Exarion Universe in Goat Format
Historic Perspective
Goat Format, as you likely know, follows the April 2005 Forbidden and Restricted List. Most people play the format the way it was played between June 1st and August 1st, 2005. There are some notable things that happened during the time the April 2005 list was out, including:- Battle position rule changes, effective June 2005;
- The Lost Millennium, released June 1st 2005;
- Cybernetic Revolution, released August 17th, 2005;
- The release of promotional tins, of which Exarion Universe was in, September 1st, 2005
Judging by this, one would argue that including Exarion Universe but not Cybernetic Revolution is simply historically inaccurate. Cybernetic Revolution was not legal for tournament play until September 1st. At the same time, some shops were able to get their hands on Exarion tins early, which led to a psuedo-custom format where Exarion was legal for play but Cybernetic Revolution (and the infamous Cyber Dragon) were not.
Despite no high-level tournaments being played under these conditions, when the Revival period began in 2012 the Goat Format community decided to play with Exarion Universe, but without Cybernetic Revolution.
The Goat Format Revival Period
During the Goat Format Revival period, Exarion was legal and Cybernetic Revolution cards were not. Part of why it was included was because many people used Kris Perovic's 2005 SJC Boston decklist as a starting point - a deck that included Exarion Universe, but not Cyber Dragon (though Cyber Dragon was legal for SJC Boston).As the Revival Period gained traction, many people simply kept Exarion Universe due to how good it was, but most agreed that including Cyber Dragon took away what people were looking for from Goat Format matches.
The Revival Period was very much dominated by the Perovic Build, which you can read about below. Innovations in the format also led to the rise of decks such as Zoo and Chaos Control, which became strong challengers to the Perovic Build.
For four years the community explored Goat Format with Exarion included. Many innovations in deckbuilding, card ratios, tactics and strategy led to a very skillful format that saw a steep rise in the learning curve of Goat Format. It can also be argued that Exarion Universe increased the skill gap between "good" and "great" players, though others argue that less-skilled players could compete thanks to Exarion being so powerful.
Now, the Revival period is over, and we've entered the "Modern" period of Goat Format. This is characterized by the removal of Exarion Universe from the accepted card pool. Most of the community is on board with removing Exarion Universe from the card pool, as am I. It is more historically accurate and more reflective of the Goat Format that people not only remember, but actually want to play.
The Perovic Build
The Perovic Build is an Exarion Goat Format deck that was built by Kris Perovic. Kris popularized the build, showcased it in several major Revival-era tournaments, and cemented it as the best deck of the format. I myself have played the Perovic Build in tournaments and have seen strong results.
The community consensus about the Perovic Build is that it soft-solved Exarion Goat Format. It was the best deck of the format. Because of this, a lot of people fell on one of two sides of things: either solving Goat Format was great, as it led to more skillful matches, or it was not great because it shrunk the card pool and limited creative deckbuilding.
Whichever side of the argument you fall on, you're right. Exarion Universe is a very polarizing and very powerful card that makes almost any deck better for including it. But by not being historically accurate, the community has moved on, and the Perovic Build is now relegated to the annals of Goat Format History.
The State of Goat Format With Exarion Universe
Including Exarion Universe in the Goat Format card pool streamlines deckbuilding, reduces the size of the competitive card pool, and alters how players approach tactics and strategy in-game. His 1800 ATK makes him a prominent aggressive option, while his 1900 DEF puts him in a class above monsters like Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer and even Gemini Elf. His effect is stellar and he's a DARK monster, which synergizes well with Chaos.Here's a small list of things Exarion Universe does in Goat Control:
- Punishes Scapegoat and other defensive cards by dealing piercing damage;
- Stands up to Tsukuyomi, unlike high-ATK low-DEF options such as Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer;
- Walls Airknight Parshath with his 1900 DEF, effectively weakening opposing Airknights;
- Fuels Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning and Chaos Sorcerer plays with his DARK attribute;
- Is a Level 4 monster, which means little in the way of committing to his summon (such as with Airknight Parshath);
- Replaces many suboptimal monsters such as D.D. Assailant and Enraged Battle Ox
Here's a small list of monsters that Exarion Universe nullifies:
All of those cards saw play at some point in 2005, in a Goat Control main deck. With Exarion removing all of those options from the card pool, it's much easier to come to a consensus "best build," which made it much easier to learn the deck, it matchups, and simply how powerful it was. This has all changed with Exarion's removal from the format, as those cards are now options once again.
Goat Format Without Exarion Universe
With Exarion Universe no longer in the card pool, Modern Goat Format has seemingly been blown wide open. It is far from solved; in fact, there is no longer any consensus on whether Goat Control is even the deck to beat anymore (read my article analyzing the Goat Format metgame for more on that).Exarion's power allowed players to fill a lot of roles with just two cards. Now that he's gone, those roles get harder to fill. How do we replace such a powerful weapon? I believe that the answer comes down to one simple thing: play style.
Exarion Universe was a card that transcended playstyle. Why focus on aggressive or passive options when the deck was pretty much as good as it was going to get? For some, this was the end goal - two players, playing the same deck, would put the emphasis on in-game skill as opposed to deck construction. Play style took a back seat fort his reason.
Then again, this is a big reason why many people prefer Goat Format without Exarion. In-game skill isn't the only measure of skill when it comes to a competitive trading card game, after all. Removing Exarion puts more emphasis on play style and deck construction, while also being more historically accurate.
Exarion's Removal and its Effect on the Metagame
Exarion's removal from the card pool has a drastic impact on the metagame. Most importantly, the format gets much more diverse. Decklists naturally change due to the expanded competitive card pool. Variance between similar builds increases, which puts an emphasis not just on in-game play but also card choice, play style, and in-game tactics.In terms of specific decks, Goat Control gets weaker in some aspects, as do decks like Zoo and Chaos. It also forces players to be aware of the many ways decks can change without him, notably Goat Control.
However, some decks actually gain power, especially decks that rely on defense more so than offense. For instance, any deck that relies on recruiters gets a bit better because there are fewer ways to deal damage through them.
Recruiters are always a threat because they replace themselves if they die by battle. Exarion didn't really care about that; it often took more investment to get rid of opposing Exarion's than what you gained through recruiters. Remove him, and recruiters once again have the ability to generate advantage safely...either that, or force an opponent to waste removal to prevent them from plussing.
Conclusion
Ultimately, you can play Goat Format however you want to. Include Exarion, don't, play before the battle position changes - if your opponent agrees, so be it.
But if you're playing competitive Goat Format games, whether IRL or online, it's important to understand the differences between Pre-and Post-Exarion and adjust accordingly.
If you're making the switch, don't be afraid to try different replacements for Exarion Universe. Don't be afraid to play around with card ratios, or to take some so-called staples out for other cards. It's a whole new ballgame right now, and while some niche metas have adjusted, others are still figuring out the right balance.
That's it for this time. As always, you can email me with questions or concerns at [email protected]. Don't forget to check out my articles on Pojo.com as well for more Goat Format information.
