The March 1st Forbidden and Limited List dealt some solid blows to Plant Synchro Duelists.  The Semi-Limitation of Debris Dragon made it a bit tougher to play aggressively, while the Limitation of Dandylion makes lucking into a loaded Graveyard with Ryko, Lightsworn Hunterreally difficult.  It also left the Deck vulnerable to D.D. Crow.  Many Plant Synchro Duelists are trying to recover by playing more DARK monsters, aiming to take advantage of the newly-Unlimited Chaos Sorcerer.

But others are pursuing a new option: Nordics.  The Nordic Deck is similar to Plant Synchro: both Decks win by making fast, efficient Synchro Summons, and both string together combos to make overwhelming plays.  But for those courageous competitors brave enough to plunge into new territory, countless rewards await!  Many are finding that whatever Plant Synchro can do, Nordics just do better.  Let’s compare and contrast these 2 strategies, and examine the advantages the Nordic Deck wields.

Better opening turns: that’s the first big advantage for the Nordic Duelist.  The Plant Duelist has maybe 3 common moves they hope to make when they go first.  The first is to Set Ryko.  The possibility of Ryko’s effect usually forces the opponent to attack into it when it’s Set on turn 1, forcing a monster-for-monster trade and sending 3 cards from the Plant Synchro Duelist’s Deck to the Graveyard.  Sometimes that works really well: if Ryko destroys a useful monster like Thunder King Rai-Oh, or if it sends Dandylion or Glow-Up Bulb to the Graveyard, that’s a good play.  But if the opponent attacks with a self-replacing monster likeSangan instead, or if Ryko sends nothing of value to the Graveyard, it’s not very strong.  Other top plays rely on Foolish Burial sending Dandylion to the Graveyard: if the Plant Duelist opens with Foolish and Lonefire Blossom, strong openings can be made with Tytannial, Princess of Camellias.  A turn 1 Stardust Dragon is also possible with Foolish Burial andDebris Dragon, but with Debris now Semi-Limited, that play is even tougher to pull off.

Now consider Nordics.  Your best Nordic opening is probably Setting Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts with Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts in-hand: that play can see you Synchro Summoning an Aesir like Thor or Odin plus a Level 7 Synchro on turn 2.  Setting Super-Nimble Mega Hamster instead of Tanngrisnir opens the door for you to Special Summon Tanngnjostr, then Tanngrisnir from your Deck for a Level 7 Synchro Summon or a Thor play.  Even Setting Tanngnjostr on its own gives you a shot at an easy Black Rose Dragon, Scrap Archfiend, orVoltic Bicorn.  Since your opponent will always want to attack to destroy a possible Tanngnjostr, all of these monsters goad the opponent into attacking; but Tanngrisnir and Hamster are both happy to be attacked, and an in-hand Tanngnjostr can be Special Summoned to use your opponent’s aggression against them.  There’s really nothing comparable in the Plant Synchro Deck’s openings, and it’s far easier for the Nordic Duelist to make these moves; all the key cards are played in 3’s and are backed by powerful search effects.  The important Plant Synchro cards are largely Limited or Semi-Limited.

Search power is actually 1 of the biggest advantages a Nordic Duelist has.  When a Plant Synchro Duelist wants to get to their key cards, they’ll rely on Sangan, Foolish Burial, andLonefire Blossom.  They might get lucky with a Ryko or a great draw, but the Deck just isn’t precise: it rolls with what it draws and tries to make the most of it.  The Nordic Deck is different.  With none of its cards Limited or Semi-Limited, it also packs 3 copies of Gleipnir, Fetters of Fenrir.  It’s like playing 6 copies of everything you need: there’s no comparing.

Gleipnir is huge, and it’s the first big advantage Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts has overDebris Dragon.  Both of these monsters fill similar roles: each is often used to make single-card Syncro Summons, specializing in Level 7 Synchro Monsters.  But that’s where the similarities end, because you can only play 2 Debris Dragons; it’s tough to search from your Deck; and it’s restricted to Dragon-Type Synchro Monsters.  It can’t be Tuned to Level 4 Synchro Materials, and it needs the right cards in the Graveyard to work.

Tanngnjostr is totally different.  You can run 3 copies of it, and you can play 3 Gleipnir to search it out.  You can use it as a Synchro Material for almost anything, and the Tuner it Special Summons (Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts) is also unrestricted.  In fact, Guldfaxe is the opposite of Debris Dragon: while Debris limits your Synchro Summon choices, Guldfaxe offers you all the regular Synchro options plus  the exclusive Thor, Lord of the Aesir.  Perhaps most importantly, Tanngnjostr doesn’t require any Graveyard set-up: it brings Guldfaxe from your Deck instead.  There are some Duels where you’ll score that turn 1 Foolish Burial forDandylion, and Debris Dragon will be a turn faster than Tanngnjostr: but usually, Setting Tanngnjostr (or Special Summoning it with its effect) is actually going to be quicker and easier, because there’s no Graveyard set-up required.  Tanngnjostr is literally just a better DebrisDragon the majority of the time.

Nordics also have a superior Extra Deck.  The Nordic Duelist can Synchro Summon virtually everything that the Plant Synchro competitor uses: Stardust Dragon, Scrap Dragon, Black Rose, and Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier are no problem.  But Nordics also command huge trump cards like Thor, Lord of the Aesir and Odin, Father of the Aesir, as well as a better range of Level 7 Synchros: Scrap Archfiend packs more muscle than any other Level 7 Synchro, and Voltic Bicorn lets Nordics make easy use of Pot of Avarice and Chaos Sorcerer.  Those are 2 cards you’ll find in Plant Synchro Decks as well, but Plants don’t play them as easily or effectively.  While the Plant Synchro answer to Thor and Odin would probably beShooting Star Dragon, it just doesn’t hit the table reliably.  You can count on an Aesir being possible in every Duel you play.

If you’re a Plant Synchro Duelist yourself, and you’re struggling to try and figure out how to adjust your Deck for the new Advanced Format, try making the leap to Nordics.  The cards are different but the strategies are very similar, and the sheer power, speed, and simplicity of the Nordic Deck is unparalleled.  Nordics are better at drawing out defensive Traps; make better use of Trap Stun when clever tactics aren’t enough; and they do a better job of forcing your opponent to play the way you want them to.  It’s a new take on some classic strategies, with some truly amazing theme support.