Hey everyone, this is The_SynchroGuy, and I am here to talk about the January 1st, 2021 OCG Banlist! There have been a couple of changes made to this list, but there’s one major change that takes the cake on this list. Luckily, since most of us here live in the TCG, I’m assuming, we don’t have to worry about it just yet and see how this one change affects the OCG metagame. And as always, it’s fun to look over the OCG list and cross it with the TCG list to see if we might make any similar changes in the future. Keep in mind: this list I will be going over will only affect the OCG, which is all of Asia. If you do not live there, then this list will not affect you in any way! (If you want to see the latest TCG banlist update, click here.) Anyway, let’s go over the list!
Remember: Banned = 0 copies; Limited = 1 copy; Semi-Limited = up to 2 copies; Unlimited/No Longer on the List = up to 3 copies.
Banned:
Grinder Golem
While this card has not actually done anything in the OCG for quite some time since it was limited there, the OCG is banning this card to take some precautions. Precautions for one certain card that we’ll talk about very soon. Hopefully if things go well, this card can come off the list, but I definitely agree that hitting this was e a wise decision after what they just did. Better safe than sorry.
Limited:
Now normally I like to go through things in alphabetical order, but I think it’s important we talk about this one card straight away.
Firewall Dragon
Ladies and gentleman, please find the nearest bomb shelter you can find and start praying. If you’re not a believer, you will be after this.
Okay, all jokes aside, yes, Firewall is officially coming off the OCG banlist. Now some of you are probably thinking that he’s gonna start causing some FTK shenanigans, while others will be stating how the OCG has all the FTK enablers like Cannon Soldier and stuff banned in there, so it should be fine. Well first, yes, we won’t have to worry about any FTK shenanigans, at least as far as I can tell, but not for the reason that was just stated.
You see, Konami has decided to one of the things many players hate, and that is give the card an errata! Yes, Firewall Dragon has received an errata to its effect. Its new effect now reads as follows:
“You can only use this card name’s (1) and (2) effects once per turn each.
(1) Once while face-up on the field (Quick Effect): You can target monsters on the field and/or GY up to the number of monsters co-linked to this card; return them to the hand.
(2) If a monster this card points to is destroyed by battle or sent to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from your hand.”
So here, there are two noticeable changes to its effects. First off, all of his effects are now hard once per turn effects. While this hardly changes the first part of Firewall’s effect, it’s his second effect that’s the most noticeable part. Players abused his second effect so much in the past. That’s what eventually led to the FTK top decks in the first place. But now players can only use that effect once per turn. But even if he didn’t have his new hard once per turn clause, it still wouldn’t work like before since now the only kind of monsters you can Special Summon with that effect are Cyberse monsters.
Its summoning requirements are still the same, needing only 2+ monsters, so no doubt that’s why the OCG banned Grinder Golem because players that aren’t using a Cyberse deck will probably still use Firewall for his first effect. I will say I’m glad Firewall got an errata so its second effect won’t cause any more problems, but now we will have to wait and see if and how Firewall will affect the OCG metagame.
Dinowrestler Pankratops
Pankratops was at 2 before this list, but is now being put down to 1 because, according to OCG Konami, of how easy it was to summon high Level monsters. So Konami is looking to keep “easy to summon, generic, high Level monsters” in check. They didn’t hit Alpha, the Master of Beats on this list since Alpha has more restrictions on it compared to Pankratops.
Nadir Servant
Dogmatika has still been a very powerful deck/engine in the OCG metagame, and Konami is looking to cripple their power a bit more since putting this card down to 2 on the list hardly changed a thing. Will this hit put an end to Dogmatika? Hardly. Ecclesia is still at 3 and can easily search this card out. But even so though, it will, kind of, put the archetype in check. But I still think Dogmatika is going to maintain its position in the OCG metagame for quite a while longer. Unless something coming from the upcoming booster sets will change that.
Red Reboot
Yet another previous semi-limited card that’s being put down to 1. As many of us know, Red Reboot is just this incredible card that can put the brakes on anyone that tries to use a Trap Card on them. It’s especially powerful since it can be activated from your hand by simply paying half of your LP, so you’re always gonna be able to activate it. Konami is putting this card down to 1, though, for that very reason. This card just destroys decks like Eldlich since it stops them activating Traps anymore. Konami’s hope is that this change will encourage players to play Trap Cards.
Semi-Limited:
Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier
Not too surprised by this change. For those of you that don’t know, this card was put down to 1 because it was a key card for these long, combo specific decks that would lead to an FTK loop. But when the OCG got the Ice Barrier structure deck, it came with an errata that now states you can only use his effect once per turn. So now that it has a hard once per turn clause, the loop it was infamous for is no longer a thing, so moving this card up to 2 should not cause any problems.
Junk Speeder
I think Konami is finally starting to relax a bit now. Junk Speeder didn’t really cause any problems in the OCG metagame when it was first released there. It was hit back on the April, 2020 banlist since that’s when we entered into the Master Rule 5 era, and Konami wanted to make sure players weren’t going to use certain cards to cause any problems. One of the cards they feared would lead to that was Junk Speeder. Now they’re starting to ease up a bit. At least, with Junk Speeder. But yeah, Speeder going to 2 is not gonna make anyone upset or panic.
Wind-Up Magician
Nothing really much to talk about here. Wind-Ups haven’t done anything in the OCG for so long, so I don’t think putting Magician up to 2 will change that. But still, Konami will be treading carefully since they still recall the hand loop that the deck was infamously famous for.
Cursed Eldland
They gave some hope to Eldlich decks with the limit of Red Reboot, but still wanted to give this deck a little slap on the wrist. Eldlich has still managed to remain competitive in the OCG metagame even after they lost the Zexal engine. So Konami decided to put this deck in check a little by putting this card to 2 since it can generate players a little advantage after every turn it stays on the field. But no doubt Eldlich will still be meta even after this hit.
Magical Meltdown
Invokes have managed to be meta in today’s game thanks to the Dogmatika engine. And because of the synergy the two have, Konami is looking to turn their power down a bit by hitting both Nadir Servant and this card. Players will still be able to use the Invoked engine in other stuff, but Konami’s hope is to make Invoked Dogmatika less powerful than before. Even so though, I still think the deck will be meta for quite some time.
Unlimited:
Dark Grepher
Since DARK decks haven’t really been doing much lately, Konami has no fear that anything will change by putting this card to 3. And I definitely agree that, given the current meta over there, DARK decks aren’t going to run rampant with so many other decks that currently exist that can stop them. Although, they better keep a good eye on it as they continue to give DARK decks more power in the future.
Tour Guide from the Underworld
Rank 3 spam decks haven’t done a whole lot during the current format. (Although, some Phantom Knight decks have managed to make a little peak in metagame during one week. Click here to see for yourself.) Konami doesn’t believe she’ll be much of an issue as she was before, so they have no fear with putting her to 3.
Fossil Dig
Well this gives some power to the Dino players over there. Dinos haven’t really done a whole lot in the OCG, unlike in the TCG. Even though they now have Fossil Dig back at 3, they still have Souleating Oviraptor at 1, so probably don’t expect Dinos to make a big impact on the OCG metagame over there.
Thoughts
This list is definitely gonna be kicking off the new year down a new path. So obviously the biggest takeaway is Firewall Dragon’s return to the game. Even though he now has an errata, players are gonna find a way to abuse him. Strictly for his first effect at this point. Again, that’s why Konami banned Grinder Golem. Right now, none of the top current meta decks can use Firewall, but some powerful Link decks from the past (like Gouki and SPYRAL) will most likely recruit Firewall to help boost themselves high up on the tier ladder like before. Even though players will only get to use his first effect once (both because it’s now a hard once per turn and it can only be used once while face-up on the field) it’s a powerful effect that can either: clear the board, stop the opponent from trying to do anything, and/or get you back some resources. So yeah, this will be very interesting to see.
Now the big question we have to ask ourselves is: will we see any of these changes on a future TCG banlist? Well right off the bat, I definitely believe we’ll see the same change with Firewall Dragon at some point in time. Once we see that Firewall is going to be reprinted in a future product, that’ll be the sign that says Firewall is coming off the list. (Maybe we’ll get that one alternate artwork version we still don’t have yet.) But yeah, expect Firewall to return to the TCG in the near future.
I also expect to see Dewloren to move up on our next list, or the list after it, since we’ll most likely be getting its errata version in the Ice Barrier structure deck like in the OCG. (The TCG release of the Ice Barrier structure deck will be happening in February of next year.) Other than that, I don’t see many of the other changes happening to the TCG list since some of them have already happened, and our metagames are quite different. I mean, I can probably see the hits to Dogmatika Invoked, but that’s only if they suddenly become meta relevant in our new, upcoming format.
Overall, I don’t know how to feel about this list. I mean, it’s cool it’s doing something, but that Firewall status change though. I’m a bit excited, but also cautious. While I’m glad we won’t have to deal with any more FTKs with it, so long as no current or future Cyberse monsters will lead to that, I’m very interested to see how other decks will use its first effect and how effective it’ll be in the current game. If things don’t go well over in the OCG with it, then we probably don’t have to worry about seeing it coming off the TCG banlist. Right now, there’s no telling how long it’ll be before Firewall will be reprinted in the TCG with its errata. Could be months or years.
To everyone reading this that is in the OCG: best of luck, and I seriously hope Firewall doesn’t cause any problems for you guys over there.
Well, those are all my thoughts. Let me know what you guys think about this list overall! Do you like it? Do you think Konami shouldn’t give Firewall the errata it received? I would love to hear your thoughts!
I’ll see you guys in the next one! Hope you have/had an awesome day today! 
