To be honest - I don't know why that many people hated Striker. Sure its drawing to its second year of being meta since its release, and yes, it was prevalent even as an engine in many decks. But the deck basically did nothing wrong! Okay - it did make Striker Orcust take up all 8 spots in a YCS top cut, and maybe it was the reason people began siding specific cards against the deck but...that doesn't mean they did something wrong right? Sky Striker is and, will be, one of Yugioh's best engines. Not only was the deck an absolute powerhouse by itself - it fueled the ever-popular Striker Orcust in its prime time not too long ago. But can it uphold it's reputation even after its key card was banned? Yes. That's why I'd like to present; Pure Sky Striker (post January 2020 banlist).
When a deck's playstyle is ruined - people often revert to how they originally played, as that is the most optimal way now that something is gone. That's why I, and a lot of others, have decided to run Darkest Diabolos. For those of you unaware to its purpose - Diabolos is a 3000 attack beatstick that can reoccur itself if a DARK attribute monster is tributed. Since you always use Raye to start your combos, what's better than to get more fodder along with her. This lord of the lair can easily be used as tribute for ningirsu or most likely Sieg. Think about it this way: 1 Striker Card Destroyed = Free Sieg. Sieg can also be summoned of off the newly released, Sky Striker Ace - Roze. This card does - in concept - the same thing as Diabolos, just worded differently. If you summon a Sky Striker monster - you get to summon out Roze. It's that simple. The final and by far biggest change, is the addition of Pot of MBT....oh sorry, Pot of Extravagance. Engage (rest in peace) was our only way of searching and drawing. Now that it's gone: people have been trying to find alternative ways to continue plussing. Luckily for us - we can now max out on each of our link monsters, meaning there is no fear in banishing a copy. Along with that, another pot has been thrown in the mix. To balance out our extra deck - Pot of Avarice prevents us from burning out resources too quickly. Yes you have to draw it - but when you do the odds will shift drastically in your favour.
Overall: I'd give this deck a 8.1/10. It definitely took a hit from the banlist - but that doesn't stop it from being viable. Do I think it is dead? No. I myself even believe that Konami will release support for the deck. Although, probably not any time soon. The build itself is solid, and I don't feel like there's much to change about it. The only reason this analysis was so short is that Striker has cookie-cutter combos. It has been doing the same thing for the past 2 years and many people are getting tired of it. But I feel that the deck isn't dead just yet - and neither is any other...
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