In just under a month, the Phantom Rage booster set will be coming to the TCG. Archetypes such as Phantom Knights and Raidraptors are getting their fair share of support. It's always great to see Konami revisit old fan favorites to give them new life and potentially make them meta relevant. This set has all kinds of goodies for us and will definitely shake up the meta. Let's take a look at some of the new cards and strategies!

New Comers

Datascape

A mixture of Wind Psychic type and Earth Wurm type monsters, Datascape is the newest level/rank 3 matters deck. The deck aims to spam level 3 monsters on to the field to perform Synchro and Xyz summons. The archetype's extra deck monsters offer lots of utility in the form of negation, banishing, and sending cards from the field to the graveyard. Unfortunately this strategy will be missing Datascape Princess Niangniang upon release as the card is currently a VJUMP card in the OCG. But it might be added as a OCG import in the set. Only time will tell.

Tri-Brigade 

The Tri-Brigade archetype combines Beasts, Beast-Warriors, and Winged-Beasts. The main deck monsters share the effect to special summon a Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged-Beast link monster from the extra deck by those types of monsters from your graveyard equal to the link rating. Of course that effect can be used to summon out a Tri-Brigade link monster but it can also be used generically to summon a link monster like Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty which can step up an infinite negate combo alongside Mist Valley Apex Avion and Mist Valley Thunderbird. The strategy is a big boost to old and new  Beast, Beast-Warrior, and Winged-Beast decks. 

New Support for Existing Archetypes

Phantom Knights

Phantom Knights gets additions to their archetype. The one that stands out the most is The Phantom Knights Of Tear Scale. It sends Phantom Knights to the grave. It brings itself back from the grave. The card is the perfect support for the deck as it can used as a way to start your plays as well as a combo extender. 

Prank-Kids

Prank-Kids Meow Meow sounds like a joke but this card is nothing to laugh at. It's a Linkk 1 monster that requires any level 4 or lower Prank-Kids monster. It allows a card like Prank-Kids Weather Washer to activate its effect without having to tribute itself by simply banishing itself from the graveyard. This new addition to the deck allows for some some seriously powerful plays. 

Zoodiac

Zoodiac received some indirect support. The deck has already seen a resurgence in play thanks to the unbanning of Zoodiac Drident  as well as Dogmatika being used as an additional engine in the deck. Zoodiac has lots of space in the main deck as it requires very little inputs to start its plays. Their newest toy finds itself in the extra deck as Negalogia AA-Zeus is simply too easy to bring out. With one direct attack from Zoodiac Boarbow this powerful card can be summoned. 

The Unknown

There are many difference between the OCG and the TCG. Certain cards and strategies might do well in the TCG but might not have seen success in the OCG. The opposite also holds true. 

With that said there is still plenty to look forward to! Which cards will get the starlight treatment? Will Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring be the next handtrap to see that rarity bump? What kind of OCG imports will we get? Will any of them have an impact on the metagame?