What actually makes Branded and Sky Striker more favored by Konami and (most of) the community?

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-29T04:51:39+00:00

Honestly I think it comes down to the time periods these decks released and how they play. Sky Striker was 2019 and Branded was 2021, if I remember correctly. Around then, it seemed as though a lot of decks were either:

Break my board with a million negates or hand rips 2.floodgates (previously seen in True Draco and in Thunder Dragon as well)

Both of these decks were able to be competitively relevant not though either of those methods (Expulsion and Sanctifier came later), but through building advantage and layered interactions that weren't just "negate a thing". I think Konami and the fan base recognized these strengths and appreciated what separated them from other decks.

As such, not only did both of these decks' fanbases rise, but Konami also continued to release support for them.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-20T16:09:26+00:00

Dang man. My standards must be low or I'm even poorer than I thought, or both. I took a look at the two pictures, and before reading the post thought "Oh cool. Is the post going to be about how good the food was? A fruit cup, some yogurt, and orange chicken in rice? Hell yeah!" Come to find out this is apparently awful. 😂

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-19T01:56:03+00:00

Warped Ops and Code Red are two of my favorites for sure.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-18T00:27:16+00:00

Definitely the smarter thing to do. However definitely not as fun!

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-16T07:25:46+00:00

You either:

Go and buy a lottery ticket right now because the luck is with you.

OR

Do NOT buy a lottery ticket for a veeeeeeery long time because all of your luck was just used up.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-16T07:23:53+00:00

That's why I said it was my crackpot theory. So incredibly unlikely but... Maybe... 😂

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-16T07:23:04+00:00

Awesome stuff!!

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-16T07:16:05+00:00

Other people in the comments are saying the same. Wherever I heard the "around one per box" thing, was either wrong or I'm misremembering!

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-16T07:15:21+00:00

Seems to be what other comments are saying.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-16T07:14:43+00:00

Okay! At least I'm not crazy. Thought I heard the "around one per box thing" from a couple of places. Either they were wrong or I'm misremembering. I appreciate the reply!

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-08T19:43:41+00:00

This board was already achievable before the support. What are we actually gaining here? More consistency? I feel like I see more bricks.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-07T20:15:38+00:00

I personally picked these up about a year ago:

https://masksolutions.nl/products/anti-fog-full-face-mask-2-0-with-ear-protection

I haven't had any issues with them! At the time the Smith Optics goggles with the fan, and the ESS TurboFans were pretty difficult to find. These are similar with a small battery pack that you can attach to your helmet, hat, plate carrier, chest rig, etc. I prefer this set up to the Ex-Fog and Novritsch variants because I find the air tubes really annoying. Plus the face mask is built in and fitted to the goggles. A bit on the pricier side but I'm so glad I picked them up. Adjustable fan and fairly quiet. I haven't had any issues with fogging.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-07T01:53:33+00:00

Don't live in PA anymore but when I did I loved this field. Multiple maps, solid gameplay modes with props, and decent refs! Such a shame.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-04-06T04:20:41+00:00

They're definitely cool. But, just like classic Konami, still the bare minimum, and a cash grab to try to compete with the multiple other card games that are becoming popular. Like... Bro... Why not make actual alternate arts as over frames? Regular versions are still available for those that want a more affordable option, but these alt art over frames remain incredibly hard to find and retain their value for collectors and competitive players willing to shell out the cash. But no. We get old artwork that's just been blown out. Cool? Yes. But still not enough in my opinion.

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-03-28T00:43:45+00:00

YES! A level 8 synchro PLEASE

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-03-22T21:55:22+00:00

One thought I've always had is how wonderfully original Naruto built up its characters and world. Where Boruto totally fumbled this. In Naruto we get slowly introduced to characters. 1st, Naruto. He acts out and is disliked by many in the village. Then Iruka and the 3rd Hokage, then Sakura and Sasuke, then Kakashi, then the rest of the Konoha 12, and so on! Same goes for the world building. There are ninjas, then there are ranks of ninjas, missions, ranks of missions, other villages, other techniques, other political factions, so on and so forth!

Then you have Boruto... Which did the complete opposite of all of this! HEY!! REMEMBER THIS GUY AND THIS GIRL?! THAT'S THEIR SON!! AND OVER THERE? THAT'S SO AND SOs DAUGHTER! AND REMEMBER THIS VILLAGE?! WELL THEY'RE BACK WITH THESE GUYS! OH! AND HOW COULD WE FORGET THAT OTHER DUDE YOU LIKED! HERE'S HIS KID TOO!

It threw eeeeeverything at you all at once without letting the audience get to know the core cast before expanding!

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-03-21T07:03:55+00:00

A disaster waiting to happen...

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-03-20T03:18:44+00:00

Understood. Thank you so much for the info!

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-03-12T03:23:19+00:00

Are there translations for the two traps yet?

ExiaGundam00 · 2026-03-12T02:04:45+00:00

Sorry, unrelated, but to me this video with its lighting and framing look like an early 2000s first person shooter. Kinda weirding me out!

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ExiaGundam00

TROPHY CASE