Tech Genus Decks are all about simple beatdown, mixed with tech choices that can stop the effect-driven strategies other decks rely on.  At YCS Toronto, we saw two different takes on that theme.  One, played by Robert Boyajian, played triple Maxx “C” and triple Effect Veiler, stopping opponents from developing their position long enough to hammer home big damage with T.G. Rush Rhino and Reborn Tengu.  The other, piloted to a fourth place finish by Tyler Nolan, ran Skill Drain to shut down the opponent’s effect monsters, while boosting its ownBeast King Barbaros to 3000 ATK.  Both Decks used Horn of the Phantom Beast to buff the ATK of their key monsters, and to draw more cards.

Desmond Boyd played his own take on the Skill Drain build at YCS Columbus.  Boyd’s Deck built on the groundwork laid at Toronto, growing the theme of effect negation and tweaking the monster lineup.  Here’s what took him to the Top 32.

Desmond Boyd (Top 32) – Tech Genus – 41 Cards

Monsters: 14

3 Reborn Tengu

3 T.G. Rush Rhino

3 T.G. Warwolf

2 T.G. Striker

3 Thunder King Rai-Oh

Spells: 6

3 Pot of Duality

1 Dark Hole

1 Book of Moon

1 Monster Reborn

Traps: 21

3 Dimensional Prison

3 Horn of the Phantom Beast

3 Starlight Road

2 Skill Drain

2 Fiendish Chain

2 Bottomless Trap Hole

2 Solemn Warning

1 Solemn Judgment

1 Torrential Tribute

1 Trap Dustshoot

1 TG1-EM1

Extra Deck: 15

1 Number 17: Leviathan Dragon

1 Steelswarm Roach

1 Number 39: Utopia

1 T.G. Wonder Magician

1 T.G. Power Gladiator

1 Ally of Justice Catastor

1 Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

1 Orient Dragon

1 Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth

1 Black Rose Dragon

1 Stardust Dragon

1 Scrap Dragon

1 Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier

1 XX-Saber Gottoms

1 Chimeratech Fortress Dragon

Side Deck: 15

1 Scrap Archfiend

1 Light-Imprisoning Mirror

3 Mystical Space Typhoon

3 Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror

3 Cyber Dragon

1 Mirror Force

1 The Transmigration Prophecy

1 Black Horn of Heaven

1 T.G. Cyber Magician

Tech Genus Decks can be more aggressive than others with their attacks, because when a Tech Genus monster is destroyed, its controller gets to pick another one from their Deck in the End Phase.  A steady stream of monsters means no real risk in battle, and with cards likeDimensional Prison and Bottomless Trap Hole constantly removing the opponent’s monsters from the field, a Tech Genus Duelist can make quick direct attacks.  Most of the monsters in this Deck are outclassed by simple 1900 ATK beatsticks – including T.G. Rush Rhino when its effect is negated by Skill Drain – but Horn of the Phantom Beast compensates.  In fact, one of this Deck’s best tricks is to leave what looks like a vulnerable Beast-Warrior on the field so it can be attacked, and then activate Horn to turn the tables; destroy the attacker; and draw a card with Horn’s effect.  This strategy is all about relentless beatdown, backed by monster removal and effect negation.

The first difference that sticks out between this Deck and the ones that came before it, is the use of Thunder King Rai-Oh.  While Barbaros has obvious combo potential with Skill Drain, Boyd’s Deck was built to control as much of the Duel as possible.  Thunder King’s ability to shut down deck-searching effects will be negated while Skill Drain is on the field, but sending Thunder King to the Graveyard to negate the Special Summon of a monster with its second ability is a cost.  So if the opponent tries to Special Summon, and Boyd sends Thunder King to negate that Summon, Thunder King winds up in the Graveyard where Skill Drain will no longer negate its effect.  The result is a Deck that has added levels of defense against the opponent’s big Special Summons: not only will Skill Drain negate the effects of those monsters, but if any of them are big enough to potentially break Boyd’s hold on the Duel, he can use Thunder King to make sure the offending monster never hits the field.  With SkillDrain active, Boyd won’t shut down his own Tech Genus search effects, either.  Combine that control ability with the raw attack power of Thunder King’s 1900 ATK, and you’ve got a smart choice for this strategy.

It’s worth noting that Boyd played a lot of Trap Cards – more than half his deck was Traps.  While removal cards and the monster-swapping Tech Genus Trap TG1-EM1 are obvious picks, he also opted to play Fiendish Chain.  With Synchro Summon Decks having such easy access to Black Rose Dragon, Fiendish Chain gives Boyd another out to a monster effect that could wipe his entire field otherwise.  The Chain is also a great answer to popular monsters likeTour Guide from the Underworld and The Agent of Creation – Venus, and it stops any attacks that Boyd might not be able to handle otherwise.  By trapping weaker effect monsters on the field with Chain, Boyd can attack them to draw cards with Horn of the Phantom Beast.  While Boyd could have played a third Skill Drain, playing two of them with two FiendishChains means more effect negation, and more chances to stop attackers.

One of the best things about this Deck is that it’s only going to get stronger with the release of Photon Shockwave.  Photon Sabre Tiger is a 2000 ATK monster that searches another copy of itself from the deck when it’s Normal or Flip Summoned.  The catch is that if you don’t control two Tigers at once, your Tiger loses 800 ATK.  It’s a great fit for Tech Genus, where you can Normal Summon it; get another one; and then flip Skill Drain to buff it back up to 2000 Attack Points.  It works with Horn, and it fits the aggressive pace.

Note that Tech Genus Decks can have trouble with Dark World strategies.  Since Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World’s destruction effect triggers in the Graveyard, it can be used to destroy Skill Drain or Horn so the Dark World Duelist can follow up and pick the Tech Genus Duelist apart.  Boyd sided hard for that matchup, packing triple Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror; triple Mystical Space Typhoon; and even cards like The Transmigration Prophecy, to stop Dark World. Those Typhoons will be more important than ever once Dark Smog becomes legal.  With plenty of effect negation, and a ton of Trap Cards, Tech Genus Decks like this one could be the biggest defensive powerhouses in competition today.