So, if Hungry Ninja doesn't post it Friday

Here's an article I wrote:

Block Constructed, a Primer.

On December the 18th, 2009 Bandai announced a most startling change. They introduced a brand new format called Block Constructed. With was met with more than it’s fair share of criticism, with players bemoaning that it was “The End of Days” and that the Bandai R&D staff didn’t care about it’s players and the Naruto CCG.

Flash forward 30 days to January the 18th, 2010 and many opinions have changed on the format. More and more people are discovering that the change actually is strengthening the game instead of limiting what options you have. The fact that it took this long to catch on isn’t surprising, considering most people are afraid of change and don’t like the fact that Bandai has permanently changed that game for the better. Many think that with this change (much like the Rogue List) that they will be playing only Block Constructed all the time, and while this may be true at some stores, it isn’t true at all of them. I know for a fact that the store I game at will only be holding Block when the Chunin Exam calls for it, and not at any other time.

For those out there that think Block dumbs the game down and decreases the amount of cards you have to play with, I want to ask you a question and I want you to seriously think about. Just how many cards from set 1 through 10 did you actually run? Post how many in the feedback, and don’t lie about it to skew the results, because people WILL know.

Now, for the actual article that I intend to write:

Block Constructed, it’s new exciting and hard to build for. It obsoletes decks that were very hard to play against because they were so broken (Chain Lightning and Over 9000) and breaks the power cards out of other decks (Giant Vortex Jutsu and Attack from the Blind Spots). While that may seem like something that would destroy a game, when you seriously look at the card lists, you’ll see a lot of cards that weren’t playable before from these 5 (soon to be six) sets become very playable, and some may even be the focus of new archetypes that will come out of the woodwork for this season of the Chunin exam. If you intend to win in this new format, you have to actually LOOK at the cards in those lists, or else you’ll fall back like so many others and think that only 100ish cards are playable from all five (soon to be six again) sets that are legal.

If you DO intend to do the work and get a leg up on the competition, I have a video for you to watch so you can gain some insight into how one of the top deck builders in Magic: the Gathering builds his decks: (All credit for this video belongs to Evan Erwin of The Magic Show and Conley Woods)

Deckbuilding

Now, you heard how he builds his decks right? He combs over every card four or more times to find that piece of hidden tech that others don’t know. Well luckily for you guys, I’ve done that already and am prepared to hand the community the list of cards that I think are playable. Many will probably call this list bad because they haven’t put the time and effort into learning what’s really playable and what isn’t, because they only want to run the top 50 cards from any given element to play the best deck that is popular. While I don’t bemoan those people, they aren’t getting the full value of their cards and the deck choice that they have decided to run because they haven’t invested the time into finding out if there are other better cards out there to run.

For those who just want the list of playable cards, here it is:

Set 11
Naruto Uzumaki [Guard of the Prince]
Sakura Haruno [Guard of the Prince]
Rock Lee [Guard of the Prince]
Kakashi Hatake [Guard of the Prince]
Cham [Ferocious Fangs]
Karenbana [Deceiving Flower]
Naruto Uzumaki & Shadow Clone [Mastering the Secrets of the Rasengan]
Sumaru [Power of the Star]
Sasuke Uchiha [Complete Opening of the Eyes]
Naruto Uzumaki [Growing Power]
Sakura Haruno [Growing Power]
Tsunade [Presence]
Orochimaru [Presence]
Sasuke Uchiha [Breaking off the Connection]
Choji Akimichi [Source of the Power]
Akamaru [Reliable Partner]
Haku [Creed]
Zabuza Momochi [Bottomless Power]
Shizune [Medical Kunoichi]
Itachi Uchiha [Goal]
Kisame Hoshigaki [Cold-Blooded]
Naruto Uzumaki & Gamabunta [Strange Relationship]
Zabuza Momochi [Blade of the Ogre]
Hot-Blooded Tuition
Purchasing a whole Circus
Temporizing Threat
Browbeater
Tracking by Ninja Hounds
Inquiry
Being a Fool
The Symbol of the Proud Clan
Melee
Eight Inner Gates
Left Alone
Double Dynamic Entry
8 Trigrams 128 Palms
Moonlight Rasengan
Leaf Lightning Fist
Dynamic Lightning Lotus Chain
Ninja Art: Kujaku Wing
Tunneling Fang
Rasengan
Shuriken
Explosion of the Rasengan
The Eight Inner Gates
Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu
Hikaru Tsuki
Michiru Tsuki
Shabadaba

Set 12:
Gen Aburame [As A Father]
Shikaku Nara [As A Father]
Inoichi Yamanaka [As A Father]
Neji Hyuga [Sealing the Abilities]
Shino Aburame [Insect Warriors]
Hanabi Hyuga [Bond of Family]
Hayate Gekko [A Spy]
Kurenai Yuhi [Big Sister]
Double Headed Wolf [Overflowing Wildness]
Itachi Uchiha & Deidara [Experts of Dangerous Ninjutsu]
Hinata Hyuga & Hiashi Hyuga [Successors of the Clan]
Ninja Dog Squad [Summon]
Temari & Kankuro [Menace of the Sand]
Rock Lee [Hot-Blooded Mind]
Cipher Corps [Decoding the Code]
Chiyo [Retired Master]
Ebizo [Fishing]
Salamander [Lifeless Warrior]
Black Ant [Lifeless Warrior]
Crow [Lifeless Warrior]
Zetsu [Mysterious Existance]
Deidara [Plastic Arts]
Neji Hyuga [KEKKEIGENKAI]
Rock Lee [Expert of Taijutsu]
Might Guy [Eight Inner Gates]
Kakashi Hatake [Detection of the Movement]
Sakura Haruno [Cure]
Kankuro [Tactician]
Long Awaited Reinforcements
Chase
BBQ
Wonderful Days
A Preach
Debt
Secret of the Uchiha Clan
Welling Up Red Chakra
Oath of Vengeance
Arbitration
Raid By Anbu
The one who Lives Within
Sasori of the Red Sand
Round-Table Conference
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu
Knockout Blow
Summoning Jutsu
Shadow Clone Jutsu
Dispatch of Anbu
Poison Needles
Shadow Strangle Jutsu
Gentle Fist Style: 8 Trigrams 64 Palms
Concealed Weapon
Spider Bow: Fierce Rip
Arhat Fist
8 Trigrams Air Palm
Emisson of Chakra
Water Prison Jutsu
Detonating Clay "Bird"
Asakujaku
Nunchaku
Leaf Rising Wind
Wind Scythe Jutsu
Iron-Armed
Sexy Jutsu

Set: 13
Sasuke Uchiha [For the Aim]
Ninja Dog Squad (All Gathered) [Howl]
Rocke Lee [Speed of Lightning]
Itachi Uchiha [Mysterious Corps]
Kakashi Hatake [Set Up]
Neji Hyuga [Alert]
Kiba Inuzuka & Akamaru [The White Guardian and the Master]
Kakashi Hatake & Pakkun [Excellent Combination]
Kakashi Hatake & Might Guy [Wipe Out Attack]
Rock Lee [Loopy Fist]
Tsunade [Handicap]
Temari [Strong Wind]
Neji Hyuga [Coolness and Passion]
Kakashi Hatake (Anbu Days) [Mysterious Corps]
Rock Lee [Desperate Battle]
Hinata Hyuga [Strong Spirit]
Neji Hyuga [Seeing through the Wall]
Shizune [Obvservation]
Anko Mitarashi [Chase]
Ino Yamanaka [Get Well Soon Gift]
Shino Aburame & Kiba Inuzuka [Reunion]
Sasuke Uchiha & Orochimaru [Ambition and Desire]
Neji Hyuga & Hinata Hyuga [Eminent Clan]
Sasuke Uchiha [Cold Headed]
Sasuke Uchiha [-]
Neji Hyuga [Unassailable]
Sasori (Puppet Mode) [Supreme Work of Art]
The Third Kazekage [Corrosion by Sand Iron]
Sasori [The Best Toy]
Deidara [Dangerous Artist]
Mother and Father [Lifeless Warriors]
Chiyo [Rich Experience]
Ino Yamanaka [Stranger]
Hinata Hyuga [Shyness]
Kakashi Hatake [A New Technique]
Sakura Haruno [Protection Against Poison]
Naruto Uzumaki (Tailed Beast Mode) [Tailed Beast Form]
Successive Hokage
Corps in Black
Fellow and Loneliness
4 Times Faster
Unstable Ground
Substitute
Dark Ritual
Long Awaited Reunion
Hidden Village of the Wind
Successive Kazekage
Threat of the Tailed Beasts
Sealing the Tailed Beast
Eight Ninja Dogs
Messenger
Control of the Nine-Tailed
Uncovered Trick
Buying Time
Mission of Capturing the Missing Pet Tora
Rasengan
Genjutsu: Sylvan Fetters
Clean Hit
Continuous Shuriken Attacks
Scope
8 Trigams Palms Rotation
Power of the Cursed Blood
Medical Ninjutsu
Assault Blade
Water Style: Five Hungry Sharks
Mangekyo Sharingan
Mirror Reflection Jutsu
Copy Ninjutsu
Giant Shuriken
Snatching the Weapon
A Thousand Years of Death
Takamaru

Set 14:
Kisame Hoshigaki [Fierce Monster]
Itachi Uchiha [Genius in Genjutsu]
Temari [Windstorm]
Kankuro & Black Ant [No Mercy]
Might Guy [Dynamic Entry]
Sakura Haruno & Sai [Strange Team Work]
Sasuke Uchiha [Copying the Skills]
Shizune & Tonton [An Assistant and a Pet]
Choji Akimichi [Infuriaton]
Shikamaru Nara [Unwillingness]
Rock Lee & Tortise Ninja [Pupils of the Hot-Blooded Teacher]
Naruto Uzumaki [Dangerous Chakra]
Ino Yamanaka [Enticement]
Yoroi Akado [Unique Talent]
Misumi Tsurugi [Unique Talent]
Shimon Hijiri [Keeping an Eye]
The Demon Brothers Meizu [Same Wavelength]
The Demon Brothers Gouzu [Same Wavelength]
Raiga Kurosuki [Seven Swordsmen of the Mist]
Manda [Offerings]
Ranmaru [Glowing Eyes]
Anko Mitarashi [Pupil of Orochimaru]
Kimimaro (Childhood) [Last Warrior of the Clan]
Kin Tsuchi [The Rear Guard]
Dosu Kinuta [Sonic Impact]
Naruto Uzumaki & Yamato [Team Work]
Kabuto Yakushi [Database]
Haku (Childhood) [Strong Bond]
The Second Hokage [Matchless Hero]
The First Hokage [Matchless Hero]
Koharu Utatane [Surveillance]
Homura Mitomon [Surveillance]
Anbu (The Foundation) [The Will of the Foundation]
Naruto Uzumaki & Sai [Bad Terms]
Orochimaru [Dream Vessel]
Tobi [The Man of Mystery]
Mikoshi [Follower]
Matsuri [Follower]
Chiyo [Showdown]
Danzo [Hard-Linder]
Choji Akimichi [Reliable Comrade]
Ino Yamanaka [Pressing]
Sai [Envoy of the Foundation]
Naruto Uzumak (Tailed Beast Mode) [Tailed Beast Form]
Advisors
Underground Organization
Secret Meeting
Picture Book
Invitation to the Darkness
Surprise Training
A New Squad
Sealing Barrier
Medical Ninja
Captivity
Pressure
Ninja Info Card
Super Bushy-Brow
Hiding
Compressed Chakra
Meaning of Comrade
Lunchbox
Transmitter
Bad Dream
Constricting Bind
100% Hot-Blooded
Filling Up the Open Spot
Rules for Medical Ninjas
Giant Rasengan
Visual Jutsu
Wood Style Jutsu: Four Pillar Prison Jutsu
Bone Guard
Twining Limbs
Stealing Chakra
Razor Chain
Ten Thousand Snakes Wave
Earth Style: Rending Piercing Fang
Formation!
Sense of Fear
Ninja Art: Shadow Stitching
Secret White Move: Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets
Detonating Kunai
Water Style: Water shark Bomb Jutsu

Set 15:
Elder of the Hyuga Clan [Elder of the Clan]
Yashiro Uchiha [Leaf Police Force]
Inabi Uchiha [Leaf Police Force]
Tekka Uchiha [Leaf Police Force]
The Fourth Hokage (Younger Days) [Savior]
Homura Mitomon (Childhood) [Prominent Intelligence]
Koharu Utatane (Childhood) [Prominent Intelligence]
Kakashi Hatake (Childhood) [Born Genius]
Giant Tiger [Wild Power]
Tortoise Ninja [Lesson]
Tonton [Adorable Pet]
Giant Snake [Assassin of Orochimaru]
Giant Ninja Toad [Bring Down the House]
The Fourth Kazekage [Dignity]
Shion [Unavoidable Fate]
Naruto Uzumaki & Shion [Prophecy of Doom]
Sakura Haruno & Tsunade [Power of Kunoichi]
Naruto Uzumaki & Jiraiya [After Two and a Half Years]
Konohamaru [Insatiable Aspiration]
Temari [Rush]
Baki [Able Brain]
Yamato [Cautiousness]
Itachi Uchiha [Elite of the Clan]
Shikamaru Nara [Sharpness]
Sasuke Uchiha [Finishing Blow]
Orochimaru [Forbidden Jutsu]
Deidara [Temper]
Sasori (Childhood) [Remarkable Talent]
Kankuro [Rush]
Hiashi Hyuga [The Best Shinobi of the Clan]
Hinata Hyuga [Reserved Character]
Shino Aburame [Silence]
Yamato [Control By Fear]
Sai [Heartless Eyes]
Sasuke Uchiha [Severing the Bond]
Sakura Haruno [Ardent Spirit]
Gitai [The Quartet]
Setsuna [The Quartet]
Shizuku [The Quartet]
Kuzuna [The Quartet]
Shion (Awakened) [Seal]
Leaf Police Force
Threat of the State 2
Approaching Showdown
Destiny of the Clan
Leaf Hospital
Sharpening the Blade
Not Another Step!
The Power to Seal the Disaster
Crying in Vain
Approaching Shadow of a Snake
Bashfulness
Member List
Search for a Member
Weird Picture Book
Punishment
Surprise Attack from a Mysterious Enemy
Retiring Character
Competition
Luxurious Meal
Leaf Academy
Chakra Knife
Sealing the Evil
Kamui
Cherry Blossom Impact
Chidori Stream
Multiple Striking Shadow Snake
Snake Sword
Great Leaf Flash
Wind Style: Divine Down-Current
Chakra Infusion
Combination Jutsu
Water Style: Surface Slicer
Monstrous Warriors
Super Chakra Rasengan
Hidden Lotus
Chocolate Bomb
Leaf Hurricane
Heaven Kick of Pain
Assault of Snakes
Burst of Lightning Blade
Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu
Fast Capture
Storm by Rasengan
Miroku
Susuki

For those who stuck around, I thank you. Now, do you see just how long that list is? That’s over three hundred cards that are playable, guess what, there are only about over six hundered cards that are in all those sets combined. Which means that a little over half of them are actually playable. That’s a startlingly large number considering all the other reprinted cards that are legal and the promo’s that see play and are legal as well.

There are a lot of cards in that list that don’t stand out as immediately playable, but you need to build decks and test the cards that are on the list. Card’s like Leaf Lightning Fist don’t look that good, but when you sit down and build a Taijutsu deck you see that it’s actually pretty insane cause it’ll let you OV a team most of the time if you have Dynamic Entrance Might Guy and Expert of Taijutsu Rock Lee in a team with something like LS Fourth Hokage.

There are a TON of deck’s that become much better than they were before, let’s look at a standard water deck now:

Mono-Water:

Ninja: 30

Turn 0: 10
3 Haku (Childhood) [Strong Bond]
3 Anko Mitarashi (Childhood) [Pupil of Orochimaru]
2 Shino Aburame [Insect Warriors]
2 Sakura Haruno [A Double Personality]

Turn 1: 3
3 Kabuto Yakushi [Database]

Turn 2: 3
1 Misumi Tsurugi [Unique Talent]
1 Shikamaru Nara [Unwillingness]
1 Yoroi Akado [Unique talent]

Turn 3: 2
2 Temari [Rush]

Turn 4: 4
2 Sasuke Uchiha [Severing the Bonds]
2 Baki [Able Brain]

Turn 5: 4
2 Zabuza Momochi [Bottomless Power]
2 Kisame Hoshigaki [Fierce Monster]

Turn 6: 4
2 Orochimaru [Presence]
2 The Second Hokage [Matchless Hero]

Mission: 9
3 Hiding
3 Threat of the Tailed Beasts
3 Appearance of Unknown Rivals

Jutsu: 11
3 Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu
3 Faster Capture
3 Water Prison Jutsu
2 Razor Chain

Now see, was that so hard? I built a Block Legal Water list without having to sweat over losing Giant Vortex. Water is still a good deck despite losing Giant Vortex.

What about Earth then? It lost some seriously good cards right?

Ninja: 30

Turn 0: 10
3 Choji Akimichi [Infuriation]
3 Shino Aburame [Insect Warriors]
2 Hinata Hyuga [Strong Spirit]
2 Sasuke Uchiha [-]

Turn 1: 5
3 Naruto Uzumaki [Dangerous Chakra]
2 Temari [Wind Scythe]

Turn 2: 3
2 Ino Yamanaka [Pressing]
1 Shikamaru Nara [Unwillingness]

Turn 3: 3
2 Anbu (The Foundation) [Will of the Foundation]
1 Hinata Hyuga [Reserved Character]

Turn 4: 4
2 Baki [Able Brain]
2 Neji Hyuga [Seeing through the Wall]

Turn 5: 3
3 Yamato [Control By Fear]

Turn 6: 2
2 The First Hokage [Matchless Hero]

Mission: 11
3 Lunchbox
3 Luxurious Meal
3 BBQ
2 Long Awaited Reinforcements

Jutsu: 10
3 Wood Style Jutsu: Four Pillars Prison Jutsu
3 Detonating Kunai
3 Sealing the Evil

That may not be the best Earth list, but at least I went out and built a list.

The point of this article is to get across the fact that when you look around the card lists, cards start to present themselves as being playable. Many of the people who bemoaned the change as being bad was because they are to lazy to actually do the work to develop new lists outside of their normal “Take all the staple cards and add cards that are good in this element”. Guess what, if you do the work now you’ll become a better gamer so if a Chunin Exam in the future is unlimited you’ll actually LOOK at the older lists and maybe find something that other’s did not because they are to lazy to look at the lists.

The whole point of this article is to open the communities eyes to the fact that Block Constructed is actually helping the game, the fact that it eliminates almost 1000 cards is irrelevant because only about 100 of those cards saw any actual play at all. 60 of those 100 cards have already been reprinted meaning that the decks that need them to support their strategy are already legal. Now compare that to the fact that over three hundred of the new face cards are legal, and you have a much more balanced format that introduces new deck types and eliminates old broken ones. I’ll even do a breakdown on what has been introduced to be a top tier or at least near top tier deck:

Hyuga Aggro/Hand Control
Mono Water Jonin
Mono Water Snakes
Mono Water Sound 5
Mono Uchiha
Mono Fire
Mono Kakashi/Itachi
Mono Tree
Leaf Taijutsu
Medical
A New Squad
Animals
Females
Mental Control (With cards like Sharpness and As a Father)
Naruto vs. Sasuke

And decks that even I don’t know about. I know most will think most of that list is bad, but there are decks on there that no one has tested yet and yet they can be some of the best decks out there if piloted right. Now I could go through and give you a deck list for each of those, but I wont, because you wouldn’t LEARN anything from this article, which is the point I’m trying to get across. You need to roll with what’s coming down the pipeline for Bandai, because unlike before where they are just designing stupid card after stupid card they are actually balancing out the game.

I for one appreciate their efforts and applaud them, keep up the good work Bandai, keep up the good work.

-VSA

i ran old tonton at last chunnin
if you think im kidding....i can show my deck list
but i'll find other cards
AOUR
bingo book
isabri(snakes)
info gathering
breakthru
one moaning
sand barriar gaara
walking on water (ambush shinanagains...)
vortex

did this for the funnizes,i do support block format (cuz i lost to an OC deck against a guy i always beat lol)
althru im gonna miss vortex...*goes back to read article* lol

edit:wow,your list makes me like...feel like a good player o.O
my earth decks looks similar to yours but i had advisors!
i use luxious meal,pretty nice
justu line up is the same,exspect i could only find one four pillars
and that naruto is PRO TECH
btw,I'm coming back to this list to find good cards when im at a lost :]
thanks
could you make a list of just zeros maybe?
or splashable cards in general?
anyways,over all GREAT article