have more specific requirements or at the very least have limiting abilities when used out of archetype similar to some galaxy eyes monsters. This deck and others should probably be given a proper main deck boss as well to allow versatility and reducing reliance on the extra deck making the game itself more interesting, fair and affordable. Probably helping keep and grow player base in the long run. However branded itself doesn’t have much protection and falls prey to backrow and hand traps.

Bro I've been a harpie player since 2010. If only they'd release some new support! I play harpie against every meta deck.

Where's rindbrum?

Opening discard by card effects. Not COST. so tearlaments can trigger

The deck can vary depending on what format you're playing on. TCG has 3 Branded Fusion while MD has 1. But overall there's just a bit too much synergy with many different things and has way too many effects. Sanctifire Albion can go straight into the ban zone (taking out Gimmick Puppet Nightmare is not the solution because someone else can easily take its place). Tri-Brigade Mercourier being an easy to search hand trap is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Masquerade shouldn't even be a thing (I can say the same for the triple Black Winged Assault Dragon but that stuff takes a lot of effort to set up and a simple Raigeki destroys it completely). And then there's that stupid fusion card announced for the Anime Chronicles set in japan. Had it been less generic then maybe it would have been okay. But nothing will ever stop Branded players from crying "The deck isn't strong", "You can out it all with a simple Ash" (a bs statement if we consider the recovery tools from Ash compared to A LOT of other decks), "There's no need to hit it anymore"

Yugioh is in a crisis, we have an oppressive deck that causes attendance on some torunaments to fall, no YCSs in europe for almost 8 months and locals are declining in number because a few assholes choose to play snake eyes. A deck so powerful it hasnt gotten hit at all despite the fact its been played as an engine since october as the best deck and is getting more indirect support very soon. Even if it gets hit it wont be enough because now with fiendsmith its still consistent. And yugioh players go "yknow what? its albion, shifter, calamity and feather storm that are the true problem with the game" or make videos on how much they dislike branded

I think a lot of people are missing the point. Branded is an abhorrently toxic deck. It just feels balanced compared to Snake-Eye and now Fiendsmith. It uses a lot of resources, yes, but all of those resources are never truly spent because of how easy it is to recur, recycle, or simply use it anyways. Half the deck is “really good existing card with ATK/DEF” and that’s simply not okay. I shouldn’t be able to combo into an effectively free super poly or have a quick effect poly by the virtue of playing the game. The ONLY time Branded isn’t a toxic deck is when the pilot sucks and horribly misplays. Just because it’s not the best deck doesn’t mean it’s not stupid that it exists.

I understand your reasoning, but branded is actually not as oppressive as you make it out to be in this video. There is a famous saying among the competitve scene if you respect branded as an archetype its easy to beat. Branded as a archetype is probably one of the most technical archetypes in the game. Literally requiring a huge amount of skill to pilot especially in this stage of the current meta. There is a reason only a small number of them make it to the top cut at major events. Its a deck that is the opitome of skill expression. Even at full power you have to the deck precisely or you will get literally fucked from a to z. I would say branded is one the most "fair" modern archetypes to exist in Yugioh after a long time.

Me with my buster blader deck looking at this mostly dragon deck

I play dragon duels and the two ycs that I have been to I lost to branded in the finals so I appreciate that you hate branded with me

Sanctifire is better than expulsion and it is somehow still not banned

Fuckin despise branded they get so much advantage every turn it’s disgusting.

Poor high level main deck Despia monsters you did them dirty by not explaining what they did (ad libitum still does) in branded

so in the end - BAN ASH BLOSSOM!!!!

do you still live in 2022 ?

i get your point, i get people who dont like it... but i love it, its cheap and it doesnt need spreadsheets and 100+ hours of lab to work. so i play it. also, ban sanctifire or puppet, i want to play the fun version

Branded is a really strong archetype. But outside of the lock potential... a pretty fair one. If a lot more decks would be like branded (a lot of "bad cards" to extend plays in archetype and nearly no room for off engine)... ygo would be a better game. This draw the out Szenario just exist because other decks rely on off engine. The best way to win against branded (with a small engine) is to not let branded play. That creates a lot of non games. If more decks would have a bigger engine with more utility options, the branded board wouldn't be that opressive. Both players can't cancel the others gameplan and both can't otk through a couple of beatsticks. Longer games with more skill expression and this kind of deck rewards both of the deckbuilding and technical play aspects of this game. The problem isn't branded, any deck that needs to rely on off engine or just try to cancel any play of the opponent are the problems.

y'know I dont want to play stun, but BS like this forces my hand.

Just draw the out.

finally someone else who fucking hates branded i thought i was the only one

You wanna test how good your opponent can pilot branded? Just ash the fusion. Most of the time, they spit out a few monsters and thats it... But my lord, if you go against a skillful branded player? They got a plan B, C, and D ready that hold their board.

Honestly, most of the "degenerate" things you mentioned like Dragoon, Verte, or Branded Tear, were not really correct. People didn't play Dragoon much in Branded, Verte was banned for DPE being in every deck mostly and not because of Branded Fusion into Mirror Jade, and even when Branded Tear first was a thing, pure was just better. I think you're overblowing just how busted the cards are. Is it really good? Yes, definitely overtuned, but my main gripes with the archetype are the floodgates that are enabled by Sanctifire, and that fact it gets a bunch of meh or unplayable support so often like DM does when decks from the same story are left in the dust (Please, I want Springans and Tri-Brigade to get more support, they're such cool decks! I don't want the 50th dumb version of Ablaz or Aluber)

Not only does this show how powerful Branded is, but it was also a really good deck/archetype breakdown, great job man 👍

A minute and a half in and it already sounds like skill issue to me.

Branded fusion is not the problem, the problem is gimmick puppet and any other card that does the same thing , mirror jade is easy to deal with for most decks that are competitively viable, limiting every Branded starter just makes the deck auto lose to 1 ash , if ur only way to beat Branded is to hand trap em to death then ur just a shit player cuz even a rogue deck can dismantle a Branded board that doesn't include gimmick lock, Branded is the gold standard of what peak meta should be any power higher is overkill and makes the game boring with 7-8 negates or cards that u can't respond that break boards... "draw the out" is a problem with yugioh but the solution is to bring other decks to the lvl of Branded

Branded matchups are sometimes fun

So many cry babies xD ur haye make use branded player laugh and stronger

All I hear is “mimimimimimimimimimmimi” Is this a video or a coping mechanism? At least the historic narrative of the deck is neat.

Branded Fusion needs to be limited to 1.

Main reason why people think branded is not that good is beacause most branded player are brain dead ( including me of course ). I played branded like a jack ass 2 years ago and can still reach diamond 1 in master duel without knowing what 1/3 of my deck do, and i think my opponents don't either. Yugi oh players truly don't know how to read.

Based, fuck branded, fuck its stupid-ass "story" and fuck branded players

branded to be kinda insane but its my only way to make darklords playable nowdays so i dont mind it as much i do wish crystron or darklords or overall all decks got more support compared to one deck getting the most insane support until the next archetype releases.

what does branded do beside sanctifire that's unfair. A deck should be allowed to be good if it doesnt do anything inherently broken. somehow you completely missed all the drawbacks of the deck, it has no out to dbarrier, it still dies if branded fusion doesn't resolve, you have no room for non engine. ban sanctifire and leave the deck alone.

Brainded

Oh, so its just salt at "its my deck, but better". I thought you were going somewhere with this, ngl. Tho, as someone who hates Branded from a "favortism bias on komoney's side" angle, you probably just did a better job of selling the deck to me than that one guy on MD who plays exclusively the 60 card Branded pile

Skill issue

Yo I just wanna say thank you for playing Octopath music in your ost it goes so hard!! (I say as I contemplate trying out Despia-)

3:31 I feel you misinterpreted the restriction on Branded Fusion, or at least, you misrepresented it. It’s not a restriction that’s meant to kill the deck, it’s a restriction meant to prevent it from becoming tear zero while full power tear is legal. Because otherwise it becomes a link spamming deck with the tightest extra in existence, where someone might not even play Appo because it isn’t good enough, similar to POG for Tear in Banlistless formats.

Two things I never even heard before watching this video: Branded Fusion being played in Voiceless Voice Someone saying Shaddoll Fusion is better than Branded Fusion lmao I have plenty more gripes with the disingenuousness and bad faith arguments in the video, but there is too much to type out for my lazy ass and a conglomerate of other commenters have already collectively voiced them for me

man i’m stressing over fireking , snakes eye hell runick is more of a headache then branded. Y’all mad against the wrong thing

Well I (Branded player) think they have not gone far enough. I have a dream...

Branded best deck!