PWCQ 89: Top 8 Deck Lists

PWCQ 89 almost slipped through the cracks of coverage, but such a diverse top 8 needs some major eyeballs!

In first place, we have Picatron and his Chaos Warrior Turbo deck proving once again that they are absolute monsters in the format. This is Picatron’s second PWCQ win this year, and he continues to reinvent the deck in ever-so-subtle ways. The biggest standouts are only one Upstart Goblin and one Raigeki Break. These quantities go far outside of deck building convention, and show a deliberate consideration that the deck only wants to do one discard for cost per game and it’s clock is deal for dealing 9000 damage rather than 10,000. He’s also added one Spirit Reaper, an extremely flexible card that causes major problems for many matchups. Lastly, he continues to side 2 Berserk Gorillas and added Chaos Sorcerer to the mix, but Zombyra is nowhere to be seen. Picatron is the originator of Warrior Turbo and ties with SS95 its most devout pilot. Anyone looking to play the deck should take notes!

Speaking of originators and devout pilots, we have Ez2Slayu tied for fifth/sixth using card-for-card the same Gumo Sumo list he brought to GFC 25. Many players (including the author) have attempted to take the deck for their own spin, changing quantities ever so slightly or introducing new sideboard options altogether. Few have succeeded, yet EZ brings the same 55 to a PWCQ and once again finds success. The deck and its pilot are like a force of nature. No amount of knowing every last card in the deck stops its raw power. Those interested in the gambling spider should take his exact list for a spin before considering any changes. Results like this show he’s doing something right.

In second place we have Nikoschatz (aka Usainbolt aka “Mr. Double Dot”) on an extremely clean Chaos Turbo deck. The main deck is unremarkable save for the distinct ratio of 1 Dekoichi and 3 Faith. This is quite a subtle yet powerful choice, as Faith is far more likely to take over the game than the choo-choo train, but the train’s very presence adds to the variety of play. The side, though it looks mundane, is even bolder in its ratios. 3 Solemn shows a commitment to put a stop to unfair decks and leverage card advantage into control in matchups where that matters; second Tsukoyomi shows and overwhelming respect for Chaos Control and further leverages the third faith; Hysteric Fairy instead of Mystic Wok rather than as an addition shows an understanding of the importance of getting rid of multiple ojama tokens and the alternate ways turbo can handle the matchup (though Wok seems awfully good with 3 Faith…); and lastly Bottomless Trap Hole makes for an amazing callout to a decreased Chaos Turbo presence, answering everything from a normal summoned Warrior to a dark Balter to a field full of Rescue Cat summons.

In third place is Nessapouliata with a Panda Burn. Spoilers for PWCQ 90, but this is his first of two PWCQ tops to cover. Nessa’s list combines the knowledge of Worlds, the power of classic Panda all stars, and the use of plain ol’ “good cards” to create an extremely flexible list. The biggest eye-catcher is one copy of Xing Zhen Hou, a card usually seen on the other side of the field. Using a wide array of back row hate besides the mainboard Trunade and Heavy Storm, Nessa’s Panda build challenges conventional play patterns and techs most players use to combat the strategy. Congratulations for one of the best Panda results since DDaymeric! The former Queen is glad someone stepped to the plate.

Tied for third with Nessa was Dkerke on Warrior, and tied for fifth was IM_FBN on Warrior as well. Both mains are quite similar, the Dkerke using Reaper as an anti-Warrior dark over FBN’s Skilled Dark Magician, and FBN preferring to draw 1 with Jar of Greed over Dkerke’s main deck Book of Moon. Much more staggering are the monster counts in the sideboard: FBN using eleven and Dkerke using a whopping twelve! What could the large quantity of monsters say about Warriors’ trap lineup, and how might one exploit this information to take down the Warrior menace? We’ll leave that to you the viewer and brewer to decide…

Last but not least, we have Scrub4Life on Chaos Return and Enduser on Library FTK. Scrub’s list is fairly straightforward, but stands out with the inclusion of mainboard Roulette Barrel. The include makes sense as a tech choice for both Warrior and Chaos Control, and I expect it will eventually make its way to the sideboard. Enduser’s Library FTK deck is clearly focused and tested, giving it every tool every proposed library variation has had with basically no compromise. The deck is an absolute non-game machine. From the quarter finals replay with Picatron, it seems the only reason Enduser didn’t take the whole event was a misplay. That being said, Enduser would have had to face Warriors, Solemn Chaos Turbo, and Burn. Library struggles against these decks. Congratulations to Enduser on the first Library FTK top since FayeV in 2021.

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